Books That Scared Me

Lipstick: Sentimental by The Balm
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Books Mentioned:
KILL CREEK by Scott Thomas
IT by Stephen King
SERIAL KILLERS by Peter Vronsky
I'LL BE GONE IN THE DARK by Michelle McNamara
THE LIBRARY AT MOUNT CHAR by Scott Hawkins
THE GOOD NURSE by Charles Graeber
COLUMBINE by Dave Cullen
THE UNINHABITABLE EARTH by David Wallace-Wells
THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins
WHY WE GET FAT by Gary Taubes
NEW YORK TO DALLAS by JD Robb
LOLITA by Vladimir Nabokov
THE HISTORIAN by Elizabeth Kostova
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS by Thomas Harris
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[@sandracarreira8419]

When I was reading I'll Be Gone In the Dark, I was so freaked that I dreamt that someone was coming to my bedroom in the middle of the night and I would wake up completely scared shitless... 😬

[@bookslikewhoa]

Omg that is terrifying!! >.

[@iansmith4023]

The Hot Zone,by Richard Preston. A few years ago I was holidaying in Walt Disney World,and I thought it would be interesting to read a scary book in order to counterbalance all the jollity that surrounded me (It certainly wasn't my first choice as a holiday destination - but my children's wishes were more important than mine). I bought it in the hotel bookstore,and was so terrified by what I read that I didn't want to leave my bedroom. In the end (ironically) I was grateful for all that jollity!

[@freerangebookster9107]

That would be a terrifying place to be while reading that book haha

[@freerangebookster9107]

The good nurse freaked me out more than just about any book I’ve ever read. It was crazy how he seemed to want to get caught and people still went catching on.

[@thoughtquake7516]

I found 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy terrifying. I love his writing & want to re-read it at some point but so far I haven't been able to.

[@betw2090]

Many years ago I was reading Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot” when alone for the weekend and definitely could not read it at night. When I was about 13 I read Lovecraft’s short story “Pickman’s Model.” Now at 67 I still can’t go down to the cellar at night without thinking of it. Was stuck in a hotel room during a storm in DC reading “Dance of the Dwarves” by Geoffrey Household, and the ending freaked me out - wanted to yell at the characters “Don’t open the door!”

[@LienesLibrary]

I just started Pet Semetary which is my first King and I'm told it's the one he thought was too dark to publish, so......ruh roh

[@bookslikewhoa]

Get your flashlight & pepper spray ready o_0

[@sophiecarbone4977]

A book that genuinely scared me was definitely in the miso soup! Very interesting read but definitely gory! It’s about a Japanese tour guide showing an American man around the Japanese red light districts and night life and the tour guide slowly begins to think this man is a serial killer

[@bookslikewhoa]

Ooo, that sounds really creepy!

[@joeycron2831]

I feel like this video was the equivalent of a horror movie ending with the line “Based on True Events.” So many more nonfiction books than I expected 😱😱 lol

[@bookslikewhoa]

Fact is scarier than fiction tbh :D

[@joeycron2831]

bookslikewhoa sad but becoming more and more true

[@gaildoughty6799]

Silence of the Lambs and The Red Dragon both scared the living daylights out of me. And so did Salem’s Lot, but I’m just a patsy for a really good vampire story.

[@bonnaedavis8679]

Exactly what I was going to comment. Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs both truly creepy. Salem's Lot has stayed with me for well over 40 years. Scared me to death. Of course I loved the books.

[@inksplat]

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark scared me too, because I live in the Bay Area where some of it happened. 😳

[@bookslikewhoa]

Ack, SCARY!!

[@ginnyvanoh]

I love the Historian! I was so hooked I almost called out of work to finish reading it.

[@bookslikewhoa]

That's when you know it's a good book!!

[@Imaginetheday1967]

Stephen King - specifically Carrie and Christine. I read both of those in high school and I could not finish them because they were just too much for me. It took me a long time to finally accept that Stephen King was just not the author for me. Oh! Misery! That one was terrifying!

