The Haunting of Hill House
Why this book?
No list about terrifying houses would be complete without this book. Although it’s not the first novel ever written about a haunted house, it’s probably the best known, and it set the bar for all haunted house novels to come. It was the first haunted house book I ever read, back when I was just a boy, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I didn’t want to turn the lights off when I was finished! A group of people spends the night in Hill House to see if it’s haunted. And, of course, it is. Not only do ghosts roam the halls, but the house itself is evil. Jackson tells us that Hill House is insane, that it is a place without love or hope, that it is unlivable. And she backs all of that up with scenes that leave you afraid of every creaking floorboard or wall in your own home.