Non-Fiction Ghost Story Review

Ghosts? I think so!
by Sue Sereno
ISBN-10: 1424117968
Review by Heather Froeschl

Virginia has its fair share of ghosts roaming around. A lot has happened here! I’ve always loved a good ghost story; Hans Holzer is one of my favorite paranormal authors. Sue Sereno authored “Ghosts? I think so!” to share the story of her own haunted home.

Over 30 years of living in a house can bring you pretty close to it. You get to know every little inch of your home, and also every little thing that doesn’t seem quite right. Sue began to notice things right away though. The small house in southern Virginia has a bit of history that Sue discovered along the way, with property deeds going back to 1873. Some history had other ways of making itself known to her. Sue tells of things happening from bodiless footsteps, whispers in the woods, phantom cars crunching gravel in the drive, to EVP’s, cold drafts, and even ghostly scents of baked goods. There seems to be a female presence that tucks visitors into bed, and a male presence in the woods that likes to play tricks. Sue and her husband just live with the spirits around them and so have many stories to tell of their interactions. Their visitors in human form tend to have more stories than they care to. Her book is an open door to experience some of those things along with them.

The writing is honest and friendly and feels like you are sitting down with a friend over coffee. It is a fast read, made all the more so by such fascinating events. This non-fiction title would make an excellent addition to a ghost story collector, and an even more perfect book to curl up with for Halloween.

History Review

50 Battles: 5,000 Years of Conflict
by Jay Kimmel
ISBN-10: 0942893050
Review by Heather Froeschl


Covering 5,000 years of conflict is not an easy task. Doing so without coming off as a textbook is monumental. Jay Kimmel has met that goal. "50 Battles" is an interesting guide through history, beginning with The Scorpion King in 3050 B.C.E and ending with the Iraq War in 2003. Throughout the pages readers will be experience what really went on during those battles and not political propaganda that can sometimes be found in books about war.

Kimmel offers concise details to historians, military enthusiasts and general readers alike. Each battle is described in a short chapter, from one to four pages in length and includes such information as explanation of the conflict to begin with, important moments of progression and mistakes, details of battle style, moments of historical significance and the influence on the area after the war. I was most impressed by Kimmel's ability to write the text as fact, yet in a tone that draws the reader in and captures interest. I am no historian, nor military fan and I found the collection most interesting.

I was especially drawn to the battles that involved the ancient Celts and those of the Native Americans. "50 Battles" is ideal for students to have as an initial resource. The amount of research that went into the book is abundantly clear and I respect Kimmel highly for the undertaking and subsequent result. Let everyone who reads the book learn from our mistakes - meaning that I hope that we will learn to avoid war when at all possible.