The original creator of this tag is @the.book.gypsy on Instagram.
Thank you so much Amy @A Court of Crowns and Quills for tagging me in this post!
Halloween is literally my favorite day of the year! As soon as October 1 rolls around my apartment is totally decked out in decorations and I watch pretty much nothing but horror movies. It’s my favorite time of the year and I am all for celebrating EARLY and for LONGER!
For my own little twist, because I watch a lot more horror than I read (something I am aiming to rectify IMMEDIATELY), I am going to include film answers as well.
1) What book gave you the creeps?
Always and forever Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. It is the best sleepover and camping book, and I always bring it along on camping trips! The story that terrified me the most is the spider eggs hatching in the face. Just, no. NO NO NO.
As far as movies are concerned, The Strangers and The Last House on the Left are both top of mind for me. Terrifying because of how it could happen to anyone.
2) What book gives you the best Halloween vibes?
Goosebumps books for sure! I grew up voraciously reading these books and they always give me a spooky nostalgia feel!
The Halloween films are the ones that bring me such Halloween vibes, and I am SO EXCITED about the new film… it looks SO GOOD!
3) What’s your favorite vampire book?
Honestly the only book I think I have read with vampires is A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising.
My favorite vampire movie is the original Nosferatu from 1922 and of course my favorite vampire show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Oh, I have read the season eight comics! That counts for my favorite vampire book. 🧛
4) What book scared you so much you had to sleep with the light on?
IT by Stephen King. I have an INTENSE fear of clowns that is from childhood (I was at the circus when I was like 5 and the balloon a clown was offering popped in my face) and I just can’t read it. I have tried watching the original movie countless times and stop every time the sewer drain bit happens. NOPE.
5) What’s your favorite book about witches/goblins/ghosts/demons?
As much as I love witches, it appears that I have not read any books with witches yet! I have a few on my TBR, including The Wicked Deep and the Hocus Pocus sequel, the latter of which I will be reading in October!
I really adore tv shows with witches! A Secret Circle and Witches of East End are both tv series that I adore and it is my understanding they are both book series… I should read them sometime!
6) What book do you wish was scarier than it was?
I don’t feel like I have read enough books that are meant to truly be scary since moving on from Goosebumps.
7) What’s your favorite book that takes place in October?
I can’t think of anything (sorry!), but my favorite movie that takes place in October is Hocus Pocus! I am going to go watch the DVD now.
Honestly, I am kind of ashamed at how little horror I have read as a lover of horror movies! Please leave me your recommendations and must-reads in the comments below as I am building my Spooky October TBR now! 👻
Let’s go on another adventure together!
I completely agree with you on the strangers and last house. I always think humans make the scariest enemies. Have you seen Eden Lake? That’s along the same lines.
I totally forgot about the secret circle, I watched the first few episodes a couple years back, might have to try that again. I have tonnes of horror recs, shout me if you ever want any suggestions 😊
Ooh I haven’t seen Eden Lake, but if it is similar to those other films I am going to have to check it out – thank you!
Secret Circle is great ahahaah. I found out it is streaming on the CW Seed app (free) so I am doing a bit of a rewatch now. And PLEASE GIVE ME ALL THE HORROR RECS!
I am so excited for the new Halloween movie !
ME TOOOOOOOO! It looks so good?!?!?!
Even if it sucked id prolly still live it, cuz it’s Michael!
I LOVE THIS TAG and loved your answers!!
Halloween is everything!! 😍😍
Halloween is the best day of the year, and thanks for stopping by!!!
I loooove your answers! I actually just re-watched The Strangers earlier this month. My partner had never seen it, so we watched it, and he was surprised by how unsettling it was. I first saw it right when it released on DVD and I’ve always said I think it’s one of the most clever horror films of the last 20 years! It’s definitely one of my fave horror flicks. I haven’t seen The Last House on the Left in years because “that scene” is so traumatic for me that I have to watch it with someone who will let me walk out of the room while they mute and/or fast-forward it, but the last time I did watch it, I remember liking it a lot, besides that scene. I wish I could buy a copy of the film with JUST that scene edited out. 🙁
Oh man, The Strangers is SO UNSETTLING and it freaks me out every single time that I have seen it. Definitely agree that it is one of the most clever horror films in the last 20 years – psychological horror is def one of my faves.
And yea… Last House on the Left (original, I haven’t ever seen the remake because I have FEELINGS) is horrific and I get why that scene bothers you. It’s unsettling.
Dude, right?! So good. ♥ Now I’m thinking about it and I want to binge watch horror films all day lmao.
Ooooh, I haven’t ever seen the original! I’ve only seen the remake. I am the worst about seeing remakes and not the originals of horror films – it’s like the #1 thing I get picked on by other horror fans I know lol. *eye roll* People are petty LMAO but anyways, I may have to check out the original some time!
All I thought about all day yesterday while at work was horror movies and then I went and saw Dark Web: Unfriended and it was glorious.
OMG hahaha! I am totally the opposite in that I avoid most remakes (unless in some rare instance I haven’t seen the original). I was actually really mad about the Last house remake because it’s like Top 5 Horror Film for me so I never saw it. I’d recommend it although I cannot truly speak to its superiority over the remake, I am sure it’s better.
Bahaha I love it!! I’m so glad you liked it. I’ve heard mixed reviews but I love movies like that and honestly I love horror movies no matter what level of quality or cheese factor they may be, whether good or bad, so I will watch just about anything from the horror genre even if I just grab it from Redbox or Netflix.
