Horror books that are actually scary?!😱

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  • Опубликовано: 25 окт 2024

Комментарии • 211

  • @Ariadne-xy8iw
    @Ariadne-xy8iw 4 месяца назад +14

    I Am Legend did not get famous because of the movie with Will Smith. It got famous because Richard Matheson is a GENIUS! It got rediscovered because of the movie.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад

      I do agree...although I still believe the movie brought it to many people's attention. Matheson is absolutely a horror genius!

    • @b_ks
      @b_ks 4 месяца назад +1

      The movie isn't a good representation of the book although it is okay. The Book is amazing.

  • @Ichithix
    @Ichithix 5 месяцев назад +19

    'The Only Good Indians'
    'The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampire' (not as light as the title might imply)
    'A Head Full of Ghosts'
    'The Lesser Dead'
    'The Long Walk'
    I've read a fair amount of horror the last few years and the above books were all an affecting experience.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  5 месяцев назад +2

      I’ve read Head Full of Ghosts!! It is a great recommendation!
      I have been wanting to read Only the Good Indians!
      Thanks for sharing!!

    • @janirikhard4881
      @janirikhard4881 4 месяца назад

      The Long Walk is a damn great one. When I was a teen, I read it so many times I still remember it almost by heart, almost 30 years later. “They got that way, Garraty had noticed. Complete withdrawal from everything and everyone around them. Everything but the road. They stared at the road with a kind of horrid fascination, as if it were a tightrope they had to walk over an endless, bottomless chasm.”

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      @@janirikhard4881 impressive!

    • @borntoclimb7116
      @borntoclimb7116 4 месяца назад

      Greetings from Germany

    • @BookofCommonTerror
      @BookofCommonTerror 4 месяца назад +1

      I can’t recommend “The Only Good Indians” enough, it’s fantastic.

  • @VanessaMarieBooks
    @VanessaMarieBooks 4 месяца назад +6

    I love horror! It's one of my favorite genres, so get ready for a long list. Now most of these aren't going to be really scary/creepy (at least not to me) cause not much scares me in fiction, but it might be different for other readers. 🤷🏽‍♀ Your milage may vary. Also, I don't know if you read any middle-grade or YA horror, but I included a few of those on the list as well in case you're interested. And just a caution for anyone reading this list, make sure to do your research for any of these books if you have topics that are triggering for you. I did include a couple of content warnings for a few of these, but I don't remember every one, so just look up the content warnings for any of the books you're interested in & proceed with caution.
    Middle-grade horror:
    1. Mine by Delilah S. Dawson (haunted house story; the audiobook for this is great and helps with the creep factor)
    2. Small Spaces series (books 1-4) by Katherine Arden (ghost story)
    3. Hide & Seeker by Daka Hermon (hide & seek meets Stranger Things is how I describe this one; it's so good & one that is actually creepy... for a middle-grade book. I really want this book adapted to the screen & though it's a standalone, I think there's enough there to build a TV show around it.)
    YA horror:
    1. anything written by Dawn Kurtagich, she's an auto-buy author for me at this point. I love all her books, but my favorite is still The Dead House. It's a psychological horror and it has an unreliable narrator, which is one of my favorite tropes. It's told in alternative format, through diary/journal entries, doctor notes, police reports, etc., so that may or may not work for some people. It definitely worked for me and added to the unreliability of the narrator. Physically it's a gorgeous book (the hardcover), but the audio is also amazing and really lends to the atmosphere. All of her audiobooks that I've read have been amazing & I highly recommend them (The Dead House, And the Trees Crept In, Teeth in the Mist).
    Also while I was looking up her books just now to see if she has anything else coming out soon, I discovered she wrote a sequel to Teeth in the Mist called Blood on the Wind that was published just a couple of months ago, at the end of March. How did I miss this?! 🤷🏽‍♀ Of course, I immediately purchased the ebook just now. And she has another book coming out in August of this year called The Madness, which I will definitely be getting as well once it's out. Can you tell Dawn is one of my favorite horror authors? Anyway, moving on...😅
    2. Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand (this is another one that has Stranger Things vibes)
    3. The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass (ghost possession story; content warnings for child abuse & SA)
    4. Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White (dystopian/post-apocalyptic story with religious trauma themes; as someone with religious trauma I loved this one, highly recommend especially for anyone deconstructing or deconverting from their faith, IF you're ready for a book like this. Like I mentioned earlier with the content warnings, proceed with caution.)
    5. The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson (since you mentioned liking Stephen King, you'll probably like this one. It's a re-telling of King's Carrie but set in modern times with a biracial protagonist. I'm not much of a Stephen King fan myself, but I did like this re-telling, though I haven't read Carrie yet--saw the movie, which I liked, but still need to try the book)
    6. Mary: The Summoning & Mary: Unleashed by Hillary Monahan (retelling of the blood Mary legend; don't know why, but this is one series/duology that actually did creep me out, which is not easy to do)
    7. The Diviners series (books 1-4) by Libba Bray (the first book has more of a horror feel/vibe, but as you get further into the series it does feel more like a fantasy than straight horror. It still has some horror elements, but not as much; still a good series though)
    Adult horror:
    1. Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant (Killer mermaids! Do I need to say more? 😅This is one of my all-time favorite adult horror novels)
    2. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (haunted house story) OR The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas (also haunted house story. I put these 2 together as an either/or option cause they both are gothic horror set in historical Mexico, but one thing I've noticed is that some people who love Mexican Gothic--like I do--have been disappointed with The Hacienda and don't like this one--like I was; it just wasn't for me--and those that did not like Mexican Gothic tended to like The Hacienda more. So if Mexican Gothic isn't working for you, then you may want to give The Hacienda a try, you might like it better. 🤷🏽‍♀)
    3. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix (great book, but I definitely do NOT recommend reading it while you eat. There's one scene in particular with rats, do not make my mistake! Also, content warning for SA, abusive marriages, gaslighting, character that's obsessed with Nazis, racism, & child abuse on page, and domestic violence, rape, suicides, and child murders off-page)
    4. How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (another good one and this one deals with grief & loss, but again do NOT read while eating. The scene in this one isn't as bad as the rat scene in the other one, but I'd still avoid eating & reading at the same time)
    5. The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean (secret society of people who eat books as food and retain all the knowledge from every book they eat. However, Devon's son was born with a rare condition with a darker kind of hunger--not for books, but for human minds. 😱😂 I read this for the bookclub I'm in at my library and I don't think I've read anything like this before and I loved it)
    6. The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris (kind of like Get Out, but set in the publishing world)
    7. The Child Thief by Brom (dark re-telling of Peter Pan--not the Disney version; content warning for SA/attempted rape)
    Sorry for the super long list/comment, but hopefully you'll like some of these if you haven't already read them. 😊

