my picks: creepiest reads
“Yesterday, upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn’t there.
He wasn’t there again today,
I wish, I wish he’d go away...”
The above is seriously one of the creepiest poems ever written. It highlight madness, fear, and the supernatural. Though it's incredibly short, its simplicity is powerful. You can also watch a (not fantastically produced) video here.
If you read yesterday's blog, you already know that I'm sharing my favorite spooky stories, just in time for Halloween. So prepare yourselves...we're ready for part 2 of the creepiest reads ever.
my picks
the night girl by amy cross
Amy Cross is a prolific writer. While she has some really bad books on occasion, she also has some spectacularly spooky ones, too. The Night Girl is one of the first of her books that I read. Simply put, it's also one of the best and most haunting. It's a perfect ghost story full of madness, murder, and dark, creepy places. I also really enjoyed Cross's Asylum, though it was a little dragged out.
scary stories to tell in the dark 1-3 by alvin schwartz
When I was in second grade, my mom volunteered to read to our class on a regular basis. Close to Halloween that year, she purchased the first in this trilogy. Needless to say, I was scarred (or maybe just scared) for life.
Schwartz's no-punches-pulled storytelling style is both direct and frightening. He was in no way watering down the horror of these stories, from "High Beams" to "Room For One More." Strangely enough, most of these stories are rooted in urban legends and, in some cases, folklore.
And as if the stories themselves aren't scary enough for you, Stephen Gammell's illustrations in the original publications will make you pee your pants.
the woman in black by susan hill
As a kid, I watched the 1989 made-for-television movie based on Susan Hill's novel. Though not nearly a GOTCHA scary as the equally creepy 2012 remake, it was still pretty horrifying in its own way.
However, nothing is as scary as the book. The suspense slowly builds upon the realization of Mr. Kipps that he is, in fact, not alone. And whatever is with him means him serious harm. You should also know that, as it often happens, the book ends differently that the movie. But you'll need to read it to find out more.
a trio of stephen king: it, duma key, and bag of bones
Ah, yes. You can't talk about genuine horror without talking about Stephen King.
It was the very first of his works that I read and to this day, I am terrified of clowns. While the ending sucked (a giant spider/light thing, WTF?!), the storyline is horrifying. It's everything a kid is afraid of...and some adults, too. I heard they're making a new movie based on the book, but no one will play a better Pennywise than Tim Curry.
In Duma Key, the protagonist retreats to Florida to recover from a near-fatal injury. During his recovery time, he discovered a talent for painting...with paranormal results. The narrative is both suspenseful and scary.
Bag of Bones is actually a favorite of mine, particularly due to the flashbacks. Part mystery, part ghost story, this is one of his creepiest books to date. King's work seems more real in that he creates characters with past trauma and tragedy, rebuilding those broken people in the course of his novels.
Did you find a new spooky read? Let me know by leaving them in the comments or message me at amanda@winebooksandwanderlust.com.
