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!
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.
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.
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?
Get it at: amazon.com
Classic spook. Poe was a master of horror, but the creep factor in this is off the charts.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Get it at: amazon.com
This book. It scared me so, so badly. Such a fantastic book, just not at night!
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.
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.
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.
Get it at: amazon.com
This really is a best of collection. Lovecraft knew scary like nobody else.
Get it at: amazon.com
Henry James wanted nobody to ever sleep again.
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.
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?