Read by Stephen King
What books does Stephen King recommend?
The King of Horror is also one of literature's most generous readers, and Stephen King's book recommendations carry the authority of a writer who has sold 350 million copies across more than 60 novels. King has flagged 24 titles here, sourced from his craft memoir On Writing, his study of horror Danse Macabre, his Entertainment Weekly column, and his prolific Twitter feed. Fiction and literature dominate, with strands of psychology, society and politics, and history. William Golding's Lord of the Flies looms largest among his top picks: it was, King writes, "the first book with hands - strong ones that reached out of the pages and seized me by the throat." He ranks Catch-22 as one of "two great American novels in the past fifty years" and cheerfully recommends contemporary horror like A Head Full of Ghosts, which "scared the living hell out of me."
Last updated February 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
byWilliam Golding
1954224 Pages“It was the first book with hands—strong ones that reached out of the pages and seized me by the throat.”
— Stephen King
Source: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
byShirley Jackson
1959246 Pages“One of the most important horror novels of the 20th century.”
— Stephen King
Source: Danse Macabre
Read by Chip Wilson, Richard Thaler, Stephen King and 1 others
byJoseph Heller
1961453 Pages“To my mind, there have been two great American novels in the past fifty years. Catch-22 is one of them.”
— Stephen King
Source: Stephen King Recommends (Simon & Schuster)
Read by Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman and 8 others
The Lord of the Rings
The Fellowship of the Ring / The Two Towers / The Return of the King
byJ.R.R. Tolkien
19541178 Pages(721,705)
Source: The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books
Read by Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Jordan Peterson and 11 others
byGeorge Orwell
1949328 Pages(4,800,000)
Source: The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books
Read by Stephen King
A Head Full of Ghosts
A Novel
byPaul Tremblay
2015304 Pages“Scared the living hell out of me and I'm pretty hard to scare.”
— Stephen King
Source: Twitter
Read by Stephen King
The Passage
A Novel
byJustin Cronin
2010766 Pages“You've heard about this ripping (literally) yarn; summer's the perfect time to read it.”
— Stephen King
Source: Entertainment Weekly Column
Read by Stephen King
Carrion Comfort
A Novel
byDan Simmons
2009884 Pages“One of the three greatest horror novels of the 20th century.”
— Stephen King
Source: Twitter
Read by Stephen King
byRichard Matheson
1954160 PagesSource: Danse Macabre
Read by Stephen King, Ryan Tubridy, Reese Witherspoon and 2 others
byDonna Tartt
1992559 Pages(1,040,000)
Source: On Writing Reading List
byCharles Dickens
18531017 PagesSource: The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books
byMark Twain
2009368 Pages(1,339,613)
Source: The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books
bySalman Rushdie
2008576 PagesSource: The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books
Read by Stephen King
byMichael Chabon
2007414 PagesSource: On Writing Reading List (Updated)
byJunot Díaz
2008352 PagesSource: On Writing Reading List (Updated)
Read by Stephen King
byStieg Larsson
2008480 Pages“Lisbeth Salander is one of the great female characters in fiction.”
— Stephen King
Source: Entertainment Weekly Column
Read by Stephen King
byJeff VanderMeer
2014208 Pages“Creepy and fascinating.”
— Stephen King
Source: Twitter
Read by Stephen King
The Orphan Master's Son
A Novel
byAdam Johnson
2012443 PagesSource: The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books
Read by Stephen King
The Deluge
A Novel
byStephen Markley
2023896 Pages“This book is, simply put, a modern classic. If you read it, you'll never forget it.”
— Stephen King
Source: Stephen King Recommends (Simon & Schuster)
Read by Stephen King
byRuth Rendell
2015240 Pages“Every aspect of Ruth Rendell's dark art is splendidly showcased.”
— Stephen King
Source: Stephen King Recommends (Simon & Schuster)
Read by Oprah Winfrey, Shonda Rhimes, Tim Cook and 3 others
byHarper Lee
1960281 Pages(6,752,249)
Source: On Writing Reading List
byJ.K. Rowling
1998309 Pages(9,400,000)
Source: On Writing Reading List
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Frequently asked questions
What books does Stephen King recommend?
His 24 recommendations include Lord of the Flies, The Haunting of Hill House, Catch-22, The Lord of the Rings, and 1984, alongside modern horror and literary fiction such as A Head Full of Ghosts and The Secret History.
What is Stephen King's favourite book?
Lord of the Flies is a defining top pick. King calls it "the first book with hands - strong ones that reached out of the pages and seized me by the throat." He also names Catch-22 one of the great American novels.
Where do Stephen King's book recommendations come from?
They are drawn from his memoir On Writing, his nonfiction study Danse Macabre, his Entertainment Weekly column, his "Stephen King Recommends" list for Simon & Schuster, and his active Twitter account.
Has Stephen King written any books?
Yes, more than 60. This collection notes nine of his own, including Carrie, The Stand, It, Misery, Doctor Sleep, 11/22/63, Fairy Tale, Holly, and his craft memoir On Writing.
Does Stephen King recommend contemporary horror?
Yes. He praises Paul Tremblay's A Head Full of Ghosts, which "scared the living hell out of me," and Dan Simmons's Carrion Comfort, which he calls "one of the three greatest horror novels of the 20th century."
All 24 Books Stephen King Has Recommended
- Lord of the Flies · William Golding
- The Haunting of Hill House · Shirley Jackson
- Catch-22 · Joseph Heller
- The Lord of the Rings · J.R.R. Tolkien
- 1984 · George Orwell
- A Head Full of Ghosts · Paul Tremblay
- The Passage · Justin Cronin
- Carrion Comfort · Dan Simmons
- I Am Legend · Richard Matheson
- The Secret History · Donna Tartt
- Bleak House · Charles Dickens
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn · Mark Twain
- The Satanic Verses · Salman Rushdie
- 2666 · Roberto Bolaño
- The Yiddish Policemen's Union · Michael Chabon
- The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao · Junot Díaz
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo · Stieg Larsson
- Annihilation · Jeff VanderMeer
- The Dutch House · Ann Patchett
- The Orphan Master's Son · Adam Johnson
- The Deluge · Stephen Markley
- Dark Corners · Ruth Rendell
- To Kill a Mockingbird · Harper Lee
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone · J.K. Rowling