Ranking 50 Stephen King Books 

Just wanted to say thanks for sharing! Your channel is such a hub of positivity and interesting opinions. Love it!

So far I have read 36 SK books, my favorite remains IT, love the small town atmosphere, the descriptions of the loosers club and everything that It does to the kids. Love your videos by the way, very informative and you add your positive attitude so they are very nice to watch

I am quite a fan of Stephen's early novels up to Rose Madder. Wasn't a fan of Dreamcatcher, Liseys Story or Desperation. The King novel that brought me back to him was 11/22/63.. I absolutely loved this novel

IT is my all-time favorite, followed by (in order) The Stand, Needful Things, Bag of Bones, and Dark Half. Thanks for your video!

I haven't read many Stephen King books but I've enjoyed ALL of them. I was in high school when "'Salem's Lot" was published and I lived in a small town in Indiana so I was reading about a similar location with believable characters. I read it twice. I got picked on in school so "Carrie" definitely had my attention. Slow reader that I am, I read "Carrie" in one day, I was so engrossed. I read "The Shining" during winter and maybe even during the Blizzard of '78. Good timing!---I'm a fan of short-story collections and novellas so was glad to see so many in your list. My to do list now has "Read more Stephen King'!"

Completely loved this video, I’m getting few of the first 20 for my collection!

I love seeing where other people stand in terms of ranking. I feel his work, more than other authors, speaks to people in totally different ways. For example, I find the psychological stuff to be more of a page turner than anything else. Books like Cujo, Misery, Gerald's Game, etc. I think because they are less supernatural and more relatable, they really strike a nerve for me. Don't get me wrong, I think the usual suspects are better books (The Stand, IT, The Shining, Dark Tower Series), but there is something about the way he puts regular people in regular situations and cranks the stakes to 11 that really gets to me.

Love that you highlighted the number 19

What a fun video. I have read maybe 10 total! My favorite is Misery.

Great ranking!!

Nice to see someone who ranks Duma Key very high! I put it very high on my ranking video as well. Very underrated. And The Drawing of the Three is my favorite DT book as well. I'm also glad to see someone who isn't a huge fan of The Talisman or Black House. Talisman is my least favorite King book I've finished, and Black House is the only King book I've never been able to finish haha. Great Video!

Love 11/22/63, the stand, and geralds game the most 😀

Love your videos! I'm currently reading the stand also. Just finished Gwendy's button box and Gwendy's feather.

Love the vid, would like to see an updated video if you have read more of his stuff. Under the Dome is one of my favourite king books but the Gunslinger is probably one of my least favourites

Finally someone who didn’t put IT as number 1. I have so many more Stephen King books to read still, but being 2/3 of the way through IT it won’t be making my number 1. Its good but not as high up as others. Under The Dome is currently my favorite of his that I’ve read. It took me so long to read another book afterwards because my mind just kept saying “eh, this isn’t as well done as under the dome” lol

I really enjoyed the Wind Through the Keyhole. I still think about it even though I forget a lot of the story as I read it in 2015 or so. I just remember enjoying it a lot and reading it in a single sitting. Rare for me as I'm a slow reader. It warrants a re-read for me for sure along with the rest of the Dark Tower series.

My favourite Richard Bachman novella is The Long Walk. But I read and liked the other 3 in The Bachman Books collection as well. Christine is a real fav, as is Duma Key! They are many more. But my favourite will always be The Stand( the 1970's version)

My top 4 favorite Stephen King books are Salem’s Lot, Under the Dome, Misery and Mr. Mercedes. Needful Things and Desperation are close runners up. I don’t really have a least favorite yet, but if I had to pick one, Dreamcatcher.

I think you should check out more Bachman novels. The long walk and thinner are really good. Really enjoyed roadwork as well.

