Eyes of the Dragon is a really good one. I've been meaning to do a re-read of it for some time now. I hope you like it.
I finished The Second World War, Volume III: The Grand Alliance by Winston Churchill last week.
Some good quotes:
“...so far as strategy, policy, foresight, competence are arbiters Stalin and his commissars showed themselves at this moment the most completely outwitted bunglers of the Second World War.”
"...you should obtain accurate information, because no judgment can be formed without it."
“...in Belgrade the conspirators decided to act. The signal was given to seize key points in Belgrade, and the royal residence, together with the person of the young King, Peter II, by dawn on March 27...There was no bloodshed. Certain senior officers were placed under arrest…The streets of Belgrade were soon thronged with Serbs, chanting, ‘Rather war than the pact; rather death than slavery.’ There was dancing in the squares; English and French flags appeared everywhere; the Serb national anthem was sung with wild defiance by valiant, helpless multitudes…The German Minister was publicly insulted, and the crowd spat on his car. The military exploit has roused a surge of national vitality. A people paralysed in action, hitherto ill-governed and ill-led, long haunted by the sense of being ensnared, flung their reckless, heroic defiance at the tyrant and conqueror in the moment of his greatest power.”
"The German communique claimed the destruction of the Rolls-Royce works at Derby, which they never got near. Two hundred and thirty high-explosive bombs and a large number of incendiaries were however unloaded in the open country. The total casualties there were two chickens.”
“I presume you are only waiting for the tortoise to stick his head out far enough before chopping it off.”
“I was rather pleased with this when I wrote it, and I don’t mind the look of it now.”
"...Prince Paul’s attitude looks like that of an unfortunate man in a cage with a tiger, hoping not to provoke him while steadily dinner-time approaches.”
It seems I'm miles above the surface of the Earth
I can see across the whole of London and beyond
I started The Second World War, Volume IV: The Hinge of Fate by Winston Churchill last week.
It seems I'm miles above the surface of the Earth
I can see across the whole of London and beyond
200 pages in on Sleeping Beauties and LOVING it so far. Hope it keeps getting better. I also read Jurassic Park on the weekend... and it was good! I never did before and it was a fast, fun read
HELP ME FIND
Insomnia #459
ANY S/L #459
Love Jurassic Park. I've been wanting to go back and re-read both that and Lost World.
Working my way through Pet Semetary. This was my first King book back when I was 13-14. Haven't read it, since so alot of it is hazy in my mind. But it's always held a special place in my heart. Really loving it. It's also much scarier than I remember.
Only the gentle are ever really strong.
I originally read Pet Sematary probably when I was a teenager (now 48 ); I have just about no recollection of my reaction at the time (this tells me it wasn't one of my favorites, but also that it wasn't that bad...it also tells me I am old).
I read it for only the second time a little over a year ago and liked it. Not one of my top King works, but it does what it does pretty well. It impressed me with the density of its negativity; there's not lots to be happy about in this one.
I am torn on whether I'm going to get CD's upcoming edition of PS. On one hand, it's not, for me, a classic (like The Stand; you can't call yourself a King fan and not have interest in the upcoming CD edition of this) or must-have (like Salem's Lot, a personal favorite of mine) - but on the other, it is pretty damn effective in its own way and avoids cliche (perhaps I can live without it...but this is a strong book). I expect that the artwork will make the decision for me: something really kickass and dark will lock me in; something pedestrian may push me out (odds of CD doing this: small). Have they announced - or have any of the clever ones here found out - who is illustrating that?
It seems I'm miles above the surface of the Earth
I can see across the whole of London and beyond
My list of unread King books is so small and I'm really debating finally giving Pet Sematary a go sometime soon. I've shied away from it because I'm scared of how it might upset me as a parent, but I keep telling myself that I've encountered some pretty rough things in King books already an I survived.
Funny how that makes a difference; I read most of his "golden oldies" long before I had kids, then have recently re-read several as a father. It definitely is a different perspective.
I'd say if you survived Cujo and It, you'll survive Pet Sematary.
[Certainly there's lots of characters with terrible fates in SK's work, but I find that, with me, sometimes it's the small things that stick with me, like Chuckie Hamburger and Avery Hockstetter.]
It seems I'm miles above the surface of the Earth
I can see across the whole of London and beyond
The perspective is definitely different, as you said.
And Cujo was the first King book I ever read. I've wanted to reread it since I was only 12 at the time and can't remember anything about it, but I don't know if I could handle it at this point.
And what you said about certain characters' fates sticking with you more is very true. I read stuff at times now that really has the ability to make my stomach turn, whereas before, it wouldn't have made me bat an eyelash.
Did you read Full Dark, No Stars?
Spoiler:
Also, in Mr. Mercedes,Spoiler:
I first read Pet Sematary while I was traveling on business in a VERY small airport (two gates!) in Virginia at about 9 in the evening. I was the only person except for the ticketing agent, who was usually in the back room, in the entire building. Talk about spooky! This was just after it was published.
John
That is cool, John! I re-read The Stand (Uncut) while on sentry duty in the military on night shift. This was about time that Grunge music had hit the airwaves and I had it playing softly in the background while I read. So every time I hear a song from that time period, it takes me back to those long nights spent with Stu and the gang. And of course the Walking Dude.
The book is also stained from red beans and rice that leaked from the container onto it while in my lunch bag. It's one beat up, tired solider but I wouldn't part with it for the world. As it's value only lies within me.
You don't know my kind.....You don't my mind.....Dark necessities are part of my design.....
Cujo may have been my first too, or it may just have been the first one I actually owned myself (a friend gave it to me; I vividly recall being freaked out by the cover art), right around the same age, too (I was in junior high (aka middle school), that much I know).
I'm probably the only one here that hasn't read either of these, but I look forward to reading both.
It seems I'm miles above the surface of the Earth
I can see across the whole of London and beyond
It seems I'm miles above the surface of the Earth
I can see across the whole of London and beyond