B. J. Hollars is a prolific author and professor of English, and he had the idea to spend a year researching weird occurrences across the Midwest of the USA, whether it be cryptid sightings, potential extraterrestrial encounters or unearthed Viking runestones. He travels to the sites of these random happenings and interviews anyone tangentially involved.
It was amusing in a kind of meandering way, but no where near as engaging as I had hoped unfortnuately.

Midwestern Strange - this book certainly was strange, I had no idea what I was getting into when I started to read it, but I thought it was brilliant.
The author takes us on a virtual road trip as he interviews people of their experiences and tells tales of the extra terrestrial, mythical creatures and folklore.
Neither confirming nor debunking the stories it is a brilliant glimpse into the humans mind and how a tales can turn into culture.

A charming (and fairly in-depth) look at several of the mysteries and cryptids of the Midwest. I wish there had been more of a focus on Indiana cryptids, but that's my own personal bias. I especially liked that he included a lot of details about his research process, especially his interviews and oral history gathering.

Happenings like this have always fascinated me! This book did not let me down. I loved the accounts of the unknown and hearing stories I had never heard before.

"No matter what you believe, here’s one truth we can all agree on: We humans— with all our complexities— are surely the crown jewel in any cabinet of curiosities. Embrace it. We are who we are. Our greatest mystery is our capacity for wonder."

This book is a charming and earnest exploration of tall tales, UFO sightings, and regional peculiarities all from the midwest (or close enoug). It's a quick read, divided into "case files" that read like a pleasantly chatty mix of personal essay and interview/profile articles.

Thoroughly lives up to the oh-dang-this-is-gonna-be-good feeling I got when I first saw the cover.

Do you enjoy hunting for "The Truth [that] is out there?" Or maybe you watched Haunted Indiana on PBS like I did in the 1980s. Or maybe you read Chariots of the Gods and others of that ilk growing up. If so, you would likely be interested in Midwestern Strange where beasts roam, saucers fly, and the "weird" wanders about.

B. J. Hollars, an English professor at a Midwestern university, took a year to explore his childhood desire to understand Bigfoot and other creatures of myths and wonders. As a result of his odyssey around the Midwest, he compiled this book of nine cases divided in "Monsters," Martians," and "The Weird." Monsters include The Beast of Bray Road (Elkhorn, WI), Oscar the Turtle (Churubusco, IN), and The Mothman (Point Plesant, WV). Martians include Joe Simonton's Space Pancakes (Eagle River, WI), The Minot Air Force Base Sightings (Minot, ND), and The Val Johnson Incident (Marshall County, MN). The Weird includes The Hodag (Rhinelander, WI), Project ELF (Clam Lake, WI), and The Kensington Runestone (Kensington, MN).

B.J. Hollars makes now claims on solving any of these mysteries, instead he seeks to document each case to the best of his ability with the sources (interviews, documents, radar images, etc.) he has. And he is willing to live with the fact that these mysteries are unsolved, are you? Read Midwestern Strange and decide for your self.

I appreciate the opportunity to read Midwestern Strange but did not finish the book. Something did not hit with me and things just seemed off. I may try and read it again when it it published and I can obtain it from my local library.

This book includes strange stories through the Midwest and West Virginia. Some of the strange stories include the Mothman, the Beast of Bray Road, and a runestone. Others that I had not heard of were about a turtle, aliens that had pancakes, spaceships. and other stories. Each subject was well covered with the history and people in the area and their views too. This will be especially interesting if you are from this area or know the area.

A deep dive into the strange world of the strange. UFOs, ancient texts, giant turtles - this book has it all. Not only entertaining but educational and informative.

Professor B.J. Hollars set out, after a challenge from his writing students, to investigate his region's tales of inexplicable monsters and events of "high strangeness," that is, "encounters that are improvable either as events or illusions."

