Anyone have any suggestions for truly scary book, something that’s going to like make me regret reading it at night and sleep with the lights on type scare me?
Anyone have any suggestions for truly scary book? I’ve read almost all Stephen King and Anne Rice and the like. I want something that’s going to like make me regret reading it at night and sleep with the lights on type scare me. Haha
Peter James. Sweet Heart .
Thank you! I’ll look it up!
LOL! I’m too scared to know of any! “Salem’s Lot scared me at night for about a month or so.
I love a good scary book but it’s hard to find one that really gives me chills!
@Taulara You are lucky. I am easily spooked and scared. Have you read Birdbox by Josh Malerman? It spooked me too.
No I haven’t! I’ll check it out!
I think I’m saving this one for Halloween.
@Gina, yes! I read that in one sitting. It really freaked me out!
Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist is great.
I’ll look it up! Thanks!
Yes! His books scare the piss outta me!
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
Thank you!
Clive Barker. Mister B. Gone in particular is a favorite, but the Books of Blood are good and scary too.
Oh I will check those out! Thank you!
I’d definitely try to find a copy of Mister B. Gone if you can. The premise is that the book itself is a demon that is talking directly to you as you read it. I loved this book.
Oh that sounds awesome!
That sounds utterly terrifying.
Its one of the few books that actually managed to creep me out. It’s pretty funny in bits too though.
I’m scared just reading your post. I don’t do horror … I still get nightmares when I think of the Exorcist!
Haha I love being scared!!
The Exorcist scared me! When reading in bed I kept poking my husband to keep him awake! Lol
Trapped by Jack Kilborne. I still think about it. ?
Thank you!!
You might not thank me later. ?
I’ve never had a book actually scare me. Some non fiction have creeped me out at the depravity of people. But I’ve never been scared. I gave up trying to find a scary book.
It’s hard to find a book that really gets me! And I totally get the depravity of people thing. I’ve seen my share of bad with my job.
Helter Skelter or In Cold Blood
Oh,good suggestions. Helter Skelter scared the heck out me. I found In Col pd Blood really interesting, sad and engrossing. But Helter Skelter. Scared me.
Me too. Barricaded myself in my bedroom.
@Minda ?
Who are they written by please?
@Welshie In Cold Blood was written by Truman Capote. Helter Skelter was written by Vincent Bugliosi. Mr. Bugliosi was one of the prosecutors. Very well written as was In Cold Blood.
@Naomi thanks indeed.
Are they true crime or fiction?
true crime
I’ll have to add them to my TBR.
@Lindsey, that’s why they are so scary. Real people.
Yes. I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts and some of them are utterly chilling. Especially where kids are involved.
@Sue, here’s your new friend:)
I know!!
I am a true crime enthusiast for sure. The real monsters are scarier than anything made up! I found Ann Rule’s books very scary. Especially Green River Running Red, The I-5 Killer and of course, The Stranger Beside Me which is about Ted Bundy
I forgot about Ann Rule. Great books.
Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
Ghost Story by Peter Straub, and check out Robert McCammon’s bibliography, he has some really scary books.
I second Ghost Story. The movie was pretty good, also.
Following!
Full dark no stars
Was this good? I have that one and Stephen kings new one the outsiders and I can’t decide which to read first?
I loved 2 of the stories!
Silence of the Lambs?
Mr. Murder
Ill be gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
I thought this book was interesting but disjointed and hard to follow.
Handmaid’s Tale
By who please ? Thanks
Margaret Atwood
@Steve you star thanks.
House of Leaves
Who by?
Mark Z. Danielewski
@Steve thank you.
House of Leaves was creepy and really freaking weird. The hardest book I’ve ever read.
I think that’s the one I was just trying to think of as the last scary book I read (apart from the Odd Thomas books and a couple other Dean Koontz). Is that the one where it’s kind of a book within a book and a wall in a house that doesn’t make sense?
@Lindsey yep!
Oh yeah, really creepy. And stays with you for a long time. I reckon I would have read that book about 16 years ago.
Weirdest thing I’ve ever read.
