Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers discussion

I've read just about everything he's written...

I loved The Stand, Carrie, Firestarter, The Tommy Knockers, Needful Things, It, Christine, Bag of Bones, Lisey's Story, Cell... His Bachman books are good too. Blaze, Thinner (a fave) and The Running Man are all good.
by far my favorite was The Dark Half. Don't ask me why.

Gerald's Game completely freaked me out and I went King free for a few years because of it... might sound funny given the books I write but yeah... it freaked me out.

hope this helps...

The Stand is a great book, I've read it many times.:)It's a long read but one of his best, IMO... It was a pretty freaky book. I read it when I was 15 and still remember it vividly.
Here's a link to my book. If you decide to read, I hope you enjoy. :)

I loved Rose Madder and Desperation myself.

i started with the dead zone which is great but only last year read pet semetary and i regret waiting so long it was fantastic

Some of it depends on whether you like straight out horror (like The Stand or the Shining) or you like something a bit more psychological (like Misery).

Bag of Bones is my all-time favorite King. For something of his a bit different, I also really enjoyed Eyes of the Dragon although it's been YEARS since I read it!

I loved his early work. Carrie, the Shining, the Stand, Pet Sematary, etc. Cujo freaked me out as I was always a bit afraid of dogs. I got a bit burned out and didn't read him for years so I have a full shelf of his books to read. A favorite new one is 11/22/63. Awesome book!

I don't think it really matters what order you read them in, but I would recommend "The Shining," "Salem's Lot," "Carrie" "Needful Things," "Rose Madder", "Skeleton Crew" and "Four Past Midnight", to be getting on with :).

The Stand is my favorite
IT is amazing
Duma Key
Rose Madder
The newer Under the Dome and Cell are ok as well

I just finished The Talisman today. It was really good. I think you might enjoy 11/22/63 or The Eyes of the Dragon. They aren't your "typical" King books...not scary at all. They're two of my favorites!

I recently re-read 'Salem's Lot for the first time since 1975. When I first read it, King's method of telling a story - ending each chapter in the middle of the action - was a new thing. You just had to turn the page and begin the next chapter to find out what happened next. Almost 40 years later, I didn't enjoy the novel nearly as much.

Parinita wrote: "thanks everyone for suggestions! I've ordered the books already! :D very excited to start this.
The Dark tower series also looks good. Any reviews on it?"

Its great but high fantasy and not horror. The first book is dry in tone but it becomes more personalized with the other books.

My favorites from him are Cujo, Pet Semetary, Firestarter and IT (although I need to re-read the last one sometime)

Parinita wrote: "I'll start with The Stand then."

King is my favorite author but I must ask you not to start with The Stand as I thought it has an awful ending after going on for about 1000 pages which can really put you off from reading King any more. IMO a new reader must NOT start with one of the epics like The Shining, It as they are so bloated in the middle it might seem too long for a casual/new reader.

Start off with The Dead Zone a book that satisfies readers of different tastes & King himself had listed it as one of his best books in an interview.If you are a horror fan go with Pet Sematary but I must warn that it is highly unsettling.

Parinita wrote: "Hi Aditya,
Thanks for the suggestion. I haven't read anything by King yet but have ordered a few books including The Dead Zone..."

Hope you enjoy whatever you finally decide to start with.

The dark tower books took me forever to wade thru. They are more sci-fi than horror. The stand is my favorite S.K. book, but Swan song was better.The best horror of S.K. has to be IT not the mini-series but the book..............scary stuff

Here's my list of SK books with my stars for each. I've written reviews here on Goodreads for them - if that might help.
5 stars. Carrie 1974
4 stars. Salem’s Lot 1975
4 stars. The Shining 1977 (3 stars for some readers - depressing subject)
5 stars. The Stand 1978 & 1990
3 ½ stars. Firestarter 1980 (not enough at the end & not happy enough)
3 ½ stars. Cujo 1981
4 stars. The Shawshank Redemption 1982 (novella in the anthology “Different Seasons”)
4 stars. The Body 1982 (novella in the anthology “Different Seasons”)
4 stars. Christine 1983
3 stars. The Talisman 1984
2 stars. Misery 1987 (depressing subject)
3 ½ stars. It 1980 (jumping in time and interrupted scenes)
3 ½ stars. The Dark Half 1989
3 stars. Needful Things 1991
4 stars. Dolores Claiborne 1993
2 stars. Insomnia 1994
5 stars. Rose Madder 1995
4 stars. The Green Mile 1996
2 stars. Bag of Bones 1998
4 stars. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon 1999
5 stars. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft 2000
4 ½ stars. Joyland 2013

The Dark Tower Series (in order)
3 stars. The Gunslinger 1982
4 ½ stars. The Drawing of the Three 2001
3 stars. The Waste Lands 1991
3 stars. Wizard and Glass 1997
4 stars. The Wind Through the Keyhole 2012
4 stars. Wolves of the Calla 2003
2 stars. Song of Susannah 2004
2 stars. The Dark Tower 2004

I'm pleased this thread was started was thinking the same myself. I'd like to read a Stephen King don't know about the horror side I do enjoy a psychological thriller so suggestions are appreciated by me also.

