Top 10 Haunted Places
October 1, 2023 - September 30, 2024
The Amityville House: 6-12 tasks
The Queen Mary: 13-24 tasks
The Winchester House: 25+ tasks
*The Amityville House
The house in Amityville, N.Y., an upscale Long Island suburb, was the site of a brutal family murder in which Ronald DeFeo, Jr. shot and killed his parents and four younger siblings. But much of the legend surrounding the home stems from the family who moved in a little over year after the murders, George and Kathy Lutz and their four children. Soon after moving in, George and Kathy said they began experiencing strange things: banging noises, footsteps untraceable to any family member's movements, mysterious and pervasive odors, green jello-like substances leaking from walls, swarms of houseflies, and eyes peering in from outside the windows. After the disturbances worsened, the Lutzes decided to leave the house temporarily. But the night in which they were to depart turned out to be their last night there.
👻 1. Read a book that takes place in a suburb.
Watchers of the Night - Charlene Parris (HRS #2262 - Jan 2024) - Dec 21
👻 2. Read a book where a family moves into a new place.
👻 2. Read a book where a family moves into a new place.
Early Sunday Morning - Barry Denenberg (Scholastic - Oct 2001) - Oct 21
👻 3. Read a book with the word HOUSE in the title. (Firehouse Christmas Baby)
👻 4. Spell out: AMITYVILLE
👻 3. Read a book with the word HOUSE in the title. (Firehouse Christmas Baby)
👻 4. Spell out: AMITYVILLE
Built in 1829 with castle-like walls and imposing guard towers, Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Penn. was the first prison to institute solitary confinement. Prisoners lived alone, ate alone, and even exercised alone in individual yards. When an inmate left his cell, a guard covered his head with a hood so that he remained in confinement. It operated as a regular prison from 1913 until it closed in 1970, during which time it housed both Al Capone and bank robber Willie Sutton. The prison was abandoned in 1971, and rumors of strange happenings have plagued the stone penitentiary ever since. Visitors to the prison report footsteps in the yards, the sound of someone pacing in the cells, eerie noises, and lonely wails that drift through the cold, dark corridors. Cell Block 12 is famous for its disembodied laughter, and one guard tower appears, on some nights, to be occupied by a shadowy figure keeping watch over the empty prison.
👻 5. Read a book set in a prison OR where a character is in a jail cell.
The Secret She Keeps - Lena Diaz (HI #2178 - Nov 2023) (jail cell) - Oct 31
👻 6. Read a solitary or stand-alone book.
👻 6. Read a solitary or stand-alone book.
An Off-Limits Merger - Naima Simone (HD #2978 - Nov 2023) - Oct 31
👻 7. Read a book published between 1913 - 1970.
👻 7. Read a book published between 1913 - 1970.
With some 900 years of history behind it, it would almost be a surprise if Edinburgh Castle wasn't one of Scotland's most haunted sites. Since its construction as a military fortress in the early 12th century, the castle has witnessed surprise attacks, executions, and even a brief capture by the English. Reincarnated as a tourist attraction, Edinburgh Castle now offers haunted tours of its dungeons, which once hosted the likes of Duke Alexander Stewart of Albany (who escaped, stabbing his guards to death and then burning their bodies), Lady Janet Douglas of Glamis (accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake), and an unnamed piper who once wandered down one of the castle's underground passages and never returned. Shadowy figures, sudden drops in temperature and the feeling of something tugging on your clothes are all everyday experiences in Edinburgh.
👻 9. Read a book set in the UK.
How to Survive a Scandal - Christine Merrill (HH #1683 - Nov 2022) - Oct 20
👻 10. Read a book with a castle as a setting.
👻 10. Read a book with a castle as a setting.
Part of His Royal World - Nina Singh (HR #4887 - Feb 2024) - Jan 18
👻 11. Read a book with a character who is either a Duke or a witch.
👻 11. Read a book with a character who is either a Duke or a witch.