Decades ago I read “The Exorcist”, and for the next 6 months, I slept with the Quran under my pillow!!..
Bird Box
Who wrote it please?
Josh Malerman
I’m starting Bird Box tonight! Hope it doesn’t keep me up all night…
@Val it’s.,.disturbing.
I’m excited! And scared, lol!
Let us know what you think!
Will do!
Lolita. That kept me up at night. ?
Who by please, I writing these down lol!
It’s by Vladimir Nabokov. It isn’t strictly the horror genre. ?
Oh I forgot, the Pine Deep Series by Jonathan Mayberry. He is such a great writer.
Dean Koontz books always did it to me
Oh I love his books!
Love Dean Koontz. Creepy as.
Red Dragon. Its scared the crap out of me; in fact it’s the last scary book I ever read.
If someone has already suggested it I apologise, but the wasp factory by iain banks
.
Oh also the Charlie Parker series by John Connolly. I think it was the third book in the series( the one with bugs) scared me so bad, I put it down because my husband was out of town . I had to wait until he came back to finish it.
The Fog or the Rats series by James Herbert
Any of Graham Masterton’s horror – his Katie Maquire series isn’t for the faint hearted, either
Oh yes! I read these years ago. Forgot all about them. Herbert is a great horror writer. Not too out there to be believable.
Defo anything by James Herbert. Very twisted imagination!
??
Following
A short story called Circumstance by Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford really took my by surprise. I found it in a collection called Classic Tales of Horror.
Try Clive Barker’s books. Dean Koontz has some good scary reads, also Peter Straub does scary very well.
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
Non- fiction
Decent by Jeff Long did this for me. I think it was discounted for the kindle yesterday.
Let the Right One In or Little Star by John Ajvide Lindqvist – really any of his books
I was just going to say that! Lol
@Jana His books are so disturbing and scary!
@Jana Oh smart, I’m going to follow him too. He has a special talent for taking the horror genre into a whole new visceral and emotional direction plus he has great character development. The only book of his that I haven’t been able to finish is his zombie book Handling the Undead.
I’ll have to check that out!
After you read “Let the Right One In”, watch the movie. The original, with subtitles. It stays true to the heart of the book, finding beauty in the most horrific of circumstances.
@Carole I couldn’t stomach the movie but the book was great. Maybe I’ll try again… Horror has always been tough for me to watch though.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/maitlandquitmeyer/books-that-are-actually-scary
I do not scare easily. Like I never have a hard time sleeping after reading/watching horror. But I will say that the story “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream” really disturbed me.
Thanks, I’ve got this on my TBR pile. Love the title.
Following!
Dan Simmons…A Winter Haunting.
He has some good books. I don’t know if I read that one. Hmmm.
OMG I started the Sandman last night, I have not been that freaked out in awhile.
Who is that by?
Lars Keplar. I kid you not I’m only 50 pages in it’s got me on edge.
@Brenda wow! Sounds great! Thank you.
More of a serial killer not ghostly.
https://www.amazon.com/Ararat-Novel-Christopher-Golden-ebook/dp/B01LYYHDNF/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527174106&sr=8-2&keywords=christopher+golden+books
Suffer the Children!!!
Who by?
Craig DiLouie
@Stephanie thank you.
Good one!!!
I read the John Saul one years ago. Haha
Susan Hill Woman in Black. Joe Hill.
Exorcist
I agree! That one scared me for a long time. Still can’t look at pictures from the movie
Yes, read it out of the corner of my eye! Even afraid to look at the book head on!!! LOL
Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill to me was actually jump out of your chair scary. I also just read The Family Plot by Cherie Priest, and it was a good haunted house book!
I love Heart Shaped Box and I’ve been considering The Family Plot. It’s good? Like how would you rate it compared to Heart Shaped Box?
@Jamie Not as SCARY scary as Heart Shaped Box, but it was a good ghost/haunted house story.
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill.
Non-fiction but Helter Skelter about the Tate/LaBianca murders in the late 60s. Hearing how the Manson family practiced breaking into peoples’ houses and watching them sleep is truly terrifying to me.