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      Wow! Thank you so much for such a lovely list! I have read all of those adult books except....The Southern Book Clubs Guide and The Book Eaters. But I will absolutely check out the others!

    • @VanessaMarieBooks
      @VanessaMarieBooks 4 месяца назад

      @@reading_by_myshelf How'd you like the ones you've read? Did you read both Mexican Gothic & The Hacienda? If so, did you like one better than the other or like them/didn't like them both equally?

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      I didn't read Mexican Gothic but I did read The Hacienda! I enjoyed it!

    • @almatoledo1608
      @almatoledo1608 4 месяца назад +1

      Thanks!!

  • @richgustafson9613
    @richgustafson9613 4 месяца назад +6

    King's Duma Key is one of the creepiest things I've ever read. Very underrated.

    • @SunflowerToast
      @SunflowerToast 4 месяца назад +1

      I agree. One of the few books that actually scared me.

  • @MissAnn999
    @MissAnn999 5 месяцев назад +13

    The most faithful version of The Last Man on Earth is the Vincent Price version. Then again, Richard Matheson didn't just write the book, he was one of the screenwriters too.

  • @SuperStrangSshadow
    @SuperStrangSshadow 5 месяцев назад +7

    I'm just glad to see Pet Semetary on the list, which is my all time fave book. Love the darkness in it and some of the events is based on King's life.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  5 месяцев назад +5

      So dark! Have you read his memoir On Writing? It’s so so good if you’re into that sort of stuff.

    • @SuperStrangSshadow
      @SuperStrangSshadow 5 месяцев назад +1

      @@reading_by_myshelf yeah some years ago and it was interesting to read about how to build up your sentences. And it was nice to see a more personal side from him. That guy is damn private.😅

    • @usedscar
      @usedscar 4 месяца назад

      ​@@SuperStrangSshadowI love listening to him talk! His ideas about life are pretty amazing in my book.

  • @sabbracadabra7503
    @sabbracadabra7503 4 месяца назад +1

    The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker deserves a mention here, along with At The Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft. And for those who've never read it, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House is one of the best in the genre of psychological horror.

  • @darrylhughes7797
    @darrylhughes7797 4 месяца назад +6

    "The Reddening" or "Cunning Folk" both by Adam Neville. Or "The Creeper" by AM Shine

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      I’ve heard a lot about Adam Neville recently! Thanks 🙏

    • @MaryRose86
      @MaryRose86 4 месяца назад

      His book Last Days is the scariest book I’ve ever read

  • @Mxe00.
    @Mxe00. 4 месяца назад +6

    You must read Voyagers of hell if you haven't read it yet. It's so scary.

  • @terryIKE69
    @terryIKE69 5 месяцев назад +10

    Fantastic list! Love Peter Straub & Dan Simmons. I've read all the books here and they're all the top-tier of horror fiction. One person I would suggest is Adam Nevill. His novels are events to experience. Last Days, The Ritual, and No One Gets Out Alive are 3 off the top of my head that are list-worthy. Nevill also has a couple short story collections, too. All Highly Recommended! 3 more: The Boy Who Drew Monsters by Keith Donahue, The Woman In Black by Susan Hill and The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon. Great scary horror books!!

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  5 месяцев назад

      Awesome! Thanks so much for the suggestions!!
      I read The Winter People years ago and loved it!!! I should have made a top 25 list 😂

    • @DonRood-fx3dt
      @DonRood-fx3dt 4 месяца назад +1

      I have the Peter Straub short story collection “Houses Without Doors” and I never cease to be amazed at how he can lull you into a false sense of security at the mundane before hitting you with a shocking twist. The stories “A Short Guide to the City” and “Interlude: The Veteran” still resonate with me over 30 years later.