11.22.63 is one of my favorite books period and one of my favorites of his! Liked you video though I would have put Salems lot higher towards 1. But good video and commentary. Thanks for sharing

I read Duma Key per your recommendation and loved it. Also, Desperation was also my first King novel. I read when I was 18 in county jail lol

Glad to see you have The Drawing of The Three so high on your list. One of my favorite Kings along with Salem's Lot and 11/22/63. The only King book I have started and not finished was The Girl That Loved Tom Gordon. I got halfway through and was not interested, will have to retry sometime. I have read 26 King books myself.

A very different and refreshing list. I'm by no means a Stephen King expert, but I'm very happy that 'Duma Key' is in your top 3. Slightly surprised that 'Pet Sematary' is not on your list.

I've watched probably 15 of these videos from different readers. Every one of them ranks Desperation as "underrated" and a top 20 book. 😂😂

Great job distilling the reasons for each of your rankings, wow that was concise yet informative! Though the burning question is: will any of the remaining unread King books be able to displace 'Hearts in Atlantis' from its perch? I have my doubts, since Hearts in also in my top 5, but there are still so many gems waiting for you regardless. 'IT' occupies the top spot on my list (I've read it every year since 2017), and 'Roadwork'/'Eyes of the Dragon' keep each other company at the bottom. But that's what's so fascinating - no two lists by Constant Readers are exactly the same!

I'm surprised how polar opposite our taste when it comes to King is, some of your least favorites are some of my favorites and vice versa. And I think that's wonderful, I love how different people like different aspects of his work. I will be curious to see how your opinion changes on Wizard & Glass on re-read as when I read the series the first time it was my least favorite of the series, but upon re-read it actually became my favorite.

The Long Walk is unforgettable to me!

Why aren't people talking about The Green Mile? Such an underrated King book.

I can not WAAAAAAAAIT to get Different Seasons. Finishing up Misery now. I'm only mad I've JUST NOW started read SK so late in my reading career.

Lovely to see how you have some underrated gems high up there. I love love love Duma Key, Under the Dome, Bag of Bones, Hearts in Atlantis, the Outsider, Firestarter, Lisey's Story and Wizard and Glass. Oh, and IT and The Stand. And The Girl who loved Tom Gordon. So much to love. If I had to pick an absolute nr 1? Oof ... I can't choose? The one I disliked the most is Sleeping Beauties I think.

The Eye of the Dragon is the book that I attribute to my love of reading. It was my second Stephen King book and since reading it I have absolutely been in love with his books. Though it is not my favorite book ever, it will always hold a special place in my heart

Gerald’s Game is a good one, as well as the classic, Cujo.

Great video! I’ve read 26 King books so far and will be starting 27 soon (Cujo) Wizard and Glass and The Outsider are my favorites so far!

good ranking video. You're almost through them! Only 20 or so to go! It was interesting that IT was all the way down to 15, though. lol

Hearts in Atlantis holds a special place in my heart. It seems that I read it again every 4-5 years.

The Regulators is my personal all-time favorite.

It would be useful a video where you explained which knowledge from non-dark tower books is kind of neccesary to understand the plots that are left loosed in said series

I hope you're liking The Stand. That's my second fav King novel (It is my number 1)

‘Salem’s Lot, The Stand - those are my favorites

The camera quality 😻😻😻

You are missed! Your channel is why I started reading the dark tower series. i am currently on book 6. Rest easy my friend!

Thanks for the reviews! I really enjoyed 11/22/63 but Duma Key is my favorite of all that I have read. I have been wanting to read Hearts in Atlantis but for some reason I haven't picked it up yet.

I'm a new stephen king reader. So far I've read "On Writing" and "The Gunslinger." I'm reading the Stand now.

The Dark Half is your third least favourite, but it’s my third favourite of all time 😂

Most favourite 1) Salems lot 2) It 3) the shining 4) the stand 5) the green mile Least favourite (number one is worst) 1) rage 2) the girl who loved Tom Gordon 3) the dead zone 4) end of watch 5) sleeping beauties

And Pet's Cemetary, The Green Mile and The Institute?

