Top 10 Stephen King Books (I've read them ALL!)
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- Опубліковано 12 лип 2024
- My current top 10 Stephen King books, after a decades-long journey through his works. What did I leave out that you'd include in your top 10? Let me know in the comments below!
Time stamps for the top 10:
0:30 Intro
1:53 #10
3:49 #9
5:43 #8
7:08 #7
8:21 #6
9:56 #5
11:25 #4
12:52 #3
14:58 #2
17:22 #1
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Thanks for watching!
I’m currently reading 11/22/63 and I love it
Awesome! I hope you continue to love it to the end!
One of the best time travel stories ever!
King is the man! The thing I love about his books isn't just that they're genuinely scary, but that they're packed with extreme amounts of emotion and a genius understanding of the inner working of the human mind.
Well said!
@@RedFuryBooks Thanks, I will likely go back to it eventually.
They are easy books you can turn your brain off and just enjoy… you don’t need to dissect and ponder as much as something like Cormac MaCarthy…. You don’t need to be an intellectual to absorb king… and his vocab is elementary. Nice easy dumb reads… good fun and enjoyable break reading from stuff a little more challenging
His writing is very poetic. Which is ironic because you're reading a thriller/horror and suddenly you are faced with something so deeply poetic and profound that you have to stop and read those lines again and you just stand in awe of how accurate and true it is. I have found myself in such a situation multiple times while reading King.
I’ve read the Institution and that one really hit me hard once it started to unfold towards the end. I wished it would become a movie but some part are really graphic.
The child characters in IT are the absolute best I have ever experienced. I have never seen an author capture childhood and the feeling of innocent friendship at that age that well. It was just stunning. It's my favorite King novel by a wide mile.
King is remarkable at how well he writes children, and there's no better example than IT.
@@RedFuryBooks Do you feel, as I do, however, that lately he's kind of lost his fastball when it comes to writing children? Like you said, the children in IT are amazingly well written and it's even better in The Body. But personally, I found that in certain books, but most notably Under the Dome, that the kids speak nothing like any real kids I've actually heard at that age at that time. I feel the same way a little with Jerome and Barbara in Mr. Mercedes and the kids in The Institute as well
Very scary!
@@Eggy79Absolutely right!
Good start. Bad finish, I thought. The problem with IT, is that it goes on forever.
All that Chud stuff, was utter nonsense. King was coked out of his mind when he wrote this, and my god, can you tell.
When the novel hits.... goodness me, does it hit. But I couldn't manage a second readthrough, giving up halfway, due to far too much unhinged waffle.
And 'that' scene (I won't even mention it), is just the worst kind of extremist liberal depravity. I'm surprised King wasn't arrested for writing that.
I thought The Stand was a far better, epic novel.
IT, is mid-tier King for me.
Having Needful Things in your list is a vibe for me! Something about the temptation that Gaunt dangles in front of the community just gets under my skin! This is a book I would LOVE to see as a Tv series!
Yes and yes!
I absolutely agree with you. If any of King’s work should be a series it’s Needful Things.
My husband is not a King fan, but is an historian and he loved 11/22/63. I personally love Mr. King.
Glad he loved it!
The Talisman with Peter Straub is the only book I've ever read in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. I was 12 or 13 at the time, and while the details of the book have gotten fuzzy with time, I'll never forget exactly how it made me feel when I first read it.
I have fond memories of that one as well, as I read it when I was younger, too. I'm going to reread both of his collaborations with Straub next year.
Agreed. That was my first King book and I loved it! Especially Wolf the sidekick.
Very nice video! I love your list and agree with most of it. The ending of 22 still gives me goosebumps when i think back and is, without question, indeed his best ending. I can see how living in Dallas gives that little bit of extra. I experienced something similar when reading Pet Sematary. My son at the time of reading was the same age as Gage. The notorious gravedigging scene, holding the boys lifeless body is so well written, it stuck with me for months. One of my favourite books ever read. Thanks for the video!
11/22/63 has such an inspired ending. So magnificent! Thanks for checking out the video!
I just want to say: strictly from watching this video I bought 11/22/63 and I am enjoying the hell out of it. I have not been able to actually read fiction (sometimes I will listen to it, though) in many years but I am racing through this book and loving every moment of it. Thanks for doing this video!
So glad to hear that you've been enjoying 11/22/63!
I love that you had Needful Things, Desperation/Regulators, and Bag of Bones in this list. Not the same old ones as everyone else! Fantastic job!
Thank you! Those books just stuck with me through the years!
Desperation is really good
HATED Bag of Bones. Such a fakeout. Just as you think King is doing something different, and you're really enjoying it, he throws in a plot twist that drags it right back to the same territory he's been writing for his entire career.
Needful Thing is one of my faves and i love the movie too!! Desperation and Bag of Bones are really good too!!
A few days ago, I decided to start my first King novel ever. I'm 100 pages into 11/22/63. This morning I watched this video, and now I'm excited that I made such a wise choice for my first King book.