I tried re-reading this after watching the terrific movie Capote (about how Capote was forever changed by researching and writing In Cold Blood) and I couldn’t read it again. The idea that there are people who have no empathy or conscience terrified me more now than it did when I read it in high school. I lock doors at night because of that book.
@Carole I agree. In Cold Blood is terrifying also. Non-fiction, real life killers are a lot scarier to me than any in fiction.
Following!
I never read it but “The Wolfen” by Whitley Strieber freaked my mom out when I was a kid. She wouldn’t go outside in the dark. My uncle made fun of her so she made him read it. My aunt later ratted him out and told my mom that after he read it he would only take out the trash when it was light.
Both The Deep and The Troop had really good creep factors. Both by Nick Cutter.
I was going to recommend The Troop! So creepy!!
@Wendy @Kellie You guys might like these
Following
Bird Box.
Who wrote that one?
Josh Malerman. This book made me not want to look out any windows. Good and creepy.
@Dianna thank you.
It was creepy I recommended it as well.
Brian Keene has some good scary stuff
Hell House
Anything by Mo Hadyr. Freaky scary because there’s no supernatural involved, just man’s inhumanity to man
Following!
I don’t recall what it was about it’s been so long, but I remember Watchers by Dean Koontz was a page turner. Even kept my dad up at night he said.
One of my favorites of all time! Appeals to horror fans and animal lovers!
I put it back on my to read list because I can’t remember it well.
Why would you do such a thing to yourself? ??
Cause I need a good scare! Haha. Keeps the heart in shape and good circulation! ??
@Taulara ? Hahaha I just try to eat healthy to keep my heart and circulation in shape, but whatever works for you. ??? hahaha
Psh I like food. The bad stuff tastes better. Haha
Oh The Ice Twins made me sleep with the lights on haha. Very good book
I couldn’t read that one! I tried and had to put it down!
Naomi’s Room scared the bejezus outta me.
Omg yes… I love scary stuff. Books, movies, haunted houses.
Handmaid’s Tale. For reals that’s one of the scariest books to me. Ive heard Bird Box is really good and really scary but I haven’t read it yet.
I really thought that was like a romance chick flick type thing. Haha
Along the same line, When She Woke, by HIllary Jordan. As a friend of mine says, too true to be good.
The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum
Almost any book by the amazing author Ania Ahlborn!
I love her books!
Old, but still good – The Exorcist by William Blatty.
Slept with my lights on for months. Seriously.
The Neighbor
Try Anne Rice’s son Christopher. I read a Density of Souls and another one a little bit ago. I enjoyed them. They have the creepy gothic feel to them too I think.
Oh I love his books! Density of souls I read when it first came out and he’s as talented as his mother!
They showed up in my kindle unlimited and I was like how have I never read these? Anne Rice is one of my favorites.
Classic answer: Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I read it for the first time at 18, thinking, “Everyone knows there’s no such thing as vampires.” Then, halfway in, I was searching desperately fo garlic.
The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates. We read for Halloween and it was just like you described. I could not read it alone at night.
Read John Saul
I have read a lot of his stuff! I liked him a lot!
He is an excellent writer
Richard Lymon.
Stephen King has new book out this week ?
I’ll have to check that out! Thank you!!
@Taulara Yw. titled The Outsider Came out Tuesday. It’s a thick one ?
Dean Koontz.
I love his books too!
@Taulara …he is just in your psyche creepy scary.
New author…Mark Danielewski.
Ramsey Campbell
Dont forget Ray Bradbury, Edgar Allen Poe.
Here’s the best scare you and keep you up at night….look for local books on bloody, cruel, twisted stories of local notorious people.
Like here, we have Charlie Starkweather.
Books about real life scary stuff is the best!! Especially if you drive by it, walk by it, already k ot about it, but dont know the whole story.
I grew up in Wyoming, and one of the creepiest books I ever read happened not far from my grandparent’s farm….that will definitely keep you on your toes.
