Book Reviews

Monsters of New Jersey by Loren ColemanMonsters of New Jersey
I suppose it’s fitting to start my review of Monsters of New Jersey: Mysterious Creatures in the Garden State with the last sentence in the book. Author Loren Coleman, the world’s leading cryptozoologist and Fortean, succinctly puts what any armchair monster hunter (or any paranormal investigator, for that matter) should know: There’s a lot of weird stuff out there, and whether it’s real or not, we have to be careful before we believe it or debunk it. Read more...

 

The Field Guide to North American MonstersThe Field Guide to North American Monsters 
Bigfoot. Champ. Mothman. The Dover Demon. Anybody with even a passing interest in cryptozoology has heard of these “monsters.” But what about the Deer Woman? Or the Grinning Man? Or the Nagumwasuck? I’ve been studying cryptozoology for years, and I have to say, these eluded even me. But all of the aforementioned monsters, as well as many more, are featured in W.Haden Blackman’s The Field Guide to North American Monsters. Read more...

Bigfoot! The True Story of Apes in AmericaBigfoot! The True Story of Apes in America 
I think it’s pretty safe to say that these days, almost everyone has at least heard of Bigfoot. The name has invaded our popular culture. A monster truck, e-mail service, pizza, and hard drive company have all been named after the legendary ape-man of the Pacific Northwest. Bigfoot jokes abound on such shows as “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy.” But before the publication of Bigfoot! The True Story of Apes in America, you’d have been hard pressed to find a book that so well documents the history of this North American enigma. Read more...

The Field Guide to North American HauntingsThe Field Guide to North American Hauntings 
The book, as the title implies, is really a reference guide, covering such general categories as True Haunted Houses, Haunted Vessels and Phantom Craft, Haunted Cemeteries and Burial Sites, Natural Haunts, Other Haunted Sites, as well as a detailed section of appendices entitled “Ghost Hunting.” Again, the focus of the book is North America, so no Scottish castles or haunted moors are mentioned. Read more...