reading 7 dark stories in 7 days🕯️🎃 reading vlog

hello my friends for halloween i have a scary short story reading vlog for you all!!
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Hi! My name is Leonie and I am a 25 year old girl who loves talking about books! From YA to non-fiction to classics, I read it all (although fantasy will always be my fave). I live in the Netherlands and go to university, but make booktube videos in my spare time :)
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[@anthipaganou3727]

Poe didn't really write horror stories, at least not what we mean by "horror stories" today. He wrote gothic literature, that's why atmosphere is so central in his works. Back then, his stories were actually considered "scary" or mostly disturbing. I would suggest you read The Fall of the House of Usher, it's my favourite one of his

[@elyseb.5029]

Another version of jumpscares in manga I found, is when there's a big space pictured, seemingly safe to look at (like a empty room) but then there's a lil something at the back of the room, at the window, or creeping out of the closet that you didn't see at first. It's like the empty room gives you a false sense of security and then just when you relax you see the thing. Instant shivers. It always gets me. 😱😭

[@nevskislake]

This video has such a cool vibe to it. You put so much effort into your videos to create the perfect mood and aesthetic. I really appreciate that. Happy Halloween, Leonie!

[@24studiosbrm]

Happy Halloween everyone

[@MegaMac464]

I think you would adore Uzumaki by Junji Ito. You mentioned you love for the fear of the unknown and thats pretty much the entire book. It's one of his long form stories but almost feels like a collection of short stories all in this same creepy town that link together to make a bigger story. Probably the most disturbing of his works that I've read and has some amazing page turn jumpscares lol

[@bookworm_and_tea]

Your reaction to Junji Ito throughout the stories was priceless !! 😂🤣

[@val.daffodils]

Really really loved this vlog because it was not about reading as many books as you could, but truly about enjoying pieces of literature and finding your favorite! And your vlogs are always so pleasing aesthetically and you feel like a close friend

[@abigailunderkoffler]

I think you might like “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson! It’s a short story that’s not scary per say, but it is disturbing-I think it might be psychological horror? I remember reading it in school and being absolutely shocked when I realized what had happened at the end. It’s probably even more disturbing when you read it for the second time!

[@ElRobin]

So glad you decided to read Junji Ito, his art is incredible and he has really mastered the art of "the page turn" hahaha. Uzumaki is one of his most praised work and it follows a continuous storyline for the whole book if you're interested in that.

[@annagiann.2143]

I love the aesthetic and vibes. This is perfect for Halloween 🎃🦇👻

[@oliviaharris1245]

I think I love reading horror stories bc I have control over my imagination. But I remember my cousin taking Junji Ito to the beach and reading them as “beach books” during our spring break.

[@wingcastlereads5657]

That is both kinda hilarious and terrifying 😂

[@jodijodijodi]

if you like the picture of dorian gray i recommend the oval portrait (short story) by edgar allen poe. they have pretty similar themes and i adore them both so much (i think oscar wilde was actually inspired by edgar’s story when he first wrote the book)

[@charmedvenuss]

Junji Ito is known for making people dread turning the page and using it to his advantage! its why its a struggle to adapt his work haha

[@summer-yk1iz]

i completely agree with what you said about genre awareness!! i noticed when i’m aware that the book i’m reading is a horror or thriller, i get more scared and uneasy than i do when i don’t know what genre the book is. it’s very interesting how that works!!

[@michaelsommers2356]

You should definitely read Poe's "Cask of Amontillado". Very chilling. Poe's gravesite, by the way, is a couple of miles or so from where I was born.

[@bookdragon4622]

YES, one of my favorite parts about poe stories are his unreliable narrators. Like Cask and tell tale heart.

[@ladyrosenrot1514]

LUCKY 🥲😩

[@lauras4472]

@@bookdragon4622yes! And The Pit and the Pendulum. My fave

[@lex7176]

ive also been on the hunt for a story that really scares me! what usually scares me when im watching/listening to horror is the audio so I've been wanting to find a book that gives me that same feeling, but can't rely on jump scares or noise to scare me. I think horror stories are such a cool form of horror media and I really want to get into it!!

[@fallisdying2077]

I agree so much with what you said around 8:37 having a knowledge of what the book is like totally impacts your experience reading the book differently than if you just went into it not paying attention to it's genre and it's themes

[@Scarshadow666]

Loved The Annihilation movie as well (especially the creature design with the wendigo-like bear, that was so creepy and cool)! Definitely recommend the Area X series way more though, because it's way more existential and has some cool James Cameron Aliens vibes to it. Also recommend Nick Cutter's The Troop and Chuck Palahniuk's Haunted, but only if you can handle some gore and some body horror.