Ohhhh, that’s understandable! I know remakes aren’t for everyone. There are a couple of movies where I hate the remakes and a couple where I love them. Evil Dead is one where I adore both, but just BARELY prefer the remake. On the other hand, I don’t care much for the original IT, but I love part 1 of the remake and can’t wait for part 2.
I am a LOVER of B horror too! I just won’t pay $10 to see it in theatres hahaha. We should have a horror movie watchalong or something!
IT is something I have never been able to watch or read. *shudders*
Yesss, let’s do it!
Ooooh, do you have an issue with clowns, or just that book/film in general?
DOING IT SCREAMING!
I have a phobia of clowns. *shudders* When I was like 5 or 6 I went to the circus and a clown was handing me a balloon and it popped in my face. #Traumatized
Oh my god, no wonder. That’s terrifying! My mom just freaked me out about them as a kid. Now I don’t mind them in movies or anything, but I HATE them in haunted houses. 😂
OH MY GOD! one year I went on the haunted Trail and was chased by a clown with a freaking chainsaw and it was the most horrific experience of my life.
Omg, I can imagine. We have a haunted house in Atlanta called Netherworld, and it’s known world-wide – the head of the costume design crew is some big Hollywood movie costume designer or something, so it’s REALLY cool! But they always have a second, smaller side haunt in this spare building that’s about 10 mins long (the main haunt is 30+ mins long) and way scarier, and I was the lucky asshole one year who was walking behind a guy walking through with a camera to film footage for the next year’s ads. When the actors see the cameraman, they always go extra hard on whoever is being filmed for the ad, of course… and the side haunt that year had clowns, which I didn’t know beforehand. This clown literally cornered me in this tiny room and I froze. KALEENA. I LITERALLY SAT DOWN. I didn’t know what to do and I was almost in tears and I SAT DOWN IN THE HAUNT 😂😂😂😂😂 The actor IMMEDIATELY broke character and he and the cameraman both were like, “Are you okay?! Do you need us to take you to the emergency exit?” Lmaoooo once the guy broke character I was okay and was like, “No, just let me out of this corner please” and they went easy on me the rest of the haunt. It was awful but I laughed so hard later that night when I thought back on it.
OH MY GOD that would have TERRIFIED ME! Bless the actor for breaking character to check on you though, that’s rare in my experience!
Right! It’s the only time I’ve ever seen a haunt actor break character and I was so relieved because I honestly think I would have just curled up and cried lmao.
I absolutely love how you added films! I am not sure if I have ever mentioned it, but I adore horror flicks haha. And so many memories with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark! Although I admit that I watched The Last House on the Left (the original) and found myself triggered years ago, so it is a film I cannot do. Tha Halloween movies are a tradition with me. I may be one of the only people to actually enjoy the Rob Zombie remake haha.
YAY for horror movies! I want to do some kind of Horror Read and Watch – Thon in October but was worried no one would be interested… now at least I think you and Destiny would! Last House on the Left (original, never seen the sequel because I have Feelings) definitely is horrific and disturbing. I love the film for how it kind of changed horror genre and did something completely different… but yea, it’s fucking triggering.
Buffy is THE best. That is all.
I agree COMPLETELY!
What are your thoughts on the recently announced reboot? D:
I am a bit on the fence. Because… I am not sure it’ll translate to today. But, who am I kidding, I will definitely be watching it.
(Unlike the Kiersten White book – I don’t think I will be reading that because I am not a fan.)
Same. I would actually much rather the show be more in line with the Kiersten White book where it focuses on a new slayer in the Verse (given the s7 changes to lineage). I am excited for the book for this reason, actually! I will watch the reboot but I will be salty about it—“more feminist”? It was already feminist. It feels kind of like they are just rebooting with buzzwords for $ and the fact that Joss signed off on it makes me sad.
In theory the Kiersten White book sounds really good, I am just no a fan of her writing. So I will wait what the reviews say.
With the reboot – it really depends what they do with it. I am also really really bad at watching tv shows lately (I have started about a million different ones and then just stopped watching altogether), so I don’t know when I’ll get to it.
Ah that makes sense! I haven’t read anything of hers yet but did pick up And I Darken the other day because it is on sale.
I saw a really interesting discussion piece about the reboot by Tor that makes it sound like it may be less of a reboot: https://www.tor.com/2018/08/01/six-big-questions-about-the-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-revival/
Oh, I like the sound of the show the article is describing. Maybe I really should be tentatively optimistic. ( i just really hope it doesn’t only get to Germany ages after it aired in the US)
Yea I am definitely tentatively optimistic – at least reserving judgement until it takes shape. Crossing fingers!
I love the post so much! I can’t wait for October! I don’t think I’ve ever really read a horror novel. Unless you count the only Stephen King book I’ve read, Carrie. But it wasn’t really that scary. Great post Kaleena!!
Thank you so much, and I can’t wait for October either!!! I am lowkey considering putting together a big Horror Watch and Readathon for October because I LOVE ALL THINGS SPOOKY.
Oooh that sounds like a lot of fun!
I get more excited the more that I think about it… I think it is going to happen!
I’ve never participated in a readathon but I would definite try that one!
Omg now I can’t get the Halloween movie theme out of my head haha! Loved your answers! I was also a huge Buffy fan! I love Spike ❤️❤️❤️
And now I can’t get the Halloween theme out of my head! Spike is love!
Have you ever gone to Disney Worlds Mickey’s Halloween Party? Or universals Halloween themed parties? I’ve heard they are super fun! Universal is more dark themed than Disney World. I just did a post about Disney’S Halloween nights
I haven’t but ugh now I want to!!! I have done Knott’s Scary Farm and Disneyland when it is all decked out but I need more. I will have to check out your post, and thanks for stopping by!