Top 10 Favorite Stephen King Books || updated 2023
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ส.ค. 2024
- Here's an updated top 10 favorite stephen king books for 2023. It's been a bit since I've done one of these so I wanted to get an update out there. Stick around by subscribing, we'd love to have you join this community! Thanks for watching, Enjoy!
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Stephen king writes about friendship beautifully.
I completely agree!
Loved 11/22/63. Some people down the series adaptation, but i thought it was absolutely wonderful.
I agree, very enjoyable!
Both are awesome in my opinion. 11.22.63 was my first King. I have read several older King books. He's got talent! I look forward to reading more novels by him.
I’ve always thought that King writes characters SO well that I would be able to recognize if they passed me on the street. My Dad thought the same thing about 11-22-63. I got it for him last Christmas and he kept putting it aside for other books. I kept bugging him to read it until he did this summer and he was blown away by it.
I agree with you on not breaking the top 4 as they are mine as well. Still very happy that you finally got around to 11/22/63 since that has always been my favorite. I have been dabbling in re-reading a few of these and I'm leaning very heavily into going back through 11/22/63 since it's been 6 years. Thanks for the video and keep up the great work!
I just finished Pet Semetary. Was absolutely phenomenal and haunting! Loved the length. Very bloat free in my opinion.
It’s a very good book and it is very haunting!
Pet Sematary was my first book by Stephen King and when I got to a certain point I had to pause for a while to process.
You are correct that Randall Flagg and The Man in Black are one and the same.
Shoutout Alan Pangborn, probably the most underrated King protagonist of all time.
He's definitely one of them for sure!
Yes, finally a number one Stephen King chart i agree with! Same number 1 for sure, can't wait to forget it a bit to re-read!
glad to see Needful Things, Dead Zone (my personal favorite) and Misery in your top 10
Pet Semetary hits harder the older I get. I think its my favorite King book. I may need to do another Christine re read soon after seeing your video.
I did re reads of " Revival " and " Full Dark, No Stars" and they are probably my favorite King books from 2010 - present.
So glad I found this video!! Just read my first King book , it was Billy Summers and I absolutely loved it! I think 11/22/63 is next.
Impeccable timing. Just watched your top 10 king ranking video yesterday and was simultaneously wondering when you were going to post another updated one. (Will edit after I actually watch the video)
I've been meaning to post it but I wanted to space them out a bit more, and it's a beast of a video to film and edit lol
@@ZacksBooks awesome ranking!! I have many similar top 10 as yours and I’m currently little over halfway through Christine and loving it! Keep king content coming it’s my fav!!
I love all the covers you picked for this video.
Thanks!
Very good my friend! Congratulations from Brazil!
Currently reading IT and loving it so far! Around 250 pages in. Very concerned about THAT scene though. You aren’t the first TH-camr I’ve seen to mention it
Dude totally agree with #1. I haven’t seen anyone even include it in their top 5.
This video came at the perfect time! I’m currently reading IT and can’t wait to dive into these other ones you mentioned 😊
It’s a solid book! Let me know your thoughts on the ending, it’s very hit or miss with people!
It’s The Perfect ending.
Most of us have IT in our top 5 of all time.
There are only 3 books of king that actually scared me to the point I couldn’t read them alone at night: IT, The Shining, and Pet Semetary.
Specifically in IT, the balloon suddenly popping in the library really scared me.
Quality video. Subbed.
I've started reading from his debut & so far my ranking is:
5 - The Dead Zone (About to start reading).
4 - The Stand (got to about 800-900 pages in on the long version & stopped, boring & too slow for me).
3 - Carrie.
2 - The Shining.
1 - Salems Lot.
Great video! I remember when I received my first copy of The Green Mile. It came from The Stephen King Library Book Club and it was a paperback in a hard cardboard green sleeve. It was AWESOME! I read it nonstop, seriously couldn’t put it down. I despised Percy as well, he was truly evil! Then the movie was great - did NOT disappoint. I love your choices but I would have to include Carrie in my top ten, it was the first King book I read way back in the 70s and I was hooked. I agree with you about 11.22.63, amazing book. Watching the movie - I cried like a baby during the final dance. I just love it when a movie does a SK book justice!
I agree! Not all of them have been done right, but a chunk of them have been done rather well! Carrie was good, just not a top tier for me. It’s middle of the road
Just started reading King this year, hopefully I will have a top 10 soon!!
That's awesome you started reading from him, so did @daniellesbooks and she's been having fun with it! What have you read so far?
1. The Stand
2. The Shining
3. Different Seasons
4. Pet Sematary
5. IT
6. Misery
7. Firestarter (this one is really underrated for some reason)
8. Cujo
9. The Dead Zone
10. Christine
Great list. Think I’m gonna have to finally read Christine 🤣
Thanks, and I definitely recommend!
I haven't read Christine yet, but IT, for me is his best friendship story, because it was literally life or death. There's not too many people, in the world that would stick by you during those times in your life.
