Thanks all for watching! What are your favorite Stephen King books, and how would you rank them? Which are your favorite underrated gems?

@GaiaCarney

Ай бұрын

I’m partial to Kings’ short stories 📚 ‘Skelton Crew’ & ‘Night Shift’ are stellar collections!

@Shelf-Esteem

Ай бұрын

@@GaiaCarney oh nice!! I have yet to read those ones - Skeleton Crew is sitting on my shelf right now in fact, so will prob read that one soon! Thanks for your recs on these

@nickthecringe7129

Ай бұрын

Great list! My all time favorite is Green Mile and my fav underrated gem would be Cell or Dolores Claiborne

@Shelf-Esteem

Ай бұрын

@@nickthecringe7129 thanks Nick! I can’t believe I haven’t read any of those yet! I’m so looking forward to hitting up all three this year. They are just sitting on my shelf atm! Great to hear you like The Cell as well - I always heard negative things about that one, so it’s nice to hear an alternative positive review of it! 😊

@nickthecringe7129

Ай бұрын

@@Shelf-Esteem it’s a great zombie apocalypse book I really don’t understand the dislike for it. I hope you enjoy it when you get to it!!

Here's my picks 1. Dolores Claiborne 2. Billy summers 3. Wizard of glass 4. The dead zone 5. Christine 6. The wastelands 7. Rose madder 8. Needful things 9. the gunslinger 10. Insomnia

@Shelf-Esteem

21 күн бұрын

Wow, great choices!! Of this list I still have to read Dolores Claiborne (planning to this year) - I've loved all the other ones though! The toughest part about ranking anything King is there are just so many good ones hahah

@angelaholmes8888

21 күн бұрын

@@Shelf-Esteem have you ever watched the Dolores Claiborne film starring kathy bates

@Shelf-Esteem

21 күн бұрын

@@angelaholmes8888 I've actually never watched that one! How is it? I was planning on reading the Dolores Claiborne book before watching an adaptation, so will likely get to both this year!

@angelaholmes8888

21 күн бұрын

@@Shelf-Esteem the movie is my favorite Stephen king adaptation it's so underrated doesn't get the attention it deserves I'm shocked it never got nominated for an oscar because kathy bates and Jennifer Jason leigh are just brilliant along with the late Christopher Plummer

Just found your channel Nikhil, happy to be here! Recently read Green Mile, my first King book after a life of fantasy, and it was a 6* read for me, naturally I'm ready to consume as much king as I can get now and this list helped to make some choices, I like the sound of Needful Things.

@Shelf-Esteem

4 күн бұрын

Great to have you here Will! So great to hear you liked The Green Mile (it's on my TBR this year as well, as I've heard almost unanimous praise for that one!) So glad you're zeroing in on more King, including Needful Things - that one is an absolute banger, and you get to know literally every character in that town! Can't wait to hear what you think of it :)

@willonbooks

4 күн бұрын

@@Shelf-Esteem I can’t recommend enough… I had a poll for subscribers and after Green Mile 11/22/63 was the next most popular so that will be my next read. I may have to sneak in Needful Things before the others on that poll though as I am very intrigued!

An excellent list! I love Needful Things and feel that it is one of the more underrated King novels. The Shining book and film are so different, and yet both are true horror classics, in my humble opinion. The Stand is my favorite King book. Did you know Stephen King was in two minds about releasing Pet Sematary, he felt it was just too dark. Now you are talking my language, The Waste Lands is also my favorite in the series., for all the reasons you mentioned. 11/22/63 is such a wonderful novel and one of my top reads of 2023. Such an awesome video!

@Shelf-Esteem

2 ай бұрын

Hi Cliff! So glad you liked the list, and absolutely love your choices (and reasons why) as well! I heard about that Pet Sematary story, between that and almost throwing Carrie away, can you believe how many near misses we’ve had?

What a great video, really enjoyed listening to your thoughts on your favourite Stephen King books. Needful Things is my favourite King novel, a couple of my favourite underrated books are Bag of Bones and Revival. The end of Revival was so horrifying to me, my friend and I still talk about how it makes us feel.

@Shelf-Esteem

2 ай бұрын

Great choices !! So glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for watching - just read Bag Of Bones a few months ago and LOVED it as well. The end of Revival is just so harrowing, and I only wish we could have gotten the adaptation Mike Flanagan wanted to make for that (though probably would have given us nightmares haha 😆)

@DisquietandDragons-lh3zm

2 ай бұрын

@@Shelf-Esteem I want to start re-reading some of my favourite King novels, I can barely remember some of them, Bag of Bones is on the re-read pile. I didn't realise there could have been a Mike Flanagan Revival, that would have been nightmare fuel. I think the ending of Revival is the scariest thing I've ever read, it just struck a nerve with me and years later I still think about it.

