Category: Stephen King

Andrew Buckner’s 10 Favorite Books of 2025 (So Far)

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by Andrew Buckner

*Please note that the books included in this list are done so based on the criteria of an original publication date of 2025.

10. What Kind of a Name is Lolly Anyway?

by Lucy Brighton

9. Curse of the Blood Witch

by Dawn Colclasure

8. Rule of Extinction (The Preservation of Species 1)

by Geoff Jones

7. Going Home in the Dark

by Dean Koontz

6. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

by Grady Hendrix

5. 3 A.M. Poetry

by Dawn Colclasure

4. Paper View

by Laughton J. Collins, Jr.

3. 40 More Cult Movies

by Jon Towlson

2. Never Flinch: A Novel 

by Stephen King

1. The Fourth Mind

by Whitley Strieber

Andrew Buckner’s 30 Favorite Books of 2024

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by Andrew Buckner 

*Please note that the inclusion of the books on this list are done so on the basis of an original 2024 publication date.

30. Eruption: A Novel 

by Michael Chrichton, James Patterson

29. Heads Will Roll

by Josh Winning 

28. Dear Hanna: A Novel 

by Zoje Stage

27. Memorials 

by Richard Chizmar

26. The Rack: Stories Inspired by Vintage Horror Paperbacks

by various authors            

25. The Hitchcock Hotel 

by Stephanie Wrobel

24. The Bad Weather Friend 

by Dean Koontz

23. The Forest of Lost Souls 

by Dean Koontz

22. Extinction: A Novel 

by Douglas Preston 

21. The Angel of Indian Lake

by Stephen Graham Jones

20. Incidents Around the House: A Novel 

by Josh Malerman

19. Middle of the Night: A Novel 

by Riley Sager

18. Camino Ghosts: A Novel 

by John Grisham

17. Cringerotica 

by Soli

16. Butcher: A Novel 

by Joyce Carol Oates

15. Melancholy Arcadia 

by John Compton

14. We’re Alone: Essays 

by Edwidge Danticat         

13. Shock Induction 

by Chuck Palahniuk

12. Only Animals 

by Chelsea Sutton

11. Be a Revolution: How Everyday People are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World – and How You Can, Too

by Ijeoma Oluo

10. Horror Movie: A Novel 

by Paul Tremblay

9. Bootlace Cinema: Collecting Horror,  Science-fiction, and Exploitation Movies on Super 8

by Mark Williams

8. Words Left Unspoken 

by J.A. McGovern

7. Shadows and Light: Haiku and Senryu 

by Laughton J. Collins, Jr.

6. Hip Hop is History 

by Questlove, Ben Greenman

5.  Black Ceasers and Foxy Cleopatras: A History of Blaxplotation Cinema 

by Oldie Henderson

4.  You Like it Darker: Stories

by Stephen King 

3.  Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions 

by Jim McCloskey, John Grisham

2.  Sonny Boy: A Memoir

by Al Pacino

1. Sociopath: A Memoir

    by Patric Gagne, Ph.D.

    Runner-up: 

    The Accomplice: A Novel 

    by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson

    The 10 Best Books of 2024 (So Far)

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    By Andrew Buckner

    *Please note that the inclusion of all the books on this list are based on the criteria of an original publication date in the first half of 2024.*

    10. Camino Ghosts

    By John Grisham

    9. Extinction

    by Douglas Preston 

    8. Cringerotica

    by Soli

    7. Only Animals

    by Chelsea Sutton

    6. Melancholy Arcadia

    by John Compton

    5. Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World– and How You Can, Too

    by Ijeoma Oluo

    4. Words Left Unspoken

    by J. A. McGovern

    3. Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras: A History of Blaxploitation Cinema

    by Oldie Henderson

    2. You Like it Darker: Stories

    by Stephen King

    1. Sociopath: A Memoir

    by Patrick Gagne

    Runner-up:

    The Angel of Indian Lake

    by Stephen Graham Jones

    The Bad Weather Friend

    by Dean Koontz

    The 25 Best Books of 2023

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    By Andrew Buckner

    *The inclusion of the books in this list are done so based on the criteria of an original publication date of 2023.*

    25. Ghost Riders in the Sky and Other Lines

    by Laughton J. Collins, Jr.

    24. Don’t Fear the Reaper

    by Stephen Graham Jones

    23. Holly 

    by Stephen King

    22. Dead Mountain: A Nora Kelly Novel

    by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

    21. Making Nothing at the Age of 20

    by Rolfe Kanefsky

    20. The House at the End of the World

    by Dean Koontz

    19. The Lost Tomb: And Other Real-Life Stories of Bones, Burials, and Murder

    by Douglas Preston

    18. 40 Cult Movies: From Alice, Sweet Alice to Zombies of Mora Tau

    by Jon Towlson

    17. The Beast You Are: Stories

    by Paul G. Tremblay

    16. Mothered

    by Zoje Stage

    15. The Shards

    by Bret Easton Ellis

    14. The Donut Legion 

    by Joe R. Lansdale

    13. Feast

    by Ina Carino

    12. All That’s Grotesque & Fancy Like 

    by Jennifer J. Prescott

    11. Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World

    by Naomi Klein

    10. Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will

    by Robert M. Sapolsky

    9. Not Forever, But For Now 

    by Chuck Palahniuk

    8. Looking Glass Sound

    by Catriona Ward

    7. Becoming the Boogeyman

    by Richard Chizmar

    6. How to Sell a Haunted House

    by Grady Hendrix

    5. Still Life at Eighty: The Next Interesting Thing

    by Abigail Thomas

    4. 50 Movies Made: Lessons Learned on a Filmmaker’s Journey

    by Jared Cohn

    3. The Creative Act: A Way of Being

    by Rick Rubin 

    2. Poverty, by America

    by Matthew Desmond 

    1. The Curse of the Marquis de Sade: A Notorious Scoundrel, a Mythical Manuscript, and the Biggest Scandal in Literary History 

    by Joel Warner

    Runner-up:

