Do You Like Scary Stories?

We generally agree with each other on many subjects here at I'd So Rather Be Reading.  Chocolate: always, Vampire Diaries (the CW show, not the books): love it, YA: love it...but scary stories are where we draw the line.  Kelli hates them, and hate is not a strong enough word.  No ghosts, zombies, or anything like that will cross her reading plate.  Natalie loves them, and Madi B is also a fan.  Keep reading for each of our thoughts on scary stories.

I'm still scarred after reading Wait 'Til Helen Comes as an 8 year-old...over 25 years ago!  I can still remember passages from that book in vivid detail and was so scared of Helen that I could not sleep alone for days. I don't read anything to do with zombies (gah!), ghosts, or spirits.  I just can't handle it!  And don't even get me started on scary movies...I'm even worse about those.  I was once forced to watch The Shining during a high-school sleepover and I'm still scared every time I have a flashback to scenes from that movie.  Like Wait 'Til Helen Comes, I seem to have a photographic memory for scary things, and I can remember The Shining in vivid detail, despite having watched it once over 17 years ago!  Real life is scary enough...I like my books and movies happy and uplifting.  I'll stick to my Jane Austen adaptations and the occasional Twilight re-watching! 

BRING ON THE ZOMBIES & GHOSTS! It is a well known fact that Halloween officially begins September 1st in our family. No room in our house is safe! When it is time to choose costumes, you will not find any princesses here... So to answer the question, do I love scary stories? ABSOLUTELY! I remember the day my daughter brought home her first Goosebump book from the library and had a story about having to fight to be the first one in her class to check it out... now THAT made me teary eyed. I loved the Goosebumps series as a kid and my mom made sure we had every single one that came out. Now, my love of a good scare comes with one very important guideline: I don't like gore. I like to be scared but I do not like blood & guts. For me, it takes away from a good plot and is only important for a B worthy story. What really gets me going is reading a good thriller and then being so creeped out that I hide under my sheets to go to sleep! It really gets your blood pumping! 
Now, another important question: how have my kids been affected by my love of a good scare? They have been taught right! 
My daughter does not like anything to scare her but likes to be the one doing the scaring. My oldest son LOVES all things scary (& kissing, gah)-- raising him right. And my two year old son LOVES to watch all the goosbumps movies. In fact, if I need to get something done, they are my go-to films to keep his attention. Twisted yes, but I never claimed to be normal.  
PS We have decided to make a creepy movie with extended family this year to celebrate Halloween! Super Excited! Watch the video below that my brother-in-law created that was inspired by the very popular Slender Man game. You will never look at that game the same way!

I've never been a scary movie type of gal. You want me to voluntarily watch a movie that's designed to make me pee my pants? I'll stick with my Disney movies thank you very much! But occasionally I get bored with normal YA book and look for a thriller just for the heck of it! But they have to be short, because I can't handle having to go to bed without the plot finished. If you're the type that loves scary movies, you'll double love scary books. Reading a scary book is like walking through a dark scary forest at night. Stuff freaks you out. But your imagination makes it worse than it actually is. In movies you see the scary monster, you can't change that. But in books, your imagination can make that monster WAY worse than reality! It's pretty awesome. My favorite scary book is Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender. It's got a little bit of everything, ghosts, romance, possesed people and crap, and even a crazy stalker doll. How could you NOT like it?!? Even I could handle it! (Which is impressive judging from my choice of movies).

What are your thoughts on scary stories?