Stephen King, help please?

The Dark Tower series
The Shining
Insomnia
Needful Things
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
1408
The Langoliers
Low Men In Yellow Coats
Firestarter

I'm reading the Stand at the moment and its great. On page 1300 and a bit and the end is drawing near. I'm going to be sad when it's over. .

I'm another Stephen King constant reader - I started reading him when I was about 13 and now have all of his books. It's amazing how many people still pooh-pooh him as "just a horror writer" when, actually, he's a fantastic creator of characters who you get to know and care about, and empathise with - a canny writer of human relationships and fears (not just schlock horror ones), as well as an out and out spinner of rip roaring yarns. Can you tell I'm a fan yet? I have too many favourite Stephen King books to list, but a few I find myself rereading time and again include The Stand, the Dark Tower series, It, The Talisman, Insomnia and his short story collections.

Cranston, I'd go for Insomnia, Needful Things and 22.11.63. I enjoyed Under the Dome, but found the ending a little weak. I'd avoid Gerald's Game, Lisey's Story and Hearts in Atlantis.

There's a really interesting series on the Guardian website where a King fan is re-reading and re-evaluating his books from the start - but there are spoilers in the articles, so best read after the books.

Forgot to say, there's a really good Rolling Stone interview with him where details his addiction problems and the drop in quality around The Tommyknockers. Really good insight for any fans.

That's so interesting. I used to be his 'number one fan' and really loved all of his books, but stopped reading him after The Tommyknockers. I read it on a beach circa 1988 and thought it was rubbish. I've only reread the older stuff since then, nothing new.

Which book would be a good re-introduction?

Bag of bones is one of my favourites. I've enjoyed most mentioned apart from 11/22/63 and Under The Dome both of which I thought were rather overblown and disappointing.

I don't get the love for The Stand (perhaps I should reread it...). It's in my 'ok list', along with Pet Semetary and Needful Things. What I do love are The Talisman, The Dark Tower (the earlier ones are better), Rose Madder and the Tommyknockers.

'The Dark Tower' is NOT a "cowboy story".

Duma Key is my absolute favourite SK. I would also recommend reading the Shining and then Doctor Sleep - really interesting the way his writing has evolved between the two books.

I second Cote's 'avoid' list in its entirety.

I read Swan Song years ago and remember quite liking it. I have also read McCammon's Mystery Walk which is good.
Dean R Koontz is immensely patchy (I have a feeling 'he' is one of those writers like VC Andrews that's actually a 'brand' whose books are written by assorted beginners and hacks.)

I'd have trouble picking the 'best' one as well. Though there have been one or two I was less keen on: Needful Things, Cell, Gerald's Game, From A Buick 8, those never really did it for me. I do love The Stand even though I go through spells of being infuriated by bits of it - I have read it countless times and (as with a lot of iconic books) I often find myself hoping that certain things will turn out differently this time. Insomnia's good, and Bag of Bones, and Lisey's Story, of the later ones.
I love Christine but I love it more now as a brilliant portrayal of being a teenager in small town America in the late 70s. Same with Salem's Lot in many ways.

Christine, the Shining, Carrie and Cujo were the ones I loved best. Found Tommyknockers dull and didn't finish it.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is absolutely brilliant. Not a horror but a little bit creepy. Short too. I'd definitely recommend that. Rose Madder is really good as well but I found it really upsetting. I also loved The Green Mile and the collection of stories that includes The Shawshank Redemption. And I loved 11.22.63.

I think he's an amazing author, I just can't bring myself to read any of the scary stuff, I'm too much of a wimp

Have you got a link to the rolling stone piece AHot?

I'm ready for a new King, I really liked Mr Mercedes. I was disappointed by Revival though.

Forgot to say, there's a really good Rolling Stone interview with him where details his addiction problems and the drop in quality around The Tommyknockers. Really good insight for any fans.

The Stand and 11/22/63 are just brilliant.

Love The Shining and pretty much everything he's written. Can't wait for the new one, I know he's considered a horror writer but I think his writing is very broad.

Have any other Stand fans read Swan Song by Robert McCammon? It's very similar theme and definitely worth a summer read.

The stand is my favourite too
Also It
The green mile
Hearts in Atlantis
Eyes of the dragon
Misery
Just about all of them :)
I'm just coming to the end of Mr Mercedes
Just in time for the new one

Desperation... loved this maybe cause I was on holiday at the time of reading . I liked the scenery of this book :) and it's a great story ... I won't be going on a driving holiday in America tac tac :)

If you read nothing else by Stephen King EVER you should read The Stand.

Enjoy

Is IT really scary, still, for a 40-something year old? Tried reading it years ago but couldn't, have just reread 11.22.63 and would like to revisit Derry but nervous to!

Carrie
Misery
Salmems Lott

The shining
Cujo
Misery
I must get around to reading Christine saw the film years ago

I love The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, has to be one of my favourite books ever. Also really like Duma Key, IT, Insomnia, Lisey's Story, Rose Madder and the Dark Tower series.

I find it immensely pleasing how many of his books are interconnected, DH and I keep saying we should create a massive diagram showing how everything ties together but it looks like we've been beaten to it:

Warning: SPOILERS!!

And that's just the none-Dark Tower books

My friend lent me Under the Dome - a real page-turner, and also strangely memorable and thought-provoking.
Neither of us are horror fans - maybe like a bit of soft sci-fi, but mainly just enjoy stuff with some character development, and a pacey plot. We both actually like novels aimed at the young adult market, and I think this is how King writes (or at least in Under the Dome, which is all I have read). Style seems aimed at young adult readers, but a longer text and with more adult themes, iyswim?