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48 Books That Scared the Bejesus Out of Readers
A good scare can be good fun, especially when you’re curled up with an extremely creepy horror novel and you’re just daring yourself to turn that next page!
We wanted to take it a step further. So we asked our fellow readers, “What’s the most terrifying horror novel you’ve ever read?” You responded (see the threads on Twitter and Facebook) with some blood-chilling reading, including some true crime that you say was more frightening than fiction.
Check out some of the best in horror below, and be sure to tell us, What’s the scariest horror novel you’ve ever read??
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What’s the scariest horror novel you’ve ever read? Share it with us in the comments below!
Comments Showing 1-50 of 640 (640 new)
message 1:
by
[deleted user]
(new)
Oct 05, 2020 10:09AM
OMIGODDDDDDDDDDDd
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If you're planning to read any of these, I totally recommend The Shining. It was waaaay better than It by the same author (Stephen King).
Hans wrote: "Skye wrote: "OMIGODDDDDDDDDDDd"If you don't believe in God don't abuse His Name. thanks"
Same goes for "bejesus". Not ok.
thanks goodreads, now i have to spend more money becouse these books seem great
Hey, I'll be frank. Can you please not use Jesus's name in vain? I'm Christian and I was very disappointed to see such disrespect on the front page of a professional website that I trusted to be classier than that.Also, I know it's October and all, but I feel like making the entire front page and top banner of the website horror-themed is a bit much. I absolutely despise the horror genre and do not want to be reminded of it every time I visit this website. It is an anxiety and PTSD trigger for me, and I would much rather have a relaxing and pleasant experience using this website.
Hans wrote: "Skye wrote: "OMIGODDDDDDDDDDDd"If you don't believe in God don't abuse His Name. thanks"
hahahaha. dude. give it a rest. people can say whatever the HELL they want.
So happy to see Yrsa Sigardursdottir's "I Remember You". I LOVED it.
T.K. wrote: "Hey, I'll be frank. Can you please not use Jesus's name in vain? I'm Christian and I was very disappointed to see such disrespect on the front page of a professional website that I trusted to be cl..."Horror is a genre just like any other. This website is for ALL types of books. If you don't like it and seeing halloween cartoons gives you PTSD then find another kid-friendly site, though you'll probably see halloween cartoons on them too.
Oh my god, jesus christ these comments are funny! I forgot some christians think they own words 😅
It's a good list, although there are classic books that aren't really scary (like Dracula and Frankenstein). I'm glad they included Bazterrica, I missed Mariana Enríquez. I would include:
Hell House
The Glamour
La piel fría
The Tooth Fairy
Una casa vacía
House of Leaves...*shudders* I still think about that book. I placed a hold on I’m Thinking of Ending Things through my library after watching the movie. A bit backwards but I can’t wait to read that one this spooky season.
Jeezy Creezy! the comments section gives one the heebyjeebies. I can see the kernel of a future bloodfeud! wowow
Whoever is that Britt im in love reading its comments..
Oh my gawd this is an awesome list!
The Shining is the scariest book I’ve read by Stephen King, but the scariest book I’ve ever read, period, is The Trickster by Murial Gray.
Tracey wrote: "Hans wrote: "Skye wrote: "OMIGODDDDDDDDDDDd"If you don't believe in God don't abuse His Name. thanks"
Same goes for "bejesus". Not ok."
Scroll by, not all of us are religious!!!!!!
T.K. wrote: "Hey, I'll be frank. Can you please not use Jesus's name in vain? I'm Christian and I was very disappointed to see such disrespect on the front page of a professional website that I trusted to be cl..."Oh just stop it fgs!!!!! This should be about books , keep religion out of it, thanks. All genres are covered here, not just what you can cope with!!!
An OK list. Wish it wasn't all about horror though. Where's the real Halloween stuff though? Halloween isn't about horror, it's about frights and scares, ghosts, liminal spaces, and life and death.
T.K. wrote: "Hey, I'll be frank. Can you please not use Jesus's name in vain? I'm Christian and I was very disappointed to see such disrespect on the front page of a professional website that I trusted to be cl..."So don't use Goodreads in October. Problem solved
Gabbi wrote: "for christ's sake, no Lovecraft?"The Fisherman is very much influenced by HPL.
Not exactly scary -- to me, at least -- but very much Halloween spirited:
The Halloween Tree
Something Wicked This Way Comes
The October Country
I see The Exorcist is here.. that books gives me the creeps. Do not read it at night! Gerald's Game by Stephen King is also horrifying.
