Leaving in that weird visual glitch near the beginning because obviously this video is haunted 😂 I can’t wait to nerd out about these stories with you in the comments! (Also no nightmares so far 🙏 send good vibes my way so I stay nightmare free 😅)
Though your videos can be quite entertaining to watch you look like a cat whore in the icon and the end of the video. (Doesn't matter if it was for the "thrill" of Halloween) The chevage is absolutely unnecessary and I personally find it extremely distasteful. I know you want more views, but I actually paused the video at the beginning to type out this message to you. After the other video I watch bringing something VERY important to the attention of the public in regards to YA books being more sexual then ever..... you go and do this. Right, Consider someone unsubscribing to you and your adolescent bullshit for views.
This is so funny because the reason I curled my hair is my original costume was going to be Chappell Roan in one of her pink pony club performance outfits. But I didn’t finish my costume in time 😂❤️
@@Horrorbabe4 Tommyknockers is crazy underrated. I really don't understand the hate it gets. Yes, it's got some goofy stuff in it, but so does It and The Stand and lots of his other work and they are still (mostly) great.
@@kaboomzzz yeah i saw the tommyknockers hate on reddit. people were saying its his worst book! i definitely dont think its bad though! its just not a pageturner for me. ironically it was my introduction to good old stephen.
This was my first reaction when I finished The Gunslinger. It was strange and weird, like a dream. But book 2, The Drawing of the Three, was so much better.
The thing about Stephen King is that once you finish the book you’ll probably rate it about 3 stars but you’ll keep thinking about the book and characters for a long time and then you’ll realize how good of a book it actually was and you’ll remember the characters and book so vividly from how good his writing is that you’ll end up changing your rating to 5stars haha!
Not us going on a Stephen King binge at the same time 😍 I had only read Fairy Tale and enjoyed it, but my grandmother insisted that’s not “real King” and bought me more of his books. 😂 I’m still in the process of working through my stack but was so excited the second I saw your video title! Can’t wait to keep watching and hear your thoughts 🫶🏻
@@KittyxKult Agree! My biggest problem with King's books is that they aren't even really scary so much as just really messed up. Fairy Tale was so completely different and enjoyable.
Misery and the Shining I think you would like! They're both very winter-y spooky vibes so they would be great to read in the coming months... if you like more real-world horror, Misery is definitely the way to go. It's one of my favorites. If you don't like the way that King writes a lot of his female characters (me neither), I would recommend avoiding Carrie... its use of period blood as a motif is questionable, and for a main character, Carrie just feels really half-baked. I know it's his first book and a classic that inspired so many good stories, but in my opinion his later works are worth a bit more of your time. As I'm sure you've heard, IT has some really weird sex stuff and (in my opinion) really goes off the rails at the end lore-wise, but the audiobook is so well done, and the spooky fall vibes are really, really good. I would recommend the audiobook if you ever get around to reading IT. And the characters! Since we get to see the characters as kids growing up into adults, you can really get attached to them. I love your videos! You did such a great job with this, and I love how you so concisely voiced all the reasons why I LOVE (and roll my eyes at) Stephen King.
Thank you so much for your recommendations! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video and that I was able to articulate my feelings about King's work in a way that resonated with you ❤️ I’ll definitely check these out! It is probably never going to be something I read, because I have a particular fear of clowns 😅 I’ve also heard so many wild things about It that make me want to back away slowly 😂
@PlantBasedBride I second reading Misery. I'm not a huge horror fan either but I absolutely loved this book, it's definitely anxiety-inducing (in a good way) of needing to know what will happen and how our main character will end up. Plus the winter settings are perfect for this time of year!
I just started the video, but felt compelled to share my own Stephen King experience so far. I tried to start several novels of his in the past (Firestarter, Cell) and couldn't get into them. I saw an online recommendation by Daniel Greene that people who are new to King should start with either The Stand or Pet Semetary, and I read Pet Semetary in February of this year - and loved it! I am now willing to try more King.
The Stand was the first Stephen King Book I read waaaay back when I was 14. I finished it in 3 days during a week long school trip in autumn - while everyone but me and one or two of my classmates had a cold. Let's just say I was just the tiniest bit creeped out. But I loved the story and still do about 30 years later. In case you decide to go on with the Dark Tower series, you may also want to read the following books, because they really tie in to the story at later points: The Stand (which you obviously already did) The Eyes of the Dragon Salem's Lot Hearts in Atlantis Insomnia There are even more of King's books connected to the Dark Tower universe in one way or another, but I think these are the most important ones. Edit: I almost forgot two of my favorites - The Talisman and Black House, both written by Stephen King and Peter Straub.
Thank you for these recommendations! It’s interesting to see how many of his stories are connected. I feel like I need a mind map 😅 I’m honestly glad I didn’t read the stand at the start of the pandemic because I was already anxious enough as it is, and I think it would’ve not been good for my mental health 🫠
Oh please read The Talisman! I've read everything Stephen King has published and that one is my favourite. Even named my child after the main character. It's not perfect but is a wonderful story. I've probably read it 10 times by now.
@@PlantBasedBride There is a map! Just google pictures for "Dark Tower extended universe" and you'll find that almost all of his (older) stories have at least a tiny connection - even if it's not obvious at first, it's still there.
Elizabeth, thanks for the best thumbnail ever! Wow…Your cat costume with curls is so pretty! As for SK, I had my time with him in my youth with the Stand, Carrie, IT, etc. while I can’t go there anymore, it was interesting to get your take on some of his work. While I haven’t read the book, I think the Dolores Claiborne movie was really good. Thanks for the post Halloween fun, you are the best!👏🏽🎃👻🫣🎉
I really think you would love Dolores Claiborne ; it's a story he wrote based on critiques around his female characters : it brings around my favorite female protagonist ever and is very based around human nature being frightful. I really, really think you'd love it please read it - loved the video and your channel :)
It’s been recommended so much in the comments of this video that I’m definitely going to be reading it! I hope I’m not getting my expectations too high 😂
I fell in love with King at age nine, when I first read It (yes, I was a morbid child), and have very find memories of reading The Stand in hardback on a chartered bus from Sweden to England when I was thirteen. King has a way of writing childhood through a lens that is both nostalgic and horrible, and I think that he has an understanding of what drives us as humans in terms of thoughts and motifs that are not brought to light that often. I collected his novels for a very long time, but have only read a few of his short stories. For me, King's real horror stories are the ones where there are monsterous people instead of monsters or supernatural elements. I love The Long Walk, and I think you'd find it intriguing as well, and one of my absolute favorites are Rose Madder, which is way too underrated.
Honestly surprised you didn’t pick up rita hayworth and the shawshank redemption or the body. While both are not horror they’re def classics. Movies are alright too. I didn’t really like stand by me but shawshank was fantastic
Elizabeth, first of all, THE HAIR! Girl. Gorgeous. Secondly, I’m so glad you gave King another chance! Bless the person who brought you those books-although they’re not what I would have recommended for an (almost) first time King reader. If you ever feel like reading another King doorstopper of a novel, I highly recommend Under The Dome. More suggestions: Carrie, Misery, The Shining (very big differences in the portrayal of Book Jack and Movie Jack), Pet Semetary, Rose Madder & Revival (this last one is a tough read in that it doesn’t really end on a high note, but I love the character exploration and the philosophical discussion greatly appeals to this fellow agnostic/atheist).
My favourite King is non-horror King. The Body, Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile which were all made into great movies.(The Body Is Stand By Me in film form). 11/22/63 is a great time travel, if you could change history would you novel. Mr Mercedes is good though the tv series may actually be even better.
M-O-O-N that spells Tom Cullen! 😌 I listened to The Stand as an audiobook earlier on this year (my first every audiobook as well and was a whopping 40+ hours 😅) and I genuinely think about it still quite frequently, it was just incredible. I have only ever read one short story collection of Stephen King and it was a more recent one of Bizarre of Bad Dreams - you've definitely intrigued me with Night Shift that's for sure! Really enjoyable video to keep me entertained on my nightshift, thank you!
Wow - what an epic reading vlog! Based on this, I am definitely more easily scared than you are, so I haven't read much Stephen King. I did mostly enjoy The Dark Tower, but didn't end up reading the rest of the series. My only recommendation is Mr Mercedes, which I did like and doesn't have anything supernatural in it, so may be one to try!