[@godslittlestidiot2984]

I'm reading the historian right now and really enjoying it!

[@ajbee1065]

That is a common scam, the woman at the gas station, with or without kids.

[@Prissy.6]

AJ Bee always good to have your antenna up at gas stations... nothing good goes on there

[@jolie52]

Interesting picks of books! I'LL BE GONE IN THE DARK and THE GOOD NURSE both sound really fascinating.

[@lr4204]

Echo's in Death and New York to Dallas are the two of the 50 that I have only read once. Not that they were scary, but the evil and darkness is what got to me.

[@meljstephan]

I tried to read Lolita a while back when I was focusing a lot on reading "classics". It made me so anxious and upset that I became physically ill and my mom took it from me and made me read Anne of Green Gables to calm back down.

[@Vanitas1131]

You mentioned some books I have on my tbr for way too long. Especially The historian and Silence of the lambs. Not sure if I'm into a scary book 😲

[@lindaschwab8873]

Silence of the Lambs is a seriously creepy, scary book. I read it when I was home alone late at night. Freaked me out and had me checking the locks on all the doors and windows. Lol

[@sophiecarbone4977]

Oh my gosh! I’m reading The Historian right now!! It’s gonna take me sooo long but I’m loving it! It’s definitely he kind of creepy vampires I love! This really pushes me to keep reading it

[@godslittlestidiot2984]

So I've never found a book to scare me really, but my favorite creepypastas (the only stories that frigthen me are) In Between the Static (genuinely horrifying) The Russian Sleep Experiment A Favor for a Favor (more of a good story than scary) A Diner Open 25 Hours a Day Gateway of the Mind There are more but those are some of the best I think

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

This is so interesting. Listening to this I'm realizing I don't like feeling scared about anything that feels like it could be real, or that used to feel that way. So real-life serial killers and possession stories are scary in a bad way, but I enjoy books that are scary in a less realistic way. Also I can't usually do violence involving children.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yeah, I feel you on realistic vs. unrealistic scary... I think for me it depends on my mood/the genre as to how much tolerance I have for it being realistic

[@meljstephan]

Scary books scare me so much more than scary movies because I feel like it's a lot easier to guess what's going to happen in film. I still occasionally have nightmares after reading the cemetery scene from the Goblet of Fire at too young an age 😬

[@leestarling6887]

Intensity by Dean Koontz scared me out of.my skin!

[@theresac9099]

Lee Starling I've got to put this on my TBR, not the first time I've heard this sentiment!

[@arlenedangerfield6287]

The book that comes to my mind that was very disturbing is We Have To Talk About Kevin. Wrote in a epistemology format. I do enjoy your comments so keep them coming. Thanks for all you post. Arlene in Texas

[@minamiryanova]

It's also possible listening to the book saved you.... who knows if that woman's situation was genuine.

[@bookslikewhoa]

It's true-- situational awareness is no bad thing

[@annajo6576]

I had the EXACT same reaction with The Hunger Games trilogy! Read it in one fell swoop and was SO distraught. After reading that I decided that I am not a dystopian reader. I can’t deal with children killing children!

[@djpocta]

American Psycho. I couldn't shake it from my head for months. In the same way you were scared of Serial Killers because it's nonfiction, I was scared of American Psycho because it was fiction and couldn't imagine someone making those things up.

[@MahoganyRain]

I tried "It" as a child (I was a latchkey child) and I stopped after the first few pages. I found the movie way less scary than I did the first few pages of the novel.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Same!!

[@thiadesg]

Station Eleven isn't a book anyone would think is scary, and yet! Reading the first part alone at home during a snowstorm was scaring me a lot.

[@bookmarkbeth8416]

I’m buddy reading IT this month! 😬 I read a lot of dark literature so I’m constantly mistrusting of others and very aware of my surroundings. Totally normal but I get how it can hold us back from things. Better safe than sorry though.

