I Read Every Goodreads Choice Award Winner in Mystery Thriller for the Last Decade

I read way more Stephen King than I planned to but... here we are. Let's read and rank every Goodreads Choice Award Winner in the Mystery Thriller category from 2013 to 2022
PLEASE be sure to check out all the videos from all the Booktubers who collaborated on this! • 10 Years of Goodreads ...
Everyone who participated
‪@BeautifullyBookishBethany‬ ‪@CriminOllyBlog‬ ‪@EarlGreyBooks‬ ‪@HappyforNow‬ ‪@JessOwens‬ ‪@LifeasMonae‬ ‪@LiteratureScienceAlliance‬ ‪@LocDBooktician‬ ‪@mynameismarines‬ ‪@pucksandpaperbacks‬ ‪@ReadswithRachel‬ ‪@realmofcomics2812‬ ‪@Shaegeeksout‬ ‪@ThatLizHunter‬ ‪@ThorWantsAnotherLetter‬ ‪@WildeBookGarden‬
Other videos mentioned -
‪@EmilyCait‬ The Outsider review: • Review | SPOILERS? | T...
‪@danecobain‬ The Outsider review: • Stephen King - The Out...
‪@Princess_Weekes‬ Discussion of Black characters in Stephen King: • The Magical Negroes of...
00:00 - Intro & Finding TBR
11:00 - The Girl on the Train
15:26 - Into the Water
17:38 - The Bill Hodges Trilogy
24:31 - Inferno
27:44 - The Last Thing He Told Me
30:25 - The Outsider
38:17 - Final Thoughts & Ranking
PATREON: / bookslikewhoa
Join the channel:
/ @bookslikewhoa
~*~*~
Books Mentioned (all links are affiliated):
THE MAID by Nita Prose - amzn.to/3leU3j8
THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides - amzn.to/3I41VyO
THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley - amzn.to/3SaOeTn
THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins - amzn.to/3K3B3BB
INTO THE WATER by Paula Hawkins - amzn.to/3YKS0Vl
MR MERCEDES by Stephen King - amzn.to/3jYOZBZ
FINDERS KEEPERS by Stephen King - amzn.to/3E5Pu45
END OF WATCH by Stephen King - amzn.to/3RSrYgN
INFERNO by Dan Brown - amzn.to/40OXjVE
THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave - amzn.to/3jRY93d
THE OUTSIDER by Stephen King - amzn.to/3lrNCfz
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Disclaimers: Unless specifically noted by me in this video, title, or description, this video is not sponsored and I have not been compensated for its creation or publication. If I receive any form of compensation, or if I am provided with any books or goods discussed in this video for promotional consideration, I will disclose that in the video or description. All links with a "**" in front of them are affiliate links, and I will receive compensation for using any of those links or codes.
Any video on my channel is reflective solely of my opinion and is for entertainment purposes only. Any copyrighted materials or excerpts are for "fair use" for such purposes as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. (Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976)

[@AlishaHerbiederbie]

"This is a conspiracy for my displeasure." That should be on a t-shirt immediately 🤣

[@bookslikewhoa]

Those awards were praying for my downfall

[@eliseelliot]

Yours is the fourth in this playlist that I've watched, and I have to say: thank you to all the contributors for suffering for us. Because so far, it doesn't seem like any of y'all have had a good time. Is it terrible that I'm enjoying everyone's agony? But yeah, thank you for working your way through this!

[@SarahAtHeart]

This is my third video and I was thinking the same thing! I appreciate everyone's sacrifice 🙏🏻

[@bookslikewhoa]

There is a certain perverse pleasure in other people's suffering when it comes to media, I totally get it :D

[@taylorgayhart9497]

I feel bad because I too an laughing at their pain!! This series is so fun!!!

[@ItsmeKristieB]

Ohhh, Dan Brown. I read a lot of his stuff in high school and also thought Angels and Demons was the best one. Side note: I grew up Mormon and during the Da Vinci Code fervor so many people were walking up to the pulpit to bear their testimony in the fact that Mary Magdelene could have birthed Jesus' heir that our bishop had to remind the congregation that The Da Vinci Code was fiction. What a time to be alive. Hahah. Anyway, thanks for the fun video. :)

[@bookslikewhoa]

OMG that is amazing thank you for sharing this! I literally thought about Dan Brown the first time I found out that many Mormons believe Jesus was married (and even polygamous) - I think the McConkeys were apparently teaching kids at BYU that they were descendants of Jesus via Joseph Smith

[@ItsmeKristieB]

@@bookslikewhoa This is the first I've heard of people saying Jesus was polygamous, but honestly, it's not surprising. And BIG YIKES at the McConkeys. Anything to get that Jesus clout, I guess? lol.

