These 7 Books Are The Stuff Nightmares Are Made Of

Are you alone? Are you sure? Maybe you should turn on a few more lights… Whether fact or fiction, you should definitely not read these 7 books before bedtime…or alone, for that matter.

1. The Uninvited, by Steven A. LaChance

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In The Uninvited, a true and terrifying firsthand account, Steven LaChance reveals how he and his three children were driven from their Union, Missouri, home by demonic attackers. (You may have seen his story was featured on The Discovery Channel’s A Haunting and in the documentary film Children of the Grave….the book, well, the book is much worse.)

The relentless, supernatural predators of the Union Screaming house demonstrate their wrath and power by killing family pets, sexually assaulting individuals, and even causing two people to be institutionalized. The demons' next target is the next homeowner, Helen. When the entities take possession and urge Helen toward murder and madness, LaChance engages in a hair-raising battle for her soul.

Freak-out factor: 8 out of 10. Do not read after dark or when home alone. Perhaps resurrect your childhood teddy bear…you might just need it.

2. Blessed Are the Wicked, by Steven A. LaChance

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The haunting stops when you close the doors, right? Uh…

The Union Screaming House continued to haunt Steven and his family even after they have left and moved on in Blessed Are the Wicked.

Freak-out factor: Nope Nope Nope Nope

3. Blindsighted, by Karin Slaughter

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Mystery writer Karin Slaughter is known for her gritty thrillers that leave you on the edge of your seat—and wanting to cover your eyes. (Her surname is quite fitting, isn’t it?)

Her debut novel, 2001’s Blindsighted, is a story that begins with the mutilation murder of a blind college professor…and the brutal, twisted murders don’t end there. When a second body is found, this one crucified, small-town pediatrician and coroner Sara Linton joins forces with her ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, and female detective Lena Adams—coincidentally, the twin sister of the first victim—to see that the string of psychopathic rapes and murders comes to an end.

Freak-out factor: 6 out of 10. Definitely not for the faint of heart or the squeamish. Blood and gore abound.

4. The Amityville Horror, by Jay Anson

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The familiar story of the house at 112 Avenue never ceases to terrify. In 1974, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. murdered his parents and siblings in the suburban Long Island house. In 1975, even equipped with this knowledge, the Lutz family purchased the home…and made it a full 28 days before fleeing in terror.

Freak-out factor: 7 out of 10. All movie versions pale in comparison.

5. It, by Stephen King

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Really, anything by Stephen King has a place on this list, but It is definitely where many a deep-seated fear of clowns originated.

Two stories told at once, It follows seven children in 1957 as they are terrorized by an evil, shape-shifting entity known as “It,” which takes the form of a clown named Pennywise. Living in the sewers, “It” hunts and devours children. After being terrorized, the seven friends believe that they finally have confronted and killed the evil being, and move away from their hometown and become as well-adjusted and productive adults as possible.

28 years later, the seven are drawn back to their hometown by an unknown force, only to find that “It” is back…

Freak-out factor: 9 out of 10. (Or, 10 out of 10 if you have a thing against clowns)

6. Carved in Darkness, by Maegan Beaumont

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Fifteen years ago, a psychotic killer abducted seventeen-year-old Melissa Walker. For 83 days she was raped, tortured, and then left for dead in a deserted churchyard . . . but she was still alive.

Melissa begins her new life (as a detective) with a new name (Sabrina) in a new town (San Francisco), but when childhood acquaintance Michael O’Shea tracks her down asking for help, she can’t refuse. Believing his sister was recently murdered by the same monster who attacked Sabrina, Michael is dead set on getting his revenge—using Sabrina as bait.

The Carved in Darkness story is continued in Sacrificial Muse, if you require even more terror.

Freak-out factor: 8 out of 10, for graphic violence and a very suspenseful narrative. 10 out of 10 when the killer’s identity is revealed.

7. Fever of the Bone, by Val McDermid

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Criminal profiler Tony Hill and his ally Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan are back in this terrifying psychological thriller, tracking down a brutal killer who’s targeting a group of young people through a social networking site.

Freak-out factor: Social media + mass murder =

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And now...here is a kitten cuddling up for bed. Refer back to this image as necessary.

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