Horror

I enjoy a good scare, and always have. To me, a good story scares me... horror and suspense books and movies have always been my favorites! Not the "blood and gore" kinds, but a good, suspenseful story line that keeps me glued to the edge of my seat. I love to turn out the lights and read a scary story by candlelight- makes it even scarier!

Anything written by Stephen King

I have been a devoted King fan since I was a young child, and read "Cujo" for the first time when it first came out. My grandparents had a St. Bernard, so the book naturally caught my attention! Good thing their dog was nothing like Cujo, huh? I practically devoured this book, then went back to the library and checked out "Graveyard Shift." I've been hopelessly addicted ever since! His books are terrifying, and keep you glued to the pages, and the movies based on his books are almost as good. I would say that "Christine" and "IT" are my favorites of his movies (now if I could just get my Plymouth Fury to repair itself like Christine...), and probably "Everything's Eventual," "Misery," or "The Green Mile" my favorite of his books. He has also written a wonderful book on the craft of writing that I found to be extremely inspiring, and full of helpful information. I recommend that one to aspiring writers, even if they aren't fond of King's other books.

I would list his books here but there are way too many!

Anything by Edgar Allen Poe

Creepy is the one word that sums up his writings best to me. I am a fan of Victorian era writings, and Poe was certainly no disappointment! My personal favorite is "The Black Cat." Any fellow devoted cat lover who also enjoys horror, will appreciate this story of how a cat gets revenge on his abusive owner. I found this story in audio book version first, and immediately loved it! Go kitty!

"Victorian Ghost Stories"

by various authors

A wonderful collection of ghost stories written during the Victorian era (mid 1800's-1920's). Very scary! Great reading by candlelight for scaring yourself!

Readers' Digest Condensed Books, "Six Gothic Tales"

by various authors

This is a wonderful, albeit hard to find, collection of frightening stories that take place around the early 1900's. Quite scary reading!

Readers' Digest Condensed Books, "A Gothic Treasure Trove"

by various authors

Another wonderful collection of frightening stories, by such authors as Victoria Holt. A phenomenal book!

"Barnabas Collins"

by Marilyn Ross

Anyone who was a fan of the old TV series, "Dark Shadows" will remember that name. Not many know about the series of books that followed, however. I have only been able to find two of the books, and frankly, am not sure how many total complete the series, but the two I have read are wonderful! I hope to collect the rest of them one day!

"Dracula"

by Bram Stoker

A fantastic story! Unsettling, suspenseful and full of drama. It is also an interesting read to me because of the Victorian view of women. The book was written in the late 1800's, during the Victorian era, and to me it is fascinating how differently women were treated during that time. How much more respect was given them.

"Tales of Terror"

by Ida Chittum

I believe this is the first scary book I ever read when I was in elementary school, and it is still one of my absolute favorites. The title is a bit misleading, as the stories aren't "terrifying," at least to me. They are, however, very unsettling.

The stories in this book are stories the author heard during her early life in the Ozark mountains. Possibly my favorite story in the book is called, "Vision of Roses." It is about a couple whose little boy died young, which rendered the mother so depressed, she was unable to speak. One night, the father had a vision of a beautiful, dark haired lady surrounded by roses, who told him to come see her. He immediately arose, and rode his horse to where he knew he would find this lady. It turns out she was a Gypsy woman with a little boy. She had died, and was laid out at the home of the local judge. The judge suggested this man and his wife adopt her little boy. They did, and the wife finally was able to come out of her depression and speak once again.

This book is hard to find, but it is well worth the hunt!