[@desireemclaughlin1455]

Beginning of the video Mara: Yeah! I’m gonna read all these books! Fun! Five minutes later Mara: This was such a mistake. Why do I do this to myself?! 🤣 I hope your next bookish project treats you better!

[@bookslikewhoa]

I'm currently doing one where I'm reading a ton of books I think I'll love so fingers crossed!

[@kelley.s]

It seems like the Goodreads Choice Awards is also in its flop era! Appreciate all y'all going through this pain so the rest of us don't have to!

[@sarahpowell6617]

I'm sorry, I just had to come back to comment how truly hilarious it was to open the playlist and see all the deeply disappointed faces in every thumbnail 😂

[@bookslikewhoa]

It's honestly so funny :D

[@AndiBfishbowlwoman]

We should all be so lucky to flop as successfully as Stephen King. 😆 Apropos of nothing: I love your earrings!

[@bookslikewhoa]

Honestly, he seems to just rake in the cash with every book :D

[@nelsonkaiowa4347]

I am pleased I found the project and going through it and subscribing It´s nice to get to know so many new booktubers

[@Jillybeanzxo]

An involved reading vlog from Mara is the only Valentines Day gift I need 🙌🥳

[@bookslikewhoa]

🎉

[@journeywithrosie]

"Goodbye Paula Hawkins, thanks for the memories... Don't call me 👀I'll call you" 🤣🤣 cracked me up! Glad to have found you through this challenge, definitely subscribing.

[@ReadingAce]

I'm sorry you suffered but as someone who hasn't read and isn't planning on reading any of these books, the video was really interesting to watch! I'm excited to watch everyone else's!

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yay I'm glad you enjoyed!

[@mj_libros]

The Stand is well worth the read. It's flawed but still compelling and memorable. The Shining is just incredible - the movie missed the point of the story entirely, what it did to Jack's character was just wrong; it's no wonder King hated the adaptation. Pet Sematary, as I recall, was decent, but hasn't stuck with me. Cujo -terrifying and unforgettable, I really like that story. A personal favorite of mine is The Eyes of the Dragon, a true fantasy book I love. I haven't bothered to read any newer Stephen King.

[@michellerever3564]

I agree with so much of this. The movie of The Shining did both Jack and Wendy so dirty, and tortured Shelley Duvall in the process. In the book, Wendy held her own, and we understood Jack's backstory, and why The Overlook had that effect on him, whether through the supernatural or the isolation. In the movie, Jack started out one notch from where he ended up, losing the sense of tragedy of a man truly struggling with his demons. As King said, Kubrick ended his movie in ice while he ended the book in fire.

[@asdfghjklasdfghjkl321]

Omg this is so fun 😄 So much content to watch too 😭😭💞

[@WildeBookGarden]

also, 'having aspirations to have conversations' is an amazing way to describe a particular kind of book and I am FOR SURE borrowing that!!!

[@WildeBookGarden]

I love that you showed yourself reacting to your list!! it would have been fun to capture my face when I realized I had to read a whole Victoria Schwab series 😂 also yes, 'epitome of meh' really captures a lot of our picks lol I'm so sorry about your books but glad you were part of this?? 😂

[@bookwormdreams5182]

I commend your resilience. I don't really read thrillers but it was fun watching you go through the list. I'm going to check out all the others who participated in this.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Please do! There's some hilarious videos of pain :)

[@verucasalt4535]

Lmao at you freaking out at Girl on the Train! 😂 I finished it recently & it was so laughably bad that I actually enjoyed it! 2/5 stars.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yes, solidarity! I know it's minority opinion but... it was Not For Me

[@nancydrew2213]

I guess I have a different experience with Stephen King because I started with The Outsider. I am currently reading Rose Madder by him, and love that one too.

[@bookslikewhoa]

I'm glad you liked it more than I did! I've heard good things about Rose Madder

[@mastersal4644]

Looking forward to the video and all the others as well. Thank you for suffering/ reading for us

[@bookslikewhoa]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@taylorgayhart9497]

I am new to your channel, but picked your video before other I already follow solely for you title!!! 🤣🤣🤣

[@ttowntrekker5174]

Mara I'm not a big SK fan either but the JFK novel 11/1963 was an excellent read. IMHO.

