This week’s Top Ten Tuesday (a feature over at my other blog–The Broke and the Bookish) is a little more difficult than usual but we wanted to do something in the spirit of Halloween. You should go over to The Broke and the Bookish and check out the creepy picture Tahleen put on there. Scared me this morning when I went on there!
I realized, in doing this list, that I do not read many scary/horror books anymore. When I was younger and in middle school/high school, I was devouring RL Stine, Christopher Pike and others like them. Seeing that I won’t have ten I decided to do 5 of the scariest/creepiest books I’ve read and 5 creepy books that I have on my TBR list that I’m dying to get my hands on.
5 Books To Scare Your Socks Off:
1. Fear Street Saga
2. The October Country
3. Chain Letter 
4. The Raven
5. Frankenstein
5 Scary Books I’m Dying to Read:
1. Heart Shaped Box
2. The Forest of Hands and Teeth
3. House of Leaves
4. Dracula
5. It
So, my little scaredy cats, what books had you shaking in your boots?
sarahem says
You definitely need to read The Forest of Hands and Teeth. It's REALLY good and it just gets better in The Dead-Tossed Waves. 🙂
Red says
I like your list and it's given me some books to check out. It wasn't really my favorite book. It drags…a lot, but the movie is so creepy
Hilde says
RL Stine scared me half to death once – I don't remember the name of the book (or indeed any of the plot), but I was alone at our family cabin in the forest while reading it. I became so frightened, I couldn't stand being there on my own, so I ran all 5 kilometres to my grandmother's house, all the time dead certain (forgive the pun) there was someone behind me. I don't think I've read any scary books since then.
Anaiz says
I loved the Fear Street books. The Goosebumps show creeped me out though! I want to read The Forest of Hands and Teeth too, oh and The Replacement, the cover is creepy :O
1girl2manybooks says
I loved the Fear Street Saga's and the Christopher Pike books when I was about 12 or 13! Ah these lists are bringing back so many memories haha.
I've read The Forrest of Hands and Teeth and found it a bit frustrating, but it has definite eerie parts.
Mia says
I read "It" in junior high. It's intense. I can still see that scary clown's face in my mind. Eek!
Loni says
From your TBR list, I've been itching to read 1, 4 & 5. I even have 4 & 5 on my shelf, I just haven't gotten to them yet. I've seen 2 on a few lists today. I think it's going on to my TBR list today.
meags222 says
I used to devour Fear Street books and Christopher Pike books. Not too long ago there was a pile of free books at a school I was teaching at and I grabbed a couple RL Stine and Christopher Pike. Oh and don't feel bad I still haven't read Dracula and I have a degree in English Literature. It's on my bookshelf though.
Erin says
I dislike scary books, so I'm no help here! I did just read and enjoy The Picture of Dorian Gray, a nice classic horror tale. I'm currently listening to Good Omens in honor of Halloween. More funny than scary, but all about the apocalypse.
I, too, adored R.L. Stine as a kid 🙂
Book Loving Mommy says
I loved both R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike as a kid! In fact, when I have a low TBR list, I occassionally pick one up still 🙂
Kayla + Cyna says
Fear Street Sagas! I loved those, to me they were like the "classic literature" of Fear Street books, lol. I think they were probably the best-written, too.
Chain Letter! I wanted to put something by Pike up on my list so bad, but all the ones I actually remember weren't scary, lol. But I sort of kinda remember Chain Letter being scary. Ish. Any chance you remember Road to Nowhere?
House of Leaves is a must. My boyfriend calls it a 'project read' – he's had it for two years and hasn't finished. It took me a couple months.
Vincent Price reading the Raven makes it.
Great list!
Straylights says
I have been dying to read the Forest of Hands and Teeth as well! I'm glad I'm not the only one who hasn't read it yet hehe!
My Top Ten
Lu says
I also can't wait to read The Forest of Hands and Teeth!
Midnyte Reader says
It is a really good, scary book, but Pet Semetery was really scary!
Holli says
Chain Letter scared me too! I used to love his books. You gotta read Heart Shaped Box. SO good.
Kristina Barnes♥ says
I am NOT a scary book reader. I avoid them like the plague. Honest. Your list definitely creeped me out, without even reading any of the titles. You'd have to give me a million dollars to pick up a Stephen King book. I read an R. L. Stine book in fourth grade and threw up because I was so terrified. Moral of the story? Scary books scare me. (No duh, Kristina)
But definitely do read the House of Leaves. I wouldn't really classify it as scary. More as… interesting and disturbing. Strange is a good word for it. 😛
Heather R. says
I forgot about Christopher Pike! Chain Letter is the one that stands out most for me too. I also forgot about Heart-Shaped Box. I read that last year and it's definitely creepy!
Dutchie says
Good selection! The idea of reading a book that involves chain letters makes me uneasy just thinking about it. Chain letters are horrible…
If it makes you feel any better, I've been a vampire fan since my very early teens (I'm now 27), watched vampire films, watched and re-watched Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of Dracula, and I still did not read the book till a couple of years ago! Everything in it's own time.
And I hope you enjoy Heart Shaped Box! I have that on my list too. That and Horns so I'm curious to see what you think of it.
christina says
Great list! I devoured Pike while in middle school, but my ultimate scary book from that time period is Lifeguard by Cusak? I found it at a thrift store and will have to re-read it this week in the spirit of Halloween.
And don't feel bad about Dracula, I'm currently reading it now because I hadn't before then! LOL. It's a shame because it's sooo freakin' scary.
OOOooh and House of Leaves – READ IT. It is one of my all time favorite novels evhar.
Meg says
Frankenstein is definitely a creepy, crawly read — not deeply horrifying, but quite unsettling! I read it in college and can still vividly remember certain passages. (Okay, that was only like four years ago, but still.)
Jen (Makeshift Bookmark) says
Totally feeling nostalgic for Fear Street now. I need to start looking for and buying those again, so my kids can read them someday 🙂
Um.. I was pretty scared by Pet Sematary and The Shining by Stephen King. I almost had to pull a Joey Tribbiani and put them in the freezer.
Trish says
I LOVED RL Stine when I was younger. But his books would scare the socks of me. I'd be up all night. Now I never touch scary books and I blame Stine. Also liked Chain Letter. Have been really wanting to read Heart Shaped Box and really regret loaning out a copy of House of Leaves to a boyfriend and not getting it back when we broke up. It's a fantastically creepy book–would keep me up all night (Ok, so maybe I didn't learn my lesson with Stine).
Anonymous says
I don't read scary books anymore, only when I was in school. And I dont like stephen king, he only writes to make money anywayz. I remember when I was a teenager, I read this book from the public library by Garth Nix. It made me cry and it was scary too. I think it was called Lirael or Shades Children I can't remember which but I definately recommend it. I think its great to read books for teenagers and children anyway even though I'm past it. They're pretty good and especially if you have children of your own. I love em.