What are you currently reading?

[Jean]

Heather: http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/bear_wub.gif (http://s91.photobucket.com/user/mishemplushem/media/Facilitation/bear_wub.gif.html)http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/bear_wub.gif (http://s91.photobucket.com/user/mishemplushem/media/Facilitation/bear_wub.gif.html)http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/bear_wub.gif (http://s91.photobucket.com/user/mishemplushem/media/Facilitation/bear_wub.gif.html)
Yes. I remember we had a very big King event here some (ten?) years ago, voting all kinds of thiings, an among them was
the best death of a character. I frantically voted The Dead Zone every time it advanced under this category. It was the best.
That is why I think I disagree with St.Troy. The message is, very much like in The Stand, that
the good guys win even if they die, sometimes paradoxically. It is very Christian, by the way - if I do not hurt anyone's atheist feelings, that is http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/bear_tongue.gif (http://s91.photobucket.com/user/mishemplushem/media/Facilitation/bear_tongue.gif.html)

[Earl of Popkin]

Btw St Troy, this morning there was a news flash here that there have already been 3 cases of rabies in my county in 2019

I’m not sure how, but either you or your cujo post is responsible for this. I know it.

[St. Troy]

Still chugging along (a bit past halfway) through Straub's Ghost Story. Thoroughly enjoying this read. It's not the most action-packed novel, true, but it doesn't matter; it's like a master class in subtle, layered dread.

[webstar1000]

For those of you that read the Snowman....

Is the Mould guy... the next killer and I need to read the next book to learn more?

[Girlystevedave]

So I just finished The Strain a few nights ago and must say that I absolutely fucking loved it. Has anyone else around here already read it?
I know I saw a negative opinion of it on here recently, so let me me rephrase my question: Has anyone else read it and liked it? :lol:

[jsmcmullen92]

So I just finished The Strain a few nights ago and must say that I absolutely fucking loved it. Has anyone else around here already read it?
I know I saw a negative opinion of it on here recently, so let me me rephrase my question: Has anyone else read it and liked it? [emoji38]Ha I think that was me. I really didn't enjoy his writing style. It felt choppy to me. That and I had seen the show so I knew what what was coming all theology book 1. Book 2 was meh and book 3 I gave up

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[Girlystevedave]

So I just finished The Strain a few nights ago and must say that I absolutely fucking loved it. Has anyone else around here already read it?
I know I saw a negative opinion of it on here recently, so let me me rephrase my question: Has anyone else read it and liked it? [emoji38]Ha I think that was me. I really didn't enjoy his writing style. It felt choppy to me. That and I had seen the show so I knew what what was coming all theology book 1. Book 2 was meh and book 3 I gave up

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:lol: Was it you?
And it's funny because I love his writing style. The only reason I even read The Strain was because I loved his writing in The Shape of Water.
But, you know, if I had seen either of these before reading the books, I may have felt a lot different. Who knows.

[WeDealInLead]

Kealan Patrick Burke - Nemesis

[jsmcmullen92]

So I just finished The Strain a few nights ago and must say that I absolutely fucking loved it. Has anyone else around here already read it?
I know I saw a negative opinion of it on here recently, so let me me rephrase my question: Has anyone else read it and liked it? [emoji38]Ha I think that was me. I really didn't enjoy his writing style. It felt choppy to me. That and I had seen the show so I knew what what was coming all theology book 1. Book 2 was meh and book 3 I gave up

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


[emoji38] Was it you?
And it's funny because I love his writing style. The only reason I even read The Strain was because I loved his writing in The Shape of Water.
But, you know, if I had seen either of these before reading the books, I may have felt a lot different. Who knows.I felt be broke dialog too much with he said she said. There is a good way to say who said what but I felt like he always said it in the middle of a sentence.

That said I hope you enjoy the other 2. If you are looking for the limited edition of them let me know, I have at least #2 maybe #3 when it comes out that I would let go for super cheap

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[WeDealInLead]

I think that choppy, fast dialogue was mostly Hogan trying to keep the action going at a quick pace. His thriller books are pretty similar. Del Toro's style is a lot slower and richer. The Shape of Water and The Strain don't even read like they were written by the same person.

That said, I liked The Strain more. Sometimes story > style.

[Girlystevedave]

That said I hope you enjoy the other 2. If you are looking for the limited edition of them let me know, I have at least #2 maybe #3 when it comes out that I would let go for super cheap

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Nice. I'll keep that in mind if I end up liking them a lot. Thanks. :thumbsup:


I think that choppy, fast dialogue was mostly Hogan trying to keep the action going at a quick pace. His thriller books are pretty similar. Del Toro's style is a lot slower and richer. The Shape of Water and The Strain don't even read like they were written by the same person.

That said, I liked The Strain more. Sometimes story > style.

I think that if done right, the fragmented/choppy style just isn't that prominent because you're so invested in the scene itself. I really didn't even pick up on the choppiness you guys are both mentioning, but I guess it was there all along. haha

I looked up some other Hogan books to see if there were any that sounded good. I was kind of interested in The Blood Artists. Are there any of his books you'd recommend more than his others?

[WeDealInLead]

Sorry, I probably should've been clearer. I didn't pick up on it either, I was absorbed into the story. I dug The Town and Devils In Exile.

You know, the strange thing is that Hogan's style is so similar to Koontz that the next book I read was Koontz. And by that I mean the good Koontz when he's on fire and there's no dogs and cutesy dialogue.

[Kongo]

Just finished NOS4A2 from Joe Hill. Really enjoyed it, but I think I still prefer Horns. Can't wait for the tv show now regardless

[Sharo]

I just finished The Sell by Fredrik Eklund- I read it as a library e-book, but I actually really like it enough to be seriously considering getting a hardcover copy so I can like, highlight things and take notes on the reread.

[Girlystevedave]

Started Macaque Attack by Gareth Powell. I've been putting off reading this book for some time because it's the last one in the Ack Ack trilogy and I wanted to save it. Damn, these books are so fun.

[webstar1000]

Gonna start The Strain next. Seems that people are liking it for most part...

[Girlystevedave]

Gonna start The Strain next. Seems that people are liking it for most part...

Cool! I'm anxious to hear your thoughts on it. :)

[MikeDuke]

Moving quite nicely through Wolves of the Calla. I am liking this one a lot.

[sentinel]

Just finished 48 Hours by William Forstchen. Kick ass book, very scary and too real.

[Garrell]

Wolves of the Calla is one of my favorite SK books ever. Great take on The Magnificent Seven.

[St. Troy]

Just finished 48 Hours by William Forstchen. Kick ass book, very scary and too real.

I quite liked his One Second After (but have yet to finish that series).

[BigJoeHillfan]

Gonna start The Strain next. Seems that people are liking it for most part...

Cool! I'm anxious to hear your thoughts on it. :)

I have read all 3 books of "The Strain trilogy" and I really enjoyed them. Hope you will too.

[jsmcmullen92]

Just started Snowing Crash by Stephenson. Chapter 1 was quite peculiar to say the least

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[webstar1000]

Gonna start The Strain next. Seems that people are liking it for most part...

Cool! I'm anxious to hear your thoughts on it. :)

LOVE THE FIRST 70 pages... hope it stays this good!

[webstar1000]

Gonna start The Strain next. Seems that people are liking it for most part...

Cool! I'm anxious to hear your thoughts on it. :)

I have read all 3 books of "The Strain trilogy" and I really enjoyed them. Hope you will too.

LOVING it so far...

[WeDealInLead]

Frederik Pohl - Gateway

[St. Troy]

This morning I finished Peter Straub's Ghost Story.

I've read it at least twice before and knew that I'd quite enjoyed it (not as much as Shadowland, but still a lot); the problem was that I'd forgotten so much of it (most characters, most events) that when some people recently suggested that Ghost Story might make a good novel for Suntup to produce, I thought "yeah, I think so," but couldn't remember enough to know if I'd even want that (my opinion of some books has changed wildly when I've gone long periods of time between reads). Fortunately, Ghost Story passed the re-read test with flying colors (the suck fairy hadn't laid a finger on it); I would love a Suntup (or Cemetery Dance, yes indeed) Ghost Story (but please do Shadowland first!).

At least one person with whom I share much literary taste has tried and failed to get past the first 50 pages or so of Ghost Story because there wasn't a whole lot happening. Well, it doesn't exactly have bodies dropping all over the place, but it does build intrigue and atmosphere in spades with the things that are happening (and being remembered), and I could've spent another hundred pages in...


…the library in Sears James’s house, with its worn leather chairs, tall indistinct glass-fronted bookcases, drinks on the little round tables, prints on the walls, the muted old Shiraz carpet beneath their feet and the rich memory of old cigars in the atmosphere.

Honestly, the writing was such that, at that point, I really didn't care what events came to pass - sometimes he who tells it matters much to how much I enjoy the tale (and yes, I get a big 249B, East 35th feel from the Chowder Society, although I think Ghost Story predates The Breathing Method - no matter).

A satisfying resolution - a word about which:

I found it interesting that the "battle" here was actually quite spread out, taking its own time to build, in the sense that it isn't one conflict between A.M. and the various victims of Milburn, but several:
- Sears going out on his own (and succumbing)
- Stella falling into their clutches (and kicking ass)
- Rick, Don and Peter teaming up to take down Gregory and Fenny
- Rick, Don and Peter hunting A.M.
- Don, alone years later, against a new incarnation of A.M.

I really couldn't be more pleased with this, although if I could change one thing...

The prelude ("Driving South") basically tells us that Don and A.M. will eventually face off after the events of the main novel conclude - perhaps A.M.'s eventual reappearance would've best been kept under wraps. I have always felt the same about Salem's Lot's prologue.

Some cool quotes:

"Noisy music makes me want to bite someone."
"...it was hair with unfulfilled intentions."
"...imagine the peace of lying down with your hands crossed on your chest, imagine sleeping under ice..."

Highly recommended for anyone who hasn't read it but who likes horror fiction enough to find themselves on a Stephen King-oriented site such as this - go to it!.

[Digression:

Speaking of a Suntup edition of Shadowland - if Paul is reading this - you know you pretty much have to include a glass owl with the lettered, right? Right.]

[St. Troy]

Last night I started The Sum Of All Fears by Tom Clancy; I'm now 39 pages in.

I've read one of his before (Executive Orders) so I pretty much know what to expect: functional/workmanlike writing, tons of military detail, and intrigue between and within nations, their officials, and others etc. This is one of those books you read to be entertained, not to be surprised, and so far, so good.

