Oooh, probably "The Brief History of the Dead." Or any books that feature plagues. They give me the most unpleasant shivers.

Gah! That cover is creepy as hell (considering that I know what lurks inside).

My worst nightmare? Anything post-apocalyptic. Handmaid's Tale, Nightfall, yadda. I couldn't even watch WALL-E without freaking out.

Sam, I agree with you on Handmaid's Tale and I will also add Feed.

Though it's not a children's book, I'd definitely have to say Cormac McCarthy's THE ROAD.

Yikes. That is a horrifically wrong-headed cover for that book.

I think, for reasons painfully obvious to my family and friends, I would not like to live in The Stepford Wives.

World War Z. It's one thing to plan for zombies (baseball bat--check), but another to be reporting from the front lines of a zombie war!

You have to avoid the classics...

Considering who might show up, who'd want to live in Hrothgar's Hall?

Or do you really want to be invited for a nightcap in Castle Dracula?

Speaking of drinks do you want to have one in Fortunato's final abode? (The Amontilado just wasn't worth it imo).

Last but certainly not least Dante pointed out some real estate that is definitely worth avoiding at all costs.

I live in daily fear of the Handmaid's Tale... using my debit card with a shiver of terror. But the book that scared me the most when I was younger, that still leaves me with worry about going into the bathroom with the shower curtain pulled, is The Shining. Terrorlicious.

Wuthering Heights, at Heathcliff's place. Shivers.

Life As We Knew It, by Susan Beth Pfeffer. No question.

Kidlit Junkie took the words right out of my mouth. Between that one and THE DEAD AND THE GONE, I can no longer look at the moon in innocence and the earth feels a little less like home knowing what could happen....

Lucifer's Hammer--no post-apocolyptic worlds for me. Take me out in the first wave, please...

I agree, Alison! And eew is right- that second cover is just so WRONG. It's going to give me nightmares tonight!

After reading the synopsis for Flowers in the Attic, I agree. Ew. That's one book that I won't be going near any time soon. Thanks for the heads-up, or I might have stumbled across it. Despite its inherent creepiness because of the context behind the second cover, it reminds me of your post on stock photos and their blandness. That cover looks like any other teen romance/ summer fling novel, which might be the purpose. They want to draw readers in, and BAM! Ew. I wouldn't want to live in the town featured in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery. It's a short story, and it's really symbolic, but if taken literally.... (shudders)

Kafka's "Metamorphosis."

I'm late to this, I know, but that romance-novel "Flowers in the Attic" cover is horrifying. Where is it from?

I'd really hate to be going to the Chocolate War school. Although, since I would have sold the chocolate maybe it wouldn't have been so bad.

That cover is just wrong. I can't imagine why anyone would choose to use such a deceptive cover.
The book I would least want to take up residence in "

Blindness by Jose Saramago. Ack! It was difficult enough to read that book let alone imagine I was there.

I'm surprised a publisher would take a risk with that Flowers in the Attic cover. It's taking advantage of people who are not familiar with the book's contents!

That cover creeps me out and I hated the book! But my nightmare book might have to be Coraline by Neil Gaiman. Not cause I found it scary or disturbing, but cause I often have alternative universe dreams like that one--where everything looks normal but is so not!

So many great answers here. I guess FLOERS IN THE ATTIC would have to be at the top of my list, too (and I agree that's a way-wrong cover). I also agree that anything with disease, famine, world-gone-wrong, and I'll add: any poverty settings (already living that, thank you), any serial-killer SILENCE OF THE LAMB type settings, any vampire settings, and any Harry Potter or wizard/witchcraft settings, or fantasy settings in general.

Oh, dear Lord, I really wish there was a way to preview before pressing the send button. Apologies for my spelling errors in the above post - hope none show up in this post....