Finally love for Duma Key!

Yeah,these videos are great!

My top ten best books from Stephen king 1. The stand 2. Insomnia 3. Wastelands 4.the talisman 5. Wizard and Glass 6. The long walk 7. Rose madder 8. Eyes of the dragon 9. The gunslinger 10. Sleeping beauties

I think 'Night Shift' by King is a great collection of short stories, notably 'Quitters Inc' and 'The Ledge' have you read that one? Couldn't find it in your ranking.

My ONLY disagreement here is your placement of The Talisman. It is my 2nd favorite by King (though Straub co-authored). But yes, Hearts in Atlantis was superb and you nailed it with the "FEELS GOOD" description.

That’s awesome, my favorite King work is “Hearts in Atlantis” too! I also really like “Salem’s Lot”, “The Shining”, “Wizards and Glass”, and “It”. King’s memoir type books, “Danse Macabre” and “On Writing” are also very good. I really disliked “The Tommyknockers” and “Dreamcatcher”. Really boring and way too long. King was suffering from addiction while writing these two novels and it’s very apparent in the writing itself. Great list! I enjoyed it!

I decided to read a novel for the first time. I stumbled upon Duma Key at walmart for like $7 bucks. Its so much fun.

Just Gonna do my top ten: my list 1. IT 2. Different Seasons 3. The Dark Tower Series 4. Pet Semetery 5. The Green Mile 6. Cujo 7. Needful Things 8. Revival 9. Salem's Lot 10. Night Shift my reasons #1. "IT" are you kidding me, King has even said that this is his magnum opus, it has almost all you need to know about his horror and his writing, and, would agree. I've gone back to this more than once. #2. Different Seasons - I will agree with what you've said about it, and, 'Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank' i relate from a dark period in my life that I made it through like Andy, and, when coming out of the worst of that time, the line "Get Busy or get dying" defines me, so this book and story means allot. #3. The Dark Tower Series - Okay, so cheating but I see this as one whole book and story, sort of like "Lord Of the Rings", and even "Wind Through The Keyhole" because it gives you an idea of the legends of Rolland childhood and culture from the story told that inspires gunslingers, and wraps up a loose question for us constant readers. #4. "Pet Semetery" King again has said this is his darkest book and would agree with king, but also as a Buddhist and also agreeing with King from his book on Horror "Danse Macabre" that Frankenstein is the best of the original roots of horror. About a man so driven by not accepting life and death who kills his whole family by the end but brings them back as monsters cause of his greed-hate-anger, wow, very dark and horrific. #5. The Green Mile - Love this book too, and shows King's ability to write incredible drama, just love this book a lot, and my favorite adapted King movie, if it came on at college more often than not would sit and watch it all the way through. #6. Cujo - I like that it's really a story about anger and how anger can cause us to snap to go revolting violence, whether it is the anger in a cheating relationship, or the mother trying to hold out against the dog, but snapping at the end when her child dies and becomes a beast essentially. I feel this ask what would it take for you to snap? #7 "Needful Things" Didn't like how king ends this incredible book, but that aside and nod to the amazing Roddenberry, but, the idea of would you make a deal with the devil or sell yourself to get what you think you want but need. And how one resident turns one upon the other. I just wish in the end the antagonist wasn't a monsterous imp, but instead, maybe instead of seeing him as stately at the beginning that would have just seen him as something vile when unmasked, old and rotten as that which he caused for the town of Castlerock. #8 "Revival" - Loved it cause it's about Rock and Roll, and yes, again it pays homage to Frankenstein, but as King himself again has said, to paraphrase an interview, 'good writer is like a good cook, they can take something like chicken, and make more than one dish from the same thing. A good writer will have things they use again and again, but if good, while you read it and even after you'll figure it out but it will still taste-read good.' #9 "Salem's Lot" - Re-read this more than once, and sorry to all classic horror fans, but ugh, I found Dracula so boring, but kings take for me is what vampires should be like and not something like but dangerous scary, read it more than once so gotta go back to it, also, love the Marston house story within. #10 "Night Shift" - His first short story collection, and yes there are some not-so-good stories for sure, but there are some absolutely amazing stories in this "Gray Matter" "I Am The Doorway" "The Boogey Man" "Quiters Inc." "Children Of The Corn" "The Woman in the Room" and more. Yes there are some duds for sure, but, I feel this book is like emptying your Halloween Bag at the end of tricker treating, some really awesome stuff you are glad to get, and some stuff that's just okay, but it all adds up to a lot of fun. so those are my top ten, or the ones I go back to more than once and re-read and want to re-read them more than once, so that's why I picked them, stuff like "Misery" or "The Stand" or "The Shining" read them once, but, after getting why people like them but they just don't 100% connect with me enough to really re-read them. But, favorite, IT for sure, but absolute best Horror book by him, Pet Cemetery, I mean even he said, and, would agree that he went to a very extremely dark place. I mean I don't like the main character, but I don't think you're supposed to which only makes you feel bad and continuously bad for all those who suffer because of the main character. So those are my top ten. thanks for reading.