  • @TinaLC75
    @TinaLC75 5 месяцев назад +4

    Have you read any of Adam Nevill‘s books? He’s so underrated and my absolutely favourite horror author! My favourite book of his is No One Gets Out Alive, but pretty much all his books are 5* reads for me.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  5 месяцев назад +1

      I haven’t. I have heard of him though! I will add it to my tbr. Thanks for the suggestion!!! 🤗

  • @VictorRobotov00
    @VictorRobotov00 4 месяца назад +2

    I’m surprised to have actually gotten and read several in this list. May have to check out some of the others.
    I wanted to read some Richard Matheson cuz of his writing of quite a number of the original “Twilight Zone” episodes. The book of his I enjoyed most was “Now You See It”, or something along those lines. It was about a magician (duh haha). Been so damn long since I read it, so I don’t remember all that much. Although I did just recently stumble upon my copy. Maybe I should add it to my list.
    Thank you, lady, for sharing a list of some of your favorite titles.

  • @kristianascharrenberg9958
    @kristianascharrenberg9958 4 месяца назад +2

    Your Stephen King collection on your book shelf is pretty similar to mine🤗 thanks for the recommendations. I'll be checking some of them out.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад

      Thanks for watching! I always welcome suggestions too!

    • @kristianascharrenberg9958
      @kristianascharrenberg9958 4 месяца назад

      ​@reading_by_myshelf The Dead Zone and The Shining are my absolute faves by him. I don't find them scary but they're definitely good reads:)

  • @walterfechter8080
    @walterfechter8080 4 месяца назад +1

    The last book that I read was, "The Terror," by Dan Simmons. I appreciate historical fiction with a slant towards horror/Sci-Fi.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      I’ve been meaning to read that one for a while now!

  • @jamieserrano827
    @jamieserrano827 4 месяца назад +1

    The Will Smith version of I Am Legend is not the only movie adaptation there was a version from the 1964 put Vincent Price as the protagonist called the last man on Earth and then from 1971 starring Charlton Heston was the Omega Man

    • @jamieserrano827
      @jamieserrano827 4 месяца назад

      Let's not forget the penny dreadfuls of the Victorian era which have their place in Horror history and let's not forget Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад

      That’s what I hear….

  • @kyiastar
    @kyiastar 4 месяца назад +1

    The Exorcist is excellent. One of my all time favorites. I love more how they took the systematic approach to verifying what was wrong with the kid. And the creepiest thing about the book is that you’re not sure the little girl is actually possessed (spoiler: until the last twenty pages or so.)

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад

      I totally agree.

    • @jlipari58
      @jlipari58 4 месяца назад

      Virtually the same story was written by Ray Russell ten years earlier. Read The Case Against Satan and compare.

  • @gspice71
    @gspice71 4 месяца назад +8

    The Exorcist left me emotionally damaged 😢

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад

      It was very emotional!

    • @gspice71
      @gspice71 4 месяца назад +1

      Yes! I loved the historical elements. I remember reading it college and I couldn’t sleep alone for like years, lol.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      @@gspice71 I remember driving home alone at night and creeping myself out imagining Regan in my backseat 😂😂😂

    • @usedscar
      @usedscar 4 месяца назад

      I was stuck in the front seat in the theater and exactly Regan's age. I had visions that my girlfriend's face morphed that night and had to sleep downstairs close to the fam for days!

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      @@usedscar oh no no no no! 🫢

  • @karinscott4455
    @karinscott4455 4 месяца назад +1

    Haven't read most of those, thanks for adding to my TBR!

  • @usedscar
    @usedscar 4 месяца назад +1

    Red Dragon by Thomas Harris is the scariest book I have ever read. I have studied lit in college and sold books for 20 years. My fav book of all time is The Stand.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      I adore the Stand!

    • @usedscar
      @usedscar 4 месяца назад +1

      @@reading_by_myshelf A special book! King does his most breathtaking balance act with Mother Abigail and Flag. He walks over no one's beliefs yet sketches the traditional Jesus figure and the Evil Flag in perfect conflict. As these classic concepts are fleshed out and detailed they become new and fresh. Old ideas have to be dealt with urgency not philosophy.

    • @DonRood-fx3dt
      @DonRood-fx3dt 4 месяца назад +2

      Red Dragon! Yes.

  • @SLAYGOTH
    @SLAYGOTH 3 месяца назад

    I've been revisiting all the Kick-Ass books from Robert m McCammon.. I was reading that stuff along with King starting in the 8th grade back in the late 80s. Highly recommend Swan Song, They Thirst, his short story collection called the Blue World, and I just finished Stinger.. he was right there with King for me growing up.. also any of the work by author Brian Keene!

  • @kalliegraves7299
    @kalliegraves7299 2 месяца назад

    I made a list of the books cuz 1 that's exactly what I wanted, and 2 so if we viewers want to come back, we don't have to watch the whole video just to figure out which we was wanted to read or recommend next 🙃
    Book 1 Summer of Nights by Dan Simmons
    Book 2 The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
    Book 3 The good House by Tananarive Due
    Book 4 Pet Sematary by Stephen King
    Book 5 I am Legend by Richard Matheson
    Book 6 Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke
    Book 7 The Resting Place by Camilla Sten
    Book 8 Ghost Story by Peter Straub
    Book 9 Hell House by Richard Matheson
    Book 10 Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

  • @pairashootpants5373
    @pairashootpants5373 5 месяцев назад +8

    Summer of Night is one of the best. Ive read all these books, solid list!