[@Kaffee_auf_ex]

Shiver looks so good, you just made me want to read my first manga ever

[@angelajones129]

I totally relate to what you said regarding the difference between reading and watching horror. I have no problem reading horror stories but I can't watch ANY of them. 😱

[@angelazeiler6838]

I got "Tender is the flesh" from my library and finished it a few days ago and I was quite disturbed by it ... especially the second part of the book has so many scenes that made me uncomfortable. But at the same time I couldn't stop reading and I will definitly buy it for my bookshelf.

[@marg9784]

The first chapter of truly devious had my heart racing! It’s one of the only books that got me spooked which is so random cause it’s so wholesome otherwise

[@aaaacarolina]

horror is the genre i most consume, and i don't think i had ever thought about it, but the genre awareness really is interesting. after you've read enough horror books and watched enough horror movies, perfectly normal situations get a completely different view

[@pendragon2012]

You look adorable in that dress! Scary stories can be fun--especially the more supernatural types. Happy Halloween, Leonie!

[@ASGhouti]

I really fell in love with the editing of this reading vlog 🫶✨ If it’s possible, please make a part two of this, it’d be really refreshing to see you dive into the horror genre. 🤌💙

[@katereadsbooks3805]

I think there is only so much a short story can do with horror... I've read a few scary books that have stuck with me more than a scary movie or short story... it kind of depends on the book though!! If you like psychological horror, I recommend finding a list of books under that genre and reading them, then comparing it to a psychological horror movie to determine which one is the scarier! Lovely video, Leonie!! Creepy vibes excellence! ✨🎃

[@marisophi]

You should totally read Uzumaki by Junji Ito! Even my teachers picked it as a material for one of my philosophy classes in art school!!!

[@Thegirlwiththebooks-]

If you like weird and teeth read Equinox. There is literally a character who has teeth growing in his eye sockets. All-time fave of mine :)

[@xena4792]

M'AM EXCUSE YOU. You're outfit at the beginning is BEAUTIFUL.

[@owly611]

Thank you Leonie. I was happy to listen and feel your experiences upon exposure to more scary book-reads. :D The best to you!! 💜

[@tisha177]

Omg I love the background music!! It's so wonderfully adding to the aesthetic of the video

[@Masamaihari]

Your reading vlogs are so interesting. Thanks a lot for all the effort! 💫⭐

[@fallisdying2077]

Your editing style and the aesthetic of your videos are so beautiful

[@SillyCelly411]

Your white blouse (dress?top??) in the beginning is so pretty and ghostly! Perfect for the season 🎃

[@beccabooked]

I love how you edit videos - so cozy ☺️

[@cosyreadingclub]

I love truly devious so much! I really need to finish the series 🍁

[@itsmevita]

Ah yes, Junji Ito. His stuff is full of nightmare

[@traviscruz2739]

I think you said you don't read much horror. But I thought the same way "how scary can words be", like you said readers have so much control over their personal reading experiences. That was until I read "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski. You've probably been recommended that, but no other book has made me put the book down and just sit their. Frozen in fear of every off sound I heard coming from my house. Whether the A/C or my bed creaking lol. Also just started watching your vids gotta say, they are pretty sick.

[@leanne19]

I’m reading shiver right now Leonie❤

[@Sthemingway]

It's much easier and faster to close a book than it is to turn off a movie when you're freaking the F out at a particular scene. As you mentioned, there's no such thing as a "jump scare" when you're reading words (unless it's manga) like there are when you're listening to a story or watching a film (even muted). And, depending on how many controls or buttons you have to push or browser tabs you have to close to make the scary images go away, you'll be inflicting a lot more of the "omg, omg, ahhhh!" on yourself than simply throwing the book across the room. And yet, it's easier to keep a creepy movie on if you lower the volume and cover most of the screen with your fingers....and then you'll know what happens next even if you don't see everything. With a book, it may take more effort to do the right kind of skimming ahead to "skip" the disturbing stuff without missing any relevant plot details.

[@Dreaminangel420]

Awesome video and very genuine response to reading Junji Ito. That’s definitely they way I turn the page when reading his books lol

[@kril4120]

“it’s gross and weird in an aesthetic way” is why i love spooky stories ahaha

[@kerrykennedy_author]

Happy Halloween Leonie. I love this vlog

[@sarahoffringa]

Love this. Scariest book I ever read was Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt if you ever wanna do more spooky reading videos. Happy Halloween! 👻❤

[@Julia-dr9uj]

Honestly, just the sound of you turning the pages is kinda good haha. I hate horror but loved the video ♡

[@stanloona000]

That Junji Ito hardcover is gorgeous

[@mennoberga4133]

Oooh, if you haven't read annihilation yet - big reccomendation. It's rather different from the movie, if I remember correctly the screenplay was written on a relatively vague memory from reading the book, rather than a true adaptation (with Vandermeers's blessing). I went into it just expecting a sci-fi story, so the horror aspects of it all really took me by surprise hahaha

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

I might not be doing anything in particular for halloween, but I sure as hell will be watching a ton of cosy reading vlogs🎃

[@lenystic1819]

If you like the esthetic of teeth, I definitely recommande you the movie Earwig, by the French director Lucile Hadziallilovic. It’s beautifully shot and the story is as bizarre as it is engaging. Perfect for this spooky time 😊 Plus, the actors are English-speaker, so it will be no problem if you don’t understand French !