[@bookslikewhoa]

I agree! Def my fav one I've finished from him

[@kittymarch8455]

I laughed when I heard you say you DNFed The Girl on the Train at page 100. “But that’s before it gets actually bad!” I love gothics and the mid-century domestic suspense writers. I loved Gone Girl, mostly for her observations of the world and how things had gone wrong. Paula Hawkins has the suspense, but not the insight. It’s a tough genre to actually pull off. Megan Abbott at her best kills it. Sara Gran is another. Her The Book of the Most Precious Substance is an updating of the 90s erotic thriller mysteries. We do have different tastes in a lot of things, but I do like your vids.

[@carissa1446]

This is a great idea. I can’t wait to watch everyone else’s videos.

[@becwrites]

Really enjoyed this video.

[@grehtaeh]

Oh dang, and Stephen out here writing a whole book for Holly...🤦‍♀️

[@bookslikewhoa]

Nooooo :D

[@MathewRyan111]

100 off topic but I was watching a review of someone (How To Train Your Gavin) reading a Miss Marple (4:50 from Paddington) and I thought you'd appreciate his thoughts on how homegirl just disappears quite a bit: "Miss Marple has buggered off somewhere" and "Miss Marple needs to start carrying her weight, this is her mystery" and "Miss Marple, how do you know who did it, you haven't even done anything." The way I howled.

[@bookslikewhoa]

lol I need to check that out!!

[@exomake_mehorololo]

@@bookslikewhoa Gavin is so much fun to watch!! Especially when he's diving into mysteries and horror 😀😂

[@ChantaalReads]

Okay, I watch enough of you guys that I knew you ALL had to be collaborating on the same project, but this isn't what I expected! HOW NEAT! Cannot wait to watch this later.

[@asdfghjklasdfghjkl321]

Also omg I am loving you in this! I'm laughing so much right now so thank you for taking one for the team so to speak 😂🤣😅💞💝💖

[@Vanitas1131]

So satisfying to see the tease get worked out. Love your dedication (and of the other booktubers)

[@lynnmc1579]

This was very entertaining Mara! I’ve been a Stephen King fan since I was a teenager, a long time ago. I’ve loved and also strongly disliked some of his books. I agree that his novels need more editing even though I’ve enjoyed some of his behemoths. My experience is that his best writing is in his novellas and short stories. Sorry to see you letting go of The Institute as I felt that was one of his better recent books. King's books with kids as main characters always hit the mark with me as I find his portrayal of kids realistic compared to many other authors. Thanks for sticking with this project, I seldom agree with Goodreads Choice winners.

[@michellerever3564]

I agree that some of his best stuff is his short stories, and many of them have really stuck with me, and sometimes broken my heart.

[@jonnie7891]

Agreed. He is hands down the best short story/Novella writer of the modern era. Mr. King does coming of age like no other. I think The Institute might be my favorite and I’ve read almost everything he has written.

[@Wats06071]

Mara to Paula Hawkins: "Danke schoen, darling, danke schoen" 😀

[@traceyanderson7489]

This is the second video I’ve watched in this project and I’ve learned I like watching BookTubers suffer 😂

[@ohladysamantha]

the way I laughed when you said "come with me on my Stephen King vlog" Thank you for working on this awesome project. even though Goodreads sucks

[@HappyforNow]

Thank you for joining sorry for the torture 😂 I’m still confused at King having so many books win cause I really never associated him with Mystery/Thriller 💖

[@bookslikewhoa]

Woof, girl same!

[@nancyabbott2660]

The Stand was my favorite back in the day. You should try it sometime.

[@arlissbunny]

This was fascinating. For a very long time I have thought that GR, publishers, bookstores etc need to be separating mysteries from thrillers. I don’t think it is a coincidence that the one mystery to break into recent GR winners has to be exceptionally good while all the thrillers wallowed along in the mid-lands. That’s just my personal hobbyhorse though. ;-)

[@bookslikewhoa]

OMG I really, really agree with this! Especially after going through this project - there's such a thriller bias

[@goosewithagibus]

The Stand is one of my favorites. It definitely helps that the ending is a perfectly executed. The narrative wraps up in such a perfect way, to the point where I have the last two lines memorized: "Life was such a wheel that no man could stand upon it for long. And it always, at the end, came round to the same place again." I've also never read anything like it, not even other King books. He writes with a very pedagogical style that's straight up preachy at times. It's really unique and I loved it.

[@gambit613]

Inferno is my favorite of the Dan Brown books (to be fair I read it a few years pre-pandemic, so I’m not sure if that would change if I re-read it now) because I felt like the ending was super satisfying in a way that most “race to save the world from disaster” books aren’t because he doesn’t save the world from it, but it didn’t necessarily feel like a bad thing to me? Like I understood why the villain did what he did and it made it more satisfying for me 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@bookslikewhoa]

I actually really liked the ending a lot - it felt more realistic

[@jessiecampbell2100]

There is just something about your videos that make me so happy,. You are so articulate and inspiring when talking about your thoughts and recapping books. I feel like you are wonderful at what you do! Please keep making videos - you are a happy place for me :) Thank you!

