Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Scary, Creepy, Disturbing Reads


I recently polled the readers of Tif Talks Books via social media on the books they found to be the scariest, creepiest, and most disturbing reads.  I actually first asked for the scariest, and received little response.  Then, I opened it to creepiest and most disturbing.  That is when the responses started coming in.  I was fascinated with the various titles, some of which I have read and many that I have not, that I wanted to share them with you.  Here is the full list of the scariest, creepiest, and most disturbing reads received (in alphabetical order):

The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson
A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley
Room by Emma Donoghue
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
The Ghosts of Sleath by James Herbert
Haunted by James Herbert
The Rats by James Herbert
The Secret of Crickley Hall by James Herbert
NOS4R2 by Joe Hill
When She Woke by Hillary Jordan
Under the Dome by Stephen King
Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright

As I look at these titles, a few thoughts come to mind.  (1) I'm surprised that more King does not appear on the list, particularly The Shining and It.  (2)  I think disturbing really helped to bring out some of these titles.  For example, Room and Gone Girl I do not feel to be scary or creepy, but disturbing very much so!  (3)  I think I need to read some James Herbert.

Thanks to my readers who responded to my inquiry about the scary, creepy, and disturbing reads in your life!

What do you think?  Do you agree with these titles?  What other books would you add to this list?
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10 comments:

  1. AndiOctober 15, 2013 at 10:54 AM

    I love this! I was also struck by how much James Herbert appears on that list and I totally agree about the disturbing nature of books like ROOM. Another disturbing, unsettling book I'd add to the list is Beasts, by Joyce Carol Oates.

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    1. Tif SweeneyOctober 15, 2013 at 11:34 AM

      Andi ... To be fair, the Herbert titles all came from one person, but it is a person I trust when it comes to these books! I don't think I've heard of Beasts, but I will be checking that one out, too! Thanks!

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  2. thelumosroseOctober 15, 2013 at 3:15 PM

    This is a pretty cool list. If I were to add something to the list, it would probably be The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None also gave me the creeps

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    1. Tif SweeneyOctober 15, 2013 at 8:02 PM

      thelumosrose ... I've been wanting to read The Exorcist! I worked just down the hall from where a portion of the true events occurred and inspired this story! And, I have never read a Christie. I really need to fix that one!

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  3. AnonymousOctober 16, 2013 at 4:50 AM

    Under the Dome is probably one of King's least scary reads--it's more scifi-ish (and this definitely has one of those disappointing endings we were talking about yesterday). I'm very surprised that The Shining and It aren't on the list.

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    1. Tif SweeneyOctober 16, 2013 at 6:51 AM

      Heather ... I was surprised that The Shining and It were not on the list, too! I have yet to read Under the Dome, but I will one of these days. I love King's writing, so I usually forgive him for his endings! :)

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  4. AnonymousOctober 19, 2013 at 10:38 AM

    Oo, you've got to add something by Shirley Jackson on there! If the list will accept short stories, then definitely "The Lottery"; and if not, I think her book The Sundial is one of the creepiest things I've ever read.

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    1. Tif SweeneyOctober 20, 2013 at 7:00 PM

      Jenny @ Reading the End ... We can definitely add short stories! I still have yet to read any Shirley Jackson, but she has been on my list. I really need to get to her stuff!

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  5. Alexia561October 19, 2013 at 5:30 PM

    I'm not much for scary stories, but the disturbing ones can be fascinating reads! You might want to check out How To Be A Good Wife by Emma Chapman, as that one stayed with me for awhile.

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    1. Tif SweeneyOctober 20, 2013 at 7:01 PM

      Alexia561 ... Thanks for the recommendation! I will definitely check this one out!!

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