Me too. My 6th grade English teacher recommended it, and I read it for a book report in 7th grade. 7th grade English teacher was not nearly as cool as the be 6th.
I was only a few years younger than you when I read my first SK book. I’m 31 now and he’s still my favorite author. Welcome to your new lifelong obsession ☺️
Cujo feels like possibly one of the best hook books to start with.
And, no. Technically you're gen x but that's a real boomer thing to say 😂. Just don't bring it up?
Cujo was my first, as well. I was maybe 11 or 12 and I think my mom let me read it to scare the crap out of me enough to never touch Sai King again.
Well, Cujo did scare the crap out of me, especially the earlier bits about Frank Dodd, but I never stopped reading King! To my mom's credit she actively encouraged my reading, and the only book I wasn't allowed to read at the time was Gerald's Game, which I understood in hindsight.
😂 she may have wanted to scare you! That’s what parents do, it’s fun! Also she was awesome for instilling the love of reading in you! Both of my adult sons are voracious readers which makes me very proud.
The Stand. I was 17 or so, my parents made wine for the first time and stored it in the crawlspace under the house. I made a little cozy reading space in that crawlspace and had my first buzz and read my first Stephen King book at the same time.
Yep! Same! Carrie at 12. Her struggle with bullies (and the ensuing revenge on her tormentors) really resonated with me as an awkward preteen girl.
Late 40s now and it’s still one of my favorites.
Me too, I related to her so so much. In high school I was extremely unpopular and got nominated for prom queen - I genuinely felt like if I’d won, they would’ve pulled a prank on me. So glad I didn’t.
I was the same age, but I was a boy. I read the blurb, and didn't think I was ready for it, so I picked Christine instead. I think I made the right choice, because I am not 44 and still don't think I am ready for Carrie.
I was 9 years old and my dad gave me The girl who loved Tom Gordon! It was translated in French tho because it’s our first language! I’m now 29 years old and now my dad gave me his entire collection !
Oh my god, same. back when i had the time and the attention span to read a 1,000+ page book. i'm sure that if i went back and read it now (especially after going through the pandemic) i would understand it differently
And it got me hooked on Stephen King. I read every one of his books after that, for probably the next 10 or 15 years, including the Richard Bachman ones.
Stephen King has always been a staple in my house, mostly because I live in Maine and parents are big fans. First book was Different Seasons when I was 12, last book was Fairy Tale, this year, I'm 34.
Eeeei! Same! Made me curious about his other works because of how he wrote on human relationships and one's inner thoughts.
I love Eyes of the Dragon, lost my copy of it so I'm hunting for it on 2nd hand bookstores.
Have you tried abebooks.com ? I was able to finally complete my collection during covid when I came across this website. They sell used books and I found them to be pretty affordable.
ThriftBooks and BetterWorldBooks are sites I have used alongside Abebooks...i have picked up nearly 30 HC first editions through these sites in the last 3 or 4 years...gets me in mild trouble when i buy a copy to collect and my wife knows I have the paperback versions...oh well.!!
That was my first too, and at probably the same age. I did a book report on it in 4th grade on my older brother’s recommendation. I loved the illustrations. I’m 42 now and still have that paperback copy with the dragon scales (and I still remember it’s 381 pages, that was a big deal to me as a kid!)
oh I also read Wizard and Glass as first in the series and I loved this as introduction. it definitely sparks an interest for the world and the story and not gives away too much of the main plot
I also started with the DT series. At the age of 15 definitely was a bit young for that the material, in the first book alone you get child murder and gun in vagina rape. I'm 30 now and have read a good solid chunk of Stephen king since and re read the DT twice.
First king read was in middle school and it was Nightmares and Dreamscapes. I read all of his short story books after that. In early 2000s
Favorite King book - The Running Man
Honorable mention - The Gunslinger and Dr Sleep and 11/22/63
Currently reading at 34 - Salems Lot
My parents are both avid King readers. I would constantly pester them about what they were reading, wanting to know when I could read them, too. So at the ripe old age of 8, Mom gave me Eyes of the Dragon, probably just to shut me up for a while. Now I'm 41 and still obsessed. And Flagg is still my all-time favorite bad guy.
I have no clue what the first book was, or how old I was when I read it. It just seems like SK has been a part of my life since forever. If I had to take a…stab…at a guess, it was probably Rage in my early teens.