Excellent! I hope you continue to love the book!
Love the intro, the face of: yeah I freaking did it!
Totally agree! Way cool.
wow. I can't wait. He is so wordy I love his short stories...Night Shift might be my fave. But hey, I just purchased an original 82 comic book from Creepshow and I'm not really a collector but it is Saweet!
Fantastic list, Josh! I’m amazed that you’ve read all of Stephen King’s books and enjoyed hearing your thoughts on each one of these. Your favorite is also mine. Everything about 11/22/63 is special to me. You already heard me gush about Wizard and Glass last night, which is also one of my favorite reads of the year. I’m excited to hear your thoughts on Fairytale next month, which I’m hoping to start on the release date!
Thanks, Johanna! I'll definitely be reading Fairy Tale on release date - I can't wait!
Great list. Your opinions were definitely backed up very well. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Your review is so good! I can tell you really enjoy these works, I agree with a lot of these takes!
I'm glad you enjoyed the review and glad you like the books as well!
Here's my top ten list
1. Dolores Claiborne
2. Billy summers
3. Wizard and glass
4. Insomnia
5. Rose madder
6. The long walk
7. The talisman
8. Needful things
9. The wastelands
10. The stand
Honorable mentions
Under the dome
The gunslinger
Sleeping beauties
Great list, Angela! Dolores Claiborne is highly underrated, and I think from a technical writing standpoint, is possibly King's best work from that lens. I didn't rank Billy Summers or Rose Madder that high on my lists, but it's been awhile for Rose Madder. I'm rereading the Talisman and Black House next year before I reread the Dark Tower, since I know there are important tie-ins with those works. Thanks for your list - that's the beauty of King's vast work - we all have favorites and none of them are wrong!
@@RedFuryBooks so right about kings books you all have are own favorite books
I am so glad 11/22/63 is your #1. As someone who'd never read any Stephen King, the book seemed intriguing, but I could never have expected what I got. It's still the only Stephen King but I've read, but I'm astonished it's not #1 on more lists. It's my favorite piece of art ever, and I'm grateful to see it get the recognition it deserves here
Glad to hear you love it as I do!
1. The Dark Tower (pick one)
2. The Stand
3. It
4. The Shining
5. Misery
6. The Eyes of the Dragon
7. Under the Dome
8. Desperation
9. The Dead Zone
10. Needful Things
Honorable mention to the Mist for being the best short story I've ever read.
Solid list! The Dead Zone is one I definitely look forward to rereading, because I read that one sometime in the late '80s and honestly don't remember much.
respect for completing the journey! :) Admire that. I barely get to finish entire books anymore.
Great video. I’m right in the middle of 11/22/63 and now I’m so looking forward to finishing it! Needless to say, I will continue with some of the other books you praised so much.
Awesome! I hope you love 11/22/63 like I have!
Great video and very strong list Josh. Excellent top 10 and really nice to see Bag of Bones get some love!!! I'd sneak Duma Key in there too.... but would struggle to decide what would miss out.
I'm currently working my way through re-reading them all and it definitely gave me a whole new level of appreciation for some books (Wizard and Glass being a prime example for me - hated it first time around, now probably in my top 5).
Long days and pleasant nights!!
Long days and pleasant nights indeed! Duma Key was on my short list when I started the idea for this video, but I don't remember enough details, so we'll see when I do a reread. I'm so curious as to see what changes!
Great list Josh! I've actually never heard of Bag of Bones, but it sounds great. Desperation and The Regulators might also have to join my Stephen King tbr now. I've only read nine of his books, but I'll give a quick ranking of them.
9. Carrie (The only book of his I found just okay, it was great seeing where he started as a writer though)
8. Doctor Sleep (A great book, just not as memorable as the others I've read)
7. The Long Walk (I love how you get to know the characters so well, while knowing that only one will be left at the end)
6. Misery (Annie Wilkes is terrifying!)
5. The Green Mile (I found this a really beautiful story and quite emotional)
4. The Shining (The only book that has actually given me a nightmare...)
3. It (An epic coming of age tale showing the lives and friendships between awesome characters)
2. Pet Sematary (It gave me an insight into grief that I think I needed at the time of reading it)
1. Salem's Lot (Absolutely terrifying, I couldn't look at my windows at night for a whole month after!)
4-7 are all pretty neck and neck. I will definitely read more of his oeuvre; the high priority books on my King tbr are The Stand, 11/22/63, Needful Things, The Dead Zone, The Dark Tower, Revival, Different Seasons and Night Shift.
The Long Walk and Pet Sematery are both on a lot of people's top 10 lists, and 2 that I really look forward to rereading. But I read them so long ago, they haven't stuck with me. Enjoy the journey through King's works ahead of you! Glad you liked the list!
