Spirits of St. Louis: A Ghostly Guide to the Mound City's Unearthly Activities

Book Description

Veteran journalist Robbi Courtaway divulges some of the best ghost stories St. Louis has to offer.

Customer Reviews:

I'll Pass On the Pea Soup, Thank You.......2005-11-01

For many years Saint Louis has been a major American crossroads. Not only was the "Mound City" considered the gateway to the west but it also was a major port on the Mighty Mississippi. It is no wonder then that a town that has seen so much history is a very haunted place.

Robbi Courtaway has gathered numerous tales of the supernatural in the St. Louis area by both digging through old newspapers and by interviewing numerous witnesses. Indeed, most of the stories in this book are first person accounts and most of the haunts described are documented by several first person accounts lending this book a great deal of credibility. It is also noteworthy that many of these accounts come from self-described skeptics who didn't believe in ghosts until one basically walked up and bit them on the behind. Some of the witnesses are still not sure that they believe in ghosts but they can find no other possible explanation for their experiences.

The last chapter in the book deals not with ghosts but with a story that thanks to Hollywood has become one of the most famous supernatural events in American history. The famous exorcism that the movie "The Exorcist" was loosely based on was actually conducted in St. Louis and at the time that this book was written the last of the Priests involved was still living. The author conducted an extensive interview with Father Halloran and in the process debunked several myths that have grown up around the event. This was a marvelous chapter to end this chilling book with I think!

Finally, this author created an appendix that lists several other spooky places in the St. Louis area. Not all of these locations appear to be haunted but most of them have a haunted reputation. This appendix allows the author to point out to her readers that not every place that is rumored to be haunted actually is. It takes research and legwork to find out if there is a ghost hanging around any specific location and that is something that many authors in this genre are not willing to do.

I would suggest that maybe the book would have been easier to follow if the author had provided a little more geographical information. Many of the stories that she has gathered and investigated come from areas close to but outside of St. Louis. Sometimes Courtaway assumes that her readers will know as much about the St. Louis area as she does but I can assure her that this is not the case. Her writing style was also just a bit confusing at times but not often and for the most part the text had a very nice flow.

From what I can tell this is this author's first ghost book and quite frankly for a first effort this book is amazingly good with a perfect blend of history and haunts. The spirits that roam St. Louis should be proud.

Son of a..........2003-12-13

The author and a number of others around town claim my father, Dave Hitzert, is one of the ghosts in this book. I'll say this, the claims that he has been mischief making, he took his job very seriously- he never missed a day- ever, are almost as hard to believe as the existence of his ghost. Another concern I have is that neither my mother or I was consulted for the book. I have a few interesting details that would have illuminated Ms. Courtaway's account. If Ghosts exist, I might have an idea of my fathers motives for sticking around. You can look into both the play he was working on and the day of the year, not the date but it's significance, or you can e-mail me at...
sonny_clips@yahoo.com, and I'll fill you in. My father was a great man and his story, ghost or otherwise, deserves a little better research.

Best,

Jason Garrett Hitzert

I'm spooked.......2003-04-28

As a resident of the Greater St. Louis area, I was immediately drawn into the stories in this book. I was REALLY weirded out to know that the Book House, which is a store that I have visited in the past, is supposed to be haunted.

The fact that the book didn't contain any "pictures" of ghosts lost it a point.

~~Spooky and intriguing~~.......2002-07-09

Excellent book!! Anyone who grew up in Saint Louis or has lived here for more than a few years will really enjoy this book! The author Courtaway knew what she was doing by making the chapter about the infamous "Exorcism" the last chapter in the book. This is one of those books that is hard to put down. The authors writing style is at times given to confusing participles but for the most part is pretty fluid.
She definitely has done her homework on this one! It is a fantastic book and I would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in the supernatural or just in local history.

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Unearthly Desires (Nexus)
Ray Gordon
Manufacturer: Virgin Nexus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0352340363

Book Description

When twenty year old Alison buys a period property, the traces of a former occupancy and influence remind her of the Marie Celeste. But when strange men begin to call, as if invited - men who are willing to reward her for fulfilling their fantasies - her suspicions about an unseen force grow. Sliding into a murky world of BDSM, and taking her concerned friend, Sally, with her, the girls gradually discover the nature of the entity and a method of extracting themselves from it's influence. But after all of their experience with the heights of humiliation mixed with pleasure, do they even want to be set free?

