Matt Lake

I should note that Natasha picked it up, read a bit and put it down, weirded out by the animal stuff.

***

The animals are creepy, especially the two-headed ones. Overall, it's fun with a snarky, irreverent tone. There's lots of references to web sites, books, and museums for further information on the various topics. A fun read, and mostly accurate, although they do try to cultivate a little mysterious woo around topics which aren't mysterious at all, such as spontaneous human combustion which isn't spontaneous and is replicatable.

Library copy.… (mer)

First, there was "Weird New Jersey." But we Pa. residents knew that our local tales and legends could rival any Pine Barrens camper's story about the Jersey Devil. As if to confirm this, the "Weird" team assembled Pennsylvania's most memorable quirks in a most entertaining book. The books covers oddities, legends, rumors, monsters, aliens, gates to hell, ghosts... Pa. is big, but who knew there was room for all this crazy stuff? Reading this book will have you itching for a road trip.

Featured people and places get the personal touch through brief personal accounts from those who've been there. Some accounts sound more reliable than others, but it's left up to the reader to make judgments.

My edition is a few years old, and some things are a little out of date, most notably the deserted mental hospital known as "Byberry" is now torn down to make way for condos. But the piece on its sordid history is a good account of how spooky the place was, and how it became a mecca for the homeless and urban explorers.

For those who love reading about weird stuff, or for Pennsylvania residents who will cackle at recognition of local oddities, this book is sure to please.… (mer)