Wonderful list Josh! A couple of these (Bag of Bones, Desperately) I have glossed over at my local used book store countless times thinking they were not very good having not seen them very much on book-tube. Knowing how highly you think of them and hearing more in depth about them has made me reconsider and I will be picking these up the next time I visit, for sure! Thank you again for all the great videos!
Thanks! Not everyone loves Desperation as much as me, but I honestly haven't heard very many people talk about Bag of Bones. But it's one of his novels with the most accolades. I hope you enjoy them!
Bag of Bones was enjoyable.
Wow, HUGE congrats to reading all of his works! I haven't read everything but out of everything I have read 11/23/63 is also my favorite. I laughed out loud and cried my eyes out. It was a beautiful and heartbreaking story!
Thank you! Yes, 11/22/63 brought so many emotions in that fantastic journey.
Thanks for your excellent takes on these King novels. I was for many years dismissive of King as a schlock and shock writer so I never bothered to read him. When I heard of 11/22/63, I was intrigued to give it a try since I was in middle school when JFK was assassinated and I will never forget that day (and yes I am that old). I have been fascinated by the multitude of books written about that event over the years so I bought King's novel not expecting much. I discovered what you mentioned; he is a great story teller. I went on to read the Mr. Mercedes Trilogy and The Outsider. Enjoyed them all and have marked Salem's Lot as well as The Stand for my fall and winter TBR. After that, I'll tackle the The Dark Tower since now I know what I have been missing all these years! Thanks again.
Glad you found Stephen King and found my channel as well! Philip Chase had mentioned something similar on his channel, how he hadn't read Stephen King mostly because he was known more as a horror writer, but he is such a master storyteller I'm glad people continue to discover he's more than just the scarier side of his output. I hope you enjoy the Dark Tower! I'm likely rereading it next year.
I have not gotten into the Dark Tower Series but have tried to read The Gunslinger a few times. I will keep trying. I loved Mr. Mercedes and eager to read the other 2 in that trilogy. I just read The Outsider which features Holly and they gave away bits of the trilogy. Ouch.
The Drawing of the Three and Wizard and Glass are absolute gems and top 10 King novels for sure, enjoy the Dark Tower!
Talisman and Wolves Of Calla/Song Of Susannah
@AllenFreemanMediaGuru I had this problem with The Gunslinger too, so I put it in my bathroom and read a little bit every time I went in there, and by the time I got to the end of the chapter called The Waystation, I had to bring it out to read it in a more comfortable place because my legs kept going to sleep while I sat on the potty for too long due to being caught up in the book.
Solid list… I’ve been watching a bunch of these Stephen King top lists because a) I’m a fan of his writing as a whole but b) mostly to see where the dark tower series fits into people’s favourites. Wizard and glass is an amazing read and definitely worthy of a top 10 but for me, Drawing of the 3 is the true masterpiece in the series. It’s King in his prime and he knocks it out of the park. It’s such an immersive trip into the gunslinger’s fantastical story anchored in reality with the forming of the ka-tet through the doors from midworld into ours. It had a real sense of urgency, building to the finale. It’s my all time favourite novel even to this day.
I think 2-4 of the Dark Tower are definitely the best books in that series.
Great video, Josh. I really love How your enthusiasm for books shines through The screen! I know you mostly don’t do lore focused videos, But I would love to see you make a video about The Stephen King shared universe. Other videos about the same subject are often made by people who are not nearly as well read on King as you are. Looking forward to more awesome videos
Thanks, Jan! I try to mostly choose books or topics that I love, so I'm glad it comes through! I have some other Stephen King videos in mind - probably later rather than sooner - but definitely want to talk about my favorite author more!
Usually smaller creators either have not so good quality of video or audio or are awkward while talking but your videos are all top quality and awesome
Thank you for this kind comment - you made my day! Glad you enjoy the channel!
Frannie became my favorite from the stand! I still think about her from time to time. Love that book!! Just started IT for the first time. So good! Actually, im halfway done. Blasting through it on audiobook and can’t stop!
Frannie's awesome! As is Stu. And Nick. And Larry. Such an amazing cast of characters. I hope you continue to love IT!
This was a refreshing top 10! Wizard and Glass is forever my favorite in the DT series and one of my top favorite stories as well. I often hear people remark that it’s their least favorite and it truly blows my mind - the world building and character development in this novel alone brings tears to my eyes. While I adore King’s more “mainstream” novels, I often find myself reminiscing on novels I rarely see people rank - such as Bag of Bones. Different Seasons is also my favorite collection of his - The Breathing Method is a short story I found riveting and also one I rarely hear people mention. Much like The Overlook, the brownstone, or the club, in this story is so very much alive as well. Fantastic video!
Glad to see more people with Wizard and Glass love! Glad you liked Bag of Bones as well, and I agree with your statement that there are so many "unsung" heroes outside the more popular works of his that are really fantastic. Glad you enjoyed the video!