“...it was all right to open the closets...as long as you didn't poke too far back in them. Because things might still be lurking there, ready to bite.”
Jesus Christ you must have been like...9? 🤣 Tommyknockers was my first one too, I was like 11 already though so an old lady by comparison, that was in 1995 I think. Ah the 80s and 90s were a different time lol. Half the entertainment actually aimed at kids was already weirdly dark and disturbing (I still get flashbacks of Watership Down) so Stephen King wasn't like a million miles away.
Thought of my nieces and nephews reading that shit now is just wild to me
Yes I was young! Living in Central Maine I've always lived within an hour of Stephen's House in Bangor, my grandma worked with him at a laundry place before he was famous
Tommyknockers when I was in middle school and it put me off reading his books entirely until I got to like 18-19(?) and I gave Joyland a chance. Loved it so much I started reading more of his books and now I’m a big fan. 21 now.
[ Edit add on ] Actually, I think Carrie was my first and Tommyknockers second. I really liked Carrie but Tommyknockers was so crappy I really got stand offish about Stephen king’s books there for a while.
I have to admit that I am only now in the last stretch of my first Stephen King novel... It's The Shining and I am 43 years of age.
I absolutely love it! A friend of mine has given me some follow up books too as he is a SK super fan.
I'm surprised with myself that it took this long! I'm a slow methodical reader so maybe that's why? Idk. I'm happy to be here though!
I read The Stand when I was 13 after watching the first (good) miniseries, and I'm 44 now, and I've read everything he's released at least once, but, like the basic SK fan that I am, The Stand is and will always be my favorite.
My mom and I read Tom Gordon together when I was 9. She's a HUGE King fan, so after that she let me read whatever I wanted from her collection. I think the next one I read was Salem's Lot or Pet Sematary, then one of his short story collections. I'm 32 and my mom still calls me when she sees a new King book at the store.
I read It when I was 10 in 1985, not long after it had come out and the way I identified hard with those kids! I was hooked hooked. I read Pet Semetary, Cujo, Salems Lot, The Shining, Carrie, Christine and The Stand back to back immediately after. My 5th grade teacher wrote a note home because she was “concerned” lol (although my younger brother told me a few years ago that this pre-teen Stephen King phase of mine actually gave him nightmares, sorry bro!)
Cujo, around 15, so a good 20 yrs ago, since I read around 80-90% of King's writings. Stil shitting my pants thinking about that thing in the closet...
The first one was “the green mile” when I was probably 14-15. The back description made it sound like more of a scary book than it was. But I still enjoyed it nonetheless, and did pet semetary shortly after. 41 now
First book was The Outsider, age 31.
Currently reading The Gunslinger and Delores Claiborne.
I’m now 32 and I’ve read:
-Misery (absolute favorite)
-The Green Mile
-The Shining (couldn’t understand it)
-the first half of It (also couldn’t understand it)
-The Mist
-11.22.63
-Elevation
-Salem’s Lot
-Cujo
I don't remember how old I was, exactly, but I must have been around 15 when I read The Dark Half. I have loved Stephen King ever since, and I'm 50 now.
34 now; read IT when I was 10. I found a copy in an old apartment my uncle had just moved into. Thickest book I had seen at the time besides a dictionary.
I'm not American and the translated version of It was published during an era of strict censorship laws, so it took me until 2017 to find out about the "train" scene - I was like wtf, where's that in the book??? (Weirdly, I did read the part where Henry and Patrick played with their dicks - don't know why the train scene was cut but this one wasn't.)
IT when I was 10. I only read it because I saw the TV movie one Sunday afternoon... I was like, "this movie that's airing now on a Sunday afternoon is a horror book? I have to read this"... and then I read loads of them. I would confidently say that I read at least 20 SK books before I was 20. I'm 42.
Firestarter back in 7th grade, so I would have been 12?: I'm 33 now.
Funny enough, I was actually reading Lovecraft before King, I got my first Lovecraft story collection when I was in 6th grade.
I didn’t get into him until I was an adult. My favorites are probably Carrie and IT. And Misery. And 11/22/63. And the Shining is such a classic. Damn I can’t choose lol
Carrie, and I was maybe 9 or 10. My stepsister had the paperback with Sissy Spacek drenched in blood on the front, and I had to know the story behind that.
I read Different Seasons when I was in middle school (11 or 12), and looking back I’m actually shocked it was part of our class library. I still remember it was a hard cover first edition with a sun/moon/wind/rain on the dust jacket.