Talk about highs and lows. That's what most people seem to experience when they crack the cover of Nightmares and Dreamscapes. For story collections, I would instead recommend Skeleton Crew or Mr King's newest collection, You Like it Darker. Also the Novella collection Different Seasons is excellent. Other favorites: Under the Dome Revival The Institute Needful Things The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon (cuz you like baseball) Fairy Tale (this one is not universally liked, but I personally loved it) Excellent video. Enjoy your journey into the SK universe.
Maybe it's a controversial take, but I think that King's books aren't actually scary - they're usually just disgusting. I prefer psychological horror and he always focuses on gore/body horror and disturbing sexual themes. He has interesting ideas that could be scary in theory. But practically, with his overwriting style, when something scary is finally happening, the next 50 pages of descriptions leave me bored out of my mind.
I agree. I’ve read Carrie and a chunk of the stand (in middle school when my bff BEGGED me to read it). Both experiences made me feel like King is just kind of a creep obsessed with kids having sex and a strong disgust for female bodies (not in an interesting way). I was pissed when I read Carrie this year (as part of a reading challenge: prompt “an author everyone but you has read”) because it COULD have been great if it was written but someone else 😂
I definitely found some of what I read for this video scary, but largely I would agree his work is not nearly as scary as I’d expected. Though again, I have only read a very small sampling despite how much I read for this video! I was actually expecting even more disgusting content, especially because my only exposure to Stephen King before this video was seeing the movie the shining and reading the short story Survivor type. I was honestly a bit surprised how little gore/body horror content was in these books and stories! Even the weird sexual content, which was too plentiful for my taste, was not as frequent as I’d expected/been worried about. To me his strength is really in his characterization, which is why it bugs me so much that he seems to fall short when a character is a woman 🥲
@@PlantBasedBride Most female writers can't write convincing male characters either. King can't write women convincingly because he isn't a woman. He doesn't have a woman's experience of the world, so all he can do is interpret women from the outside. This is true for most authors.
@@GlynDwr-d4h I disagree - I have read books written by many authors, whether they be men, women, or nonbinary, who can portray characters in a way that makes them feel complex and fully realized as human beings regardless of their gender.
Elizabeth, I'm thrilled that you're giving King another chance, and that you enjoyed so much of what you read! He’s my all-time favorite, so… I have thoughts. :-D I love supernatural stuff, but I totally understand your opinion on COTC. I too am far more scared by realistic horror (Saw, Hostel, etc.). As far as SK goes, I think “Gerald’s Game” is one of the scariest. It’s psychological, quite grounded in reality, and *terrifying*. I actually had to put that one down a few times. O_O Sometimes Uncle Steve could write three books from what he puts into one, and every once in a while, I can’t quite suspend my disbelief enough to love a story. lol The Gunslinger is problematic, for sure. SK has talked about it. The revised version is helpful, and the series gets much better! TDT is my favorite series of all time, but I very much relate to your confusion at Book #1! I will say that book 4 (Wizard and Glass) is probably the most beautiful of the series - there’s just a lot to love there, so I won’t write a book about it - but, that said, almost the entire book is a flashback to Roland’s youth. The *only* thing I don’t like about that book is that the journey to the Tower is stalled while this story is told. Otherwise, it’s fantastic. Also, there are a handful of scenes in his works that left me (and many others) saying, “Why?” (“It” has one of the WORST), and most of them are “weird sex stuff”. I will say that it’s mostly in his early writing, when he was young and dealing with addiction. Overall, I feel SK is worth the aches and pains. He really does have some beautiful writing, and I would love to recommend some of those! For example, I loved “Rose Madder” because it’s about a bunch of badass women! The thing I tell people about King is that he writes quite a lot about *people*, and he makes you love them, and love to hate them. I love the way he writes people! He also writes plenty that isn’t true I horror; that’s just the label he carries. Lastly, I love all your reviews here, but I think your review of The Stand is so spot-on and absolutely fair. I’m so glad you enjoyed it as much as you did!
I appreciate your insights! I am definitely curious about Rose Madder. I do think one of his greatest strengths (as far as I know so far!) is writing deeply flawed, complex characters. And you’re right; so many of them are easy to love, but just as many, if not more, are very easy to hate! Another commenter talked about feeling that King was working through what he perceived to be his own character flaws in his early writing, which is such an interesting perspective. I’m so glad you enjoyed the video as someone with a lot more experience with King’s work! ❤️
You look gorgeous (as always 💚) I think you'd love Dolores Claiborne. It explores misogyny, incest and other typical King themes but from a different perspective. It's sometimes heartbreaking in a good way and our protagonist is a woman. The audiobook is also nice.
Thank you! This book has been recommended so many times across the Internet and it’s been brought up in these comments a few times, so I think I may need to bump it up to the top of my list once I eventually feel ready to dive into Stephen King again!
I’m so glad you gave King a second chance. He is my favorite author. I do think he shines in his non horror stories. Best example of that is “11/22/63”or even “The long walk” or “the talisman”. I think he’s written some of the best female characters in my opinion. I think “Liseys story” is my favorite. I’m reading “Holly” right now and she’s starting to really grow on me too. Anyway I love your videos 💖
Love this video, glad you gave him another chance and found some things to enjoy! You mentioned the story about the brother genius and Stephen King's brother, hadn't read the story but I did read his memoir (on writing) and how you described the story does sound like the dynamic he had with his brother. His brother had a lot of schemes that he followed along with as a kid, even when they were dangerous. Also when you discussed the Schizophrenia vs. DID, you actually are correct that when Drawing of the Three was written (late 80s) definitions were different. When I was doing my psych grad work I had read in one of my texts that Schizophrenia became kind of a catch all diagnosis when things were less clear. It's been nearly 40 years since then and mental health is definitely better understood (thank goodness!) and less stigmatized than it used to be.
Yayyy! So glad you read more King; I love this man and his mixed bag so much, even though he’s given me a lot of night terrors and once a literal fever during a certain scene of Eyes of the Dragon. 🐲 🕷️ That outfit is great and hope you and the family had a lovely Halloween!
Ma'am! Excuse you! Your hair PLUS everything else, I nearly fainted. And I can't believe I'm now interested in reading Stephen King lol! I'll have to add some of these short stories to my tbr now! Thank you once again for an entertaining and interesting vid.
Oh wow, I had almost zero interest in reading Stephen King before now, but the way you discuss some of these stories makes me think they'll be right up my alley!! I love all the info you provide in your book reviews!!!
@@PlantBasedBride The boogeyman and the End of the Whole Mess especially - but the way you talk about all of Night Shift makes me want to pick it up!! Also all the stories you mentioned with body horror - I feel like when it's done right that is my favorite genre of horror!
@@TrinaHours if you like body horror you’ll probably also enjoy Gray Matter and I Am the Doorway (both in Night Shift)! Nightmares and Dreamscapes didn’t really have any body horror to speak of.
It’s so interesting hearing you talk about the gunslinger! I read the revised version and found it to be a quick and easy read that got me sooo into the rest of the series! I’ve now finished the entire dark tower series and really enjoyed it (despite not liking the ending, but it didn’t bother me too much since I loved the characters and their stories).
The Lawnmower Man has an adaptation with the same name and the graphics are so so funny. If you are in the vibe for a silly movie I'd recommend it for the visuals alone!
I had to listen to Dark Tower as an audio book while on a road trip with a friend. Being able to pause and talk about what the heck just happened helped a lot. It was the only way I could get through it. Also, the line " I don't like people. They F*$% me up" still hit's me so hard
Thank you for this spooky vibe video that accompanied me while working. I've read a lot of king and enjoyed them except Fairy tales, but I haven't read any if this video 😅
King always writes very character driven stories and that's what I love most about him. As far as The Dark Tower, I'm with you! I still haven't read farther in that series than this first book. Everyone says I will like the others more, so I wil eventually trudge on. His other novels, like The Stand, IT, and so many others are wonderful tho.
