Thread: Recommended Reading List

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I bought The Prop Makers Molding and Casting Handbook (Thurston James) to learn about molding and casting but don't know if it is the best choice with the new casting materials available. Another book I purchased in A Guide to Animated Holiday Displays (Edwin Wise) that is a technical book for building animatronics.

I would like to buy some good references books for sculpting but don't know what experienced sculptors recommend.

With the price of books it's good to know what's helpful and what's not before making purchases. So it occurred to me that having forum members input for a recommended reading list would be a great idea. I will try to add the best to my store.


So what books have you found most useful, or enjoyable reading (like ghost stories, etc.) for your Halloween hobby?

MT, we just bought "A Halloween How-To" on Amazon. It has good ideas and how tos, but also talks about Halloween destinations, myths and lore. Bottom line, it is a fun read. The author reminisces about Halloweens past and "the future" of Halloween.

Originally Posted by ChrisW

MT, we just bought "A Halloween How-To" on Amazon. It has good ideas and how tos, but also talks about Halloween destinations, myths and lore. Bottom line, it is a fun read. The author reminisces about Halloweens past and "the future" of Halloween.

Thank you for the recommendation ChrisW. I will check it out!

Originally Posted by ChrisW

MT, we just bought "A Halloween How-To" on Amazon. It has good ideas and how tos, but also talks about Halloween destinations, myths and lore. Bottom line, it is a fun read. The author reminisces about Halloweens past and "the future" of Halloween.

This is the book I put in my bookstore. It's rated very highly and the written reviews give high praises as the best Halloween book for adults. 4.5 stars.

Is this the one you were bought?

House of Shadows.net Books

A Halloween How To by Lesley Pratt Bannatyne

From a sociological history of Halloween and its contemporary traditions to a guide to the ideal sound effects to make your party creepy (think Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries), this how-to offers everything anyone would ever want to know about All Hallows Eve. Bannatyne takes us through decorating houses, yards, and ourselves; planning a killer Halloween party; embarking on must-see Halloween pilgrimages (don't miss the Punkin Chuckin' Contest in Morton, Illinois); and preparing Halloween cuisine ("beyond blood punch"). Bannatyne's anecdotes and lifelong obsession with Halloween give the book a readable quality in spite of the lengthy lists and detailed how-to information. This will be a useful reference for both the growing population of adults who revel in Halloween and folks who seek to make the trick-or-treat experience a little more harrowing for unsuspecting children in costume. If nothing else, those who follow this book carefully are sure to win every Halloween contest they enter, whether dressed as an out-of-work superhero or a giant post-it note.