"I've selected the Midwest as my testing ground because as a midwesterner, I'm well-versed in our region's oddities. And I'm well aware, too, that most people aren't. We Middle Americans have grown accustomed to being overlooked, which is precisely why outsiders ought to look a bit closer. The West Coast has its Bigfoot and the East Coast has its Champy, but what--beyond hot dish--could the Midwest possibly provide? Trust me, the Midwest is just as murky and mysterious as the next place."

The Midwest encompasses, in his explorations, a bit more than I usually think of in that region. He loops in the Mothman of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, for example. A minor point, because Hollars is such a charming guide to this weird corner of American folklore and the reasoning giving rise to it that actually, I would've read much more of this. I thought before reaching the epilogue that maybe this would be the first in a series (hoping he'd cover the East Coast next because we have lots of beasties and high strangeness too -- do the Jersey Devil!)

Alas, in the epilogue, he explains that this exploration had to end. He references the well-known warning of staring into the abyss and finding it staring back. (In his words: "When you embrace the strange too tightly there's a chance it embraces you back.")

I enjoyed learning about these stories because they're strange and unusual, but no matter how bizarre or unlikely, they're part of our lore for a reason. What Hollars does so well is show why these became ingrained in our imaginations.

Hollars is an author of multiple nonfiction titles on a broad spectrum of topics, and is also an English professor in Wisconsin. He draws on this academic and literary background to establish his position going into this one-year project: "We in academia simply have little patience for the weird: get with the facts and spare us the speculation." I appreciate that attitude in approaching this topic, I think it's a better one to have than slack-jawed gullibility. Or, to sum up in pithier words, as one woman involved with the Beast of Bray Road tells him, "You should be open-minded, but not so open-minded that your brains fall out the back of your head."

He doesn't immediately take the angle of debunking, but also doesn't accept the stories at face value. Instead, over his year of "living strangely," he collects stories of monsters, martians, and "the weird" and places them in context to analyze what they reveal about their regions, eras, economics, and something about human nature. He explores the Beast of Bray Road, a bipedal wolf-like animal reported in 1936 in Wisconsin; the Kensington runestone of Minnesota; Oscar, a monster snapping turtle in Churubusco, Indiana and the mild-mannered farmer who became his Ahab; UFOs and a run-in with aliens who came bearing pancakes; and the "Hodag" from northern Wisconsin lumberjack territory, a thoroughly debunked but still ongoing creature hoax with a complicated economic connection to the town of Rhinelander.

The Hodag hoax is an interesting example of how valuable some of these stories are for their communities, even over the long run. Hollars finds that "over fifty local businesses have co-opted the Hodag in some fashion. One can get his oil changed at Hodag Express Lube, then purchase a firearm at Hodag Gun & Loan, then complete the day by enjoying a bit of "Hodag Poop" from the local candy store. The Hodag's ubiquity is proof of its lasting power, and today, locals know to cash in."

This is what makes this book especially fascinating -- myths don't materialize from nothing. There's background, and no short amount of logic, to each of them. He quotes Neil DeGrasse Tyson's "The Universe is under no obligation to make sense to you," giving a nod to inexplicable possibility. He's respectful about those with firmly-held beliefs and takes a neutral stance between skepticism and acceptance. The results of his explorations are reasonable while still wildly entertaining. But I found that it's probably more appealing to those of us who like to know the logical, scientific explanations behind bizarre sightings and unexplained happenings.

And it's just a lot of fun. He strikes a perfect balance of humor and history, fact and myth, and is a smart, amusing guide to the Midwest's supernatural mysteries.

"Sobering as it is, such a clear-eyed assessment offers the kind of logical conclusion I'm desperate to hear, a counterpoint to the stranger theories I've heard. Which is not to discount those theories, but to shed light upon them. Light that, with any luck, refracts back with a better answer."

