Stephen King 2025 read-along discussion

Hello Constant Readers!!

I'm so excited for September. This is the start of all the holidays. In two months I'll be flying across the country to visit my co-host Ashley from this fabulous group! And I'll be done with one of my pre-requisites for the credentials program!!!

This month we will be eating away at this behemoth of a series. If you haven't read this series before it is of mixed genres. There is everything from fantasy, sci-fi, and adventure to romance, family drama and horror. This series encapsulates everything. King has said that this series is his Magnum Opus. Not only will you find Easter eggs from other books in this series, but cameos from other book characters and even Stephen King himself. I strongly recommend reading King's introductions to the stories to get more insight on what he was thinking before, during and after writing each book. When he wrote Gunslinger, it wasn't supposed to be a series, but his fans pretty much forced him to continue every year with every book.

If you have not started this series the first book is Gunslinger (1982). In this book, you will be introduced to Roland Deschain of Gilead. Roland is the youngest gunslinger ever at the age of 14. When we meet Roland he is crossing the desert in search for the man in black. The book starts off in the middle of Roland's journey. Some people may be confused with the way it is written. It's almost like you opened a story in the middle of the book, but I promise you during the series it all comes full circle and you get all the information you will need. This is more fantasy based.

The next book is The Drawing of the Three (1987). This is my favorite book in the series. We learn more about Roland's purpose and we meet the rest of his Ka-tet (group). This is more sci-fi, historical fiction.

Book three is The Waste Lands (1991). This was my second favorite book of the series. There is much danger in this one. The Ka-tet are on a journey and there is steampunk elements, a talking train and a group of people that are kind of like land pirates.

Book four is Wizard and Glass (1997). This is a doozy of a book. There are a lot of flashbacks to Roland's past: childhood, romance and why he is on this journey of searching for the man in black. This one is kind of an adventure, alternate reality book with a little bit of a Emerald City, Dorothy twist. Pay attention during this one. Many stories are happening that are interwoven with the rest of the book.

Novella- The Little Sisters of Eluria (1998) this story is found in Stephen King's short story collection, Everything's Eventual. If you have been in this reading group for the last few years, then you have already read this novella, if not you can read it now. This one is pretty creepy.

Book five is Wolves of the Calla (2003). This one is my third favorite. In this book we get a lot of references to other books in King's bibliography. This one spends a lot of time getting ready for a battle. Lots of alternate history is in this one. We have more information of mechanical beings and "there are more worlds than these".

Book six is Song of Susannah (2004). This was my least favorite book. It seemed to drag and there is more of a current/present day feel to this book even though it is still in the past. In this book Stephen King has a cameo. The Ka-tet is separated on different missions. We learn a lot of info that kind of wraps up all of the past books so that we are now on the same journey as the group in the story. If that makes sense.

Book seven is the final book in the series The Dark Tower (2004). I've been dreading this book. I've read up until the last 200 pages. I've been dragging out finishing this book because I don't want the series to end. This one will make you cry.

Extras!! Book eight is The Wind Through the Key Hole this book was published in 2012, but is set chronologically between books four and five. I still haven't read this one yet either.

There was a movie adaptation of this book, The Dark Tower (2017), it was awful and I don't recommend it. It doesn't really stick much to the books and when you have a series that is as long and rich as this series is, you can not fit all the information into one movie. Again the movie is awful. I don't recommend.

What we need is a Dark Tower tv series. It was in the works back in 2020, and Amazon was going to do it. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7215646/ It had such a great cast, however after the pilot was shot, they cancelled the 7 season series, because it's just too big, too weird and a high risk. Hopefully one day someone will pick it up.

Alright my friends, This month choose a book from this series that you haven't read yet. In this months discussions since we will all be reading different books, please comment with the book you are reading, what you are expecting, how you are liking it. Remember no spoilers. I'm interested to know what you all think of this series if you are farther along and what you think of the first book while you are reading it.

PLEASE IF YOU HATE BOOK ONE 'GUNSLINGER' PLEASE CONTINUE TO BOOK TWO. I PROMISE YOU WILL LIKE IT.

Happy Reading!

I've read them all but excited to read again .

I am SO EXCITED FOR THIS MONTH!! (And also super excited to see you!) I'm up to Wizard and Glass. I'm hoping to read that and maybe The Wind Through the Keyhole this month, fingers crossed.

Starting book 2 today . The drawing of the three. It has been many years since I've read these books so I really don't remember anything . Which book are you guys reading ?

I started school last month and that has definitely taken up a lot of my reading time. I would love to finally finish the 7th and final book. Keeping my fingers crossed.