What your favorite scary book says about you
Ask five people about the scariest book they've ever read, and at least one of them will get a little defensive, like their answer is more revealing than a simple book recommendation. Spoiler alert: It usually is.
Just for fun, we took a shot at interpreting what some scary favorites may tell you about the person who puts them at the top of their Halloween reading list.
Dracula: You want your monster to have manners before he shows his teeth. And, you've used the word "ambiance" out loud, unironically, more than once.
The Haunting of Hill House: You don't need a jump scare — a room that feels slightly wrong is plenty. The downside is you now notice when other rooms feel slightly wrong, too, and you will mention it.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle: You liked the book more than you liked most of the people in it, and honestly, that tracks. You're the friend who goes quiet during an argument, and somehow that's scarier than yelling.
The Only Good Indians: You wanted a ghost story that came with a guilt trip attached, free of charge. You're also the person who can bring up something from a decade ago like it happened last Tuesday, and everyone around you has learned just to nod along.
House of Leaves: You highlight footnotes. You alphabetize things nobody asked you to alphabetize. And yes, you may explain the format to someone at a party, whether they asked or not.
Rebecca: You've never fully trusted a housekeeper since you closed the book. You also assume, on some level, that everyone's ex is still a little bit in the room, and you're not wrong about that.
Gone Girl: You'll insist this isn't "real" horror while quietly agreeing it's scarier than half the stuff that is. You've also, at least once, side-eyed someone for seeming a little too put-together.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: A children's book got you, genuinely got you, and some part of you never recovered. You will still take the long way around a dark hallway. Of course, you will deny this if asked directly.
Bird Box. Give you one rule, and you will follow it to the letter, then quietly judge anyone who doesn't follow it as carefully as you do.
Do any of these ring true? Take the favorite-scary-book question for a test drive with your family and friends this Halloween season.
Building your fall reading stack? Spooky reads for cozy fall nights: a Halloween book list has a carefully curated set of recommendations. Or try How to organize a bookshelf by color, genre, or mood if sorting your shelf to include a section for "books that scared me” sounds appealing.