In 2014, I hadn't read The Dark Tower series. But I rectify this situation in 2017! It was AMAZING and I actually made a whole video series chronicling my first journey to the Tower. Here is the playlist if you are interested in hearing my thoughts: ruclips.net/p/PLc35jgdBz8oyoUgCVmWpa35E07jTx5xDT
Hello Emily. I'm currently acquiring all Kings novels and I'm a few away from the gunslinger series. I very much look forward to reading the tower series. I'm going by another utubed who put together other king books you should read between each tower book. Pet sematary was my first too. Being 45 I was a teenager when it came out and it blew me away. Love your channel and your thoughtful reviews. Peace :) I'm a song writer too so if you've time checkout my SoundCloud original songs like King of the night, Hips, My psychic vampire etc by Daz Cooke. All the best from over cast England. :)
great video! green mile! SO GOOD and so criminally underrated. movie overshadows the book (its actually a great adaptation). green mile is rarely in peoples top 10 king books it easily makes mine. wonderful story, emotional, little bit of supernatural, and a few plot twists. an all around wholesome book thats so intriguing i found it very hard to put down. fantastic book i cant wait to read duma key and desperation i hear such good things about those books! those are two of my most anticipated to read from him
Much like IT, the characters become like family. The story line is epic, it's the end of the world. It's got some scary moments but, overall it's more supernatural with a side of religion. It's also the first book that made me cry😢. Rock on!
Doctor Sleep I thought was good. I didn't think of it as an actual sequel to The Shining I just considered it a new story. 11/22/63 was a beautiful, very unique story. Joyland I found very very different and enjoyed it a lot.
Emily Cait I have watched the movie, used to think it was great, but after reading the book there was a huge difference. I want to watch the mini series.
I felt like King was young and pretentious when he wrote The Gunslinger, but after I finished reading it, I found that I loved how enigmatic it was. It's very abstract and poetic, so I can see why some people didn't like it. However, on the second book King returns to his natural writing style and the story really blossoms into what in my opinion is his most creative work. I recommend the series to everyone.
Really enjoyed the clip Emily, Pet Semetery was also my first King read when I was 14, after which there was no turning back, I was hooked. Another of his books that I read in my teens and absolutely loved was The Talisman, co-written with Peter Straub. From your TBR's, I recommend Full Dark, No Stars, along with Just After Sunset, his best short collection.
You should definitely read Different Seasons! That‘s probably my second favorite after The Shining. If I had to take two of the King books I own with me to a desert island, it might be those two
I'm so glad I'm not alone! I've started reading King very very young because my mom is a HUGE fan... the first King book I read was The Girl that Loved Tom Gordon at 8 or 9 years old. She bought it for me and I'm so thankful that that was my first adult novel. People look at me when I say this and judge my mom because "kids aren't supposed to read Stephen King".
You're definitely not alone, Drea! The first episode of our series (The Magic of Stephen King) covered the major impact King has had on so many people around the world. He's not only an amazing writer but just all-in-all a really good person. Glad your mom was awesome and let you start reading him as early as possible 🙂
My first attempt at King was also Pet Semetary when I was about 17 or so and I couldn't get into it at all. It put me off his full length novels until only recently. I'll be reading The Stand in January, as part of a buddy reads in fact. I love the Bachman books, don't think I've heard many people mention it when talking about him. Really good start to your Tea Time series.
I'm glad you liked it! The Stand came up with another person in the comments. Perhaps it's something that I'll have to add to my TBR. :) Let me know your thoughts on The Stand. Happy reading!
paul lebel That’s the book that got me writing at 11 years old. I probably wouldn’t be writing without that book making such a massive impact on my life - changed it entirely. Still writing 30 years later and I still live through it.
You should probably read "Danse Macabre" one day. You are obviously a great fan of King. This is a non-fiction book he wrote about the horror genre in books and movies. He asks "What scares us and why?" From Shelley's "Frankenstein" to Matheson's "I Am Legend". From George Romero to Wes Craven. What works, what doesn't. It's funny, anecdotal and thoughtful. A really great read.
Doctor Sleep was one of my favorites. I'm sober so I could relate to the trauma turning into being an addict then the redemption. Even him helping the girl, its about paying it foreward. Giving what was once giving to you. it is all about hope and redemption
+Eileen Tulum Do you remember your second King book? I honestly can't remember... I feel like I started collecting his short story collections at garage sales and charity shops after Pet Sematary, but I don't remember which collection :P
Emily, I completely agree with your thoughts on Pet Semetary. The supernatural aspects of the story are creepy, but the real horror is the feelings of grief, mourning and the inability to cope with loss of a child. I realize this video is four years old, but if you still haven’t read The Stand it is a must read! The character development is arguably King’s strongest work.
Another super cool aspect of 11-22-63 was there is a huge tie-in with It. The first quarter of the book or so takes place in Derry and the main guy talks with the kids who are the characters in the It book (I believe that's who they were anyway - I haven't actually read It).
I watched this video a while back and immediately bought The Shining, which I finished yesterday. I am currently reading Carrie, and I'm finding myself flying through the book. My first experience with King was about five and a half years ago; I was forced to read Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption over the summer and I was not a fan. Thankfully my reading experience has been much more enjoyable as of late. I'm really glad you convinced me to read more King because I genuinely enjoy his writing style. Now I'm hooked, so thank you!
Hi Emily! I enjoyed your video! I too am a huge Stephen King fan. You might want to skip Dreamcatcher. After reading close to 400 pages of it I put it down and never picked it up again. It was extremely boring and slow moving. Naturally there are Stephen King fans who enjoyed it, but there are a ton of Stephen King fans who hated it. Just giving you a heads up. READ IT AT YOUR OWN RISK 🙂 My favorite Stephen King books so far (I haven't read all of his books yet... not even close) are IT, THE SHINING, MISERY, AND PET SEMATARY (I think that's how he spelled cemetery for the book). Again, I enjoyed your video! Keep up the good work! Happy reading!!!
