Updated June 14, 2019 51.2k votes 5.9k voters 135.8k views102 items
List RulesVote up the best books recommended by Stephen King in On Writing and Danse Macabre.
What books does Stephen King recommend? You don't become one of the most prolific writers of all time without reading a few books. In his book, On Writing, Stephen King stresses the importance of constantly reading new books. He tries to read every single day, which is no easy task given his schedule, but King feels it is important to stay educated. So if you want to pick up a book and start reading, where do you start? There are a gazillion books out there, how do you narrow it down? Well, again, it's Stephen King to the rescue.
In the back of On Writing, there's a list of books recommended by Stephen King himself and it's a great list for anyone looking to start writing their own novels, or just enjoy a great story. King also recommends a plethora of titles in Danse Macabre, his rather in-depth tome on the horror genre. Check out the list below for all the books Stephen King recommends and vote up the ones you think are the best reads.1
2,955335To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee2
2,459401Lord of the Flies
William Golding3
2,440470Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
J. K. Rowling4
2,339462Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
J. K. Rowling5
2,316474Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
J. K. Rowling6
1,148341Oliver Twist
Charles Dickens7
1,332418Hannibal
Thomas Harris8
948394Angela's Ashes
Frank McCourt9
849351Ghost Story
Peter Straub10
876365Heart of Darkness
Joseph Conrad11
648315At the Mountains of Madness
H. P. Lovecraft12
568296A River Runs Through It
Norman Maclean13
591317Into Thin Air
Jon Krakauer14
542333The Poisonwood Bible
Barbara Kingsolver15
500306As I Lay Dying
William Faulkner16
436278Hocus Pocus
Kurt Vonnegut17
402257The Body Snatchers
Jack Finney18
427303A Walk in the Woods
Bill Bryson19
317307The Beach
Alex Garland20
314309The Shipping News
E. Annie Proulx21
308327The English Patient
Michael Ondaatje22
264278The Secret History
Donna Tartt23
259286A Canticle for Leibowitz
Walter M. Miller, Jr.24
250276A Widow for One Year
John Irving25
254283Thank You for Smoking
Christopher Buckley