[Earl of Popkin]

Last night I started The Sum Of All Fears by Tom Clancy; I'm now 39 pages in.

I've read one of his before (Executive Orders) so I pretty much know what to expect: functional/workmanlike writing, tons of military detail, and intrigue between and within nations, their officials, and others etc. This is one of those books you read to be entertained, not to be surprised, and so far, so good.

1) you are pretty spot on in your assessment. I actually thought the first 100 pages were its weakest, so if you’re already in, you’re going to enjoy the ride

2) I love books that sort of have a collision course type approach to them. Start these characters a million miles apart (physically or ideologically) and watch them crash into one another. I think the Jack Ryan books do this well

3) Dude, you take down your Churchill avi and THEN you start reading a book containing one of his most famous quotes??? Are you like Merlin or Ben Button living in reverse?

[Girlystevedave]

Gonna start The Strain next. Seems that people are liking it for most part...

Cool! I'm anxious to hear your thoughts on it. :)

I have read all 3 books of "The Strain trilogy" and I really enjoyed them. Hope you will too.

LOVING it so far...

Yes! I'm so glad.

[SystemCrashOverRide]

I've moved onto the third book in James S. A. Corey's Expanse Series - Abaddon's Gate, I'm only about 70% done but really enjoying myself.

So far this has been the series that keeps on giving, feels a bit like I've stumbled upon something akin to the Game of Thrones a Song of Ice and Fire series, but Sci-Fi as opposed to Fantasy (and yes I am aware of the George R.R. Martin connection to The Expanse). I continue to be pleasantly surprised by the series - in so much as; I'm very late to the party, the series is top quality and clearly beloved, and there's a lot of it to consume, including a well received television adaptation.

[St. Troy]

I love books that sort of have a collision course type approach to them. Start these characters a million miles apart (physically or ideologically) and watch them crash into one another.

That's a good description.


Dude, you take down your Churchill avi...

Thanks for noticing; I decided to go with another historically great Brit - the incomparable Rik Mayall (and I'd better not be his only fan here...). [After I took Winston down, for a few minutes I did put up a fun Jim Anchower pic, but then realized Mayall would be a vast improvement.]


...and THEN you start reading a book containing one of his most famous quotes???

Needless to say, I was pleased indeed to see that TSOAF pretty much took its title from Churchill.

[Girlystevedave]

I've moved onto the third book in James S. A. Corey's Expanse Series - Abaddon's Gate, I'm only about 70% done but really enjoying myself.

So far this has been the series that keeps on giving, feels a bit like I've stumbled upon something akin to the Game of Thrones a Song of Ice and Fire series, but Sci-Fi as opposed to Fantasy (and yes I am aware of the George R.R. Martin connection to The Expanse). I continue to be pleasantly surprised by the series - in so much as; I'm very late to the party, the series is top quality and clearly beloved, and there's a lot of it to consume, including a well received television adaptation.

I must have missed your previous posts about this series. When you said "akin to Game of Thrones...but sci-fi as opposed to fantasy", I was very interested. I feel like I'm always searching for that perfect sci-fi adventure. I just added book 1 to my to-read list.
I'm also apparently late to the party because I knew nothing of it until now. :lol:

[SystemCrashOverRide]

I've moved onto the third book in James S. A. Corey's Expanse Series - Abaddon's Gate, I'm only about 70% done but really enjoying myself.

So far this has been the series that keeps on giving, feels a bit like I've stumbled upon something akin to the Game of Thrones a Song of Ice and Fire series, but Sci-Fi as opposed to Fantasy (and yes I am aware of the George R.R. Martin connection to The Expanse). I continue to be pleasantly surprised by the series - in so much as; I'm very late to the party, the series is top quality and clearly beloved, and there's a lot of it to consume, including a well received television adaptation.

I must have missed your previous posts about this series. When you said "akin to Game of Thrones...but sci-fi as opposed to fantasy", I was very interested. I feel like I'm always searching for that perfect sci-fi adventure. I just added book 1 to my to-read list.
I'm also apparently late to the party because I knew nothing of it until now. :lol:

It's a Space Opera, but each chapter changes narrative perspective to a different character - just like GoT's, so that story telling mechanic gives it a similar feel.

Also, "James S. A. Corey" is a pen name for two writers who collaborate to write this series: Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. Daniel Abraham is a fantasy author and Ty Franck is the personal assistant to George R. R. Martin himself - so there are definitely some strong ties to the GoT's formula. But, you know, in space. It's _very_ good so far. Please let me know if you pick up the first book (Leviathan Wakes) and what your thoughts are.

[webstar1000]

I finished the Strain. I would have loved it so much more if I had not watched the show. It literally follows the book almost to a T. So odd in today’s world for that to happen. I mean it was almost word for word. For those of you that have finished the series.... does it deviate from the show? Get better or worse?


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[Girlystevedave]

so there are definitely some strong ties to the GoT's formula. But, you know, in space. It's _very_ good so far. Please let me know if you pick up the first book (Leviathan Wakes) and what your thoughts are.

I'll definitely let you know when I pick it up. I'm very interested after doing a preview of the first page. :thumbsup:

[Girlystevedave]

I finished the Strain. I would have loved it so much more if I had not watched the show. It literally follows the book almost to a T. So odd in today’s world for that to happen. I mean it was almost word for word. For those of you that have finished the series.... does it deviate from the show? Get better or worse?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh, darn. I didn't know you had already seen the show. I haven't seen it, but I can understand how that would take away from enjoying the book. I can't read books after seeing them in film/tv form. It ruins it.

[kingfan2323]

First Re-Read of Stephen King's The Dark Half
12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson
Lilja's Library by Hans-Ake Lilja

[St. Troy]

12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson

I’ve been thinking of picking this up; let me know how it goes.

[kingfan2323]

Definitely will, St. Troy. I can tell you now if you watch his classes, speeches (not just sensationalized click bait) then you are pretty much set. I feel the book does not cover or add much more. Just my thoughts. He is very thoughtful. You know he is a serious thinker when you hear him reply to someone with "You know, great question. I have been thinking about that for a FEW WEEKS!" Few weeks? That is some deep thinking. Ha!

[Garrell]

75% through Sleeping Beauties and still really enjoying it

[Joe315]

I finished the Strain. I would have loved it so much more if I had not watched the show. It literally follows the book almost to a T. So odd in today’s world for that to happen. I mean it was almost word for word. For those of you that have finished the series.... does it deviate from the show? Get better or worse?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ending is different and Nora’s story line is changed in the show. There are other smaller differences if I recall.

[mae]

Getting this beauty:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eeRfJ3Dz5A

[St. Troy]

I'm not into the AF, but that book is nicely done, as is the video (a book video with clean sound and steady video is always a treat).

[Hunchback Jack]

Finally finished my ARC of The War Within by Stephen R. Donaldson. I took so long not because it wasn't good (it was) but just because Real Life left little time for reading.

I liked it, and am looking forward to the concluding volume. It's quite different from his other work - I'd call it political intrigue in a fantasy setting. There is much scheming and plotting, and a lot of world- and character- building. There is not much physical conflict, and surprisingly little overt sorcery - although sorcery does play a pivotal role in the story. Donaldson's prose and dialogue is as compelling as ever. I've really come to like these characters.

On the downside, the villain hasn't yet manifest in any tangible way, so the threat is a bit nebulous. As a result, story doesn't have the passion or emotional intensity of some of his other work. It also has some pacing problems. But I expect both of these weaknesses will improve in the final volume.

A solid 3/5.

HBJ

[St. Troy]

Just finished Tom Clancy's The Sum Of All Fears.

It was the expected good read, no more, no less.

As I've said before about Clancy, you expect "functional/workmanlike writing, tons of military detail, and intrigue between and within nations, their officials," and one reads Clancy "to be entertained, not to be surprised." For me, these are not books I would read a second time or rave about to others, but they entertain, and this did.

[Garrell]

Finished Sleeping Beauties and enjoyed it, not loved it. Wanted more for the ending and a few answers to questions in the book. It was a good read though.
Now I am reading Th Shining and loving it. I became a SK fan when Salem's Lot came out and never read it. Seen and own both the movie and tv series, the better is the series. Going straight to Doctor Sleep next, it is the main reason I finally am reading The Shining.
I may even finally read Carrie. The problem is it is hard for me to want and read a book after seeing the movie, even though the book will be better. (the exception is Silence of the Lambs, book and movie were equal)

[Earl of Popkin]

Just finished Tom Clancy's The Sum Of All Fears.

It was the expected good read, no more, no less.

As I've said before about Clancy, you expect "functional/workmanlike writing, tons of military detail, and intrigue between and within nations, their officials," and one reads Clancy "to be entertained, not to be surprised." For me, these are not books I would read a second time or rave about to others, but they entertain, and this did.

I really like Jack Ryan books, but have always felt that great spy novels focus not only on what the protagonist/main spy knows, but also when they know it. Clancy tends to focus only on the what and not the when.

[Girlystevedave]

Finished Sleeping Beauties and enjoyed it, not loved it. Wanted more for the ending and a few answers to questions in the book. It was a good read though.
Now I am reading Th Shining and loving it. I became a SK fan when Salem's Lot came out and never read it. Seen and own both the movie and tv series, the better is the series. Going straight to Doctor Sleep next, it is the main reason I finally am reading The Shining.
I may even finally read Carrie. The problem is it is hard for me to want and read a book after seeing the movie, even though the book will be better. (the exception is Silence of the Lambs, book and movie were equal)

Man, I loved The Shining when I finally got around to reading it. I also have a problem with trying to read a book if I've seen the movie/tv series, so I put off The Shining for a really long time. I was so engrossed in that story once I started it and finally understood why the movie is referred to as Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. They are so different- with the book being 100 times better.
I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did. :)

[St. Troy]

Now I am reading Th Shining and loving it...Seen and own both the movie and tv series, the better is the series.

You know it!

(I hope I'm interpreting your post correctly, that you prefer the TV miniseries of The Shining to the Kubrick item).

[Sai Niki]

im on my 3rd journey to the tower. currently at the point where Roland and Eddie are in Maine getting Calvin to sign him over the empty lot with the rose.

[kingfan2323]

Started The Stand. Second read and since I read a lot of books on Kindle it is nice to have that big beautiful brick in my hand once again while I read! Loving it!

[Sai Niki]

I love the stand! Cant wait to see the new show cbs is making.

[Joe315]

Started The Stand. Second read and since I read a lot of books on Kindle it is nice to have that big beautiful brick in my hand once again while I read! Loving it!

