pickWhat I love most about this collection is that Hearn so loved Japan and understood how culturally important it was to capture these tales as accurately as possible. He didn‘t try to Westernize anything, he wanted to bring the culture to the attention of the Western world in its true form. I love him for that. I loved reading these supernatural tales and will be seeking out more.
pickYou know, these are kinda fun. It was a bit like, “What if Sherlock Holmes were into investigating the Supernatural?” My favorite was the guy who visited his old school which was a monastery, now in ruins. His old teachers are there, and they haven‘t aged. He realizes they‘re demonic monks a little too late because the dark magic ceremony is *happening* but John Silence comes to his rescue.
pickI enjoy haunting memoirs. The author‘s story appears on the tv series Paranormal Witness, Season 2, Episode 2…but her book is much better. For years, she lived in fear in the old Brooklyn house she and her family lived in, until finding out what happened to the restless spirits occupying her home, and why they were there. Fascinating, personal. Books like this help open up the conversation for what many experience but fear to talk about.
pickNight Side of the River, by Jeanette Winterson (2023)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Premise: A collection of ghost stories and personal reflections on the paranormal by a contemporary master of short fiction.
Review: The worst thing I can say about this is that it‘s uneven. It starts off strong, with some seriously disturbing tales of haunting by AI and other virtual technology. ⬇️
“You probably thought that was the end of me. I wouldn't blame you. I sure thought so at the time. But the funny thing is I'm still around. Not that anyone knows.“
I could use this book in my classroom by having my students read a few of the short stories and then write their own short spooky stories around the time of halloween. I could also have my students practice evaluating character traits and identifying the main plot points in each of the stories as well.
so-soThis book makes me think differently about morality by demonstrating that our actions can lead to unexpected consequences. Some of the stories made me think about how people can easily be influenced to do things that they typically wouldn't do without the help of others. Lastly, I realized that people's character can lead them into making specific decisions also. Thus, having compassion, being responsible, etc., are crucial in making good choices.
panWell they can‘t all be five star reads. After a pretty successful reading month I‘ve found a dud. This book was infuriatingly unsatisfying. Nothing happened. Nothing was explained. I‘m terribly disappointed because I love The Woman in Black by the same author.
Full review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2025/10/27/the-mist-in-the-mirror/
