Ghost Stories That Will Make You Sleep with the Light on ...

By Heather

Ghost Stories That Will Make You Sleep with the Light on ...

I get creeped out by ghost stories, scary books, and haunting horror movies, but I can't keep away from them. I gotta tell you, I prefer reading spooky stories when it comes to giving myself the chills. These are the stories and books that always do it for me. Read 'em, listen to 'em, Google 'em – whatever you do, I bet you'll get a thrill!

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1

Bag of Bones by Stephen King

Get it at: barnesandnoble.com

Stephen King's the king of the horror genre (imho, anyway), but this book is actually a ghost story, and in addition to being creepy, it's honestly one of the most beautiful stories I've ever read.

2

The Shining by Stephen King

Get it at: barnesandnoble.com

Now, Bag of Bones is creepy, but not terrifying. The Shining is terrifying. All of these ghosts are malicious. They are bad, bad ghosts.

3

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

Get it at: thriftbooks.com

Well, duh. Any of the stories in here will do the trick of terrifying you. You can read almost any story in nearly any volume of these tales and get a thrill. Got a fave?

4

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

Get it at: amazon.com

Classic spook. Poe was a master of horror, but the creep factor in this is off the charts.

5

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Get it at: amazon.com

Oh, Hill House – “and whatever walked there, walked alone.” Doesn't that give you the shivers? That's all it takes. The opening paragraph and that last line.

Famous Quotes

To give oneself earnestly to the duties due to men, and, while respecting spiritual beings, to keep aloof from them, may be called wisdom.

Confucius
6

Ghost Story by Peter Straub

Get it at: amazon.com

Peter Straub is great at ghoulish. This probably seems a little obvious, but it is so worth the read. You'll want to be part of the Chowder Society, or form your own.

7

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Get it at: amazon.com

Yeah, Daniel Radcliffe looked pretty hot in the movie, which was enough to spook me, but the book is something else. Books almost always are.

8

Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M. R. James

Get it at: amazon.com

M. R. James is legendary and all of these stories are the kind that'll keep you up at night if you read 'em before bed.

9

The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson

Get it at: amazon.com

So, this is like something between a ghost story and a demon possession kind of story. There's been so much said about whether it's really true or not, but if you just go into it with suspended belief, it's creepy af.

10

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Get it at: amazon.com

This book. It scared me so, so badly. Such a fantastic book, just not at night!

11

Hell House by Richard Matheson

Get it at: amazon.com

This is another classic. I mean, Stephen King himself described Hell House as the scariest novel about haunted houses ever. I totally agree with that.

12

Ligeia by Edgar Allan Poe

Get it at: amazon.com

I've got a thing for old Edgar Allan. “The Raven” is cool and all, but if you want something truly spooky, this one'll do it.

13

The Monkey's Paw by W. W. Jacobs

The Monkey's Paw by W. W. Jacobs Get it at: amazon.com

This story is so good. It is so, so creepy. Even when I'm reading it, I want to cover my eyes when I get to the last knock at the door.

14

The Best of H. P. Lovecraft by H. P. Lovecraft

Get it at: amazon.com

This really is a best of collection. Lovecraft knew scary like nobody else.

15

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Get it at: amazon.com

Henry James wanted nobody to ever sleep again.

16

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Get it at: amazon.com

I love any version of this story, to be honest, even animated Disney cartoons, but hearing it on audio book is maybe the best way to hear it. Try it, seriously.

17

Bewitched by Edith Wharton

Get it at: amazon.com

Edith Wharton's scary tales are as elegant as the rest of her prose. I think that elegance is why they're so creepy.

So, 'fess up. What scary stories always give you the creeps?

Feedback Junction

Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

That’s a classic book I remember reading that as a kid good book

I love Stephen King books. I've read the woman in black but none of the others. I'll keep an eye out for them

Personally I love anything by Dean Koontz, Shaun Hutson and Graham Masterton

The legend if sleepy hollow is little boring.....too much stretched!

Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill, also Stephen King's son, made me sleep with the lights on. Scary as hell.

Stephen king is my favorite author, but to me bag of bones wasn't all that good.

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