With Halloween less than a week away if people aren’t talking about their halloween costumes then they are talking about their favorite scary movies and books. It’s made me realize that I don’t have ANY favorite scary anything, because I absolutely hate to be scared. I never read Goosebumps or watched Are You Afraid of the Dark. I had to leave the movie theater when I went to see Anna and the King (yes that’s how bad it is) and ditto for the ear piercing scene in the Parent Trap remake. I really go out of my way to avoid anything with the word horror in it. Because taking a shower is scary enough with out watching Psycho and as a girl who refused to spell the blood on her 2nd grade spelling test I know that reading or going to see Stephen King’s Carrie is a recipe for disaster.The only exception to my no scary stuff rule might be that I love Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. Although that probably has to do more with self preservation (I was assigned to write papers on the book no less than 5 times in high school and college) than any love of the monster. I tried to think of other scary books I’ve enjoyed or valued, but somehow The Bell Jar and The Handmaiden’s Tale don’t really fit in with the Halloween theme of these conversations.
The only kind of halloweeny books I could think of to recommend were The Harry Potter series (which has become somewhat obsolete as a recommendation because everyone has either read them or come up with an excuse/reason for never reading them) or The Skinjacker Trilogy about kids who exist in a place between life and desk.
But mostly I want to hear from you. Do you like to be scared? If not do you have any suggestions for non-scary books appropriate for next week?
Also, tomorrow morning I’m going to pick a name out of my jar for who wins the $26 amazon gift card prize from my giveaway. If you want to enter today, comment on this post (or any post on the blog), share the challenge on Facebook or twitter, or post the giveaway on your blog. More details here.
Alison Doherty 
I really dislike scary anything, much like yourself. And as for horror? Doesn’t enough bad stuff happen to people in real life? Why on earth you need to see more (and pay for the honor) I’ll never understand.
All that said, who doesn’t still love Vincent Price? But my all time favorite scary book is “Uneasy Freehold” by Dorothy Macardle. It was made into a movie (The Uninvited, 1944) with Ray Milland. A great plot that keeps you guessing right up to the end. Definitely for people who like supernatural mystery, ghosts, and British drama!
Thanks for the suggestion. I’m totally with you on the life is scary/bad enough theory.
For non-scary but supernatural romance, The Ghost and Mrs Muir, the 1945 book, by Irish writer A. R. Dick.
There’s always the old tried-and-true Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie. 🙂
I do like Agatha Christie and I haven’t read this one. Thanks!