The most recommended books about cults

For those wishing to dig a little deeper into the topic, Marvin Meyer’s The Ancient Mysteries is a key sourcebook for both the serious researcher and the curious amateur alike. For each of the major mystery cults of antiquity - the Rites of Eleusis, those of Isis and Osiris, Dionysus, Mithras, and others - Meyer has collected every pertinent classical reference to provide ready access to contemporary sources relevant to understanding each of the cults. 

Last Days is such a powerful horror novel. It scared me. Fascinated me. And it kept me turning the pages. After reading an abundance of horror, I should be immune to fictional scares. But this story about Kyle Freeman, a down-on-his-luck filmmaker commissioned by a mysterious individual to make a documentary about a sinister cult known as The Temple of Last Days, is electrifying.

The plot serves as the adroit vessel that contains Nevill’s beautiful yet terrifying symphony of eerie images that would make my hair (if I had any) stand on end. Very few can write scary scenes like Nevill. It reminded me of when I created and co-hosted a ghost-hunting TV series for BBC Look North. Thankfully, unlike Kyle, the ghosts never followed me home…

The book by Kyle McCord is a deep dive into the psychological nexus that drives young souls into the arms of cults and the cult leaders who exploit them. Once you get the characters worked out between their real names and their cult names, it is very difficult to put down. The cult members morph from bloodthirsty weirdos into real people driven by the same forces that affect the lives of non-cultists.

It helped me put the finishing touches on the adolescent behavior of two of the protagonists in my book. Most importantly, it gave me the background psychology for the evolution of my new book, which is rooted directly in my experience with the Children of God. 

This is a brilliant scholarly examination of the Neopagan movement. What differentiates this book from other Witchy titles is that, although Ms. Adler was, in fact, a Pagan herself, this is not a “how-to” book. Instead, the author uses her background in anthropology, journalism, and historical academia to offer much-needed perspectives.

I was fortunate to have met the author at a large Neopagan convention called PantheaCon back in 2008, where I expressed profound gratitude for this book and for her poignant journalism. Not only was she an incredible journalist for NPR (National Public Radio), but her book was imperative in my early years of realizing and recognizing myself as a natural Witch. During my early Pagan studies, this book helped offer me a well-rounded approach to the Craft, even having influenced my future calling to pursue a degree in cultural anthropology!

This book appealed to me on several different levels. First, I’m a sucker for a deep dark secret and the story begins with the indication that the character is hiding something huge. Secondly, it is a steamy romance with love scenes so hot the pages sizzle. Thirdly, the plot is so intricately woven that I couldn’t stop reading. The story takes the reader inside a religious cult and exposes practices that are shocking and frightening. I learned what makes people fall for the artful deception of the leader, and the dangers of escaping. I rooted for the characters all through the book, although at times, I wanted to shake both of them and get them to be honest with each other. If you love a sizzling romance with tons of suspenseful action, you’ll devour this well-written story! 

It was a brilliant decision on Natalie's part to create a graphic novel that lays out the many facets and layers that make up the dynamics of cults. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know Natalie. A former member of the Jehovah's Witnesses, she is now a dynamic and independent individual. This graphic novel explores a wide variety of aspects of the tactics used by Jehovah's Witnesses, including shunning, the reasons why cult family members will disavow non-cult family members, and a great deal more. This seemed to me to be an excellent option for storytelling geared for minds that have a tendency to gravitate toward visuals.

A thought-provoking book about a recognisable world and how we might get worse or better as a society/planet. Also, read right till the very very end!

I watched The Vow documentary and was hooked.

I immediately wanted to know more about Sarah Edmondson’s experience in the NXIVM cult, so of course I bought this book. She does a great job telling the truth about her indoctrination and shows a great deal of empathy for others in the organization.

It really drives home the point that nobody joins a cult, they join what they think is a good thing, and you can so plainly see how impact and intention don’t always match in organizations like these. Anyone can fall victim to these scams!

This novel’s language turns me utterly present, each breath and the surface of my skin attuned to the words. It’s a rare piece of writing that gives me this feeling, but in Kwon’s hands, every sentence–down to the syllables and commas–is deliberate, artfully chosen.

The result–which took her ten years–is soaring, exhalant, and musical. One of her characters is a former virtuoso concert pianist, and I can’t help but think reading Kwon is like being overcome by a brilliant piece of music, not one note out of place.