    After Death

    by Dean Koontz

    Bridge

    by Lauren Beukes

    The Only One Left: A Novel

    by Riley Sager

    The 25 Best Books of 2022

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    By Andrew Buckner

    25. Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir

    By Bob Odenkirk

    24. Quicksilver

    By Dean Koontz

    23. Diablo Mesa

    By Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

    22. Road of Bones

    By Christopher Golden

    21. Stella Maris

    By Cormac McCarthy 

    20. Monstervision: The Films of John and Mark Polonia

    By Douglas Alan Waltz

    19. Fight or Play Basketball: every shot counts

    By Mike Messier

    18. The House Across the Lake

    By Riley Sager

    17. The Girl Who Outgrew the World

    By Zoje Stage

    16. Sundial

    By Catriona Ward

    15. Gwendy’s Final Task

    By Stephen King, Richard Chizmar

    14. Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head: Poems

    By Warsan Shire

    13. Sparring Partners

    By John Grisham

    12. All the Flowers Kneeling

    By Paul Tran

    11. The Passenger

    By Cormac McCarthy

    10. Devil House

    By John Darnielle

    9. Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance

    By John Waters 

    8. The Kaiju Preservation Society

    By John Scalzi 

    7. Feel Your Way Through: A Book of Poetry

    By Kelsea Ballerini

    6. The Pallbearers Club

    By Paul Tremblay

    5. Hell Spring

    By Isaac Thorne

    4. Fairy Tale

    By Stephen King

    3. The Boys from Biloxi

    By John Grisham

    2. The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, From the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us

    By Steve Brusatte

    1. Cinema Speculation

    By Quentin Tarantino

    Runners-Up:

    The Babysitter Lives

    By Stephen Graham Jones

    Celest

    By Sandy Robson

    Child Zero: A Novel

    By Chris Holm

    City on Fire

    By Don Winslow

    Stinetinglers: All New Stories by the Master of Scary Tales

    By R.L. Stine

    The 10 Best Books of 2021 (So Far)

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    By Andrew Buckner

    *The criteria for being included on this list is based on an original publication date in 2021.

    10. The Scorpion’s Tail

    By Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

    9. The Plot

    By Jean Hanff Korelitz

    8. Sooley: A Novel

    By John Grisham

    7. Later

    By Stephen King

    6. The Other Emily

    By Dean Koontz

    5. Because He’s Jeff Goldblum: The Movies, Memes and Meaning of Hollywood’s Most Enigmatic Actor

    By Travis M. Andrews

    4. Jesus: A New Vision

    By Whitley Strieber

    3. A Distance from Avalon

    By Mike Messier

    2. A Bright Ray of Darkness

    By Ethan Hawke

    1.Vibrate Higher: A Rap Story

    By Talib kweli

    The Ten Best Books of 2020

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    By Andrew Buckner

    10. Crooked River
         By Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child.

    9. Survivor Song
        By Paul Tremblay.

    8. Wonderland
        By Zoje Stage. 

    7. Devoted
        By Dean Koontz.

    6. The Living Dead
        By George Romero, Daniel Kraus.

    5. Ready Player Two
        By Ernest Cline.

    4. Home Sweet Home
        By Riley Sager.

    3. Chasing the Light
        By Oliver Stone.

    2. A Time for Mercy
        By John Grisham.

    1. If It Bleeds
        By Stephen King

    Runners-Up:

    Camino Winds
       By John Grisham

    Elsewhere
       By Dean Koontz

    AWordofDreams’ 21 Favorite Horror Novels of the 21st Century (So Far)

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    By Andrew Buckner

    21. The Scarlet Gospels by Clive Barker
    20. The Night Parade by Ronald Malfi
    19. The Devil’s Labyrinth by John Saul
    18. Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
    17. Broken Monsters by Lauren Feukes
    16. The Lords of Salem by Rob Zombie, B.K. Evenson
    15. The Taking by Dean Koontz
    14. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
    13. The Gordon Place by Isaac Thorne
    12. Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
    11. Stranglehold by Jack Ketchum
    10. The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
    9. The Strain by Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan
    8. The Institute by Stephen King
    7. Under the Skin by Michael Faber
    6. Consumed by David Cronenberg
    5. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
    4. Nos4a2 by Joe Hill
    3. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
    2. The Fireman by Joe Hill
    1. Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

    A Word of Dreams’ 10 Favorite Books of 2018

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    By Andrew Buckner

    10. HOOKED ON HOLLYWOOD: DISCOVERIES FROM A LIFETIME OF FILM FANDOM by Leonard Maltin

    9.WADE IN THE WATER: POEMS by Tracy K. Smith

    8. WARLIGHT by Michael Ondaatje

    7. ELEVATION by Stephen King

    6. THE CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Paul Tremblay

    5. TRUE INDIE: LIFE AND DEATH IN FILMMAKING by Don Coscarelli

    4. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE DINOSAURS: A NEW HISTORY OF A LOST WORLD by Steve Brusatte

    3. THE RECKONING by John Grisham

    2. GHOSTBUSTER’S DAUGHTER: LIFE WITH MY DAD, HAROLD RAMIS by Violet Ramis Stiel

    1. THE OUTSIDER by Stephen King