Hahaha you are so right Mendi -- Dreamcatcher is a MESS (both the book AND the trainwreck film adaptation). I mean, props to the man for being able to write an entire novel while on Oxycontin, but that doesn't make it any more readable 🤣
@@orewahouston2143 The name of the town in the book is Jerusalem's Lot yes, but if you are referring to the short story in I believe Night Shift then no, Salem's Lot is his second book and is a masterpiece.
@@chris060372 I know what you mean. I forced myself up to book 4 and I just don't want to spend any more time on it. I don't know if it was book 3 or 4 but I really enjoyed the book that focused on Rolands younger years but as soon as it went back to blane the mono (a pink train they where stuck in that likes riddles) I nearly jumped out of a window.
Robin Marie : Hello, just a comment for you, i got Stephans King book IT but i saw another youtube review and i asked one of the girls what stephan king book to start off with first... and then she said Saloms lot.... so maybe ill start off with that. Lol what was your first book that you read?
The green mile was up there for me, geralds game and for some reason I've read the tommyknockers quite a few times. For a few that don't get nods to often.
I know this is an old video, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. I hope you finished Insomnia I found it to go very nicely after reading IT. As a fellow fan I would say the following, read Desperation & The regulators maybe after a quick refresher of pet cemetery. Read The Shining & then DR Sleep or Just Dr Sleep because it is one of his best to date. If you haven't already, read needful things as soon as possible. Jerusalem's lot, salem's lot and one for the road are worth a glance. Don't start the DT towers unless you read, the cookie jar, Talisman & blackhouse, insomnia, The stand & eyes of the dragon. Last but not least a couple of off topic short stories really worth a quick read are "obits", The Doctors case, batman & Robin have an altercation, The Dune, Afterlife, Summer Thunder. Rick Green out...
I believe Stephen King is better short story writer. Different Seasons and Full Dark, No Stars are two of my favorite collections. I would like to see you review The Shining and Doctor Sleep. Thank you for what you have been doing.
I'm not super big on short stories in general... I like to spend a lot of time with a story and the characters. But King does do some pretty great short story writing. I'm excited to pick up Different Seasons... I've heard so many good things about it, so I'm thinking of making it the next King I read. I will have to go back and reread The Shining and Doctor Sleep, but I can definitely make reviews for them in the near future :).
Different Seasons was the first Stephen King book I read and it's really good. "The Body" is my favorite story from King and it changed my life. I'd recommend reading Different Seasons next plus the other stories are great as well.
Great video. I have always loved King and fondly remember reading The Shining in my 6th grade history class (had it hid inside my history book - yeah, I was that kind of kid). Reread it several years ago. I think in 2015 I will pick 5-6 older King books and do a reread - you have inspired me.
Haha! It can't have been easy hiding The Shining in a history text book! I'm glad I inspired you to reread some of King's older works. Hopefully you enjoy them the second time around :)
Lol your description of The Long Walk. That was one of my first King reads and probably my favorite read. It's not about prisoners - it's about teenage male volunteers who go on a walk to the death (a similar situation to Hunger Games really - I believe the last one standing got money for their family or something). The boys are watched over by guards who shoot them dead if they stop or walk too slow.
Whoa. I never realized that's what the Shining was about. Lol. I haven't read it but I've seen the movie and just remember not really getting it and thinking it was kind of boring. I definitely need to put that on my TBR list though, as it sounds really intriguing! I think I was just too young when I watched the movie and I didn't really get what was going on.
3:13 skeleton crew and the short story about trucks (which inspired stephen king to make Maximum overdrive after) comes from the collection night shift
Compared to the psychological & supernatural horrors experienced in The Shining, to me Doctor Sleep seemed like a lengthened happy ending of The Shining. It was a fairly enjoyable read, but forgettable nonetheless. It didn't have anyone screaming for Abby to come and take her medicine. I liked the video very much, and I'll put Joyland higher on my to-read list! Keep the videos coming. I'd like to know the scariest books you've ever read.
The scariest book I've read, I think will probably be Lolita (I'm halfway through now) for entirely different scare reasons than any King book. Lolita has taken me into the mind of a poetic pedophile. His words are beautiful and I find myself returning to reread particularly beautiful passages, and only later thinking about the implications of those words. It's frightening to me how easily I come to see the 'logic' of Humbert Humbert in the moment. This book is so disturbing and it just messes with my head. What is the scariest book that you've read?
Hey - if you want to try a Gunslinger book that's almost stand alone - you gotta read WIZARD AND GLASS! I recommend skimming the first overlap from the previous book - to where Roland talked about his teenage years and his first love. I feel you would also really love BLACK HOUSE - it's got all the great ingredients of mystery, thriller, a touch of paranormal, funny and all the characters are classy - you don't have to read the previous book either. Hope you try them and hear your review
I had a video with my thoughts on The Stand up but there was a lot of... less than constructive comments on it because people did not agree with my thoughts on this well-loved text. The video has been taken down and probably will remain that way. My thoughts on The Stand in a nutshell: the text is WAAAAAY too long and I didn't care about the majority of the character's POV. If I reread it one day I will look for the original release of the text which was edited down (I read the unabridged version).
hey emily i just wanted to say you are really cute! i love your vids cuz i love reading and all my friends are lame and dont read, so its awesome to see someone else who loves books as much as me and to hear them talking about it - keep up the great work!
Great video! :D. I haven't read all of Gerald's game, I only got to chapter 10 lol I think I will give it a reread. I think I will buy 11/22/63. And I will read the shining next :). Thanks for doing this video I really enjoyed it. :D
I want to read It also but I'm a slow reader and it might take me a month and a half I think. I really want to learn how to read faster! I love Stephen King books. He's my favorite author! You should do a Review on IT!
I haven't read any king yet so this was great for me. I'm planning on reading the gunslinger in January as I have the box set and also I own under the dome and I have Mr Mercedes and the long walk from the library so really should start something soon! :) if you re read gunslinger be interested in your thoughts :)
I may be one of the few, but I think the Dark Tower series should have ended after book one, which I thought was really good. The others got progressively worse for me. I've read about 90% of King's books, but The Gunslinger was the only one I read more than once, except for some of the short stories in Night Shift.