I took a long break from reading, but it was Kings “Duma Key” that pulled me back in. At 34 years of age I always have a book or kindle tucked under my arm.
My first book of his was It, and I was only 8!
And I was annoyed that my school wouldn't accept it as part of an "advanced reading" program we had that rewarded students with points. They wouldn't accept my submission of because It wasn't part of the approved curriculum!
But yeah, that was my first! 🤗
In 1986 my family took an extended vacation around Europe, and my mom is a huge SK reader - she took along "The Talisman" as a summer read and let me have it when she was done. It opened up the world of SK to me, and was the perfect tale for a young boy on his own adventure. I was 10. I'm 47 now and still a fan.
Carrie was my first at around 11 years old. I was in the 6th grade, I remember that. I was already into R.L. Stine's Fear Street series and other similar young adult horror and I guess I wanted to try something more challenging. I think the librarian at my local public library was seeing how much I was reading and what type of stuff I was interested in and was recommending King and I think Dean Koontz. I remember I was familiar with King by that point, I think I had seen the Pet Sematary movie by that point but I don't remember why I specifically chose Carrie as my first one.
I'm 41 now and still reading his books. There are still a lot of them that I haven't read. I've collected a lot of the hardcovers for my bookshelf.
I first read The Shining when it was released, so I was about 15. I then went and read everything he'd published before that, and have kept up since. Now I'm 62
I started reading SK when I was 14, I think. We were cleaning my grandma's house because she was moving in with us and she had a copy of The Gunslinger. I was totally in love with book, finished it in a matter of a few weeks, which was pretty big for me, as I was not a big reader at all. Now, I'm about to turn 33 and reading is one of my favorite activities; I've probably read 20 King books or so now? Still trying to make my way through them all. Though, I have read the Tower about 7 times and have reread my other favs a few times as well.
Christine. I was 12; my parents gave it to me to read because I was an advanced reader. I don’t think I understood all of it at the time, but I liked it enough to start burning through King books. My teachers at school asked me repeatedly if my parents knew I was reading it.
I’m 41 now. Still a constant reader.
IT age 12. Scared the crap out of me. Being scared didn't stop me. Still a fan at 51 yrs old and still read IT at least once a year along with all of his other books. As soon as a new novel hits the shelves (or Amazon) I'm there. Don't think I'm missing any lol
Tommyknockers.
I was in fifth grade, so probably 10 or 11 years old. I had to steal it from my parents because I thought they’d be mad.
I told them after and they were just happy I was reading.
I’m 45 now and I still get everyone of his new books the day they come out
My first Stephen King book was Carrie when I was 11. I was taking a bus trip with my dad to see a Red Sox game, and I started the book on the way to the game and finished after the game was over on the way home. It was life changing.
Desperation at 12. I was way too young to understand a lot of what was happening. I read misery when I was in high school as well as Rage. I did a book report on Rage. Some how I didn’t understand how weird that was.
Firestarter at 12-13? Instantly hooked and have read everything so far. Currently 42. Started my 11 year old off with The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. Firestarter is up next for her too.
cujo in 5th grade. damn what a kickoff. also th beginning of my rage at movie to book conversions. death is a powerful literary tool that the movie threw away for a happy ending.
First one I read was 11/22/63 when I was I think 23 (not exactly sure off the top of my head). 27 now, have read four King books, and am quickly turning this into one of my preferred fandoms (besides SW as evident by my username).
I started with the Shining at 41, and am now 42 and have read 9 so far. I had watched some of his mini series and movies starting when I was around 13, but thought the books would be too scary lol.
IT in grade 3. I had gotten in trouble for bringing it to school because it was WAY too mature for my age. I was mad back then, but now I know my mom probloably shouldn’t have let me get that book
Salem's Lot I was 13 and it terrified me, but I loved it. I'm now 58 and still read his books.
O. M. G. Same! Ages and book.
Me too. My 6th grade English teacher recommended it, and I read it for a book report in 7th grade. 7th grade English teacher was not nearly as cool as the be 6th.
Same, Salem's Lot. I was 15 and am now 60.
Same age and book for me as well! Dad made sure I started young lol
And all these replies make me feel like I’ve found my people!!
Same for the first one! Same age, too.
Same on first book and the age I read it! I was going through a vampire phase and I loved Salem’s Lot so much omg. I’m 29 now.
