Remember books? Those old-ass things your grandma’s history professor used to read? They suck, right? Movies are way better. It’s just a fact. But, you know what? Calm down. Sometimes books show up in movies. That sort of makes them cool, right? Check out my Top 5.

5. “The Book of the Dead” from The Mummy (1999)

In The Mummy, adventurers Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) and Evy Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) and their team disturb the ancient tomb containing the dark wizard Ihmotep. In it also lies “The Book of the Dead”. Despite creepy omens and direct warnings from both Rick and rival explorer Dr. Allan Chamberlain (“You must not read from the book!”) Evy recites a spell from the pages and awakens Imhotep. They then have to find “The Book of the Living” to put him back to sleep. “The Book of the Dead” is a pretty standard spellbook when you get down to it, containing incantations for awakening various mummies and summoning spirits and whatnot.The problem with these books is that they’re written in ancient Egyptian, so only an expert like Evy can read it.

4. “The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows” from The Ninth Gate (1999)

In The Ninth Gate, Johnny Depp plays Dean Corso, a dealer in rare books. He’s hired by mysterious collector Boris Balkan (Frank Langella) to compare his copy of “The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows”, a book rumored to be able to summon the devil, to two other copies around the world. Along the way, all hell breaks loose (pun intended lollol), and the owners of the other copies wind up dead. Corso doesn’t believe that stuff about the devil, right?

3. “The Neverending Story” from The Neverending Story (1984)

In The Neverending Story, young victim of alliteration Bastian Balthazar Bux (Barret Oliver) – in the “real” world – discovers the titular book in an old bookstore. Despite being warned about the book by the creepy old shop owner, Bastian “borrows” it. Once he gets it back to his school’s attic (where else would you read a creepy book?) he discovers the amazing story of Fantasia waiting inside. But this is no ordinary book. By reading it, Bastian becomes a part of the story himself and must save the day. No pressure, Triple B!

2. The Spellbook from Hocus Pocus (1993)

Simply called “Book” by its owner (a sixteenth century witch named Winifred Sanderson (Bette Midler)), this spell book shows up in the flick Hocus Pocus. Winifred needs this book in order to make a youth-stealing potion. Ya see, Winifred and her sisters were burned at the stake for stealing a child’s youth and killing her in the process. If the book wasn’t scary enough, it also has a giant, blinking gross eyeball in the cover and it can communicate with Winifred.

1. “Necronomicon ex Mortis”/”Naturum de Montum” (The Book of the Dead) from The Evil Dead Franchise

This is the coolest cinematic book of all, appearing in the Evil Dead franchise, aka The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn, Army of Darkness, and the remake, Evil Dead. If you read from this book, you summon deadites, a sort of zombie/demon hybrid. I think the professor from The Evil Dead put it best:

“I believe I have made a significant find in the Kandarian ruins, a volume of ancient Sumarian burial practices and funerary incantations. It is entitled “Naturum De Montum”, roughly translated: Book of the Dead. The book is bound in human flesh and inked in human blood. It deals with demons and demon resurrection and those forces which roam the forest and dark bowers of Man’s domain. The first few pages warn that these enduring creatures may lie dormant but are never truly dead. They may be recalled to active life through the incantations presented in this book. It is through the recitation of these passages that the demons are given license to possess the living.” – (IMDB)

So, basically, don’t try and cozy up with this book in your favorite reading spot.