Oh I got a local author book of short stories from Appalachia that we got signed by several and those are crazy!! People are horrible!!
@Taulara …I know! Never been to Appalachia, but my family hails from there. It calls me.
I LOVE E.A.Poe I know several poems by heart, I have analyzed his works and studied his life, and even though he’s well know for his macabre, he’s authentically a detective story kind of author, in fact he “invented” the genre. His stories are not scary at all, Stephen King writes “scarier” stories than Poe.
@Nerea …I read a biography on him! He was much smarter than people have him credit for. My faves is the Telltale Heart, The Narrative of Arthir Gordon Pym, and The Masque of the Red Death.
A young adult author who is not overly creepy, but twisted is Neil Shusterman. He has a series about scythes who are people who determine who dies and who doesnt. This series is based around a couple of kids who are about 16 and chosen to be scythes or basically, death dealers.
I’m thinking of ending things (Ian Reid) creeped me out. Some Michael Koryta books. I second the point about the exorcist as well, that scared me a lot. The Silence of the Lambs is a good book too, scared me a lot (as does the movie).
The Elementals by Michael McDowell. Fuck with your head scary!
Shredni Vashtar by Saki (HH Munroe) A boy’s ferret seeks revenge against a cruel governess…..Enjoy
I love ferrets though! ?
Bird Box.
Bird Box by Josh Malerman is creepy and good!
A lot of you all have recommended this one! I’m def going to have to check it out!!
@Taulara So good!
news.
True. Here you get scared by viral outbreaks! Freaking hep a zombie and OD capital!
All that Lives, Melissa sanders-self
For twisted psychological thrillers Chelsea Cain is a must read. Start with the Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell series. Book #1 is Heartsick. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/657034.Heartsick
Yes! So fun and messed up. MJ Aldridge too.
Oh. Don’t know M J Aldridge but checked her out on http://goodreads.com/ and am adding the Helen Grace series to my TBR. Thanks.
Read “Sandkings”by George RR Martin; it’s a short story, so crazy creepy!
A very scary ghost story is Diviners by Libba Bray. Haven’t read the sequels yet but all are on my TBR https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7728889-the-diviners?from_search=true
Lovecraft can give you a sense of being observed sometimes if you pick the right story, but I would suggest looking for contemporary horror authors, I feel like we have been desensitized quite a bit and what used to be scary is not scary anymore.
I heard the Exorcism is very scary.
It is.
I just finished the non-fiction book about the Golden State Killer and it FREAKED me out! The beginning of Night Film and parts throughout were scary.
My partner finished reading that book a couple days before they found him! It was a pretty amazing ending to such a horrific story.
@Val it sure was—I have so many questions I want answered now! I can’t imagine reading it before he was captured.
Catie Kelleher Winegar Loved The Book, so damn creepy! And then they found him. Good job Michelle McNamara! Watched the update on ‘48 Hours’ too.
Helter Skelter was a very un-nerving book. And The Stranger Beside Me-by Ann Rule-was about Ted Bundy. Was terrifying to think someone who appeared so typical could do to those women what he did.
@Mary shelter Skelter is another great one.
Phantoms by Dean Koontz left me looking behind by shoulder and Fun-house was creepy as hell. I love all of his older writings the most. He is my favorite horror author.
Just thought of another older ghost story that really scared me – The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. My husband and I read it aloud to each other, and we both found it very creepy. (I read that Netflix is making a series based on it. I hope they stay faithful to the story, unlike the ridiculous 1999 movie. The 1963 movie The Haunting is, in my opinion, very scary and true to the book.)
Great book, really creepy!!!!
Also We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24800.House_of_Leaves?ac=1&from_search=true Years ago, when House of Leaves was first being passed around, it was nothing more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the Internet. No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command. Starting with an odd assortment of marginalized youth—musicians, tattoo artists, programmers, strippers, environmentalists, and adrenaline junkies—the book eventually made its way into the hands of older generations, who not only found themselves in those strangely arranged pages but also discovered a way back into the lives of their estranged children.
Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix. Unique story. Imagine Ikea with malevolence galore.