What's the Scariest Book You've Ever Read?

In the spirit of Halloween (which I can't believe is less than two weeks away...I've already had nightmares about all those germy children ringing my doorbell), let's discuss the scariest books we've ever read!

I read a lot of scary books. I've read at least half of Stephen King's oeuvre, and most of them don't really scare me in the traditional sense. Most of the "scariness" comes more from King's adept portrayal of the human condition, showing how, under the right conditions, anyone can do evil. King isn't afraid to use a good jump scare, of course, but his preference is for those insidious scares that get under your skin and keep you up at night.

With that in mind, one of the scariest books I've ever read—and the book that King says scares him the most—is Pet Sematary. (I've never seen the movie, but I've heard that's pretty terrifying too.) Believe it or not, he never intended for Pet Sematary to be published; after writing it, both he and his wife agreed he had "gone too far," and he put it in a drawer, intending for it to stay there. But when he needed a quick exit from a contract with a publisher, he dug it out and sent it to them, figuring no one would want to read it.

He was wrong, clearly; decades later, he's still surprised about this, but I'm not. Pet Sematary, at least for me, wasn't super scary the first time around; it took me a few reads for it to really sink in, and it's one of those books that really sticks with you. Without giving anything away, the basic idea is this: a doctor moves to rural Maine with his young family. Their road isn't busy, but it's one of those country roads that large tractor trailers occasionally zoom down, and inevitably, their daughter's cat gets run over. An elderly neighbor lets the father in on a secret: beyond an abandoned "Pet Sematary" in the woods behind their house lies the ancient Micmac burial grounds, where the two of them bury the daughter's cat.

The next day, the cat comes back. And this cat is not nearly as cuddly as the one that wears a hat.

It gets steadily more horrifying from there. Perhaps the best way to sum it up is one of the more famous lines from the book: Sometimes dead is better.

Pet Sematary has its share of jump scares, but the scariest part is the way King delves into the deepest reaches of the human heart in the face of tragedy. It's a masterpiece for sure, despite being tough to get through in a lot of ways. But if you want something scary to read this Halloween, give it a try!

What's the scariest book you've ever read?

Top Ten Books & Movies To Get Into The Halloween Spirit

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Tahleen's Picks:

1. Hocus Pocus. No question, this is the one movie I will make sure I watch every. single. October. Sometimes September if I'm anxious. The past few years I've made it a tradition to watch it with one of my best friends from high school, and this year will be no different! I'm also planning on watching this with my tween patrons at the library.

2. The Diviners by Libba Bray. Definitely the creepiest book I've read in a long time, this is perfect for October reading. Ghosts, special powers, serial killers, what more do you want from your fright-time book of choice? (P.S., the audiobook is well-done too.)

3. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. Another gruesome teen ghost tale. Not for the faint of heart, or those who don't like thinking about ghosts killing people. This one is a little different, though, because the ghost in question is not necessarily all bad and has a history our main character, Cas, does his best to uncover.

Jana's Picks:

(I'm not really the hugest fan of Halloween, but I love reading Gothic novels or creepy mysteries. I don't do horror because I'm a chicken.)

4. The Caged Graves by Dianne K. Salerni - This book is an historic tale of some caged graves in Catawissa, Pennsylvania, and why they are caged. Maybe witchcraft, perhaps? There's some paranormal feelings and the setting is so creepy. It's definitely a good mood read, but it won't give you nightmares! (My review)

5. Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout - It's a mystery, and it's a GOOD one. And it's creepy.

6. Ten by Gretchen McNeil - This is a YA retelling(ish) of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. A group of friends has a house party on a creepy island, and then a storm sets in that cuts them off from the outside world. They discovery a creepy DVD with a message: Vengeance is mine... and then people start dying. It's CREEPY.

Jamie's Picks:

7. Scream -- Okay I know people might consider this movie corny but it's a classic slasher flick and I LOVE IT and always watch it (and Hocus Pocus) around Halloween. I can't help it. I also loved I Know What You Did Last Summer as a teen!

8. Miss Peregrine's House For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs: Okay I totally thought this was going to be scary based on the cover but NO it is not. It was SO good though and so amazingly written and I HIGHLY recommend it. It has the perfect tone for Halloween!

9. The Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting: This series is great! It's about a girl who can hear the echos of the murdered and so she helps solve cases! It's not super scary either! Just mysterious and a bit twisty!

10. The Exorcism of Emily Rose: THIS MOVIE. Back in the day I used to watch a lot of scary films and let me just tell you that one of the only movies that has really, really scared me is this one. I couldn't handle it! The first Paranormal Activity kind of also scared the bejeezus out of me too.

What books or movies would you recommend to us to get in the Halloween spirit??

Top Ten Tuesday -- Top Ten Books To Read During Halloween

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This week was all about the creepy --whether or not you chose Top Ten Books To Read During Halloween or Top Ten Creepiest Covers!

Bridget's Pick: Since horror is pretty much my favorite genre, this is kind of hard for me, but in the end I think I'll have to go with the easy one: IT by Stephen King. It's super long, but it's a deliciously scary tale of 7 kids who band together to fight the monster that feeds on their town. Definitely a great Halloween read! And if you REALLY want to be scared, buy one of the 25th Anniversary Editions that have black and white AND full-color illustrations.


Jen's Picks: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - I'm not a fan of scary books so The Graveyard Book won't make you jump with fright. But I loved the story of Nobody Owens, a boy who is raised in a graveyard by ghosts.

The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury: Growing up my grandma would get this book out every October and we'd read it at least three times before the month was over. It was a tradition between her, my brother and myself.



Jamie's Picks:

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater: If you don't like scary but want something that is so atmospheric and just FEELS like Fall? The Scorpio Races is beautifully written and um KILLER HORSES.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting: I wouldn't say this is SUPER scary but it is a little creepy. Great YA series to read around Halloween that follows a girl who can hear the echos of dead people.


Ten by Gretchen McNeil: Did you use to love slasher-y type RL Stine or Christopher Pike books? Pick this one up if so! The body count is high and you are always trying to guess "whodunit".

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier: I love Gothic novels in the Fall and this one is one of my all time favorite books! Definitely a good one if you don't want something super scary or of the horror variety.

Daisy's Pick:
Sorrow's Knot by Erin Bow: this books reads like a dark kind of fairytale and some of it was SO CREEPY! I think it'd make for a perfect Halloween read!


 
Julia's Pick:
I am not a person who likes to be scared. So horror is not my genre, but this October and lead-up, I have been gravitating toward Steampunk. I read Kiss of Steel and Heart of Iron by Bec McMaster. Both were enjoyable.  

The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook I think would be another really good Steampunk read for October! I hear the rest in that series are excellent as well!




Have any of these on your list? What books would you suggest for us to check out for good Halloween reads??