The Stand, It, 'Salem's Lot, The Talisman, Black House & The Dark Tower series are some of my favorites.

The Stand, It, the Dark Tower series, Full Dark, No Stars, Carrie, Bag of Bones, and Gerald's Game, just to name a few! :-)

Misery, The Stand, there are so many to choose from!

The Stand's featuring frequently as favourites.

Jane wrote: "Here's my list of SK books with my stars for each. I've written reviews here on Goodreads for them - if that might help.
5 stars. Carrie 1974
4 stars. Salem’s Lot 1975
4 stars. The Shining 19..."

kind of you to type out a list thanks.

Parinita & Joanne, you're welcome :)

I liked "Hearts in Atlantis."

At all costs, avoid "The Gunslinger" series.

No one mentioned 11/22/63 - which I loved.

Parinita wrote: "Hi,
I have never read a Stephen King book, (I know, I know.. Shock!! ) but I really want to read one.
So, can you all please tell me where I should start? what are best books that I should read? ..."

The Shining, and then watch the movie version.

Bernard wrote: "I liked "Hearts in Atlantis."

At all costs, avoid "The Gunslinger" series."

The Gunslinger is the first in the Dark Tower series, isn't it? I couldn't get through it - I've heard such wonderful things about the series, but if that book is any indication of the rest of it, I'm not interested!

I see you've probably gotten more suggestions than you can handle, but I haven't seen Lisey's Story mentioned. That is my favorite, but it has a definitely supernatural flavor. Well, they all do, but some monsters could be read as being just in the character's imaginations. Oh - have any of the horror buffs posting read Koji Suzuki?

Needful Things
Misery
Four Past Midnight
It
The Stand
The Talisman

These were all 5 star reads for me

hated:

Tommyknockers and The Long Walk

I'm a complete freak for Stephen King books. I've read nearly everything he's done.

For someone who's never read King, I tend to recommend his early stuff. You cannot go wrong with Salem's Lot or The Shining. They are also some of his shorter books (around 300 pages) and not likely to cause injury. (I've sprained my wrist reading one of his 1000+ page behemoths....Under the Dome. IT WAS WORTH IT)

Bernard wrote: "I liked "Hearts in Atlantis."

At all costs, avoid "The Gunslinger" series."

But Hearts in Atlantis is part of the Gunslinger series (Actaully called "The Dark Tower"). Or do you mean that a new reader should avoid The Gunslinger?

You can enjoy Hearts without reading "The Dark Tower" , of course, but the fullness of the stories are truly enhanced by King's Magnum Opus.

Maegan wrote: "Gerald's Game completely freaked me out and I went King free for a few years because of it... might sound funny given the books I write but yeah... it freaked me out.
..."

No doubt. I think it's because what happens in this book...could actually happen.

I haven't read on of his titles in a while but I'm definitely picking up Under the Dome soon.

This man and his titles have freaked me out that day or night is not safe. But I still love them!!!!!

;o)

The Stand - hands down is my favorite King book. I think next would be Firestarter, The Dead Zone, The Shining, and the Different Seasons novellas. (Shawshank Redemption, Running Man, The Body). Note that these are all early works. I prefer his early works because somewhere around Christine it felt to me like he was writing his novels specifically to be made for movies and that turned me off. I like his book, On Writing and I admit that I read Dolores Claiborne to my daughter when she was a baby - only way that she would sleep. But I have been pondering reading 11/22/63..

I don't know where you are now, and what you've read, but I would definitely start with things that are considered his best first, like The Stand or The Shining or It, The Dead Zone, Misery. I would read a short story anthology after a long book - some of his books are quite long. The list is huge, so take it one step at a time. I wouldn't tackle something big right away. The long Walk is one of. He favorite shorter novels and you can probably read it in a day. Or Carrie. You get a sense of his style and how he writes and how the characters are developed.

I loved Eyes of the Dragon. I have that at home.... Should let my daughter read it.

Maegan wrote: "I've read just about everything he's written...