[@bookslikewhoa]

Aw, that made my day! Thank you so much!

[@tracey7241]

Kings next book release is supposed to be a Holly POV story. In the king fandom people seem to really like her. I read Mr Mercedes but I'm not a fan of cat and mouse stories so I didn't continue in the series.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Good call since they are all pretty much like that :/

[@TheGoofy1932]

As someone who does like OG Stephen King, I highly recommend both Salem's Lot (my personal favorite) and Pet Semetary. Needful Things is also very good. Delores Claiborne is good. I ended up DNF'ing both of Paula Hawkins books. I believe I got to about the 100 page mark on Train and less than that for the other one. Just not my thing. For me though part of it was her writing style as I read Gone Girl (movie is better) and while not a favorite wasn't bad. Not a Dan Brown fan as it does give me National Treasure vibes but with religious themes so even the delightful Tom Hanks is not enough to get me to watch the Dan Brown movie they made from the book. 🤷‍♀️ The Maid was my best of the batch from the winners for mystery. Honestly though Goodreads seldom picks books that are actually good for its winners. It's usually a book club or now a Tik Tok darling that wins.

[@shalanaf994]

Loved the vid. I've been so excited to see all the vids from this 'secret project' that my fav booktubers have all been involved in. Hate that you had such crappy reads though.

[@suzannemoore404]

Your torture is our entertainment!😂

[@CozyReaderKelly]

I knew several of you were probably working on the same project, but this is a massive collaboration! Hours of footage for me to watch in the coming week. Sorry that so many of these were flops. I read King’s recent novella Elevation, and disliked it. That one had a sapphic couple and I was not comfortable with the way they were talked about in the mind of the main character.

[@writerhanna7906]

I really like the way you spoke about The Girl On The Train, very interesting!

[@bookslikewhoa]

Glad you liked it!

[@nylorac1984]

This was a fantastic collaboration. I would definitely be interested in a seeing multiple youtubers reading and discussing more goodreads nominees in the future, like maybe 3 or 4 per category.

[@louise5493]

I bought a second hand Stephen King book in a thrift store for dirt cheap and in the AUTHORS NOTE he mentioned “fat women” and I didn’t even bother reading any of the short stories. Like he made that decision to talk about in his own words, you can’t even say a character was fatphobic, it’s allll him. You couldn’t convince me to read any of his work!! Plus everyone just accepts that his endings are bad but continue to read him?!🧐 could never be me😂 In this day and age we have amazing thriller, suspense and horror writers without him in my humble opinion!

[@sueture]

Nice review! For me, as far as Stephen King goes, I liked Needful Things, especially for the characters, and I really liked Delores Claiborne. But I kinda think you're right -- maybe it's time to hang up his hat. He had a great run, though! I am kind of interested in Gwendy's Button Box series; looks like it got great reviews.

[@LauraBCReyna]

Enjoyed this. Gonna go check out the other channels. Thanks!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

This was definitely the video from the group where I’ve read the most books and I mostly agree with your views - I HATED Girl on the Train and like you it was because of a lot of the techniques and tropes it uses that have because integral to domestic thrillers. I did like Into the Water a lot more. On King: I think he’s always been capable of writing both good and bad books, but he’s definitely writing more of the meh kind now. He 100% needs a much stricter editor and has for a long time. I liked the Bill Hodges books and The Outsider quite a bit, although I agree the characterisation of Jerome is toe curling my bad. Like you my favourite part of all 4 of the books was the part about the kid in Finder Keepers which I loved

[@bookslikewhoa]

Peter in Finders Keepers was the one glimpse I felt towards what I have enjoyed in his work previously. But it may be that I just don't like his take on the thriller genre and need to just stick with his horror classics

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

I think I have only ever read Dan Brown on vacation 😂

[@bookslikewhoa]

truly that is the best time to read them! :D

[@heathersmith8549]

I’m not like a huge Steven King fan but The Stand is one of my favorite books

[@Vulphie]

I read it during the pandemic, not realizing that it deals with a pandemic. I spent the whole 1st part asking where are the masks and hand sanitizer?! 🤣

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

Ah yes, the scandal of reading Dan Brown 😂 Thank you for your service reading for this project!

[@grumpybooks3612]

I agree with your thoughts on Stephen King. I do think you should try Pet Sematary - it's probably King at his best in my opinion. And, for once... it has a strong ending! I'd also highly recommend The Green Mile

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

Yesss to this!

