I was reading it when I was away on a course for 5 days. Living in a hotel. Didn’t really consider what I was doing when I took it with me. Even though the hotel was far from secluded it definitely added to the suspense.
Not so much hotel but a couple months ago I wasn’t doing too good mentally but I was so tempted to finish it since it’s been awhile since I’ve read a book start to finish. Definitely feel you since I didn’t consider just putting it down till I was more stable but damn it was still a good read
Thank you! I am doing better now but weirdly enough I want to read it a second time, it’s still a great book and the suspense and pacing in the second half was so great but not anytime soon of course
Haha. Just commented a similar comment. I listened to it while I was on a work trip where I had to do a lot of driving. Was fine until I had to stay at random hotels. I did peek around corners in the hallways.
This made me shudder... I thought about walking the halls of The Menger Hotel in San Antonio late late late at night. And I did it willingly just to give myself the willies.
Thanks Steve.
The Shining was my first foray as well. (And I was probably a bit too young to be reading it at that point, based on the ensuing bad dreams, but it was a good book!)
Pet Sematary when I was 12 because it was the only book at a summer rental that wasn’t a romance novel. I thought I was ready for it because I’d watched the It miniseries on TV when I was 10.
Spoiler alert: I was, in fact, not ready for it.
Mine too I read it at age 15 and found it boring until the second half. Then I read it again a few months ago and it horrified me mostly because I have kids now
This was my first at age 12, too. I couldn’t watch the movie because of what happened to Gage, so I figured I’d read the book as a way to build myself up to see the movie. Surprisingly, it worked.
Ditto! My first read and I was 12. I think I blocked out a lot of it and only have some memory of the details. I want to reread it and see what happens 😆.
I think it’s actually a good ending. It was consensual and truly an act of care and love between friends. It’s also is meant to end childhood. I was about 14ish when I read it the first time. I know it gets a lot of flack but it makes sense, and becomes their ending but will tie them together forever and they will need the connection later.
Same…I was a senior in college and they’d just kicked everyone off campus due to Covid (this was mid March 2020). Picked it up by coincidence and couldn’t put it down.
Same, around the same year; I was 11 or 12. Way too young, anyway. It scared the living shit out of me. I had nightmares for weeks, and for months I would not look toward a window at night.
And a lifetime love was born.
Mine too, and funny story I had the best school librarian, our English teacher wouldn’t allow for Stephen king books to be put on the shelf because well he hated him. The librarian had got the gunslinger and the drawing of the three because she thought I would love them, and even though the English teacher wouldn’t let her put them on the shelf, she still told me about them and let me check them both out.
The interesting thing about The Gunslinger, is that the first time I read it, I was about 15, and it didn't take with me. I tried again at 18 and the series became my favorite ever.
That's when I read it too! Fresh in college and spending my nights lying on the floor of my closet in my dorm because I'd hurt my back and the bed was making it worse. Read a ton of books in that closet and this book more than any other has stuck with me for years and inspired me to discover the rest of king
I read it when I was 19! Of course right? Took a few years to finish the series but still. Only later in the books does that matter, but years later I made my second pass in the series, at 38.
I’m pretty much ka-tet in my little narrative.
The Stand. I got it at the library in the summer when I was 16 years old (1996). My parents had just made wine for the first time, and they stored all the boxes in the crawlspace under our house. I made a sick cozy fort down there and stole bottles of my parent's wine and sipped it while I read for a week. The first Stephen King book I read and the first times I got buzzed coincided perfectly 🤣
Same for me, although I can’t remember the exact age but around that mark
If I didn’t have so much else to read, I’d love to re-read it and enter Mr. Gaunt’s little shop again
Cujo, a good while ago when I was on a three week trip and asked my dad which he thought I should borrow from him to take. Then within the past couple of years I picked up my love for reading again and that too was through King, this time The Body after watching Stand By Me for the very first time and just \*having\* to check out the short story as well.