I used to say the same and would say The wastelands was my favorite Dark tower book but I'm second guessing myself now
@@mugatu171717 it took me a couple of journeys to the tower to come to this conclusion! First time through it was hard for me to pick a favorite, but the second time I read the series I just fell in love with W&G so much so that I’ve read it by itself a few times. 🔮
@@superficialmells you've read the series multiple times? That's awesome! I only did once many years ago. What are your top 5 SK books?
@@mugatu171717 oh gosh yes haha! I’m a comfort creature - I read his works several times because for me depending on things that have happened in my life I can read a novel or story again and feel a whole new way about it! For example, I read Pet Semetary for the first time when I was in my early teens. I experienced infant loss many years later and read the novel again later and a whole new level of emotion was unlocked.
Choosing a top 5 is so hard for me but right now I’m thinking of some of his less mentioned novels that I adore and that’s Rose Madder, From a Buick 8, The Outsider, and Duma Key.
I just started a re-read of everything and I finished Carrie (again, ha!) last night. I’ve been thinking about it all day. I believe that’s the beauty in the way King writes - the depth of human emotion is unmatched for me.
The Stand, The Shining, ‘Salems Lot, and IT are probably some of his more popular novels that I adore and always look forward to whenever I decide to start revisiting.
There is one exception to all of this - Cujo. My only read wrecked me for weeks after so I skip it every time. I’m a bleeding heart for dogs and the POV from Cujo was too heartbreaking for me.
Thank you for this video! I'm currently reading my first King book that I picked up on a whim and I already love it. I'll be working through your list 😊
Enjoy the ride!
Which book was it? I just finished Stephen Kings 'Fairy Tale' yesterday. It's my first king book as well...
This is really awesome and I enjoyed your personal take on each pick. Thank you !
Glad you enjoyed it!
Could not agree more with the atmosphere aspect. There is a tangible feeling while reading a King novel. You can smell Castle Rock during the fall, or you can feel the summer air in Derry. It’s always been one of my biggest attractions to King as a writer is how engrossed and easy it is to be transported to the setting he builds. Reading Pet Semetary you can feel yourself walking in the dark up the hill with something watching you.
Absolutely! It's definitely one of his strengths, and he's one of the best in the business at it!
I've only read 3 of the books you mentioned so far (The Shining, Salem's Lot, and Different Seasons) and they are truly amazing. Salem's Lot is easily the best vampire story I've ever read. Different Seasons is a showcase of true ability to tell great stories, and The Shining is scary on a psychological level due to the hauntings, and also an emotional level due to Jack's struggles as a father. I''ve only read 8 of his books as of writing this, so I can't make a top 10, but I can say my favorite so far is probably Salem's Lot followed VERY closely by Pet Sematary. I can't wait to read more of his works and rerank them as I go.
I'm looking forward to a reread of everything to see how my list changes, and my thoughts about each book changes. I'm sure this top 10 will likely be different!
I also love pet cemetary.
@@DerSaa Is pet Sematary bed to read if you’re an animal lover like will it upset me?
@@RedFuryBooksyepp
I like your insight and your thoughtfulness on the books. I enjoyed your presentation and your flow! Thank you! look forward to watching more of your content!!
Glad you liked the video and hope you enjoy more of them - thanks for hanging out!
Great review, your presentation style is engaging and your enthusiasm for King's works shines through.
Thank you so much!
I think with SK Top 10s it's like you said the characters of the stand are, there are no wrong answers. I would even respect having Dreamcatcher or Tommyknockers in your Top10, because they are great books. I was also blown away by how good the recent "the institute" and "billy summers" were, they might even be in my top10 right now. Probably until I reread some of his older stuff ... ;)
That's a fantastic point. You really COULD make a point for just about any King book being top 10 because there's something compelling to use as evidence. Your point about recency bias is legit, too, which is why I'm most excited to do a grand reread in a year or so and reread them all within the span of a few years so I can really compare them to each other!
No one describes a place in the context of its time as compellingly as King. 11.22.63 is a fantastic book that captivated me deeply. This novel is also my number one.
Absolutely true.
Glad to see your love and devotion to King’s writing. The Stand is still my favorite book of all time!
I loved the Stand and the bigger version that was released later.
Thank you, this is very helpful! I was so scared of The Shining that I missed reading more of King's works. Your commitment is inspiring too 👏
Thanks so much! Yes, there's so much that King's written that brilliant that is NOT in the horror genre. He has such scope as a storyteller that he mixes in and out of genres very frequently. I hope you find some that you enjoy!
Pet Sematary may not be the best (I think that's The Stand), but for me it's the scariest. The short stories of Night Shift are on another level. I'm not a big fan of the Dark Tower novels, but I think the rest of your top ten are superb. Nice work!
I'm definitely looking forward to rereading Pet Sematary at some point! Same with some of those earlier short story collections where it's been quite a long time since I've read them. Glad you enjoyed the list! ( And I love your UA-cam name as I'm a musician who's favorite composer is Beethoven!)
