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From the Hollow
Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities—a collection of gothic history, strange traditions, haunted places, forgotten folklore, dark symbolism, and the stories hidden behind art and books.
Here you’ll find ancient festivals, eerie legends, Victorian oddities, supernatural inspiration, book reviews, collector features, and the beautifully strange details that shape my worlds. From haunted Pittsburgh to poisonous gardens, from ravens and roses to old rituals and whispered ghost stories, this is where mystery, history, and art meet.
If you love gothic atmosphere, dark fiction, and the allure of the unusual, you’re in the right place.
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Behind Eleanor's Garden: The Haunted Grounds
Eleanor's Garden arrives October 31. Walk the haunted grounds first: abandoned gardens, rose bushes, a decaying greenhouse and the house behind them.
5 hours ago3 min read
Halloween's Odd Old Cousins: Soul Cakes, Masks and Turnip Lanterns
Before the candy bar there was the soul cake, before the pumpkin there was a carved turnip. Halloween's odd old cousins.
2 days ago5 min read
Book Review: Chain Reaction by Lee Child and Andrew Child
If you're looking for a good mystery with plenty of intrigue and a protagonist who knows how to get things done, Chain Reaction delivers exactly what you'd expect from a Jack Reacher novel. Reacher is called upon by General Susan Turner, who needs help investigating the brutal murder of a member of her team. With trust in short supply and danger lurking at every turn, Reacher heads to Summertown, Colorado, a remote and unusual place hiding more than a few secrets. What follow
4 days ago2 min read
Why October Belongs to the Dead
Every culture picked the darkening days to talk to its ghosts. A tour of Samhain, All Souls' Day and Dia de Muertos.
Oct 204 min read
Book Review: The Splintered Sun by Tad Williams
Anytime someone asks me for a book recommendation in the fantasy genre, my answer, without hesitation, is the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series by Tad Williams. So when I heard about this new book set in the world of Osten Ard—and the fact that I had been granted an advanced reader copy—my little geek heart about burst! I downloaded it instantly, began reading, and pre-ordered the hardcover. Because, of course, I did! The Splintered Sun takes us back to Osten Ard, 300 years be
Oct 182 min read
Book Review: Lucy Kline, Necromancer by Tom O'Donnell
This was a great little mystery! I really loved getting to know Lucy as the story unfolded. She’s dealing with grief, guilt, and the unresolved questions surrounding her twin sister’s death, which gives the mystery a lot more emotional weight than just figuring out who is responsible. Her sardonic wit is also rather enjoyable as she navigates her personal tragedy through humor. I especially enjoyed watching Lucy dig back into the case when another girl disappears under simila
Sep 291 min read
Book Review: Corpse Creek by Vincent Ralph
A Bleak Haven Novel Corpse Creek by Vincent Ralph is the fourth book I've read in the Bleak Haven series, and of the two most recent installments, I definitely preferred this one. The story follows eighteen-year-old Ethan, who returns to the creek where his older brother drowned four years earlier. What begins as an attempt to find some closure quickly takes a darker turn when Ethan encounters a figure that looks remarkably like his dead brother—and suddenly the possibility o
Sep 272 min read
Pointillism: When Color Becomes Light
At first glance, Pointillism seems almost deceptively simple. Look closely at a Pointillist painting and you may see thousands of tiny dots or short marks of unmixed color. Step back, however, and those individual marks begin to disappear. Reds become oranges, blues suggest violets and greens, and countless separate points of pigment resolve into recognizable figures, landscapes, light, and atmosphere. That transformation is the heart of Pointillism. Rather than mixing colors
Sep 2610 min read
Hera: Queen of the Gods & Goddess of Marriage
Hera is one of the most recognizable figures in Greek mythology, yet she is also one of the most frequently misunderstood. She is usually introduced as the wife of Zeus, goddess of marriage, and the perpetually furious divine spouse whose husband's infidelities leave a trail of unfortunate mortals and demigods in their wake. Those stories certainly belong to Hera's mythology, but they represent only one part of a much older and considerably more complicated goddess. Long befo
Sep 2014 min read
Book Review: Fear Farm by Vincent Ralph
A Bleak Haven Novel I read the first two books in the Bleak Haven series and was happy to receive ARCs for the next two. I actually started Corpse Creek first, but had to put it down when it referenced events from Fear Farm. I didn’t want any potential spoilers, so, I switched gears and hurried through this one before continuing. And that brings me to one of my biggest frustrations with this series: the recommended reading order doesn't seem to match the actual chronology of
Sep 152 min read
The History of Protective Herbs and Magical Gardens