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  5 месяцев назад

      Awesome!! Have you read the sequel to Summer of Night??

  • @norbertcondoros6803
    @norbertcondoros6803 4 месяца назад

    'The Summoning' by Bentley Little;
    'Salem's Lot' by King;
    'The Devil's Labyrinth' by John Saul;
    'A Head Full of Ghosts' by Paul Tremblay.

  • @jensraab2902
    @jensraab2902 5 месяцев назад +1

    I love myself a good horror story but I'm rarely actually scared - don't know if there's something wrong with me! 😅
    So I like to see these kinds of lists of "really scary" books. Most of the ones on this list I've either read already or have on my shelf (or my ereader) waiting to be read, but I hadn't heard of Camilla Sten's book. Gotta check that one out!
    I want to disagree with one thing you said. _I Am Legend_ was famous *well* before the movie with Will Smith, in fact that movie is already the third adaptation. But it might not have been well known outside of the horror/SF community or Matheson's fans. But it is so so good! I didn't find it all that scary but very effective. I think it should be read by anybody who has an interest in horror or SF; it's fairly short so there's really no excuse not to read it!
    Have you read Joe Hill (King's son)? I found his debut _Heart-Shaped Box_ to be a lot more creepy than I had expected. The premise sounds silly, an aging rock star buys a suit on the internet that supposedly comes with a ghost, but it's really well done and far from silly.
    Then there's Jeff Long's _The Descent_ (no connection to the movie of the same name). The core story is a kind of fantasy horror take of Verne's _Journey to the Center of the Earth._ I think the book is entertaining but the reason I mention it is because it's opening chapter is probably the best opening chapter I've ever read. I remember it to be really scary.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  5 месяцев назад +1

      I was not aware Will Smith's movie was the 3rd adaptation!! Now I will have to go find the older versions!!! Thank you!
      I did read Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill. It was very good! There were so many books I should/could have included here...def hard to narrow it down but these were the ones that scared me or unsettled me the most recently.
      I will have to add The Descent to my list!! Thank you so much for the suggestion!

    • @jensraab2902
      @jensraab2902 5 месяцев назад

      @@reading_by_myshelf Top ten books lists are impossible to make. Whatever you choose there's too much that doesn't make it! 😁

  • @LilLingLing6789
    @LilLingLing6789 5 месяцев назад +4

    The audio book of the exercist is on RUclips

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  5 месяцев назад +1

      Oooooh!

    • @LilLingLing6789
      @LilLingLing6789 5 месяцев назад

      @@reading_by_myshelf I listened to the audio book of assassins creed... You're in the head of the assassin who's blind.. Very interesting listen and quite clever
      My fave horror series is by James Herbert.. It follows a paranormal investigator ash and it gets wild... For crime fiction I loved the widows.. They even made a UK TV series that follows the books to the letter
      I love your channel I didn't know book channels existed

    • @juliemcneill1026
      @juliemcneill1026 4 месяца назад

      And it’s narrated by Blatty himself. It’s one of my favorite audiobooks because of his narration. I keep going back to it.

    • @christinas8071
      @christinas8071 4 месяца назад

      Yes!! It is absolutely brilliant and Blattys voice is perfection. Highly recommend.

  • @bretviola6871
    @bretviola6871 4 месяца назад

    Michael McDowell, Dan Simmons, and Robert McCammon are my favorite horror genre writers. Ok so Simmons and McCammon write in other genre’s than horror but nonetheless they’re all my favorites. Try The Amulet, Blackwater,or The Elementals by McDowell if you want an underrated horror author.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад

      I read The Elementals years ago and very much enjoyed it!! Thanks!!!

  • @Kokkurichan
    @Kokkurichan 4 месяца назад

    I've only read The Exorcist, Hell House, and part of Pet Sematary (I couldn't finish it because it was too sad for me.). Hell House was a fun, bizarre, and kind of gross haunted house story. The Exorcist is legitimately one of the scariest books I've ever read. That scene with her crawling on the ceiling *shudders*. The most recent horror novel I read that I highly recommend is "She is a Haunting" by Trang Thanh Tran. In the story, a Vietnamese-American girl named Jade travels to Vietnam to visit her estranged father and help him renovate an aging French Colonial mansion in exchange for tuition money for college. The longer Jade stays at the mansion, the more she becomes ensnared in its brutal past of colonialism, abuse, and psychosis. The story is all about finding one's identity and not allowing the scars of the past to stay hidden. If you want a gross, poignant, brutal, sinister, LGBTQ+ and Asian American friendly book, please read " She is a Haunting".

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      I actually own it already….just haven’t read it yet! Thanks 🙏

  • @DarkestStarASMR
    @DarkestStarASMR 5 месяцев назад +4

    Try MR James, Algernon Blackwood. Le Fanu,

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  5 месяцев назад +1

      I will look them up! Thanks so much!