[@elizabethdavis5661]

I agree with giving Pet Sematary a shot, especially if you like his character work. The exploration of grief and the desperation it can bring is, hands down, his best work.

[@peggyoneil2123]

I def agree. Classic King, in my opinion, is much better than what's coming out now. I also thought it was funny that you were suggesting he retire because I remember hearing that he had. So, for a couple of years it was special we got another one. Idk if there's any truth to that or if I dreamed it. I recommend Salem's Lot*. It was the second book of his that I read and the first one that I realized how great he was at characterization. *typical King style misogyny and child abuse to be expected

[@bybookandbone]

I'm loving this series. I'm finding so many booktubers I love :D Edit: So Stephen King won basically all the horror in the years he had a book out AND the years he had mystery thrillers out... I love a good SK book but let's be real... he has a lot of duds. I can't figure out how he seems to be the most famous author :O

[@michellebrowning9551]

I really enjoyed Billy Summers and Fairy Tale by Stephen King. Maybe you'll like those better. Love your videos, as always! Thank you for sharing your opinions with us!

[@pandoricaofbooks]

when you said that christian girls weren't reading dan brown it reminded me of when i wanted to read the da vinci code and my mom wouldn't let me (i was about 13/14 years old) but angels and demons she did - then she saw the da vinci movie and let me read all of his books after I had already seen a bishop catching fire in angels and demons - and we are more non-practicing Christians than practicing - i'm new here, really like your video

[@bookslikewhoa]

Welcome! And yes, I feel like a lot of us had parents who were side-eyeing Dan Brown back in the day. Luckily my parents never restricted what I read; it was my own religious scrupulosity that held me back often times

[@N_Garamond]

O Booktubers, we acknowledge your reading pain so we may be bookishly entertained, and, like a good library loan, in you we are Renewed. 😅 okay for real, I do want you to be reading things you love and I'm sorry this was a slog but definitely a fantastic, fascinating video and I cannot wait to check out everyone else's.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Please do lots of good videos!

[@saraterze7141]

If you want to enjoy Stephen King, go with Pet Cemetery, the book is truly excelent and is probably the one that would appeal to most people.

[@Katiedora122]

The Dan Brown book just brings me back to high school when I was stuck in a religious household, so my friend brought her family copy of The Da Vinci Code and the teachers let me read it during school hours 🤣

[@PokhrajRoy.]

‘Inferno’ is weird to read now because the circumstances are a little too eerie.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Lmao not the thumbnail cracking me up.

[@cathyl3526]

I'm only 10 minutes into this and I'm already thinking, "What did you do to yourself?"

[@bookslikewhoa]

honestly me too :D

[@BookChats]

Happy to know the only two Steven King books I've read are the best two. Bummed you had to suffer through do many meh books for this.

[@jonnie7891]

This project sounds extremely exhausting but I’m so glad quite a few of you embarked on this. I have content to watch for days. The Stephen King series is the best I’d read from him in a while but I’ve been a fan of his for a long time so I’m usually more forgiving, even if the books I’m not a fan of. It’s always interesting to read reviews from people who don’t like his books. They give me some perspectives I hadn’t thought of before. As a black woman, Jerome didn’t bother me. I guess it’s because it’s something I’ve seen done in real life and I understand why it’s done. You should read his short stories and novellas. He is much better when he has some constraints and editing.

[@bookslikewhoa]

I do remember most fondly his novellas so I may have to seek out one of those collections

[@legendaryreader39]

Finders Keepers was definitely the best book out of the trilogy. I actually read it first before I found out it was part of a series. I loved it and gave it 5 stars. I tried to read book 1 and DNFed it.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Definitely very different vibes!

[@legendaryreader39]

@@bookslikewhoa yes!

[@teaguebates5807]

Pet Cemetery rocks. It - the book - is laaaame. Cell also rocks, especially the ending, but that is apparently an opinion few share.

[@avsambart]

These videos just prove just how inaccurate GR Awards are 😫 thanks for linking the playlist 💙 I remember the christian rage of Da Vinci code back in the day 🤣

[@nakeychels]

The Outsider was good! Didn’t love Into the Water. 😬 Good luccck.

[@pithygrapefruit]

Unfortunately I read Dan Brown during middle school because my auntie didn’t know any better. 😂

[@Meow-Meow501]

If your gonna read more classic King, I suggest The Stand and Tommy Knockers and Misery.

