I found the suggested "Reading Order for the Dark Tower Series. Here's a link with explanations as to why:
honkmahfah.blogspot.com/2012/04/dark-tower-suggested-reading-order-for.htmlThe suggested order:
1. The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger (Have read this)
2. The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three (Have read this)
3. The Stand (Have read this)
4. The Eyes of the Dragon (Haven't read this, but I know Flagg is the main villain, so I can take a guess as to why it's on the list)
5. The Talisman (Haven't read this, don't know anything about it)
6. The Dark Tower III: The Wastelands (Have read this)
7. The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass (Just finished reading this!)
8. 'Salem's Lot (I've read this, but it was a while ago, and I kind of sped through it. I might want to read it again. But, since DT V is called Wolves of the Calla, I'm going to take a guess and say that this books in on the list because of the priest, Father Callahan)
9. The Mist (I have read this, and heard theories, even. The most popular being that the portal in The Mist was actually a Thinny, and that the monsters are creatures from End-World)
10. It (Haven't read it, but according to the list, it may not be necessary. I know form what others have told me that "The Turtle" shows up, but form what I can tell, he showed up in The Wastelands first, so this really might not be necessary)
11. Insomnia (Haven't read it, but according to the list, it's essential)
12. Rose Madder (Haven't read it, and haven't heard of it until now)
13. Desperation (I have read this one)
14. The Regulators (Haven't read it, but I've heard of it. It's a mirror to Desperation. They were both published at the same time, one by King, and one under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman)
(Also, an interesting little picture:
)
15. Everything's Eventual (I haven't read this one. I did get the collection of the same name that it's a part of, though. Mainly for The Little Sisters of Eluria, which is directly part of the DT Series. Up until now, I didn't know that the title story was also connected)
16. Bag of Bones (Have not read it)
17. The Little Sisters of Eluria (have not read it, but like I said, I have it)
18. Hearts in Atlantis (I have read this book, and I can guess at it's importance. I mean, for one, The Dark Tower and Randall Flagg are both directly mentioned in the first story, Low Men in Yellow Coats, and there's a certain character that might be important to the later DT books)
19. Black House (I just bought it, have not read it, and it's a sequel to the Talisman, so I should probably read that first)
20. From a Buick 8 (Haven't read it)
21. The Dark Tower VIII: The Wind Through the Keyhole (Haven't read it, but I know it takes place between Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla)
22. The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla
23. The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah
24. The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower
25. The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger (presumably because reading it again after reading the whole series and all these other books will be mind-blowing)
Also, books they omitted:
The Tommyknockers (haven't read it)
Needful Things and Storm of the Century (Have read neither)
The Plant: Zenith Rising (Have not read this, probably because it's only an e-book available through StephenKing.com)
Dreamcatcher (haven't read it)
11/22/63 (I have read this, but I don't think it had any connection to the Dark Tower Series. There are definite connections to It, but not the DT books. aso, King himself has said it's not related. So....)
The Dark Tower Comics (I read The Gunslinger Born, which is essentially Part Two and Three of Wizard and Glass, but not as good. I also read Two or Three after The Gunslinger Born. One introduced a very interesting character, but since I believe The Wind through the Keyhole is the same plot as the comics, but done by King rather than whoever wrote the comics, I think I'm just going to stick with King's version)
For the record, this is insanity. But, I guess it gives me good reason to leave the series for now, and instead, start reading the Song of Ice and Fire books. Hooray.