Wednesday 10 October 2012

Scary Books For Stormy Nights


I usually enjoy a good bump in the night...er, I mean scare. This time of year as the evenings get cooler and Halloween decorations appear around the neighborhood, a suspenseful thriller is the perfect companion for my bedtime cup of tea...okay whiskey.

For nights when the wind whistles under the eaves and the shadows of the bare trees look like witch fingers reaching for the window, may I suggest a few reads that will get you in the mood...er, for reading a scary book.

(Don't miss the trailer I made at the very bottom!)

The Spiral Staircase by Ethel Lina White

Hitchcock brought it to television and Dorothy McGuire starred in the movie. If that doesn't impress you, nothing will.

This is a classic slow building suspense novel complete with an isolated mansion and a stormy night. At it's heart is a poor servant girl trapped in a house with old family secrets while a killer prowls outside looking for an unlocked door.


photo credit, mysterytarget.com



The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Stephen King admits it's one of his favorite horror stories. Enough said.

Here's a tip, read the book first THEN watch the movie—the original black and white, forget about the Catherine Zeta Jones version.

photo credit, connorcoyne.com

Pet Semetary by Stephen King

How can I pick just one Stephen King title? It's tough but this book explores the power of grief and how it can make people act in a way that others would consider insane.

I read this over twenty years ago, but the last line has stayed with me all this time, and still gives me goosebumps.

"Darling," it said. 
photo credit, en.wikipedia.com


Ghost Story by Peter Straub

There's nothing better than a group of old guys in tuxedos reminiscing about one summer fifty years ago when they were all in love with the same woman.

You think you know what's going to happen, but you're wrong. You think you know who is to blame, but you're wrong. You think you'll be able to sleep after reading this, but you're wrong.

Holy graveyard spookfest! Keep the lights on.


photo credit, womansday.com


Stranger With My Face by Lois Duncan

This is the cover that caught my teenage eye in the Chester Book Mobile (ahem...many years ago) and introduced me to the awesome Lois Duncan.

It's light on the gore by contemporary standards, however this suspense filled, paranormal teen drama has all the voice and angst of today's younger generation with clever dialogue and pitch perfect emotions.

A horror story that's full of clever twists with a heroine you'll be cheering for until the heart stopping finale.

photo credit, jezabel.com




The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins

One of the best openings you'll read. A working class man falls in love with a gentleman's daughter, only to find she has a mysterious connection to a local family tragedy. A must for any mystery lover!



photo credit, broadviewpress.com



Check out the quick video I made for YouTube!





If you liked this, click on the Google+1 button below and help share the awesome!

What are some of your favorite spooky reads?




8 comments:

Arianna said...

Frankenstien and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are probably my favorite scary stories. Or pretty much anything by Edgar Allen Poe. And that's about as scary as I go. I'm kinda a wimp with it comes to horror/scary stories.

Laila N Mysis said...

ZOMG, you've made everything sound so incredibly chilling and epic, I want to read them all rightnowthisinstant!

The trailer you made is awesome too, though you have a typo towards the end, where 'moment' is supposed to be. The music you used for it is just the creepy O_O

The most horror I've read, I think, is RL Stine stuff. Goosebumps, and all that jazz :P

BR Myers said...

Ohhh, good call Arianna!

Thanks, Laila. And...oops saw the typo and fixed it up speedy quick.

Cheers! Also love your comments.

Sus said...

Out of all of those, I've only read The Woman in White, so now I have new books to read!

My favorite scary books are Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier and The Turn Of The Screw, Henry James

Mary Vettel said...

Well done, Bethany. More books added to my list TBR. (Already read King & Straub.) You're so good at seducing your reader - and I enjoyed the trailer too.

BR Myers said...

Sus, I've read those two as well. Excellent for power outages.

Thank you, Mary. I aim to seduce.

Sus said...

Bethany, I gave you a Liebster award! You can check it out on my blog: http://susreviews.blogspot.com/

Yolanda Renée said...

Great classics.

Came by because Sus recommended you through the liebster.

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