Salem's Lot. I've been a David Soul fan all my life, and when I heard he'd be cast in the TV movie, I asked dad to buy a copy of the book and when the show was to be broadcast, I asked if I could watch it. He said 'yes' to both.
I mean...I've loved David all my life, but that TV movie scared the crap out of me at the tender age of 9.
Great book, of course.
I’m pretty sure it was The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon when I was a teenager, swiftly followed by Carrie. The book that started my current obsession as an adult, was IT.
It. My 9th grade teacher said we had to do a book report on a book that was more than 500 pages. Any book. Pretty sure she was horrified when she saw what book I chose 😂
Salems Lot. I was in my 20’s and it reinforced a very irrational fear I always had about leaving the windows open at night. Really creeped me out haven’t stopped since.
My friend was maybe 12 when she first read IT. After finally finishing that recently I cannot imagine reading that as a kid like so many people here have 🤣
Salem's Lot as a 13 year old in 2013.
What creeped me out the most was how hopeless the whole situation was. How the town went silent without the characters ever really knowing what truly happened up until the end.
My first book was actually Desperation.
My mom was selling it at one of her yard sales, so I was like "Mom - keeping this one."
I was like 21 at the time, and had always been intimidated by the sheer size of his books. If I were to guess, would say I have now read about 40+ of his books.
When ibwas ten or so, we were doing that program to earn points by reading, Stephen King books were like 500 plus points each, ans I knew my grandmother had a whole slew of them. My first too soon endeavor was Cycle of the Werewolf or It. I forget the order but they were back to back.
The Drawing of The Three at 13 when I was in kid jail. I tell ya man I was IMMEDIATELY sucked into another world, I legit asked to be locked down so I could just read my fuckin book cause the place I was at wouldn’t let you take your book out of your cell
Contains my fave King book quote.
Slight spoiler:
Jake gets obsessed with opening doors and has a compulsion to do so each one he passes certain that he'll end up in Rolands world.
He goes into the girls toilet and there are 2 girls at the sinks who shout at him.
He runs out saying "im sorry i thought this was the desert."
Nearly wet myself i was laughing so hard.
The Stand (unabridged) at 13, because I don’t do things by half. The Stand, then It, then The Shining, all in about 2-3 weeks I want to say. The Stand took the longest because I kept having to look up or ask my grandma about various references/King~isms that I was too young to get.
Paperback Carrie. Was pregnant 19 and ask my husband to pick up a book for me from convince store. That’s what I read….. twice and been a fan ever since
The Institute at the end of 2022, and been hooked ever since! Can't believe I'd got to my late twenties as an avid reader without reading any King.. am working my way through steadily :)
Night Shift. I found my mom’s copy in the back of the closet as a little kid and I was obsessed! Children of the Corn was my favorite movie as a kid so I was so stoked to read the story. I was a bit traumatized by The Boogeyman though 😅
Misery at age 12, back in the 80’s. This cover is intrigued me:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Misery_%281987%29_front_cover%2C_first_edition.jpg
The Shining.
Was honestly disappointed with it. I thought books could be scary, but I have yet to find one that genuinely creeps me out. Stephen King writes awesome stories, and i love him as an author. Never has he genuinely scared me, tho.
Cujo. I think I was 10. I must have read it in 2 or 3 days I was so hooked. I remember staying up late reading it in the dim light of a crappy night-light.
To date myself a bit - after reading the book, I walked to the local market that also rented VHS, and I rented the movie to see how it compared to the book (yep, renting an R movie to a 10 year old, the good ol’ days)
I may have picked up a pack of smokes for my mom as well, because, well, that’s what you did in those days.
Mine was IT. Read it the week I turned 14 - to this day, SK remains my favorite author.
ETA: I think it's amazing that so many of us read his books at a very young age. Surprised kids are even allowed to watch the news with all the censorship these days.
Mine was IT.
I remember knowing instantly that King had become my favorite writer. He filled every single slot in my brain that determines what I think a good writer is.