The battle of Gettysburg lasted for three days and was one of the bloodiest in American history; some 50,000 young men died in the conflict. With so many young men killed so violently, many believe the site is haunted by fallen soldiers unable to accept their untimely fate. These restless souls wander the Pennsylvania field, searching for their rifles and comrades, unaware that the battle is over.
👻 13. Read a book set during a war.
Sergeant Mack - Julie Miller (Ladytech Inc - Jan 2024) (WW2) - Feb 23
👻 14. Read a book with a character who is a soldier or a veteran.
👻 14. Read a book with a character who is a soldier or a veteran.
Three Cowboys and a Puppy - Kate Pearce (Kensington - Oct 2023) - Oct 21
👻 15. Read a book set in Pennsylvania. (reunion under fire)
👻 16. Spell out: GETTYSBURG
👻 15. Read a book set in Pennsylvania. (reunion under fire)
👻 16. Spell out: GETTYSBURG
This estate in St. Francisville, La., built in 1796 by General David Bradford, is considered one of America's most haunted locales. Some say it has witnessed as many as ten murders. Though it allegedly hosts several ghosts, one of the most popular tales concerns a former slave named Chloe, who, as legend goes, had her ear chopped off by her master for eavesdropping. She allegedly sought revenge by poisoning a birthday cake, which killed two of the slave master's daughters (their spirits are also said to haunt the plantation). According to the story, Chloe was hung by fellow slaves, and lingers around the plantation, her severed ear concealed by a turban.
👻 17. Read a book set in the American South.
Her Secret Protector - Bonnie Vanak (HRS #2253 - Nov 2023) (Florida) - Oct 31
👻 18. Read a book where a murder occurs.
👻 18. Read a book where a murder occurs.
Killer on Kestrel Trail - Cindi Myers (HI #2177 - Nov 2023) - Oct 22
👻 19. Read a book where a character celebrates a birthday.
👻 19. Read a book where a character celebrates a birthday.
A former luxury ocean liner and war ship nicknamed the "Grey Ghost," the Queen Mary was purchased by the city of Long Beach in 1967, transformed into a hotel, and became a popular tourist attraction. Among the ghosts reportedly still hanging around are a sailor who died in the ship's engine room, a "lady in white," and children who drowned in the ship's pool.
👻 21. Read a book set on the water OR has water on the cover. Show the cover.
A Christmas Miracle in the Little Irish Village - Michelle Vernal (Bookouture - Oct 2023) (on the water) - Oct 13
👻 22. Read a book with a royal word in the title (QUEEN, KING, etc.).
👻 22. Read a book with a royal word in the title (QUEEN, KING, etc.).
The Prince's Safari Temptation - Nina Singh (HR #4872 - Oct 2023) - Nov 15
👻 23. Read a book set in California.
👻 23. Read a book set in California.
Bodyguard Most Wanted - Katherine Garbera (HRS #2254 - Nov 2023) - Oct 31
👻 24. Spell out: QUEEN MARY
👻 24. Spell out: QUEEN MARY
Erected by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, this former political prison and place of execution has long been viewed as one of the most haunted buildings in the British Isles. Among the ghosts flitting through the fortress are the spirits of Anne Boleyn, the wife of Henry VIII, who was beheaded in 1536; Lady Jane Grey, who was spotted by a guardsman on the 403rd anniversary of her death; and Sir Walter Raleigh. The first ghost allegedly spotted in the building was Thomas Beckett's, in the 13th century.
👻 25. Read a book whose author's first or last name is William (any reasonable form accepted).
A Little Bit of Love - Synithia Williams (HSE #3050 -June 2024) - May 31
👻 26. Read a book tagged "History" or "Historical Fiction".
👻 26. Read a book tagged "History" or "Historical Fiction".
Silver Lady - Mary Jo Putney (Kensington - Dec 2023) (historical romance) - Nov 23
👻 27. Read a book with a 4, 0, or 3 in the page count.