Emily Cait Well, remember this is from someone in the minority, but for me the first one was a nice combination of western and sci-fi/horror. After that, they slowly started to incorporate so many different elements, especially sci-fi (which I like), that it just started to feel like it was over-filled. Especially by the end of the third one, it felt like he was just throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. The first one felt really tight and focused, the second one was kind of gritty and urban, which was okay, but then, yeah, it kind of went south for me. I think in the fourth one even the city of Oz was thrown in there, not to mention King himself by the sixth, if I remember right.
@@OneMinuteGalactica I know this is an old comment but I agree. By the time King had entered his own novel it had jumped the shark and then some but by that point I was so far in I felt obligated to finish. For me the Dark Tower was bloated and overly self-indulgent. The first two books got me interested but then it just slowly petered out. I think I remember him saying he never actually intended on finishing, it was just the incessant fan demands that got him over the line and to me it shows. The characters as well, just weren't as interesting as those in It and The Stand.
Hi, I recommend ‘The Loser’s Club’ podcast from Consequence of Sound. They’re all knowledgeable and when I listen it feels like I’m sitting down with friends. Outside of a few booktubers and those guys, I don’t have anyone who shares my King love! Happy reading!
I just listened to the first episode of The Loser's Club on your recommendation! It sounds like a fun time. (Although I think I'll have to skip around to avoid spoiling the books I haven't read yet :P) Thank you!
Emily Cait I do the same. I plan to go back and listen to old episode as I read. They do non-book related episodes which are also fun. Like King news and such. They also spent ten weeks on the Castle Rock show. Follow them on Twitter and Instagram- the editor in chief Michael is constantly posting videos. With Castle Rock over they’ve finally jumped into IT, to be broken up over 5-8 episodes.
Because of this video, I just decided right about now, that I'm picking up a Stephen King book for my next read. New sub here! Greetings from Manila and from a fellow Stephen King fan. :)
+Emily Cait (CreativeAndOriginalTitle) I'm currently reading Insomnia, which is massive. But I'm carrying it around during my commutes so it won't be a problem. And I'm thoroughly enjoying it. :)
Z Woman from manila too....I am reading The stand right now. If you are newbie in reading SK novels, then I suggest to read The stand and IT...you won't regret picking them up.
my first Stephen King book was a book called Desperation. you should check it out, it is a really long book and it took me a long time to get through but there were moments in there that did Scare Me. I would think it's a classic Stephen King Style book. Thanks for the review.
You're doing yourself a huge disservice by not reading "Different Seasons". Four novellas each having ties to human conditions. In my opinion its easily he's best work. The writing is so rich and what he's able to put into 100page stories was unreal. I'd love to know what you think of it,if you ever read it. Doctor Sleep was pretty good. I think it would have been much better if it was a stand alone story without ties to "the Shining". But I still found it very enjoyable. Great video!
I'll have to bump Different Seasons up on my TBR pile then. :) And I totally agree about Doctor Sleep. It wasn't bad, but I really didn't like the connections to The Shining. Maybe I'll try rereading. I think I maybe hyped it up too much as the 'sequel' to a book that I really loved.
I actually read Doctor sleep first not knowing it was a series or bout the shining and finished it(though I barely remember now since ive read lot of other books, only it was in some hotel and it scared me xD) I would recommend reading Cell by Stephen King, it was my first novel by him and it was easy to read and fun and memorable as well
I was the same way with Gunslinger, but Drawing of the Three was fantastic and so are the rest of the Dark Tower novels, though I didn't like Song of Susannah very much. I always tell people that if they want to get into the Dark Tower books, don't give up after Gunslinger because it definitely picks up after that.
Agreed! They definitely do pick up after The Gunslinger. The Dark Tower series is probably my favorite thing that King has produced. I'm so glad I gave it another shot :)
Most of Stephen king's books I have read them from the local public library in Greece and some books in English because they helped me a lot with the proficiency examination of Michigan university but he is the only author that his books are interesting strangely good especially in the summer are the best company
OMG! You should absolutely try The Gunslinger again, then read the second book and I promise, you'll be hooked. The second book is brilliant. You have to read it! (Do it soon before the movie comes out!)
I've read The Gunslinger and didn't like it. But since watching Stuck In Love, I'm enamoured with the idea of reading It (that capital "i" doesn't show up very well...). Do you think that's a good place to start with his horror novels?
+Amanda Center (IntrovertX) IT is a really long novel. You definitely get a taste of King's style (IT really shines in terms of King's style, in my opinion anyway :P) So if you are okay with long novels, try IT. If you are more of a shortish novel person, Carrie or Pet Semetary are good for showing off King's style to see if you like it before you invest your time in a chunker like IT. Hopefully that helps?
Girl!! That movie is one of my favorites! I have to read the body now just because of the part in the movie where Stephen King says, "The most important things, are the hardest to say." Loved It!!
I read The Stand last year. And 'Salem's Lot is pretty high on my list at the moment after encountering Callahan in the Dark Tower series :) Thank you for your recommendations.
IT scared me when I first read it. I was cat sitting for a friend while she was traveling. The unfamiliar environment, dripping faucet and a creature which moved through water pipes had me checking the drains every time I got to something with blood and pipes. The cat went to ground when my friend left and only made bumping noises at all of the right points, freaking me out for the day and under a half I took to read it. I didn't sleep much. I have reread it three or four times and find it enjoyable every time. You should read the Dreamcatcher. I found it somewhat scary - in a less supernatural way and a more paranoid direction appealing to my mistrust of the government. It had some good character development. I liked It's links into Derry. You may also want to try Salem's Lot and Night Shift - an older short story collection I found enjoyable.
Emily. Have you read any Flannery O'Connor? I've gotten into King in a big way recently and it occured to me that often his protagonists have something horrific or bad happen to them that is similar to O'Connor's tales. Twisted, ironic, dark, unpleasant twists of fate. A little Rod Serlingish too at times, which is great because I used to love the Twilight Zone.