[@eszemaszeszed]

King always gets away with everything 💀 the Mr Mercedes tv series was good tho, same with the Outsider

[@monaerichelle808]

Not hang up the typewriter 😂😂

[@CheyeW13]

I hated into the water so much 😭 i felt the same abt the sensitive topics, and i was so disappointed bc i loved the premise so much and it not only didn't deliever, it went in an entirely different direction

[@Punkersfictionreads]

I’m so excited to watch this and also hoping you don’t make the same mistake I did and read The Outsider first because it actually goes with the Mr. Mercedes series 😂.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Thank god I accidentally didn't! It would have been a huge buzz kill if I'd read them out of order

[@Punkersfictionreads]

@@bookslikewhoa yeah I tried to read Mr. Mercedes after and wasn’t a huge fan and still haven’t picked up the second book. Also his new release coming out this year is about Holly. And If It Bleeds short story collection has a story about her in it. Safe to say he won’t be giving up on that character anytime soon 😂

[@r4ch4elreads]

You should definitely go back and read both Pet Semetary and The Stand. Both are excellent! And as a King fan I entirely agree with your assessment. Pretty much all of his more recent writing is under edited and decidedly average.

[@michellerever3564]

The way I cackled when I realized you would have no reason to know that the 4th Stephen King book was in the same universe as the other 3! 🤓 But the Bill Hodges series absolutely had the most grating portrayal of a Black character that SK had ever written, and that's saying something. Not only does he have Jerome "jokingly" act as a stereotype, but that recurring "joke" exists more than anything to establish Bill as a good guy in his discomfort. Frankly, the discomfort I feel at a white male author making a Black character act like a minstrel character so that another white dude is shown in a good light is profound. Lastly, the stereotype is so dated that I don't believe it would be this kid's go-to. But it would be Stephen King, and Bill's go-to. I've discussed with a friend how Stephen King is mired in the past, and my friend said that it helps him to think of King as setting all his books in the past, even if they aren't. It's always somewhere between 1955 and 1985 in a King novel. King himself is an earlier version of a liberal white man, who thinks his general support of marginalized groups gives him an ironic racism pass. Even in 11/22/63 King writes Jake as a much older man than he is. He's an English teacher who has the knowledge of either a history teacher, or someone who was alive during the Kennedy assassination. Even before he travels back in time, he seems to have almost a first-hand grasp of the events. And, yeah, I've seen other people dissect Stephen King's fatphobia. As a fat woman it floors me how much of that I've taken in from authors, and filmmakers, I enjoy, and how very long it took me to be pissed off about that. Every time I've ever talked about my issues with King, I've had fans come for me, telling me anyone who thinks he has an issues with race or weight is a hater. And then I have to point out I've been reading him since I was a literal child, and that I would probably cry and make an ass out of myself if I met him, and that his books are inextricably linked in my mind with my late mother. And that a shocking portion of my wardrobe is Stephen King referencing t-shirts. I might not be an expert on King, but no one can claim I'm not a proven fan. I will say that I think King CAN do hard-boiled, and has a real interest in it these days. (Joyland or Later.) The last King topic is that he had definite eras. His early stuff spoke a lot to being a father of young kids. And then there were the wacky drug years where he was long-winded but the coke also fueled some genius. And then some baaad years where I think even he lost the passion. And then the post-accident years where he used writing as a life line and rediscovered his passion. Lastly, and I know you haven't been impressed, I do think he had a bit of a renaissance. The thing is that he's been writing so long that we all know so many of his tricks. It's hard for him to truly surprise long-term readers. Did the books universally become less good, or do they seem more stale because we know him so well? He's in the position of people eternally wanting him to stay the same AND to bring something new. And he is an old dog. I liked the Paula Hawkins books more than you did, but I also read them a WHILE ago, so I don't know how they'd hold up for me. I found the misunderstanding in "Water" to be poignant. I think in general a lot of us have moved on from the type of thriller "Woman" was, but that's a lot about an over-saturated trend. I was underwhelmed by The Last Thing He Told Me, but I listened to it at work and it did what it needed to do in helping time pass. Bailey drove me nuts because I put myself in what's-her-name's shoes. Were I reading a YA from Bailey's POV, I probably would have had more patience. But the resolution was pretty meh for me. Thank you so much for muddling through this assignment, including a book 2 that couldn't technically count, and an unofficial book 4.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Jerome is honestly beyond egregious. I'm pretty shocked someone let him do it in those books - clearly no one is telling him no at this point in his career

[@michellerever3564]

@@bookslikewhoa My guess is no one has told him no since the second half of the Reagan administration.

