Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon discussion
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Hour 14 - what is the scariest book you've read?
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The Shining. It was number of years ago, but it still seems like yesterday when I think about it.
Laura wrote: "The Shining. It was number of years ago, but it still seems like yesterday when I think about it."I loved The Shining! And yes when I read it I also got scared. Also, this always reminds me of the Friends episode where Joey re-reads The Shining every year and when he gets scared he puts the book in the freezer.
BTW I tend not to like scary books or movies.
Margaret wrote: "Whispers by Dean Koontz. Followed closely by One Door Away from Heaven by the same author."What scared you about these books?
It's got to be The Shining for me, as well.
Ann A wrote: "It's got to be The Shining for me, as well."How long ago did you read it?
I read The Shining but as an adult who’d heard all the references over the years so I never got scared. But I was scared to start it!!!
Maureen wrote: "I read The Shining but as an adult who’d heard all the references over the years so I never got scared. But I was scared to start it!!!"I've read The Shining as an adult too. I am sure I would've been more scared would I have been younger. But to be honest, I don't think I would've gotten the subtleties regarding alcoholism for example. There are a lot of non-paranormal things in this book that scare me. In fact, those things often freak me out more.
Juli wrote: "Ann A wrote: "It's got to be The Shining for me, as well."How long ago did you read it?"
I read it a LONG time ago (let's just say I'm no spring chicken!) To be honest, they did such a good job with the movie that I think it made the book seem even more terrifying to me.
Jennifer wrote: "It by Stephen King! I still can't walk by storm drains to this day..."The part that freaked me out the most in It was the basement scene when the little brother just scares himself having to go down into the basement to get caft supplies. I remembered how often I did that to myself as a kid and so I had very visceral feelings while reading that.
Ann A wrote: "Juli wrote: "Ann A wrote: "It's got to be The Shining for me, as well."How long ago did you read it?"
I read it a LONG time ago (let's just say I'm no spring chicken!) To be honest, they did suc..."
To me the book and the movie are very different. I also watched the movie first.
I can't remember the title, but when I was around 12 yrs old I decided to pick up an adult psychological thriller. All i remember is that someone dies stuck under the ice of a pond and someone else is killed by a zamboni. That book terrified me and it took a couple of years before I tried another adult book.
Méliane wrote: "I can't remember the title, but when I was around 12 yrs old I decided to pick up an adult psychological thriller. All i remember is that someone dies stuck under the ice of a pond and someone else..."I so wish we could figure out what book this was. It sounds terrifying.
I like dark in general but scary? The nonfiction always seems to be the scariest, so I'll share that I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer had me re-checking, double-checking, and triple-checking doors for DAYS!!!
Alicia wrote: "I like dark in general but scary? The nonfiction always seems to be the scariest, so I'll share that [book:I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer|3506843..."I loved that one! Reality is often scarier than fiction!
Metro 2033 - I read it while being in Berlin for holiday. It was hard for me to even go down to the Metro. I kept staring into the void of the black tunnel and thinking of the book. Getting consumed by the darkness in the book. I had to put it in another room from time to time. Kept thinking having the book by my bed would give me bad dreams.
The Shining and Night Film - probably a tie between the two.
You. It's told in second person by a stalker psychopath. Terrifying. Right now I'm reading a bunch of creepy short stories for my Oct book club. If anyone is looking for something right now:
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison: https://wjccschools.org/wp-content/up...
The Jaunt by Stephen King: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5Me...
The Town Messenger by Thomas Ligotti: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F7o-... (audiobook here: http://pseudopod.org/2018/08/03/pseud...
Call of Cthulhu by HP Lovecraft: http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/t...
The Grownup by Gillian Flynn
Rebecka wrote: "Metro 2033 - I read it while being in Berlin for holiday. It was hard for me to even go down to the Metro. I kept staring into the void of the black tunnel and thinking of the book. Getting consume..."Apocalytpic horror. Sounds intruiging.
Melanie wrote: "The Shining and Night Film - probably a tie between the two."Aaaaaand Night Film just made it onto my TBR.
I can't handle anything scary so I don't read any horror and can barely tolerate thriller. I remember when I first read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (I was 10 years old) I got really scared with the graveyard scene, especially since I was reading it at night. I had nightmares for days and had to sleep with the lights on!
