The Best Books About the Paranormal or the Supernatural With a Creeping Sense of Unease
Today I share my entry on the book recommendation website shepherd.com. With Shepherd, you can explore, discover, read. It’s a brilliant idea for readers to find books based on themes, tone, plot elements and many other variables more subtle than broad genre categories.
The best books about the paranormal or the supernatural with a creeping sense of unease
What did I love about each book?List bySC Skillman
I have been fascinated by the paranormal since I was young: always a lover of ghost stories, I have long felt the spiritual resonance in certain places; the energy and spirits of the past remain trapped within the fabric of certain buildings and the land, waiting for the sensitive to come along. I developed this passion by reading classic and modern-day ghost stories, going on ghost tours, and visiting haunted places. I listen to and record people recounting their experiences of real-life encounters. I write nonfiction books about the paranormal, specifically about Shakespeare’s ghosts and spirits in his county of Warwickshire, and novels that develop this theme.
I wroteA Passionate SpiritBy SC Skillman
What is my book about?A little girl lost. An ill-omened spiritual healer. A raven with its eye on a prize.
A Passionate Spirit is… show more.
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The books I picked & whyThe Little StrangerBy Sarah Waters
Why did I love this book?I felt this story reaching out into my thoughts and my life while I was reading it, so I couldn’t wait to get back to it, and in this unsettling weirdness lies its power. I was utterly gripped by the author’s slow build-up of fear, grief, and madness in the family; I felt haunted by the house’s invisible ‘something bad.’ I had to get back to this story at every opportunity, and I would wake up thinking about the characters and wondering what would happen to them. What is this book about?
PreviewAmazonMore buying optionsMidnight is a Lonely PlaceWhy did I love this book?I imagined myself in the desolate place on the Essex coast where the main protagonist had gone, and I felt an invidious sense of dread as the atmosphere built up. The air of supernatural menace seems to breathe out of this story: the threat and the fear crept into me as if I were there myself, knowing something terrifying would happen, willing the main protagonist to get out and save themselves but knowing that I, just like them, would be held fast by those invisible and supernatural tentacles. What is this book about?
PreviewAmazonMore buying optionsThe Spirit EngineerBy A. J. West
Why did I love this book?I felt this was one of the creepiest tales I have ever read. Its creepiness penetrated my own mind with its portrayal of perverse behavior among the living, the increasingly deranged mental state of the main protagonist, and the fervor of the Goligher Circle as they purported to contact the dead.
Pity and terror combine in this story; my empathy was with those they lured, drawn by their grief and despair. Primitive emotions are stirred up by the threat of supernatural danger; I felt shocked by the ingenious plot twist near the end. What is this book about?
PreviewAmazonMore buying optionsSpiritedBy Julie Cohen
Why did I love this book?I found this story enchanting. It utterly gripped me throughout with its compelling atmosphere of mystery, sheer horror and creepiness, and fascination with the idea of spirit photography. I felt captivated by the two main female characters and their developing intimate, emotional, and tense relationship.
My heart and soul were with these two women and the author’s beautiful craftsmanship weaving through the characters and story an intelligent and powerful debate about life after death. What is this book about?
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The Winter GuestBy W. C. Ryan
Why did I love this book?I felt a powerful sense of tragic history and increasing pity and fear as this story progressed with its brooding, fateful, gothic atmosphere and hints of the supernatural in a gloomy, coastal house in Ireland. I became swept up by the gathering intensity and intrigue and the multiple shocks that arise from the main protagonist’s discoveries. I was absorbed in this compelling, thought-provoking story and captivated by its ingenious plot. What is this book about?
PreviewAmazonMore buying optionsDon’t forget about my Book
A Passionate SpiritBy SC Skillman
What is my book about?A little girl lost. An ill-omened spiritual healer. A raven with its eye on a prize.
A Passionate Spirit is a modern gothic novel set in the present-day Cotswolds. Zoe is an idealistic young woman who leads a creative retreat with her priest husband and suspects a beautiful and mysterious guest of evil intentions. Only when the eerie visitor seduces the priest and all the guests with miracle healings does our heroine unmask this High Priestess and find herself forced to confront awesome supernatural power. She must risk death if she is to save the sanity of them all.
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Hello! My name’s Sheila and I write under the pen name of SC Skillman. I live in Warwick with my husband and son, and my daughter currently lives and works in Australia.
I was born and brought up in Orpington, Kent, and have loved writing most of my life. I studied English Literature at Lancaster University, and my first permanent job was as a production secretary with the BBC. Later I lived for nearly five years in Australia before returning to live and work in the UK.
My output includes mystery fiction, and historical and paranormal nonfiction. Each of my nonfiction books is illustrated by 100 original full colour photos, mostly taken by myself, and others by my son and daughter (both talented photographers!)
In March 2023 I was the Nonfiction Adjudicator at the Scottish Association of Writers Annual Conference in Glasgow. I’m a member of the Society of Authors and the Association of Christian Writers.
My nonfiction books on Warwickshire are published by Amberley and include Paranormal Warwickshire, Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire and A-Z of Warwick. I’ve nearly completed my fourth book for Amberley: Paranormal Gloucestershire. My new novel, a contemporary gothic fantasy called Director’s Cut, is currently with agents.
In addition to my published books, I blog weekly on scskillman.com about books and films I love, people and places of inspiration, life, spirituality, history and travel.
I’m also a public speaker and have spoken to many groups and organisations about Paranormal Warwickshire, Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire, the quirky tales of Warwick, the art of writing nonfiction, and the power of story. Do get in touch with me if you’d like a speaker for your group!
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