Linda S. GodfreyRezensionen

An entertaining look at cryptids, myths, and their lore.

Liked this one better than the previous book. This one has some story prompt fodder if you're interested. I especially point out some interesting information which never shows up in fiction books featuring ghosts, like associated light phenomena and cryptids showing up in odd places. Two others have mentioned these things in their books: [a:William J. Hall|8144249|William J. Hall|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1429821489p2/8144249.jpg] and [a:Nick Redfern|5612029|Nick Redfern|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1356319407p2/5612029.jpg]. Also, a very entertaining listen.

One complaint I have, is Wisconsin and it's surrounding areas and other states the only place that has bigfoot and "dog-men" sightings? What about the Northwest coast? Or the southwest? Also, what is wrong with the word werewolf?

For anyone who likes reading about the paranormal, supernatural, eccentric, or simply bizarre, this is a fun read... I really enjoyed it, probably due largely to the fact that I am a native Michigander (Michiganian?), but I think it would also be interesting to anyone who's planning a trip to Michigan or has been to Michigan in the past. If one has no interest in the odd or unique, or Michigan, then this probably isn't the book for that person.

i continue to love books on folklore and cryptids. i'll definitely be looking for more by this author!

There isn't much to day about this book.

While the authored covered many different types of "monsters", they never went into great detail on any of them.

The eye witness accounts were skimmed over, and it felt like a lot of details were left out.

My suggestion? Read it to find out about the cryptids you don't know about, then find books that Go into greater detail on those you're truly interested in.

A rather boring collection of supposedly monster eye-witness accounts. There is limited analysis or hypotheses regarding the sightings.

Entertaining stories of unexplained cryptids.

Ok, so this is a Cryptozoology book. Don’t click away just yet.

Everyone I know has seen something or heard something they couldn’t explain. You were driving most likely and saw this thing on the side of the road, it doesn’t look quite right, and when you get a closer look it is something you’ve never seen before. You know it’s real. You go through the entire range of emotions, are you crazy? Could it be a trick of the light? Is it some kind of joke or hoax? In the end, you only know for sure that you aren’t wrong, it is real and if you tell anyone they laugh at the thought.

Do we laugh because we are uncomfortable with the unknown? Mostly, yes, I think so. Can there be animals that we don’t know about? Why is that so far fetched?

Linda Godfrey compiled an entire book of first-person experiences that are recent. This isn’t that book you checked out of the library as a kid with the blurry Loch Ness Monster pictures. Everything from dire dogs to deer people and of course Bigfoot gets some coverage within this book.

I think it is a worthwhile project to chronicle sightings that otherwise get immediately dismissed from the public. No one knows how many if any of these sightings are true, but they are abundant and I do think we owe it to our neighbors to keep an open mind.

Even if you aren’t a squatch enthusiast, no one knows this area quite like Linda. You’ll find these accounts interesting and thought-provoking no matter whether you want to believe or not.

This was an interesting, fast read. Talk about surprises in your family tree! The forward by the step granddaughter of Myrtle Schaude was an interesting hook for me. The first line" How much do you know about Myrtle McGarrahan? in a visit to her family by the author, asking about the Grandfather's second wife.

I was expecting an in-depth look at the cultural background of each legend in the book. The book was divided into sections. Air, water, land, etc. The topics covered basically got a few pages to describe their story. The topics need some context, some history to them.

[b: Monsters Among Us|22738386|The Nephilim A Monster Among Us|Dane Cramer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405641273s/22738386.jpg|42277940] is an interesting collection of encounters with unknown upright canids. This is wrapped up in stories of Bigfoot encounters, as well as otherworldly portals. It's a fascinating collection, well written and summarized. [Author: Linda S. Godfrey] does a good job of cataloging the surrounding phenomena - both paraphysical and solar - that might help give rise to the belief that at least some of these experiences may be connected.