[@tischa3639]

Such a cool vibe: the editing, the music, even your black nails haha

[@sayst]

If you want more of those supernatural unknown that feel subtle like a haunting and less pop out and scare you, try Robert Aickman's strange short stories, like "Cold Hand in Mine" or others. You feel the unease of the unresolved, and the unexplained and it's beautifully written.

[@fallisdying2077]

You should try reading 'You should have left' it's a short story written in diary format and it's got all the scary elements but nothing too detailed, it could even be interpreted as a psychological horror

[@cosyreadingclub]

I did a similar channel and had so much fun!! didn’t manage to read that much but it did make me feel autumny. I loved your video btw 🤍🤍🤍

[@madeleine.genevieve]

I wish I could subscribe more than once 🥺 the only KZbinr I actually would be friends with

[@xobeautygoddessox]

Great video! Perfect Halloween vibes🎃👻🕷

[@tepachon6466]

I read Uzumaki in 2 days and was scared and unsettled for the next 3 💀

[@michelleandbass406]

Love that you got to have a taste of Junji Ito! I’d also highly suggest Venus in the Blindspot by Junji Ito. It’s my favourite short story collection!

[@noramarie2891]

I love your videoes Leonie ❤

[@lunarscorpio3987]

I love Edgar Allan Poe so much, it’s almost his birthday too.

[@heathers_happily_ever_afters]

I'm glad you enjoyed reading Poe. I do not find his stories scary either, but the vibes and the writing are amazing.

[@wingcastlereads5657]

I remember watching a video about Junji Ito's "jumpscares" and use of the pageturn. I think it was about how media scares us? It was a really good video regardless

[@AdrianasWonderland]

i love your vlogs 🥰🥰

[@skylarnielsentalks]

Have you ever heard of a series of scary stories called Goosebumps? They were some of my favorite novels when I was a kid.

[@Anne-hj6mj]

Are those the spooky children horror series by R.L. Stine? I think in Dutch they are called "Kippenvel" and I loved them as a child (and was proper scared too)

[@beba2070]

hope you continue reading Shiver cause the stories you read were the least scary to me lol

[@lyvsix]

Poe is the best in his genre BY FAR. My dad introduced me to his short stories at a very young age ( too young actually) and from tje begining I was mesmerized. I have different books with drawings and cool af editions very beautiful, and I keep on rereading them both in english and spanish and.... I just feel a personal connection with his works honestly bc Ive always had nightmares every single night and always remember all of them....and I wish I was such an amazing writer as he was to put what I live every night to paper, my mom says I would be rich lol. In fact my nightmares have been the source of inspiration for ppl I know who are writers and painters. Berenice is not one of his best ones so you should def choose a different one and give it a second chance.... however I see that you are not a big fan of horror so maybe it is just not for you and thats ok.

[@lexichrist9859]

Ray Bradbury has a lot of really creepy short stories that I think you would really like. He’s a science fiction writer and I think would fit your vibe. The illustrated man is my favorite collection by his

[@filmblooms]

so early there's still only 360p available lmao, looking forward to getting cozy and watching this!!

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

Ahahah I always try to read before bed and fall asleep and forget everything… I feel ya 😂

[@jmsl910]

leonie, did you ever make a video on books that tackle environmental issues? could you?? it would be epics!

[@ILoveJahangeer]

Love you, Leoni! You’re so amazing and as always, what a video! Absolutely perfect!!! Continue shining and raking in that success, because you truly deserve it! ❤️

[@Steve-ki5ft]

It was interesting hearing your thoughts about the differences between reading and watching horror stories, and about turning the page of a horror manga being similar to jump scares. I wonder if reading can ever be as scary as watching horror movies? I guess cliffhanger chapter endings in books can be similar to jump scares. R. L. Stine uses scary cliffhanger chapter endings really well in his Fear Street books.