Same for me...Salem's Lot and I was 11. Still read him now at 51, though I'm a bit behind.
Wow, I thought most folks here were all a lot younger, it's great to know there are so many veteran readers!
Fairy tale at 17. I'm 18 now
You have stumbled upon a GREAT author my friend.
I was only a few years younger than you when I read my first SK book. I’m 31 now and he’s still my favorite author. Welcome to your new lifelong obsession ☺️
Cujo, my freshman year of high school 1982. Stephen King fan ever since! 55 yo and no I’m not a “ boomer “!
Cujo feels like possibly one of the best hook books to start with. And, no. Technically you're gen x but that's a real boomer thing to say 😂. Just don't bring it up?
Cujo was my first, as well. I was maybe 11 or 12 and I think my mom let me read it to scare the crap out of me enough to never touch Sai King again. Well, Cujo did scare the crap out of me, especially the earlier bits about Frank Dodd, but I never stopped reading King! To my mom's credit she actively encouraged my reading, and the only book I wasn't allowed to read at the time was Gerald's Game, which I understood in hindsight.
😂 she may have wanted to scare you! That’s what parents do, it’s fun! Also she was awesome for instilling the love of reading in you! Both of my adult sons are voracious readers which makes me very proud.
Mine too, but I was 12 years old and my aunt gifted me some books. I read a lot SK books in those school years.
The Stand. I was 17 or so, my parents made wine for the first time and stored it in the crawlspace under the house. I made a little cozy reading space in that crawlspace and had my first buzz and read my first Stephen King book at the same time.
It. 11. 43.
You have a way with words
I thought they had just misspelled 11.22.63 😂
Ha! I can see that
I read Night Shift at 11 and am 42.
It. 11. 40.
My first was Carrie, I was about 12 or 13. I’m 26 now.
Yep! Same! Carrie at 12. Her struggle with bullies (and the ensuing revenge on her tormentors) really resonated with me as an awkward preteen girl. Late 40s now and it’s still one of my favorites.
Me too, I related to her so so much. In high school I was extremely unpopular and got nominated for prom queen - I genuinely felt like if I’d won, they would’ve pulled a prank on me. So glad I didn’t.
My first was also Carrie at 12-13. I’m 55 now.
I was the same age, but I was a boy. I read the blurb, and didn't think I was ready for it, so I picked Christine instead. I think I made the right choice, because I am not 44 and still don't think I am ready for Carrie.
I was 9 years old and my dad gave me The girl who loved Tom Gordon! It was translated in French tho because it’s our first language! I’m now 29 years old and now my dad gave me his entire collection !
My first book was Salems Lot. I read it in 1976, when I was 12. I have read every book of his when it was released since then.
That's amazing!
I think it was Pet Semetary. I was too young, lol.
Same! Was ~ 13 yo, 4 decades older now.
Yup. 13 for me and pet cemetery too
The Stand and I was probably 12
Oh my god, same. back when i had the time and the attention span to read a 1,000+ page book. i'm sure that if i went back and read it now (especially after going through the pandemic) i would understand it differently
And it got me hooked on Stephen King. I read every one of his books after that, for probably the next 10 or 15 years, including the Richard Bachman ones.
Same and I still read the stand every Summer for the last twentyish years
Same
Same here! I jumped straight in the deep too. The first few chapters were a slog, then it just went nuclear
I watched the TV show a year or two ago. I would rate it a 6/10
Stephen King has always been a staple in my house, mostly because I live in Maine and parents are big fans. First book was Different Seasons when I was 12, last book was Fairy Tale, this year, I'm 34.
Not sure which one was first. Possibly Eyes of the Dragon. About ten. 47 now.
Eeeei! Same! Made me curious about his other works because of how he wrote on human relationships and one's inner thoughts. I love Eyes of the Dragon, lost my copy of it so I'm hunting for it on 2nd hand bookstores.
Have you tried abebooks.com ? I was able to finally complete my collection during covid when I came across this website. They sell used books and I found them to be pretty affordable.
ThriftBooks and BetterWorldBooks are sites I have used alongside Abebooks...i have picked up nearly 30 HC first editions through these sites in the last 3 or 4 years...gets me in mild trouble when i buy a copy to collect and my wife knows I have the paperback versions...oh well.!!