+Perry Mehta I did. But the latest season has gotten a little too weird. So I sorta stopped watching half way through. Are you caught up? Is it worth it to catch up in your opinion?
I'm kinda behind this season. I just wrapped episode 5. So far, it's pretty good. I would say if u watched the other 2, I would say u might as well see the rest of it. Next Thursday (9/10)is the final episode. The show has just gotten cancelled this week.
Im currently on the 4th book of the Dark Tower series. The secobd one (Deawing of the Three) is great and definitely the best way to get someobe into the Dark Tower series.
Oh, I know! Drawing definitely gets you imersed into the world of Mid-World (Or Mid-Earth? I also get confused lol) and Roland's obsession with the Tower.
I would recommend you start from his first published and work your way forward (Carrie, 'Salem's Lot, The Shining, etc.). That's what I'm doing right now.
I won't recommend which King to read next, but read Dreamcatcher last. It's probably the worst of the 50+ books of his I've read. Insomnia was also one of the least enjoyable. Full Dark, No Stars and Different Seasons are probably the best from that bunch. Different Seasons, particularly, has two classic King stories, The Body, and Shawshank.
Haha! I like the reverse recommendation :P. I'll put Dreamcatcher off as long as possible then. I've heard a lot of good things about Different Seasons now, so I definitely want to read that one in the new year.
Emily Cait Since I wrote that last post, I came across something about King having recently given an interview to Rolling Stone, and he says his two least favorite books are Dreamcatcher and The Tommyknockers, which I remember a long time ago.
OneMinuteGalactica That's really interesting! You would think that an author would be proud of all of their works, so it's interesting that King has reflected back on his work and been critical.
I read you comment and thought you might be joking. Then I Googled. Haha! I will definitely be putting Dreamcatcher off as long as possible... perhaps indefinitely. :P
In 2014, I hadn't read The Dark Tower series. But I rectify this situation in 2017! It was AMAZING and I actually made a whole video series chronicling my first journey to the Tower. Here is the playlist if you are interested in hearing my thoughts: ruclips.net/p/PLc35jgdBz8oyoUgCVmWpa35E07jTx5xDT
Hello Emily.
I'm currently acquiring all Kings novels and I'm a few away from the gunslinger series.
I very much look forward to reading the tower series.
I'm going by another utubed who put together other king books you should read between each tower book.
Pet sematary was my first too.
Being 45 I was a teenager when it came out and it blew me away.
Love your channel and your thoughtful reviews.
Peace :)
I'm a song writer too so if you've time checkout my SoundCloud original songs like King of the night, Hips, My psychic vampire etc by Daz Cooke.
All the best from over cast England.
:)
I love you😍😍😍😍❤
IT was published in 1986.
great video! green mile! SO GOOD and so criminally underrated. movie overshadows the book (its actually a great adaptation). green mile is rarely in peoples top 10 king books it easily makes mine. wonderful story, emotional, little bit of supernatural, and a few plot twists. an all around wholesome book thats so intriguing i found it very hard to put down. fantastic book
i cant wait to read duma key and desperation i hear such good things about those books! those are two of my most anticipated to read from him
The Body is such an amazing novella! It changed my life
aesthetic celebs It became Stand By Me!!
THE LONG WALK IS MY FAVORITE STEPHEN KING BOOK OMGGGGGGG
You NEED to read "The Stand" by far my favorite King book.
Hi Jerry! Why is The Stand your favorite King book? (I've Googled the book, but I always like to hear why people love their favorite books.)
Much like IT, the characters become like family. The story line is epic, it's the end of the world. It's got some scary moments but, overall it's more supernatural with a side of religion. It's also the first book that made me cry😢. Rock on!
Awesome! I'll definitely add that to my TBR pile, hopefully for this year :)
Not to mention our favorite king villain is in it
i have a rare copy of the stand im pretty sure
Doctor Sleep I thought was good. I didn't think of it as an actual sequel to The Shining I just considered it a new story.
11/22/63 was a beautiful, very unique story.
Joyland I found very very different and enjoyed it a lot.
Nice to hear your views... even if its 8 years ago now! Still loved the video, so subbed. Im really enjoying King at the moment. X
Glad you enjoyed! And I hope you continue to enjoy exploring King's works! :)
The Shining was my favorite Stephen King book too. I never got bored reading it and I do plan on reading in again.
Woo! The Shining is the best! Have you seen any of the movie adaptations of it?
Emily Cait I have watched the movie, used to think it was great, but after reading the book there was a huge difference. I want to watch the mini series.
There is a mini series!? I'll have to go find that! :)
King is the man!.. he has truly inspired me with his writing.
Couldn't agree more -- Stephen King is a national treasure!
When you mentioned Christine, I just thought about a creepy version of the disney movie Cars.
Read it then. You will change your mind. (Not that creepy opinion though).
Joyland is superb. I rather suspect it was one of the most enjoyable to write, too.
Different Seasons is one of my absolute favorites of his. I think Apt Pupil is one of his most terrifying stories/novellas.
I felt like King was young and pretentious when he wrote The Gunslinger, but after I finished reading it, I found that I loved how enigmatic it was. It's very abstract and poetic, so I can see why some people didn't like it. However, on the second book King returns to his natural writing style and the story really blossoms into what in my opinion is his most creative work. I recommend the series to everyone.
Really enjoyed the clip Emily, Pet Semetery was also my first King read when I was 14, after which there was no turning back, I was hooked. Another of his books that I read in my teens and absolutely loved was The Talisman, co-written with Peter Straub. From your TBR's, I recommend Full Dark, No Stars, along with Just After Sunset, his best short collection.
Thanks Steve! I'll have to bump Full Dark, No Stars up on my TBR pile. :)
You should definitely read Different Seasons! That‘s probably my second favorite after The Shining. If I had to take two of the King books I own with me to a desert island, it might be those two
I agree. DIFFERENT SEASONS is a masterpiece. Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil and The Body are masterpieces on their own right.