Long before the modern garden became a place of ornamental flowers, raised beds, and carefully chosen landscaping, plants were valued for something far more practical. They could feed a household, flavor food, scent a room, treat an injury, ease an illness, repel unwanted creatures, mark a religious occasion, or, according to the beliefs of the people who cultivated them, protect a home from forces that could not be seen. The history of the magical garden is therefore not rea
Aug 3012 min read
Book Review: Not a Word by Linwood Barclay
After a string of books that simply weren't for me, Not a Word by Linwood Barclay was a refreshing change of pace. The story opens with Reece making a horrifying discovery: his parents are dead in their bedroom, and what initially appears to be a clear-cut murder-suicide quickly raises more questions than answers. As inconsistencies begin to emerge from the crime scene, Reece is forced to reconsider everything he thought he knew about his parents—and whether the secrets they
Aug 292 min read
Book Review: The Night Pool by Lauren Lee Smith
The Night Pool by Lauren Lee Smith had almost everything I would normally look for in a historical thriller: the California Gold Rush, a mysterious creature, gruesome murders, three women from very different backgrounds, and a story built around survival, vengeance, and the violence created by greed. The premise immediately appealed to me, particularly the idea of Clara, Mei, and Haloke becoming unlikely allies in a world that has very little regard for their safety. Unfortun
Aug 253 min read
John William Waterhouse: The Modern Pre-Raphaelite
John William Waterhouse (1849–1917) occupies a distinct position in the history of Victorian British painting. He is frequently described as a Pre-Raphaelite painter, yet the designation is somewhat misleading as it suggests that he was a member of the original Brotherhood. Waterhouse was born in the same year that the Brotherhood was established and came of age artistically after its principal members had already begun to move in different directions. His career instead belo
Aug 249 min read
Book Review: The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen
The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen is an ambitious and unsettling novel that immediately caught my attention with its premise. Set within the insular world of classical music, the story follows Mia Voss, the final student of celebrated minimalist composer Ryder Wakefield. After Ryder’s unexpected death, Mia inherits his estate and, more significantly, his unfinished final composition, Death Fugue: Music for Orchestra. As Mia attempts to complete the work, she is forced to conf
Aug 223 min read
Leap Castle: Ireland’s Most Haunted Fortress
Rising from the countryside of County Offaly, Ireland, Leap Castle is the kind of place where history and legend seem almost impossible to separate. Its weathered stone walls, narrow spiral staircases, fortified tower and later additions tell the story of a building that has survived centuries of political upheaval, clan warfare, religious conflict, changing ownership and catastrophic destruction. Yet Leap Castle is perhaps better known for another history: the stories of the
Aug 1911 min read
Book Review: The House That Eats the Dead by Max Doty
I have a confession to make: I just couldn't finish this book. And that is particularly depressing because I was really looking forward to The House That Eats the Dead by Max Doty. The premise immediately grabbed me. A house that literally feeds on living things, erasing them from everyone's memories except those of the people who own the house? That is exactly the kind of strange, unsettling haunted-house concept that should have been right up my alley. Unfortunately, I coul
Aug 183 min read
Book Review: The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen
The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen is an intriguing mystery that moves between different timelines, gradually revealing the secrets surrounding a group of young women who disappeared decades ago. The story alternates between the present and the 1960’s, when four women at a prestigious university become subjects in an experimental parapsychology program led by a scientist convinced he is on the verge of a groundbreaking discovery. Then, the women vanish, and the entire progr
Aug 152 min read
The Dullahan: Ireland's Headless Horseman
Few creatures in Irish folklore are quite as visually unforgettable as the Dullahan. A headless rider dressed in black, galloping through the countryside on a dark horse while carrying his own severed head beneath one arm. The Dullahan sounds almost too perfectly designed for a Gothic horror story. Yet the legend predates modern horror by centuries—or at least, the ideas behind the legend do. Over time, stories of headless riders, death coaches, supernatural horses, and omino
Aug 156 min read
Zeus: Origins, Myths, Symbols & Ancient Greek Art
Few figures in world mythology have shaped literature, philosophy, religion, art, and popular culture as profoundly as Zeus. Instantly recognizable by his thunderbolt and eagle, Zeus stands at the summit of the Greek pantheon as ruler of the heavens, guardian of justice, and sovereign of both gods and mortals. Yet reducing him to the familiar image of a bearded deity hurling lightning obscures the remarkable complexity of his origins and evolution. Zeus is not merely a weathe
Aug 109 min read
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