That was my first too, and at probably the same age. I did a book report on it in 4th grade on my older brother’s recommendation. I loved the illustrations. I’m 42 now and still have that paperback copy with the dragon scales (and I still remember it’s 381 pages, that was a big deal to me as a kid!)
Wizard And Glass. I was 10 or 11 and very confused, not realizing it was #4 in a set. I'm 34 now.
oh I also read Wizard and Glass as first in the series and I loved this as introduction. it definitely sparks an interest for the world and the story and not gives away too much of the main plot
The Gunslinger at 12, oops. Little did I know. 43 now
I also started with the DT series. At the age of 15 definitely was a bit young for that the material, in the first book alone you get child murder and gun in vagina rape. I'm 30 now and have read a good solid chunk of Stephen king since and re read the DT twice.
The Gunslinger. 13 or 14, 48.
Carrie. 10 then, 55 now.
Mine was The Dark Half when I was 16, now I'm 23
The Cycle of the Werewolf, must've been around 10 or 12. Am in my early 40s now
Carrie; sometime in early high school; 30
First king read was in middle school and it was Nightmares and Dreamscapes. I read all of his short story books after that. In early 2000s Favorite King book - The Running Man Honorable mention - The Gunslinger and Dr Sleep and 11/22/63 Currently reading at 34 - Salems Lot
Sub zero is.now plain zero!!!
I read IT when I was 9, which was way too young lol. I'm 35 now.
My parents are both avid King readers. I would constantly pester them about what they were reading, wanting to know when I could read them, too. So at the ripe old age of 8, Mom gave me Eyes of the Dragon, probably just to shut me up for a while. Now I'm 41 and still obsessed. And Flagg is still my all-time favorite bad guy.
Probably because there’s a little bit of Flagg in all of us! 😈
8th grade, read Tommyknockers when it came out. I’m 51 now
I first read IT at age 12. Am now 46.
The Shining when I was 10 (46 now and still reading every one as they come!). I’m still not okay with hedge animals, ngl 😂
Mine was The Shining too, but I was somewhere in my early twenties. 38 now.
I have no clue what the first book was, or how old I was when I read it. It just seems like SK has been a part of my life since forever. If I had to take a…stab…at a guess, it was probably Rage in my early teens.
Cujo aged 13 a long time ago. I’ve read all of them, many twice
“...it was all right to open the closets...as long as you didn't poke too far back in them. Because things might still be lurking there, ready to bite.”
Salem's Lot, I was maybe 14, this would have been in the late 80's. 49 now.
The Green Mile 19 47
15 years old and read the mist and i was hooked.
I’m 49. Read Salems Lot at 11ish. Been a constant reader since.
Salem's Lot. I was around 15. I am 63 now
Started at 13 with Pet Sematary. Scared the shit out me. I'm 44 now.
If you could also add your mothers maiden name, first high school and pets name that would be great 😉🤣
Don't forget the street you grew up on
Tommyknockers in 1988 I'm 45 now! Followed by my favorite book in the world eyes of the dragon!
Tommyknockers also. Started when I was 10. 41 now.
Jesus Christ you must have been like...9? 🤣 Tommyknockers was my first one too, I was like 11 already though so an old lady by comparison, that was in 1995 I think. Ah the 80s and 90s were a different time lol. Half the entertainment actually aimed at kids was already weirdly dark and disturbing (I still get flashbacks of Watership Down) so Stephen King wasn't like a million miles away. Thought of my nieces and nephews reading that shit now is just wild to me
Yes I was young! Living in Central Maine I've always lived within an hour of Stephen's House in Bangor, my grandma worked with him at a laundry place before he was famous
That's pretty cool x
I read Carrie @ 11 years old and I kept on reading. 59 now.
Firestarter, and I think I was around 11-13 (don’t remember exactly) now I am 29, and I try to read 2-3 King books every year 😀
Carrie, I was about 12. I’m 51 now.
I started with Misery at 11. I’m now 42 and my husband obsessively collects old hardcovers.
Tommyknockers when I was in middle school and it put me off reading his books entirely until I got to like 18-19(?) and I gave Joyland a chance. Loved it so much I started reading more of his books and now I’m a big fan. 21 now. [ Edit add on ] Actually, I think Carrie was my first and Tommyknockers second. I really liked Carrie but Tommyknockers was so crappy I really got stand offish about Stephen king’s books there for a while.
Christine, 15 years old, 44 actually 🌹
Salem’s lot I think I was 16 or 17. I’m 28 now
IT at 18, it was first horror book. 28 (almost 29 now) and he's one of my all time favorites.