The Dark Tower is a tough one! You literally have to read the entire series to understand it. The first book took me fifteen tries but it is worthwhile to get through and I’ve read darn near every single book. My recommendation for you for a beautifully written Stephen King book is Duma key! I’m posting this before I’ve finished watching your video so I can’t wait to hear what you think of The Stand.
The last rung on the ladder is also my favorite story in The night shift, it stayed with me for so long. I want to reread it now that I heard you talking about it
I just love the eloquent way Stephen King writes, especially in his later books. His stories are definitely strange and weird and sometimes he describes women in an icky way. However, I think we do need a writer in this century like him who explores these strange concepts and stories and weird dreamlike scenarios. I recently read his new book, You Like It Darker, another book of short stories and I appreciated that in his afterword he talks about the critique he’s received over his weird stories but how he kind of just goes with it in his way. I’m not explaining it well but definitely recommend reading that part haha
I’m so glad you gave Stephen king another try, we have very similar tastes in books, and I’ve read It, The Shining, The Stand, and The Mist. Which isn’t much considered his work, but I enjoyed all of them! I read The Stand at the beginning of this year and it really felt like I lived in that world with how immersive and long it was. I also gave it four stars! I think if I were to recommend something I’d want your opinion on The Shining and Misery. I also work at a book store so I’m definitely going to check out Night shift. 🎈
The Shining is definitely on my list! I love the film. Misery has been recommended a few times, but I honestly know nothing about it, so I might have to check it out 👀 I hope you enjoy the stories in night shift if you pick it up! Obviously it was a bit hit or miss for me but there are some real gems in there and some of those stories I can see myself thinking about and coming back to many times for years to come!
The only thing I’ve read from King is The Dead Zone and I remember nothing from it 😂 but I’ve tried to read The Stand several times and I think it’s the length that keeps holding me back. I’ve kind of given up on reading King but now I’m thinking of picking up Night Shift and reading your favorite stories from it. Also, the lighting, the makeup, the hair, the costume: LOVE! 🤴
It seems like you geared more towards the less horror stories. I recommend Misery, Dolores Claiborne, The Body, The Green Mile, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, 11/22/63. All but the last one have movie adaptions that are wonderful also. The last one is a series on Hulu and it has mixed reviews.
I was really nervous to start The Shining, as I was worried it was going to give me nightmares too, but I took my time with it, never read it at night, and did enjoy it. The reason I read it was because I heard such good things about the followup, Doctor Sleep, which I didn't find freaky at all, more suspense than horror. ❤ I think Stephen King is an author I will read selectively and enjoy, rather than being an author I would binge-read. Enjoyed The Shining, but was relieved to reach the end after the last 1/4 of the book, but Doctor Sleep was satisfying to read, felt very just and right when I got to the end, and felt that the continuance of the main character's story was done perfectly.
Huge King fan here. Hopping on board to recommend Different Seasons and Misery...I think you'll like those. I do not think you'll like Dolores Claiborne or (potentially) Needful Things, even though I LOVED them, just because of knowing your tastes a bit. My all time favorite King book is "Salem's Lot". Fucking masterpiece. Confession: I loved Battleground 😂 It was so different from anything I've ever read that it drew me in. I found it super entertaining.
GodDAMMIT I love The Dark Tower and I’m SO sad that no one on booktube ever talks about it. So I’m so excited that you’re reading it at all. Not me pumping my fist at my TV when you said you were gonna continue and read The Drawing of the Three and then going Noooooo when you didn’t like it 😭😭😭 it’s one of my faves in the series, but I think that’s an unpopular opinion. Most people seem to like book 3 the most, so maybe still give the next one a shot? The Dark Tower is an absolute fucking mess, it’s so bloated, it’s so unhinged, the world building just gets progressively more and more nuts, parts of it are really unsatisfying, and parts of it made me sob like a little baby. I just love all the characters so much and some of the imagery is just so imaginative and like psychedelic, idk how to explain it better. It’s my number one series that I can’t defend, but love with my whole silly little heart. I recommend reading through book 4 and then if you’re over it, you’re over it. But book 4 is where we get Roland’s backstory and without spoiling too much it’s like a slow burn tragic romance??? That’s another thing that I love so much about the series: all of the books have such different vibes from each other and I’ve never read anything like that before. Anyways I’ll shut up, I’ve just been waiting for a chance to yell about this series on the internet for awhile now haha
Hi first time viewer here! So the first book in the Dark Tower series can be a little rough if you don’t really know what you are getting into. 1. All of Stephen King’s books are connected via the Dark Tower, some have stronger connections than others. It’s all one big Multiverse kind of deal. Some characters cross over between the Dark Tower and other books. Randal Flagg is a reoccurring villain in several books. 2. The Dark Tower is essentially a fantasy epic but there are other genres mixed in there. Like western with the way the Gunslinger is dressed and his trusted revolvers. 3. The first book in the series was originally published in parts in a magazine. Reading it feels rather choppy because it is several installments all smooshed together in one novel. Knowing that going in makes the Dark Tower an easier read and it does get better going into book 2. I’ll be starting book 3 soon but hope this helps! I first started my journey with Thinner written while Stephen was using his Richard Bachman persona. Cujo was my second book and lord what an ending don’t get too attached there.
Night Shift was one of my first adult fiction books I read as a kid (I was 10 or so, good times) and I still return to it every decade or so. In my most recent re-read as a graying older man who has has been pigheaded aplenty in my life, I realized just how many of the stories are deeply dealing with younger pigheaded men who should have listened to the people who loved them more. It actually irritated me to reread some later King stories where the pigheadedness was treated as a feature not a bug but at the time of Night Shift I feel like he was trying to work through the horror of being a failing adult trying to deal with a lot of things and relationships. Pet Semetary is likely the culmination of dealing with that vibe until he got older and returned to it more.
This is such an interesting perspective! Thank you for sharing it. It does often seem that he’s working through his own flaws and demons through his stories.
When it comes to Stephen King people either hate or love his writing. I really enjoy the Meta Level he's putting in most of his stories. I haven't gotten through the whole "Dark Tower"- Series, since it's seven books, but I will get there :) I think it's also important to mention, that in my opinion, his novels are way better than his short stories. I'm having a hard time with his short stories and if it was only those, I would never read him. But there are many amazing novels he wrote! The books I've read, really enjoyed and definitely recommend are: "IT" "Cell" "Lisey's Story" "Duma Key" "Sleeping Beauties" "The Institute" "Later" Sending love and creative vibes
Hi! Great video as always. I've never been interested in Stephen King cause I'm generally a scaredy-cat but I'm currently working my way through Dracula and your description of Jeruselum's Lot actually has me interested in it. Quick question: Have you ever considered doing a library tour or is it a video that you might've already done for your patrons? I ask cause some of the book spines in your video background always draw my attention and I'd love to know what books they belong to. 😅 Edit: Checked out of curiosity and according to google the distinction between DID and Schizophrenia was made in 1994 while book 2 in the Dark Tower series was published in 1987 so the misrepresentation of the two might've come from the general populaces misunderstanding of it at that time.
Fairytale by stephen king lives in my head rent free everyday. It is not a horror but a true fantasy novel. The Institute is another big favorite of mine that is just suspense and not horror.
I think you would have enjoyed the abridged version of The Stand more than the unabridged version where King's vision was on full display, in a good way and a bad way. One of my favorite King stories is the novella, The Langoliers. It is a fascinating step into the paranormal. Has a lot to say about time.
Hi! I highly recommend his novellas more than his novels. I've read and dnf'd a lot of his works, but I highly recommend his novellas: Different Seasons, and his writings under his pen name Richard Bachman: The Long Walk, The Running Man etc. I also enjoyed The Green Mile and the series 112263, as many others have already commented above.
Of all the Dark Tower novels, I think my favorite are The Waste Lands and Wizard and Glass. That's when I feel like the ka-tet is at their strongest and most united, and their strengths as individuals get to be shown the most as well. Everything after that feels very down hill for anyone whose major stake in the books is those characters as individuals and as a group that care for each other.
Hi Elizabeth, You might enjoy reading Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian. A folkloric style Western with horror elements but not nightmare enducing. The Shining is the only book I’ve ever read that actually made the hair on my neck stand up…
Yay! Stephen King was a childhood favorite author of mine-- try Dolores Claiborne (great audio) & MIsery and the movies The Green Mile & Shawshank Redemption. Also Stand by Me!!!