Four past midnight is so good. It’s not short stories it’s actually 4 novellas and the paperback is 1000 pages total so they definitely aren’t short
I'm so glad I'm not alone! I've started reading King very very young because my mom is a HUGE fan... the first King book I read was The Girl that Loved Tom Gordon at 8 or 9 years old. She bought it for me and I'm so thankful that that was my first adult novel.
People look at me when I say this and judge my mom because "kids aren't supposed to read Stephen King".
I feel strongly that children shouldn't be censored in their reading. It's really awesome that your mom encourage you to read her favorite books! :)
You're definitely not alone, Drea! The first episode of our series (The Magic of Stephen King) covered the major impact King has had on so many people around the world. He's not only an amazing writer but just all-in-all a really good person. Glad your mom was awesome and let you start reading him as early as possible 🙂
I agree. Salem's Lot and Fire Starter.
My first attempt at King was also Pet Semetary when I was about 17 or so and I couldn't get into it at all. It put me off his full length novels until only recently. I'll be reading The Stand in January, as part of a buddy reads in fact. I love the Bachman books, don't think I've heard many people mention it when talking about him.
Really good start to your Tea Time series.
Thanks Joe!
I've been told I need to read The Stand. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on it! I look forward to your review of it! :)
Oh my gosh, I love you for this video!
By the way, I was planning to start reading "The Stand" in the next few days.
I'm glad you liked it! The Stand came up with another person in the comments. Perhaps it's something that I'll have to add to my TBR. :) Let me know your thoughts on The Stand. Happy reading!
Needful things is good so far I'm about 300 pages in and it's my first Stephen King book! I've heard good things about the stand also.
Salem's lot a real vampire novel it's what vampires should be not the twighlight crap check it out.
paul lebel That’s the book that got me writing at 11 years old. I probably wouldn’t be writing without that book making such a massive impact on my life - changed it entirely. Still writing 30 years later and I still live through it.
You should probably read "Danse Macabre" one day. You are obviously a great fan of King. This is a non-fiction book he wrote about the horror genre in books and movies. He asks "What scares us and why?" From Shelley's "Frankenstein" to Matheson's "I Am Legend". From George Romero to Wes Craven. What works, what doesn't. It's funny, anecdotal and thoughtful. A really great read.
+André Raymond Cool! I'll have to look around for a copy :)
Doctor Sleep was one of my favorites. I'm sober so I could relate to the trauma turning into being an addict then the redemption. Even him helping the girl, its about paying it foreward. Giving what was once giving to you. it is all about hope and redemption
Pet Sematary was my first King book, too ;-)
+Eileen Tulum Do you remember your second King book? I honestly can't remember... I feel like I started collecting his short story collections at garage sales and charity shops after Pet Sematary, but I don't remember which collection :P
Of the books you have to read, my suggestion is Insomnia! Enjoy your take on his works, gives me an added insight into the world that is King.
The end of Insomnia had me in tears. One of his finest works.
Never saw the connection between Insomnia and The Dark Tower coming!
Emily, I completely agree with your thoughts on Pet Semetary. The supernatural aspects of the story are creepy, but the real horror is the feelings of grief, mourning and the inability to cope with loss of a child. I realize this video is four years old, but if you still haven’t read The Stand it is a must read! The character development is arguably King’s strongest work.
Another super cool aspect of 11-22-63 was there is a huge tie-in with It. The first quarter of the book or so takes place in Derry and the main guy talks with the kids who are the characters in the It book (I believe that's who they were anyway - I haven't actually read It).
I watched this video a while back and immediately bought The Shining, which I finished yesterday. I am currently reading Carrie, and I'm finding myself flying through the book. My first experience with King was about five and a half years ago; I was forced to read Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption over the summer and I was not a fan. Thankfully my reading experience has been much more enjoyable as of late. I'm really glad you convinced me to read more King because I genuinely enjoy his writing style. Now I'm hooked, so thank you!
+Rachel Rudd Awesome! I'm glad you're enjoying King's works! :)
Hi Emily! I enjoyed your video! I too am a huge Stephen King fan. You might want to skip Dreamcatcher. After reading close to 400 pages of it I put it down and never picked it up again. It was extremely boring and slow moving.
Naturally there are Stephen King fans who enjoyed it, but there are a ton of Stephen King fans who hated it. Just giving you a heads up. READ IT AT YOUR OWN RISK 🙂
My favorite Stephen King books so far (I haven't read all of his books yet... not even close) are IT, THE SHINING, MISERY, AND PET SEMATARY (I think that's how he spelled cemetery for the book).
Again, I enjoyed your video! Keep up the good work! Happy reading!!!
Hahaha you are so right Mendi -- Dreamcatcher is a MESS (both the book AND the trainwreck film adaptation). I mean, props to the man for being able to write an entire novel while on Oxycontin, but that doesn't make it any more readable 🤣
I just started The Dark Tower and so far I love it. I think my favorite King novel is either 'Salems Lot or Revival.
Bronan 47 is Salem’s lot the same as jerusalems lot? Like are they literally the same ?
@@orewahouston2143 The name of the town in the book is Jerusalem's Lot yes, but if you are referring to the short story in I believe Night Shift then no, Salem's Lot is his second book and is a masterpiece.
What about Salem's lot?
Two of my favorite King books that I think you would love: The Dark Half; Bag of Bones. I enjoyed this video. 🙂
Please try the gunslinger again ,And the dark tower series they really are that good!
I'm trying to get through The Gunslinger at the moment, but it's not gripping me.
@@chris060372 I know what you mean. I forced myself up to book 4 and I just don't want to spend any more time on it. I don't know if it was book 3 or 4 but I really enjoyed the book that focused on Rolands younger years but as soon as it went back to blane the mono (a pink train they where stuck in that likes riddles) I nearly jumped out of a window.
I recommend The Stand and Needful things. My favorite SK book is "IT" which was also my first one.
You should read Salem's Lot !
I will add it to my TBR :)
Emily Cait You should also read Cujo. It's about a rabid dog.
