Stephen King - didn't like Carrie, what are the others like?

The only Stephen King I've ever read was Hearts in Atlantis, but I really enjoyed it.

Must give some of the others a go.

American Gods is an absolutely amazing book.

Oooh, what's the secret Roland game?? You have to share now...

Oh and it does indeed make sense!

I've told her that she is not allowed to fancy Roland though because he's all mine. :)

Oh and I also told her the secret Roland game I play in my head sometimes so now she thinks I'm insane...but I bet she will now play it too... :)

My faves are American Gods and Anansi's Boys.

ColonelBrandon, ikwym, its so amazing to watch someone read something you've recommended, especially when they love it too! Does that make sense?

Only Gaiman I've read is Stardust which I enjoyed, which others would you recommend? Oh, I read his collaboration with Terry Pratchett as well

Yes to trying Gaiman too.

I have re-read the whole Dark Tower series about 7 times but I want to read it again every time I think about it. Dd1 has read 6 and a half of them in the last week (she has clearly inherited my speed!) and I so envy her still having that final half to go!

IT and The Dark Tower set. Those are the two that stick in my mind and I think I got through over 30 when I was in my mid teens :) Enjoy! Oh and Neil Gaiman may be one to try if you like the writing style but not so keen on the horror.

The ones I come back to time and time again are:

The Stand
The Shining
IT
The Dark Tower series
Nightmares & Dreamscapes
The Eyes of the Dragon
Different Seasons (This one has The Shawshank Redemption & The Body in, also has Apt Pupil which is excellent though creepy)
Bag of Bones
The Dead Zone
The Green Mile
The Talisman & Black House (kind of a sequel to Talisman)

I liked:
From a Buick 8, Rose Madder, Hearts in Atlantis, Insomnia, The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon, Salem's Lot, Under the Dome, Duma Key, Misery

I didn't like:
Gerald's Game, Cujo, Lisey's Story, Blaze (ending was a bit of a cop out to me)

Hope that helps, if you want any for the Kindle, let me know & I can send them to you (have them all in the Kindle format)

I actually like Carrie, but i think for me it's so deeply tied to the time of my life I read it.

The first one i ever read was The Eyes of The Dragon, followed by IT. I was 15 at the time and have read IT once more as an adult and couldn't seem to connect with it on the same level.

I'm on Book 3 of the Dark Tower Series at the moment and am enjoying it so much. Not normally a SK fan but these are wonderful books. Imagine a western crossed with something like Lord of the Rings and you are some way there. They are dark in places but a very rewarding read.

I've read Carrie and I don't remember a court room drama in it... have to get my memory checked!

My favourite Stephen King books are:

IT
The Stand
Stand by Me
Tommy Knockers
The Dark Tower series (fantasy)
Firestarter
On Writing (non-fiction)
The Long Walk (as Richard Bachman)

SK must read:*

Rose Madder - very good, scary accurate depiction of what DV does to the psyche
Duma Key - my favourite King, very scary and dark, SK's way of dealing with the trauma of his injuries, great insights into dementia, fabulous characterisations.
Under the Dome - actually, not like The Stand at all, a very good exposition of what is so scary about small town America
The Shining - Classic, must-read. The child's point of view is beautifully done (SK does seem to be good at children)
IT - Why has no-one mentioned IT? It's enormous, a big sprawling good-versus-evil novel, also a beautiful coming of age story.
Needful Things - More smalltown America, this time focusing on the downside of wish fulfilment. Recommended.
Salem's Lot - Vampires, done brilliantly.
And the Dark Tower series - takes a bit of getting into, but well worth the investment.

SK worth your time
Desperation (you will also need to read Richard Bachman's The Regulators to really get this - Bachman is King's alter ego)
Misery
Dolores Claiborne
Bag of Bones
The Green Mile
The Stand
The Dead Zone
Lisey's Story (disagree with a previous poster here, it isn't an easy one, but it is a beautifully done dissection of madness - what it is, and what it does to people)

SK novels to avoid (disagree with me if you wish): Carrie, the Tommyknockers, From a Buick 8, Pet Sematary, Dreamcatcher

Hope that helps.

Oh yes Jack Reacher is mentioned in Under The Dome

please reads every book by Lee Child. His hero, jack Reacher is ah-may-zing.

[Blush] thanks Queen. I must have only been about 14/15 when I read it. Think I may download it now.

don't bother with cell or Lisey's story.
BEST - Gerald's Game and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

dodgy

i give up. it's time for

gah! didgy internet connection and double post.

mumatron yes (and it's Rose Madder)

mumatron yes (and it's Rose Madder)

Colonel - Sorry to disappoint you

"Sit and write a book or I chop off a foot" might be riveting to some but it didn't ring my bell, to borrow the parlance of another thread.

Was rose madden the one with the painting? If it is I found that quite disturbing, but I could not put it down.

Gerald's Game made me zzzz

If you've seen the film Stand By Me then you should read The Body which it was based on, just a short story but I really enjoyed it.

I liked his collaboration with Peter Straub on The Talisman.

Green Mile excellent.

As the others have said there is quite a lot of diversity in his books, but also when you've read lots of them you start to see little nods to characters/events in other stories and I found that spurred me on to read more of his stuff to see if could spot more.

If you didn't like Carrie then I'd bypass Christine, because i'd place them in the same camp to be honest.

Oh yes, Firestarter - how did I forget Firestarter? I read it over 20 years ago and actually wouldn't mind reading it again.

I was reading King from the early days as the Dead Zone, The Stand etc were being published up to the mid 80s. Then stopped reading horror for a while and apart from Misery and Rose Madden didn't read any of his books for years until Under the Dome came out. I have read Duma Key recently as well but do mean to go back and read some of the books I missed.

My favorites are The Dead Zone which I have read several times and Firestarter. I read both at a single sitting at the time. Unfortunately it takes me a lot longer to read nowadays. I don't get the time anymore and it took me months to read Under the Dome, although I did enjoy it.