Some time in grade six in between learning how to whistle with two fingers and french braiding my friend's hair I managed to fit in reading The Amityville Horror.
For the life of me I can't understand why my mother would let me read The Amityville Horror in grade six but she did. She also let me watch Jaws and the Exorcist around the same time.
I have a feeling my mother was drunk a lot while I was in grade 6.
It was the first really grown up book I remember reading and it stuck with me. Not because it was a grown up book, not even because it was terrifying, but because it was true. Or so everyone was told.
The basis of the book, the fact that the house was home to a monstrous suburban bloodbath is fact. In 1974, 18 year old Butch DeFeo, murdered his entire family in the home they lived in on 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, New York. A few months later a new family moved into the house.
They fled 28 days later.
They said it was because the house was haunted. That horrible paranormal things happened. These accounts were never proven true and in fact were often proven false. I didn't know that in grade 6.
For this last weekend before Halloween I have a list of the 11 (10 seemed so predictable) scariest books of all time.
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Kim
I remember "The Reincarnation of Audrey Rose" too! Ugh, very creepy book for a teenager to read! But my all-time scariest book I read was "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote. That book left a loooooong impression on my brain because we lived out in the country. I had a second-story bedroom overlooking the driveway, and anytime I heard a noise at night I had to look out the window to make sure a car full of vicious murderers hadn't pulled into the driveway.
Debbie
@Jasmine - I remember that book. I think it was called My Sweet Audrina??? That book still freaks me out if I'm up too late and alone!
And Flowers in the Attic - really? I read a bunch of them and yeah they're twisted but I'm the biggest wimp ever and I don't remember them being scary, just really disturbing. Were they scary????
gogothrift
I loved scrolling down and wondering what the last book would be (thought it would be Jaws) and then seeing Snookies bun.....HA so funny!!!!!!
Karol
I actually had a hard time reading Jaws. It scared the crap out of me, even though it didn't have the famous sound effects that were in the movie. I saw the movie, if you count hiding behind your hands with eyes tight and trying to somehow simultaneously plug your ears with your thumbs so you don't hear that awful "da-dum" noise.
Tisha
Oh the last one scared me the most! So much so that I'm afraid to actually read it.
Holly
Ok, so I Google mapped that address, you knew we would do that, right? It surprised me that the houses are so close together because everyone knows that haunted houses are always set on large secluded properties behind black wrought iron gates, and that neighbors never hear anything and never come to your rescue. Unless your neighbors are Buttheads who don't mind a lot of screaming and bloodshed. They probably didn't have an HOA, because you know all that broken glass and brain matter all over the lawn would be reason for a strict letter. In fact, they probably didn't even need an exorcism, they just needed to get the HOA involved, they put a stop to those things immediately.
Melissa
That cracked me up - I live where there is a pretty no-nonsense HOA and I can totally see them siccing the attorneys on the ghosts.
SNS
Hilarious! All scary haunted house movies solved with a strict HOA.
Mary Werner
You never disappoint - I couldn't wait to get to the end of the list since I knew it would be a thriller! Thanks.
Laura Bee
I read Cujo when I was way too young. I think by the time I was 18 I'd read everything Stephen King had written.
Mondo
I read It when I was 15 and fell in love with the writings of Stephen King. I had nightmares for weeks, but it was awesome.
carey
Yup, even Snooki's hairstyle is haunted! You're just asking for it if you pick up that book!
Elle
I used to love VC Andrews as a teenager! Now as a mother these books really creep me out.
I also read the entire Poldark series as a teenager. Those were the days.
Court
Ooh! Snooki! BEST thing about that book are the Amazon reviews (check em out for a good laugh).
Onto actual horror, if you like it gory and suspenseful, Jack Kilborn (aka JA Konrath) has some real doozies. "Trapped" gave me some serious nightmares.
Pati Gulat
I've got a story about Salem's Lot. Back in the day when my late hubby and I first married,we were too poor to do anything BUT read so we got Salem's Lot and I read to him,aloud. SCARED the living DAYLIGHTS out of us...we were all of 19 yrs old. Went out straight away and got cross necklaces ! LOLOL !!!
Lorna
I love this post so much Pati - thanks for sharing!
karenagain
Great story.
Heather B.
Lol snooki!!
This reminds me... Did you hear about the incident at the movie theaters? Where a bunch of children and their mothers ( fathers, guardians, babysitters, cousins twice removed) were seeing Madagascar 3. Well the night before the last movie to be shown was Paranormal Activity 4. Yep you guessed it (or did you?). They forgot to switch out the reels and a movie theater full of children and their drivers were traumatized with the opening scene (SPOILER ALERT) of a bloody body being slammed into the screen. Free tickets and a free screening of Madagascar 3 were offered in an apology.
I know, I know, I shouldn't laugh but well... I AM! I am mainly laughing at how the theater now has to deal with all those angry mothers.
So, yep had to share.
:-)
Sera
Hahahahaha! You're not alone, I find that hilarious! Although if paranormal activity 4 is as scary as the first one, I can see how there would be some trauma. My husband and I both had nightmares for a week after watching it. Haven't gotten to the second one. Supposedly it's all creepy basement, and I have a creepy basement that I don't want to be afraid of.
And snookie is the scariest, by far!
Pati Gulat
The last one is so scarey that I was barely able to look at it !!
Karen
Silence of the Lambs is in my top All Time Scariest Books.
Pet Cemetary and a lot of other Steven Kings books are on that list, too.
Karen
I'm in the middle of a book right now, but I'd LOVE to put it down to read Silence of the Lambs. I may just do it. Eep! ~ karen
Deb J.
My husband LOVES Silence of the Lambs - says it makes him hungry. I haven't read it but have heard bits as books on tape. Gives me the total creeps and I can't continue. And I'm not usually a wimp.
Jasmine
I remember one called "The Reincarnation of Audrey Rose" (I think that was the title). Anyway, it was around the same time I read 'Jaws" and I don't know that it was a great idea. I think it was the last scary book I read-freaked me out that much!
Pati Gulat
Audrey Rose was a great book ! I think V.C. Andrews wrote that as well as Flowers in the Attic, which I've also read. Loved them both but they scared the crap out of me ! lol
Nicole
I agree, its the last one, I am afraid to touch that one.
eileen ovaclosa
AHHHAAHHHH....runnnnn....it's SpoookkkyyySnooookkkiiieee..................
Jean
definitely the last one!
Michelle @ Sweetsuite10
Oh God - Flowers in the Attic - I read a whole lot of those books in middle school before I really realised how completely twisted they were.
I'm too much of a fraidy-cat to even crack the spine on the last one - I can see why you included it ;)