Top 10 Favorite Stephen King Books || updated 2023

Me personally..IT is my favorite king book I’ve read so far. And me personally didn’t think “THAT” scene was all that bad..granted didn’t really need it but I understand why he did it…cuz he’s showing that bevs relationship with her father..SHE ACTUALLY THINKS THATS THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THEM TOGETHER..so it didn’t bother me as much as some..but I’m also not very squeamish! I understood why he wrote it

I think you meant Sandy Colfax, not mickey mantle for needful things

I agree with you on not breaking the top 4 as they are mine as well. Still very happy that you finally got around to 11/22/63 since that has always been my favorite. I have been dabbling in re-reading a few of these and I'm leaning very heavily into going back through 11/22/63 since it's been 6 years. Thanks for the video and keep up the great work!

I don't think people really like the whole evil cars killing people thing. It is one of his better stories though.

He doesn't have the Misery Chastain final novel in his car. He has the manuscript for Fast Cars in his car. She picks up the "final" Misery novel from the store during Paul's initial convalescence.

Also the interludes are hugely important to the thematic statements of the book. A lot of stuff will make no sense if you don't read them.

I’ve seen most the movies/shows,but finally just finished my first Stephen king book which was Salem’s lot and loved it,what should I read next lol?

Great choice at number 1....also the Green Mile

my jaw dropped when he said to took 2 weeks to read IT, lmoa man it took me a month

Pet Semetary hits harder the older I get. I think its my favorite King book. I may need to do another Christine re read soon after seeing your video.
I did re reads of " Revival " and " Full Dark, No Stars" and they are probably my favorite King books from 2010 - present.

glad to see Needful Things, Dead Zone (my personal favorite) and Misery in your top 10

How do you feel about Salem’s Lot? I’m reading it for the first time now.

Dude totally agree with #1. I haven’t seen anyone even include it in their top 5.

1. The Stand
2. The Shining
3. Different Seasons
4. Pet Sematary
5. IT
6. Misery
7. Firestarter (this one is really underrated for some reason)
8. Cujo
9. The Dead Zone
10. Christine

I’ve always thought that King writes characters SO well that I would be able to recognize if they passed me on the street. My Dad thought the same thing about 11-22-63. I got it for him last Christmas and he kept putting it aside for other books. I kept bugging him to read it until he did this summer and he was blown away by it.

I've started reading from his debut & so far my ranking is:
5 - The Dead Zone (About to start reading).
4 - The Stand (got to about 800-900 pages in on the long version & stopped, boring & too slow for me).
3 - Carrie.
2 - The Shining.
1 - Salems Lot.

Very close to my own Top 10
10. Needful Things
9. Carrie
8. Pet Sematary
7. Green Mile
6. Christine
5. The Shining
4. Misery
3. The Dead Zone
1.11/22/63
1. IT

My favorite Stephen King books are The Shining, Firestarter and Salems Lot. All suspenseful and spooky. I want to read The Stand and The Running Man. He has a collection of short stories that I'm trying to get through called Nightmares and Dreamscapes.

Interesting list. But you totally lost me when you rated Christine higher than The Stand. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very fond of Christine, it’s a good schlock horror book, with undertones of deeper themes, as is always the case with King. But The Stand is his epic masterpiece.

My top five…
The Stand
The Dead Zone
Misery
The Shining
Salem’s Lot

Honourable mention to his wonderful short story collection Different Seasons. 🌞

On the downside, IT was amazing, right up until he wrote himself into a corner and came up with the most ludicrous, obnoxious ending he’s ever written. Yes, I’m talking about “that” scene. Ruined the whole book.

Quality video. Subbed.

The dead zone I have never read however there are people in real life with that kind of ability who can actually see things before it actually happens it is a beautiful thing to have the ability to see things before it actually happens just like in the movie final destination a premonition

I had the edited version and the unedited version. Between both, read The Stand more than once and twice.

I would say Randall Flagg and the Man in Black are the same.

So many spoilers bro i hate you

Not hearing Salem Lot is kind of refreshing

Yes, finally a number one Stephen King chart i agree with! Same number 1 for sure, can't wait to forget it a bit to re-read!

