Monday, October 30, 2023

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from the State Library! Enjoy these creepy-crawly finds from the collection.

COMMON SPIDERS, 1902 
SPIDERS: THEIR STRUCTURE
 AND HABITS, 1890

Looking for more spooky reads? Check out the titles below!

The Ruin of All Witches: Life and Death in the New World (2022) - Written by Malcom Gaskill, a historian and leader in the study of witchcraft history, The Ruin of All Witches is a nonfiction account of 17th century Springfield, Massachusetts and the strange happenings which gripped the community. In 1651, Springfield started experiencing unexplained events and witchcraft was thought to be the cause. Blame was soon cast on Hugh and Mary Parsons - a young couple with an unpleasant reputation in the town. Described as riveting and absorbing, The Ruin of All Witches, is a must read for anyone interested in the history of 17th century New England. 

Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America's Cemeteries (2022) - Author and journalist Greg Melville takes readers on a tour of the country’s cemeteries. From the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in L.A. to Burial Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Melville explores the influence these spaces have on landscape architecture, literature, society, and even sustainability. Over My Dead Body is a fascinating look at how Americans memorialize the dead.

New England Legends & Folklore (2017) - A reprint of Samuel Adams Drake’s (1833-1905) classic compilation of New England legends and folklore includes stories of pirates, witchcraft, ghosts, creatures and more! Read about the Sea-Serpent of Nahant, The Bell Tavern Mystery of Danvers, or The Shrieking Woman of Marblehead. Also includes popular legends of Rhode Island and Connecticut. 


For more thrillers, check out Libby! State Employees can use their State Library card credentials to download Libby, the library reading app. Sign-up for a library card today! Did you miss last week’s Author Talk on the Salem Village Witch Trials? You can view author Daniel Gagnon’s recorded discussion of his biography on Rebecca Nurse on our YouTube channel!

Happy Halloween and happy reading!


April Pascucci
Legislative Reference Librarian