My most favorite stories written by King have to be as followed The mist, 1922, Christine, the girl who loved Tom Gordon and finally the shining however my number one novella will always be the mist I could read that over and over again.

I haven't read a ton of King's book (yet) But so far, I loved The Stand, It, and my favorites were Different Seasons ( The Shawshank Redemption and The Body) and 11/22/63.

Where is the Stand, Geralds Game, and Cujo?

I haven’t read anywhere near that many, and I’m surprised at the ones I have read that you didn’t mention, most notably Pet Semetary and The Dead Zone which are among my favorites.

You need to read Later and Skeleton Crew. The former is a newer book about a kid that can see dead people and the latter is an anthology of horror. You’re going to really enjoy them. My top 10: 1. It 2. Salem’s Lot 3. Skeleton Crew 4. The Shining 5. Needful Things 6. Doctor Sleep 7. Pet Sematary 8. Later 9. The Drawing of the Three 10. Everything’s Eventful

Also, Duma Key, Under the Dome, and 11/22/63 were all written close in time to each other. You think King hit a stride of good ideas and writing then?

Most favorite: Pet Sematary. Probably his bleakest story overall, which helps elevate it above the rest of his horror fiction. Least favorite: The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. Plenty of short stories, and I hated most of them. Personally I find The Shining the most overrated of his books. Good characters, but I didn't find it scary, despite loving ghost stories and haunted buildings. Love the movie though, sue me.

Great list. I’ve read 29 King books so far. Books in general my favourite would be Different Seasons, and my favourite out and out novel is Cujo, followed very closely by Wizard and Glass (basically I have a such a soft spot for Cujo that despite bias I can’t take it off of top spot). As for least favourite, so far for me that has been The Regulators and The Shining, both suffering from overwriting that took me out of the story.

can’t wait for you to read the stand, that is to me his best novel along with IT, Espcially if you liked under the dome, the stand will blow you away, let me know your opinion,

Could you make a video about good and bad (with typos and bad printing) editions of S.Kings' books?

I loved hearts in Atlantis too

Can you read Desperation without reading The Regulators? Does Desparation stands on its own?

No Night Shift? No Pet Semetery? No Dead Zone? No Salams Lot? maybe I missed them, if not you gotta read those for sure, my favorites of Stephen King are Night Shift and Pet Semetery.

Ten favorite stories. The dark tower compressed version ( for me anyway) The expanded gunslinger, books 2,3, and 7. Five and six seemed like padding. Apt pupil. The dead zone. Dolores Claiborne. The shawshank redemption. Salems lot ( too scary too read a second time, maybe one day) pet cemetery ( not as scary on the second read thank God ) I know what you need ( creepy story about a creep, even more relevant if you think about the rise of social media ) 1408 ( scary af ) the monkey ( cool ) and wizards and glass which really can stand on its own. Honorsble mention, it and needful things, the endings could have been better.