1000% agree with your #1 pick

Have you read Lisey's Story? It's another one of my favorites that alot of people haven't read

I’m a little surprised that no one mentions Eyes Of The Dragon because it ties in so well with Dark Tower and The Stand due to Flagg being the same antagonist in a different form.

Green mile stand up!!!

bro, you spelled Sematary incorrectly 😂

Flagg was the antagonist.

I haven't read Christine yet, but IT, for me is his best friendship story, because it was literally life or death. There's not too many people, in the world that would stick by you during those times in your life.

Read King for the first time this year at 42, Needful Things. Hilarious book, great villian, lots of fun to read. Recently read IT, wow what a book, instantly one of my favorite fiction books. No issue with supposed controversial part of the book. There’s kids being killed and mutilated throughout the entire book. If one has a problem with this book it should start with that in my opinion

Eyes of the Dragon

Wizard and Glass

What edition of the Shining do you have? Never seen that hardcover before

I hated 11/22/63

There’s only a few King books I would deem perfect novels and 11/22/63 is definitely one of them. Other perfect books IMO:
Misery (read twice)
IT
The Shining (read twice)
Shawshank Redemption (possibly his most perfect book) The movie adaptation is listed in the Top 100 Greatest films of all time.

As far as The Stand goes, it’s definitely in my top 10 but it would be better if he’d culled out a few hundred pages.

Great review, non pretentious!

Yes love needful things

the man in black is Randall Flagg lol, the walkin dude, the dark man, ageless stranger, THE MAN IN BLACK he has alot of names too Walter paddock, Walter o’dim, Russell faraday, Richard freeman ,Ramsey forrest just to name a few ! Dont wordy its confusing hahaha

Too many spoilers!

🎉🎉1 ❤❤❤ IM READING NOW 🎉🎉🎉🎉

Great list Zack. I wouldn't have put 11.22.63 that high but at least your top ten is an excellent choice. Most of these King top 10 lists are way out of left field.

11/22/63 and I and King in particular, have a strange relationship. I have been a fan of his for a long time. Have not read alot of his books, BUT have seen several films of his work. I can't really deal with 'Horror' due to things I witnessed, as a child. The story of 11/22/63 could NOT be fiction, you may say "yeah right" but the actual story, of my family and I, make me believe that Stephen King, may be a fellow 'traveler'. I can't go into specifics here, but he mentioned a specific time (twice) in the book, he explored the consequences of the butterfly effect, and that time is 'obdurent'. I knew about 11/22/63 when it came out, wanted to read it, and requested it for Christmas. Never read it, forgot I had it, but many years later, requested it again, and received it again. Now that I'm retired, had time to read it. It gave me chills, throughout the book, because of my family history, and the things I have experienced, in MY life. I will say that; I inherited something in 1970 when I was 12 years old, that was passed to me in secret, by my Great Aunt Bessie. She whispered to me about its origin, and how it came to be in our family. I know it only allows travel to the past, then back to when you started. I have met many famous people, and been at many pivotal events. Some great and some very sad and tragic. I don't try to change events, or outcomes. I do collect small things that won't be noticed. I did, save one famous person, but she ended up dying later, from a different cause. I've come close to being killed, several times, met two serial killers, but also met and spoke to heroes of mine. I know it allowed not only, my parents to meet, and fall in love, but my wife and I to do the same. I don't mean to be vague, but I must. I have wanted to tell someone about this, to explain the existence of the device, but now I no longer even touch it because I feel it is too dangerous. And now repatriation, is too common a reality in our culture.

the man in black is flagg. he goes by walter o dim also and several other names. he was also in gwendys button box. anytime you see the initials R.F. thats kings way of winking at us.

Your #1 is my top as well. Completing my top 5 are Dolores Claiborne, The Green Mile, Firestarter, and Carrie.

Not sure how ppl say the green mile is under rated when it is literally the highest rated King book on goodreads.

11.22.63 seems to be on top of a lot of people's Stephen King lists.