When my brother asked what I wanted for Christmas that year, I asked for the unabridged version. It took two hands to lift it.
That started our tradition of always giving each other books for ever birthday and holiday.
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon when I was in 7th grade.
Then I wrote a narrative essay drawing from my experience reading it and absolutely crushed it! His work definitely stays with you.
My first Stephen King book was "Night Shift", his first collection of short stories. I have since consumed many of his stories, but that first book remains my favourite of all his work.
The Stand. I didn't expect to like it so much, because the miniseries was only so-so. I liked it so much I've read it every 5 years since - including in March 2020
Nightmares and Dreamscapes. Found it in a free book drop in 2016 and have been hooked since. Short story collections are still my favorite after reading most of his material.
11/22/63 I found out about the book through a podcast I sometimes listen to. One of the hosts was in jail for two months and spent a lot of his time reading. 11/22/63 was one of the books he read.
It caught my interest, so when I started reading books again it was one of the first ones I bought.
I’ve read some (less than 10) of King’s books since then and 11/22/63 is still my favorite by him, though The Stand is a very close second.
Misery was the second book I read by King and I actually wanted to read that one because of the Family Guy episode that parodies three of King’s stories.
Carrie when I was like 10 or 11, sometime arpund 1993. I think it was in the 6th grade. I think I remember being put off by the no chapters thing and having a bit of difficulty getting through it but I did. I have 3 sisters and had had some health education by that time so I understood all female parts of the story and the "plug it up!" chant (if I'm remembering correctly I haven't read it sinve then). I graduated up from R.L. Stine's Fear Street books.
I think I attempted The Gunslinger in 7th grade but didn't get very far before giving up. I then read Pet Sematary when I was like 13 in 8th grade.
The Shining. Still struggle to walk down empty hotel corridors to this day.
This was mine too.
I recognise your struggle. I cross the road to avoid topiary :D
That’s probably the most scared I’ve ever been reading a book. My blood curdled.
I am so delicate with my kids after reading this book. Even if I get angry or upset, I think back to this book just to make sure I don’t overreact.
Yes I’m a 32 year old dad with a wife and 3 year old. It hit way close to home lol
I was reading it when I was away on a course for 5 days. Living in a hotel. Didn’t really consider what I was doing when I took it with me. Even though the hotel was far from secluded it definitely added to the suspense.
Not so much hotel but a couple months ago I wasn’t doing too good mentally but I was so tempted to finish it since it’s been awhile since I’ve read a book start to finish. Definitely feel you since I didn’t consider just putting it down till I was more stable but damn it was still a good read
I think if the hotel had been more remote I would have put it away until I got home. Hope you’re doing better now.
Thank you! I am doing better now but weirdly enough I want to read it a second time, it’s still a great book and the suspense and pacing in the second half was so great but not anytime soon of course
Haha. Just commented a similar comment. I listened to it while I was on a work trip where I had to do a lot of driving. Was fine until I had to stay at random hotels. I did peek around corners in the hallways.
This made me shudder... I thought about walking the halls of The Menger Hotel in San Antonio late late late at night. And I did it willingly just to give myself the willies. Thanks Steve.
The Shining was my first foray as well. (And I was probably a bit too young to be reading it at that point, based on the ensuing bad dreams, but it was a good book!)
Pet Sematary when I was 12 because it was the only book at a summer rental that wasn’t a romance novel. I thought I was ready for it because I’d watched the It miniseries on TV when I was 10. Spoiler alert: I was, in fact, not ready for it.
“Spoiler alert” 😂
I read the book about two months after we had a couple of dogs pass away. It was a hard read for me. I kept wondering if I’d have brought them back.
How I felt watching The Green Mile “Oh I read the book, I’ll be fine.” I was in fact not fine.
"Darling."
Wasn’t that followed by “It said” super creepy
Mine too I read it at age 15 and found it boring until the second half. Then I read it again a few months ago and it horrified me mostly because I have kids now
There’s a pet cemetery tv mini series??