Yes its a great book
Robin Marie : Hello, just a comment for you, i got Stephans King book IT but i saw another youtube review and i asked one of the girls what stephan king book to start off with first... and then she said Saloms lot.... so maybe ill start off with that. Lol what was your first book that you read?
comfort video at this point
Two that have stuck with me is Apt Pupil and Misery.
Your unread King books includes the great collection 'Different Seasons' so I'd recommend starting there!
The green mile was up there for me, geralds game and for some reason I've read the tommyknockers quite a few times. For a few that don't get nods to often.
u speak so well..love your videos. im reading Dr Sleep now. .just finished mr Mercedes
I know this is an old video, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. I hope you finished Insomnia I found it to go very nicely after reading IT. As a fellow fan I would say the following, read Desperation & The regulators maybe after a quick refresher of pet cemetery. Read The Shining & then DR Sleep or Just Dr Sleep because it is one of his best to date. If you haven't already, read needful things as soon as possible. Jerusalem's lot, salem's lot and one for the road are worth a glance. Don't start the DT towers unless you read, the cookie jar, Talisman & blackhouse, insomnia, The stand & eyes of the dragon. Last but not least a couple of off topic short stories really worth a quick read are "obits", The Doctors case, batman & Robin have an altercation, The Dune, Afterlife, Summer Thunder. Rick Green out...
I believe Stephen King is better short story writer. Different Seasons and Full Dark, No Stars are two of my favorite collections.
I would like to see you review The Shining and Doctor Sleep.
Thank you for what you have been doing.
I'm not super big on short stories in general... I like to spend a lot of time with a story and the characters. But King does do some pretty great short story writing. I'm excited to pick up Different Seasons... I've heard so many good things about it, so I'm thinking of making it the next King I read.
I will have to go back and reread The Shining and Doctor Sleep, but I can definitely make reviews for them in the near future :).
Hey quick question. Do you know the name of the book written by him where a young blind girl wakes up on a plane with nobody on it?
Check out my review of The Shining. :)
This was an amazing video loved it and your descriptions of the book
Thank you! :)
The IT remake will be out next September. I'll check it out. I have to read the book again.
Emily Cait , great review video. Certainly will help me a lot.
Different Seasons was the first Stephen King book I read and it's really good. "The Body" is my favorite story from King and it changed my life. I'd recommend reading Different Seasons next plus the other stories are great as well.
Thank you for the recommendation! I am really excited to read Different Seasons after hearing so many positive things about it :)
Emily Cait The Body is what Stand By Me is based off, of. Such a good movie!!
Great video. I have always loved King and fondly remember reading The Shining in my 6th grade history class (had it hid inside my history book - yeah, I was that kind of kid). Reread it several years ago. I think in 2015 I will pick 5-6 older King books and do a reread - you have inspired me.
Haha! It can't have been easy hiding The Shining in a history text book! I'm glad I inspired you to reread some of King's older works. Hopefully you enjoy them the second time around :)
It wasn't but my teacher was kind of clueless anyways.
Love it love it love it awesome video
Thanks :)
Lol your description of The Long Walk. That was one of my first King reads and probably my favorite read. It's not about prisoners - it's about teenage male volunteers who go on a walk to the death (a similar situation to Hunger Games really - I believe the last one standing got money for their family or something). The boys are watched over by guards who shoot them dead if they stop or walk too slow.
have you ever read Misery, it was my first read king novel and I loved it!
Not yet! It's on my list though :P
Whoa. I never realized that's what the Shining was about. Lol. I haven't read it but I've seen the movie and just remember not really getting it and thinking it was kind of boring. I definitely need to put that on my TBR list though, as it sounds really intriguing! I think I was just too young when I watched the movie and I didn't really get what was going on.
I watch this over and over crisp job with explaining the books
I'm glad you enjoy this video! At some point I'd like to do an updated King collection video -- I've read some new things over the past three years :)
Eyes of the Dragon was fantastic, glad you mentioned it because it seems like people forget about that one.
It's so good!
3:13 skeleton crew
and the short story about trucks (which inspired stephen king to make Maximum overdrive after) comes from the collection night shift
The long walk is worth a reread. I finished it recently and i must say its the best experience ive had with a king/bachman book
Agreed. That's probably my favorite King story.
Compared to the psychological & supernatural horrors experienced in The Shining, to me Doctor Sleep seemed like a lengthened happy ending of The Shining. It was a fairly enjoyable read, but forgettable nonetheless. It didn't have anyone screaming for Abby to come and take her medicine.
I liked the video very much, and I'll put Joyland higher on my to-read list! Keep the videos coming. I'd like to know the scariest books you've ever read.
The scariest book I've read, I think will probably be Lolita (I'm halfway through now) for entirely different scare reasons than any King book. Lolita has taken me into the mind of a poetic pedophile. His words are beautiful and I find myself returning to reread particularly beautiful passages, and only later thinking about the implications of those words. It's frightening to me how easily I come to see the 'logic' of Humbert Humbert in the moment. This book is so disturbing and it just messes with my head.
What is the scariest book that you've read?
Read the gunslinger ! It's the second book where you will be hooked . Best series I've ever read
Hey - if you want to try a Gunslinger book that's almost stand alone - you gotta read WIZARD AND GLASS! I recommend skimming the first overlap from the previous book - to where Roland talked about his teenage years and his first love. I feel you would also really love BLACK HOUSE - it's got all the great ingredients of mystery, thriller, a touch of paranormal, funny and all the characters are classy - you don't have to read the previous book either. Hope you try them and hear your review
Please review 'The Stand'
I had a video with my thoughts on The Stand up but there was a lot of... less than constructive comments on it because people did not agree with my thoughts on this well-loved text. The video has been taken down and probably will remain that way.
My thoughts on The Stand in a nutshell: the text is WAAAAAY too long and I didn't care about the majority of the character's POV. If I reread it one day I will look for the original release of the text which was edited down (I read the unabridged version).
