'Under the Dome': Stephen King's New Blockbuster Book

Nov. 10, 2009— -- Stephen King's latest supernatural horror novel, "Under the Dome," is set in the small town of Chester's Mill, Maine, which is surrounded by a dangerous force field. The town's residents cope with the impending ecological crisis in different ways. The local politician, Big Jim Rennie, hopes to lord over a remote population. The opposing camp, which includes an Iraq War veteran, a newspaper editor and a bunch of teenage skateboarders, wants to solve the mystery of the dome.

Read the excerpt below, and then head to the "GMA" Library to find more good reads.

From two thousand feet, where Claudette Sanders was taking aflying lesson, the town of Chester's Mill gleamed in the morninglight like something freshly made and just set down. Cars trundledalong Main Street, flashing up winks of sun. The steeple of theCongo Church looked sharp enough to pierce the unblemished sky.The sun raced along the surface of Prestile Stream as the Seneca Voverflew it, both plane and water cutting the town on the samediagonal course.

"Chuck, I think I see two boys beside the Peace Bridge! Fishing!"Her very delight made her laugh. The flying lessons were courtesyof her husband, who was the town's First Selectman. Although ofthe opinion that if God had wanted man to fly, He would have givenhim wings, Andy was an extremely coaxable man, and eventuallyClaudette had gotten her way. She had enjoyed the experience fromthe first. But this wasn't mere enjoyment; it was exhilaration. Todaywas the first time she had really understood what made flying great.What made it cool.

Chuck Thompson, her instructor, touched the control yoke gently,then pointed at the instrument panel. "I'm sure," he said, "butlet's keep the shiny side up, Claudie, okay?"

"Sorry, sorry."

"Not at all." He had been teaching people to do this for years, andhe liked students like Claudie, the ones who were eager to learn somethingnew. She might cost Andy Sanders some real money beforelong; she loved the Seneca, and had expressed a desire to have one justlike it, only new. That would run somewhere in the neighborhood ofa million dollars. Although not exactly spoiled, Claudie Sandershad undeniably expensive tastes which, lucky man, Andy seemed tohave no trouble satisfying.

Chuck also liked days like this: unlimited visibility, no wind,perfect teaching conditions. Nevertheless, the Seneca rocked slightlyas she overcorrected.