Original or uncut?

[kingfan2323]

Started The Stand. Second read and since I read a lot of books on Kindle it is nice to have that big beautiful brick in my hand once again while I read! Loving it!

Original or uncut?

The Big Boy! Ha!

[St. Troy]

I just started The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, which I've never read before, despite its status as a classic, and one that is often assigned reading in high school, and the fact that I am of advanced age.

So far, so good. Nothing wildly tremendous about the writing, but it's an engaging story that makes you care about the characters while flowing right along. As teen-oriented fiction goes, it (so far, anyway) beats the absolute living shit out of the wildly awful The Catcher In The Rye. :emot-flame:

[webstar1000]

I am reading Name of the Wind and loving it.. is the second one good as the first?

[St. Troy]

I am reading Name of the Wind and loving it.. is the second one good as the first?

It sure is. Enjoy!

[Heather19]

Finished The Silent Patient the other day. After reading a handful of these books in a row last year I came to realize that they are all exactly the same, and not my cup of tea. And this one was exactly the same as those :lol:

Currently reading Ararat. It'll be my last winter horror read for the year. Really enjoying it so far. Although I am slightly creeped out because I just recently finished reading a book about a girl who is posessed by a demon, and right away that obscure name of the demon popped up in this book.

[Ricky]

Finished The Silent Patient the other day. After reading a handful of these books in a row last year I came to realize that they are all exactly the same, and not my cup of tea. And this one was exactly the same as those :lol:

I know exactly what you mean! I was thinking the same thing earlier this year when every book synopsis I was reading sounded similar and found out it's actually its own genre ("domestic suspense"). Unreliable, alcoholic female narrators, secrets, crappy husbands...they're all the same. :lol:


Currently reading Ararat. It'll be my last winter horror read for the year. Really enjoying it so far. Although I am slightly creeped out because I just recently finished reading a book about a girl who is posessed by a demon, and right away that obscure name of the demon popped up in this book.

I enjoyed Ararat. It was very "wintery". Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. And if you like it, there's a "sequel" coming out soon that features one of the characters from Ararat. I don't want to say who because then you'll know that he/she survives the book. :lol:

[Heather19]

Finished The Silent Patient the other day. After reading a handful of these books in a row last year I came to realize that they are all exactly the same, and not my cup of tea. And this one was exactly the same as those :lol:

I know exactly what you mean! I was thinking the same thing earlier this year when every book synopsis I was reading sounded similar and found out it's actually its own genre ("domestic suspense"). Unreliable, alcoholic female narrators, secrets, crappy husbands...they're all the same. :lol:


Currently reading Ararat. It'll be my last winter horror read for the year. Really enjoying it so far. Although I am slightly creeped out because I just recently finished reading a book about a girl who is posessed by a demon, and right away that obscure name of the demon popped up in this book.

I enjoyed Ararat. It was very "wintery". Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. And if you like it, there's a "sequel" coming out soon that features one of the characters from Ararat. I don't want to say who because then you'll know that he/she survives the book. :lol:

I already heard about the sequel, so I know who survives :lol:

And The Silent Patient was different in that it was primarily her male physician that narrates it, but both are somewhat unreliable which drives me crazy with these books. They're super fomulaic, and I also feel like they have a somewhat slow start and then about 3/4 of the way in they just toss all these crazy twists in to purely shock you, yet because you know it's coming it's not shocking and sometimes they're super absurd (thinking of Behind Her Eyes right now :lol: )

[St. Troy]

I’ve really got to catch up on reading Barker.

[St. Troy]

I recently finished The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.

It did a great job of illustrating the helplessness of childhood, a time when the comprehension of the world vastly outstrips the ability to take meaningful action – a great recipe for profound frustration, at a time in life when aggression runs high.

It executed the dual trick of depicting a believable/credible us/them dynamic (greasers and socs) while illustrating the common ground that went unseen by most members of both groups.

[St. Troy]

I recently started My Mostly Happy Life: Autobiography of a Climbing Tree by Shelly Reuben.

It's written in the first person, through the POV of a tree in a park. The title and cover suggest it was written for children, but I'm not sure it was; it's not quite as lighthearted as that might suggest, with themes that I'd call "human" but not necessarily "adult" in the sense of excluding young readers. It moves right along; so far, so good.

[Kongo]

I recently started My Mostly Happy Life: Autobiography of a Climbing Tree by Shelly Reuben.

It's written in the first person, through the POV of a tree in a park. The title and cover suggest it was written for children, but I'm not sure it was; it's not quite as lighthearted as that might suggest, with themes that I'd call "human" but not necessarily "adult" in the sense of excluding young readers. It moves right along; so far, so good.

That actually sounds like a really cool concept. I'm sure there's a lot of interesting things that can be done with that premise

As for me I just finished Revival for the first time. I really enjoyed it, and had always heard good things about the ending, which I loved. This would make a great HBO adaptation

[St. Troy]

...I just finished Revival for the first time. I really enjoyed it, and had always heard good things about the ending, which I loved.

King readers have been pretty split about the ending, but like you, I really liked it.

[webstar1000]

So.... getting pretty deep into Name of the Wind and the more I read the more I’m impressed and immersed into this story. I’m very excited to see how this turns out!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kongo]

...I just finished Revival for the first time. I really enjoyed it, and had always heard good things about the ending, which I loved.

King readers have been pretty split about the ending, but like you, I really liked it.

It had Pet Semetary and Frankenstein vibes to me, which I really appreciated. It would make for quite the scene visually if they adapt it

[BigJoeHillfan]

Just finished 48 Hours by William Forstchen. Kick ass book, very scary and too real.

I quite liked his One Second After (but have yet to finish that series).

I read 48 Hours and thought it was very realistic and possible. I just finished One Second After and enjoyed it. Looking forward to starting One Year After to see what happens next.:scared:

[St. Troy]

I read 48 Hours and thought it was very realistic and possible. I just finished One Second After and enjoyed it. Looking forward to starting One Year After to see what happens next.:scared:


I recently got my hands on One Year After and The Final Day and will read them very soon (should start OYA this week).

[St. Troy]

I recently finished My Mostly Happy Life: Autobiography of a Climbing Tree by Shelly Reuben.

As previously stated, it is first person from the POV of a tree in a park.

One of the categories listed on the edition notice is “adult fable,” and that’s as good a description as any I can think of. Nice story, simple and appealing. Lots of man's better nature, with a sprinkling of adversity to make the point.

[St. Troy]

I recently began Come Home. Love, Dad by Shelly Reuben.

Similar to Reuben's My Mostly Happy Life: Autobiography of a Climbing Tree (in that it is bursting with positive vibes, lighthearted, amusing), except that this is non-fiction, consisting of letters from her father (written decades ago) interspersed with her own present day commentary.

[DoctorDodge]

After waiting months for it to come out in Canada, finally reading Doctor Who: Scratchman. While I adore the TV show, I must admit, I don't often read that many books based on it partially due to being a slow reader and partially because it's one of my least favorite mediums for the series. But this book, written by Tom Baker himself, is absolutely fantastic so far. It has one of my favorite teams, it's deeply rooted in horror, and it has so much of what I love about the show. Definitely a fantastic take on the show.

[St. Troy]

I just finished Come Home. Love, Dad by Shelly Reuben. Nothing to add beyond my comments above, other than that I liked it, and it was a bit sad.

[St. Troy]

Just started One Year After by William Forstchen.

OYA is a sequel to One Second After (which I read last summer), and second book in the trilogy, which concerns the aftermath of an EMP attack on the US (in short, no electricity).

[WeDealInLead]

I'm halfway through the final volume of collected PKD, titled We Can Remember It for You Wholesale. Title story was the basis for the movie(s) Total Recall. There are so many alternate realities, Mars colonies and just so much goddamned paranoia, I thought I should give myself a break because all those stories were starting to blend.

I picked up Fright or Flight and after a few choice tales, I'm ready to finish PKD. I was, of course, mostly interested in King's and Hill's contributions. King's was some phoned in bs, Hill's was phenomenal and just more proof he's best at short form. At this point, he could easily ghost-write for his old man and no one would be the wiser. I had already read Matheson, Schow and Bierce.

[Ricky]

Yeah, I really like Joe's short stories. And Strange Weather was great. Looking forward to Full Throttle.

[Earl of Popkin]

Halfway thru the Day of the Jackal. Good stuff. I learned while reading it that the Belgians are the best at forging documents, apparently. I wanna be known for something cool now

[BigJoeHillfan]

I just finished "Gone South" by Robert Mccammon. I thought it was great! Fast paced with a good ending! Not much more you can ask for. On to "Mine" by Mccammon next.

[WeDealInLead]

Finished Poems by Tim Powers yesterday. There's a whole section of poetry from Three Days to Never. Blah. I don't think my time was wasted though my money might've been.

Reading Approaching Oblivion by Ellison.

[St. Troy]

I recently finished One Year After by William Forstchen.

Pretty much as good as the first in the series (One Second After), decent story etc.

[St. Troy]

Just started The Final Day, the 3rd (and...final) book in William Forstchen's EMP trilogy.

[ratchet41]

castle roogna Piers Anthony i just have i think 2 or 3 chapters left

[St. Troy]

Just finished The Final Day, wrapping up William Forstchen's EMP trilogy.

Where the trilogy's first book (One Second After) is mostly concerned with the decline (violence, starvation, death, reorganization of society), books 2 and 3 (One Year After and The Final Day) address what happens when the main group of characters are caught up in the efforts of a questionable federal government trying to reconstitute the nation.

Overall, an interesting and entertaining trilogy, although not necessarily one I'd recommend to anyone not specifically interested in the aftermath of an EMP. It is not a Clancy-esque read, as it is based on the notion that it's already too late for the likes of Jack Ryan to save the day; it's all about aftermath and survival.

[St. Troy]

Just started The Name Of The Rose by Umberto Eco.

TNOTR has been described (I'm paraphrasing) as "like The Da Vinci Code, but without the bad writing." While I enjoyed The Da Vinci Code (as well as other things from Dan Brown) and didn't require an improved version of it, comparisons to it automatically get my attention. I haven't read Eco before, but a few of his books have attracted my attention (including Foucault's Pendulum, The Prague Cemetery, and Numero Zero) and I've wanted to dive in for a while.

Fortunately, a copy of the Folio Society's edition of TNOTR recently became available for stupid-cheap money ($32), I pounced, and am now reading it.

