10 Best Stephen King Books in 2022 (The Shining, IT, and More)

In this beautifully crafted long tale, a flu-like plague wipes out most of the population, leaving a scattered few to find their way in unfamiliar territory. From the ashes of the pandemic, survivors begin to gather together as two opposing forces in an epic struggle of good versus evil.

This extended version of the story has an additional 500 pages. For some readers, this made the book too long, and too wordy. However, many reviewers found it impossible to put down and related strongly to the characters. The fictional pandemic in the book also hit readers hard due to the pandemic in the real world.

Jack Torrance takes the job of winter caretaker at the prestigious and remote Overlook Hotel, and moves in with his wife and son. The hotel has seen many horrors, however, and soon begins to dig into both Jack and his son, Danny. Danny has 'the shining'—a psychological power that not only feeds the hotel, but might be their only chance for survival.

There is a lot of description and backstory in the book, and this slow pace was not to the taste of every reader. However, many readers praise how the book builds on how isolated the family is. The psychological and surreal aspects of the story also come in for praise.

The innocence of children is beautifully portrayed in this book against a backdrop of betrayal and pure evil. The Institute cuts across several genres and tells the story of psychically-gifted children who are taken from their homes to the titular Institute. Who has taken them, and why are they there?

Some reviewers found this book to be too slow and couldn't engage with the storyline or characters. However, many reviewers enjoyed the pacing and how it builds towards the ending. There is praise from both long-time King fans and those who are new to his writing.

The crime fiction angle is not one that Stephen King has pursued often, but he pulls it off well in this suspenseful thriller. The book tells the story of retired policeman Bill Hodges and his pursuit of the perpetrator of a massacre. A cat-and-mouse game ensues, and it becomes a race against time before another massacre occurs.

Some readers say that as a detective and crime thriller, this book was too predictable. Many reviewers love King's take on the genre, however, and rushed to read the rest of the trilogy, of which this is the first book. They praise the writing and say the book is full of suspense, especially as it rushes towards the end!

This disturbing story is about a group of childhood friends struggling to free their town from pure evil. 'It' most commonly appears as Pennywise the clown and refuses to leave the small town of Derry, Maine alone. The children become adults and realize that they must return to Derry and defeat 'It' once and for all.

At 1,392 pages long, several reviewers think the book would benefit from being shorter. Some reviewers were also critical of the sexual nature of some scenes. However, It is a horror classic for a reason, and most readers agree that it is worthy of this title. They enjoyed the world-building of Derry and the development of the characters. 

An unlikely hero on a quest in a post-apocalyptic world creates the setting for The Dark Tower series. The Gunslinger is the first in the series and follows Roland of Gilead as he pursues the elusive Black Man. It doesn't fit into a particular genre and most of its appeal lies in the meshing of different genres.

For some reviewers, even fans of the series as a whole, this was a boring and confusing start to it. However, other reviewers were hooked by the enigmatic hero of the book and the portrayal of good versus evil. The series as a whole is greatly recommended by many King fans and considered to be some of his best work.

This fast-paced sequel to The Shining reunites readers with a grown-up Danny, who has had to live with the terrifying events at The Overlook Hotel. Now known as Dan, he connects with a young girl that also has the Shining, and they must team up to fight off evil and save the girl's life.

The story of the Creeds takes you on a horrifying journey that meshes the supernatural and the ordinary into a titillating story. The book deals with death and how it affects those left behind. If you can bring a loved one back, would you? More importantly, should you? 

The slow pace of the first half of the book is criticized by some reviewers. However, most readers loved the well-developed characters and King’s ability to paint even the most unusual of monsters into reality. There are many comments reporting how creepy and scary this book is, and that it was difficult to put down.

Set on the Death Row of Cold Mountain Penitentiary, the 'green mile' refers to the last walk every man must take before his death sentence is carried out. Prison warden Paul Edgecombe has seen many prisoners come and go, but in wrongly convicted prisoner John Coffey, he finds something new and amazing.

The early stages of the book were a little slow going for some readers. However, others found it to be very captivating and suspenseful. Readers liked that it dug deeper into the characters than the movie version did. They say it is a beautiful and heartbreaking book.

The appeal of this book lies in its beautiful portrayal of overcoming grief, a good romance, and the struggle between good and evil. The charming Kayla, the brave Mattie, and the main protagonist Michael Noonan will stay with you long after the last page of this compelling read.

There are comments from several readers that the ethereal and dream-like writing of parts of the book make it long-winded and too slow. According to other reviewers, this book is haunting, and they praise King's ability to weave together several story strands and themes so effortlessly.