1000% agree with your #1 pick
Great choice at number 1....also the Green Mile
"IT" is the most fun I have ever had reading a book! It's the literary equivalent of the most thrilling ride in a top tier amusement park! AMAZING CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! King's phenomenal imagination is firing on all cylinders!!!
Haven't yet read 11/22/63... But I hear great things about it! Looking forward to it!
As usual, I love your reviews Zack. You're damn good at what you do! Your enthusiasm for reading is absolutely contagious! And I know exactly what you meant when you said you wanted to re-read IT as soon as you finished it... but you didn't want to, because it's so long... but yet, on the other hand, you do!
I totally get it! I couldn't agree more! I felt exactly the same way when I finished it!
👍👍👍 32:50 32:50
Thanks for the support, IT is an amazing story and I loved it! I wish I could put it number 1, but I just can’t! Once I get to my top 4 now, at least 4-2, it’s always hard to put them in an order. 11/22/63 is truly a great book. Some chunks in the middle that may drag on, but overall a masterpiece!
Awesome video and some really great books! The wonderful thing about King is that a lot of the books can hit you differently depending on where you are in your life. I re-read about 10 of his books last year and my current top 5 is:
1. It - This book has everything he does so well. The only complaint I have is the ending isn't his best.
2. Wizard and Glass - Book 4 is easily my favorite of the DT and none of the 3 after it lived up to this one.
3. 11.22.63 - This book is magical. My only complaint is the douche villain is named Clayton haha.
4. The Green Mile - Again, a wonderfully touching book with maybe my favorite ending he has written.
5. Dolores Claiborne - Amazing character and book. Such a satisfying read.
Bruuh Wizard and Glass might be King's best ending he's ever written... absolutely tragic and heartbreaking, but so good. Loved book 4
Nice list! I've read and enjoyed those books too! and I agree, he has so many books out that everyone will have a totally different list which makes it fun
Very close to my own Top 10
10. Needful Things
9. Carrie
8. Pet Sematary
7. Green Mile
6. Christine
5. The Shining
4. Misery
3. The Dead Zone
1.11/22/63
1. IT
He doesn't have the Misery Chastain final novel in his car. He has the manuscript for Fast Cars in his car. She picks up the "final" Misery novel from the store during Paul's initial convalescence.
Also the interludes are hugely important to the thematic statements of the book. A lot of stuff will make no sense if you don't read them.
I’ve seen most the movies/shows,but finally just finished my first Stephen king book which was Salem’s lot and loved it,what should I read next lol?
Read King for the first time this year at 42, Needful Things. Hilarious book, great villian, lots of fun to read. Recently read IT, wow what a book, instantly one of my favorite fiction books. No issue with supposed controversial part of the book. There’s kids being killed and mutilated throughout the entire book. If one has a problem with this book it should start with that in my opinion
On It I'm still on ch. 18. My last two books books that I read that have been on my list to get are the shining and Carrie.
i just read TheOutsider and absolutely loved it
That’s a book that was a middle of the road for me. I had parts I loved and parts that were eh, overall I think I have it 4 stars
Loved the Outsider.
The dead zone I have never read however there are people in real life with that kind of ability who can actually see things before it actually happens it is a beautiful thing to have the ability to see things before it actually happens just like in the movie final destination a premonition
Please, do read The Dead Zone. It’s one of King early and best.
My favorite Stephen King books are The Shining, Firestarter and Salems Lot. All suspenseful and spooky. I want to read The Stand and The Running Man. He has a collection of short stories that I'm trying to get through called Nightmares and Dreamscapes.
Yes love needful things
There’s only a few King books I would deem perfect novels and 11/22/63 is definitely one of them. Other perfect books IMO:
Misery (read twice)
IT
The Shining (read twice)
Shawshank Redemption (possibly his most perfect book) The movie adaptation is listed in the Top 100 Greatest films of all time.
As far as The Stand goes, it’s definitely in my top 10 but it would be better if he’d culled out a few hundred pages.
How do you feel about Salem’s Lot? I’m reading it for the first time now.
I’m a little surprised that no one mentions Eyes Of The Dragon because it ties in so well with Dark Tower and The Stand due to Flagg being the same antagonist in a different form.
Agreed. I think Eyes of the Dragon is one King’s most underrated books. Truly phenomenal read.
Could I ask were you got your tshirt from I love stephen king got holly pre ordered love Owen King as well .
Have you read Lisey's Story? It's another one of my favorites that alot of people haven't read
Nice!
Thanks for watching!
Great list, thanks 👍
Thanks for watching!
What edition of the Shining do you have? Never seen that hardcover before
Great review, non pretentious!
I had the edited version and the unedited version. Between both, read The Stand more than once and twice.
totally agree Pet Semetary was scary! had something Scary happen to me while I was reading it that involved a cat LOL. Have you read The Dark Half yet?
I have not, I started it a few years ago but stopped and haven’t come back to it yet
Love tge Dark half
great
Thanks for watching!
I would say Randall Flagg and the Man in Black are the same.