    • @janirikhard4881
      @janirikhard4881 4 месяца назад

      All brilliant, especially Algernon Blackwood. The Willows must be one of the most atmospheric stories ever, and The Wendigo... Whoo boy, Defago`s (or whatever it is) first return to the camp always gives me some serious creeps.

    • @DonRood-fx3dt
      @DonRood-fx3dt 4 месяца назад

      Read “The Beckoning Fair One” by Oliver Onions.

  • @TomTheOwl68
    @TomTheOwl68 4 месяца назад

    I've read most of Dean Koontz, he was my favourite author for a long time. I'd say my favourite of his is Devoted.
    Stephen King....Ive never liked his style or found his books scary. I have read a couple of Joe Hill's (son) books, he's not bad.
    I read a lot of John Saul a few years ago. He is quite good. Obviously too there's James Herbert.
    A Town called Discovery by RR Hayward is one of my all time favourites. Im not even sure why, I really liked the characters and relationships.
    More recently Ive been reading Zombie Apocalypse books. I enjoyed The Undead World series by Peter Meredith. Ive read quite a few series. The Arisen series was good. One of the most scary part for me was imagining the millions of zombies matching across a continent, it was so loud the living people on a ship could hear it. There are just parts that when you envision the situation, its quite terrifying.
    A bit off topic..have you read A Little Life?
    Its extremely good but there are elements that are very graphic which I feel horror readers are more able to tolerate.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад

      I have not read A Little Life…I do want to at some point.
      I will look into A Town Called Discovery!! Thanks!
      Have you read World War Z?

  • @BookishDaddy
    @BookishDaddy 5 месяцев назад +3

    Awesome video! Thanks for the recommendations!!

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  5 месяцев назад

      Thanks for watching! Do you read horror? What's your fav?

    • @BookishDaddy
      @BookishDaddy 5 месяцев назад +1

      @@reading_by_myshelf I haven’t yet! I just started thriller and wanted to try horror next

  • @MikeHern-nh5te
    @MikeHern-nh5te 4 месяца назад

    Most of what I've read of horror novels i haven't liked much, ho-hum at best. There are, however, two standouts that I found very creepy, the absolute epitome of "page turner." The first you've ready mentioned - The Exorcist. I was an adult when I read it and I had already seen the movie as a teenager, even still, the book creeped me out.
    The second novel I really enjoyed was Peter Straub's Shadowland. I don't hear many people talk about it but it was absolutely creepy and I could hardly put the book down. Highly recommended.
    A third novel just came to me: William Peter Blatty's Legion. This was Blatty's literary sequel to The Exorcist. (It was turned into a movie, Exorcist III.) Not as creepy as its predecessor but, enjoyable nonetheless. Calling it a supernatural detective story would be the best way for me to describe it.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      Legion is on my TBR shelf! Can’t wait to get to it.
      And I will absolutely check out Shadowland!!
      Thank you 🙏

  • @thomassmith6232
    @thomassmith6232 4 месяца назад

    The House on the Borderlands by William Hope Hodgson. The scariest book I've ever read. Hodgson makes anything Stephen King has written look like the Bobbsey Twins.

  • @katherineeaster5799
    @katherineeaster5799 4 месяца назад

    If you liked Pet Semetary and The Exorcist, I would definitely recommend This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno. I was so unsettled after reading it. I would definitely say it's subtle about the horror elements, they really snuck up on me. I recommend it to anyone who will listen, it's stayed with me.

  • @desertpinevintage
    @desertpinevintage 4 месяца назад +1

    I was excited to read the exorcist. I got it from the library. I started getting more freaked out as each day went by before I started reading it. by time I was 2 pages in I was like nope. It went t back to the library lol 😂

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      Omg! 😂😂😂 I feel that! I owned the book for years before reading it.

  • @jlipari58
    @jlipari58 4 месяца назад

    The grandfathers of horror are Poe and Lovecraft. Everyone else writes in their shadows.

  • @heatherdawnedwards128
    @heatherdawnedwards128 5 месяцев назад +3

    Hello 😊I am a big fan of Anne Rice known for her horror, religion, gothic fiction, and erotic novels. from vampires chronicles to her last book Ramses and the damned the reign of oriris. Please do a vlog on Anne Rice and other women writers such as the hunger by Elma Katsu 👻 the haunting of the hill house by Shirley Jackson 👻 hide by Kiersten White 😱 😊

  • @LilLingLing6789
    @LilLingLing6789 5 месяцев назад +1

    Oh I love audible for British horror books

  • @BlueEyedMatt42
    @BlueEyedMatt42 Месяц назад

    New subscriber here! I am really interested in Hex. I’m currently starting my Adam Nevill marathon. I really enjoyed The Reddening. There are some parts that truly unsettled me. I’m reading a novella titled The Vessel by him now.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  Месяц назад +1

      @@BlueEyedMatt42 he is on my list!! Love to hear what you think.

    • @BlueEyedMatt42
      @BlueEyedMatt42 Месяц назад +1

      @@reading_by_myshelf and it’s pretty tough to actually scare me. I’ll keep you posted!

  • @DonRood-fx3dt
    @DonRood-fx3dt 4 месяца назад

    Gone South, by Robert McCammon, has quite possibly the most disturbing opening sentence I’ve ever read.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      Oooh....thanks for the recommendation!