[@georginakosi5411]

When you showed the cover of "Shiver": Trypophobic people: *covering phone/laptop screens*

[@magui9409]

you should read the enigma of amigara fault by junji ito !!! its genuinely the scariest story ive read of him so far

[@starsbookreviews]

Ooh!!! This seem so fun!!! So going to try this next Halloween! I'm vlogging as I read Long Live the Pumpkin Queen, it' takes place after The Nightmare Before Christmas and Sally must take on a mysterious force threatening Halloween Town.

[@giiuliasouza2081]

Hi Leonie (from Brazil hahaha), have you ever read Mariana Enriquez? She's a Argentinian author who writes a lot of horror stories. I truly recommend Things we lost in the fire. Also, I love your work

[@moralopez3213]

great video!!!

[@charlie7694]

Have you read the swallow by charris cotter? It is a childrens book but I thought it was great as a ghost story :)

[@mlleariane6667]

I saw you say that you loved the Annihilation movie so I wanted to let you know that the book is SO different from the movie and you should definitely read it too because the experience is vastly different.

[@spcbnd1087]

Your reactions to the Junji Ito manga had me dead lmaooo cause same

[@_sarathedreamer]

A very good short stories collection you should read next if you want to be spooked is the graphic novel Through the Woods by Emily Carroll! I read it two years ago in october and it was spooky as HELL, highly recommend!!

[@sweetestaphrodite]

I read it recently and I agree with you. It’s very short, though, but it’s drawn so well!

[@24studiosbrm]

His Face All Red

[@brettbosley779]

Poe can be frustrating, because there's so much buildup, and the endings are over in a sentence or two. They're really all about the atmosphere, and it's important to remember that they were read entirely by firelight.

[@bluetheon]

Please read Uzumaki by Junji Ito! It's a longer story but one of his absolute best 👌

[@danielabarrientos9386]

Hi, you mentioned briefly but would you recommend the truly devious series?? what's your opinion on it? I've been thinking about reading them but I have not seen many opinions about them so I'm curious.

[@nightshadow9]

if there's one story that actually scared me and left me uneasy for DAYS is stolen tongues by felix blackwell, i highly recommend

[@natashahill4370]

If you found that you enjoyed the experience of short atmospheric horror stories, I highly recommend the short stories of Roald Dahl.

[@AwkwardandNerdy]

You have to read the Annihilation trilogy!!!

[@annablattler2556]

Where do you listen to audiobooks?:)

[@jamesduggan7200]

I think I understand that this is a seasonal post, nevertheless, I thought I might mention that O. Henry is the best American short story writer, so you can read some when you like. btw, I tried Audible, and they're offering in their library (for free!) some of the things you recommended, like Man's Search for Meaning, and a few others. Thx

[@caitlyn.m.t9618]

If you want alice in wonderland horror, look into Wonderland: An Anthology edited by Marie O'Reagan and Paul Kane. It has a variety of stories, plenty that are darker. The first line of the first story is 'It should go without saying, but not all the Alices survived.'

[@Arawn505]

This explains those tricksy spambots, popping up this weekend to haunt the Book Leo comments section 🦇

[@MaryAmongStories]

🧡🕯🍂

[@seedhijalebi8614]

Now I feel nothing can scare me 🙂

[@ophelia.underwater]

Honestly I was so displeased with Junji Ito, I expected so much more but it was just try-hard-all-at-once-everything-I-can-think-of scary. I just expected more grotesque, chilling terror I guess which is my fault because I did not do my research. So putting this out for everyone thinking about reading his mangas, be sure to ecpect what it actually is.

[@SierraTibbetts]

maam im supposed to be doing my biology lab

[@MementoMorituri]

Should've started with The Frolic by Ligotti. It's creepy as hell.

[@Ladyloraaa]

You SHOULD read H.P. Lovecraft, he's the heart of horror/creative stories, he has such an incredibly magnificent imagination he will blow your mind and he’s the most inspiring writer of all time. I’m telling you you have to start reading Cthulhu mythos. have a great day 🫶🏼

[@alissa8406]

Possibly but then hes also a white supremacists.

[@Ladyloraaa]

@@alissa8406 don't care 😕

[@tessagurgel8560]

Pls read the devil makes tree by tori bovalino

[@eevieee]

the only book I've read from thomas ligotti is the conspiracy against the human race. it's nonfiction and i went into it blind. it's probably one of the most terrifying books I've read and not because it's in the horror genre... but because the author presented a pretty neat argument against human reproduction 😭 and to think i read it because of the cover, I'm scarred

[@Erika.V]

Spooky vibes with teeth: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3W7gJylisSCga8 I saw it a few weeks ago, then I thought about it for days. And now I remember it again.

[@Rebekah_withanH]

Berenice isn't that scary to me tbh. The Black Cat is his scariest one to me.

[@joehebert789]

Treat yourself to an E.A. Poe movie that stars Vincent Price. There are several to choose from.