I was attracted to this book by the title since I grew up in the Midwest. Alas, my 'flyover state' of Kansas didn't make an appearance. No monsters? No oddities? Hmm

The author is obviously fascinated with his subject and it shows in his writing. There's a great deal of research and it's presented well with a witty and humorous style. My favorites were Oscar the turtle and the Viking Runes. My only 'complaint' is that there weren't even more oddities explored! Fascinating subject.

Midwestern Strange is an interesting, well written and entertaining account of the author’s exploration of strange creatures, aliens, and odd happenings in Flyover Country, I really enjoyed reading it and recommend to anyone interested in cryptozoology

If you like folklore and strange mysteries then you are bound to enjoy this book. The writing is solid and I felt like I was along for the ride as he ventured through the Midwest to investigate the mysteries.
My favourite tales were The Beast of Bray Road, and the Mothman. I really enjoyed learning about significant UFO sightings and learning about the people behind the tales.
The author does not offer answers to these mysteries, however speaks from a curious standpoint and he philosophises on why we seek answers to these strange mysteries in the first place.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s out 1st September so preorder now.
Thanks @netgalley and to the University of Nebraska Press for the arc.

B.J. Hollars’ Midwestern Strange is an interesting, well-organized, and entertaining account of the author’s exploration of strange creatures, aliens, and odd happenings in Flyover Country. I enjoyed this well-written and personable book but I would have liked more pictures and I wish the writing was livelier and less meandering.

I had no idea that the Midwest was such a mysterious place! I loved reading about the fascinating folklore, history, and people. This book is a great resource for paranormal enthusiasts or those who just like reading about strange phenomena. I hadn’t heard about so many of these incidents and creatures before.

The book is well-written and well-organized. It covers nine phenomena and is divided into case files under the headings of Monsters, Martians, and The Weird. I love that the book focuses on a blend of familiar creatures like The Beast of Bray Road and Mothman as well as lesser-known incidents like pancake-making aliens (yes, really) in Wisconsin and Oscar the Turtle in Churubusco, Indiana.

I like that Hollars doesn’t offer definitive answers about these mysterious creatures and occurrences. He neither confirms nor debunks anything. Instead, he presents information and findings from experts and eyewitnesses. Furthermore, I appreciate his unbiased stance and that he never negatively judges the people or the situations.

I also love that each case file strongly features the people involved in these situations and Hollars often talks to their descendants. I particularly like that he also examines these small towns and the effects that the strange happenings have had on them. This gives the writing a great personal and human touch.

Hollars’ writing style is approachable and witty. However, the writing is sometimes too dry and meanders a bit. Furthermore, some of the case files have too much information and they drag and get boring after a while. Additionally, although there are some pictures in each case file, more pictures would have really livened up the book.

Midwestern Strange is perfect for any mystery or paranormal enthusiast. Although I wish the writing was tighter and more pictures would’ve been nice, this is a great and quick read. I would definitely check out more of Hollars’ work!



🛸 🛸 🛸 ½ flying saucers out of 5!

This book delivers on the premise of its marketing description. It’s part memoir, part journalism, and also a tiny bit travelogue. Much like the author himself, it’s not necessary to believe in things like cryptids or aliens to find the subject matter fascinating. But just like the author had to learn, it’s also helpful to keep an open mind while reading through each personal account.

Separated into three sections (Monsters, UFOs, and The Weird), you’ll journey through the Midwest to discover the facts and myths behind nine different enduring legends.

Is the Beast of Bray Road real? Is the Kensington Runestone proof that Vikings explored America long before 1492? This book won’t definitively confirm or debunk either of these stories, nor is that the point. You’ll learn a lot from experts and witnesses, though. You’ll also find out about a verified military experiment that just might explain the vast majority of UFO sightings in the 1950s and early 1960s.