The author doesn't stand too firmly as to whether these creatures are flesh and blood or spiritual in nature, but does explore some of the arguments on both sides of that fence. It was refreshing to read more stories than she's shared on the radio and television appearances. However, some of the encounters are repeats from previous texts which may point towards the other books being better resources.

I'm curious to read more of her material, and I hope that in other books she goes more into detail of these creatures throughout history, and what they might mean for our folkloric beliefs. They might represent any number of things, but so far I've found [a: Whitley Strieber|18454|Whitley Strieber|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1435172880p2/18454.jpg] and [a: John Keel|18452|John A. Keel|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1247843969p2/18452.jpg] to be a bit better at summarizing the long-term psychological implications for these creatures.

[b: Real Wolfmen: True Encounters in Modern America|13542895|Real Wolfmen True Encounters in Modern America|Linda S. Godfrey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1337182057s/13542895.jpg|19107186] is the second book that I've read by [a: Linda S. Godfrey|102574|Linda S. Godfrey|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1371234107p2/102574.jpg]. While this book was not as well organized as the previous book I read by her, it was a bit more comprehensive when it came to theories as to what the reported upright-canids may be. I appreciated her delving into the North American traditions that may account for such creatures - whether spiritual, flesh and blood, or shamanistic in origin. I love learning more about local folklore, and this book was richer in it than I truly expected.

[a: Linda S. Godfrey|102574|Linda S. Godfrey|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1371234107p2/102574.jpg] truly warmed to her subject in this book. Without the need to focus on other anomalous creatures (Bigfoot, mysterious mists, lizard people, etc.) she got to allow her knowledge of wolf-lore shine, and she delved into animal psychology briefly alongside the spirit-guardians and mound builder legends. This made for better reading, although ultimately I still wish she would dig deeper into these traditions as well as the cognitive ethology of the wolf that would allow for a better understanding of the predatory habits of the 'upright canids'.

I enjoyed her look at the amphicyon's, as well as the dire wolves as possible origins of some of the legends. I also enjoyed her look into the legend of the "Hairy Hearts", as that is something scarcely mentioned. I look forward to reading more by Godfrey, although ultimately she has shone best in interviews in my experience. She is a wealth of knowledge on American folklore, and I wish her books reflected that a bit more deeply - but this was a fantastic start.

This book truly sums up a lot of my frustration with [a: Linda S. Godrey]'s work. While she is very coherent and informative in interviews, and even in some of her blog posts delves deep into lore, her books for the most part are shallow rather than informative. She tells of encounters of various beasts but rarely goes deep into their history, what such a monster might need in order to live, and the history of such encounters in anything other than passing. I would love to read more history of the folklore she is telling, as well as more musing as to what might cause X to be, rather than the simple throwaway mentions she gives.

This book, admittedly, was rather ambitious in its breadth of topics covered. It is divided into Monsters of the Sky, Monsters of the Water, and Monsters of the Land. The Water section deals with most of the scaly beasts one would imagine, although she admits many monsters would fit more than one of those categories. It was perhaps a bit too ambitious a project, as she shines best when zeroing in on a single monster or monster 'type'. The stories, thus, are maybe one or two pages - the longest story in this book is also the best, that of the Florida Gator-Man, which I also might begin referring to my husband as.

Overall this book would have been more fun to dip in and out of than read straight through. It is a great book of monster encounters, or fun true stories to tell around the campfire. I would have much rather read something with more substance, though, and I wish [a: Linda S. Godfrey|102574|Linda S. Godfrey|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1371234107p2/102574.jpg] would put out something that would really allow her to flex her folkloric and monster history chops. She could do much better! Her Coast to Coast interviews prove that.

Good collection of first-hand accounts of monsters reported in the US although heavy on dogmen, with less detail on Bigfoot.
Interesting speculation on unusual fog banks, the quantum universe, portals, UFO influence, and more. I expected a more balanced survey, but don't regret learning about this area of interest. Clearly written, photos, lots of fascinating material. Even an account from my Alton, Illinois, hometown.

