Hollow by Celina Myers—widely recognized as CelinaSpookyBoo—comes highly recommended in the paranormal and BookTok communities. As a paranormal investigator, I’ve noticed that mainstream paranormal media often lowers expectations for what a “real” investigation looks like. Many viewers are exposed to dramatized, sensationalized content, in which every unexplained sound is treated as proof of something sinister and as genuine evidence of ...
Paranormal
Book Review: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson | Netflix Did It Better
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is a classic I picked up after watching the Netflix miniseries. It absolutely boggles my bookish brain that the Netflix adaptations—both The Haunting of Bly Manor and The Haunting of Hill House—somehow outshine the source material. Though it hurts my literary soul to admit it, I think Netflix actually did it better. How could I, of all people, betray my inner bookworm and say a screen version is ...
Book Review: The Turn of the Screw by Henry James | A Classic That Crosses the Line
I don’t even know where to start with The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. I hate sounding like a broken record every time there’s a disappointing book to discuss, but sometimes that’s just the truth. Occasionally, a book is so frustrating that when you sit down to write your thoughts—to convey them and connect with another reader who might feel the same—you want to get it right. Yet, sometimes the words fail because it’s hard to sum up your ...
Game Review: The Monsters We Make: Illness and Empathy in Silent Hill 2
First off, let me say that I don’t think video games have to be analyzed deeply by everyone who plays them. They can be purely entertainment, and that’s perfectly okay. However, as is my nature, I often use the media I consume—whether it’s books, movies, or games—for self-reflection. I didn’t grow up with video games, and Silent Hill 2 is actually my very first playthrough of any game in the series. That gave me a raw, unfiltered experience of ...
Book Review: Satan’s Harvest by Robert David Chase | Victim Blaming in Paranormal Narratives
Satan’s Harvest is book #6 in the Ed and Lorraine Warren series, and the fourth one I’ve read. I’ve had some trouble tracking down a couple of the earlier titles (yes, I am glaring directly at my library for this), but honestly—that frustration pales in comparison to the reaction this book inspired. I’m just going to say it outright: writing this review may very well be the literary equivalent of setting fire to any chance of being accepted as ...