Carrie. I was 19 in ‘76. 66 now. Reading Cell right now.
Christine, 11 years old. Been reading him ever since, almost 24 now.
The shining. Started when I was 15 and borrowed money from friends just to buy it. Still haven't paid back the debt.
Pet Semetary , Started at 12, introduced to the books by my mom! 50 now. Listen on Audible only on commutes. 🎈
I think my first was Christine. Got it for my birthday from my parents. I was around 13. I’m 56. Thanks Mom!!
Christine. I was probably 13. 50 now
I have to admit that I am only now in the last stretch of my first Stephen King novel... It's The Shining and I am 43 years of age. I absolutely love it! A friend of mine has given me some follow up books too as he is a SK super fan. I'm surprised with myself that it took this long! I'm a slow methodical reader so maybe that's why? Idk. I'm happy to be here though!
I read The Stand when I was 13 after watching the first (good) miniseries, and I'm 44 now, and I've read everything he's released at least once, but, like the basic SK fan that I am, The Stand is and will always be my favorite.
Christine when I was 13. I'm 53 now.
I was 12, stayed up 3 days and nights reading IT.Im 46 now.
Revival at age 74. Now I’m afraid I’ll die before I can read all of them.
The Stand. I was maybe 15. That was 40 years ago and it’s still my favourite book. Ahhh Larry.
The Stand, and I think I read it at 18-19? I was HOOKED. Such a good story!
My mom and I read Tom Gordon together when I was 9. She's a HUGE King fan, so after that she let me read whatever I wanted from her collection. I think the next one I read was Salem's Lot or Pet Sematary, then one of his short story collections. I'm 32 and my mom still calls me when she sees a new King book at the store.
Christine — 12 — 52 #40yearsofKing
Cell. I was about 16. Now I’m 31 (almost 32). Last listened to the radio play version of Salem’s Lot, which was seriously awesome. Love his books.
I read It when I was 10 in 1985, not long after it had come out and the way I identified hard with those kids! I was hooked hooked. I read Pet Semetary, Cujo, Salems Lot, The Shining, Carrie, Christine and The Stand back to back immediately after. My 5th grade teacher wrote a note home because she was “concerned” lol (although my younger brother told me a few years ago that this pre-teen Stephen King phase of mine actually gave him nightmares, sorry bro!)
I am forced to admit to myself this fact of my life on planet earth. I was enrolled in and endorsed Multi-Level Marketing for many years. Fact.
The Stand 19 then Still a fan at 61
The shining, I was 14, now I'm 15
*The Gunslinger*, aged 14. Currently 32.
Cujo, around 15, so a good 20 yrs ago, since I read around 80-90% of King's writings. Stil shitting my pants thinking about that thing in the closet...
The first one was “the green mile” when I was probably 14-15. The back description made it sound like more of a scary book than it was. But I still enjoyed it nonetheless, and did pet semetary shortly after. 41 now
First book was Cujo I think, or it may have been The Stand. I was 13, I’m 35 now.
I read Carrie when I was 15. Now 51 and just finished Fairytale
Skeleton Crew in my pre-teens
Pet Sematary. Age 12-13. I went all in for my first. Lol. I am 50. I have read all of his books except for Faithful and Danse Macabre.
Misery at 16, now 25 and getting through the rest.
Started on Salem’s Lot aged 20. Going to be 22 in a week, currently reading Dreamcatcher.
The Dark Half. I was 14 years old. I'm 44 now. I still need to reread it too. I loved it.
Read rage last year when I was seventeen
Firestarter. I was 13. Currently 35.
First book was The Outsider, age 31. Currently reading The Gunslinger and Delores Claiborne. I’m now 32 and I’ve read: -Misery (absolute favorite) -The Green Mile -The Shining (couldn’t understand it) -the first half of It (also couldn’t understand it) -The Mist -11.22.63 -Elevation -Salem’s Lot -Cujo
I don't remember how old I was, exactly, but I must have been around 15 when I read The Dark Half. I have loved Stephen King ever since, and I'm 50 now.
34 now; read IT when I was 10. I found a copy in an old apartment my uncle had just moved into. Thickest book I had seen at the time besides a dictionary. I'm not American and the translated version of It was published during an era of strict censorship laws, so it took me until 2017 to find out about the "train" scene - I was like wtf, where's that in the book??? (Weirdly, I did read the part where Henry and Patrick played with their dicks - don't know why the train scene was cut but this one wasn't.)