I loved The Stand, Carrie, Firestarter, The Tommy Knockers, Needful Things, It, Christine, Bag of Bones, Lisey's Story, Cell... His Bachman books ar..."

What about 11/22/63? I loved that one!

Beth

And I think there is a special price for it on e-books with a short film.

I've owned 2 books from Stephen King but never read them until last year when I read The Eyes of the Dragon and I though it was pretty good. I

Parinita wrote: "So, can you all please tell me where I should start? what are best books that I should read? What to avoid? Or if you think I should start from the beginning, the first book he got published?"

So far, I haven't seen many votes for his shorter works.

King published a few collections of short stories, where you get a good idea of what he's capable of. I especially like his first short story collection, Night Shift.

I did mention The Long Walk, which isn't very long. Any of his short story anthologies like Night Shift, Skeleton Crew, everything's Eventual, Just after Sunset.

Yes. There is also Four Past Midnight and Four Seasons, which are novellas. The Body (which became the movie Stand By Me), Rita Hayworth & the Shawshank Redemption are both from Four Seasons.

I say don't read The Long Walk

The Long Walk is one of my favorite books. I'm curious as to why you'd say that? I'd never tell someone not to read something if I didn't like it. I would tell you to read it and make up your own mind if you like it or not. Don't let someone else make that decision for you. Rage, is a tough one, but it's out of print. These are books King wrote under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman. The Long Walk, The Running Man, Roadwork, Rage (currently out of print because it's about a school shooting) are all Bachman Books. They are all worth reading. They are darker, but The Long Walk is the best of them.

Parinita wrote: "I never knew he wrote short stories too! I'll definitely have to check then out!"

Night Shift is the best short story collection King has written (at least among the ones I read), so if you have checked that out don't bother reading the others, they have a few good stories but the overall quality is inferior compared to Night Shift.

But do check out Different Seasons & Four Past Midnight if you want to read shorter king works.Both of them are a collection of 4 novellas which are great with the ones in Different Season being from different genres while the ones from the 4 Past Midnight being horror stories.The Body & The Library Policeman being the standout stories in those collections respectively.

As Lanie said The Long Walk is one of the best King books check it out if you can but the other Bachman books are pretty average with Roadwork & Rage being the worst ones.

Parinita wrote: "I never knew he wrote short stories too! I'll definitely have to check then out!"

He's always been a huge short story writer, seems to be one of his - if not the top - favorite medium he uses. Has an unusually large amount of anthologies under his name

Different Seasons is an interesting quartet of novellas. Three of the four stories have been filmed, to great success: Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption was filmed as The Shawshank Redemption, The Body was filmed as Stand By Me, and Apt Pupil was filmed eponymously.

I think I re-read Shawshank and Apt Pupil two or three times, they're that good.

I remember being so disappointed when I heard that they were turning Shawshank into a movie. That was before I knew about Frank Darabont, of course! It was one of my favorite and most beloved stories - and I was so pleasantly surprised to see how true King's message was translated by Frank. I trust anything that Frank directs. He really understands, respects and "gets" King's work. He knows it's about relationships, honest people in extraordinary situations, and being able to relay that honestly is magic. I've heard he's working on The Long Walk. As I mentioned, one of my favorite King stories. I don't know if Rage is "bad" but it's definitely dark and I couldn't continue with it because it is so unbelievably dark, but I think it would be hard to find. It's written from the point of view of a kid who is planning on shooting up his school.

Lanie wrote: "I don't know if Rage is "bad" but it's definitely dark and I couldn't continue with it because it is so unbelievably dark, but I think it would be hard to find. It's written from the point of view of a kid who is planning on shooting up his school."

No, he's not planning to shoot up his school. After he's been expelled from school he returns to school with a gun, shoots his teacher and takes over the classroom for a 'Show and Tell', with unexpected consequences.

PS. I think King was wrong for pulling the story, but, hey, he's the author, so he can do what he wants. The story was published a long time ago, so it's been around for a while. I don't know if pulling it will make it 'go away'. Instead, I think people will be tempted to seek it out.

By the way, if you want to find it, go to secondhand books shops and look The Bachman Books with this cover:

Lanie wrote: "The Long Walk is one of my favorite books. I'm curious as to why you'd say that? I'd never tell someone not to read something if I didn't like it. I would tell you to read it and make up your own m..."

Sorry If I offended you.... it was sooooooo boring! That is why I say don't read. I love Stephen King but there are two books I hated and that one of them.

I did say don't read but I didn't you must not read.... big difference.

soap boxes are not my thing......