Only 14 pages in, but intrigued so far (and it's always nice to hold a Folio book).

[Garrell]

Finished The Shining and now a 1/4 way trough Doctor Sleep. Loving it

[Kongo]

Finished The Shining and now a 1/4 way trough Doctor Sleep. Loving it

The Shining was the first Stephen King book I ever read, so I'll always have a special attachment to it. Hope you enjoy Doctor Sleep! I personally loved it, and like many here can't wait for the film

[Brian861]

Finished The Shining and now a 1/4 way trough Doctor Sleep. Loving it

Huge fan of Doctor Sleep as well.

[fernandito]

Loved Doctor Sleep too.

[WeDealInLead]

TDT, please be the hand of fate and decide what I should read next:

Keith Minion - Down There & Others
Kealan Patrick Burke - We Live Inside Your Eyes
Laird Barron - Swift to the Chase
Gene O'Neill - Collected Tales of the Baja Express
Brian Hodge - Skidding Into Oblivion

I mean, I'm planning on reading all of them this month.

[Garrell]

Kealan Patrick Burke - We Live Inside Your Eyes
Cool title

[Hunchback Jack]

Just started The Name Of The Rose by Umberto Eco.

TNOTR has been described (I'm paraphrasing) as "like The Da Vinci Code, but without the bad writing." While I enjoyed The Da Vinci Code (as well as other things from Dan Brown) and didn't require an improved version of it, comparisons to it automatically get my attention. I haven't read Eco before, but a few of his books have attracted my attention (including Foucault's Pendulum, The Prague Cemetery, and Numero Zero) and I've wanted to dive in for a while.

Fortunately, a copy of the Folio Society's edition of TNOTR recently became available for stupid-cheap money ($32), I pounced, and am now reading it.

Only 14 pages in, but intrigued so far (and it's always nice to hold a Folio book).

I've only read The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum, and enjoyed both immensely. They are long, and somewhat meandering, but I found them compelling nonetheless.

HBJ

[Eternal Unity]

"Golden Lion" by Wilbur Smith & Giles Kristian.

[Kraken]

Finished The Shining and now a 1/4 way trough Doctor Sleep. Loving it

I thought doctor sleep was fantastic. Dare I say I preferred it to The Shining..

[Brian861]

Finished The Shining and now a 1/4 way trough Doctor Sleep. Loving it

I thought doctor sleep was fantastic. Dare I say I preferred it to The Shining..

You'd probably be in the minority. Along with me and a few others. Although I can't say I enjoyed it more than The Shining.

[Kraken]

Recently finished Steinbeck’s Grapes Of Wrath - first Steinbeck book - brilliant
Currently reading McCarthy All the Pretty Horses

[Kraken]

Finished The Shining and now a 1/4 way trough Doctor Sleep. Loving it

I thought doctor sleep was fantastic. Dare I say I preferred it to The Shining..

You'd probably be in the minority. Along with me and a few others. Although I can't say I enjoyed it more than The Shining.

The Shining definitely had more atmosphere. I read them back to back and seemed to enjoy doctor sleep more.

[peripheral]

I thought Doctor Sleep was very good until the final third. Then I thought it had one of the poorest (deus ex machina) endings King has ever written (and that’s saying something, unfortunately).

For me, not in the same league as his masterpiece, The Shining.

[webstar1000]

I thought Doctor Sleep was very good until the final third. Then I thought it had one of the poorest (deus ex machina) endings King has ever written (and that’s saying something, unfortunately).

For me, not in the same league as his masterpiece, The Shining.

Agreed. Doctor sleep was total trash. Might be my least favourite King book. Better than the Shining? Crazy talk... lol

[St. Troy]

I thought Doctor Sleep was very good until the final third. Then I thought it had one of the poorest (deus ex machina) endings King has ever written (and that’s saying something, unfortunately).

Interesting; I find fault with plenty of King’s endings (unfortunately), but I really liked that of Dr. Sleep (I thought it was logical and satisfying without telegraphing it, which is all I really want).

[Ricky]

Reading Inspection by Josh Malerman. I'm enjoying it less than Bird Box (but I'm still enjoying it). It's a little slow and could use some more editing and focus, but it's keeping me engaged for now. Anyone else read it?

[Eternal Unity]

Finished The Shining and now a 1/4 way trough Doctor Sleep. Loving it

I thought doctor sleep was fantastic. Dare I say I preferred it to The Shining..

Same Here!

[NiceM]

On my 2nd read of the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Things make sense now... Currently half way through House of Chains. After the first chapter it slows a little but things are full on awesome now again

[WeDealInLead]

Just finished Swift to Chase by Barron and More Walls Broken by Powers. Both very satisfying.

I'm three stories out of five done with World's Enough and Time by Simmons. Not his best work. Looking for Kelly Dahl is superb though.

[kingfan2323]

Finished The Shining and now a 1/4 way trough Doctor Sleep. Loving it

I thought doctor sleep was fantastic. Dare I say I preferred it to The Shining..

Same Here!

I am excited to read them both again. Was not a big fan of Doctor Sleep. I will find out how much of my thought was tarnished by preconceived notion on my second reading. I am excited!

[Kongo]

Just started Firestarter today for the first time. I've started in anticipation of The Institute hopefully being connected to it, but of course that's just speculation. Regardless I'm enjoying it so far! Something tells me the end is gonna be a tear jerker (I have no experience with the movie at all)

[Brian861]

Just started Firestarter today for the first time. I've started in anticipation of The Institute hopefully being connected to it, but of course that's just speculation. Regardless I'm enjoying it so far! Something tells me the end is gonna be a tear jerker (I have no experience with the movie at all)

I really enjoyed the book and film both.

[Kongo]

Just started Firestarter today for the first time. I've started in anticipation of The Institute hopefully being connected to it, but of course that's just speculation. Regardless I'm enjoying it so far! Something tells me the end is gonna be a tear jerker (I have no experience with the movie at all)

I really enjoyed the book and film both.

That's really good to hear! For whatever reason, I've just never been exposed to Firestarter. It's time I rectify that though, so better late than never I suppose. I'm only a 100 pages in, but I like what I see so far

[WeDealInLead]

Gene O'Neill - Collected Tales of the Baja Express

[St. Troy]

Just finished The Name Of The Rose by Umberto Eco.

TNOTR was a good book, but although I enjoyed it and would recommend it to others, my reading experience suffered from expectations driven by comparisons to The Da Vinci Code.

Things it has in common with TDVC (and I don't think these are too spoilerish for anyone to know prior to reading): a heavy Christian/religious factor and people turning up dead.

There was, however, no:

- large-scope issue (such as a Jesus bloodline)
- breathlessly break-neck pace (TDVC was the closest thing I've ever read to a book I actually couldn't put down)
- definitive conclusion/explanation (TDVC revealed exactly what was going on; TNOTR kind of petered out into an absence of drama)

Despite all of that, it was entertaining and interesting enough on its own (and I'm still happy I got the Folio Society edition); I just wish I hadn't expected so much more.

I remain enthusiastic about reading more from Umberto Eco (if this reading experience sounds similar to my experience with F. Paul Wilson's The Keep (http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/showthread.php?113-What-are-you-currently-reading&p=1131257&viewfull=1#post1131257), it wasn't); I'll probably pick up Foucault's Pendulum next.

[St. Troy]

I just read (started and finished) the supplementary material in the 10th anniversary edition of The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - not the novel itself (which I'd already read in paperback), but everything else that appears in this edition.

A few years ago, I requested and received a handful of paperbacks to get a sampling of a few different things (all fiction, I believe), and TNOTW was one of them. This was not just a paperback, but a "mass market" paperback (one of the real little ones), and any worthy book deserves a better format than that, so when I saw the 10th anniversary edition (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/297978/the-name-of-the-wind-10th-anniversary-deluxe-edition-by-patrick-rothfuss/9780756413712/), I knew I had to have it:


This anniversary hardcover includes more than 50 pages of extra content!
• Beautiful, iconic cover by artist Sam Weber and designer Paul Buckley
• Gorgeous, never-before-seen illustrations by artist Dan Dos Santos
• Detailed and updated world map by artist Nate Taylor
• Brand-new author’s note
• Appendix detailing calendar system and currencies
• Pronunciation guide of names and places

...not to mention: red stained page edges (all three sides!).

It's not an expensive "special edition" along the lines of what is normally discussed on TDT; you can still get this for $25 - $35, depending where you look. (I know this reads like an ad, but I don't work for DAW or Penguin; I just really like this book).

[Heather19]

Finally I finished Ararat! This was supposed to be my last winter horror read. I started it back in the middle of March, and now the weather is far from winter-like here :lol: I hit a bit of a reading slump and really struggled to finish it. The book itself was ok. It started off good, but then about 2/3 of the way in I started to not care for it. The characters were somewhat annoying at that point, and I took issue with them abandoning the ark knowing that they were most likely taking something with them.

I just started My Best Friends Exorcism. And I realized as I was typing this that this is now the third physical book in a row that I'm reading that pertains to demonic possession... I might need to read something vastly different next :lol:

[WeDealInLead]

Josh Malerman - Inspection. I'm three chapters in and I haven't given up yet. That means I already like it more than Unbury Carol. I keep giving this dude my time and I'm hoping that after three complete duds since Bird Box, he'll finally prove me wrong.

[Garrell]

Finished Doctor Sleep. Loved it, a classic to me. Was as good as The Shining.
A little into NOS4A2, really enjoying it.

[Brian861]

Finished Doctor Sleep. Loved it, a classic to me. Was as good as The Shining.
A little into NOS4A2, really enjoying it.

NOS4A2 is excellent.

[webstar1000]

Finished Doctor Sleep. Loved it, a classic to me. Was as good as The Shining.
A little into NOS4A2, really enjoying it.

NOS4A2 is excellent.

And for me... Doctor Sleep is not. In fact it is the worst King book for me in a LONG time.

[Brian861]

Finished Doctor Sleep. Loved it, a classic to me. Was as good as The Shining.
A little into NOS4A2, really enjoying it.

NOS4A2 is excellent.

And for me... Doctor Sleep is not. In fact it is the worst King book for me in a LONG time.

That's Revival :P

[webstar1000]

Finished Doctor Sleep. Loved it, a classic to me. Was as good as The Shining.
A little into NOS4A2, really enjoying it.

NOS4A2 is excellent.

And for me... Doctor Sleep is not. In fact it is the worst King book for me in a LONG time.