@Shelf-Esteem

2 ай бұрын

@@DisquietandDragons-lh3zm I completely agree!! It's pretty brilliant how King uses what is probably a universal question we all have about life after death, and twists it in the way only he can. Which reminds me, now I need to re-read Revival hah! :)

Great list. 11/22/63 and IT are 1a and 1b for me, so hard to choose, but both sooooo goood

@Shelf-Esteem

12 күн бұрын

Thanks a lot! And I know the feeling, those top 3-4 are such a toss up honestly haha 😊

I read about 40 of his books. Top 10 10. Misery/Cujo 9. Carrie 8. Pet Semetary 7. Green Mile 6. Joyland 5. The Institute 4. Needful Things 3. Mr. Mercedes 2. Salems Lot 1. The Stand Bottom 5 5. The Dark Half 4. Revival 3. Firestarter 2. Gwendy’s Botton Box 1. Eyes of the Dragon

@Shelf-Esteem

Күн бұрын

Great choices!! I love that you have Joyland and The Institute rated so highly - they don't get the credit they deserve imo! I heard bad things about Gwendy's Button Box, and so haven't read that one yet

@chrisbronico3667

Күн бұрын

@@Shelf-Esteem For the most part, I have heard a lot of people say that they liked the Institute. No. You don’t hear very much about Joyland, but just the nostalgic vibes and the carnival atmosphere really hooked me. There are a couple I haven’t read on your list. Some of the ones that people say are their favorites I have not read, such as, IT 11/22/63 or the dark Tower series.

Interesting choices, enjoyed the video a lot❤

@Shelf-Esteem

9 күн бұрын

@@danielfagbohunlu5626 thanks so much Daniel! It’s always hard to choose when Stephen King is concerned haha 😊 I appreciate you watching, and glad you enjoyed it!

Great video! Looking forward to getting through the whole catalogue so we can have a proper palaver

@Shelf-Esteem

2 ай бұрын

Thanks buddy, looking forward to it! Long days and pleasant nights until then!

All you mentioned are my all time favourites. Would just like to add “Misery” to the list - which kept me on noose, while I read it back when I was a kid !!!

@Shelf-Esteem

26 күн бұрын

Thanks so much Raj, so glad to hear we have such a similar taste in King novels!! And omg Misery! Another fantastic one I should have probably thrown on this list! It was so hard to choose this 10 😂

1 - It 2 - Salem's Lot 3 - Under the Dome 4 - Duma Key 5 - Pet Sematary 6 - Revival 7 - Cujo 8 - Wizard and Glass 9 - The Stand 10 - Storm of the Century

@Shelf-Esteem

11 күн бұрын

What a fantastic list!! Thanks for sharing -- I have both Duma Key and Storm Of The Century on my Stephen King shelf, and plan to get to those this year. So glad you liked them so much, something to look forward to ! :)

@mtwice4586

11 күн бұрын

@@Shelf-Esteem I was really skeptical about Storm of the Century since it is a screenplay, but I thought it was a fantastic, on the edge your seat story.

Thank you for sharing!

@Shelf-Esteem

2 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for watching man! ❤️

Excellent choices! I can't argue with any of them. Some other King works I think you'd enjoy: Bag of Bones (vastly underrated, actually a love story); Night Shift (5 of the stories have been made into movies; probably King's best short story anthology); and Different Seasons (4 novellas including Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption). Keep up the good work!

@Shelf-Esteem

21 күн бұрын

Thanks so much Joe! I loved Bag of Bones as well - it's so hard to do these Top 10 lists, as King has just so many fantastic works!! I'm hoping to get to Night Shift and Different Seasons later this year, as I've heard such great things about both. Looking forward to reporting back on them once I finish!

Adding these to my reading list!!!

@Shelf-Esteem

2 ай бұрын

Yay!! We should read some together too! I’ll reread hahahh

Misery, Dolores Claiborne, Green Mile, Shawshank

@Shelf-Esteem

6 күн бұрын

@@Velidmujic111 great choices from what I’ve heard! I read Misery and absolutely loved it - I can’t wait to read the others this year!

