Guest post by Rose Martin - 8 Scariest Books That No One Should Read Alone!

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Do you watch scary movies and TV shows? Do you watch them alone or with someone? The latter, we are sure. When it comes to reading books, we all want to be alone, don’t we? That’s because book-reading, especially at home, is a solo activity, unless you’re reading to a child. Well, here we have 10 scary books that you’ll definitely not want to read alone. We mean it. We dare you to read them on your own, and not grab for your phone. Go on. We double dare you.

1. Christine by Stephen King

2 young friends, a car and the ‘anything goes’ atmosphere of the ‘70s – what could possibly be wrong with this picture? The car turns out to be haunted, that’s what. The thing with a premise like this is the abject disbelief that sets in even before one opens the book. Not with Christine, however. So cunningly does Stephen King present the vehicle’s malice that Christine becomes a character in the milieu, not just a car. This book will keep you up nights, and when you walk to your car in the morning, just for a moment there, you will wonder if the headlights are following you …..

2. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ holds far more subtlety and terror than all haunted house movies put together. Jackson’s book isn’t all about horror through and through though – there’s humor too, and very approachable characters. Still, right underneath it all, running like a fine line of blood under the nails, is the subtle horror that’s tailored into the text. Get this book from holocaust books and approach it with great respect, and in company.

3. The House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski

The scariest part about a haunted house isn’t just what haunts it – it’s the house itself. Mark Deneilewski understands this in his bones, as you can tell from this book. The Navidson family can tell that something’s not ok with their home when they return home. They see doors where there were none and sinister passageways open.  The house itself is turning into a live, sentient creature, full of miasmic malice. Mark Danielewski’s use of blank spaces and other visual cues bring forth such a chaotic sense of suspense, you’ll be biting all your nails by the end.

4. The Shining by Stephen King

The premise is simple – an alcoholic father, an abused mother and a psychic son, a ‘shiner’, and therefore the title of the book. The father takes up a winter caretaker’s job at a hilltop hotel, which is haunted with many ghosts. This book’s beauty lies in the way King makes every room and every corridor in the hotel vibrate with tenseness. Supernatural events occur when you least expect them, hitting you in the solar plexus, robbing you of your breath. After sometime, you start doubting your own grip on sanity. The book shocks you at many levels – the supernatural presences, the human-on-human violence and the little boy witnessing his father descend into madness.

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5. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

The Exorcist is a true classic, but don’t be hasty and derive comfort from that. Just imagine your little girl possessed by an unimaginably malevolent entity that will not rest until it has fully devoured her soul. The exorcist begins mildly, taking you through sweet glimpses of the child’s life, till you cannot turn a page without the horror seeping into your very bones. This book deals with the concept of a god who allows an innocent to suffer needlessly. It makes you ponder your own vulnerability and question everything you’ve taken for granted till now.

6. Rustication by Charles Palliser

This book revolves around a junkie teenager, Richard Shenstone, who lives with his newly-destitute family in an old rambling mansion. Richard’s world is one of murder, sadistic letters, sexual obsession and delusions. Make what you will of the reality that Richard sees there – beds made for people who don’t exist, weird noises and inexplicable whispers. The house isn’t evil in this book, but you’ll have a hard time discounting that. It’s just as evil as the evil in it. It’s hard to see if Richard is just a kid or the root of the evil in the house.

7. The Little Stranger by Sarah Water

Ever dismissed creepy noises or scribbles on the wall? Read this book and you’ll wish you hadn’t. The book is about a former aristocratic family that’s residing in an old 18^th century mansion. Events occur, such as a young kid being mauled by a complaisant family dog for no reason, and childish scribbles appearing on walls. All these spooky events are explained away by the narrator Dr. Faraday. However, it’s all going beyond the realms of science and the grasp of logic. The reader is left trying to make sense of scorched walls, strange noises and other events with no explanations. Unsettling is the word we’re after.

8. The Mist by Stephen King

Consider this – life is going on as usual, and you kiss your wife goodbye and head out to the store with your kid. Then an abnormally thick and very unnatural mist descends all over town. That’s when people become aware of the otherworldly predators coming out of it. The whole book moves slowly, yet seems to race along. A group of people bar themselves into the store, hoping to survive the mist. People turn against people, and chaos results. This is a book that will rob you of sleep for weeks to come.

Conclusion

Cinematic representations of horror stories are well and fine, but it is books that let the horror seep into your bones. That’s because it’s your imagination bringing the environment to life. The more books you read, the more imaginative you become. So try it! Give some of these scary books a try, and tell us what you think.

Rose Martin loves blogging on lifestyle, self-improvement, women, parenting and travel. Rose is also interested in music, fitness and art. In spare time, she loves to spend time with family and friends.