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a rehash of known information
A Paranoid Book for Paranoid Times
A stew of misinfo. spiced with "leaks"

Unearthly Disclosure
Timothy Good
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0099406020
Release Date: 2002-01-22

Book Description

Foreword by the Admiral of the Fleet The Lord Hill-Norton GCB Chief of the Defence Staff 1971-73, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee 1974-77.

A former NATO Chief of Defence staff stakes his reputation on the evidence for extraterrestrial activity in Puerto Rico.

Timothy Good, one of the world’s most respected authorities on the alien phenomenon, reveals for the first time sensational information provided to him by high-level sources, who confirm that contact has been made with a select group in the US military and scientific intelligence community, and furthermore that aliens have established subterranean and submarine bases on Earth. Revelations also include astonishing colour photographs of an alien creature hotographed in Italy. The author spent several years investigating this controversial case and commissioned an Expert Witness to analyze the astonishing photographs. Published for the first time, this unique story forms the central section of Unearthly Disclosure.

Customer Reviews:

a rehash of known information.......2007-02-09

this book has most likely been put together by Timothy Good to fulfill
a contract to the publisher, who required a book in a certain timeframe,
however, its only value is to maintain the UFO problem in the publics mind,
unlike the other two reviewers, one who did not provide a name, so therefore should not have been accepted by Amazon, if you have an opinion
then have the fortitude or backbone to put your name to it, both of these
reviewers damn Adamski without any proof or evidence to back their assertions that he was a fraud, typical of the armchair critic, as for
Timothy Good, I think its time he gave the UFO field a rest, and choose
another subject,

A Paranoid Book for Paranoid Times.......2004-03-04

I think it says a great deal about the state of UFO research that the other reviewer of this books believes that Good is deliberately discrediting himself,deliberately including good,factual information with nonsense,for an unstated purpose.This paranoid outlook makes it difficult to reccommend any current UFO books to "outsiders"-people who aren't especially informed about UFOs and who are looking for a good starting place in the literature.Good fills this book with information culled from "intelligence sources" who may or may not be giving him the straight story.There is no way to check any of the information he receives.Furthermore,Good is a champion of some of the "contactees"-people who claim to have regular,deliberate contacts with aliens. The classic case is that of George Adamski-Good believes that he was in contact with aliens and that his claims were,for the most part,true as he stated them.(Most mainstream UFO researchers regard his stories as ridiculous.)This book includes a great deal of information from a contactee from,I believe, Costa Rica.This gentleman describes his trips in space craft and his conversations with aliens in great detail,but there is no way for the reader to evaluate the information Good presents.The reader is left to either accept or reject it.There is also a good deal of information concerning a man who has photographed what he believes is an "alien,"but which looks suspiciously like a model.And in fact the witness is a sculptor!Good is an intelligent,sincere man who demonstrates the danger of getting too deeply involved in UFO research.The UFO community is swarming with people,some sincere,some deluded,some dishonest-who are ready to "tell the truth." But there is no way to know what the truth is.This book is better used as a cautionary tale of the dangers of submerging oneself in the UFO ocean than as a factual account of real events.

A stew of misinfo. spiced with "leaks".......2003-01-02

I had not read much Timothy Good since _Above_Top_Secret_, and fans of that highly footnoted and tightly focused volume may be quite shocked by this work, as was I. With little if any structure, this work is basically a seemingly random collection of anecdotal information. In other words, it reads like the typical, bad UFO books we're all used to. But this is Tim Good?!? What's going on? Early in the volume(?), Good says that he will relay some information from highly reliable sources AND some which is "almost impossible to believe," and herein lies the substance of this book. He gives credence to wackos like Adamski, and lets every theory and idea through the gate ALMOST AS IF he is deliberately discrediting himself. Call me paranoid, but I think he IS. I think there are tidbits of truth scatterred about, and burying it in a massive pile of garbage was part of the deal for receiving the info. Clearly, a vast part of this book should be discounted and dismissed, but I suspect there are core truths revealed within through the conscious executive decisions of Mr. Good's established contacts.

Average customer rating:

Crazy as a holy trout
Sorely Maligned

A Garden of Unearthly Delights
Rankin
Manufacturer: Transworld
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0552142123

Book Description

It was something to do with the cycles of history, the way great civilizations rise and fall. Few people noticed the changes at first, and by the time everyone realized, it was too late. Earth had left behind the age of science and reason and moved into a time of myth, legend, wizardry, and heroes.

