http://hazelthewitch.blogspot.com/201...

This was a very interesting read! The author takes different geographical areas and talks about folklore figures that are either local variations of vampires, or are somehow "related", but he also mentions other supernatural beings. At the end of every chapter there is a part that tells us how people can protect themselves from these creatures.
This is a good reference book. The text is informative, but it's written clearly and neatly.
Anyone interested in vampires should have a look, but I especially recommend this to people interested in folklore. It is not an academic text, so anyone can read it without having a headache. :)
Before this one, I had read another book by this author, and I'll probably read his other books, too. In his books he covers a large area and in this one he gives you a great overview of the origins of vampires, and points you in the right direction if you want to dig deeper. This might be a good "inspiration book" for writers as well. There are also beautiful illustrations, as you can see, if you scroll down and read the excerpt.

(Excerpt is on my blog.)