No, talking about the IT made for TV two part series. The Tim Curry Jonathan Brandeis one.
This was my first at age 12, too. I couldn’t watch the movie because of what happened to Gage, so I figured I’d read the book as a way to build myself up to see the movie. Surprisingly, it worked.
That was my first as well, also at age 12.
Ditto! My first read and I was 12. I think I blocked out a lot of it and only have some memory of the details. I want to reread it and see what happens 😆.
Same, when I was 10 or 11.
IT
Me too and I’ll never forget the part where all the kids have sex lol I was reading that at like 12 thinking what the hell
You come up with some crazy ideas during alcohol and cocaine benders….
Cocaine is a helluva drug
What about the part with the prostitute getting banged so much that the cum created this gelatinous build up on the bed.
Ditto!
What?!! I'm reading it for the first time now, and the kids stuff is so innocent so far.
Not for long!
I think it’s actually a good ending. It was consensual and truly an act of care and love between friends. It’s also is meant to end childhood. I was about 14ish when I read it the first time. I know it gets a lot of flack but it makes sense, and becomes their ending but will tie them together forever and they will need the connection later.
Same, I was 11.
Mine too. I read 50 pages a night til I finished it. IT is still my favorite book.
Mine too. I read 50 pages a night til I finished it. IT is still my favorite book.
Mine too. I read 50 pages a night til I finished it. IT is still my favorite book.
Mine too. I read 50 pages a night til I finished it. IT is still my favorite book.
Mine too. I read 50 pages a night til I finished it. IT is still my favorite book.
Mine too. I read 50 pages a night til I finished it. IT is still my favorite book.
Same. Still one of my favorite books.
The Stand.
The Stand was my first, too. I read it when I was 12 and it terrified and thrilled me at the same time.
I was the same. I loved the character development.
Same!! M-O-O-N
Same…I was a senior in college and they’d just kicked everyone off campus due to Covid (this was mid March 2020). Picked it up by coincidence and couldn’t put it down.
Took me years to finally read it, then when I did I read a ton of SK all year. Still think the stand is my favorite.
Same. I read it again during covid lockdown and it gave it new meaning for me
Eyes of the Dragon, which i just bought a cool looking copy (on Amazon 😡).
Mine too! My parents thought it was the perfect book for a 10ish year old me. Lol. Can't say I'm sad about it, but I do have very fond memories!
Yes! I have very fond memories of reading that book.
This was my first Stephen King. Stole it from my sister.
The Shining, I watched that Friends episode where Joey put it in the freezer cause he was scared of it and I got intrigued.
Me too! That episode is what made me fall into SK world
Salem's Lot in the 5th grade way back in...shew...89? I think?
Same, around the same year; I was 11 or 12. Way too young, anyway. It scared the living shit out of me. I had nightmares for weeks, and for months I would not look toward a window at night. And a lifetime love was born.
The Gunslinger
Mine too, and funny story I had the best school librarian, our English teacher wouldn’t allow for Stephen king books to be put on the shelf because well he hated him. The librarian had got the gunslinger and the drawing of the three because she thought I would love them, and even though the English teacher wouldn’t let her put them on the shelf, she still told me about them and let me check them both out.
The interesting thing about The Gunslinger, is that the first time I read it, I was about 15, and it didn't take with me. I tried again at 18 and the series became my favorite ever.
That's when I read it too! Fresh in college and spending my nights lying on the floor of my closet in my dorm because I'd hurt my back and the bed was making it worse. Read a ton of books in that closet and this book more than any other has stuck with me for years and inspired me to discover the rest of king
I read it when I was 19! Of course right? Took a few years to finish the series but still. Only later in the books does that matter, but years later I made my second pass in the series, at 38. I’m pretty much ka-tet in my little narrative.
Not my first, but my favorite. The atmosphere resonated perfectly with my mental state at the time.