I enjoyed the writer’s voice, along with his healthy dose of skepticism. At the same time, he never belittled anyone. Instead, he spent a year listening and asking worthwhile questions to uncover even more information. The entire world could learn a lot from this approach to things that seem different, strange, or scary.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

An unusual little book. A collection of strange phenomena from the Midwest of America, tried together with the author's thoughts about why people tell these types of stories. It ranges from UFOs to strange beasts and military weather control. Fairly interesting, but the author seems very sceptical and doesn't really present any compelling evidence for any of the stories, so they all peter out a bit.

B.J. Hollars writes with a voice that is academic and investigative. Hollars invites us into a journalistic examination of curious occurrences and supernatural reportage across the United States.

This book was entertaining, informative, and carefully written. I would gladly recommend it for other readers.

This book was, to paraphrase Val Johnson in the book, so flat that if you got up on a stepladder on Wednesday you could see both Sundays. I expected a book dealing with monsters and aliens and the mysteries of midwest to be at least a little exciting but it LITERALLY put me to sleep multiple times. I found that it dragged on and on. I think that the author has done himself a disservice writing this as a book instead of perhaps a pod cast, to which I think it would be better suited, in the vein of Wild Things. The material itself is interesting, but the delivery was just too dry.

Eager to continue my trek into the world of cryptids and UFOs in 2019, I snapped up the opportunity to request Midwestern Strange on Netgalley as soon as I saw it. I was particularly intrigued by the author's focus on stories from "flyover country", a part of the States that I haven't visited or admittedly paid much attention to. The accounts in here therefore were mostly fairly fresh to me (with the exception of Mothman, which is always an interesting topic to read about regardless).

B.J. Hollars tackles these stories of small town folklore and strange phenomena with enthusiasm and refreshingly does not try to lead readers towards one particular viewpoint. His stance remains journalistic throughout, reporting the cases as they are. While the majority of the cases can obviously be seen as exaggerations or hoaxes to drum up interest in an otherwise unnoteworthy town, they are still entertaining and at turns fascinating (the giant turtle sighting and the "italians with pancakes" on the flying saucer were my favorites). As with many books like this, some of the cases were more interesting than others, but overall I found this book to be a pleasant diversion from some of the more serious fare I've read this year.

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to University of Nebraska Press.**

This is a fun read that will be particularly enjoyable for Midwesterners, of course. I found myself especially interested in the two stories that take place in my home state of Minnesota, one of which our family visited as a homeschool field trip (the Kensington Runestone).

The author, a college professor, took a year to visit small towns of the Midwest that had legends of alien visits, giant creatures and other World Weekly News sort of stories. There are the two young married couples who saw a giant "mothman" that flew alongside their car as they raced away from it. There's the huge wolfman-like creature in another town that residents have claimed to see for years. There's the turtle the size of a large dining room table that fishermen spotted in a rural lake. There's the poor guy who swore he was visited by three short aliens who "looked like Italians" and offered him bland tasting pancakes. There's also the Kensington Runestone, the giant stone that was unearthed in 1898 by a Norwegian farmer in his field and which told the story in runes of Vikings traveling to the area but fleeing after some of their party were brutally murdered (hundreds of years before historians say they were in the area). Scholars have argued for over 100 years over whether the runestone is authentic, and it makes for a pretty good mystery (one detail the author left out is that the runestone was wrapped in the roots of a massive tree, meaning that if it was a hoax perpetuated by someone who knew how to write in runes then they also had to do it years before and have the patience to wait for the tree's roots to grow all around it).

Hollars is a good story teller who really investigated each story well -- even though most of them are probably untrue and have become more about bringing in tourists than anything else. I especially enjoyed the epilogue, where he talks about what he learned through the year's travels.

This would make a fun family read for folks who live in the Midwest or are planning some travels here, and would make a good gift for Midwesterners who enjoy a good (campy) mystery.

My rating system:
1 = hated it
2 = it was okay
3 = liked it
4 = really liked it
5 = love it, plan to purchase, and/or would buy it again if it was lost

I read a temporary digital ARC of the book for the purpose of review.