I read it a long time ago but I remember liking Heart in Atlantis, not horror at all if I remember correctly. It's one of his collection but more novella types than short stories.
I know it’s a lot to say keep going with a series that you’re not vibing with, but I would really recommend giving the third book, The Wastelands, a try. King has spent the first two books setting up all the characters and now the real plot is going to get going. We also spend our time in Midworld and you get the experience more of that atmosphere and environment that DotT doesn’t really have because so much of it takes place on our world.
It’s been a while since I read (listened) to dark tower but it’s a fascinating series. It’s pretty much all of King’s ideas and tropes in a blender, it even becomes about being exactly that. It’s not always good because king is pretty hit or miss, but it’s super interesting imo.
The only book of his Iv read was the institute and goddd was I bored. I guessed the outcome in chapter 3 and just left me feeling numb to the rest of the story. But this video gave me hope, I still have a large list of King books I want to try and I guess I should go try him out again
If you ever feel like diving into some of King's "tamer" work, you should check out Different Seasons (another novella collection, specifically The Body and Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption) and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. And...Strawberry Spring is one of my all-time favorites. Was glad to hear you enjoyed that one!!
I have loved King since i first picked up Pet Semetary as a young teen (it was my first "grown up" book). I enjoy his work but its not subtle fir the most part but its part of his charm imo. The Gunslinger/ Dark Tower book 1 is interesting since it was originally several short stories published in a sci fi magazine and sets up Roland as a protagonist. It wasn't really intended as one story. The further books are more coherent stories with a better set up throughline.
Thank you for the extra long video to distract me from constantly checking my phone during election night here in the US. I'm anxious, but its way waaaaaaay too early to know much as i write this, so I need to chill out, lol. 🪦🐈🐕🤡🎈
I’m thinking about our neighbours to the south tonight ❤️ watching our national Canadian coverage of the election while I finish up my work for the day! I hope you enjoy the video ❤️❤️
for non horror i recommend sleeping beauties and fairy tale, i havent finished either because theyre super huge and im not good with books that huge my attention span sucks but i really enjoyed them before i quit them.
i think it's so hard to explain king. he's my favorite author, the one i've read the most, but i recently tried to do a ranking of it and i realized that i actually have just as much misses as i've had hits with him? the thing is that his lows are really low but his highs are just so high to me... some things that work in some books dont work in others and the point where he was in life usually tells me how i'm gonna feel about the book, so i tend to skip the books at the height of his addiction after i read IT and hated it for, yes, weird kid sex stuff. but he's been around for so long and has such a vast catalogue that i know i can always come back to him and find something i'll instantly have as favorite. as for my recs: different seasons (my favorite short story collection which includes shawshank redemption and the body), the eyes of the dragon (for more flagg content) and under the dome (the ending might - probably will - put you off but the first half was so so good i just didn't care though i wished it was different)
It’s so interesting to hear this emerge as a common theme - though I suppose such a prolific writer over such a long period of time, especially one playing with genre and dark themes, would easily be hit or miss for people! I’m definitely looking forward to trying more of his work, though it will be a little while before I dive in again 😂
We must travel in separate circles, because I have never heard anyone say Drawing of the Three was their favorite Dark Tower book. I usually hear Wizard and Glass (book 4) as the favorite. For me, it's the last book, with some caveats
Made it to the end! Ive only ever read one Stephen King - his more recent novella called Later. It was awesome (until literally the last two chapters). He had a killer story and then ruined it completely for me 😂
I have read The Dunwich Horror but have plans to read more Lovecraft! I also thoroughly enjoyed N.K. Jemisin’s take on Lovecraftian horror in The City We Became and its sequel.
I also prefer kings books if they are more ‘realistic’ than fantasy monsters. My favourites that I’ve read are Dolores Claiborne, cujo, rose madder,Gerald’s Game. My next to read is misery
I'm not big on horror, I prefer to steer very clear of the genre, but I did read It and The Shining. It spooked me so much that I could only read it on the bus: broad daylight and surrounded by as many people as possible. The Shining didn't spook me, but it was an interesting read anyway. It was a "I can't sleep not because I'm scared, but because I need to keep reading, I wanna know what happens next."
11/22/63 and The Shining are on my TBR! I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Under the Dome, so I’m intrigued 🤔 It is probably never going to happen because I hate clowns 😂
I have mixed feelings about Stephen King, although I really enjoyed reading The Shinning a few years ago and 11/22/62 during this past summer. I plan on reading Doctor Sleep at the start of next year and see where I go from there on his other books.
Nope! I’ve only read what was featured in this video and the short story Survivor Type last year ☺️ I’ve heard of all three of these but wasn’t sure if they’d be to my taste!
Without spoiling anything: the stand and the dark tower are related. The stand is somewhat of a prequel to it. Randall flagg is crucial to the dark tower
My para-social friend, I did not recognize you. I applaud you for stepping up to this challenge. I have read very little of King's work because the verbosity and page count are intimidating.
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
Leaving in that weird visual glitch near the beginning because obviously this video is haunted 😂 I can’t wait to nerd out about these stories with you in the comments! (Also no nightmares so far 🙏 send good vibes my way so I stay nightmare free 😅)
I would try The Green Mile and maybe Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.
Yeah they’re outstanding, especially Rita Hayworth is a great recommendation because it is shortish 🥰
Though your videos can be quite entertaining to watch you look like a cat whore in the icon and the end of the video. (Doesn't matter if it was for the "thrill" of Halloween) The chevage is absolutely unnecessary and I personally find it extremely distasteful. I know you want more views, but I actually paused the video at the beginning to type out this message to you. After the other video I watch bringing something VERY important to the attention of the public in regards to YA books being more sexual then ever..... you go and do this. Right, Consider someone unsubscribing to you and your adolescent bullshit for views.
Elizabeth let us breath 😭😭 The beat / fit in the thumbnail are so good I gasped!
Haha Halloween: the one day a year I will try anything new at all with my hair and makeup 😂
I love that we all bowed down to a queen when we saw Elizabeth’s curly hair and cat costume ❤
Y’all are making me blush ☺️
I had to do a double take when I saw the thumbnail. I was very confused about when I started following Chappell Roan on TH-cam 😅
This is so funny because the reason I curled my hair is my original costume was going to be Chappell Roan in one of her pink pony club performance outfits. But I didn’t finish my costume in time 😂❤️
If ever you read classic King and wonder "What was that?!" It was cocaine.
me reading tommyknockers (i mean...i couldnt keep reading it but i might go back to it)
Hey hey hey hey hey…it may have just been an enormous quantity of booze.
@@Horrorbabe4 Tommyknockers is crazy underrated. I really don't understand the hate it gets. Yes, it's got some goofy stuff in it, but so does It and The Stand and lots of his other work and they are still (mostly) great.
@@kaboomzzz yeah i saw the tommyknockers hate on reddit. people were saying its his worst book! i definitely dont think its bad though! its just not a pageturner for me. ironically it was my introduction to good old stephen.
This was my first reaction when I finished The Gunslinger. It was strange and weird, like a dream. But book 2, The Drawing of the Three, was so much better.
The thing about Stephen King is that once you finish the book you’ll probably rate it about 3 stars but you’ll keep thinking about the book and characters for a long time and then you’ll realize how good of a book it actually was and you’ll remember the characters and book so vividly from how good his writing is that you’ll end up changing your rating to 5stars haha!
Not us going on a Stephen King binge at the same time 😍 I had only read Fairy Tale and enjoyed it, but my grandmother insisted that’s not “real King” and bought me more of his books. 😂 I’m still in the process of working through my stack but was so excited the second I saw your video title! Can’t wait to keep watching and hear your thoughts 🫶🏻
Your grandma sounds awesome 😂 love the perfect timing!!
Fairy Tale is King’s best book and it doesn’t really feel like his lol
@@KittyxKult Agree! My biggest problem with King's books is that they aren't even really scary so much as just really messed up. Fairy Tale was so completely different and enjoyable.
Misery and the Shining I think you would like! They're both very winter-y spooky vibes so they would be great to read in the coming months... if you like more real-world horror, Misery is definitely the way to go. It's one of my favorites.