[@heth300]

'Bird Box' really creeped me out.

[@arlyf8751]

Same! Often times it was heart pounding. I enjoyed it so much more than the movie

[@MarilynMayaMendoza]

I used to read a lot of True Crime. The Hillside Strangler scared the heck out of me and was sad as well

[@genresandjournals]

Loved The Historian! Great book! I think I’m too big of a scaredy cat to try It and Kill Creek would probably scare me to death too. I tried starting Heart Shaped Box and the first couple of chapters were too scary and I had to put it down. I read The Woman in Black recently and it was the type of book that I could tell I would be scared to read at night home alone but with people in the house during the day, it was fine. Great list! Enjoyed this video!

[@bookslikewhoa]

I saw the play of The Woman in Black in London and it was scary AF!

[@jennylovesbooks5591]

Cujo, scared the willies out of me 😱

[@solidarnosc9663]

Cujo was messed up. I checked to see if King had kids when he wrote that book. Once I found out that he did.. I couldn't shake the feeling that he is one twisted fuck. Took a while for me to pick up a book by Stephen after reading Cujo. That little boy named Tad deserved better. Ughh...

[@mynameisemilygood]

Omg. I screenshot your whole list of books because this was such a great list! I have read Lolita but every other one I haven't gotten into yet. I neeeeed to be scared! It's what adds some spice to life lol. I was surprised to see the Hunger Games on here but I can get that. Thanks for this list! Also, a book that I've now tried to read three times but can't because it kind of makes me feel afraid of humans is Ishmael, have you read it?!

[@krakentoagoodbook]

I read Kill Creek in October and definitely thought it was terrifying! I made sure to only read it during the day lol. I also read I'll Be Gone in the Dark in October and definitely found myself constantly looking over my shoulders while walking outside. This reminds me that I have Red Dragon and should read it! I read 'Salem's Lot back in middle school at night since I didn't want my parents to know I was reading it and it scared me so much! The Shining is also terrifying, but I made sure to read that one only during the day.

[@debralavoie9095]

So far, the only book and movie that scared me, was The Exorcist. I couldn't sleep without terrible nightmares. It was so bad, that in college I forced myself to watch it again because the fear was a phobia. Happy Halloween!!

[@kristydexter]

Thanks for this video. Some of these books I had read already, but I’ve also just added some more to my want to read list

[@Ann86dk]

For some reason general horror mostly don't scare me. I have never dived into the true crime genre, but I think that would probably keep me awake at night. I hope to finally read IT I've postponed it, and postponed it over the years because I have sort of anxious feeling towards clowns already, but I enjoy Stephen King's writing so much, and I have now plans to read it next year (also because I read his books chronologically so it's one of the next ones).

[@bookslikewhoa]

Oh no... not sure this will do anything to help your anxiety around clowns :*/

[@remyhocage9854]

I read Stephen King's novel, The Shinning while sunbathing on a beautiful day in San Diego. Although was a very hot day at Mission Beach, I started shivering & kept looking around in fear. (The beach was full of normal, live people.). I have never been more frightened, even though I had seen the movie & knew the plot !

[@MegaLinguistics]

I love scary stories! Thanks for the indications. I will buy the first one today!

[@danecobain]

Awesome :D I think the most scared I've ever been from a book was either The Exorcist or Dracula. But I think I'm kind of numb these days because I don't tend to get scared anymore!

[@StormReads]

Thats funny about Kill Creek, that book bored me lol. I have read so many horror that it doesn’t bother me. Probably nit a good thing lol.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Haha, it's funny how the same book can strike readers so differently!

[@arlyf8751]

@storm reads what is the scariest book you've read?

[@StormReads]

@@arlyf8751 Honestly, I don't think a book has ever scared me. Not since I was a teen when Stephen King use to creep me out a bit, now reread those books was kind of boring...lol.