My rankings from best to worst would have to go like this: The dark tower 7 The dark tower 5 The dark tower 4 The dark tower 6 The dark tower 4.5 The dark tower 3 The dark tower 1 The dark tower 2 The dark man poem Charlie the choo-choo Billy Summers The institute Insomnia Hearts in Atlantis Creepshow Everything's eventual Cycle of the werewolf Carrie Cujo Needful things If it bleeds Later Under the dome Elevation The dead zone Firestarter Ghost brothers of Darkland County The running man Thinner Four past midnight Different seasons From a Buick 8 The eyes of the dragon Misery Gerald's game Dolores Claiborne Rose madder The dark half Skeleton Crew The girl who loved Tom Gordon Revival Lisey's story Gwendy's button box Duma key Pet sematary Night shift Rage The Long Walk Roadwork Blaze

*non king question* great video yet again…. Could I ask as you are a fantasy book fan have you read The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss??? If you have what’s your thoughts as I’m thinking it giving it a go

Yes!!!! DUMA KEY 100% my favorite

1. It 2. The Stand 3. Pet Sematary

My favourites are IT, pet sematary, rose madder, duma key,, bag or bones, the body, misery, the long walk, Insomnia. I didnt really like the stand or from a buick 8. I still need to read the dark tower series and inder the dome. Billy summers comes out next month.

Favorite; The Dead Zone

You left out THE STAND and THE GREEN MILE.

The Best: The Stand (Uncut). The Worst: Lisey's Story.

i just read Revival. It can't be just no. 33. It is really good.

I was thinking where the hell is the Stand?? You were currently reading it lol Despite the size of the Stand, I have read it 3 times

I'd have ranked Bag of Bones higher on that list.. 12th or 11th. In my humble opinion it's one of most underrated S. King's works

My favorite Stephen King book (as well as my gavorite book period), is Carrie. I just rearead it on Aprilc5th anniversary, snd it was still just as amazing as it was the first time. The ending was bad, though. Only complaint.

I'm with you with the gunslinger, no idea what peoples problem is with it.

Surprised you didn't include Pet Sematary on that list. That book scared the h'jeebees out of me

nightshift is my fav steven king book i read cujo and pet cemetery and found the longer stories boring i tryed to read the talisman and gave up as nothing happened and i think i read the langoliers after watching the movie

One should never make a Stephen King list without first finishing 'The Stand'. ;-)

11/22/63 is my favorite King book out of the 13 I've read....very closely followed by Pet Semetery. My least favorite by far is The Gunslinger.

Never read Desperation but thought Regulators really good. Im in the minority though.

I vote you read Pet Sematary next

Duma Key is so underrated I put it in my top 3 King novels aswell

The Stand has always been my favourite.

What about Pet Semetary?

How is Christine rank that high stop dude one of king top 2

The Stand by far is my favourite and It was my most disappointing. Such a weak ending for such a great book.

Stephen King book recommendation: The Tommyknockers! Everyone says that this book is bad but you have to read it to see the good in it. It was the first King book I read, the first book I read PERIOD, And I kept coming back for more and now reading is my all-time favorite hobby.

I like the dead zone the best the read is so good the movie is not as good though

I have only read Dreamcatcher and that was pathetic 😭😭😭😭. The Stand and Green mile in my TBR 🤞🤞🤞🤞

you put IT after desperation and under the dome….. and gunslinger above all the others………yea buddy, to each his own i guess

Dark Half as # 48? Well, let me switch the channel then.

Ive never read a King book...😬

Gotta disagree with your assessment of Doctor Sleep my man

Wow, to think you just read different seasons. What took so long? One might think you need a little time to recover from apt pupil. Anyway, pleasant dreams.