If you don't like the way that King writes a lot of his female characters (me neither), I would recommend avoiding Carrie... its use of period blood as a motif is questionable, and for a main character, Carrie just feels really half-baked. I know it's his first book and a classic that inspired so many good stories, but in my opinion his later works are worth a bit more of your time.
As I'm sure you've heard, IT has some really weird sex stuff and (in my opinion) really goes off the rails at the end lore-wise, but the audiobook is so well done, and the spooky fall vibes are really, really good. I would recommend the audiobook if you ever get around to reading IT. And the characters! Since we get to see the characters as kids growing up into adults, you can really get attached to them.
I love your videos! You did such a great job with this, and I love how you so concisely voiced all the reasons why I LOVE (and roll my eyes at) Stephen King.
Thank you so much for your recommendations! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video and that I was able to articulate my feelings about King's work in a way that resonated with you ❤️ I’ll definitely check these out! It is probably never going to be something I read, because I have a particular fear of clowns 😅 I’ve also heard so many wild things about It that make me want to back away slowly 😂
@PlantBasedBride I second reading Misery. I'm not a huge horror fan either but I absolutely loved this book, it's definitely anxiety-inducing (in a good way) of needing to know what will happen and how our main character will end up. Plus the winter settings are perfect for this time of year!
Before I even started the video, my child-like glee when I saw the 1 hour 45 mins, long form content makes my old heart sing! thank you
Haha I love long videos, too! I hope you enjoy it 🥰
I just started the video, but felt compelled to share my own Stephen King experience so far. I tried to start several novels of his in the past (Firestarter, Cell) and couldn't get into them. I saw an online recommendation by Daniel Greene that people who are new to King should start with either The Stand or Pet Semetary, and I read Pet Semetary in February of this year - and loved it! I am now willing to try more King.
So, Firestarter and Cell are normally considered two of his lesser books. But you can only go up from there.
The Stand was the first Stephen King Book I read waaaay back when I was 14. I finished it in 3 days during a week long school trip in autumn - while everyone but me and one or two of my classmates had a cold. Let's just say I was just the tiniest bit creeped out. But I loved the story and still do about 30 years later.
In case you decide to go on with the Dark Tower series, you may also want to read the following books, because they really tie in to the story at later points:
The Stand (which you obviously already did)
The Eyes of the Dragon
Salem's Lot
Hearts in Atlantis
Insomnia
There are even more of King's books connected to the Dark Tower universe in one way or another, but I think these are the most important ones.
Edit: I almost forgot two of my favorites - The Talisman and Black House, both written by Stephen King and Peter Straub.
Thank you for these recommendations! It’s interesting to see how many of his stories are connected. I feel like I need a mind map 😅 I’m honestly glad I didn’t read the stand at the start of the pandemic because I was already anxious enough as it is, and I think it would’ve not been good for my mental health 🫠
Oh please read The Talisman! I've read everything Stephen King has published and that one is my favourite. Even named my child after the main character. It's not perfect but is a wonderful story. I've probably read it 10 times by now.
@@PlantBasedBride There is a map!
Just google pictures for "Dark Tower extended universe" and you'll find that almost all of his (older) stories have at least a tiny connection - even if it's not obvious at first, it's still there.
Two thumbs up for The Talisman and Black House.
Elizabeth, thanks for the best thumbnail ever! Wow…Your cat costume with curls is so pretty! As for SK, I had my time with him in my youth with the Stand, Carrie, IT, etc. while I can’t go there anymore, it was interesting to get your take on some of his work. While I haven’t read the book, I think the Dolores Claiborne movie was really good. Thanks for the post Halloween fun, you are the best!👏🏽🎃👻🫣🎉
I really think you would love Dolores Claiborne ; it's a story he wrote based on critiques around his female characters : it brings around my favorite female protagonist ever and is very based around human nature being frightful. I really, really think you'd love it please read it - loved the video and your channel :)
It’s been recommended so much in the comments of this video that I’m definitely going to be reading it! I hope I’m not getting my expectations too high 😂
Oh my gosh I was just rewatching your spooky rec/halloween videos thinking I wish you had a spooky video this year and you delivered!!!!!!
Oh yay I love that! I hope you enjoy this one 🥰
I fell in love with King at age nine, when I first read It (yes, I was a morbid child), and have very find memories of reading The Stand in hardback on a chartered bus from Sweden to England when I was thirteen. King has a way of writing childhood through a lens that is both nostalgic and horrible, and I think that he has an understanding of what drives us as humans in terms of thoughts and motifs that are not brought to light that often.
I collected his novels for a very long time, but have only read a few of his short stories. For me, King's real horror stories are the ones where there are monsterous people instead of monsters or supernatural elements. I love The Long Walk, and I think you'd find it intriguing as well, and one of my absolute favorites are Rose Madder, which is way too underrated.
Honestly surprised you didn’t pick up rita hayworth and the shawshank redemption or the body. While both are not horror they’re def classics. Movies are alright too. I didn’t really like stand by me but shawshank was fantastic
Elizabeth, first of all, THE HAIR! Girl. Gorgeous. Secondly, I’m so glad you gave King another chance! Bless the person who brought you those books-although they’re not what I would have recommended for an (almost) first time King reader. If you ever feel like reading another King doorstopper of a novel, I highly recommend Under The Dome. More suggestions: Carrie, Misery, The Shining (very big differences in the portrayal of Book Jack and Movie Jack), Pet Semetary, Rose Madder & Revival (this last one is a tough read in that it doesn’t really end on a high note, but I love the character exploration and the philosophical discussion greatly appeals to this fellow agnostic/atheist).
oh my god an almost 2 hr video!!! i’m so excited this is about to play in the background while i clean hahaha
I’m happy to keep you company while you get stuff done 🥰
My favourite King is non-horror King. The Body, Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile which were all made into great movies.(The Body Is Stand By Me in film form). 11/22/63 is a great time travel, if you could change history would you novel. Mr Mercedes is good though the tv series may actually be even better.
M-O-O-N that spells Tom Cullen! 😌
I listened to The Stand as an audiobook earlier on this year (my first every audiobook as well and was a whopping 40+ hours 😅) and I genuinely think about it still quite frequently, it was just incredible. I have only ever read one short story collection of Stephen King and it was a more recent one of Bizarre of Bad Dreams - you've definitely intrigued me with Night Shift that's for sure!
Really enjoyable video to keep me entertained on my nightshift, thank you!
Wow - what an epic reading vlog!
Based on this, I am definitely more easily scared than you are, so I haven't read much Stephen King. I did mostly enjoy The Dark Tower, but didn't end up reading the rest of the series. My only recommendation is Mr Mercedes, which I did like and doesn't have anything supernatural in it, so may be one to try!
Your hair in that thumbnail!!!! If only dying my hair wouldn’t fry it to hell I would 😭😂 you look stunning as always!
Thank you! It took ages to curl my hair and I burnt myself a few times but I loved it while it lasted 😂❤️
I truly appreciate how long your videos are and how thorough you are
Talk about highs and lows. That's what most people seem to experience when they crack the cover of Nightmares and Dreamscapes. For story collections, I would instead recommend Skeleton Crew or Mr King's newest collection, You Like it Darker. Also the Novella collection Different Seasons is excellent.
Other favorites:
Under the Dome
Revival
The Institute
Needful Things
The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon (cuz you like baseball)
Fairy Tale (this one is not universally liked, but I personally loved it)
Excellent video. Enjoy your journey into the SK universe.
I just finished Needful Things the other day and I really enjoyed it! I don't really get why so many people hated it.
Maybe it's a controversial take, but I think that King's books aren't actually scary - they're usually just disgusting. I prefer psychological horror and he always focuses on gore/body horror and disturbing sexual themes.
He has interesting ideas that could be scary in theory. But practically, with his overwriting style, when something scary is finally happening, the next 50 pages of descriptions leave me bored out of my mind.