The last 100 pages of pet sematary were very dark
I’ve only read around ten books by King, but 11/22/63 is also my favorite, with Revival being close behind. It’s the fastest a book has ever made me cry.
“I have never been what you’d call a crying man.”
11/22/63 and Revival along with the Bill Hodges. Trilogy for me are the best of King's more recent (~15 years) works. I hope you plan to read more of him - he's such a fantastic storyteller!
@@RedFuryBooks I’m nearing page 600 of IT right now and I plan to read either On Writing or the Drawing of the Three next. I want to read Under the Dome the most, but I want to knock out a few smaller ones first!
@@nelzar I'd give you advice as to what to read next out of those 3, but I loved them all!
This is a great list. I love that you included needful things and bag of bones, and I totally agree with 11 2263 being his best I’m looking forward to reading all of them again!
Glad you enjoyed the list! I look forward to a reread as well!
I really appreciate and respect this list. Wizard & Glass love is always something I enjoy seeing. Great list
Glad you like the list and love Wizard and Glass as I do!
Awesome list, and amazing how you read every king book. Impressive.
What always amazes me about people ranking kings book is that a ton of books that are rank the worst by some, are the favorite by others. Its rarely consistent. Really says something about how theres a book for everyone by him it seems.
Thanks! Yes, you're right on about King; although there are a few that have mostly universal praise, everyone often has very different opinions of his books. One person may put one in the their top 10 and another may not like it at all.
What a great review, not even so much of the top 10 but your attention to details to these great reads. Youre a man of love as you have Wiz&Glass and 11/22/63 in your top 5 which I would argue are the top 2, but great knowledge of this genre regardless. There are sooo many DT books that can be in the top 10 and one that is often overlooked as a DT or great King book is Colorado Kid. Reread it and reflect, its amazing!
Glad you enjoyed the top 10! I almost made the entire Dark Tower one entry but decided Wizard and Glass needed its own entry.
I appreciate your taking view on your favorites. I’ve been reading Stephen King since 1986. Over time, my ranks have changed as well. I started with Christine and still adore it. I have the graphic novel Creepshow that is definitely in my Top Ten. The Stand is my number one and 11 2263 is almost tied with it. I agree with your take that it was one of the most beautiful endings and left you cathartic. A few I loved that were not in your list would include Firestarter, The Green Mile, and Cujo.
The Green Mile was way up there for me too! Choosing 10 by King is tough!
i am working through all of King’s books right now and you’ve given me some good ideas for what to read next!
so far, i’ve read
the stand
the shining
carrie
the institute
the green mile
on writing
i’m reading salem’s lot right now
I hope you enjoy 'Salem's Lot and whatever you read next! There are a lot of great ones ahead for you!
Loved this video and your thoughts on each of the books!
Thank you! I would have liked to talk longer about each book, but didn't want it to be too long!
Great list! I was pleasantly surprised to see so many of my own personal favorite King books in your top ten. Especially your placing of Desperation, Needful Things, and Salem’s Lot! The only change I would make is the addition of Duma Key. I love that one! Anyway, well done. I subscribed 👍
Glad you liked the video! That's the thing about a Stephen King top 10 list - there are about 20 books that are worthy!
Great that you have some of the lesser discussed King books here, such as Needful things which is fantastic.
Thanks! That one really just stuck with me.
This video was a great find! I've certainly not read even half of King's output, but I was very happy to see some of my favorites in your list. In particular, that ending of 11/22/63 - I nearly started to well up with tears just hearing you talk about it. It was definitely the most emotional I have ever been reading the books of his that I've read. You described it perfectly. And IT will always be my favorite novel of all time. I was 18 when I first read it, and then re-read it before the first of the new films came out when I was about 36, and I loved it even more the second time. In addition to the great characters and genuinely scary scenes, there are so many layers that made it so re-readable. I see IT (the ancient evil, not just its Pennywise form) as a metaphor for the evil that men (and some women) do in terms of bigotry and hate. Following the timeline of ITs cycles, there is always some horrific crime in the name of racism, homophobia, misogyny, etc - and I think King was so smart use those crimes as sort of mile posts throughout the book. That sort of went over my head the first time I read it. But that's just my two cents!
Glad you enjoyed the video and I enjoyed reading your comments. And you're right on about the many layers of IT - and not many people talk about them frankly.
Great list! Wolves of the Calla is tied with Wizard and Glass for me. I read them back to back and think of them as a duology within the greater series.
I've never heard of that approach; you could squeeze 'Salem's Lot in the middle and make it a trilogy!
Until you shared this link today, I never knew you had this channel. Very entertaining. I've now subscribed.
Thank you, my friend!
Great video. I loved hearing your opinions. I’m just now starting to get into king. Beautiful bookshelves by the way.
Reading fairy tale right now and really enjoying it. Just finished the institute. I felt it was a little repetitive near the end. Next up im planning on reading the long walk 😊
Thank you! Glad you liked the video and my shelves! As for the Institute, I definitely agree - that one didn't land very well for me, although I did enjoy the ending. I hope you love The Long Walk!
