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Shorter days, cooler nights- in autumn, a reader’s thoughts turn to – Halloween! For those quaintly unsettling tales that absolutely require a fire, you can’t beat the British. Edward Gorey’s collection, The Haunted Looking Glass (FIC GOR), contains several of those English gems including L. P. Hartley’s story (pp. 53-74) “A Visitor from Down Under,” in which a wealthy Australian return to his favorite London hotel and meets a visitor who is definitely from “down under.” In the same volume is Bram Stoker’s (yes, “The” Dracula author) tale (pp.135-158) “The Judge’s House” in which an aspiring math student should have done a much better job calculating the odds set against him. If you’d like a non-fiction exploration of our enduring, much more than skin deep, fascination with the always popular Frankenstein, there’s Susan Hitchcock’s Frankenstein: A Cultural History (823.7 HIT). Hitchcock spent more than twenty years researching Shelley’s creation whom, she claims, is equal parts hero and villain. And, there’s still time to celebrate the bi-centennial of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (FIC SHE). In an examination of truly “fake news”, Gail Jarrow reviews the true story of Orson Welles famous, and infamous, 1938 radio broadcast in Spooked: How a Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked a 1938 Invasion of America. (YA 791.44 JAR). It could be that Mr. Welles’ hoax took the other Mr. Wells’ (The War of the Worlds. FIC WEL) idea to the next level. If you just want to shiver in your boots, there’s always Shirley Jackson’s acclaimed novel The Haunting of Hill House (FIC JAC) in which, the evil that we most assuredly fear may be as close as…? So, as you enjoy a little spirited reading this Halloween, just remember what Geoffrey Crayon’s storyteller said, “Faith, sir, as to that matter, I don’t believe one-half of it myself.” (Washington Irving. History, Tales, and Sketches. FIC IRV. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”)
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The battle between certainty and uncertainty can often be bitter, and sometime downright scary, a fact to which psychologist Anna Fox can readily attest. Fox, who suffers from severe agoraphobia lives a reclusive life in her Manhattan home- passing the days drinking wine, watching classic movies, and spying on her neighbors a la Rear Window (if you like classic movies, you’ll love all the references to them in this book). Fox’s main contact with the outside world is via her computer link to some online contacts. By most measures, Fox leads a sad, unhappy life until the day that she sees something through her camera lens that changes drastically her fate. Suddenly, she is both pushed and pulled into an escalating set of confrontations with neighbors, her tenant, the police, and most of all with her own past, which harbors its own deep and dark secrets. Finn’s narrative shows that Anna’s agoraphobia is not only related to forays out-of-doors; for her, it’s also an internal struggle. The short punchy chapters and fast paced action magnify the angst and looming evil that makes this story a true page-turner. 427 pages. FIC FIN
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On Trails : An Exploration
by Robert Moor
Tails, pathways, tracks, or whatever you want to call them, are part and parcel of our DNA. Our ancestors once tracked animal trails for food and trails (the Oregon, Chisholm, and others) are central to our history. Author Robert Moore’s love affair with trails began when he embarked on a Georgia to Maine hike along the Appalachian Trail. His experiences there got him to thinking about other trails (some traditional and some not) and the different meanings of that word. He notes that wild moose are able to make a trail across wetlands that would stymie most humans. And he recounts Edwin Wilson’s famous discovery that fire ants leave scent markers along trails to find their homes and their food sources (there’s a great story here about how physicist Richard Feynman tracked ants walking across his bathtub!). Even fossils seem to have been in the trail making business. Moore’s narrative is both insightful and informative and he always has a compelling story to tell. So, whether you hike the Appalachian, follow the Oregon, walk in the woods, or are just fascinated by an eclectic reading adventure, you’re certainly going to enjoy this book. Happy reading trails to you! 340 pages. 796.51 MOO
A groundbreaking exploration of the role of trails in shaping culture, order and history draws on the author's international travels and findings in myriad disciplines while exploring examples ranging from tiny ant trails and continental hiking paths to interstate highways and the Internet.
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