[@arlyf8751]

@@StormReads that's exactly how I feel as well. I struggle finding anything that will creep me out enough. Same goes for movies

[@StormReads]

@@arlyf8751 Yeah, usually if I jump it's because of those stupid jump scares and I can know they are going to happen and still jump but not cause of fright it just catches me off guard lol.

[@LisbethJimenez]

I used to think that I was hardcore because I loved horror books I was reading King at the ripe old age of 13 (things were different back then) now I see a carved pumpkin and I am looking for my security blanky. Other people want to get married to be in a loving relationship (that's awesome) but I just want to go back to reading all kinds of scary stuff LMAO

[@emilyboivin613]

Read Kill Creek with my husband and we enjoyed it. You should read it or at least give it a go. It's not as scary as it appears.

[@thomasthompson6378]

I really think that "Lolita" is intended to be anything but scary. Humbert Humbert is in love with a twelve-year old girl -- which is, of course, transgressive in the extreme. But Nabokov, to his great credit, treats the story fundamentally as one which acknowledges beauty, and there's nothing judgmental about the relationship from the standpoint of the author. But it is, for us, beyond the pale. That said, this novel has a soaring lyricism about it that has not been exceeded in any other modern novel about "love" that I know of. There's really nothing else out there like it. So I hope you'll give it another chance.

[@Joannotations]

I am brand new to this genre! I have just read 3 horror books and have just posted a video about it - including stephen King! Great video, can;t wait to see more! 👻

[@solidarnosc9663]

I just finished IT a few weeks ago. My wife and I like to read books out loud sometimes and we said fuck it and decided to read some of Stephen King's work like that. Cujo, The Shining, Salem's Lot, etc. His books are truly creepy.. and let me tell you, if you got scared from that opening storm drain encounter which is the very first chapter... boy as much as I would like to recommend that you just dive in.. ehh. It's my favorite book ever written because it pretty much has everything. Ahh.. you know what.. give it a whirl.. It's got some genuinely scary parts, no question, but it is quite an experience once you finish IT. It feels like you just had a nightmare once you are done with it. The length?? put it this way.. It's so good that I wish it were even longer. The movie adaptations are embarrassing compared to this novel.

[@jimhaggard7436]

Off topic, but the woman with the carful of kids and asking for money was most likely a ruse. They’ll drive around all day looking for nice looking people to fleece.

[@Karnusha]

Dracula. I have read that book quite young ( Jr. High or High School, can’t remember) and it really scared me. That was the first time ever that a book caused nightmares😅. I read the Historian as an adult and the thrilling feeling throughout the book was wonderful.

[@juanloureiro]

I stumbled across your channel and I kind of like it. Anyway, I don't understand why Nabokov's "Lolita" scared you; it is a masterpiece. Of course, it is a study of a sexual predator, but it is not intended to scare anyone. In addition, it is considered one of the best books written in the English language ... and by a Russian writer, which makes some sense since Russian literature is very well written, but not as well known today. By the way, did you read "Crime and Punishment" by Dostoievski?

[@jadeh7951]

I agree with Lolita for sure. I’ve seen the movie but tried reading it and only got in maybe a few chapters and couldn’t finish. Just the way he talks about her in his head is so descriptive, I felt like I was him the way it was written. Obviously this was done on purpose and the author did his job making that happen but it made my skin crawl and I just couldn’t finish it. I actually gave it away lol.

[@kara4640]

Nocturnal Animals is atmospheric and gave me the creeps... I stopped reading it.. intending to return to it. The Korean novel The Good Son simply because it is from the perspective of a very predatory psychopath it is unsettling. If I can add to that although incredibly well written had to take a break from a very very dark and chilling crime by Natsuo Kirino Grotesque.

[@shelbyhosey9374]

I have a carbon copy of les miserables

[@Sarah-hc6kj]

When the algorithm blesses you

[@trishbirchard1270]

Your skin is so beautiful!