That's Revival :P

Revival the worst? Lol not even close. My fav since 11/22/63. Loved it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[St. Troy]

I recently started The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, which is a children's book (8+) that I read years ago, probably when my younger daughter had to read it for school (perhaps I read it so that I could help in some way; recall is foggy on this). I remember it being a fun little mystery and decided to give it another go before jumping into something longer: up next is A Game Of Thrones (time to join the rest of the western world).

[Garrell]

Finished Doctor Sleep. Loved it, a classic to me. Was as good as The Shining.
A little into NOS4A2, really enjoying it.

NOS4A2 is excellent.

And for me... Doctor Sleep is not. In fact it is the worst King book for me in a LONG time.

That's Revival :P

Revival the worst? Lol not even close. My fav since 11/22/63. Loved it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am guessing we three can agree on Lisey's Story?:emot-flame:

[webstar1000]

Finished Doctor Sleep. Loved it, a classic to me. Was as good as The Shining.
A little into NOS4A2, really enjoying it.

NOS4A2 is excellent.

And for me... Doctor Sleep is not. In fact it is the worst King book for me in a LONG time.

That's Revival :P

Revival the worst? Lol not even close. My fav since 11/22/63. Loved it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am guessing we three can agree on Lisey's Story?:emot-flame:

haha

[kingfan2323]

Finished Doctor Sleep. Loved it, a classic to me. Was as good as The Shining.
A little into NOS4A2, really enjoying it.

NOS4A2 is excellent.

And for me... Doctor Sleep is not. In fact it is the worst King book for me in a LONG time.

That's Revival :P

Revival the worst? Lol not even close. My fav since 11/22/63. Loved it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am guessing we three can agree on Lisey's Story?:emot-flame:

hahaSo let's say Doctor Sleep was good (I need to read a second time) did it feel like a Shining sequel? I'm thinking not?

seeking: anything DT related #246
Night Shift Anniversary Ed. (blue skull cover)

[webstar1000]

Finished Doctor Sleep. Loved it, a classic to me. Was as good as The Shining.
A little into NOS4A2, really enjoying it.

NOS4A2 is excellent.

And for me... Doctor Sleep is not. In fact it is the worst King book for me in a LONG time.

That's Revival :P

Revival the worst? Lol not even close. My fav since 11/22/63. Loved it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am guessing we three can agree on Lisey's Story?:emot-flame:

hahaSo let's say Doctor Sleep was good (I need to read a second time) did it feel like a Shining sequel? I'm thinking not?

seeking: anything DT related #246
Night Shift Anniversary Ed. (blue skull cover)

NO. I did not.. a poor attempt for me if so.

[kingfan2323]

Finished Doctor Sleep. Loved it, a classic to me. Was as good as The Shining.
A little into NOS4A2, really enjoying it.

NOS4A2 is excellent.

And for me... Doctor Sleep is not. In fact it is the worst King book for me in a LONG time.

That's Revival :P

Revival the worst? Lol not even close. My fav since 11/22/63. Loved it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am guessing we three can agree on Lisey's Story?:emot-flame:

hahaSo let's say Doctor Sleep was good (I need to read a second time) did it feel like a Shining sequel? I'm thinking not?

seeking: anything DT related #246
Night Shift Anniversary Ed. (blue skull cover)

NO. I did not.. a poor attempt for me if so.My second read will solve it for me. Next question I would love to hear thoughts on . . . If it WAS NOT a sequel to one of the greatest horror novels (I am being very dramatic!) ever would it have been good?

seeking: anything DT related #246
Night Shift Anniversary Ed. (blue skull cover)

[Garrell]

I liked it either way

[St. Troy]

I'd say Doctor Sleep was a sequel to The Shining in the same way that Black House was a sequel to The Talisman: sure they were sequels, but much time had passed, the setting was different, and the main character had grown and changed much (don't go into the sequels expecting the same reading experience).

FWIW:
Revival was pretty good
Doctor Sleep and Lisey's Story were very very good.

[kingfan2323]

I'd say Doctor Sleep was a sequel to The Shining in the same way that Black House was a sequel to The Talisman: sure they were sequels, but much time had passed, the setting was different, and the main character had grown and changed much (don't go into the sequels expecting the same reading experience).

FWIW:
Revival was pretty good
Doctor Sleep and Lisey's Story were very very good.Great points but isn't it fair to have some pretty strong expectations for a sequel since it is a sequel? If John Wick 3 was similar to Lord of the Rings it would be a good movie but not appropriate as a sequel. Is that possibly the worst fucking example ever?? Ha! Get the point I suspect.

seeking: anything DT related #246
Night Shift Anniversary Ed. (blue skull cover)

[St. Troy]

...isn't it fair to have some pretty strong expectations for a sequel since it is a sequel?

It's fair, but as we know, expectations aren't always met.

I'd think there would be two kinds of expectations: for quality (shitty follow-ups serve no purpose) and type of content (me wanna ride the roller coaster again! wheeeee!).

As for quality, opinions vary, but I think both sequels I mentioned lived up to the first book (I wasn't a fan of BH, but likewise have no love for The Talisman). As for content, I think the dustjacket blurbs tried to prepare readers for the departure each represented (people wanting to read another Shining wouldn't get anything like that from Doctor Sleep and should know that going in).

[kingfan2323]

Great points again, good Sir. I'm 8 books into a complete King Re-Read so very excited to read it again. Not going in order so may do The Shining and Doctor Sleep next. Pumped!

seeking: anything DT related #246
Night Shift Anniversary Ed. (blue skull cover)

[WeDealInLead]

I just want to say...page 666. Dun dun duuun.

[Heather19]

And for me... Doctor Sleep is not. In fact it is the worst King book for me in a LONG time.

That's Revival :P

Revival the worst? Lol not even close. My fav since 11/22/63. Loved it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am guessing we three can agree on Lisey's Story?:emot-flame:

hahaSo let's say Doctor Sleep was good (I need to read a second time) did it feel like a Shining sequel? I'm thinking not?

seeking: anything DT related #246
Night Shift Anniversary Ed. (blue skull cover)

NO. I did not.. a poor attempt for me if so.My second read will solve it for me. Next question I would love to hear thoughts on . . . If it WAS NOT a sequel to one of the greatest horror novels (I am being very dramatic!) ever would it have been good?

seeking: anything DT related #246
Night Shift Anniversary Ed. (blue skull cover)

I'll be really curious to hear your thoughts after a second read. The first time I read Dr. Sleep I thought it was just ok. I didn't enjoy the sequel aspect of it, but I thought if you took that away it was an alright story. Well then I read it a second time, and absolutely hated it. I can go into more detail about why after you read it again. And funny thing is that I hated Lisey's Story the first time I read it. I really struggled to even finish it, and whenever asked picked that as my worst King book. Well then I re-read that one, and while I wasn't in love with it as a whole I really did love some portions of the book.

[RichardX]

I'm just finishing up the new Thomas Harris book Cari Mora. It is a very disappointing read to be kind. One of the worst novels from a bestselling author that I've had the misfortune to read in a long while. I wonder if he has effectively given up writing and this was some type of unpublished trunk novel that someone made him an offer he couldn't refuse to publish. The plot is laughable, the writing awful. There were points where I felt embarrassed on his behalf. It was like watching some great boxer long past his prime getting the daylights beaten out of him.

[Earl of Popkin]

I'm just finishing up the new Thomas Harris book Cari Mora. It is a very disappointing read to be kind. One of the worst novels from a bestselling author that I've had the misfortune to read in a long while. I wonder if he has effectively given up writing and this was some type of unpublished trunk novel that someone made him an offer he couldn't refuse to publish. The plot is laughable, the writing awful. There were points where I felt embarrassed on his behalf. It was like watching some great boxer long past his prime getting the daylights beaten out of him.

I read it last weekend, and while I wasn’t as disappointed as you, I definitely thought it to be an odd choice for a story after such a long break. You could tell he was picturing the movie while writing it instead of focusing on story beats. So many inconsequential characters. And I think he hoped some sort of clarice/lecter dynamic would magically appear and that def did not happen. I dug the premise - I’m a sucker for a lost treasure hunt, and I like the idea of an eco friendly murderer. But yeah - I was absolutely expecting more

Much like we sometimes jab at King by stating that he only writes about walking dogs and getting worked up over the news bc that’s the majority of his experience now, it definitely seems clear that Mr Harris has spent all of his time since Hannibal Rising hanging out in Miami either being awed by the tropical birds or staring at the litter in the river

[Brian861]

I am guessing we three can agree on Lisey's Story?:emot-flame:

At least you and I can if you liked it.

[St. Troy]

I just finished The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, which (as previously mentioned) is a children's book (8+) that I read years ago. Overall, I didn't enjoy it as much as before, but the ending (which previously had irritated me) actually seemed pretty good this time around, so it was a wash, I guess.

[Garrell]

1/3 way through NOS4A2 and loving it still.....

[Brian861]

1/3 way through NOS4A2 and loving it still.....

:cool:

[Ricky]

My favorite Hill novel!

[Garrell]

My favorite Hill novel!
It is my favorite by far at this point. I enjoyed Heart Shaped and Horns but this one is very fun. Definitely has a feel of his fathers’ writing in it.

[Ricky]

Yeah, I thought the same thing. And it's so propulsive and suspenseful. Plus great characters. It all comes together nicely in that one. Enjoy it!

[Mattrick]

Finally I finished Ararat! This was supposed to be my last winter horror read. I started it back in the middle of March, and now the weather is far from winter-like here :lol: I hit a bit of a reading slump and really struggled to finish it. The book itself was ok. It started off good, but then about 2/3 of the way in I started to not care for it. The characters were somewhat annoying at that point, and I took issue with them abandoning the ark knowing that they were most likely taking something with them.

I just started My Best Friends Exorcism. And I realized as I was typing this that this is now the third physical book in a row that I'm reading that pertains to demonic possession... I might need to read something vastly different next :lol:

You can always ask me for a PDF of The Limousine :p

[St. Troy]

When discussing the last book I read (The Westing Game), I mentioned that I was about to finally read A Game Of Thrones, which I'd been looking forward to for quite some time. However, when I finished TWG, I thought about it and realized I had become ravenous for some nonfiction. I considered Influence by Robert Cialdini (which I'd read before but is worth re-reading) and Understanding Physics by Isaac Asimov (I can't remember if I've read this, but I've had it forever) before settling on Mathematics: From The Birth Of Numbers by Jan Gullberg (which I've owned for around 20 years but never got around to reading). I started that last week and am enjoying it so far. It is simpler to supply the publisher's blurb than to try to explain what this is:


This extraordinary work takes the reader on a long and fascinating journey--from the dual invention of numbers and language, through the major realms of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus, to the final destination of differential equations, with excursions into mathematical logic, set theory, topology, fractals, probability, and assorted other mathematical byways. The book is unique among popular books on mathematics in combining an engaging, easy-to-read history of the subject with a comprehensive mathematical survey text. Intended, in the author's words, "for the benefit of those who never studied the subject, those who think they have forgotten what they once learned, or those with a sincere desire for more knowledge," it links mathematics to the humanities, linguistics, the natural sciences, and technology.