I really love your number 1 pick also. It is brilliant in every way.
loved the vid! I'm just at the start of my King journey, having only read 'Salem's Lot and Apt Pupil so far, but I really liked both and have most of the ones on your list on my shelf ready to go!
Enjoy the ride! King is my favorite and it’s always cool seeing people start their journey!
You’re living the dream, man! I’ve barely scratched the surface with these books.
That just means you have a lot of great Stephen King books ahead!
I was happy to see Needful Things on your list. One of my favorites of all time!
Awesome! I think it's often overlooked.
Awesome video Josh! What a fantastic achievement - I still have so much King to go. I’ve read everything except for Desperation on your list, and look forward to working my way through the remaining half or so of his catalogue that I haven’t read yet. 11/22/63 is also my favorite King book, followed directly by Wizard and Glass. I’ll be reading Misery for the first time in October - I can’t wait!
Thank you! Enjoy your ride through King's works! Desperation is really fantastic, and I recommend reading The Regulators right afterwards, just to see how very different they are. And Misery is perfect for "spooky season" because as I mentioned, I find Annie Wilkes King's scariest villain!
Misery was the first book I ever read more than once. I’ve read The Long Walk three times and looking forward to reading it again.
My man really came through with Needful Things🙏🏾 definitely in my top 3 reads of Stephen King
Fantastic! Such an underrated book.
I had borrowed Thinner from a friend a while back and I absolutely loved it. I tried the Mist and I loved it. I wanted to read more and I wasn’t sure where to go next. I picked up Salem’s Lot based off of your recommendation and now I can’t stop. I’ve now picked up a slew of his other books and I’m eagerly awaiting their arrival. Thank you so much man!
So glad to hear you enjoyed Salem's Lot! You have a lot of great King books ahead of you - enjoy the ride!
So happy to watch this video, Josh! The first SK book I read was Hearts in Atlantis and I loved it so much. My list would also include Bag of Bones (I want to reread that in October), 11/22/63, the first two of the Mr. Mercedes trilogy (haven’t read the third one yet), and Billy Summers. I did start Under the Dome, but put it down. I might pick it up again. My scary threshold is kind of low so I don’t read a lot of horror.
Glad you enjoyed it! I reread Hearts in Atlantis last year and enjoyed it quite a bit. The Bill Hodges trilogy is great - my favorite was Finders Keepers! The beauty of King’s diversity of his works is that there’s still a lot of great books even if you don’t like his horror books.
He is pretty amazing in his ability to cross genres. I’m also looking forward to his newest one coming out soon. With the horror that you’ve read, I wanted to ask you if you’ve read Summer of Night by Dan Simmons and if so, what your thoughts are with respect to the gore/graphic factor. The premise interests me but I’ve been unable to find specific information on whether or not I’m too much of a scaredy-cat cat to read it lol. Thanks, Josh!
@@debbiemurphy4971 I've read a little bit of Dan Simmons - The Terror and Drood. He's definitely someone I want to read more - especially his science fiction, which I've heard said is some of the best.
Love this video. I'm a huge Stephen King fan and have read almost all of them, and totally agree with your list. Regulators and Desperation were fantastic, but I didn't realize how connected there were until I started reading the second book, brilliant storytelling. You also listed two I haven't read yet so they are now next on my list. I have two others I have read recently that I could not put down and would highly recommend to anyone, Joyride & Later. Later has a young protagonist and I loved every page of it. Joyride is about a haunted amusement park and there just happens to be an older, run down amusement park near were I live and I can't drive past it without thinking about that book and getting a chill down my spine. If they ever make that book into a movie, I know the perfect location!
Glad to see someone else enjoyed Desperation and the Regulators like I did! I enjoyed Joyride tremendously and it was on the "short list" for this top 10.
Great top ten list, couldn’t agree more King really immerses you in the worlds he creates. Looking forward to that tier list you’ll make in 5-10 years after rereading his bibliography lol
A top ten would be very hard some of my favorites though are his second collaboration with Peter Straub Black House(even though I struggled through The Talisman), Wolves of the Calla and Salems Lot
@@ikillyourvibe4408 this is good to know - I'm planning on rereading The Talisman and Black House this year before a reread of The Dark Tower next year.
That scene in Salem's Lot... I felt that and totally agree. Great video.
Thanks, and YES to that scene!
Great list!! The Stand is my favorite, but you have a lot of great opinions.
I can never argue with someone putting The Stand first. It was my #1 for a long time. Honestly, my top 3 can easily change given my mood!
Love 11/22/63! I'm rereading it right now. Great list btw! I haven't read that many books by Stephen King but I'm reading my way through them (and collecting them too). I need to say although I enjoy the scary stuff my favorite is 11/22/63 too. There is just something in that book that makes it beautiful. If I would ever have a so called comfort book it would definitely be this one.