    • @DonRood-fx3dt
      @DonRood-fx3dt 4 месяца назад

      @@reading_by_myshelf You’re quite welcome; enjoy!

  • @Ariadne-xy8iw
    @Ariadne-xy8iw 4 месяца назад +1

    If you’re looking for a great read check out The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons. It’s a wonderful read.

  • @stephanieproper8315
    @stephanieproper8315 4 месяца назад

    Thomas Olde Heuvelt is an amazing author. He has two other books -- Echo and Oracle. They are spooky, but not in the traditional sense.

  • @janirikhard4881
    @janirikhard4881 4 месяца назад

    A few recommendations:
    Robert Holdstock: The Fetch. Holdstock blends his uncanny fantasy visions with terror, and the result is... well, see for yourself.
    John Langan: The Fisherman. This weird and watery tale contains a story within a story, and it`s a damn creepy one. Actually, both stories are.
    Shirley Jackson: The Haunting Of Hill House. A classic, and with a good reason.
    Guy N. Smith: Cannibals. Dark, nihilistic, disgusting and depressing. Not a cosy catastrophe, this one.
    Dan Simmons: Song Of Kali. To me reading this book is like a being in a dream. It`s a horrible dream, and it takes place in Calcutta.
    Jeff Long: The Reckoning. A mix of fantasy, ghost tale and a story of a doomed expedition in the jungle of Vietnam.
    Alfred Kubin: The Other Side. The only literary work of symbolist-expressionist artist Kubin. Not a horror story in itself, but horrible nevertheless in all it`s dreamy weirdness. I bet Thomas Ligotti (whose work I enjoy thoroughly) has read this a few times...
    I think short stories often are much more effective, though. You can pick almost any story from Clive Barker`s Books Of Blood and not go too wrong - and the best ones are... well, they are the best. Of course The Great Old Ones like H.P. Lovecraft, Algernon Blackwood and William Hope Hodgson wrote superb stories, too. And there`s one not too well known gem I simply must mention: Orange Is For Anguish, Blue For Insanity by David Morrell. It`s one of the very few horror stories that have seriously managed to cause me that wonderful feeling that goes like "wow, why did I read this one - my mental state is not going to be the same ever again".
    Sorry for the rant, but I couldn`t resist. A very dear subject! I`m very glad you included Hell House by Richard Matheson - it`s one of my favorites, the best haunted house story I`ve ever read (and that`s saying a lot). Must have read it at least 30 times. The Hex sounds absolutely intriguing - I must try to get it. Thanks for a very interesting video!

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      I love this so much! Thank you 🙏
      I will check out all of these!
      I have actually read Hodgson’s House on the Borderland (very recently) and The Haunting of Hill House!
      This list of 10 was a challenge to narrow done and I hope to remake it in a year or so with new, even more horrifying additions.
      🔪🩸👻

    • @ryanflessing7898
      @ryanflessing7898 4 месяца назад +1

      Song Of Kali just broke me. I read it on Kindle and I didn't think it could possibly scare me, but it drew me in with a terrible gravity and I just could not put it down.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад

      @@ryanflessing7898 love to hear it! I am planning on reading this one in August…actually opened a group “book club” on Fable for a monthly scary book read. If anyone is interested….

  • @martinhamill9062
    @martinhamill9062 4 месяца назад +1

    I am legend was considered a classic a long long time before Will Smiths average film appeared.

  • @kevinjones4808
    @kevinjones4808 3 месяца назад

    There are two books that are damn near unreadably scary. The Killing Lessons by Saul Black and “Adam” by Ted Dekker.

  • @bradw3153
    @bradw3153 4 месяца назад

    There are several scary entries in Joyce Carol Oates anthology book called, Haunted Tales of the Grotesque

  • @richardstange5939
    @richardstange5939 4 месяца назад +1

    I am going to read Hex. Thank you for this video.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад

      Hope you enjoy it!

    • @lexibakker8876
      @lexibakker8876 4 месяца назад +1

      I’ve read hex😃. It’s a little bit soul destroying, but only later in the book.

  • @VictorRobotov00
    @VictorRobotov00 4 месяца назад

    I’m in about three quarters into “Ghost Story” by Straub. It’s good, I do like it, but it’s all over the place. A decent number of names in the story and often having to refer back to prior spots in the book to figure out what they’re talking about and there’s times where I have to just get a refresher course on characters from time to time. I like it and wanna hear the end, but I’m getting to that point where I start looking forward to the next book I have lined up.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад

      Yes, the pacing in it could have been better...I just remember the atmosphere it set....the sense of creeping terror in a small town.

  • @bradleyvincent8309
    @bradleyvincent8309 4 месяца назад

    I Am Legend is my favorite book! I read it once a year!

  • @geraldmartin7703
    @geraldmartin7703 4 месяца назад

    Matheson's Hell House was filmed as "The Legend of Hell House" in 1973. Lots of fun.

  • @falgalhutkinsmarzcal3962
    @falgalhutkinsmarzcal3962 4 месяца назад

    While I like Summer of Night, the ultimate reveal about the antagonists at the end seemed a bit disappointing. That is to say, it does not reveal much about them. Maybe that is the point since it is cosmic horror, but, still, I would have liked a bit more to lend itself to my imagination.
    That said, I really like A Winter Haunting. It was spookier for me.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      I really enjoyed that one as well. Simmons is a great writer.