I agree. I’ve read Carrie and a chunk of the stand (in middle school when my bff BEGGED me to read it). Both experiences made me feel like King is just kind of a creep obsessed with kids having sex and a strong disgust for female bodies (not in an interesting way). I was pissed when I read Carrie this year (as part of a reading challenge: prompt “an author everyone but you has read”) because it COULD have been great if it was written but someone else 😂
I definitely found some of what I read for this video scary, but largely I would agree his work is not nearly as scary as I’d expected. Though again, I have only read a very small sampling despite how much I read for this video!
I was actually expecting even more disgusting content, especially because my only exposure to Stephen King before this video was seeing the movie the shining and reading the short story Survivor type. I was honestly a bit surprised how little gore/body horror content was in these books and stories! Even the weird sexual content, which was too plentiful for my taste, was not as frequent as I’d expected/been worried about. To me his strength is really in his characterization, which is why it bugs me so much that he seems to fall short when a character is a woman 🥲
@@PlantBasedBride Most female writers can't write convincing male characters either. King can't write women convincingly because he isn't a woman. He doesn't have a woman's experience of the world, so all he can do is interpret women from the outside. This is true for most authors.
@@GlynDwr-d4h lol..... incel spotted..... cry somewhere else
@@GlynDwr-d4h I disagree - I have read books written by many authors, whether they be men, women, or nonbinary, who can portray characters in a way that makes them feel complex and fully realized as human beings regardless of their gender.
Elizabeth, I'm thrilled that you're giving King another chance, and that you enjoyed so much of what you read! He’s my all-time favorite, so… I have thoughts. :-D
I love supernatural stuff, but I totally understand your opinion on COTC. I too am far more scared by realistic horror (Saw, Hostel, etc.). As far as SK goes, I think “Gerald’s Game” is one of the scariest. It’s psychological, quite grounded in reality, and *terrifying*. I actually had to put that one down a few times. O_O
Sometimes Uncle Steve could write three books from what he puts into one, and every once in a while, I can’t quite suspend my disbelief enough to love a story. lol
The Gunslinger is problematic, for sure. SK has talked about it. The revised version is helpful, and the series gets much better! TDT is my favorite series of all time, but I very much relate to your confusion at Book #1! I will say that book 4 (Wizard and Glass) is probably the most beautiful of the series - there’s just a lot to love there, so I won’t write a book about it - but, that said, almost the entire book is a flashback to Roland’s youth. The *only* thing I don’t like about that book is that the journey to the Tower is stalled while this story is told. Otherwise, it’s fantastic.
Also, there are a handful of scenes in his works that left me (and many others) saying, “Why?” (“It” has one of the WORST), and most of them are “weird sex stuff”. I will say that it’s mostly in his early writing, when he was young and dealing with addiction.
Overall, I feel SK is worth the aches and pains. He really does have some beautiful writing, and I would love to recommend some of those! For example, I loved “Rose Madder” because it’s about a bunch of badass women!
The thing I tell people about King is that he writes quite a lot about *people*, and he makes you love them, and love to hate them. I love the way he writes people! He also writes plenty that isn’t true I horror; that’s just the label he carries.
Lastly, I love all your reviews here, but I think your review of The Stand is so spot-on and absolutely fair. I’m so glad you enjoyed it as much as you did!
I appreciate your insights! I am definitely curious about Rose Madder. I do think one of his greatest strengths (as far as I know so far!) is writing deeply flawed, complex characters. And you’re right; so many of them are easy to love, but just as many, if not more, are very easy to hate! Another commenter talked about feeling that King was working through what he perceived to be his own character flaws in his early writing, which is such an interesting perspective. I’m so glad you enjoyed the video as someone with a lot more experience with King’s work! ❤️
Oh I’m a real one, I watched every minute of this 😂❤❤❤
Love when y’all enable these long ass videos 😂❤️❤️
You look gorgeous (as always 💚) I think you'd love Dolores Claiborne. It explores misogyny, incest and other typical King themes but from a different perspective. It's sometimes heartbreaking in a good way and our protagonist is a woman. The audiobook is also nice.
Thank you! This book has been recommended so many times across the Internet and it’s been brought up in these comments a few times, so I think I may need to bump it up to the top of my list once I eventually feel ready to dive into Stephen King again!
Yes, definitely read Dolores Claiborne. It’s not a horror book and shows King’s versatility 🧡
Excellent video, Elizabeth. As a King fan I loved to hear your thoughts. Second part, maybe? 🤡🩸🔪
I’m so glad you gave King a second chance. He is my favorite author. I do think he shines in his non horror stories.
Best example of that is “11/22/63”or even “The long walk” or “the talisman”.
I think he’s written some of the best female characters in my opinion. I think “Liseys story” is my favorite. I’m reading “Holly” right now and she’s starting to really grow on me too.
Anyway I love your videos 💖
11/22/63 was a great book! And Holly is wonderful, I really enjoyed that story!
Love this video, glad you gave him another chance and found some things to enjoy! You mentioned the story about the brother genius and Stephen King's brother, hadn't read the story but I did read his memoir (on writing) and how you described the story does sound like the dynamic he had with his brother. His brother had a lot of schemes that he followed along with as a kid, even when they were dangerous. Also when you discussed the Schizophrenia vs. DID, you actually are correct that when Drawing of the Three was written (late 80s) definitions were different. When I was doing my psych grad work I had read in one of my texts that Schizophrenia became kind of a catch all diagnosis when things were less clear. It's been nearly 40 years since then and mental health is definitely better understood (thank goodness!) and less stigmatized than it used to be.
Yayyy! So glad you read more King; I love this man and his mixed bag so much, even though he’s given me a lot of night terrors and once a literal fever during a certain scene of Eyes of the Dragon. 🐲 🕷️ That outfit is great and hope you and the family had a lovely Halloween!
Ma'am! Excuse you! Your hair PLUS everything else, I nearly fainted. And I can't believe I'm now interested in reading Stephen King lol! I'll have to add some of these short stories to my tbr now! Thank you once again for an entertaining and interesting vid.
Oh wow, I had almost zero interest in reading Stephen King before now, but the way you discuss some of these stories makes me think they'll be right up my alley!! I love all the info you provide in your book reviews!!!
Oh awesome! I’m so glad my reviews are helpful 🥰 which ones are you interested in?
@@PlantBasedBride The boogeyman and the End of the Whole Mess especially - but the way you talk about all of Night Shift makes me want to pick it up!! Also all the stories you mentioned with body horror - I feel like when it's done right that is my favorite genre of horror!
@@TrinaHours if you like body horror you’ll probably also enjoy Gray Matter and I Am the Doorway (both in Night Shift)! Nightmares and Dreamscapes didn’t really have any body horror to speak of.
@@PlantBasedBride oh that makes me want to pick it up for sure! Thank you so much for recc, I know what I'm reading for next Halloween!
It’s so interesting hearing you talk about the gunslinger! I read the revised version and found it to be a quick and easy read that got me sooo into the rest of the series! I’ve now finished the entire dark tower series and really enjoyed it (despite not liking the ending, but it didn’t bother me too much since I loved the characters and their stories).
Just got to the second half commentary and so excited to see that you’re going to continue the series!
The Lawnmower Man has an adaptation with the same name and the graphics are so so funny. If you are in the vibe for a silly movie I'd recommend it for the visuals alone!
Oh god I can’t even imagine 😂 just the weirdest concept for a story ever lol
I’m obsessed with your videos ❣️❣️❣️ keep on!
I had to listen to Dark Tower as an audio book while on a road trip with a friend. Being able to pause and talk about what the heck just happened helped a lot. It was the only way I could get through it. Also, the line " I don't like people. They F*$% me up" still hit's me so hard
Different seasons has great stories that are not frightening like the body and the Shawshank redemption!
This thumbnail is 🔥🔥🔥🔥 and to read close to 3000 page! You work hard for us. 🙏🏾
Haha thank you! It was a lot of work but I (mostly) enjoyed it 😂
Thank you for this spooky vibe video that accompanied me while working. I've read a lot of king and enjoyed them except Fairy tales, but I haven't read any if this video 😅
Keep going on the Dark Tower. It gets so much better!
King always writes very character driven stories and that's what I love most about him. As far as The Dark Tower, I'm with you! I still haven't read farther in that series than this first book. Everyone says I will like the others more, so I wil eventually trudge on. His other novels, like The Stand, IT, and so many others are wonderful tho.