Contains more than 1000 original technical illustrations, a multitude of reproductions from mathematical classics and other relevant works, and a generous sprinkling of humorous asides, ranging from limericks and tall stories to cartoons and decorative drawings.

Over 1000 technical illustrations and cartoons and drawings.

Over 1,000 pages, but since it has lots of white space and since I certainly won't be attempting to solve the problems, I don't expect it to take forever (Asimov's physics book, on the other hand, looks like a 2-monther).

[mattgreenbean]

Now that my kids are kids and not babies, I'm starting to have some time to pick reading back up and not fall asleep immediately. Finished The Walking by Bentley Little. I like his stuff. Easy to digest. I've also read The Consultant and The Mailman and I think I liked The Walking the best so far. It went in a direction I wasn't expecting.
Right now I'm a third of the way through Swan Song by McCammon. It's big and I didn't want to start it till I thought I would actually be able to put my attention to it. I guess I was expecting a large cast of characters since I was thinking it was similar to The Stand. But, it's McCammon, and he focuses on a small cast in different locations. I've liked everything I've read by him so far.

[ratchet41]

well since the tv show N0S4A2 is on now though so far i've only watched the Pilot i think this weekend i will watch the last 2 episodes as the show does look promising. anyways, while i was out last week on the way back from the dentist we went to drug mart so i can get some pills for my Allergies and i saw they had the book of NOS4A2 and i thought 1stly holy fuck is that a huge book. it's the paperback version of it, anyways i've never read Joe Hill Before though i do have Heart Shaped box which i still need to get around to actually read. and his Ghost stories book yes i know i have the title wrong but the book isn't in front of me and i don't know his books really at all.

how is the book anyways? some love it/hate it? i'm only like 30 pages into it so i'm curious what people think of the book and the show too actually

[Brian861]

:wtf:@Ghost stories book. NOS4A2 is my new favorite Hill novel since I finished it recently. I'll probably continue to watch the show but I'm not really caring for it. It departs too much from the source material for my taste.

[ratchet41]

ya know when it comes to certain shit/ stories i can easily shut my brain off, like though i haven't read under the dome i enjoyed the show but that last season was fucking awful. my brother though loves The Mister Mercedes tv show though and he loves the books too. honestly it took me by surprise when he said he enjoys the show cause he's i think picky on how stuff is put to the smaller screen hence tv or the bigger screen. i am too to a certain degree but it depends on the film/story and cast and so forth. like i did enjoy the remake of IT but i really hated that ending

[Ben Mears]

Neon Prey by John Sandford. Good as always.
The Reign Of The Kingfisher by T. J. Martinson. Very well written and entertaining debut novel.

[Bev Vincent]

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay

[mkberger]

THE STORY OF THE STONE,
second of the Master Li and Number Ten Ox books, by Barry Hughart.

I re-read BRIDGE OF BIRDS every couple of years, but haven't read this one or the third (EIGHT SKILLED GENTLEMEN) in awhile.

[ladysai]

House of Lies, Ian Rankin

I love Rebus.

[Bev Vincent]

House of Lies, Ian Rankin

I love Rebus.

Me, too!

[Heather19]

Recursion by Blake Crouch. I'm trying to go slow and make it last for a while since I know it'll be forever before we get another new book by him. Good thing is I've been so busy I've barely had any time to sit down and read. I'm really enjoying it so far.

[Ricky]

Let me know how it is! I loved Dark Matter, so I've been looking forward to the new one. I'm reading the new Michael Koryta now, but am thinking it'll be my next one.

[Heather19]

I'm sure I'll love it and be raving about it once I finish :lol: Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself with that statement...

[Girlystevedave]

Recursion by Blake Crouch. I'm trying to go slow and make it last for a while since I know it'll be forever before we get another new book by him. Good thing is I've been so busy I've barely had any time to sit down and read. I'm really enjoying it so far.

Man, I've been dying to get that one, but am kinda making myself wait to buy it so I can "save" reading it for a while. :lol:

[Girlystevedave]

Currently reading: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. I haven't gotten very far into it, but I'm expecting it to be just as fun/light as Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul.

[St. Troy]

Currently reading: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. I haven't gotten very far into it, but I'm expecting it to be just as fun/light as Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul.

It is; cut from the same cloth. Eminently enjoyable.

[Girlystevedave]

Currently reading: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. I haven't gotten very far into it, but I'm expecting it to be just as fun/light as Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul.

It is; cut from the same cloth. Eminently enjoyable.

I know that I REALLY enjoyed Long Dark Tea Time. Such a fun read.

[St. Troy]

I just finished Mathematics: From The Birth Of Numbers by Jan Gullberg.

How was it? It may seem a bit formulaic on the surface, but it’s not derivative at all, and has more plotting than you normally see. It’s integrated pretty well, and it’s not exactly a book without a point. Looking at it from another angle, in theory there’s a limit to how much I can enjoy a book like this (my patience with nonfiction is finite), but it fulfills its function. Although readership is sometimes divided on these things, the author has powers you can really count on, which is a plus. All things being equal, when you add it all up, I suppose it was my type of book.

...in all seriousness, if you are a mathhead, look it up and see what you think. I enjoyed it.

[St. Troy]

I just started John Steinbeck's The Pearl.

Did I choose it because Steinbeck is a towering genius of American literature? Because it's a timeless, penetrating classic from which I hope to derive wisdom and insight? Nah; I chose it because it's only 90 damn pages long. The book I really wanted to read right now is still in the mail (I should have it tomorrow) and I needed something mighty short to fill 2-3 days.

I'm only 29 pages in, and it's pretty dull going so far, but that's how it is sometimes. I've never read Steinbeck before, but if I hate it, I still want to read one of his major works (probably The Grapes Of Wrath or Of Mice And Men) to see what his best is, and then, at the very least, I'll know what all the fuss is about.

The book I really wanted to read, and am eagerly awaiting, is something I've never read before...The Exorcist. I'm so excited to read this I'm practically shaking (although not literally shaking).

[kingfan2323]

I just started John Steinbeck's The Pearl.

Did I choose it because Steinbeck is a towering genius of American literature? Because it's a timeless, penetrating classic from which I hope to derive wisdom and insight? Nah; I chose it because it's only 90 damn pages long. The book I really wanted to read right now is still in the mail (I should have it tomorrow) and I needed something mighty short to fill 2-3 days.

I'm only 29 pages in, and it's pretty dull going so far, but that's how it is sometimes. I've never read Steinbeck before, but if I hate it, I still want to read one of his major works (probably The Grapes Of Wrath or Of Mice And Men) to see what his best is, and then, at the very least, I'll know what all the fuss is about.

The book I really wanted to read, and am eagerly awaiting, is something I've never read before...The Exorcist. I'm so excited to read this I'm practically shaking (although not literally shaking).Grapes of Wrath is definitely a classic. I have the Excorcist on my read list too. My favorite horror movie of all time (not a very original pick I know) so high expectations indeed.

seeking: ANYTHING DT related #246

[Garrell]

I just started John Steinbeck's The Pearl.

Did I choose it because Steinbeck is a towering genius of American literature? Because it's a timeless, penetrating classic from which I hope to derive wisdom and insight? Nah; I chose it because it's only 90 damn pages long. The book I really wanted to read right now is still in the mail (I should have it tomorrow) and I needed something mighty short to fill 2-3 days.

I'm only 29 pages in, and it's pretty dull going so far, but that's how it is sometimes. I've never read Steinbeck before, but if I hate it, I still want to read one of his major works (probably The Grapes Of Wrath or Of Mice And Men) to see what his best is, and then, at the very least, I'll know what all the fuss is about.

The book I really wanted to read, and am eagerly awaiting, is something I've never read before...The Exorcist. I'm so excited to read this I'm practically shaking (although not literally shaking).

I read it back in the 70's after the movie came out. I was too young to see the movie and we lived in Taiwan at the time, so american movies were limited to what the air force base would play, which was one movie a week. I drove through Taipei on my bike til I found a bookstore that sold english books. Found it and loved it. The movie , I saw years later, sucked compared to the book. Enjoy

[Ricky]

The Grapes of Wrath was torture. I read it in 9th grade and we could have chosen to read Of Mice and Men or The Grapes of Wrath, but get extra credit for Grapes since it was longer. I wish I would've picked Of Mice and Men.

[Girlystevedave]

The Grapes of Wrath was torture. I read it in 9th grade and we could have chosen to read Of Mice and Men or The Grapes of Wrath, but get extra credit for Grapes since it was longer. I wish I would've picked Of Mice and Men.

Oh man. What does that say about Grapes of Wrath that you were rewarded more for suffering through it? :lol: I read it years back and I suspect that the extra credit had nothing to do with its length. That book was pretty torturous. I remember finishing it and thinking "All that for nothing?!"

[Ben Mears]

A few years ago I felt compelled to read some of the classics and tried Lord Of The Flies, Of Mice & Men, Moby Dick, Robinson Crusoe and The Old Man & The Sea. I finished LOTF, OM&M and TOM&TS but tapped out on RC & MD. In the end I didn't remotely like any of them but was glad I went through the exercise. My takeaway was that I'm a slacker and only want to read books that capture my interest from the outset. The only authors I'm willing to push through with these days are SK and Dan Simmons. Of those two Simmons makes me work much harder than King.

[St. Troy]

I can see how Moby Dick would be some people's definition of a slog, but I really enjoyed it (lucky for me, since my first MD read was with a $70 special edition on which I splurged without knowing for sure if I'd even like it - more on this at http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/showthread.php?21280-Moby-Dick).

I'm not opposed to dense or wordy "classics" on principle, but there has to be something there for me. Such books can be like a meatless sandwich; I can tolerate unadorned bread, but it had better be good bread.

[St. Troy]

I just finished John Steinbeck's The Pearl.

As I mentioned before, it started off pretty dull, but then...things happened.

