Scariest book you have read

[sari]

A friend and I are always on the look out for a good old fashion scary read. For a few years now we have failed to find anything that makes us want to sleep with the lights on.
Here is short list of some of the scariest books I have read.
The Amity Horror is a book that scared us both and neither can look at a pig mask without thinking of this book
What really made my skin crawl was:
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman The ending will haunt me forever!
Pet Cemetery by Stephen King For some reason I almost could not finish the book when I made the connection between the cemetery and the child's death..
IT by Stephen King. I now hate clowns with balloons!!
The Exorcist by Blatty..I still can not view the any of the movie or hold the book.

What would you include in your list? Which is the scariest in your list and why?

[sari]

It and The Stand are two great books, but long!

[Tracee]

Most King books will do it for you - the one that scared me the most was 'Salems Lot...took me a little bit to get into it but once it got going it really scared me. I've never heard of The Yellow Wallpaper - just added it to my ever growing TBR pile. I know there are A LOT of other books I have read - as I think of them I will add them to the list. Can't wait to keep checking back - I LOVE scary books!

[sari]

Salem's Lot was scary! I don't know why it scared me so bad, but it did. I lived in a converted barn when I read the book. Each creak and groan of the old wood made me jump after reading.

[SunShine]

I was about to recommend 'salem's Lot too! Also My Swordhand Is Singing-maybe not quite as scary but very historically interesting.
The Historian is actually my favorite book... ;) Gotta love it. Has anyone heard they're making a movie?

[sari]

I had not heard they are making a movie from The Historian. I loved this book. I borrowed it from the library, then ended up buying a used copy.

[L J Edwards]

There are a few scary books that come to mind. The Red Dragon by Thomas Harris was very scary. I also think alot of true crime books are pretty darn scary The Night Stalker by Clifford Linedecker (about serial killer Richard Ramirez)
In Cold Blood by Capote chilled me to the bone.
The Collector by Fowles and The Wasp Factory by Ian Banks also made me shudder.
One other book which was very graphic and disturbing so would have to be considered scary is called The End of Alice by A.M Homes (not for the weak of heart)
Don't forget American Psycho by Brett Ellis (Yikes!!! )

[sari]

I saw a TV special on Richard Ramirez, I did not sleep for a couple of days afterwords!

[diana mack]

hands down bag of bones by stephen king followed by pet semetary by stephen king
is it weird to like to be scared?!

[Christine Bode]

I'd have to say most of Stephen King's early work and in particular The Stand, The Shining and Salem's Lot, Clive Barker's early work like Books of Blood and The Damnation Game and The Exorcist. I don't read a lot of scary books anymore.

[Arantha Royce]

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (Stephen King's son)--sooo creepy and well written. My favorite scary book I have ever read

-The Ruins by Scott Smith---very disturbing. Very. Nothing like the movie...the movie was horrible. Read this book.

-A Simple Plan by Scott Smith---this is not a horror novel or a ghost novel. It is about human nature and the horrible things people do to each other out of greed.

-Everything's Eventual by Stephen King---a collection of short stories that will TERRIFY you. One of my faves.

[Teresa Kelsey]

For a fact based book that is truly scary, try Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. Lock the doors and leave the lights on!
Teresa Kelsey

[Karen Zemek]

Has to be John Saul's books: Suffer the Children about the occult, a family curse and Comes the Blind Fury about a 12-yr. old girl forced off a cliff who comes back to haunt other 12-yr. old girls. I stopped reading his books after these two--too scary for me.