The Reading Challenge Group discussion

I've ummed and ahhed about reading any of his books. Horror isn't really something I've explored, but I've heard a lot of talk about him within the group.

The Stand sounds really interesting, but it's so long! I'd like to read The Shining, but I'm weary.

What would you recommend for a complete newbie to Stephen King?

For you, I'd recommend The Long Walk. It's dystopian, a quick read, and I loved the hell out of it. :D

Oh, also, when you're done with The Long Walk, try Different Seasons. It's a 4-novella collection with a theme for each season. Three of the best movies based on King's works are based on three of the Different Seasons novellas: Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption and Apt Pupil.

I'm sorry that I can't recommend more recent works, as I have to get back on the King wagon myself. :D

I love The Shawshank Redemption! I knew it was based on Stephen King , but I didn't know if was based off a seasons novella!

I know it is not horror at all, but I really enjoyed The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. My other King favourite is Dolores Claiborne, but it's quite a disturbing read. I am reading The Stand at the moment and I'm loving it so far.

Aitziber's recommendation to start with Different Seasons is a sound one. The Stand is a personal favorite, but, then, I love journey stories, and scifi.

Personally, I started at the beginning with Carrie. It's more complex that the movie, and the crazy, zealot mom plays a much bigger roll. (Actually, most of his older stuff gets into the psychology of fear and nature of evil. Cujo and Christine, for example.) Honestly, I haven't read King in many years, so I have no ideas about what he's written in the last, uh, 20 years, except his book on writing, which was excellent.

Okay. I just changed my mind. Dead Zone. Definitely Dead Zone. It's not a horror story. And, I really, really loved Johnny. Really.

I don't normally read horror but I do read Stephen King. He is just in a class of his own. One of my favorites is Gerald's Game. 11/22/63 was awesome too. There is just so much to choose from. I want to read Lisey's Story and Under the Dome.

I've read It and I loved it. Horror, King's usual genre and a brilliant book. A must read for sure!

Under the Dome is fantastic, I really enjoyed Rose Madder. Neither of them are really horror but have the really weird Stephen King twists. He's the only author I've read where he described a smell and I would swear that I could smell it. That was in 'From a Buick 8', it put me off my lunch. That's how good he is.

Hey Holly When I first read Stephen King Four Years ago I started with The Eyes of the Dragonwhich was a YA novel he wrote for his daughter that was looking for something to read for her age which was a YA fantasy. I enjoyed that one and then Cycle of the Werewolf which is a pretty great read and inspired King for his film Silver Bullet plus the illustrations in it are great.

Others I have enjoyed by him are
The Stand
'Salem's Lot
Pet Sematary
Night Shift
Joyland
Blockade Billy

I have checked out his Seasons Novella Different Seasons at the library recently and want to check it out next and I want to read Under the Dome soon too. I tried his books Carrie, and It but they had a boring start and gave up. I won't read Cujo cuz I'm scared of dogs in real life.

I hope to read Doctor Sleep in the future too and then will go from there.

I love Stephen King! I think that you should start with Carrie. (Because that was my first one, lol.) I also agree with Renee, The Dead Zone would be a really fun one to read. My all time favorite book is The Stand. Under The Dome is good, but a little rough in the beginning (just my person opinion, of course) and 11/22/63 is great (but just a tad too long, sorry Stephen). The Shawshank Redemption is amazing!

Did you eventually decide on a book, Holly? :)

Heheh. Good question!! :D

I hope you found some books by him to read Holly.

I haven't got round to him yet! Maybe in the Summer after all my exams!

I'll probably start with Carrie. Or Different Seasons, seeing as they are rather short, and will give me a good taste of his writing style!

Okay awesome Holly enjoy! I couldn't get through Carrie but I hope you enjoy it. Different Seasons was pretty good.

I'd suggest Different Seasons, or The Green Mile as good starting points, in fact I really should go away and reread both of these :)

I wasn't keen on Carrie either but the Shinning and The Green Mile were excellent. Blaze was a good one too. Am going to read Salem`s Lot next month. Have heard good things about it.

If I can find time, I'm hoping to get round to a Stephen King in May. Exams are an issue though!

You should read Under the Dome with us this summer

I am a huge SK fan and I'm not sure that there's really a bad place to start. If you're pressed for time, I think I'd start with the short story or novella collections - Night Shift or Different Seasons are both wonderful. If you want something with less horror and more supernatural, then there's The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon or The Green Mile or even (although it is a sizable book) 11/22/63 - one of my favorites. I do like the scary books, too - Cujo and The Shining and Christine are all good. And of course there's The Stand - considered by some to be his best. I really think it's the best of his early works but I am loving the later stuff more and think 11/22/63 might actually be the best when all is said and done.