Glad you enjoyed the list! 11/22/63 is SO good, and I'm glad you are enjoying it! I'll be starting King's newest, Fairy Tale, this evening!
This is a great video and good references. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Congratulations!!! I wanted to read all of his work however failed miserably. Probably read half of them. I read the wheel of time /the shogun series but life got bust for me. At one point I had eye surgery and years later I am now hitting the audio books. All of Kings books. That is an accomplishment!
Thank you! It did take 30+ years! But still glad to have read all his books.
11/22/63 is my favorite too! i also like your appreciation of Needful things, too many people spit on it lol. Terrific list! (and yes the ending of 11/22/63 made me cry loll)
Awesome!
Great list. I too have read and own all of his works. IT, 11/22/63, Needful Things and DIfferent Seasons are definitely very high up in my Top 10 too. The first chapter of Needful Things (where he "introduces" the characters) and the last paragraph of The Body would probably be my favourite pieces of his writing. Thanks, from the #1 Stephen King fan in New Zealand.
That's awesome - I love meeting constant readers from across the globe!
I just finished Needful Things last night and I think I'd place it 2nd behind Pet Sematary. I haven't read a ton of King's works (starting Misery today and very excited), but I've really enjoyed everything I've gotten into so far and have been loving all the UA-cam content surrounding his works.
I hope you enjoy (if that word is correct) Misery! That's all I'll say. :)
Keep it up. I think im gonna do a binge of your videos.
Awesome - I hope you find some you enjoy!
Josh this is awesome I just started my King Journey recently
I enjoyed the livestream yesterday! Great lineup of people and great insights into the Dark Tower.
@@RedFuryBooks I’m really happy to hear you enjoyed it!!!
thank you for introducing me to Stephen King! I decided I wanted to start my King-journey with "The Shining". It sounds the most appealing to me☺
Oh fantastic! The Shining is definitely a great entry point!
ive not read that many, revival, different seasons was super good. but my fav yet is dreamcatcher, i love the characters in the book and it has a very nice ending aswell. good vid!
Oh wow, I wish I had stumbled across your channel sooner!! I am really liking your content and most excellent work sir. New Subscriber! Thank you
Thank so much! Glad you found the channel and hope you enjoy whatever it is I do here! :)
My grandmother also got me started on his books when I was really young. I had already loved a couple of his movie adaptations. He's been my favorite author for close to 30 years.
My grandmother started me on King as well! Cheers to our grandmothers!
Subbed & Liked! Enjoyed the video! Good work! I use to read King a lot! Now mostly the Bible.
Glad you liked the video enough to stick around!
The Stand is my favorite King book, and it has been since I first read it, probably in 1980. I re-read it every few years. I guess I need to re-read 11/22/63, because I felt that the ending was rushed. I'm fond of Carrie, since it was a part of my teenage years. I also really love Under the Dome. Great list!
I'll never argue with anyone that says The Stand is their favorite! Such a great book. I enjoyed Under the Dome as well, but didn't love the ending.
Nice list! I’ve read 10 of his books, including The Stand, which I really liked. Since I’m rubbish at horror, I’ve stayed away from IT and other scarier titles although I am very tempted. About to start 11/22/63😊
I hope you love 11/22/63 as I do!
Excellent! I always love watching people's top 10 lists! I've read all of his books besides Black House (The Talisman is my least favorite) and I haven't gotten to Gwendy's Final Task or Fairy Tale.
I thought Gwendy's Final Task was the best of the trilogy, so I hope you enjoy it as well! I'll be rereading The Talisman and Black House next year as I've been doing a gradual reread of all the books that have Dark Tower tie-ins before I reread that series again. Countdown is down to 4 days till Fairy Tale!
I started reading Black House in November 2021. Got really tired of it after a few weeks. I started reading it again this month after over a year. It’s unbelievable, but nothing happens that gripped me for the first 550 pages, then it mentions Roland and the The Dark Tower and all of a sudden I’m interested again.
I am so happy to hear you praise Wizard and Glass. The Dark Tower Series is a masterpiece and WAG is my favorite of all of them. It gets so much hate but I just thought it was incredible.
Glad to find another fan of wizard and Glass!
This is one of the best video i’ve seen about stephen king ,i love your enthousiasm and the way you talk about the books with so much passion !!
I adore stephen king but sadly in French the translation of his books are usually botched or old-style french which ruins the book sometimes :(
Thank you so much and I'm glad you enjoyed the video! So sorry to hear that you often get bad translations- that really has to be frustrating.
I loved listening to your list. The Stand and The Dark Tower are my top favourites and it was great to see Needful Things make the list. I would also add Joyland.
Joyland is definitely one of the brighter spots of his last decade of output.
Enjoyable video. I read a ton of King back in the day (late 80s -> early 90s) but he lost me with The Dark Half--it just seemed like he was trying to fill pages to make money. I have not read him since but this video may make me revisit him.