I would highly recommend misery. It's a non supernatural story.. absolutely terrific. Probably in my top 10
Insomnia is fantastic! Please read it. I also completely agree with your opinions on IT and Joyland
Dolores Claiborne is one of my faves, you may like it.
hey emily i just wanted to say you are really cute!
i love your vids cuz i love reading and all my friends are lame and dont read, so its awesome to see someone else who loves books as much as me and to hear them talking about it - keep up the great work!
Thanks! It's awesome to hear that you enjoy my videos! :)
is the stand(hodder'n'stroughton version) good?
I could not click with sleeping beauties or any later novels by Stephen king but currently reading the shining then onto IT.
Maybe people were requesting it but have you seen how many videos there are on RUclips of people showing and talking about their Stephen King books?
Have you ever read Gerald's game by king?
Really enjoyed your video..and share alot of your opinions on his works..good job.
So many people's first Stephen King novel is Pet Sematary. A great book to begin with.
Great video! :D. I haven't read all of Gerald's game, I only got to chapter 10 lol I think I will give it a reread. I think I will buy 11/22/63. And I will read the shining next :). Thanks for doing this video I really enjoyed it. :D
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I hope you like 11/22/63 and let me know what if you think Gerald's Game is worth picking up sooner rather than later! :)
I want to read It also but I'm a slow reader and it might take me a month and a half I think. I really want to learn how to read faster! I love Stephen King books. He's my favorite author! You should do a Review on IT!
NiksBook World I will work on putting together a review of IT :)
Hey, I liked this a lot.
I loved Insomnia,amazing
you are awesome! thoroughly enjoyed this video
thanks for doing this video!
You are welcome! It was really fun to go through all the King I've read. :)
Nice collection I recommend needful things it's a great book
Thank you! :)
your welcome I started reading doctor sleep yesterday
I haven't read any king yet so this was great for me. I'm planning on reading the gunslinger in January as I have the box set and also I own under the dome and I have Mr Mercedes and the long walk from the library so really should start something soon! :) if you re read gunslinger be interested in your thoughts :)
I may be one of the few, but I think the Dark Tower series should have ended after book one, which I thought was really good. The others got progressively worse for me. I've read about 90% of King's books, but The Gunslinger was the only one I read more than once, except for some of the short stories in Night Shift.
Hmm... That's the first negative feedback I've had about the Dark Tower series. Why did you feel that they got progressively worse?
Emily Cait Well, remember this is from someone in the minority, but for me the first one was a nice combination of western and sci-fi/horror. After that, they slowly started to incorporate so many different elements, especially sci-fi (which I like), that it just started to feel like it was over-filled. Especially by the end of the third one, it felt like he was just throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. The first one felt really tight and focused, the second one was kind of gritty and urban, which was okay, but then, yeah, it kind of went south for me. I think in the fourth one even the city of Oz was thrown in there, not to mention King himself by the sixth, if I remember right.
Wow. That sounds really messy. I am almost curious to read them now just to experience this mess for myself :P
@@OneMinuteGalactica I know this is an old comment but I agree. By the time King had entered his own novel it had jumped the shark and then some but by that point I was so far in I felt obligated to finish. For me the Dark Tower was bloated and overly self-indulgent. The first two books got me interested but then it just slowly petered out. I think I remember him saying he never actually intended on finishing, it was just the incessant fan demands that got him over the line and to me it shows. The characters as well, just weren't as interesting as those in It and The Stand.
Hi, I recommend ‘The Loser’s Club’ podcast from Consequence of Sound. They’re all knowledgeable and when I listen it feels like I’m sitting down with friends. Outside of a few booktubers and those guys, I don’t have anyone who shares my King love!
Happy reading!
I just listened to the first episode of The Loser's Club on your recommendation! It sounds like a fun time. (Although I think I'll have to skip around to avoid spoiling the books I haven't read yet :P) Thank you!
Emily Cait I do the same. I plan to go back and listen to old episode as I read. They do non-book related episodes which are also fun. Like King news and such. They also spent ten weeks on the Castle Rock show. Follow them on Twitter and Instagram- the editor in chief Michael is constantly posting videos.
With Castle Rock over they’ve finally jumped into IT, to be broken up over 5-8 episodes.
You're very beautiful! And you seem to have a love for Stephen King which makes you even better. You've gained a new subscriber. ☺️
Thank you for subscribing! I'm glad you enjoy my Stephen King videos :)
Because of this video, I just decided right about now, that I'm picking up a Stephen King book for my next read. New sub here! Greetings from Manila and from a fellow Stephen King fan. :)
+Z Woman Hello there! I'm glad to have inspired you to pick up a King for your next read! Which one did you decide to pick up?! :)
+Emily Cait (CreativeAndOriginalTitle) I'm currently reading Insomnia, which is massive. But I'm carrying it around during my commutes so it won't be a problem. And I'm thoroughly enjoying it. :)
Z Woman I'm glad to hear you are enjoying it! Happy reading! :)
Z Woman from manila too....I am reading The stand right now. If you are newbie in reading SK novels, then I suggest to read The stand and IT...you won't regret picking them up.
my first Stephen King book was a book called Desperation. you should check it out, it is a really long book and it took me a long time to get through but there were moments in there that did Scare Me. I would think it's a classic Stephen King Style book. Thanks for the review.
The characters in the long walk are volunteers not prisoners
You're doing yourself a huge disservice by not reading "Different Seasons". Four novellas each having ties to human conditions. In my opinion its easily he's best work. The writing is so rich and what he's able to put into 100page stories was unreal. I'd love to know what you think of it,if you ever read it.
Doctor Sleep was pretty good. I think it would have been much better if it was a stand alone story without ties to "the Shining". But I still found it very enjoyable.
Great video!
I'll have to bump Different Seasons up on my TBR pile then. :)
And I totally agree about Doctor Sleep. It wasn't bad, but I really didn't like the connections to The Shining. Maybe I'll try rereading. I think I maybe hyped it up too much as the 'sequel' to a book that I really loved.