Holly wrote: "I've ummed and ahhed about reading any of his books. Horror isn't really something I've explored, but I've heard a lot of talk about him within the group.

The Stand sounds really interesting, but ..."

On Writing.
By the way, he lives here in Bangor. I was behind him once in Borders haha

Lindsay wrote: "Holly wrote: "I've ummed and ahhed about reading any of his books. Horror isn't really something I've explored, but I've heard a lot of talk about him within the group.

The Stand sounds really int..."

OMG did you speak to him?

pretty cool. I wanted to know the same thing. :)

I would not have been able to contain myself if I were behind him in borders.

I'd be nervous too. I was nervous when I met Robert Englund when I met and got a picture with him so I was star struck and was not able to say anything cuz I was too nervous. I regret it but next time I meet him, I will at least say hello and ask him a question when he does a Q&A session again.

When I got to the cashier she was giddy lol

Lindsay wrote: "When I got to the cashier she was giddy lol"

Love that

LOL! ^_^

Ok - please forgive me for bragging. But I actually did get to meet him and had a couple of my books signed by him 34 years ago today. How do I know the exact date? Well, it was at a science fiction convention party in Nashville and it was the night before my wedding. I was talking to him and he said something along the lines of 'They know your plans and will be at your house tonight…' (all creepy and such). However, I was clever and am still married to the same guy and they haven't found me…yet.

omg that is so cool Cindy! Has to be top of the list of authors I want to meet.

Cool cindy. :-)

Cindy wrote: "Ok - please forgive me for bragging. But I actually did get to meet him and had a couple of my books signed by him 34 years ago today. How do I know the exact date? Well, it was at a science fic..."

Ooh neat. Happy Anniversary!

Stephen King gave me the super willies as a kid (Remember the movie "It"?) I never in a million years thought I would read his stuff, but I found out he does dark fantasy. Woohoo! I just started the Dark Tower series and love it so far (the bleakness makes Mad Max look like day camp). Here's my corny book trailer on the first book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILOsl...

Different Seasons There 4 stories that aren't that long and it's a mixture. Misery is also good. If you want horror I would go with Salem's Lot

Has anyone read Gerald's Game by him? It was really cheap at my library, so thought I'd get it. Opinions? It seems to be one of King's shorter novels, which aids my horrendous widget telling me I'm 16 books behind...

I have! It's not one of his best. I rather found myself wanting it to be over. Yet I think it portrays women more accurately than Carrie -- which honestly seemed to be written by a man who still regarded femininity as a bit alien, lol.

I loved Gerald's Game. One of my favorites by him.

That is good news!

The first King book I read was It and it really scared the heck out of me. Then when they made the TV Movie they did a poor job with it. The TV version isn't nearly as scary or suspenseful as the book.

I have just recently (only about a week ago) finally finished Under the Dome. Now it isn't as horror like as King's other books but it is very enjoyable.

I recently read Under the Dome too and I loved it. Now I am reading Lisey's Story and I am loving this one too!

Have ya'll ever read The Green Mile? I got it as a book recommendation swap pick at another book club i'm in on here and saw the movie which was pretty good so I hope the book is good too.

I don't think I have seen anyone suggest it, but my first King book was Desperation when I was about 11. WOW That was a book that stayed wi me. I haven't reread it because it may not have the same effect on adult me. I read Pet Sematary after that.

I think I've read 55 books by SK. About to start the audio version of Dr. Sleep.

It's hard to recommend one book to read. He writes so many different styles of books. I do think The Stand is my all time favorite, but I didn't like the revision as well as the original.

I'm SO excited because I have a ticket to his book signing for Revival!

Two weeks from right now I'll be standing in line to get my book autographed by Stephen King. I'm like a kid waiting for Santa!

OMG Becca I am so jealous!

I'm in 7th heaven! I got a copy of Revival personally signed by Stephen King and actually got to speak to him briefly! Guess what I'm reading tonight!

I love Stephen King's writing and was so looking forward to reading Revival. Unfortunately, I was somewhat disappointed. Not a bad book, but nothing grabbed me. I was actually able to put it down at night after reading a few pages. :-(

I've read so many Stephen King books. I made the mistake of listening to Gerald's Game on audio during a solo road trip, and ended the trip with my shoulders wound up into knots from the tension of imagining being trapped like that, handcuffed to a bed and alone.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is one of my personal five star books, and one that feels like poetry from beginning to end. (Okay, maybe not the gratuitous sex scene that seemed to be totally tacked on and required these parents to be willing to let their son out of their sight when their daughter is missing! Yeah right!)

Unfortunately, The Dark Tower ended in a complete mess, and a few of his books after that (Dreamcatcher was reprehensible!) were awful. I stopped reading his works, and though I've heard he's improved, I haven't gone back. Life is so short, and there are so many other authors I haven't read yet!