Horror Books

night shift
Do you have a favorite scary story or two? Something you’ve read that meant you slept with the lights on?

Horror movies bring out the total wimp in me – I’m the one “watching” with my hands in front of my face asking those around me “is the gross/scary part over yet?” But there’s something thrilling about a full blown case of the heebiejeebies because of a book. Bring on the jumping at shadows and cringing at night time noises!

My top five scary stories:

Nightshift by Stephen King

Turn of the Screw by Henry James

“Midnight Meat Train” by Clive Barker

Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

“Tell Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe

What are your favorite scary stories?

Some top horror novel lists:
Booklist’s Top 10 Horror Novels of 2011

Horror Writers Association Horror Reading List

Staff Picks: Tracey

bloody jackTracey, the Supervisor of the Office of Programs and Public Affairs, has worked for the library for 23 years. She’s a big fan of horror novels although Laura Ingalls Wilder is her favorite author.

She started reading Stephen King as a teenager. Carrie is one of her favorites by him; she enjoyed the insight into life as an outcast. “You root for Carrie even though you know it’s not going to end well,” she explained.

The Stand is another of her King favorites. “It’s full of good and evil archetypes, the battle of good and evil and the drama of who’s ultimately going to triumph.”

Tracey’s currently reading Bloody Jack, a historical young adult novel about a girl who disguises herself as a boy and gets hired to work on a British war ship. “I’m absolutely loving it! It’s so amazingly good!”