I found myself wondering if this was supposed to be a parable (against greed or possibly colonialism - are we supposed to blame the protagonist or those around him? Is he the "madness" or is he simply reflecting it?) or just a simple tale showing how fragile people and their relationships are, utterly at the mercy of circumstance. Perhaps all of it.

I came into this expecting not to enjoy it at all, but I did find it interesting and found myself caring about the characters. This is not to say that I loved it - it's not the kind of book that makes me say "Wow, I've gotta find more by this guy!" - but given that I have to read one of his longer classics at some point, and given that it made me think enough to write the previous paragraph, I'm not exactly dreading my next encounter with Steinbeck.

[webstar1000]

I just finished John Steinbeck's The Pearl.

As I mentioned before, it started off pretty dull, but then...things happened.

I found myself wondering if this was supposed to be a parable (against greed or possibly colonialism - are we supposed to blame the protagonist or those around him? Is he the "madness" or is he simply reflecting it?) or just a simple tale showing how fragile people and their relationships are, utterly at the mercy of circumstance. Perhaps all of it.

I came into this expecting not to enjoy it at all, but I did find it interesting and found myself caring about the characters. This is not to say that I loved it - it's not the kind of book that makes me say "Wow, I've gotta find more by this guy!" - but given that I have to read one of his longer classics at some point, and given that it made me think enough to write the previous paragraph, I'm not exactly dreading my next encounter with Steinbeck.

DUDE... do you read a book a day? Its unreal the amount you can read.... I wish!

[Girlystevedave]

I'm not opposed to dense or wordy "classics" on principle, but there has to be something there for me. Such books can be like a meatless sandwich; I can tolerate unadorned bread, but it had better be good bread.

That's one of the best analogies I've ever heard. :lol:

[St. Troy]

DUDE... do you read a book a day? Its unreal the amount you can read.... I wish!

I'm much less impressive than I seem; The Pearl was only 90 pages. I usually read 9,000 - 10,000 pages/year (18- 25 books, depending on the books).

[Girlystevedave]

A few years ago I felt compelled to read some of the classics and tried Lord Of The Flies, Of Mice & Men, Moby Dick, Robinson Crusoe and The Old Man & The Sea. I finished LOTF, OM&M and TOM&TS but tapped out on RC & MD. In the end I didn't remotely like any of them but was glad I went through the exercise. My takeaway was that I'm a slacker and only want to read books that capture my interest from the outset. The only authors I'm willing to push through with these days are SK and Dan Simmons. Of those two Simmons makes me work much harder than King.

I read Moby Dick in my teens and remember enjoying it a lot, although I can't remember anything about it now. I've debated on doing a re-read now, but am scared I'll be so miserable reading it and think "Why did I decide to torture myself like this? And what was wrong with me for liking this before?" :lol:

But I completely understand the being a slacker who only wants to read books that immediately capture your attention. I am so bad about giving up on books now. I used to refuse to quit a book before finishing it, but now, I can't even count the number of books I've abandoned because they bore the crap out of me. Reading should be for fun and shouldn't feel like work.

[St. Troy]

Reading should be for fun and shouldn't feel like work.

In general I agree; I only disagree (and "disagree" is probably too strong a wrong word here) in the sense that, for me, some books are the equivalent of a walk that I don't feel like taking until I get out, and then the fresh air hits me, the trees look nice, my legs feel better, etc., despite the fact that I'd never leave the couch if I could manage it.

But don't misunderstand - some reading experiences are absolutely fatiguing; my experience with Dune was awful (details on just how awful here: http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/showthread.php?113-What-are-you-currently-reading&p=1135723&viewfull=1#post1135723 - I enjoy citing myself).

[kingfan2323]

Reading should be for fun and shouldn't feel like work.

In general I agree; I only disagree (and "disagree" is probably too strong a wrong word here) in the sense that, for me, some books are the equivalent of a walk that I don't feel like taking until I get out, and then the fresh air hits me, the trees look nice, my legs feel better, etc., despite the fact that I'd never leave the couch if I could manage it.

But don't misunderstand - some reading experiences are absolutely fatiguing; my experience with Dune was awful (details on just how awful here: http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/showthread.php?113-What-are-you-currently-reading&p=1135723&viewfull=1#post1135723 - I enjoy citing myself).Nice analogy. Allow me to fuck up or totally butcher a Hemingway, I mean George RR, or shit I don't know who quote:
I do NOT like to write, I like to HAVE WRITTEN"

That is how I feel about reading some classics.

I HATE hiking but love the view at the top.



seeking: ANYTHING DT related #246
Ready Plyer One Sub Press S/L

[Garrell]

Just finished NOS4A2 last nite, loved it!!!!! Favorite Joe Hill book by far. One of my favorite books ever in fact.
Started Revival today.....

[WeDealInLead]

I'll add my own: I loathe running marathons but crossing the finish line is a magical feeling. Unless...

It's too hot. I'm getting sunburned and I still have ten miles to go. I'm having GI issues (read: I need to go boom-boom and the next washroom is 5k away). It's pouring. Or it's snowing. Or I rolled my ankle. Or some slowpoke is in the way and there's no room to pass.

Point is sometimes the battle isn't worth it. If what you're putting in isn't proportional to what you're getting out, just stop. Don't do things that aren't making you happy. Life's too short to gamble on bad books.

[St. Troy]

I'm trying to remember why I kept going with Vonnegut. I'm not talking finishing one book; I read a couple that I thought were bad and just kept going. I think I had one of those collections with 3 (at least) novels in one book and felt compelled to complete it. He's good for many people, but definitely not for me.

[Ricky]

am scared I'll be so miserable reading it and think "Why did I decide to torture myself like this?

Like me with Lord of the Flies! :lol:


Reading should be for fun and shouldn't feel like work.

Yes!

I'm positive this is why I didn't like reading until I discovered Stephen King in 7th grade. All those boring school books and summer reading lists. The people in charge of curriculum and school systems don't seem to realize that kids will like reading much more (and get much more out of it) if they're offered books that are engaging, fun, or relate-able .

[Joe315]

I'm trying to remember why I kept going with Vonnegut. I'm not talking finishing one book; I read a couple that I thought were bad and just kept going. I think I had one of those collections with 3 (at least) novels in one book and felt compelled to complete it. He's good for many people, but definitely not for me.

I’ve only read Galapagos. I thought it was quite good.

[Girlystevedave]

am scared I'll be so miserable reading it and think "Why did I decide to torture myself like this?

Like me with Lord of the Flies! :lol:

I can't think of a book being torture WITHOUT thinking of you and Lord of the Flies.
Just as Frodo had to travel through Mordor and just as Indian Jones had to brave The Temple of Doom, Ricky had to finish Lord of the Flies. :lol:



Reading should be for fun and shouldn't feel like work.

Yes!

I'm positive this is why I didn't like reading until I discovered Stephen King in 7th grade. All those boring school books and summer reading lists. The people in charge of curriculum and school systems don't seem to realize that kids will like reading much more (and get much more out of it) if they're offered books that are engaging, fun, or relate-able .



Schools should definitely focus more on showing kids how fun reading can be. There are so many books out there about so many different things. Why force kids to only read the boring stuff?

[ladysai]

I agree...I think schools should encourage ANY reading. I know there are 'classics' that are used in lessons, but why not let kids loose in the library, too? Why not let them have classtime to persue reading that sparks their own interest, rather than fitting a lesson plan? Hell, if a kid only reads stuff like Captian Underpants or Goosebumps, theyre still reading!

[St. Troy]

The people in charge of curriculum and school systems don't seem to realize that kids will like reading much more (and get much more out of it) if they're offered books that are engaging, fun, or relate-able .

One of the single most important things the school system can do while they have kids in their clutches - in some ways, the single most important thing - is to get each and every student in contact with something - anything; I don't care if it's 50 Shades of Grey or what - that they enjoy reading. Once people know that reading can be enjoyable, they'll seek out the things that are for them on their own for the rest of their lives, but if they never find that first book...

[Ricky]

I can't think of a book being torture WITHOUT thinking of you and Lord of the Flies.

Just as Frodo had to travel through Mordor and just as Indian Jones had to brave The Temple of Doom, Ricky had to finish Lord of the Flies. :lol:

Oh man. Haha. I love how I'm linked with torturous reading experiences in your mind. :lol:


Schools should definitely focus more on showing kids how fun reading can be. There are so many books out there about so many different things. Why force kids to only read the boring stuff?

:clap:


I agree...I think schools should encourage ANY reading. I know there are 'classics' that are used in lessons, but why not let kids loose in the library, too? Why not let them have classtime to persue reading that sparks their own interest, rather than fitting a lesson plan? Hell, if a kid only reads stuff like Captian Underpants or Goosebumps, theyre still reading!

Agreed.

When I was a long-term substitute teacher for first grade, I'd always choose letting the kids have independent reading time instead of teaching stupid Health or Science. :lol:


One of the single most important things the school system can do while they have kids in their clutches - in some ways, the single most important thing - is to get each and every student in contact with something - anything; I don't care if it's 50 Shades of Grey or what - that they enjoy reading. Once people know that reading can be enjoyable, they'll seek out the things that are for them on their own for the rest of their lives, but if they never find that first book

Yup, very true. :thumbsup:

[St. Troy]

I finally started The Exorcist this morning; 25 pages in, going well so far, intriguing, setting the stage, etc.

[webstar1000]

Has anyone read the Wanderers by Chuck Wending?


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[Ricky]

If I read another synopsis for a book that includes kidnapped/missing children or unreliable (and alcoholic) women narrators who "might've done something wrong" or "can't remember what's reality and what's imagination," I think I may lose it. Domestic suspense is a genre trend that needs to go away.

[St. Troy]

I just finished The Exorcist.

Overall, a very good novel, certainly creepy in spots, although not mind-numbingly terrifying or as “devilish” as I’d expected; before recently buying it, I’d looked forward to my eventual read with an “oooooh…” kind of anticipation, as if it might hold things that had never entered any of the horror I’d yet read, but it didn't really hit those highs for me. Still, it was quite good, and seems strong for what I would've expected from a product of 1971 (when compared with Carrie (1974), which I liked, or Straub's Julia (1975), which I found weak, it looks even stronger).

Blatty's writing isn't as colorfully familiar as King's (which suits me fine) or as overtly literary or intellectual as Straub's, but this is not to say it is strictly "workmanlike" (as I think I'd described the very basic but sufficient writing style of another author in a previous comment); Blatty keeps us present with fluid descriptions, events and characters feel genuine and alive, and nothing ever stagnates - I look forward to reading Blatty's Legion, as (I believe) it is the closest thing to a continuation of this story, and perhaps other works of his as well.