I actually read Doctor sleep first not knowing it was a series or bout the shining and finished it(though I barely remember now since ive read lot of other books, only it was in some hotel and it scared me xD) I would recommend reading Cell by Stephen King, it was my first novel by him and it was easy to read and fun and memorable as well
I was the same way with Gunslinger, but Drawing of the Three was fantastic and so are the rest of the Dark Tower novels, though I didn't like Song of Susannah very much. I always tell people that if they want to get into the Dark Tower books, don't give up after Gunslinger because it definitely picks up after that.
Agreed! They definitely do pick up after The Gunslinger. The Dark Tower series is probably my favorite thing that King has produced. I'm so glad I gave it another shot :)
Most of Stephen king's books I have read them from the local public library in Greece and some books in English because they helped me a lot with the proficiency examination of Michigan university but he is the only author that his books are interesting strangely good especially in the summer are the best company
OMG! You should absolutely try The Gunslinger again, then read the second book and I promise, you'll be hooked. The second book is brilliant. You have to read it! (Do it soon before the movie comes out!)
+Robin Hindrikson I've added The Gunslinger to my summer TBR! I'm going to give the series a second chance :)
creepshow was my favourite work by King (& Romero & Savini)
I've read The Gunslinger and didn't like it. But since watching Stuck In Love, I'm enamoured with the idea of reading It (that capital "i" doesn't show up very well...). Do you think that's a good place to start with his horror novels?
+Amanda Center (IntrovertX) IT is a really long novel. You definitely get a taste of King's style (IT really shines in terms of King's style, in my opinion anyway :P) So if you are okay with long novels, try IT. If you are more of a shortish novel person, Carrie or Pet Semetary are good for showing off King's style to see if you like it before you invest your time in a chunker like IT. Hopefully that helps?
Emily Cait Absolutely! Thank you!
Girl!! That movie is one of my favorites! I have to read the body now just because of the part in the movie where Stephen King says, "The most important things, are the hardest to say." Loved It!!
I know this is an old(ish) vid but read Salems lot, and the stand!
I read The Stand last year. And 'Salem's Lot is pretty high on my list at the moment after encountering Callahan in the Dark Tower series :) Thank you for your recommendations.
IT scared me when I first read it. I was cat sitting for a friend while she was traveling. The unfamiliar environment, dripping faucet and a creature which moved through water pipes had me checking the drains every time I got to something with blood and pipes. The cat went to ground when my friend left and only made bumping noises at all of the right points, freaking me out for the day and under a half I took to read it. I didn't sleep much.
I have reread it three or four times and find it enjoyable every time.
You should read the Dreamcatcher. I found it somewhat scary - in a less supernatural way and a more paranoid direction appealing to my mistrust of the government. It had some good character development. I liked It's links into Derry.
You may also want to try Salem's Lot and Night Shift - an older short story collection I found enjoyable.
Setting the mood for IT seems to be key! :) Thank you for the recommendations!
Emily. Have you read any Flannery O'Connor? I've gotten into King in a big way recently and it occured to me that often his protagonists have something horrific or bad happen to them that is similar to O'Connor's tales. Twisted, ironic, dark, unpleasant twists of fate. A little Rod Serlingish too at times, which is great because I used to love the Twilight Zone.
I haven't but I'll have to look up her works and add them to my list :) Thanks for the recommendation!
Do u watch Under The Dome??? It's an awesome show.
+Perry Mehta I did. But the latest season has gotten a little too weird. So I sorta stopped watching half way through. Are you caught up? Is it worth it to catch up in your opinion?
I'm kinda behind this season. I just wrapped episode 5. So far, it's pretty good. I would say if u watched the other 2, I would say u might as well see the rest of it. Next Thursday (9/10)is the final episode. The show has just gotten cancelled this week.
Perry Mehta I might finish off the season then. Just to see how they wrapped it all up :P.
I'm curious as well. I think they should sell it to amazon instant video or Netflix for one more season.
Im currently on the 4th book of the Dark Tower series. The secobd one (Deawing of the Three) is great and definitely the best way to get someobe into the Dark Tower series.
I'm currently doing a reading project for the DT series and I definitely found the series WAY more engaging from Drawing of the Three onward :)
Oh, I know! Drawing definitely gets you imersed into the world of Mid-World (Or Mid-Earth? I also get confused lol) and Roland's obsession with the Tower.
The Dark Tower series is Great. I'm currently at Wolves of the calla but, not to duplicate advice given to you... "You must read them!" 😎👍🏻
Since making this video I actually have read (and loved) the Dark Tower series! It is now probably one of my favorite works by King :D
which 3 SK novel should I start with? I haven't read SK novels before. Which would you recommend I begin with?
Carrie, The shining or If you can get through a long one "It" is a good one.
+Crakaman 82 which is the long one?
Oh sorry 'it'
I would recommend you start from his first published and work your way forward (Carrie, 'Salem's Lot, The Shining, etc.). That's what I'm doing right now.
+Film Guy Person I never buy hardback...too costly.....only paperbacks
I love King, but just could not get into the Dark Tower Series...it's just missing something for me.
Same.. Maybe I'll try rereading it
I won't recommend which King to read next, but read Dreamcatcher last. It's probably the worst of the 50+ books of his I've read. Insomnia was also one of the least enjoyable. Full Dark, No Stars and Different Seasons are probably the best from that bunch. Different Seasons, particularly, has two classic King stories, The Body, and Shawshank.
Haha! I like the reverse recommendation :P. I'll put Dreamcatcher off as long as possible then. I've heard a lot of good things about Different Seasons now, so I definitely want to read that one in the new year.
Emily Cait Since I wrote that last post, I came across something about King having recently given an interview to Rolling Stone, and he says his two least favorite books are Dreamcatcher and The Tommyknockers, which I remember a long time ago.
OneMinuteGalactica That's really interesting! You would think that an author would be proud of all of their works, so it's interesting that King has reflected back on his work and been critical.
Emily Cait 2 words..."shit weasels". that's right, people take a dump and these "villians" come out. I was considering that book til I read that
I read you comment and thought you might be joking. Then I Googled. Haha! I will definitely be putting Dreamcatcher off as long as possible... perhaps indefinitely. :P