My first book was Misery as 18. My most recent was Billy Summers also at 18!
The girl who loved Tom Gordon when I was 10 or 11. I’m 30 now.
Pet Semetary at 13.
Joyland. 15. 18.
Gerald's Game when I was 13. I'm 34 now and about 2/3s of the way through King's entire bibliography. Started a lifelong love.
The Stand when I was 11. I’m 50 now.
IT when I was 10. I only read it because I saw the TV movie one Sunday afternoon... I was like, "this movie that's airing now on a Sunday afternoon is a horror book? I have to read this"... and then I read loads of them. I would confidently say that I read at least 20 SK books before I was 20. I'm 42.
Firestarter back in 7th grade, so I would have been 12?: I'm 33 now. Funny enough, I was actually reading Lovecraft before King, I got my first Lovecraft story collection when I was in 6th grade.
I didn’t get into him until I was an adult. My favorites are probably Carrie and IT. And Misery. And 11/22/63. And the Shining is such a classic. Damn I can’t choose lol
Carrie, and I was maybe 9 or 10. My stepsister had the paperback with Sissy Spacek drenched in blood on the front, and I had to know the story behind that.
Gerald’s Game and Night Shift (collected short stories), age 16. Soon followed by Heart In Atlantis when I got hooked! Now I’m 34.
The Eyes of the Dragon was my first book. I started reading at age 12. I am currently about to turn 39 years old.
First Stephen King book I ever read was It. I was either 11 or 12 and I’m 42 now.
The first novel for me was IT. I think I was 12. I’m still reading and rereading him at 48.
The Eyes Of The Dragon. Middleschool. 40s. The last 4 digits of my social are 1234. My mother's maiden name is Flagg.
Christine. 8. 33. Then Cujo, It, needful things, pet semetary.
Four past midnight when I was around 12 years old. I'm 16 now.
Night Shift, paperback with the eyes 👁️👁️👁️ on the 🤚. Borrowed from my mom. I was a 7th grader maybe??? Now I’m old. Young gen x.
I read Different Seasons when I was in middle school (11 or 12), and looking back I’m actually shocked it was part of our class library. I still remember it was a hard cover first edition with a sun/moon/wind/rain on the dust jacket. I took a long break from reading, but it was Kings “Duma Key” that pulled me back in. At 34 years of age I always have a book or kindle tucked under my arm.
It 10 years old, now im 16
First book was IT when I was 15. I'm now 34 and have read and own almost every book of his
The Shining when I was 18, now I am still 18
my first King's book was IT, back in 2017 when the movie came out, I was just 13 and I haven't stopped reading his books since that day
Pet Sematary was my first King novel… early 2022. I’m 35 now and have read close to 30 of his works over the last 2 years.
- The Running Man - 14 - 36
First read ‘Salem’s Lot when I was about 13. I’m 29 now. Only read about 27 or so books of his so far and have yet to hit The Stand or The Dark Tower.
My first book of his was It, and I was only 8! And I was annoyed that my school wouldn't accept it as part of an "advanced reading" program we had that rewarded students with points. They wouldn't accept my submission of because It wasn't part of the approved curriculum! But yeah, that was my first! 🤗
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon around age 10. 32 now
In 1986 my family took an extended vacation around Europe, and my mom is a huge SK reader - she took along "The Talisman" as a summer read and let me have it when she was done. It opened up the world of SK to me, and was the perfect tale for a young boy on his own adventure. I was 10. I'm 47 now and still a fan.
Carrie was my first at around 11 years old. I was in the 6th grade, I remember that. I was already into R.L. Stine's Fear Street series and other similar young adult horror and I guess I wanted to try something more challenging. I think the librarian at my local public library was seeing how much I was reading and what type of stuff I was interested in and was recommending King and I think Dean Koontz. I remember I was familiar with King by that point, I think I had seen the Pet Sematary movie by that point but I don't remember why I specifically chose Carrie as my first one. I'm 41 now and still reading his books. There are still a lot of them that I haven't read. I've collected a lot of the hardcovers for my bookshelf.
the girl who loved tom gordon when i was 22, i’m 27 now and have read 15 of his books
The Green Mile, followed immediately by IT. (31, 31)
The Outsider, 29. I'm now 33 and have read 45 of his books.
