The Terrifying Stephen King Book Challenge

Each year, I read between 45 and 65 books by a variety of authors in multiple genres. Over a 43-year span, I have read most of Stephen King’s novels, but not in order, and certainly not in a space where I picked up on all of the nuances and threads running through his books. For years, I’ve dreamed of reading them straight through, from Carrie to now Holly. I guess it’s one of those things on my bucket list that I am finally ready to move to the green-check column.

So, beginning the week of October 1, 2023, I will be reading a book a week to complete King’s novels from first to most recent, ending the final week of December 2024.

Won’t you join me?

Each week, I will post the book we are reading with an invitation for you to leave your thoughts on the book and how it fits into the bigger canon of King’s books.

No commitment. No pressure. Just a space for us to read and share our thoughts.

This is my personal challenge that I share with all of you. Join me for one book or for all 63. I’m just happy to have you with me in celebrating (and being terrified by) Stephen King’s books, beginning October 1, 2023. I can’t wait to read with you!

Here’s the link to the Terrifying Stephen King Book Challenge Facebook Group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/stephenkingbookchallenge

You can also join me on Instagram for weekly posts about the book we are reading.

The Terrifying Stephen King Book Challenge Schedule

• Week 1: 10/1 – Carrie
• Week 2: 10/8 – Salem’s Lot
• Week 3: 10/15 – Rage (as Richard Bachman)
• Week 4: 10/22 – The Shining (Shining Series)
• Week 5: 10/29 – Doctor Sleep (Shining Series)
• Week 6: 11/5 – The Stand (We’re going right to the Uncut Edition)
• Week 7: 11/12 – The Stand (it’s long; let’s take another week)
• Week 8: 11/19 – The Long Walk (as Richard Bachman)
• Week 9: 11/26 – The Dead Zone
• Week 10: 12/3 – Firestarter
• Week 11: 12/10 – Roadwork (as Richard Bachman)
• Week 12: 12/17 – Cujo
• Week 13: 12/24 – The Running Man (as Richard Bachman)
• Week 14: 12/31 – Christine
• Week 15: 1/7 – Cycle of the Werewolf
• Week 16: 1/14 – Pet Sematary
• Week 17: 1/21 – The Eyes of the Dragon
• Week 18: 1/28 – The Talisman (Talisman Series)
• Week 19: 2/4 – Black House (Talisman Series)
• Week 20: 2/11 – Thinner (as Richard Bachman)
• Week 21: 2/18 – IT
• Week 22: 2/25 – IT (like The Stand, we’ll take two weeks for this one)
• Week 23: 3/3 – Misery
• Week 24: 3/10 – Tommyknockers
• Week 25: 3/17 – The Dark Half
• Week 26: 3/24 – Needful Things
• Week 27: 3/31 – Gerald’s Game (oft referred to as The Abused Wife Trilogy)
• Week 28: 4/7 – Dolores Claiborne (oft referred to as The Abused Wife Trilogy)
• Week 29: 4/14 – Rose Madder (oft referred to as The Abused Wife Trilogy)
• Week 30: 4/21 – Insomnia
• Week 31: 4/28 – Desperation (Linked with The Regulators)
• Week 32: 5/5 – The Regulators (as Richard Bachman)
• Week 33: 5/12 – The Green Mile (The Complete Serial Story)
• Week 34: 5/19 – Bag of Bones
• Week 35: 5/26 – The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
• Week 36: 6/2 – DARK TOWER SERIES No. 1: The Gunslinger
• Week 37: 6/9 – DARK TOWER SERIES No. 2: The Drawing of the Three
• Week 38: 6/16 – DARK TOWER SERIES No. 3: The Waste Lands
• Week 39: 6/23 – DARK TOWER SERIES No. 4: Wizard and Glass
• Week 40: 6/30 – DARK TOWER SERIES No. 4.5: The Wind Through the Keyhole
• Week 41: 7/7 – DARK TOWER SERIES No. 5: Wolves of the Calla
• Week 42: 7/14 – DARK TOWER SERIES No. 6: Song of Susannah
• Week 43: 7/21 – DARK TOWER SERIES No. 7: The Dark Tower
• Week 44: 7/28 – Dreamcatcher
• Week 45: 8/4 – From a Buick 8
• Week 46: 8/11 – Cell
• Week 47: 8/18 – Lisey’s Story
• Week 48: 8/25 – Blaze (as Richard Bachman)
• Week 49: 9/1 – Duma Key
• Week 50: 9/8 – Under the Dome
• Week 51: 9/15 – Under the Dome (yep; 2 weeks for the King’s 3rd longest book)
• Week 52: 9/22 – 11/22/63
• Week 53: 9/29 – The Colorado Kid (The Hard Case Crime Novels)
• Week 54: 10/6 – Joyland (The Hard Case Crime Novels)
• Week 55: 10/13 – Later (The Hard Case Crime Novels)
• Week 56: 10/20 – Mr. Mercedes (The Bill Hodges Trilogy)
• Week 57: 10/27 – Finders Keepers (The Bill Hodges Trilogy)
• Week 58: 11/3 – End of Watch (The Bill Hodges Trilogy)
• Week 59: 11/10 – Revival
• Week 60: 11/17 – The Outsider (Holly Gibney)
• Week 61: 11/24: If It Bleeds (Holly Gibney)
• Week 62: 12/1 – Holly (Holly Gibney)
• Week 63: 12/8 – Elevation
• Week 64: 12/15 – The Institute
• Week 65: 12/22 – Billy Summers
• Week 66: 12/29 – Fairy Tale