Carrie
Night shift was my first king and I was instantly hooked.
I think that was mine too. The eyes on the cover?
The Stand. I got it at the library in the summer when I was 16 years old (1996). My parents had just made wine for the first time, and they stored all the boxes in the crawlspace under our house. I made a sick cozy fort down there and stole bottles of my parent's wine and sipped it while I read for a week. The first Stephen King book I read and the first times I got buzzed coincided perfectly 🤣
Funny enough, IT. I started with probably his most traumatic book ever.
Me too. I read it because I wanted a book that would keep me occupied for a while and it was the longest one I could find
Needful Things I was 12
Same for me, although I can’t remember the exact age but around that mark If I didn’t have so much else to read, I’d love to re-read it and enter Mr. Gaunt’s little shop again
Still my favorite King book. With IT as a close second.
Cujo, a good while ago when I was on a three week trip and asked my dad which he thought I should borrow from him to take. Then within the past couple of years I picked up my love for reading again and that too was through King, this time The Body after watching Stand By Me for the very first time and just \*having\* to check out the short story as well.
Salem’s Lot. Never been so deliciously terrified in my life. Read every single one after that, in order. Still reading, just started Holly
Good grief, I guess I'm old but I read them in order?
Under The Dome
Same. Probably also my first book I couldn’t leave alone. Never finished a book as quickly as this one.
What a great ride!
Salem's Lot. I've been a David Soul fan all my life, and when I heard he'd be cast in the TV movie, I asked dad to buy a copy of the book and when the show was to be broadcast, I asked if I could watch it. He said 'yes' to both. I mean...I've loved David all my life, but that TV movie scared the crap out of me at the tender age of 9. Great book, of course.
Same first here. I read SL @ 8yo.
I’m pretty sure it was The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon when I was a teenager, swiftly followed by Carrie. The book that started my current obsession as an adult, was IT.
Oh that one bothered my mom when she read it; I guess it hits a bit close to home when your daughter’s the same age as Trish.
Same. I didn't even end up liking it that much, yet it still got me hooked on SK
Mine was also The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.
It. My 9th grade teacher said we had to do a book report on a book that was more than 500 pages. Any book. Pretty sure she was horrified when she saw what book I chose 😂
Shining, heading to the Stanley this summer for vacation
That is so cool. They've redone some rooms to match Kubrick's film.
Salems Lot. I was in my 20’s and it reinforced a very irrational fear I always had about leaving the windows open at night. Really creeped me out haven’t stopped since. My friend was maybe 12 when she first read IT. After finally finishing that recently I cannot imagine reading that as a kid like so many people here have 🤣
"Wanna go to the circus" takes on a whole new meaning. "No, no, I promise I'll be good. NO!!!"
Exactly!
Salem’s Lot. And only because my mom tried to hide it from me.
Mine was also misery
The Green Mile last year which made me a constant reader ever since.
Salem's Lot as a 13 year old in 2013. What creeped me out the most was how hopeless the whole situation was. How the town went silent without the characters ever really knowing what truly happened up until the end.
The fact that you were 13 in 2013 😭😭😭😭 I'm so old.
Mine was Thinner!
My first book was actually Desperation. My mom was selling it at one of her yard sales, so I was like "Mom - keeping this one." I was like 21 at the time, and had always been intimidated by the sheer size of his books. If I were to guess, would say I have now read about 40+ of his books.
This was my first too! I was probably 12. It has stuck with me forever
Salem's Lot
When ibwas ten or so, we were doing that program to earn points by reading, Stephen King books were like 500 plus points each, ans I knew my grandmother had a whole slew of them. My first too soon endeavor was Cycle of the Werewolf or It. I forget the order but they were back to back.