  • @369frequencyandvibration
    @369frequencyandvibration 2 месяца назад

    "Reading by Myshelf" 😂 Clever title!

  • @margaretjohnson6259
    @margaretjohnson6259 4 месяца назад

    michael slade's "ghoul" was the most horrifying one i've ever read. the other books are just as good.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      Ooooh awesome I will look it up!!

    • @margaretjohnson6259
      @margaretjohnson6259 4 месяца назад

      @@reading_by_myshelf youi may not end up thanking me for that. it was disturbing. lol.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      @@margaretjohnson6259 😂😂😂

  • @literarylove123
    @literarylove123 5 месяцев назад

    The Good House is one of my favorites. Tananarive Due is an incredible writer.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  5 месяцев назад +1

      She is! I really want to read her newest release soon. Have you read that one?

    • @literarylove123
      @literarylove123 5 месяцев назад +1

      Yes. The Reformatory is an absolute masterpiece and should be required reading. I highly recommend it.

  • @roehrc
    @roehrc 4 месяца назад

    I just checked out Tananarive Due’s Reformatory; hadn’t heard of her before so I’m quite interested in seeing her listed here. I really like Tana French. I wouldn’t consider her horror but she’s an incredible author, psychological thriller type stories. I also recently bought McMahon’s Winter People, again, not familiar with her work, so I’m looking forward to reading some new authors

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад

      Winter People was fantastic. I don’t believe I have read Tana French yet….but I do have a few of hers on my list. Thanks!!

  • @benjaminwyatt3778
    @benjaminwyatt3778 2 месяца назад

    Great list! Looking forward to Resting Place that sounds really interesting! Are you from Philly or Baltimore or something? I live in NC but I’m from Philly originally and I instantly subscribed because your accent sounds like home 😂. Thanks for the recommendations 👍👍

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  2 месяца назад +1

      @@benjaminwyatt3778 Yes! Baltimore originally. Now in SC.

    • @benjaminwyatt3778
      @benjaminwyatt3778 2 месяца назад

      @@reading_by_myshelf nice! I knew it! Well we’ve been loving it down here but boy do I miss those northeast fall vibes, and the food! Have an awesome week ❤️

  • @debracaples9431
    @debracaples9431 4 месяца назад

    I made a list. Thank you. I hadn't heard of some, others I've already read.

  • @chrisbrunning8538
    @chrisbrunning8538 4 месяца назад

    The Dark. By James Herbert is to me the scariest book in horror.

  • @BigMama61
    @BigMama61 4 месяца назад

    Loved They thirst by Robert Mccammon if I remember correctly

  • @DonRood-fx3dt
    @DonRood-fx3dt 4 месяца назад

    I haven’t read all the comments. Has anyone yet mentioned “House of Leaves?”

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      I don't think so....I do own HoL...haven't read it yet!

  • @Meggzilla
    @Meggzilla 4 месяца назад +2

    What? Girlie, John Saul is the king that Stephen King wishes he could be

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      I think I have an old John Saul on my shelves somewhere.....I need to find it. Thanks!!

    • @Meggzilla
      @Meggzilla 4 месяца назад +1

      @@reading_by_myshelf he's way scarier than the others

  • @popcornanytime7414
    @popcornanytime7414 5 месяцев назад

    If you haven’t read The Elementals, give it a try. It’s about a haunted beach house.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  5 месяцев назад

      Thank you! I have read that one actually, years ago...I LOVED it!! Have you read any of his other books?

    • @popcornanytime7414
      @popcornanytime7414 5 месяцев назад

      @@reading_by_myshelf absolutely!

  • @JackManhire
    @JackManhire 4 месяца назад

    You should read Arkhem J Cain, The Eighth Sacrament

  • @Jim-Mc
    @Jim-Mc 4 месяца назад

    Anything by Arthur Machen. The Shining Pyramid is especially good.

  • @Hughenn
    @Hughenn 3 месяца назад

    I was too young to see the movie when it came out so I read the book instead which was the first book I ever read. I was 11😮

  • @kimbono23
    @kimbono23 4 месяца назад

    You have great taste in horror! Nice list.

  • @janthony721
    @janthony721 4 месяца назад

    The Rising series by Brian Keene. Gave me nightmares.

  • @susanm7925
    @susanm7925 4 месяца назад

    Try christopher pike & H.P. Lovecraft.

  • @gezinaloots2720
    @gezinaloots2720 4 месяца назад

    Why doesn't Naomi's room by Jonathan Aycliffe ever make the lits!

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      Never heard of it. I’ll look it up 👍

    • @junegrainger8481
      @junegrainger8481 4 месяца назад +1

      I loved Naomi’s room but it is hard to get a copy.

    • @gezinaloots2720
      @gezinaloots2720 4 месяца назад

      @junegrainger8481 yeah i found my copy at a book thrift shop

  • @Talking_Story
    @Talking_Story 5 месяцев назад +1

    Great list! If you haven’t give Revival by Stephen King. Great cosmic horror vibes and I find alot haven’t read it.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  5 месяцев назад +1

      I am actually reading that right now! I have about 75 pages left. 👹⛪️

    • @Talking_Story
      @Talking_Story 5 месяцев назад +1

      @@reading_by_myshelf can’t wait to hear what you think!

