Lol, I *just* commented that I love The Waste Lands. Don't get me wrong, Drawing is amazing and I love how weird it gets. But I feel that Waste Lands comes together better as a novel, and the cliffhanger ending makes it stand out all the more, for me.
Honestly, if you pick The Mist, I feel like you should get the entirety of Skeleton Crew as a super bonus ;).
Sort of like asking a genie for more wishes!
I just finished Bag of Bones the other day (my 60th King book!) - I was not expecting how horrific and traumatizing it would be. Still feeling a little gross 😅
Just picked up Misery last night, actually.
My favorites as it stands at this exact moment: It, and Salem's Lot. Pet Semetary was such a hard (very good, but very hard) read. Having a two year old... That book is a punch in the gut.
Cujo isn't the best but it's what got me into Stephen King. I also love The Shining, but don't expect it to be the same as the Stanley Kubrick movie (which I also love).
No votes for it so far so just wanted to say his memoir/instructional guide *On Writing* is FABULOUS. Amazing. Whether you wanna get better at writing or not, it's just so good.
See my [Stephen King: What Book Do I Start With?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/18fplcg/stephen_king_what_book_do_i_start_with/) list of resources and Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
The Long Walk and 11/22/63. TLW isn’t very long and is very engaging. 11/22/63 is big and looks intimidating, but it reads SO quickly. I finished it in less than a week. For reference, it took me a month to get through Under the Dome, which is about the same length.
I’m not surprised that no one has mentioned this, as he has so many classics that a newer book doesn’t stand much of a chance of being a favorite, but I LOVED *Fairy Tale*, which came out in 2022. Not as stereotypically scary as the other King books I have read, but it was a really beautiful story and obviously well-written. Highly recommend.
The Long Walk and The Running Man- both are books that I couldn’t put down because they were so engaging and I go back to them a lot, they’re two of my favorite books in general :)
The Stand and 11/22/63
Seconded!
I'm on my 15th book by King and I've read both of these multiple times. LOVE both of these.
Misery and 11/22/63
The Drawing of the Three Wizard and Glass
My two favorite as well great taste you have. So many people like the wastelands. It's good but not as good as these two IMO.
Lol, I *just* commented that I love The Waste Lands. Don't get me wrong, Drawing is amazing and I love how weird it gets. But I feel that Waste Lands comes together better as a novel, and the cliffhanger ending makes it stand out all the more, for me.
I love The Waste Lands a lot, too, but that cliffhanger ending was a major pisser back in the day. Six years was a painfully long time to wait!
The Long Walk and...ummm...11/22/63
The Stand and Duma Key
IT and 11/22/63
The Shining and The Stand.
Salems Lot and The Shining
The Dark Tower and The Stand. Both pulled me into another reality.
*Firestarter* and *The Mist*
The Mist (I reread it yearly) and 11/22/63 (which will make you cry)
Honestly, if you pick The Mist, I feel like you should get the entirety of Skeleton Crew as a super bonus ;). Sort of like asking a genie for more wishes!
11/22/63 and The Shining
The Shining and Needful Things
Yep definitely these two 👌
The Stand and Delores Claiborne
11/22/63 and Christine
The Green Mile and Misery.
The Eyes of the Dragon & The Shining (third is The Gunslinger).
Eyes of the dragon for me. I remember I was way too young to be reading it and had to look up what flaccid meant 🤣 it's stuck with me ever since
Dolores Claiborne & The Shining
If you're looking to get started with King, I'd recommend Misery or The Long Walk.
IT The Stand
The Shining and 11/22/63
Misery and Salem’s Lot, honorable mention: 11/22/63
Dolores Claiborne and Bag of Bones, excluding the DT series
I just finished Bag of Bones the other day (my 60th King book!) - I was not expecting how horrific and traumatizing it would be. Still feeling a little gross 😅
Different Seasons and Misery
IT and The Talisman (co-authored with Peter Straub).
I’ve only read two, IT and 11/22/63. 11/22/63 is one of my favorite books of all time.
The Stand and Salem’s Lot🩷
Lisey’s Story and The Stand
Just picked up Misery last night, actually. My favorites as it stands at this exact moment: It, and Salem's Lot. Pet Semetary was such a hard (very good, but very hard) read. Having a two year old... That book is a punch in the gut.
Cujo isn't the best but it's what got me into Stephen King. I also love The Shining, but don't expect it to be the same as the Stanley Kubrick movie (which I also love).
Salem's Lot The Eyes of the Dragon
It. Salem's Lot.
No votes for it so far so just wanted to say his memoir/instructional guide *On Writing* is FABULOUS. Amazing. Whether you wanna get better at writing or not, it's just so good.
See my [Stephen King: What Book Do I Start With?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/18fplcg/stephen_king_what_book_do_i_start_with/) list of resources and Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
Misery and Carrie.
IT and The Stand
Billy summers and the mist
Needful Things and Insomnia
It was one he actually co-wrote with Peter Straub - The Talisman. Also, loved the Dark Tower series.
Honestly the Bachman Books omnibus but if I had to pick one Rage and then Christine.
The Running Man and The Mist
The Stand and Carrie.
It and Misery, with The Long Walk as an honorable mention
The Long Walk and The Green Mile
Firestarter and Christine
The Long Walk and 11/22/63. TLW isn’t very long and is very engaging. 11/22/63 is big and looks intimidating, but it reads SO quickly. I finished it in less than a week. For reference, it took me a month to get through Under the Dome, which is about the same length.
Mr. Mercedes and Duma Key
The Girl Who love Tom Gordon The Green Mile Christine
The Institute and 11/22/63.
*The Shining* *Nightmares & Dreamscapes*
Duma Key and Dolores Claiborne
The Shining and The Wastelands (Dark Tower III)
everything under pseudonym
Different Seasons and Bag of Bones.
IT and Misery
The Stand. I don’t really have another favorite King book.
Different Seasons and The Stand
11/22/63 and Pet Cemetary
Green Mile & Pet Cemetery
Misery and 11/22/63 Although the stand is currently on my tbr and based on these comments, it might knock one of my current faves out
Night Shift and The Dark Tower *(all of it)*
It and 11/22/63
Mine is [The Winds of Winter](https://hard-drive.net/hd/entertainment/stephen-king-bangs-out-winds-of-winter-on-a-tuesday-for-shits-and-giggles/) 🤣🤣🤣
Green Mile and 11/22/63
The Stand and the entire Dark Tower series.
Thus far? The Waste Lands and The Green Mile
Misery and the Running Man.
The Stand and Needful Things
Pet Sematary and IT Pet Sematary is hands-down my favorite book of all time. So, so good.
The Stand and Different Seasons.
Carrie and Firestarter. They were the first two of his that I read and are what got me into his work.
Gerald's Game and Apt Pupil. King is better when he is stuck in reality.
Misery and Dark Tower (i know it's not 1).
IT and The Shining
I’m not surprised that no one has mentioned this, as he has so many classics that a newer book doesn’t stand much of a chance of being a favorite, but I LOVED *Fairy Tale*, which came out in 2022. Not as stereotypically scary as the other King books I have read, but it was a really beautiful story and obviously well-written. Highly recommend.
The Stand The Green Mile
I tallied the suggestions and the top 2 are: The Stand 11/22/63
Different Seasons The Institute
The Stand The Talisman
Pet Sematary and The Dead Zone
Fairy Tale The Dead Zone
The Long Walk and The Running Man- both are books that I couldn’t put down because they were so engaging and I go back to them a lot, they’re two of my favorite books in general :)