Okay, I think I can list my top 11, but in no particular order because I just can’t. 🤷♀️
11/22/63
Bill Hodges Trilogy
Full Dark, No Stars
It
Later
Needful Things
Rose Madder
Salem’s Lot
Skeleton Crew
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
The Green Mile
A solid list! He just has a lot of good books, sometimes it hard to rank them cause you like them for different reasons
Me personally..IT is my favorite king book I’ve read so far. And me personally didn’t think “THAT” scene was all that bad..granted didn’t really need it but I understand why he did it…cuz he’s showing that bevs relationship with her father..SHE ACTUALLY THINKS THATS THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THEM TOGETHER..so it didn’t bother me as much as some..but I’m also not very squeamish! I understood why he wrote it
Wizard and Glass
Pet sematary is very disturbing, indeed. I read it when i was 14-15 and man... the horror of death and the descriptions...
Yes, definitely his scariest one I have read so far!
I felt that face you made after saying “Percy” 😂 I can’t stand him! And agree that Green Mile is very underrated! Also agree about the wife in Pet Sematary - she’s awful.
I could go on so many rants about those 2 but Danielle would kill me if I just sat there bashing them for 20 minutes lol
@@ZacksBooks 😂 you’ll have to do a whole video on all your least favorite SK characters - that way the rants are warranted haha.
Flagg was the antagonist.
At some point in the past, I read that Mr King has had constant struggles with the writing of endings…I know was “huh?” with the end of Gerald’s Game…
Ya, he has a few where the book was great and the end was “wtf?” Lol
@@ZacksBooks exactly!
my jaw dropped when he said to took 2 weeks to read IT, lmoa man it took me a month
Read the Dark Tower and the Stand will rise higher in your list.
I have read the dark tower series, however just like with The Stand, I do need to give them a reread! I am a more seasoned reader now than when I first read the Dark Tower series
I'm guessing the top three is the shining, 11 22 63, and IT. I put this comment at 21:35
good guess, we'll see! All very good books
Eyes of the Dragon
I THINK you meant to call Randall Flagg the antagonist...but I could be wrong
That would be correct, again dealing with a concussion has caused me to slip up every so often! Lol
@@ZacksBooks oh no I didn't know that! lol This was the first video of yours I've watched.
I think you meant Sandy Colfax, not mickey mantle for needful things
Not hearing Salem Lot is kind of refreshing
Interesting list. But you totally lost me when you rated Christine higher than The Stand. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very fond of Christine, it’s a good schlock horror book, with undertones of deeper themes, as is always the case with King. But The Stand is his epic masterpiece.
My top five…
The Stand
The Dead Zone
Misery
The Shining
Salem’s Lot
Honourable mention to his wonderful short story collection Different Seasons. 🌞
On the downside, IT was amazing, right up until he wrote himself into a corner and came up with the most ludicrous, obnoxious ending he’s ever written. Yes, I’m talking about “that” scene. Ruined the whole book.
bro, you spelled Sematary incorrectly 😂
Green mile stand up!!!
Dang the Shinning is not #1! That's ok ill let this slide...
It was for a very long time before reading what #1 is. Don't worry, it's very much a favorite book!
I don't think people really like the whole evil cars killing people thing. It is one of his better stories though.
why did you leave me out big boy?
I hated 11/22/63
Why?
I am going to guess that you must be a relative of King by the way that you push his books so much. King is overrated. 🙄
Thanks for the comment. No relation at all, just enjoy his work.
Everyone has their favorite author and he’s mine, and that’s what I love about literature. Not everyone likes the same authors, and some people hate him and some people love him! Everyone is very much so entitled to like whoever they want and if you don’t like King, that’s fine.
@@ZacksBooks Thank you for your kind response. I didn’t mean for it to sound rude in any way. I have been subscribed to you for a long time and got a little curious about it after a while. And I agree, we all have the right to enjoy any author’s work that we choose .
the man in black is Randall Flagg lol, the walkin dude, the dark man, ageless stranger, THE MAN IN BLACK he has alot of names too Walter paddock, Walter o’dim, Russell faraday, Richard freeman ,Ramsey forrest just to name a few ! Dont wordy its confusing hahaha
It is funny to me that you judge King. Who cares?
Thanks for the comment, quite a few people in the TH-cam book world are intrigued on opinions on King. He’s one of the most popular authors ever and has lots of book fans with many different opinions of him and as a fan of his work, I feel I can share mine. Just like anyone and everyone else can in the world.
@@ZacksBooks OK fine. Bag of Bones is one of his best. Why? (think jews).
@@gerrybonshor4150
Unfortunately that’s one I haven’t read yet. Like I said in the video, I haven’t gotten to all of them yet and am waiting to read the unread ones before really watching thoughts and opinions so I don’t spoil it for myself! Sorry!
@@ZacksBooks No sorry sir.There is a piece of writing in Bag of Bones that is as good as you will find anywhere. "she danced". enjoy your journey.
@@gerrybonshor4150
Thanks! Appreciate it! I’ve been really wanting to tackle that one, it’s on a few peoples list of their favorites and I wanna read it myself!