[@taylorgayhart9497]

I agree with you, I hate the ending of Into The Water!! **Spoilers** It made no sense, if a man is misogynistic enough to not care about his wife’s happiness and then hit her hard enough to need to dispose of her body, why would he be so protective of his daughter in law? Misogyny doesn’t selective pick people, if you don’t respect women you don’t respect all women. And the book spent way too much time justifying the “relationship” between a 15yo and a 29yo, and making us feel bad for a man who murdered a woman because he couldn’t confront his own emotions, and then let them both get away with murder, that the book itself feels misogynistic.

[@CamilleAven]

I've read Mr. Mercedes and really liked it. Though I've not read the second and third books. Seems like it was a wise thing to do.

[@alyrica0505]

The Stand is my favorite King novel!

[@MikaylaKennedy]

Of the King books I've read, I actually think Mr. Mercedes is the best. Misery would be worth it, too; I haven't read too many though.

[@krisprepolec5616]

Thank you for biting the bullet for us. At least you didn’t have to read Colleen Hoover ;-) I quite enjoyed the audiobook for The Last Thing He Told Me. I tend to go for the dark and disturbing, but it was nice to have something a bit lighter.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Hmmmmmmmm so now I know where the Paula Hawkins books were headed. Also, Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone ❤

[@SarahAsYouWish]

Having watched four of the videos from this project so far, the clear conclusion is that a book winning the goodreads award does not indicate it is a good book. It simply means a lot of people read it and/or are familiar with the author. I hope your next project is much more enjoyable.

[@bookslikewhoa]

You and me both! :)

[@cleverkrowbooks13]

I am a huge Stephen King fan, and I desperately need someone to be brave enough to edit his work! I would love him so much more if his stories were more concise and less problematic.

[@sarahlopod]

literally all i remember from Into the Water is the distasteful ending, so i absolutely agree with you there. i did read Mr. Mercedes but it bothered me *so* much that i couldn't finish the series, though i did read The Outsider and enjoyed it. i had a huge issue with the portrayal of Holly as someone who is neurodivergent; i felt like he was constantly making out the medication she was taking to be this HUGE deal when it is a very commonly taken medication that often does not come with major side effects.

[@bookslikewhoa]

I agree, it seemed very odd the way her treatment plan was portrayed- it was just a miss all around on her character

[@muddywatersbookshelf7758]

The Last Thing He Told Me is great. It is being made into a series with Jennifer Garner.

[@bookslikewhoa]

I could see it being a very good candidate for adaptation!

[@kitstratfull4606]

Which begs the question - who - and why - did they vote for those books to make them top of each year?

[@michellerever3564]

More people are going to vote for the hyped book that they bought and read, no matter what they thought of it, than the title they never heard of, that got little PR -- and let's be honest -- that had more diversity or social commentary. Mara had never heard of The Last Thing He Told Me, or whatever, but Audible really recommended it to me HARD, which is how I listened to it. And it was a white woman in peril book which I feel has a leg up because of Paula Hawkins, and Gillian Flynn, and assorted other authors.

[@CherylanneFarley]

Yaaasss!! Pounds table. Cannot stand so many Gone Girl-Girl on the Train stuff. Going to try Mr Mercedes triology. Not big SK fan. Got into trubble not ENJOYING Hell Bent on my Pop Sugar challenge. Actually had to block some peeps. Almost done 3-3.5 stars committed to finish because joined BOMC to get it. Next BOMC The Writers Retreat. Big cold Winter Storm blowing in again. Getting ready

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

I was all in on Dan Brown in high school. Inferno came after my brown craze

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

I read the Mercedes series but idk why. It's just so meh. His horror is far from perfect but it's certainly more satisfying than his mysteries imo

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

I thought the outsider was the best of the four largely bc it leaned more horror, but as a huge IT fan, I felt the monster was heavily copied from pennywise (demonic monster feeds on the emotions and flesh of children).

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

I get your critique of the Outsider. I do think his mysteries are objectively worse than the horror but I've not read a really satisfying horror from him in probably a decade (that is that was released in the last decade, the last really good one being 11-22-63). The fairy tale was a huge dissapoint for me. The Gwendy series starts strong but that's cowritten, and it dips as King becomes the only writer. The institution was not too bad, but that just felt heavily copied from firestarter imo, so yet again his best work is him trying to copy his old stuff haha Big picture, I think King has definitely lost what spark he has, but I personally think he gets closest to his old self when he is writing what he knows: solid horror. But sadly he's at an age where he wants to experiment.

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

I agree that king is best at making us feel strongly about characters. I do, however, feel he isn't very good with nuanced characters. We may strongly love or hate a character, but it seems like they're often caricatures. That may be more true of the villains than the protagonists. But it's a persistent complaint I have of his characterization

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

I would, and personally do, try to prioritize his older works. Although I've occasionally given in to new release hype.