Customer Reviews:

Crazy as a holy trout.......2001-02-08

Weird, wacky, wild. Crazy,cracking, cold. Barmy, bonkers, batty. Strange, stupid, silly.

Sorely Maligned.......2000-08-22

This is a rare foray into pure fantasy for Rankin, and this genre switch, along with it not being part of a series - something Rankin had hitherto pretty much stuck to - threw quite a few of his readers, and as such this book has become possibly the most underrated of his works. Having recently re-read it, i found "The Garden..." to be absolutely, fantastically insane, and I think Rankin should, once again, be applauded for having the guts to just let his imagination flow onto the page, and damn the conventions of "sanity." Max Carrion, Imagineer, is one of Rankin's best characters, and people should give this book more of a chance.

Killing Me Softly: Erotic Tales of Unearthly Love

Average customer rating:

good stories; no erotica
The book captured my heart. I couldnt put it down.
erotic, adult ghost stories

Killing Me Softly: Erotic Tales of Unearthly Love
Gardner R. Dozois
Manufacturer: HarperPrism
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Dying for It: More Erotic Tales of Unearthly Love

ASIN: 0061056111

Customer Reviews:

good stories; no erotica.......2000-03-16

The title is something of a misnomer: while the stories do center around the ghosts and love theme, not one of them could be considered 'erotica'. There are some good stories though (some of them previously unpublished) -- LeGuin's "Unchosen Love"; Mary Rosenblum's "The Gardener"; Pat Cadigan's "She's Not There"; Maureen F. McHugh's funny and touching "In The Air"; and Michael Stanwick's "North of Diddy-Wah-Diddy", about a train ride to hell.

The book captured my heart. I couldnt put it down........1998-01-09

Killing Me Softly:Erotic Tales of Unearthly Love was the best book I have ever read. The author captured what true Love,Hate,Death and Life mean to people in every word that was written. This book captured my heart like no other in the world. It is truly a classic book of love stories.

erotic, adult ghost stories.......1997-07-21

_Killing Me Softly_ edited by Gardner Dozois is a collection of short stories about love after death. Most of these stories are quite good - the adult equivalent of ghost stories with an erotic bent.

Book Description

There is a love that flourishes only in the darkness; a passion that rises only from the grave. This anthology of all-new stories probes the shadowy meeting ground of our ancient, primal terrors and our deepest forbidden desires.

Edited by one of today's most respected anthologists, featuring today's most acclaimed fantasy authors, Dying for It takes you far beyond the realm of the ordinary, and into a realm where the living not only envy the dead, they adore them. It's love at last rites.

Customer Reviews:

An amazing collection!.......2002-03-29

In most anthologies, there are some stories that I really enjoy, others that I hate, and still others that I'm lukewarm about. This was one of those rare anthologies that I thorougly enjoyed every story in. Despite the word "erotic" in the title, the emphasis wasn't on sex (the reason a more conservative friend of mine rejected reading it). True, sex figures to some extent in all the stories, but love and death also figure prominently, and the overall theme that emerged for me was the importance of celebrating the former two elements, because the latter is always lurking in the background.

In particular, I found Andy Duncan's "Saved" to be extremely affecting. For those of you who thought the love story in the movie _Titanic_ was cheesy and overdone, this Titanic love story is moving and powerful. In fact, one of the reasons I hated the movie may have been because I'd read this story first and found that the syrupy story in the movie just couldn't compare.

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A shoujo space odyssey

Out of this world

Unearthly
Ted Naifeh , and Elmer Damaso
Manufacturer: Seven Seas
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Polly & the Pirates Volume 1

Death, Jr.

Amazing Agent Luna Volume 1 (Amazing Agent Luna)

How Loathsome

Gloom Cookie, Vol. 1

ASIN: 1933164093

Book Description

A tale of star-crossed lovers and interstellar bad boys! Ann was once shy and withdrawn until her crush on pretty boy Jem makes her take notice of the world around her. But her blossoming love life hits a snag when Jem attracts the attentions of Rae, the most beautiful girl in school. Sure, it might seem like your average high school love triangle... until an identity-snatching alien from outer space jumps into the fray and things go helter-skelter!

Customer Reviews:

A shoujo space odyssey.......2006-05-25

High school is a time of change for many people. People you thought you knew one day become total jerks the next. Maybe it's just part of growing up. Or maybe their body's been swapped with that of a fugitive alien.