I don't read much horror because honestly, there's other genres that I get much more scared and creeped out by, but I've read a surprising amount of books on this list. If you're looking for a truly scary book that isn't actually horror genre Feed by M. T. Anderson!
I highly recommend:A Head Full of Ghosts
Into the Drowning Deep
Tender Is the Flesh
such great, spooky and gory books!
Kate wrote: "The CheerleadersTwo Can Keep a Secret"
And now the song secrets is in my head... "Two can keep a secret if the other one is dead" :)
Ooh! This list had some books I hadn't heard of before, like Dark Matter. I've got a horror-heavy TBR list for this month. I'm going to start The Silent Companions and Kill Creek soon
Wow - there are some deeply ugly people on Goodreads. Why is it so difficult to show even a basic level of respect for others?
Thank you for the list. Thank you to the comments/fellow readers for more to add to the the list. And thank you to the complainers. I needed to work my eyeroll muscles a little more today. Happy Horror, kiddies!
Um this seems like a list of just popular horror novels, not "the scariest". It's like some of these people picked the only horror horror novel they ever read. There is no way that any one thinks Something Wicked this Way Comes is Scary, maybe a kid. It is atmospheric and creepy not scary. 😂
Britt wrote: "T.K. wrote: "Hey, I'll be frank. Can you please not use Jesus's name in vain? I'm Christian and I was very disappointed to see such disrespect on the front page of a professional website that I tru..." can we be friends Britt? I like you
By far the scariest books I've read are The Exorcist and The Ruins.
JT wrote: "Gabbi wrote: "for christ's sake, no Lovecraft?"Right? Jeebus..."
I don't think Lovecraft is scary, creepy and unnerving, not scary. I read At the Mountains of Maddness...Boring.
NetGalley wrote: "Holy God and Jesus I love these scary books. Bird Box...Lord Baby Jesus in Heaven save us all from the Heathens and thank you for giving Donald Trump the Covid-19!"Yikes
Kat wrote: "Thank you for the list. Thank you to the comments/fellow readers for more to add to the the list. And thank you to the complainers. I needed to work my eyeroll muscles a little more today. Happy Ho..."Happy Reading! 🎃🎃
Nai wrote: "I highly recommend:A Head Full of Ghosts
Into the Drowning Deep
Tender Is the Flesh
such great, spooky and gory books!"
Yes! Into the Drowning Deep was really good! I didn't expect it to be Horror, but definitely horror aspects there! I can't wait to read Tender is the Flesh!
Liberty wrote: "House of Leaves...*shudders* I still think about that book. I placed a hold on I’m Thinking of Ending Things through my library after watching the movie. A bit backwards but I can’t wait to read ..."
The movie sucked. I read the book in one day, then watched the movie.... it did not follow the book. THE BOOK IS SOOOOO MUCH BETTER!
Liberty wrote: "House of Leaves...*shudders* I still think about that book. I placed a hold on I’m Thinking of Ending Things through my library after watching the movie. A bit backwards but I can’t wait to read ..."
I listened to the audiobook, I loved it!!!
Britt wrote: "Oh my god, jesus christ these comments are funny! I forgot some christians think they own words 😅"Britt, oh my f'*cking god, thank you! These people need to lighten up, for christ's sake.
Exquisite Corpse is one of my favorite spooky reads; I was much too young to read it the first time around, but it's haunted me since. HURRAH FOR SPOOKY SEASON!!!
NetGalley wrote: "Holy God and Jesus I love these scary books. Bird Box...Lord Baby Jesus in Heaven save us all from the Heathens and thank you for giving Donald Trump the Covid-19!"This is the best! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 You just took on their 3 idols, god, jesus, and donny-john! CTFU
NetGalley wrote: "Holy God and Jesus I love these scary books. Bird Box...Lord Baby Jesus in Heaven save us all from the Heathens and thank you for giving Donald Trump the Covid-19!"Go away you idiot!
I've read Dracula four times in my life. With a little luck, I'll get to it again. Laugh if you want, but I've always read this with the lights on.
Cillian wrote: "Rachelle wrote: "I don't think Lovecraft is scary, creepy and unnerving, not scary. I read At the Mountains of Maddness...Boring."He surely gets predictable the more you read him, I'll give you t..."
To be fair, I listened to At the Mountains of Madness, maybe the narrator was just boring. 😂 Lovecraft was my dad's absolute favorite. Scary is like everything else I suppose...objective.
Theresa wrote: "Liberty wrote: "House of Leaves...*shudders* I still think about that book. I placed a hold on I’m Thinking of Ending Things through my library after watching the movie. A bit backwards but I can..."
I didn't even know there was a movie. I need to grab the book from my library now! I've heard great things about the book for years.