[@danielleryle1664]

Huge King fan here. Yes, his detective fiction is not great. One of my personal favorites (TW: outdated sexuality tropes) is Rose Madder.

[@danielleryle1664]

Also, he was writing Hodges while Rowling was writing Strike so there’s something there there perhaps.

[@greymyers4087]

I haven’t read these King books, but there’s another book featuring Holly coming out later this year. 😅

[@LocDBooktician]

Honestly I was going to read Mystery and Thriller (love those genres) but when I saw Stephen King on repeat I said “my Black ass gotta head out.”

[@LocDBooktician]

If you had to read Lucy Foley, I would have cried for you!

[@LocDBooktician]

I read into the water and don’t remember what it was about lol

[@bookslikewhoa]

:D :D

[@bookslikewhoa]

ME TOO omg so relieved I dodged that one by a couple of thousand votes

[@ataglance200791]

Hey there! So yeah, Mr. King. I actually very much like him and there are scenes in the outsider that still make me feel uncomfortable at night when I'm going into the kitchen in the dark. Holly as a character I really liked, my spouse is autistic and has not read it so I cannot speak to how the character is represented from the perspective of a neurodivergent person but I felt like my reading of it allowed Holly to grow and that Bill saw her as capable whereas her mother did not. I think I may have enjoyed the King books because of the gritty and crassness of them. There is some problematic themes including fatphobic content and I know some podcasts and other mediums have tried to bring attention to the inappropriateness of these things. I tend to be a reader who can read the book and say "great book, but we need to talk about this issue presented". I also suspect I enjoyed these books because they verge more on horror and I'm not as familiar with the mystery/thriller genre as someone like you who is well versed. I will say 11.22.63 is an incredible book. His new book fairy tale was honestly disappointing to me and I was bored and almost did not finish Billy Summers

[@sweeteliz]

I thought I was the only one who hated Girl on a Train -- I SHOULD have DNF'd it. This is my preferred genre and sad to say, it was the only one I've read on the list. Am I surprised? No.. my tastes don't completely align with the general market in books or movies. Thanks for doing this! I appreciate your time and insight--just wish you'd enjoyed the reading more!

[@bookslikewhoa]

You are definitely not alone! It's a fine version of what it is, but just not for me :/

[@teddytodorova]

You know it is not good when you say: The only book I am glad I have read is the one a DFN-ed 😆😆

[@suzy8109]

Gosh, this was a long term project and I commend your committment.

[@Tinahgirl83]

I’m totally going to borrow the idea of a constructive DNF. It’s not a waste if you learn something about yourself and your taste that will save you the pain and suffering of reading bad books in the future. I remember giving Into the Water 3.5 stars and enjoying it, but I swear I don’t remember why. Lol. Side note: I am a Christian who has read, I think, four of the Robert Langdon series and also his two other novels. I hated The DaVinci Code for reasons you can guess, but I really enjoyed Angels & Demons and I remember liking Inferno and Lost Symbol but don’t remember why. (That seems to be a theme in this comment.😂)

[@Nataliecj]

I’m sorry this wasn’t such a fun time for you. The Goodreads Choice Awards is not a mark of quality, I think people just see an author’s name and vote for them I’ve only read It, The Institute and 11/22/63 and The Body by Stephen King, but I loved all of them so I think I’m a fan but there are some of his books that I for sure have no interest in. It (the book) is so long but I personally think it’s worth it (and honestly just ignore that bizarre scene at the end because I have NO IDEA why he wrote it, or why the editors kept it in).

[@VanessaMarieBooks]

I have never liked Stephen King's books and honestly don't understand the appeal others have for his books. I've never tried the books outside of his horror ones, but I've read 3 of his horror, would have been 4 but I DNF Pet Semetary. To me, his books are boring and usually way too long. Some of them need about 500-600 pages cut out from the book and he needs an editor who isn't afraid to tell him to cut at least half of his character cast out. There were way too many characters in Sleeping Beauties. Horror is one of my favorite genres and when I saw Bethany's video & she talked about this collab project, I thought to myself, "Oh, if I did a project like this, I'd want to do the horror genre, that could be fun!" Then I went and watched CriminOlly's video for the horror genre and most of the books were Stephen King and I thought, "actually, I'm glad I never did a project like this, cause that would be miserable." Though, it could be an interesting video for viewers cause if I'm going to make myself suffer through his books, I will tear those books to shred page by fucking page. 😅

[@bookslikewhoa]

It was an interesting project to do, if not a fun one, so if you're OK with that... :D