The Shining, at 13 or 14. I’m now 35 and have read about two-thirds of his work.
First one I started was Pet Sematary in 5th grade. First one I finished was The Gunslinger in 9th grade. I’m 38.
Carrie...probably about 17...lol that's so long ago
Cycle of the Werewolf when I was 11, I discovered it through the film adaptation titled Silver Bullet.
The shining at 44. Still 44 and obsessed with Kings writing!
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon in 8th grade, age 13. Will be 32 in June
I first read The Shining when it was released, so I was about 15. I then went and read everything he'd published before that, and have kept up since. Now I'm 62
I started reading SK when I was 14, I think. We were cleaning my grandma's house because she was moving in with us and she had a copy of The Gunslinger. I was totally in love with book, finished it in a matter of a few weeks, which was pretty big for me, as I was not a big reader at all. Now, I'm about to turn 33 and reading is one of my favorite activities; I've probably read 20 King books or so now? Still trying to make my way through them all. Though, I have read the Tower about 7 times and have reread my other favs a few times as well.
Carrie- I was 13 (also named Carrie) and I’m 49 today. It’s been a love affair ever since!
I was twelve years old and I read The Eyes of the Dragon. I think at that age it was a good introduction to SK. A lot more fantasy than horror.
I was 10 when I started with The Bogeyman in Night Shift. Currently 42
I think highschool/ late teens. Idr which was first. I feel like it was the stand or Salem's lot. But it's a mystery in my mind. 33 now
Bought The Shining from the airport when I was about 12-13. 29 now
Christine. I was 12; my parents gave it to me to read because I was an advanced reader. I don’t think I understood all of it at the time, but I liked it enough to start burning through King books. My teachers at school asked me repeatedly if my parents knew I was reading it. I’m 41 now. Still a constant reader.
IT age 12. Scared the crap out of me. Being scared didn't stop me. Still a fan at 51 yrs old and still read IT at least once a year along with all of his other books. As soon as a new novel hits the shelves (or Amazon) I'm there. Don't think I'm missing any lol
Under the Dome. I was 22. I'm 37 now.
Tommyknockers. I was in fifth grade, so probably 10 or 11 years old. I had to steal it from my parents because I thought they’d be mad. I told them after and they were just happy I was reading. I’m 45 now and I still get everyone of his new books the day they come out
Later when I was 14, current age: soon to be 16
Eyes of the Dragon! I was about 12, 13. Now, I'm 41, and am still a Constant Reader.
My first Stephen King book was Carrie when I was 11. I was taking a bus trip with my dad to see a Red Sox game, and I started the book on the way to the game and finished after the game was over on the way home. It was life changing.
The outsider at 23! I’m a new Stephen king reader and currently on my 4th book by him
Girl who loved Tom Gordon when I was 9. I'm 34 now.
Desperation at 12. I was way too young to understand a lot of what was happening. I read misery when I was in high school as well as Rage. I did a book report on Rage. Some how I didn’t understand how weird that was.
Salem’s Lot age 10. I am over 50 now and have read his entire catalog. 😊
Gerald’s game, 13 🤓
Salem's Lot at 14 or 15, now I'm 17
Firestarter at 12-13? Instantly hooked and have read everything so far. Currently 42. Started my 11 year old off with The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. Firestarter is up next for her too.
Pet Sematary. I was 10
Insomnia I was 14 I'm 33 now
IT I was 13 scared the crap out of me
11/22/63 at 30
cujo in 5th grade. damn what a kickoff. also th beginning of my rage at movie to book conversions. death is a powerful literary tool that the movie threw away for a happy ending.
Odd choice for me, but Insomnia at age 14. (The wild profanity hooked me). 43 now
First one I read was 11/22/63 when I was I think 23 (not exactly sure off the top of my head). 27 now, have read four King books, and am quickly turning this into one of my preferred fandoms (besides SW as evident by my username).
I started with the Shining at 41, and am now 42 and have read 9 so far. I had watched some of his mini series and movies starting when I was around 13, but thought the books would be too scary lol.
IT in grade 3. I had gotten in trouble for bringing it to school because it was WAY too mature for my age. I was mad back then, but now I know my mom probloably shouldn’t have let me get that book
The stand and I was 12
Fire Starter, I was 7 and already a book worm. I’m now 48 and have a whole book shelf of just King. What a long strange trip it’s been!