Great list! Just subscribed to your channel. Looking forward to your future videos! King's been a huge influence on my own writing. He's actually the author who made me want to start writing in the first place. Here's my top five: 1) ON WRITING 2) PET SEMATARY 3) NIGHT SHIFT 4) DIFFERENT SEASONS 5) THE SHINING

@Shelf-Esteem

2 ай бұрын

Hi Brian! Thanks for watching and so glad you enjoyed it! LOVE your top 5! I have yet to read Night Shift and Different Seasons (I’m so behind on what I’ve heard are some of his best!) but looking forward to checking those out this year! 😊 Where can I check out some of your writing?

@brianbowyer1805

2 ай бұрын

@Shelf-Esteem Thanks, man! All my stuff's available at Amazon, but I'd be happy to send you a book free of charge, either eBook or paperback, whichever you prefer. Just let me know. Hope you have a great evening!

@Shelf-Esteem

2 ай бұрын

@@brianbowyer1805 Ah Brian, that's so kind of you! I'd absolutely love to read it and give a shoutout on the channel for what it's worth. If easier for you I'm more than happy to take an ebook, but always happy to proudly display on the bookshelf as well :) Do you have a preference?

@brianbowyer1805

2 ай бұрын

@@Shelf-Esteem Awesome! Thanks so much! And no, I have no preference. I'd be delighted to send you either an eBook, a paperback, or both! 😁

11/22/63 is great. Still have to read Mr Mercedes.

@Shelf-Esteem

25 күн бұрын

Ohhh fantastic! Glad you like 11/22/63 as much as I do! The Mr Mercedes trilogy is one of my favorite things King has done - if you like crime fiction and deep character exploration in a way only King can do it’s worth a read!

I have no read 11/22/63 yet it's on my to do list if you read the book he wrote under the Richard Bachmann name I would suggest my two favorites "The Long Walk" snd Thinner. My favorite King books are the three I first read IT ,Pet Seminary, and the one that started it the first Stephen King I read at age 8 Cujo.

@Shelf-Esteem

17 күн бұрын

I love the Long Walk!! I read Thinner a long time ago, and would love to do a re-read at some point. I think you’re going to love 11/22/63 - it’s very different from his earlier works but just fantastically paced and life affirming

These books are likely to be my top ten except you didn't mention Revival, which i adore.

@Shelf-Esteem

5 күн бұрын

Oh I LOVED Revival as well! I realized after I made the list that I could have totally put that on there - it's so hard to choose 10 honestly, as so many of his are good haha!

Great list! My personal top ten: 1. The Dark Tower Complete Series (The Waste Lands if I had to pick just one) 2. IT 3. The Stand (Complete & Uncut) 4. Under the Dome 5. Hearts in Atlantis 6. Billy Summers 7. Dolores Claiborne 8. The Institute 9. The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon 10. The Regulators HM: The Talisman, Misery, Gerald's Game, The Long Walk, Different Seasons, and many more!

@Shelf-Esteem

Ай бұрын

Thanks Chris! I love your list as well! The Stand Uncut is the only way to experience that book imo haha 😊 Also love The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and The Institute - looking forward to reading hearts in Atlantis and the regulators this year hopefully!

11/22/63 IS MY FAVORITE!!!

@Shelf-Esteem

4 күн бұрын

hell yeah!! Great minds read alike! (Isn't that how the saying goes 😄)

11 22 63. Is a lot of people #1. Myself included. But it doesn't have that king feeling to me. Again. It's my favorite book by him. But felt like any authors name could have been slapped up there. Its just a great story

@Shelf-Esteem

Ай бұрын

That’s awesome! The book is such a masterpiece isn’t it? I can totally see what you mean about it not having the typical style / Stephen Kingisms of his other books (with the exception of JIMLA, the yellow card man, maybe the theme of time harmonizing with itself feels a bit dark towery). But totally left field for him! I just love it too

@mattpaul5441

Ай бұрын

@Shelf-Esteem I have read 15 king novels. Mostly, his usual suspects. One that everyone hated, and I read it just to see how bad it was, but I ended up absolutely loving it. Was tommyknockers. Idk. Thought it was great

@Shelf-Esteem

Ай бұрын

@@mattpaul5441 oh awesome! Tommyknockers is on my list for this year - so great to hear you liked it! I’ve also heard very negative things about that book, and have always been curious. Another underrated one you should check out if you haven’t is Revival!

@mattpaul5441

Ай бұрын

@Shelf-Esteem I'm reading bag of bones now. Then Revival. Everyone says it's his best ending.