What are you reading?

I'm only four chapters in, but I'm hooked. Bummed to read someone saying in this thread that there wasn't any substance in the books. I hope they are wrong.

FYI, I haven't watched the show at all.

 

LOL.. that was me. I like them fine, and they are decently entertaining. I just like the show moar.

 

I think the books are better, but then I can't remember that ever not being the case. I have read the first seven twice, the 8th just recently. There is one more in the works. The show is amazing though, and will probably be better yet on Amazon, as the strictures on content that broadcast channels like syfy have placed upon them (though nothing like it used to be) will be lifted. Enjoy.

 

This is by far my favorite SK book, I've read it a few times over the years, and it never gets old. A couple months after I read it the first time this version (Complete and uncut) came out and I had to read it again.

About a year ago I finally broke down and read The Gunslinger series even though someone had spoiled the ending for me years ago, and it put me off from ever reading it. I have to say after reading the whole series I ended up really enjoying how it finished.

 

I just finished the Extracted Trilogy by R.R. Haywood, a Sci-Fi / Time Travel series that I couldn't put down. An amazing fantasy series I recently finished is the Sanctuary Series by Robert J. Crane, and I will be starting the Extinction Point series by Paul Antony Jones next.

 

Several months ago I read all of the Throne of Glass series. It’s a YA epic fantasy series. It had some really good parts, but it was also incredibly inconsistent. The characterization was all over the place, with characters changing their demeanor seemingly at the authors whim. I wouldn’t recommend it, but I’m also not upset I read the whole thing.

Recently though I read through all of another web serial called Mother of Learning. It’s not quite complete, but should be in the next month or two, and it’s awesome. It doesn’t start off as strong as Worm, nor is it as good overall, but it is still very good. It’s about a boy who’s going to a magic academy. And yes, I get that that probably reminds you of Harry Potter, but that is basically where the similarities end.

 

I got hooked on SK with the Stand as well. I recently went through the Dark Tower series and I loved the tie-in with the Crimson King. Now I’m going to read anything with a connection to the DT. I’m starting with Salem’s Lot because I really liked Father Callahan.
BTW, I really liked the ending(s) of DT as well.

 

The ending of the Dark Tower series was simultaneously gutting and uplifting. I was very much late to the party, only started borrowing the books from my high school library* a few years before Keyhole was published, but this allowed me to binge read the books, as far as loan schedules permitted, haha.

More than his novels, I think I love SK's short stories. There's something about how unrestrained they are compared to his other works that I really enjoy. One story that sticks to my mind is The End of the Whole Mess— without spoiling anything, the shift in writing towards the end unnerved me in a way few books ever had, genuinely terrified me.

My biases are showing, I'm a sucker for novellas and short fiction done well.

*In retrospect I've somehow managed to actually never read The Drawing of the Three. May be due for a series re-read from start to end now. Damn.

 

Ditto.

I started reading the series when it 1st came out, but never got past the 1st couple of books. I might just have to pick up the series & give it a read, since I never got to the end that everyone seems to like so much.

 

I just started reading Footsteps in the Fog - Alfred Hitchcock’s San Francisco. If you are a Hitchcock devotee, it is so far very good. Lots of photos too.

 

Just finished the first book in the Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb. Great book, keeps you on the edge of your seat. Starting the next one right now.

 

The Dark Tower is all about the journey. The Drawing of the Three is probably one of the best books in the whole series and sets the theme of redemption with Eddie’s story.
I know some years down the line I will listen or read the series again.

 

The Brother Karamazov. It’s been a long read. Sometimes so bizarre, yet I cannot say it’s unreal.

 

For those SK fans here, I would highly recommend The Talisman - an epic fantasy adventure he co wrote with Peter Straub back in 1984, and Black House, the sequel the two of them again co-wrote in 2001. The latter especially having some tie-in to The Dark Tower series as well. If you asked me what my favorite book I have ever read is, The Talisman would be it.

Steven Spielberg bought the rights for a film adaptation before the book even came out, and there have been rumors it would be made into a movie ever since. Lately the rumor mill has been at it again. I can only hope one day this tale makes it to the screen.

https://ew.com/movies/2019/03/12/stephen-king-peter-straub-the-talisman-movie/

 

I'll second that as well. King's short stories are excellent, I have most of the collections - Night Shift, Skeleton Crew, Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Bazaar of Bad Dreams, Everything's Eventual. The only one I have not read is Just After Sunset, but it is on my to-read list.

Currently reading Strange Weather, a book of 4 short novellas by Joe Hill (King's son, who is a pretty decent writer himself). Before that I recently finished Strange Highways, a short story collection by Dean Koontz, another great author in the same genre as SK.

 

I haven't yet read Bazaar, Sunset, or Skeleton Crew, but they're all on my to-get list as well, haha.

Another person whose short fiction I really like is Neil Gaiman. Very popular authors revealing of my basic taste, granted, but I love how ethereal the content is, like the sorta things that catch on my consciousness in the first few fragments of a second after waking up from a strange dream.

Throwaway recommendation for Megan Whalen Turner's Queen's Thief series. More young adult fiction, I don't think I'll ever grow out of it really. Good fun, well-written characters, and there's just something genuinely enjoyable about seeing the Thief of Eddis get into assorted messes and murder his way out of them (sorta). A friend lent me the second and third books back in high school, it was years later that I remembered the series offhand and tracked down a used copy of the books to read it all, haha.

Add: HOLY CRAP THERE'S A NEW BOOK IN THE SERIES COMING OUT. I just learned of it when Googling to make sure I got the series name right. Shit this is supposed to be the final installment. I need this. Publication pushed back to 2020? Damn.

 

@Lyer25 you might like The short story in The tall grass by Joe Hill and SK it is such a evil little short story you will like it it I don`t want to spoil anything

 

I looked it up, definitely seems up my alley. Reading it first chance I get, thanks for the recommendation!

Also, now's as good a time as any to admit I had no idea who Joe Hill was before now. Oddly I love SK's work but know next to nothing about his life outside of what he's written in his books, haha.

 

Read Christmasland and Fireman both of them are fantastic

I can highly recommend them

 

A bit of topic but here is another weird/cool thing about SK his Band