Ghostly "All Hallows" selections

Gathering all things "ghostly" for the Halloween season we bring out and display the classics and popular stories like "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson, "The Shining" by Stephen King,Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book", and "Heart-Shaped Box" by Joe Hill.


If you are looking to listen to a classic ghost story, login to Duxbury Free Library's (or your own library) subscription to Hoopla, which will offer you a number of "ghostly options", such as, "Ghost Stories" by Charles Dickens, "The Legends of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving, or "Something Wicked This Way Comes" by Ray Bradbury.

Are you registered with Duxbury Free Library? You also have access to audiobooks in all of the Massachusetts networks, such as, the Sails Network, which has collated a number of great audios for the season "Stories So Good, They're Scary" .  If your selection isn't available in Sails, switch over to any of the Massachusetts networks like "Old Colony", "CLAMS", "Boston Public" and see if the one you want to listen to is available for check out. Don't own a library card? You can sign up online for an ecard and check out any of the digital options.

Looking for something ghostly, yet "out of the box", I highly recommend "Lincoln in the Bardo" by George Saunders.  A best seller and winner of "Audiobook of the Year", I was thoroughly absorbed and entertained by this audio presented by a cast of 166 voices, with Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, George Saunders, Julianna Moore, and Susan Sarandon providing major character's voices.  Hard to describe, this story will take you on a ride that combines Disney's Haunted House Ride with a glimpse into the days deep into the Civil War when President Lincoln devastated by casualties of war is complete broken down with the death of his son, Willie.  Weaving historical references of this time in history, George Saunder's book takes you into human tragedy, love lost, mistakes made, and the coming to terms of many regrets through the memories of the "departed" or "sick", as the book describes the characters who reside in the cemetery.  Don't expect a traditional historical fiction based on Abraham Lincoln.  Although, he definitely plays an anchor role in the story, this book is mostly about the human condition.

Excerpt from PenguinRandomHouse Audio
"February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln's beloved 11-year-old son, Willie, is gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returns, alone, to the crypt several times to hold his boy's body.  From that seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a supernatural realm both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself in a strange purgatory where ghosts mingle, gripe, commiserate, quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance. .... Formally daring, generous in spirit, deeply concerned with matters of the heart, it is a testament to fiction's ability to speak honestly and powerfully to the things that really matter to us. Saunders has invented a thrilling new form that deploys a kaleidoscopic, theatrical panorama of voices to ask a timeless, profound question: How do we live and love when we know that everything we love must end? "

Enjoy all of the digital reading, listening, and viewing options available through OCLN or our Massachusetts's networked libraries or on Duxbury's subscriptions to Hoopla and Kanopy.   Seasonal selections for all ages are often featured so sign-on today for great spooky selections for Halloween.

We look forward to seeing those of you who come into Duxbury Free Library for your selections.  Make sure you browse our "Ghostly Stories" and "Scary Movies" displays in both our children and adult sections.