Unrelated to the video but will there be a November bujo theme?
The Dark Tower is a tough one! You literally have to read the entire series to understand it. The first book took me fifteen tries but it is worthwhile to get through and I’ve read darn near every single book.
My recommendation for you for a beautifully written Stephen King book is Duma key!
I’m posting this before I’ve finished watching your video so I can’t wait to hear what you think of The Stand.
Also you make me wanna dye my hair again your hair is sooooo pretty
Aw thank you! It’s a hassle to maintain but I love being a ginger so it’s worth it to me 😂❤️
The last rung on the ladder is also my favorite story in The night shift, it stayed with me for so long. I want to reread it now that I heard you talking about it
I’ve been thinking about it so much since reading it last week. It’s such a beautiful and heartbreaking story ❤️
Your hair is BOMB ASFF! 😍😍
I just love the eloquent way Stephen King writes, especially in his later books. His stories are definitely strange and weird and sometimes he describes women in an icky way. However, I think we do need a writer in this century like him who explores these strange concepts and stories and weird dreamlike scenarios. I recently read his new book, You Like It Darker, another book of short stories and I appreciated that in his afterword he talks about the critique he’s received over his weird stories but how he kind of just goes with it in his way. I’m not explaining it well but definitely recommend reading that part haha
I’m so glad you gave Stephen king another try, we have very similar tastes in books, and I’ve read It, The Shining, The Stand, and The Mist. Which isn’t much considered his work, but I enjoyed all of them! I read The Stand at the beginning of this year and it really felt like I lived in that world with how immersive and long it was. I also gave it four stars! I
think if I were to recommend something I’d want your opinion on The Shining and Misery.
I also work at a book store so I’m definitely going to check out Night shift. 🎈
The Shining is definitely on my list! I love the film. Misery has been recommended a few times, but I honestly know nothing about it, so I might have to check it out 👀
I hope you enjoy the stories in night shift if you pick it up! Obviously it was a bit hit or miss for me but there are some real gems in there and some of those stories I can see myself thinking about and coming back to many times for years to come!
The thumbnail slayed!
Haha thank you! 🥰
The only thing I’ve read from King is The Dead Zone and I remember nothing from it 😂 but I’ve tried to read The Stand several times and I think it’s the length that keeps holding me back. I’ve kind of given up on reading King but now I’m thinking of picking up Night Shift and reading your favorite stories from it. Also, the lighting, the makeup, the hair, the costume: LOVE! 🤴
It seems like you geared more towards the less horror stories. I recommend Misery, Dolores Claiborne, The Body, The Green Mile, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, 11/22/63. All but the last one have movie adaptions that are wonderful also. The last one is a series on Hulu and it has mixed reviews.
I was really nervous to start The Shining, as I was worried it was going to give me nightmares too, but I took my time with it, never read it at night, and did enjoy it. The reason I read it was because I heard such good things about the followup, Doctor Sleep, which I didn't find freaky at all, more suspense than horror. ❤ I think Stephen King is an author I will read selectively and enjoy, rather than being an author I would binge-read. Enjoyed The Shining, but was relieved to reach the end after the last 1/4 of the book, but Doctor Sleep was satisfying to read, felt very just and right when I got to the end, and felt that the continuance of the main character's story was done perfectly.
MY favorite book by him was The Long Walk. Such an interesting concept.
The scream I scrumpt
😂
Huge King fan here. Hopping on board to recommend Different Seasons and Misery...I think you'll like those. I do not think you'll like Dolores Claiborne or (potentially) Needful Things, even though I LOVED them, just because of knowing your tastes a bit. My all time favorite King book is "Salem's Lot". Fucking masterpiece.
Confession: I loved Battleground 😂 It was so different from anything I've ever read that it drew me in. I found it super entertaining.
I feel like Chappel Roan would very much appreciate your costume
My original costume was going to be Chappell Roan which is why I curled my hair! I didn’t finish my costume in time 😂
GodDAMMIT I love The Dark Tower and I’m SO sad that no one on booktube ever talks about it. So I’m so excited that you’re reading it at all. Not me pumping my fist at my TV when you said you were gonna continue and read The Drawing of the Three and then going Noooooo when you didn’t like it 😭😭😭 it’s one of my faves in the series, but I think that’s an unpopular opinion. Most people seem to like book 3 the most, so maybe still give the next one a shot? The Dark Tower is an absolute fucking mess, it’s so bloated, it’s so unhinged, the world building just gets progressively more and more nuts, parts of it are really unsatisfying, and parts of it made me sob like a little baby. I just love all the characters so much and some of the imagery is just so imaginative and like psychedelic, idk how to explain it better. It’s my number one series that I can’t defend, but love with my whole silly little heart. I recommend reading through book 4 and then if you’re over it, you’re over it. But book 4 is where we get Roland’s backstory and without spoiling too much it’s like a slow burn tragic romance??? That’s another thing that I love so much about the series: all of the books have such different vibes from each other and I’ve never read anything like that before. Anyways I’ll shut up, I’ve just been waiting for a chance to yell about this series on the internet for awhile now haha
Hi first time viewer here! So the first book in the Dark Tower series can be a little rough if you don’t really know what you are getting into.
1. All of Stephen King’s books are connected via the Dark Tower, some have stronger connections than others. It’s all one big Multiverse kind of deal. Some characters cross over between the Dark Tower and other books. Randal Flagg is a reoccurring villain in several books.
2. The Dark Tower is essentially a fantasy epic but there are other genres mixed in there. Like western with the way the Gunslinger is dressed and his trusted revolvers.
3. The first book in the series was originally published in parts in a magazine. Reading it feels rather choppy because it is several installments all smooshed together in one novel.
Knowing that going in makes the Dark Tower an easier read and it does get better going into book 2. I’ll be starting book 3 soon but hope this helps!
I first started my journey with Thinner written while Stephen was using his Richard Bachman persona. Cujo was my second book and lord what an ending don’t get too attached there.
Night Shift was one of my first adult fiction books I read as a kid (I was 10 or so, good times) and I still return to it every decade or so. In my most recent re-read as a graying older man who has has been pigheaded aplenty in my life, I realized just how many of the stories are deeply dealing with younger pigheaded men who should have listened to the people who loved them more. It actually irritated me to reread some later King stories where the pigheadedness was treated as a feature not a bug but at the time of Night Shift I feel like he was trying to work through the horror of being a failing adult trying to deal with a lot of things and relationships. Pet Semetary is likely the culmination of dealing with that vibe until he got older and returned to it more.
This is such an interesting perspective! Thank you for sharing it. It does often seem that he’s working through his own flaws and demons through his stories.
When it comes to Stephen King people either hate or love his writing. I really enjoy the Meta Level he's putting in most of his stories. I haven't gotten through the whole "Dark Tower"- Series, since it's seven books, but I will get there :) I think it's also important to mention, that in my opinion, his novels are way better than his short stories. I'm having a hard time with his short stories and if it was only those, I would never read him. But there are many amazing novels he wrote!
The books I've read, really enjoyed and definitely recommend are:
"IT"
"Cell"
"Lisey's Story"
"Duma Key"
"Sleeping Beauties"
"The Institute"
"Later"
Sending love and creative vibes
Hi! Great video as always. I've never been interested in Stephen King cause I'm generally a scaredy-cat but I'm currently working my way through Dracula and your description of Jeruselum's Lot actually has me interested in it.
Quick question: Have you ever considered doing a library tour or is it a video that you might've already done for your patrons? I ask cause some of the book spines in your video background always draw my attention and I'd love to know what books they belong to. 😅
Edit: Checked out of curiosity and according to google the distinction between DID and Schizophrenia was made in 1994 while book 2 in the Dark Tower series was published in 1987 so the misrepresentation of the two might've come from the general populaces misunderstanding of it at that time.
Fairytale by stephen king lives in my head rent free everyday. It is not a horror but a true fantasy novel. The Institute is another big favorite of mine that is just suspense and not horror.
Oo interesting, thank you for these recommendations ☺️ I was surprised by how much I enjoyed his non-horror stories!
Two of my absolute favorites. Good call.