Shelley wrote: "You. It's told in second person by a stalker psychopath. Terrifying. Right now I'm reading a bunch of creepy short stories for my Oct book club. If anyone is looking for something..."
Great suggestions!
Gabby (GabsAboutBooks) wrote: "I can't handle anything scary so I don't read any horror and can barely tolerate thriller. I remember when I first read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (I was 10 years old) I got really scared ..."Yeah HP got pretty dark starting with book 4.
Shelley wrote: "You. It's told in second person by a stalker psychopath. Terrifying. Right now I'm reading a bunch of creepy short stories for my Oct book club. If anyone is looking for something..."
Also, You has been on my TBR for a while!
Kristen wrote: "As an adult, there's some seriously creepy stuff in The Screaming Staircase"You guys are really busting my TBR :p
Kristen wrote: "As an adult, there's some seriously creepy stuff in The Screaming Staircase"I love the Lockwood team!
Shelley wrote: "Kristen wrote: "As an adult, there's some seriously creepy stuff in The Screaming Staircase"I love the Lockwood team!"
I am very curious about thiss series now.
I do not, in any way, handle scary stuff very well. Middle grade scary is the absolute highest I can go these days. There was a moment in City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab that chilled me to bone. I also just finished Small Spaces by Katherine Arden, and there were a couple of scenes that freaked me out.As far as scariest books though, I'd say some of The Walking Dead comics, plus The Road by Cormac McCarthy.
I don't read much horror, but I was on a kick of reading true crime and one of the stories was about a family or guy who owned a crematorium and ended up cremating all these bodies. (He would cremate hundreds beyond what he was permitted to do by law) Everyone in the town knew there was something fishy going on when they discovered black sludge out behind the building. It's was so creepy and knowing it was real was even worse!
Virginia wrote: "I do not, in any way, handle scary stuff very well. Middle grade scary is the absolute highest I can go these days. There was a moment in City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab that chil..."City of Ghosts - I want to read that so badly.
I really enjoy the Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden and want to read her other books.
The Road is one of my all time favorites and its eeriness and hopelessness is truly scary!
Misty wrote: "I don't read much horror, but I was on a kick of reading true crime and one of the stories was about a family or guy who owned a crematorium and ended up cremating all these bodies. (He would crema..."Oh lordy! I need to read that book!
I read a lot of scary things. One book that stands out is 
The Summer I Died by Ryan C. Thomas. Very graphically terrifying.
Vicki Willis wrote: "I read a lot of scary things. One book that stands out is The Summer I Died by Ryan C. Thomas. Very graphically terrifying."That one sounds awesome!
Margaret wrote: "Juli wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Whispers by Dean Koontz. Followed closely by One Door Away from Heaven by the same author."What scared you about these books?..."
I can see that being super creepy!
Through the woods by Emily Carroll. Pictures are more scarier than words sometimes
Dannii wrote: "I think my most creepy read has been The Haunting of Hill House"Have you watched the Netflix series yet?
Marta wrote: "Through the woods by Emily Carroll. Pictures are more scarier than words sometimes"I loved that one!
I remember reading a short story collection of Ghost Stories when I was young that gave me nightmares for a week. This year I have been binging true crime. I think the Ann Rule book I'm currently reading (Kiss Me, Kill Me and Other True Cases) is absolutely terrifying and disturbing.
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read it the year it came or about that time. Daang I had nightmares for days.
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Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon
Books mentioned in this topic
172 Hours on the Moon (other topics)Kiss Me, Kill Me and Other True Cases (other topics)
The Haunting of Hill House (other topics)
The Haunting of Hill House (other topics)
One Door Away from Heaven (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Dean Koontz (other topics)Ryan C. Thomas (other topics)
Ryan C. Thomas (other topics)
Stephen King (other topics)
Stephen King (other topics)
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Juli here. I'll be co-hosting here for the next two hours. My readathon theme this time is everything creepy and crawly and weird. I love getting completely frightened and so I was wondering; what is the scariest book you've read?
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After thinking about this for a while, I would have to say my choice is It. I definitely had to put down the book a few times.