spooky season – Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs..

Who else is ready for spooky season? This post has become one of my favorite yearly traditions on the blog! I listen to so many podcasts, and so many of them are on the spooky side! The podcasts I have listed in previous years have tended to be more true crime with some spooky – this year, maybe just one does both spooky and true crime?

I am all about the ghosts and cryptids this year. I find the lore of cryptids fascinating! My favorite cryptid to read about or listen to pods about is the Jersey Devil. I can just imagine the long dark nights when stories like this were born, can’t you? People huddled together inside around a fire, gossiping about the neighbors, telling some crazy tales.

These are my current listens – and since I like to set a mood, I like to have a warm beverage close at hand, maybe a soft blanket, and bonus points if it is stormy or rainy day, but that is not necessity. Be careful about turning the lights down too low though….you never know what is lurking in the shadows, as these tales might make you think!

Sinisterhood: I literally laugh out loud listening to this one. Christie and Heather are hysterical together! I love their vibe. I have only listened to their episodes that are about ghosts or haunting or cyptids, things like that, none of their true crime episodes, but I am sure they are just as well researched as the paranormal episodes, especially since Heather is a licensed attorney. My favorite episodes so far: The Nain Rouge (A Detroit Episode!!) and The Stanley Hotel (I will always love a good Stanley Hotel pod, and this one is awesome)

The Midnight Library: This podcast is a whole experience! I was listening the other night before bed and I didn’t want to stop. It is pure entertainment! From their website:

Proudly brought to you by the fine folks at the Astonishing Legends Podcast – Not just another show but a place you can go: The Midnight Library. You alone, can climb the stairs of the strange, old Victorian mansion and be somewhat welcomed by your Hosts, Miranda Merrick & Mr. Darling. Curl up in a window seat or beside the grand fireplace and hear a tale of times long ago. Be transported to forgotten lands, learn about ancient customs and mysterious happenings… all in the company of your unusual hosts in their unique setting. Just stay in the cordoned off areas, and you should be fine…

My favorite episode so far: Gargoyles (and now I want to take the Gargoyles tour of Pittsburgh!)

Old Gods of Appalachia: This is another podcast that is a immersive and dramatic. It draws on folk tales and tales of the supernatural for inspiration, and is all original fiction, which is brought to life by a spectacular cast. My cousin introduced me to this one and I am very thankful! My cousin actually had tickets to see them perform in person but they were flooded out. (I think that was the reason at least!) If you want to be swallowed up by a story, give this one a shot! Favorite episode so far: Hmm, too hard to choose!!!

The Night Owl: Ok, so I mentioned this one last year but I still love it to pieces and wait anxiously every month for a new episode. Yep, this podcast releases one episode a month – but the production quality and research that go into each episode are worth the wait. It is so well done! Each episode or haunt is treated so thoughtfully and carefully by Stephen and his team, and it is evident in every moment of the podcast. My favorite episodes so far: The Pioneer Farms episodes

Ghost Tales by the Fireside: Ooo this one is delightful and absolutely perfect on those rainy fall days. It is THE podcast to snuggle up under the covers, sip some tea, light a fire if that is something you can do, and just listen. It is exactly how you imagine a ghost tale should be told, hushed and quiet. My favorite episode so far: Ghosts of Ipsley

If you interested in my previous lists you can find them here: 2022, 2021, 2020

It’s October, and for me that means ’tis the season for all things spooky and scary! My brother and I were just comparing our reading lists for the month, both full of ghosts and witches and monsters. I’ve been indulging in spooky movies every week (and reviewing some of them with Lisa at Boondock Ramblings as part of our Spooky Season Cinema posts) and of course, listening to spooky, creepy, dark and twisty podcasts. Some are old favorites – others are new to me this year.

This year I seem to be all about the ghost and ghost stories, and lately I keep reading and hearing the same theory over and over in different places – that ghost stories are a form of folklore, of storytelling, that have a purpose – whether they are a warning or a lesson, whether they give a voice to those who didn’t have a voice while alive, and I love this idea. Entertaining, spooky, but with more under the surface than just the story and the scare.

Here are my current favorites – maybe listen with your favorite beverage, a cup of tea, a mug of cocoa, a hard cider, a glass of wine – and make sure the mood is right. I like a vibe y’all. We have thunderstorms in our forecast for today, the perfect ambiance for a spooky read or listen.

The Night Owl Podcast: My current favorite. Host Stephen Belyeu leads us through haunted houses and businesses with the help of his team including clairvoyant Sara. These stories are all central to Austin, Texas and usually are the result of someone coming to Belyeu for help with what they believe is a haunted home. Rather than just share ghost stories (although that is done as well in their Campfire episodes) they attempt to help people who are afraid by investigating and providing support. Belyeu and his team present well thought out, sensitive, serious, high quality pods that are highly addictive to listen to. They took a short hiatus due to some health issues, but recently have started to release new episodes. Favorite episode: The Pioneer Farms series of episodes

The Haunted Road with Amy Bruni: If you are a fellow ghost story lover, then you may know the name of Amy Bruni already. Bruni was an investigator on the popular show, Ghost Hunters for years. She now has another show, Kindred Spirits, which I have not watched, and is also the host of The Haunted Road. Filled with history, Bruni sets the stage for the tale before sharing the ghost stories themselves. The Haunted Road is informative and at times, unsettling. I have listened to some episodes over and over again, and I listen in times of quiet and also when I am cleaning or doing work. I find them so interesting and entertaining. My favorite episodes: His Body Wasn’t Discovered for Six Months (Mackinac Island) and The Lake It Is Said, Never Gives Up Her Dead (another Michigan episode) and When My Fire Burns Low, about Lizzie Borden.

The Dark Parts: The Dark Parts is a podcast hosted by Daphne Woolsoncroft and Heath Merryman (both awesome last names) who also host the true crime podcast Going West. The Dark Parts is all about creepy – horror stories, dark history, unexplained events. There is something for every spooky seeker with this one! My favorite episode: Terrible Tilly Lighthouse

Homespun Haints: This one I just recently started listening to, but it is part of my October list so I wanted to include it. This one is fun and funny, and has great stories! I have not listened to many so far, but the ones I have listened to I have enjoyed. Favorite Episode (so far): Three of the World’s Most Haunted Libraries

And an old favorite:

Camp Monsters: Oo I love this one. I saved the newer episodes just for this month- and plan on listening to one today during our independent quiet time while I sew. Weston Davis is the writer and host and his voice is so soothing. Like you could listen to him read a phone book, he just has a way of storytelling that is lost almost in this day and age. And this format, like stories being told around the campfire, emphasize those storytelling skills. There is atmosphere to this podcast, y’all. The crackling of a fire, little noises and sounds that fit the story and the mood. I can’t speak highly enough of this pod. Fave Episode: The Jersey Devil

If you interested in my previous lists you can find them here: 2021 and 2020