This is Texas, Y'all!: The Lone Star State from A to Z
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A charming gift for proud Texans of all ages Texas from A to Z written and illustrated by Misha...
Texas Amphibians: A Field Guide
Bob L. Tipton, Terry L. Hibbitts, Troy D. Hibbitts and Toby J. Hibbitts
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With a wide variety of habitats ranging from southeastern swamps to western deserts, Texas is home...
The Tacos of Texas
Book
Rooted in tradicion mexicana and infused with Texas food culture, tacos are some of Texans' all-time...
DFW Deco: Modernistic Architecture of Northeast Texas
Book
Vivid imagery and original research are the hallmarks of DFW Deco: Modernistic Architecture of North...
Texas: The Great Theft
Carmen Boullosa and Samantha Schnee (trans.)
Book
An imaginative writer in the tradition of Juan Rulfo, Jorge Luis Borges, and Cesar Aira, Carmen...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Oct 7, 2020
Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider is a fantastic guidebook for those looking to chase ghosts in the great state of Texas, more specifically, towns and cities near Dallas and Fort Worth. I don't live near Dallas or Fort Worth, but I've been on vacation in and around there, and I will be taking future vacations in and around that area. In fact, I've been to two of the haunted locations featured in this book! I never even knew they were supposedly haunted at the time.
Tui Snider does a fantastic job of keeping readers interested in Paranormal Texas. She gives information about each place as well as local lore and/or personal encounters with each place. Tui also has a few urban legends in her book which are great for approaching locals with as long as they're into that sort of thing. Sometimes she gives the history behind each place which was my favorite thing. Personally, I would have liked to read more history about each place, but I was still happy nonetheless. What I really enjoyed was each place Tui mentioned wasn't a wall of text. It was concise and to the point. She also included photos of each place. These aren't photos of evidence though. The photos are just of the actual place itself which was a tad bit disappointing. I would have liked to see some photos of alleged evidence. However, Tui does have a website where you can look at paranormal photos, EVPs (electronic voice phenomenon), and more. (I'll go into detail about her website a little later.) All the photos are in black and white in my copy of Paranormal Texas. Mine is an ARC, so maybe the actual copies will have some colored photos.
One thing I really enjoyed about Paranormal Texas is that Tui Snider lists the address of each place, so you don't have to bother searching for it yourself. If it's a harder place to get to, Tui gives you directions of how best to get there. I thought this was a fantastic touch because when you want to look for ghosts, the last thing you want to do is waste time trying to find an address.
Another thing I am grateful for is how the book has each city listed alphabetically at the beginning and then each haunted location is listed for that city. This makes it a lot easier to find what city you're interested in to do some ghost exploring!
However, Paranormal Texas isn't just about haunted places in Texas. Tui Snider also writes about the techinal terms that come with ghost hunting which is great for those that are new to ghost hunting as well as how to be a respectful thrill seeker which has great information for even seasoned ghost hunters. I would advise not skipping the beginning of the book that has all this great advice simply because it will help enrich your reading experience with Paranormal Texas or any paranormal non-fiction book. Heck, it will probably even enrich your experience with even paranormal and supernatural fiction books!
Be sure to check out Tui Snider's online evidence database for Paranormal Texas which she mentions in her book. Like Paranormal Texas, she has each city listed alphabetically for you to listen and see supposed paranormal happenings. This is such a fantastic accompaniment to the book. It really makes the book come alive. It's like you're there! Definitely check out her online database. It will give you the chills. It's still a work in progress as Tui encourages readers to send in their own paranormal evidence as well, but still, it is great nonetheless.
Paranormal Texas is such a great guide for old and new ghost hunters alike. There is such a plethora of information within the pages. Trust me, not only are you learning about new ghost locations, but you are also being schooled on so much more. It's like a bonus lesson in history and ghost hunting, but one that is a lot of fun. I'd recommend leaving the lights on for this book. I'd definitely recommend Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider to those aged 16+ who love ghost stories, Texas, or those who just love to be spooked. You won't be disappointed!
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(A special thank you to Tui Snider for providing me with a paperback ARC of Paranormal Texas in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Lone Star Nation: How a Ragged Army of Volunteers Won the Battle for Texas Independence - And Changed America
Book
From bestselling historian and long-time Texan H. W. Brands, a richly textured history of one of the...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Alamo: Flashpoint Between Texas and Mexico in Books
Jun 15, 2019
The introduction in the beginning of the book by the book's editor, Mary Dodson Wade, was very informative and interesting. What follows are eyewitness accounts. I wish there was a bit more of these accounts. It's a very short book, but what I did read was interesting. I also wish there was some clarification that some parts didn't happen that way such as Potter's account at seeing Dickinson die whilst holding his infant daughter which isn't true. Dickinson died, but his wife and his daughter lived. I did enjoy the illustrations in this book although there aren't many which didn't bother me.
If you're looking for a great starting point to read up on The Alamo, this book would be fantastic. It's a fast and short read. I would definitely recommend it.