11 Of The Scariest Books Of All Time

Once in a while, everyone needs a good fright, particularly around this time of year. And, while, yes, a genuinely scary movie can do the trick — see: The Shining, Seven, Silence of the Lambs — there's something about knowing it's all going to be over in 90 minutes that seems to assuage our fears. But, a terrifying book? Now, that can cause some real horror. The ominous, lingering pages that have yet to be read; the slow, dramatic build — it's hard to get that intensity from a movie. Even if your fear makes you go so far as to stash a book in the freezer when you're only halfway through, it's impossible to forget that it's there... and it's waiting for you.

Okay, before we start scaring ourselves, we'll cut to the chase. In search of some truly scary tales that are brilliantly written and a bit under-the-radar, we turned to the most well-read individuals we know — the men and women behind our favorite Los Angeles independent bookstores. Ahead, find the 11 best thrillers to curl up in bed with. These terrifying reads may keep you up all night, but it will be very, very worth it.