Hi, sorry for the late reply.

Under the Dome has a fantastic premise, and I found the bulk of it very enjoyable, so much so that I’ve read it twice. But the ending was not at all satisfying, and that seems to be the general consensus of most people I’ve spoken with. It’s a lazy ending that I could have guessed from hearing the premise alone, before I even cracked open the book.

11/22/63 is probably my favorite King novel. In some ways, it’s not at all like his other work. There are no ghosts or monsters or other horror elements. In other ways, it’s the most King-esque novel he’s written so far. By which I mean, the thing Stephen King does best is to create a lens through which we can view this microcosm of small town life he’s created, and that is on full display here.

I feel like I have to mention Salem’s Lot, too. It’s a book about vampires, but for me the vampires are not the most compelling thing about it. The most compelling things are the town itself and the characters in it.

Pet Sematary is great, too, perhaps my second favorite novel of his, behind 11/22/63. It’s essentially an examination of grief, and how it makes us do crazy things. There’s also no denying that this one is straight-up horror. In his preface to the novel, King calls it the scariest book he’s ever written.