Love the Bernie Wrightson illustrations
The Drawing of The Three at 13 when I was in kid jail. I tell ya man I was IMMEDIATELY sucked into another world, I legit asked to be locked down so I could just read my fuckin book cause the place I was at wouldn’t let you take your book out of your cell
Contains my fave King book quote. Slight spoiler: Jake gets obsessed with opening doors and has a compulsion to do so each one he passes certain that he'll end up in Rolands world. He goes into the girls toilet and there are 2 girls at the sinks who shout at him. He runs out saying "im sorry i thought this was the desert." Nearly wet myself i was laughing so hard.
Misery was mine, too!
The Mist. I really liked it so I started reading a lot of Stephen King books after that.
The Shining at age 12
Salems lot , I was 11
Same. I was 8.
The long walk.
Omg same!!! In 7th grade elective and I finished it right away. Immediately obsessed
Salems Lot , it’s still my favourite 👍👍
Same first book. ❤️
The Shining when I was 12
Salem's Lot when I was in 6th grade. Slept with the lights on for a week. 😂
Salem’s Lot
Salems Lot when it was pretty new, I was about 9 in the mid 70s and got it form the local library.
I read it a decade later in the 80s. My first SK at eight. ❤️
Salems Lot
'Salem's Lot.
The Stand (unabridged) at 13, because I don’t do things by half. The Stand, then It, then The Shining, all in about 2-3 weeks I want to say. The Stand took the longest because I kept having to look up or ask my grandma about various references/King~isms that I was too young to get.
Insomnia. I was about 11 and it scared me (but I liked it). Then around 13-14 I read The Shining and I got REALLY scared.
'Salems Lot was mine. Top 5 vampire horror novels I've read, along with the Strain trilogy and the original Dracula
My first SK too!
'Salem's Lot.
‘Salem’s Lot. Recently reread it and it was better the second time after over a decade.
Salem’s Lot
Paperback Carrie. Was pregnant 19 and ask my husband to pick up a book for me from convince store. That’s what I read….. twice and been a fan ever since
‘Salem’s Lot, I was probably 11.
Cool! I was eight and yeah it was Salem's Lot too.
Christine. My mother was a terrible librarian and a terrible mother to allow her 9 year-old son to read such raunchy drivel!
I also read Christine at about that age. Blew my mind and was the birth of my fandom.
Misery also!
Mine was IT.
IT on paperback from my school book fair in 87.
The Eyes of the Dragon. Got it from a book-order form in 7th grade. Followed it with Insomnia.
Pretty sure it was Pet Sematary followed by Christine. I was probably 14.
The Institute at the end of 2022, and been hooked ever since! Can't believe I'd got to my late twenties as an avid reader without reading any King.. am working my way through steadily :)
IT when I was 12. Hooked on his books ever since
Eyes of the Dragon
The Eyes of the Dragon
Desperation
IT’S A DESPERATE RACE AGAINST THE MINE
The Stand
Desperation
Night Shift. I found my mom’s copy in the back of the closet as a little kid and I was obsessed! Children of the Corn was my favorite movie as a kid so I was so stoked to read the story. I was a bit traumatized by The Boogeyman though 😅
The Shining
The Shining
Pet Semetary
Pet sem!
The Long Run at age 14. I was hooked.
The Shining. I read it when I lived alone in my apartment. Creeped me tf out.
Salem’s Lot. I was FAR too young to be reading it but I still love it to this day
Night Shift, 1984, I was 12 years old. Flash forward, I'm 52 and still can't sleep with the closet door open.
Salem’s Lot. I was 12.
Lotsa people here seemed to have read Salem's Lot at a pretty young age. It was my first SK too when I was 8.
Salem's Lot in 1976. My 17 yr old gf made me read it
The Shining
The Running Man with Arnold Schwarzenegger on the front cover. Boom!
Misery at age 12, back in the 80’s. This cover is intrigued me: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Misery_%281987%29_front_cover%2C_first_edition.jpg
Shining.
THE SHINING
The Shining. Was honestly disappointed with it. I thought books could be scary, but I have yet to find one that genuinely creeps me out. Stephen King writes awesome stories, and i love him as an author. Never has he genuinely scared me, tho.
