Rosemary GuileyCritiques

YA non-fiction about vampires, from historical bases to Hollywood portrayals. Published in 2008, it covers Buffy but not Twilight or True Blood.

Lots of really great information here ☺️

An intriguing introduction to this form of seeing not only the future but beyond the veil. Includes instructions on preparing your own black mirror from something as simple as a standard glass picture frame. Also the history of it's use and a description of the kind of experiences you can expect. I have minimal psychic ability and I'm taking a workshop with Rosemary this weekend, so I made sure to read this so I can go in somewhat prepared. Looking forward to seeing the results.

“The forces of evil know who you are and will try to prevent you from interfering in their activities. You, your home, your family, and your friends become targets.”(xiv)

This encyclopedia is an alphabetized smorgasbord of demons, devils, creatures, and critters. The historical context and backgrounds of these figures are included from around the world. There are a wide variety of entries that pertain to particular religious figures and rites that are associated with demonology and the spirit world. For the size and scope of the book, I was a little surprised at the small size of the bibliography references and sources. Perhaps it is not a field of extensive scientific study, but those that are affiliated are clearly passionate about the information that exists and this is present throughout the pages of the book. I was disappointed in the sheer lack of visuals, and those that appear are only black and white. However supernatural the topic, the creative artistry is lacking and the work is highly textual. This book may be of interest to teenagers that are drawn to the occult or for some entertaining trivia. This would not be a book that I would highly promote, but in today’s media swirl of supernatural books, films, and television, I’m sure it attracts an audience.

The book reads like a kaleidoscope of (to quote the cover) the fun, quirks and trivia of romance. Good reading companion for gaining insight into the mechanics of romance in novels and the than current publishing era.

A.o. this work (1983) describes the disappearance of the 'old hero and heroine' in favor of 'modern hero and heroine' in harlequin novels and alike, due to the preferences of american reading audiences.
Whereas both old and new hero may be TDH (tall dark handsome) or BBB (bronzed blond beautiful), he is no longer so macho, brutal, moody, mean tempered, nasty like he used to be. New hero can still be gorgeous, rich, confident, and a little older than new heroine, but new hero can also be sensitive, emotional, wrong and sorry for it. The biggest change is that new hero will not grab new heroine the first time he sees her.
New heroine has undergone a change as well. She is no longer 17-year old virgin straight from the cellophane package, but instead may have had boyfriends or even a husband, lives a normal life, has a career/meaningful employment, is in her twenties or thirties, is capable and has opinions of her own.

A very interesting read throwing a new light for me on the perennial human experience that we are not alone and we have never been alone.
This book is another nail in the coffin of Materialism which is now becoming indefensible and untennable.

Where was this reference when libraries first needed it 20 years ago? Guiley ( The Ency clopedia of Witches and Witchcraft , Facts on File, 1990) provides 500 cross-referenced entries which emphasize major personalities, mystical techniques and traditions, locations of interest, and mystical and paranormal phenomena. While the coverage is not inclusive, Guiley manages to detail most areas and personalities particularly well--albeit with a slight New Age bias. Her organization, which features bibliographic information following each entry, is sensible. Along with other recent publications in the field (e.g., The Encyclopedia of Parapsychology and Psychical Research , LJ 12/90, and The New Age Encyclopedia , LJ 8/1/90), this reference should prove useful to both serious researchers and curious browsers. (amazon)

This book is the first and only book that I have aquired about the non fiction aspect of the paranormal. I thought the writing was great and it opened up so many doors to learning and identifying different paranormal aspects in this world. Its great to have in a book collection just as what it is... a reference book.

A book where the author interviews people around the world who believe they are vampires or encountered one in some way. Not bad overall, it includes an appendix of organizations and publications (you could probably find more on the internet) and it has a nice little bibliography section of fiction and non-fiction books on the subject.

A great source guide for angelic lore.

As the subtitle implies, Ghosthunting Pennsylvania is not so much a collection of Pennsylvania ghost stories, but a compendium of haunted places in the State. Some, like Gettysburg, are to be expected, while others, like the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, are places not normally associated with haunting.

I’ve been to some of the places mentioned, McConnell’s Mill and Gettysburg to name two, and this book validates some of the feelings I’ve had traveling around Pennsylvania. This is an old state, so I was not surprised to find so many likely candidates for paranormal adventuring. I was surprised, though, to find that Pennsylvania leads the nation in reports of Thunderbirds, a phenomenon I previously associated with the people of the Plains or Southwest.

If you want someplace with a little different adventure for your vacation, you might want to acquire this guide. I plan to visit some of the places I have not made it to yet. If you are wanting more in depth ghost stories, you may be disappointed. If you believe and want to explore likely places on your own, this book will come in handy for you!

Four stars for being very readable, very informative and current. I only wish there were more places and more stories.

A collection of inspirational words and sayings, grouped according to more than 250 topics, such as: Christ, friendship, Heaven, poverty ... taken from the writings of holy men and women through the ages, from Thomas Aquinas and Hildegard of Binge to Francis Xavier and Elizabeth Seton.

This is one of those definitive texts for all paranormal enthusiasts. While not all entries are in-depth, and there is a certain level of bias in some...its definitely an informative tome with lots of great information. Anyone from a paranormal novice to a seasoned researcher can find something of value within. And of course, anything by Rosemary Ellen Guiley is sure to be well-researched and interesting!

Very comprehensive as such books go. You can learn just about anything you need to know about lycanthropy and the undead from this interesting compilation of ancient, medieval and modern folklore.

If you thought you knew everything about Ghosts and Spirits, read this first. Good read on long trips. Ghosts & Spirits from A to Z. Very informative.

Biased, sensationalistic, and scattered, this is not one of the better books on the topic. It is interesting, but the author apparently went out of her way to showcase the most bizarre members of the subculture/community she could find, rather than portraying more typical individuals (which would have been far more revealing and informative). When writing about a subculture, selecting the most extreme examples is a very misleading way of documenting what it is really like.

I read a bit of this book, and decided that it wasn't for me.½

what does it mean to be falling into a pool of custard ? i still don't know but it's an interesting book½

A great and fun reference. You can look up Sufism, poltergeists, and anything in between. It never dissapoints.½

I read this book cover to cover and found that, although it was passable, it wasn't great. The book is overly simplistic and has a definite bias. It's obvious, for example, that Ms. Guiley believes the Lutzes of Amityville Horror fame to be cheap con-artists out to make a quick buck. This is probably true, but an encyclopedia that dresses up the author's personal opinion as fact is not worthy of the name. There was plenty of good information here and I would recommend it to any ghost-hunter/enthusiast, but don't believe everything Guilley says. ;)

Not only an encyclopedia of all the things that go bump in the night but all the great old vampire films too. Gotta love it!!!½

Library Journal; 10/01/99, Vol. 124 Issue 16

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GERM 363 reading list