I thought this was Godfrey's best book yet because while she did throw in a bit of humor here and there, there was far less of it than in her previous works. It made the subject seem less of a joke. I so firmly believe in the Beast of Bray Road and am so afraid, that I will go nowhere near that area of the state. Some of the encounters she reports on in this book, a few of which are significantly closer to where I live, had me so frightened that I slept with the lights on for 3 nights in a row! Many thanks to my LibraryThing Secret Santa for that gift!

This book made me enjoy the times when social media wasn't popular where someone could have a past and it wasn't plastered everywhere. I think the story was interesting and especially how she could do something and then walk into a whole new life, never mention it to anyone and only find out years after she passes away her life before. This before everyone can check your criminal history online and know every little detail. I liked reprinted letters and pictures included in the story. A good real-life mystery story.

Real Wolfmen, True Encounters in Modern America is an unusual compilation of eye-witness accounts of strange bipedal doglike creatures. It is interesting to read each of these accounts from ordinary people in ordinary situations when they come upon this strange sight. I understand that eyewitness accounts can not always be taken at face value because of the way our minds process some information, but for so many people to describe the same phenomenon in different areas of the country is fascinating.

Initially I thought the author was a little too flippant with her paragraph titles which made it sound as though she was ridiculing the people who trusted her by sharing these accounts with her. I recently heard the author, Linda S. Godfrey, on a radio program and she did not sound at all as though she was doing that. I guess it was just a little sarcastic humor in the book. She also covers briefly what is several ideas speculating about what could account for these sightings, but it is just that – speculation.

I enjoyed reading Real Wolfmen as I do most books about cryptozoology. Cryptozoology includes the study of animals not proven to exist, the existence of known animals in places where they were not expected to occur, and sightings of animals presumed to be extinct.

I just didn't find this as interesting as some of the other "Weird" books. This one had a lot more strange and a lot less scary. Okay, but not something I would read again.

If you need ideas of where to go for your next vacation, or you just want an unusual history lesson this book is for you. If you want to be frightened or if you want to just have fun with the family and anything in between there is something for everyone. It can also give you some interesting things to talk about the next time you are standing around the water cooler.

Each chapter is a different topic. For those that are attracted to unexplained phenomena there is a chapter full of them. One of these phenomena is The Paulding Light Tale which occurs often enough that there is a road sign explaining where you can go to experience the “light show” that happens when the sun goes down.

The Road Side Oddities chapter has a number of fascinating sites for the family to see while driving along one of the many highways and roads in Michigan. There are a lot of oversized animals, people, chairs, and even an ice cream cone for the family to behold.

While reading the Local Legends chapter, some history of each city is tied into the story. For example, the Le Nain Rouge story gives a brief history of the founder of Detroit while the reader learns about the Red Dwarf that causes trouble wherever it is seen. It is entertaining and educational.

Over the past few years there have been cougar sightings in our area and it is also mentioned in the book. That is just one of the stories that I found in Weird Michigan that I could relate to. With the vast number of stories in this book there should be something that will allow every Michigander to say I heard that story before.
Reviewed by Diana, Three Rivers Public Library

Growing up in and living in Michigan I am privy first hand to nearly all of these out of hte way and off beat places. It is fun to relive my childhood reading some of these articles.

I suggest this book for those interested in the not quite normal and for a piece of Americana. Fun to read and a guide line for those who like to travel off the beaten track.½

I know what your granny did last century, said author Linda Godfrey to the granddaughter of Myrtle Schaude. How would you feel if you found out, after years of eating her homemade cookies, that grandma was in truth a confessed, convicted prisoner who served prison time for murder?
This is the true story of petite and mild-mannered Myrtle Schaude, a model wife and mother from Whitewater, Wisconsin, who poisoned her husband with strychnine, then blamed her lover. Next, she started over with a new family in a new state, conveniently forgetting to mention the sordid events that ended her previous marriage. How could Myrtle keep her shocking past a secret over all the decades? Open the book to find out!