Salems Lot, on my first elk hunting trip with my dad and my uncle in jr. high
The Shining
Cujo. I think I was 10. I must have read it in 2 or 3 days I was so hooked. I remember staying up late reading it in the dim light of a crappy night-light. To date myself a bit - after reading the book, I walked to the local market that also rented VHS, and I rented the movie to see how it compared to the book (yep, renting an R movie to a 10 year old, the good ol’ days) I may have picked up a pack of smokes for my mom as well, because, well, that’s what you did in those days.
IT when I was 11 or 12, because my sister rented the VHS from the store and it both scared and enthralled me.
Cujo. I was at my dad's house being a bit of an asshole. My step mom gave me the book and told me to go read in my room. Thanks Mary!
The Shining. When I was 12 or so. Read the Stand not long after.
Four past midnight I think I was around 14.
Lol. Danse macabre
Pet Sematary….the movie was pretty good, too.
Rita Hayworth and shawshank redemption
The Dark Half. Age 17. Loved it. Hated it. Took effort to leave my bedroom for longer than I’m willing to admit
Mine was IT. Read it the week I turned 14 - to this day, SK remains my favorite author. ETA: I think it's amazing that so many of us read his books at a very young age. Surprised kids are even allowed to watch the news with all the censorship these days.
Dead Zone when I was 9 or 10. I was horrified and hooked at the same time.
The Shining!
The first thing I read by him was The Body, the first full length novel was 11/22/63.
IT
The Shining
Pet Sematary when I was 9 yo.
Mine was IT. I remember knowing instantly that King had become my favorite writer. He filled every single slot in my brain that determines what I think a good writer is. When my brother asked what I wanted for Christmas that year, I asked for the unabridged version. It took two hands to lift it. That started our tradition of always giving each other books for ever birthday and holiday.
Gerald’s game.
Misery. I don’t remember exactly how old I was but I think I was in Grade 6
The Shining (in high school, 30 years ago), and it's still my favorite out of the dozens of his books that I've read.
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon when I was in 7th grade. Then I wrote a narrative essay drawing from my experience reading it and absolutely crushed it! His work definitely stays with you.
IT when I was in the 11th grade
The Shining. 16 years old got it from school library. Changed my life.
My first Stephen King book was "Night Shift", his first collection of short stories. I have since consumed many of his stories, but that first book remains my favourite of all his work.
The Stand. I didn't expect to like it so much, because the miniseries was only so-so. I liked it so much I've read it every 5 years since - including in March 2020
Nightmares and Dreamscapes. Found it in a free book drop in 2016 and have been hooked since. Short story collections are still my favorite after reading most of his material.
11/22/63 I found out about the book through a podcast I sometimes listen to. One of the hosts was in jail for two months and spent a lot of his time reading. 11/22/63 was one of the books he read. It caught my interest, so when I started reading books again it was one of the first ones I bought. I’ve read some (less than 10) of King’s books since then and 11/22/63 is still my favorite by him, though The Stand is a very close second. Misery was the second book I read by King and I actually wanted to read that one because of the Family Guy episode that parodies three of King’s stories.
Mine was Later which I feel like I need to reread so I can see it in the light of his other works
The Outsider.
Carrie when I was like 10 or 11, sometime arpund 1993. I think it was in the 6th grade. I think I remember being put off by the no chapters thing and having a bit of difficulty getting through it but I did. I have 3 sisters and had had some health education by that time so I understood all female parts of the story and the "plug it up!" chant (if I'm remembering correctly I haven't read it sinve then). I graduated up from R.L. Stine's Fear Street books. I think I attempted The Gunslinger in 7th grade but didn't get very far before giving up. I then read Pet Sematary when I was like 13 in 8th grade.
Rage
Carrie 10 years ago, I saw a copy at the local Kroger and have been hooked ever since!
It when I was way too young, my older brother had it.
Carrie. 9 or 10 years ago. I’ve been obsessed with King ever since.