The best paranormal books for talking with the dead

Why am I passionate about this?

Since I was very young, I’ve had experiences with the paranormal. Whether it be a soft graze along my cheek or a spirit standing in front of me, I’ve always been drawn to things behind the veil. Joining the world of the living with the dead comes natural for me, and reading the genres of paranormal and fantasy is like a cup of hot tea on a chilly winter afternoon.


I wrote...

Alex McKenna and the Geranium Deaths

By Vicki-Ann Bush,

Book cover of Alex McKenna and the Geranium Deaths

What is my book about?

Alex McKenna is a 17 year-old transgender boy who has the ability to see and speak with the dead. He inherits his gifts from his Italian/American family of Strega witches. 

As Alex grows older, his abilities increase. Acquiring new gifts can be difficult at times but they serve him well when aiding a deceased spirit in need.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Crave

Vicki-Ann Bush Why did I love this book?

This book because it drew me in immediately and took hold. I had a love/hate relationship with reading the ending though. I enjoyed it immensely and although I wanted more and I wanted to know the ending, I was bummed when it was finished because I didn’t want to let go of the characters.

At the time I was struggling with the death of my mom and for a while, it took me away and brought me into another world. This book will always hold a special place in my heart.

By Tracy Wolff,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Crave as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place. Or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods.or monsters. I still can't decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

And then there's Jaxon Vega. A prince. A vampire. An annoyingly kissable boy who hasn't felt a thing in over a hundred years. But there's a darkness to him. A secret craving that threatens to consume him whole.…


Book cover of In The Pines

Vicki-Ann Bush Why did I love this book?

This book hits all the points I love to read when I want to escape. Witches, family, mystery, and the angst of  true love. I felt a closeness to the relationship between the sisters, and the love they have for each other. It reminded me of my brother and I, and how no matter what, even if there’s disagreements, we always emerge together.

The descriptions of the area they live in and the town were amazing. I could create a vivid picture in my mind of the setting and wanted to visit. 

By Mariah Stillbrook,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked In The Pines as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Two witches, two secrets, and a curse that could tear a family apart.

Olivia and Ellie have lived their lives knowing a dark entity is stalking their family, determined to kill them all. After the death of Olivia’s son, she abandons her magic and her family, leaving Ellie in a nightmare of heartbreak, her marriage crumbling and her sister gone. Determined to save their mother Arianna from a spell that left her comatose, the two sisters must come together to unravel the riddle of the curse that has haunted their family for generations.

But as they delve into the past,…


Book cover of Twilight

Vicki-Ann Bush Why did I love this book?

I fell in love with the characters. Even the ones I didn’t necessarily like, I wanted to read more about.

More importantly, for me, this book came out at a time when I was having difficulties in my own relationship. The idea of being apart from the one person I thought would be forever shattered me. Reading Bella’s emotions for Edward and the crushing heartbreak she felt, was like reading about my feelings on the pages of the book.

Of course there’s vampires and I love all things vampire.

By Stephenie Meyer,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked Twilight as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

When 17 year old Isabella Swan moves to Forks, Washington to live with her father she expects that her new life will be as dull as the town.

But in spite of her awkward manner and low expectations, she finds that her new classmates are drawn to this pale, dark-haired new girl in town. But not, it seems, the Cullen family. These five adopted brothers and sisters obviously prefer their own company and will make no exception for Bella.

Bella is convinced that Edward Cullen in particular hates her, but she feels a strange attraction to him, although his hostility…


Book cover of 77 Shadow Street

Vicki-Ann Bush Why did I love this book?

I’m an avid Koontz reader and long time fan, but I particularly liked this book because of the elements of paranormal mixed with time travel, two of my favorite genres.

The characters were just what you’d expect they might be like in a disturbing, confusing, and terrifying situation, which was extremely relatable. I felt as if this were really happening, I might do the same exact thing as one of the residents of the tower, a component I really enjoy in books.

By Dean Koontz,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked 77 Shadow Street as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Heart-stopping thriller from the master of suspense. Bad things are starting to happen at the Pendleton, an eerie building with a tragic past.

The Pendleton stands on the summit of Shadow Hill, a palace built in the late 19th century as a tycoon's dream home. But its grandeur has been scarred by episodes of madness, suicide and mass murder. Since being converted into luxury apartments in the 70s, however, the Pendleton has been at peace. For its fortunate residents - among them ex-marine Bailey Hawk, songwriter Twyla Trahern and her young son Winny - the Pendleton is a sanctuary, its…


Book cover of Odd Thomas

Vicki-Ann Bush Why did I love this book?

I adore this character and everything about him. His psychic abilities are portrayed in such an interesting voice. To be able to see the dead but not hear them is a unique concept and one that I feel carries the character to another level of communication.

Odd is generous, kind, giving, and also the outcast in many ways. But he perseveres and does what must be done to keep the dead moving forward and protect the living. His simplistic view to life is something I really wish I had more of. 

He is a character that I think we can never have enough of.

By Dean Koontz,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Odd Thomas as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Meet Odd Thomas, the unassuming young hero of Dean Koontz’s dazzling New York Times bestseller, a gallant sentinel at the crossroads of life and death who offers up his heart in these pages and will forever capture yours.

“The dead don’t talk. I don’t know why.” But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Sometimes the silent souls who seek out Odd want justice. Occasionally their otherworldly tips help him prevent a crime. But this time it’s different.

A stranger comes to Pico Mundo, accompanied by a horde…


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The Woodland Stranger: A Fairy Tale with Benefits

By Jane Buehler,

Book cover of The Woodland Stranger: A Fairy Tale with Benefits

Jane Buehler Author Of The Ocean Girl

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Storyteller Introvert Romantic Norm avoider Backyard birdwatcher

Jane's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Burne’s been hiding out in the forest since deserting the King’s Guard. Each time he tries to return to the village, he begins to panic. And then one day, he encounters a handsome stranger picking flowers and hides behind a tree instead of talking.

He wants to be braver—and he’s about to get another chance. Because the stranger is Gray, a fairy and master of illusions who’s now following Burne home. And Gray’s got more on his mind than talking. Would a fairy that beautiful ever want someone like him? Stranger things have happened.

The Woodland Stranger: A Fairy Tale with Benefits

By Jane Buehler,

What is this book about?

Whoever said, Don't talk to strangers?


Burne hid behind a tree. He wanted to talk to the handsome man picking flowers at the edge of the forest, but he'd only flub it if he tried-he'd stumble over his words and blush bright red. And now the man is gone.


He tries to continue on to the village, but the same thing happens as always: his hands start shaking and panic wells up inside him. What if he runs into the bullies who tormented him in the King's Guard last spring? Ever since he deserted, he has hidden out in the…


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