    • @janirikhard4881
      @janirikhard4881 4 месяца назад

      My favorite of "newer" works of King. Not plagued by sentimentality, but almost sadistic (well, if not outright sadistic, at least it`s extremely bleak) in all it`s eventual nihilism and hopelessness. And it`s beautiful!

    • @Talking_Story
      @Talking_Story 4 месяца назад

      @@janirikhard4881 he absolutely captures that hopeless quality that comes with cosmic horror. As we peel the curtain and peek behind it to the real workings of the universe our wants and very reality is small and unimportant.

    • @Talking_Story
      @Talking_Story 4 месяца назад

      @@janirikhard4881 1 of my favs.

  • @Suhailee91
    @Suhailee91 4 месяца назад

    I think all of these books were great I read most of them. I just hated the exorcist it was extremely boring the movie was way better. But I did add the good house boom on my tbr ❤

  • @Msangiewow
    @Msangiewow 5 месяцев назад +1

    Oof the way you said Tananarive DUE’s name lol. Great list

  • @riggs20
    @riggs20 4 месяца назад

    I totally thought this said the “cheapest” horror books. 😂

  • @boardgameblips9651
    @boardgameblips9651 4 месяца назад

    Have you red The Elementals by Michael McDowell? Superb

  • @thequintanashow5058
    @thequintanashow5058 4 месяца назад

    Dangit!!! Keep trying to place your accent!! Maryland? Delaware?? Killin me!! Good content BTW

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      You are good! I am originally from Maryland!!

    • @thequintanashow5058
      @thequintanashow5058 4 месяца назад +1

      @@reading_by_myshelf YES!!!!!! Thank you so much, was driving me crazy 😂

    • @Mahoney1
      @Mahoney1 4 месяца назад

      @@reading_by_myshelf I'm from Maryland, still live there. I thought you sounded like a MD girl!

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад +1

      @@Mahoney1 yes! Awesome. My family still lives there….i try and visit every other year.

  • @colincharlton9339
    @colincharlton9339 4 месяца назад

    James Herbert is a good author,

  • @alvinmarcus5780
    @alvinmarcus5780 4 месяца назад

    I love " Summer of Night ". Reminds me so much of my childhood. I'll be, good Lord willing, 69 next month and we were just like those kids. Pet Cemetery is king's scariest book in my opinion.
    Sure wish I had a pretty friend like you to sit and read with. Now there's a horror for you. Old age. 😂
    Just kidding. I love every day.
    God bless y'all. ❤️

  • @HalRappaport
    @HalRappaport 4 месяца назад

    Can I send you a copy of my book free? It's a paranormal thriller and it's available in paperback, Kindle or audiobook.

    • @reading_by_myshelf
      @reading_by_myshelf  4 месяца назад

      I use Kindle…can’t guarantee when I will get to it but I’d be happy to read it.

  • @EduardoRodriguez-du2vd
    @EduardoRodriguez-du2vd 4 месяца назад

    Thanks!

  • @gspice71
    @gspice71 4 месяца назад

    Now that is scary lol!

  • @borntoclimb7116
    @borntoclimb7116 4 месяца назад

    It is great these Books are scary

  • @uktruecrime
    @uktruecrime 4 месяца назад

    lol, if she is so into horror, why does she have tattoos of kittens and unicorns and cute things all over her arms?Surely she would have a scary tree and a scary skull figure's etc. She might as well have Hello Kitty tattoed on her forehead. Also, the special effects of the demonic spectre hovering about in the shadows at the beack between 0.04 and 15.32 dont fool me. special effects 101, duh. She need s to leave her creepy basement and spend some time in the attic.

    • @watchnowwithfireinyoureyes
      @watchnowwithfireinyoureyes 4 месяца назад +2

      Wow her tattoos must've really irked you, cuz you really went out of your way to sound like a one dimensional troll

    • @VanessaMarieBooks
      @VanessaMarieBooks 4 месяца назад +1

      Nice way to stereotype people. This may come as a shock, but there are people who like BOTH dark, creepy horror and cute/pretty things. The two can coexist in one person cause people are complex beings.

    • @LandonOakley-d9c
      @LandonOakley-d9c 4 месяца назад

      Another troll with literally nothing better to do

  • @wendywoolley_
    @wendywoolley_ 4 месяца назад +1

    “The Graveyard Apartment,” by Mariko Koike is a great horror read, too. 🪦 Maybe it will make your list one day. 😉

  • @horizonmage_o1839
    @horizonmage_o1839 4 месяца назад

    Great list, gonna check these out when I'm done with my colossal backlog 🥲
    I can recommend Devolution by Max Brooks, great monster horror with gore, action and a fantastic set of characters

  • @brianmatt4822
    @brianmatt4822 4 месяца назад

    UNCLE SILAS . BEST TRUE GOTHIC SUSPENSE-MYSTERY-HORROR-& TOP OF THE LE FANU LIST . READ IT BETWEEN 12-3a.m. if you dare.....- bb💙🎶💙"music&literature make being an eternal dance"