Two excellent picks! Current King is FAR under-appreciated
I think you would have enjoyed the abridged version of The Stand more than the unabridged version where King's vision was on full display, in a good way and a bad way. One of my favorite King stories is the novella, The Langoliers. It is a fascinating step into the paranormal. Has a lot to say about time.
Hi! I highly recommend his novellas more than his novels. I've read and dnf'd a lot of his works, but I highly recommend his novellas: Different Seasons, and his writings under his pen name Richard Bachman: The Long Walk, The Running Man etc. I also enjoyed The Green Mile and the series 112263, as many others have already commented above.
I remember liking The Dead Zone when I read it. From what I can recall it's not scary at all, and it's not very long.
1:06:24 Your hair😍😍
🥰
Of all the Dark Tower novels, I think my favorite are The Waste Lands and Wizard and Glass. That's when I feel like the ka-tet is at their strongest and most united, and their strengths as individuals get to be shown the most as well. Everything after that feels very down hill for anyone whose major stake in the books is those characters as individuals and as a group that care for each other.
Hi Elizabeth, You might enjoy reading Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian. A folkloric style Western with horror elements but not nightmare enducing. The Shining is the only book I’ve ever read that actually made the hair on my neck stand up…
My first Stephen King book was Fairytale, and I really liked it. I want to read Dark Tower.
Yay! Stephen King was a childhood favorite author of mine-- try Dolores Claiborne (great audio) & MIsery and the movies The Green Mile & Shawshank Redemption. Also Stand by Me!!!
There are so many recommendations for Dolores Claiborne! That might need to be my next read once I’ve had a bit of a break from King 😂
@PlantBasedBride Yes!
Good collection of stories
I read it a long time ago but I remember liking Heart in Atlantis, not horror at all if I remember correctly. It's one of his collection but more novella types than short stories.
I know it’s a lot to say keep going with a series that you’re not vibing with, but I would really recommend giving the third book, The Wastelands, a try. King has spent the first two books setting up all the characters and now the real plot is going to get going. We also spend our time in Midworld and you get the experience more of that atmosphere and environment that DotT doesn’t really have because so much of it takes place on our world.
It’s been a while since I read (listened) to dark tower but it’s a fascinating series. It’s pretty much all of King’s ideas and tropes in a blender, it even becomes about being exactly that. It’s not always good because king is pretty hit or miss, but it’s super interesting imo.
This makes me more intrigued to continue on in the series and just gird my loins for the misses 😂
The only book of his Iv read was the institute and goddd was I bored. I guessed the outcome in chapter 3 and just left me feeling numb to the rest of the story. But this video gave me hope, I still have a large list of King books I want to try and I guess I should go try him out again
If you ever feel like diving into some of King's "tamer" work, you should check out Different Seasons (another novella collection, specifically The Body and Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption) and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.
And...Strawberry Spring is one of my all-time favorites. Was glad to hear you enjoyed that one!!
I really enjoyed Strawberry Spring! It surprised me how much I enjoyed it. Fantastic ending.
I’ll have to add these to my King TBR!
I haven’t read much King yet, but my favourites so far are Misery and The Shining! (I have quite similar taste to you in horror) ☺️🥰
I liked the dark tower series. My fav is Salems Lot. His scariest is The Shining, but It was scary scary.😮. 😊😊😊
Salem's Lot is my favorite too. I couldn't finish The Shining. I thought it was so boring.
I have loved King since i first picked up Pet Semetary as a young teen (it was my first "grown up" book). I enjoy his work but its not subtle fir the most part but its part of his charm imo.
The Gunslinger/ Dark Tower book 1 is interesting since it was originally several short stories published in a sci fi magazine and sets up Roland as a protagonist. It wasn't really intended as one story. The further books are more coherent stories with a better set up throughline.
read 11/22/63!!!!
11/22/63 is an amazing Stephen King book. And I love Billy Summers too. And also the Mister Mercedes series and Holly that followed it. 😊😊
Thank you for the extra long video to distract me from constantly checking my phone during election night here in the US. I'm anxious, but its way waaaaaaay too early to know much as i write this, so I need to chill out, lol. 🪦🐈🐕🤡🎈
I’m thinking about our neighbours to the south tonight ❤️ watching our national Canadian coverage of the election while I finish up my work for the day! I hope you enjoy the video ❤️❤️
would also recommend "sorry, wrong number" by Lucille Fletcher very creepy radioplay
for non horror i recommend sleeping beauties and fairy tale, i havent finished either because theyre super huge and im not good with books that huge my attention span sucks but i really enjoyed them before i quit them.
i think it's so hard to explain king. he's my favorite author, the one i've read the most, but i recently tried to do a ranking of it and i realized that i actually have just as much misses as i've had hits with him? the thing is that his lows are really low but his highs are just so high to me... some things that work in some books dont work in others and the point where he was in life usually tells me how i'm gonna feel about the book, so i tend to skip the books at the height of his addiction after i read IT and hated it for, yes, weird kid sex stuff. but he's been around for so long and has such a vast catalogue that i know i can always come back to him and find something i'll instantly have as favorite. as for my recs: different seasons (my favorite short story collection which includes shawshank redemption and the body), the eyes of the dragon (for more flagg content) and under the dome (the ending might - probably will - put you off but the first half was so so good i just didn't care though i wished it was different)
It’s so interesting to hear this emerge as a common theme - though I suppose such a prolific writer over such a long period of time, especially one playing with genre and dark themes, would easily be hit or miss for people! I’m definitely looking forward to trying more of his work, though it will be a little while before I dive in again 😂
Highly recommend Thomas Ligotti, top tier weird fiction/horror
We must travel in separate circles, because I have never heard anyone say Drawing of the Three was their favorite Dark Tower book. I usually hear Wizard and Glass (book 4) as the favorite. For me, it's the last book, with some caveats
Made it to the end! Ive only ever read one Stephen King - his more recent novella called Later. It was awesome (until literally the last two chapters). He had a killer story and then ruined it completely for me 😂
Oh no! I hate when the ending just goes off the rails and ruins everything 😂 I always feel so cheated!
if you enjoyed "Crouch End" you should read Lovecraft as king wrote that as homage to him. a nod of the hat from one horror master to another.
I have read The Dunwich Horror but have plans to read more Lovecraft! I also thoroughly enjoyed N.K. Jemisin’s take on Lovecraftian horror in The City We Became and its sequel.
I also prefer kings books if they are more ‘realistic’ than fantasy monsters. My favourites that I’ve read are Dolores Claiborne, cujo, rose madder,Gerald’s Game. My next to read is misery
I'm not big on horror, I prefer to steer very clear of the genre, but I did read It and The Shining. It spooked me so much that I could only read it on the bus: broad daylight and surrounded by as many people as possible. The Shining didn't spook me, but it was an interesting read anyway. It was a "I can't sleep not because I'm scared, but because I need to keep reading, I wanna know what happens next."
It is a definite no from me. I hate clowns 😟 but The Shining is one I want to read soon! I love the film.
Hi, my favorite books of him are “It”, “11/22/63”, “The Shining” and “Under the dome”. So I recommend those to you. 😊
11/22/63 and The Shining are on my TBR! I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Under the Dome, so I’m intrigued 🤔 It is probably never going to happen because I hate clowns 😂
Another solid recommendation for Under the Dome.
Also Revival.
Brian lumley is a great author who doesn't get enough respect
I have mixed feelings about Stephen King, although I really enjoyed reading The Shinning a few years ago and 11/22/62 during this past summer. I plan on reading Doctor Sleep at the start of next year and see where I go from there on his other books.
Have you read Misery, Dolores Claiborne or Pet Sematary?
Nope! I’ve only read what was featured in this video and the short story Survivor Type last year ☺️ I’ve heard of all three of these but wasn’t sure if they’d be to my taste!
I think they’d be more to your taste than some of the other ones 😅 King’s work is very heterogenous I think 😄
Without spoiling anything: the stand and the dark tower are related. The stand is somewhat of a prequel to it. Randall flagg is crucial to the dark tower
My para-social friend, I did not recognize you. I applaud you for stepping up to this challenge. I have read very little of King's work because the verbosity and page count are intimidating.
I honestly have never read a book where weird sex stuff with kids made the story better, I wish they’d stop including this
Agreed 100%