Awesome! I do admit that early King is better than modern King, but there are still some really great works to explore.
Great picks for the books I know!
The one that got me was a short story titled “The Last Rung on the Ladder” in “Night Shift”. I remember bawling at the end of that as I read it as a young man with an older sister. It really touched my heart.
“The Long Walk” has also haunted me since I was a young man. The ending just struck me as the insanity set in. I’m still in shock 25+ years later. It will haunt me until I’m no more as a story that made me rethink how lucky I am, and what I’m willing to sacrifice for my deepest wishes.
I'm planning probably next year rereading all of King's short fiction. I do remember Night Shift being a pretty strong collection!
This was a great list and I agree with a lot of it. This is my list of top 10 SK:
1) The Stand
2) Salem’s Lot
3) Misery
4) Bag of Bones
5) The Shining
6) Pet Semetary
7) Needful Things
8) 11/22/63
9) Under the Dome
10) Rose Madder
Glad you liked the list! Regarding Misery as your #3, I honestly think Annie Wilkes is King's best villain.
Great video. Amazing that you have completed reading all of his works.
As someone who hasn't read any King (and is frankly quite scared to do so because of the graphic horror elements), taking notes!
I have watched many interviews and ceremonies featuring him - my two favourite ones which somehow really resonated with me would be his speech on receiving the National Book Award and the moment he received the medal from President Obama.
Edit: 11/22/63 added to TBR!
I hope you enjoy 11/22/63! And although he is a master at the horror graphic elements you mentioned, so much of his work that's fantastic is no in that vein. Different Seasons, The Green Mile to name two.
@@RedFuryBooks Thank you. And noted!
I am reading now my first Stephen king book, I bought both needful things and 11/22/63 and then randomly chose to start from 11/22/63, I never heard a lot of this book from other people so I was really curious and now I was very surprised when you put it at first position! I am 50 pages in and I can't wait to read it all
I hope you love it as I do!
Excellent video. I started in 2020 rereading the King collection. I had read many back in the 70s and 80s but wanted to start over. I have read about 20 now. I started in order but skipped to his later works as well. My favorites of the ones I read in the Last 3 years: Misery, The Shining, Christine, Fairy Tale, Thinner, The Outsider, Carrie. I have tried 2-3 times to read 11/22/63 and love the first 1/2 but his years living in the past waiting for that fateful date drags on. I saw the mini series with James Franco and loved it. Yes I will eventually get through that book. I’m about to tackle The Stand as I do remember liking the book but pretty sure I read the shorter version back then.
Glad you liked the video! I'm looking forward to a full reread starting probably in 2025. I'm going to reread the Dark Tower next year and then plan on reading all of King's works in publication order after that. I'm definitely curious how a lot of these will feel decades after my first read.
I read about 20 SK novels in the early 90s, then read a few more over the next decade but then drifted away from his books. Started reading them again in 2018 and am now 10 books from completing them all. I’ve been stuck on Black House since November 2021, but started it again last week. It’s a chore.
This was really fun!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I wholeheartedly agree with your number 1 choice. Its my favourite book of all time!
Awesome! It's such a great book.
Agreed on Wizard and Glass. Makes me want to read more about his original ka-tet. That book took my breath away for a few days.
Yes, I need to do a reread soon!
When you mentioned Salem’s Lot the bedroom window popped into my mind immediately. Thinner and Tommyknockers are two of my favorites that people don’t talk about much. I’ve tried several times to read the “Dark Tower” series but just can’t seem to get into it.
“The Stand” is still my favorite though, I read it at least once every two to three years.
There are way more Stephen King books I haven’t read. Once I started having kids my reading “fell off”. Now I’m retired and have a lot of catching up to do. Now I won’t have to wait for the next book to come out like I used to have to do.
Yes, the bedroom scene in 'Salem's Lot! Best of luck in catching back up! Having unread Stephen King books is kind of a good thing though.
Your pucks were all the same as mine … blown away . I’m going to buy 11/22/63 right now .
I liked the talisman a lot too
Awesome! I hope you enjoy 11/22/63!
11 22 63 is so so so well rounded. The ending my goodness !!! I agree 100%
Couldn't agree more with your #1. Ironically, it was the first King book I read. I don't know if it will ever be topped but it absolutely opened the door for me to attempt his entire catalog
Amazing that 11/22/63 was your first! Not many reach those heights in my opinion, but there's so much greatness in his catalog that I hope you enjoy.
Nice list !
Constant reader since 1976...today, up to the moment, barring a reread ( or just finally reading one of the 6 or 8 I have yet to read)
10) The Shining
9) 11/26/63
8) It
7) The Stand (uncut)
6) The Dead Zone
5) The Long Walk
4) The Drawing of the Three
3) The Wastelands
2) Wizard and Glass
1) 'Salems Lot
Solid list! I love seeing 'Salem's Lot at the top!