Ann is a quiet bookworm. Unlike most shoujo heroines, she's not an especially pretty or kind hearted. At the start of the book she seems to be content to go through life in an apathetic state, not taking much notice of the people around her (including her only and best friend Nikki). But then she notices Jem, a sweet guy who's a bit of a loner. Unfortunately, the most popular girl in school, Rae, also notices Jem around the same time as Ann, setting up an odd love triangle.

Most of the book is spent building up the characters and their relationships. A difference between this book and many other high school set shoujo is that this is an OEL manga written by an American. Well it retains many of the sensibilities found in shoujo romances (especially in the art, which I'll get to in a moment) instead of Japanese teenage love it reflects the trials and tribulations of American high school. The characters talk and act in ways normal for American teens, giving a slight twist on the usual high school manga.

And then there's the other twist on the genre, which is the sci-fi aspect thrown in 1/3 into the book. The sci-fi really throws everything for a loop (in a good way), and by the end of the book it's become impossible to figure out where the story will take us next (though it certainly isn't Earth).

The art is one of the best I've ever seen for an OEL book. Elmer Damaso has what I think of as a great sense of balance. He knows when to use chibis, splash pages, or shoujo tricks like twirling flower petals in the background. He also does a good job of moving the story along at a pace that reflects the slice of life aspect of the first part of the book, and then speeding things up once the focus shifts to sci-fi.

All in all, I think Unearthly is not only a great book, but an important OEL manga with its successful melding of genres. I have a few nit picks, like some over use of slang ('Twee'? Maybe I've been out of high school too long), but otherwise I think this is a great book for anyone who likes shoujo, sci-fi, or both.

Out of this world.......2005-11-01

First off I have to admit I havnt read all of this book, just what of it was on the gomanga website...

But of what I have read... this is a great story! The artwork is beutiful, and the story line draws you in, so that you want to kick a certain character, or hug another... I HIGHLY recomend this book!

Unearthly Powers: A Christian's Handbook on Primal and Folk Religions

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Unearthly Powers: A Christian's Handbook on Primal and Folk Religions
David Burnett
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0840796129

Haunted Louisiana: True Tales of Ghosts and Other Unearthly Creatures

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Haunted Louisiana: True Tales of Ghosts and Other Unearthly Creatures
Christy L. Viviano
Manufacturer: Tree House Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Parapsychology | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1881490017

Average customer rating:

buy it, it's worth it

Unearthly History
P.R. Moredun
Manufacturer: Rookstone Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0954717309

Customer Reviews:

buy it, it's worth it.......2005-09-20

My boss and my wife both complained about this book: the storytelling is JK Rowling, the blending of history Dan Brown. Set in England around the turn of the 20th Century, the story twists and turns, building to the point where I just had to get to the finale (despite their efforts). I was totally hooked. Does anyone know if there's a sequel already?

Customer Reviews:

Can't get enough of 'The Nanny'.......2006-08-11

Because I love 'The Nanny' this book was a Must have. It is adorable and it brings back fond memories of the early years of the show. Any fan of 'The Nanny' will love this little book.

Funny quotes from the Nanny.......2003-10-25

This book has quotes directly from "The Nanny" TV show. Jewels from Fran Fine like "Big hair makes your hips look smaller" and "Far be it from me to rain on anyone's parade - that's my mother's job". Plus the Nanny on topics like Men, Do I Know Kids or What?, Big Hair and Beauty, the Fine Men, the Fine Women, Ma, the British, herself, and more. There are a couple of cute cartoons and stills from the show. This is laugh-out-loud funny and smaller than a CD, so it is easy to carry anywhere you need a fix of "The Nanny"!!

OY! WAS THIS BOOK FUNNY!.......2002-01-04

I know "The Nanny" was an aquired taste but, I loved her! I couldn't wait to get my weekly fix of the misadventures of Fran Fine & Co. Reading this book made me realize how much I miss this show. The book is a collection of quotes taken from scripts of the series. Also included are many photos of Fran Drescher as well as the other cast members. This book is a good read, it was so good I could plotz! Funny stuff!

The Nanny Strikes Again!.......2000-04-26

This is a side-splitting book, with practical & funny advice on everything!

THE FUNNIEST GUIDE!!!.......1999-05-13

If you want smart quotes on everything from men to shopping and, yes, hair, this is the thing for you. The "bright, vivacious nanny everyone knows and loves" shares with us her wit and wisdom and do it the funniest way. Don't miss it out! Now that this great show is in it's last and final season, this is going to be a collectible! Let's put it this way: if you don't have it, buy it now!! You wont regret it!

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