👻 27. Read a book with a 4, 0, or 3 in the page count.
Lyon of the Ton - Emily Royal (Dragonblade Pub - Oct 2023) (242 pages) - Oct 20
👻 28. Spell out: TOWER OF LONDON
Even hardened government skeptics apparently couldn't refute the evidence that this home in San Diego's Old Town neighborhood harbors spirits: in the 1960s, the U.S. Commerce Department classified the Whaley House as haunted. Its earliest ghost was "Yankee" Jim Robinson, who was hanged on the site in 1852. When James Whaley built the house in 1857, he claimed to hear Robinson padding loudly through the halls. Whaley and his wife are also said to inhabit the house, announcing their presence with cigar smoke and perfume. Visitors have also reported sightings of a startlingly lifelike young girl in a long dress lounging in the dining room.
👻 29. Read a book with a name in the title.
Texas Bodyguard: Chance - Janie Crouch (HI #2167 - Sept 2023) - Oct 20
👻 30. Read a book with characters who are a married couple.
👻 30. Read a book with characters who are a married couple.
Never Wager With a Wallflower - Virginia Heath (St. Martin's - Nov 2023) - Nov 7
👻 31. Read a book where a character smokes a cigar or puts on perfume.
👻 31. Read a book where a character smokes a cigar or puts on perfume.
The Duchess Takes A Husband - Harper St. George (Penguin - May 2023) (cigar) - Oct 21
👻 32. Spell out: WHALEY HOUSE
👻 32. Spell out: WHALEY HOUSE
America's most famous residence is also allegedly one of its most haunted. According to lore, some of its inhabitants felt such ties to the seat of the American power that they chose to linger long after their deaths. If you believe the whispers, the ghost of Abigail Adams (wife of John) does laundry in the East Room, while Dolley Madison's spirit likes to lurk around the Rose Garden—and, of course, the Lincoln Bedroom may be the site of visits from Honest Abe.
👻 33. Read a book with a character who is a politician.
Cinderella and the Vicomte - Jessica Gilmore (HR #4804 - May 2022) - Oct 1
👻 34. Read a book with a color word in the title.
👻 34. Read a book with a color word in the title.
Miss Rose and the Vexing Viscount - Catherine Tinley (HH #1756 - Nov 2023) - Oct 31
👻 35. Read a book where a character does laundry or does gardening.
👻 35. Read a book where a character does laundry or does gardening.
The Nurse's Holiday Swap - Ann McIntosh (HMED #1351 - Nov 2023) (laundry) - Oct 31
👻 36. Spell out: WHITE HOUSE
👻 36. Spell out: WHITE HOUSE
If this "mystery house" isn't actually haunted— and the U.S. Department of Commerce has certified that it is— it's still one of the spookier construction projects in history. After the death of her husband and child, Sarah Winchester (the wife of the rifle-maker's son) consulted a seer who proclaimed her family had been killed by the ghosts of those who died of bullets from her family's guns. The seer suggested that only perpetual construction on the family's mansion could mollify these spirits. So that's what Sarah Winchester ordered. Workmen labored on the property every hour of every day for 38 years. The 160-room estate, built entirely without the aid of blueprints, is truly bizarre: some of the creepier features are staircases to nowhere, doors that open onto brick walls or ten-foot drops, and a window with an etched-glass spider-web motif.
👻 37. Read a book tagged "Mystery".
Dead Again - Nichole Severn (HI #2147 - June 2023) - Nov 18
👻 38. Read a book where a character carries a gun.
👻 38. Read a book where a character carries a gun.
Protecting Colton's Baby - Tara Taylor Quinn (HRS #2219 - Mar 2023) - Oct 20
👻 39. Read a large book (more than 450 pages).
👻 40. Spell out: WINCHESTER
👻 39. Read a large book (more than 450 pages).
👻 40. Spell out: WINCHESTER
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