I'd hoped this might be the scariest thing I'd ever read because, to me specifically, satanic/demonic things are generally scarier than anything else because they are rooted in reality (I say "reality" not in the sense that I'm saying that God and the devil are real, but in the sense that they aren't characters created by Blatty). Which is to say, sure, Pennywise is creepy as hell and King has given me the shivers too many times to count, but when the lights go off at night, I'm not worried about encountering Pennywise or an Overlook ghost in the darkness - but maybe of encountering someone else, someone written about thousands of years ago. So, for the last 10 days or so, you better believe that when I heard the smallest noise while laying awake in bed at night, I was thinking please don't let this turn into loud knocks...please.

Given that that is my vulnerable fright point, can anyone recommend anything similar to The Exorcist (satanic/demonic possession)? I'm not seeking a demonic equivalent to Friday the 13th (if bodies are dropping because a demon is hopping between souls at a beach or dormitory, I would find that dumb), but something more thoughtful. For comparison, I enjoyed the original The Omen movie, and while I read the novelization of that, I don't recall what I thought of it (it was a long time ago), other than that it seemed to pretty much be just that, simply a novelization, where you see what happened but don't get the real "novel" feel from it.

[Ricky]

I just finished The Exorcist.

Overall, a very good novel, certainly creepy in spots, although not mind-numbingly terrifying or as “devilish” as I’d expected; before recently buying it, I’d looked forward to my eventual read with an “oooooh…” kind of anticipation, as if it might hold things that had never entered any of the horror I’d yet read, but it didn't really hit those highs for me.

This is exactly how I felt before I read it. I also found that it didn't hit the highs of the scare-ometer like I'd been expecting. I read The Exorcist and Legion pretty close together and think I liked Legion more. Definitely give it a read. It's a good continuation with Det. Kinderman.

And regarding recommendations, have you read Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay? You might enjoy it. It's not really terrifying or "scary," but is more psychological about what's real and what's not.

[St. Troy]

I just looked A Head Full Of Ghosts up on Amazon; it looks quite interesting. Thanks for the recommendation.

[peripheral]

I personally really disliked Head Full of Ghosts. Generic, derivative, wooden characters, Exorcist Lite + Internet Age.

[St. Troy]

Last night I began A Game Of Thrones, am 24 pages in, and my experience has not been what I expected.

I'd been warned that Martin goes bananas with the number of characters, and because I already know from my personal experience with fantasy that I have difficulty remembering characters that have names like Daenerys and Illyrio instead of Joe and Fred in large numbers, I've been taking notes on every character as they pop up. I figured that, at some point, the story would proceed with the characters that are already there and wouldn't need to add more on each page - but now on page 24, I've already taken note of 24 freaking characters. I like the writing and the story is intriguing, but this is starting to seem like the literary equivalent of watching a young guitarist who thinks playing 3 minutes of 1/64th notes is the point of music - wow, you can shred, cool, we get it.

I don't consider myself someone with a short attention span for reading; I spent 9 months with Winston Churchill's The Second World War, and loved it all.

And it's not like I need something that's like a simple rollercoaster ride; I spent over a month reading Thoreau, and just read a 1000 page thing about math for God's sake.

I rarely drop out of books, but if this is going to take me 4 months to read, then...I struggle to see how this might be worth it.

I've been advised to stop taking notes for a bit and just let it go. I will probably do that, but then it becomes Mr. Alphabet Soup #1 offended Mr. Alphabet Soup #2, and this is important because something something the House of Whosey-Whatsey 500 years ago, when the forest was dark and the wall was new, and the wolves were big and the swords were particularly notable for some reason, yadda yadda yadda, what were we talking about again?

[webstar1000]

Last night I began A Game Of Thrones, am 24 pages in, and my experience has not been what I expected.

I'd been warned that Martin goes bananas with the number of characters, and because I already know from my personal experience with fantasy that I have difficulty remembering characters that have names like Daenerys and Illyrio instead of Joe and Fred in large numbers, I've been taking notes on every character as they pop up. I figured that, at some point, the story would proceed with the characters that are already there and wouldn't need to add more on each page - but now on page 24, I've already taken note of 24 freaking characters. I like the writing and the story is intriguing, but this is starting to seem like the literary equivalent of watching a young guitarist who thinks playing 3 minutes of 1/64th notes is the point of music - wow, you can shred, cool, we get it.

I don't consider myself someone with a short attention span for reading; I spent 9 months with Winston Churchill's The Second World War, and loved it all.

And it's not like I need something that's like a simple rollercoaster ride; I spent over a month reading Thoreau, and just read a 1000 page thing about math for God's sake.

I rarely drop out of books, but if this is going to take me 4 months to read, then...I struggle to see how this might be worth it.

I've been advised to stop taking notes for a bit and just let it go. I will probably do that, but then it becomes Mr. Alphabet Soup #1 offended Mr. Alphabet Soup #2, and this is important because something something the House of Whosey-Whatsey 500 years ago, when the forest was dark and the wall was new, and the wolves were big and the swords were particularly notable for some reason, yadda yadda yadda, what were we talking about again?

Same reason I gave up on these. Name of the Wind is FAR better.


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[mattgreenbean]

St. Troy, If you can get the audiobooks, they really helped meet through the current books. Fantastic narration by Roy Dotrice. He also appeared in the HBO series. He has a Guinness World Record for most unique character voices from doing these books.

[Ricky]

I just looked A Head Full Of Ghosts up on Amazon; it looks quite interesting. Thanks for the recommendation.

No problem. Let me know if you end up reading it.


I personally really disliked Head Full of Ghosts. Generic, derivative, wooden characters, Exorcist Lite + Internet Age.

It wasn't as good as I was expecting, but I didn't not like it.

[St. Troy]

Name of the Wind is FAR better.

The Name Of The Wind was great. I don't really expect anything I read to be that good (if anything happens to reach that level, it would be a nice surprise).

[St. Troy]

St. Troy, If you can get the audiobooks, they really helped meet through the current books.

Thanks for the suggestion; that sounds like a good idea for some people, but I don't really do audiobooks - and even if I did, the fact that I couldn't see the names in print would probably drive me insane (but that's just me).

I suppose I have my limitations as a reader; there are some things for which I have absolutely no patience, and I can't claim it's all logical. For example, I've heard of an author named "Poppy Z. Brite;" I have no idea what this person writes (I assume there is some horror component; that would explain why PZB came to my attention), but I just can't look myself in the mirror if I give 2 seconds of attention to someone who has chosen to do business under such a label (of course, I like Axl Rose, so...).

[Girlystevedave]

Last night I began A Game Of Thrones, am 24 pages in, and my experience has not been what I expected.

I'd been warned that Martin goes bananas with the number of characters, and because I already know from my personal experience with fantasy that I have difficulty remembering characters that have names like Daenerys and Illyrio instead of Joe and Fred in large numbers, I've been taking notes on every character as they pop up. I figured that, at some point, the story would proceed with the characters that are already there and wouldn't need to add more on each page - but now on page 24, I've already taken note of 24 freaking characters. I like the writing and the story is intriguing, but this is starting to seem like the literary equivalent of watching a young guitarist who thinks playing 3 minutes of 1/64th notes is the point of music - wow, you can shred, cool, we get it.



Sadly, this is why I gave up reading at about book 3. It became too much work to keep up with all the houses, characters, etc.

[Mattrick]

I'm halfway through Snow Falling on Cedars by David Gutterson. It's a really enjoyable read so far. I'm flying through it.

[LizzyDeschain]

Currently alternating between re-reading DT (on Wolves atm) and Sleeping Beauties.

[Garrell]

Finished Revival and really enjoyed it. Not a ton of story buy really enjoyed the character development in it.
Started Cari Mora by Thomas Harris, enjoying it so far..

[WeDealInLead]

Heinlein - The past through tomorrow vol. 1

[Mattrick]

Snow Falling on Cedars was an excellent book. It wrapped up nicely, but not in a way that was particularly satisfying. The story about Ishmael and Hatsue was the heart of the story for me, and when that had it's great ending, everything that came after was just kind of empty...well-written, tragic, but empty. There was also a tiny chunk in the last 30 pages with The Jury talking at the end of the trial and I really could've done without that. We'd never known these characters, the conversation wasn't too interesting, and It just delayed the ending....I think it reminded me a little too much of 12 Angry Men but condensed down to like 6 pages...it was just redundant. Guterson really makes the island of San Piedro feel alive, and like a small town. It both works to his benefit and his detriment. It's interesting to get little takes on these characters who might only feature in a single page or a handful of pages...it makes everyone on the island feel like real people, but it was a little cumbersome at times, especially near the end of the book. But the cast of character itself that play significant roles is probably about 25 large and they're all handled with just the right amount of care and development to flesh them out in ways that are both interesting and contribute to the narrative...one of my favourites was on the coroner. There is an obscene amount of detail and research when it comes to boats and fishing and all the minutiae of island life, and the vivid descriptions of the land itself, really grounds it all in reality. That said it was a little much for me at times...I can only process so much description at once before I have trouble adding new elements to the picture.

All in all, it was a very good book. Great characters. Very true to life. The style in which it was written, with the trial being the linear thread, but constant digressing to past events, of the time of the murder and the weeks leading up to it, of a decade before when the Japanese were shipped off the island and put in an internment camp, the characters experiences in WW2, Ishmael and Hatsue as kids, their parents lives before they were born, delving into the lives/experiences of Witnesses while they are on the stand...it's all very well laid out provided you enjoy good digressions. At one point there was so much digression I began to forget what was happening in the trial, because there was like 150 pages of backstory of a dozen characters and it was all really, really good. In many ways it's a collection of short stories: the story of Kabuo on trial for murder, and the stories of those connected to the case, and their families and their hsitories, all interconnected, but distinct. Even the side characters at times get their little tales told, some interest, some banal, but all serving the greater purpose of bringing live to San Piedro island.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a good, well-written story with good characters, who doesn't need a gripping narrative to keep them engaged. The narrative is good, but it comes in pieces and chunks. The trial narrative is the glue, but I found the history of Ishmael and Hatsue, and the history of the central families and the decades of story before the trial to be the heart of the story.

[kingfan2323]

Finished Revival and really enjoyed it. Not a ton of story buy really enjoyed the character development in it.
Started Cari Mora by Thomas Harris, enjoying it so far..Was hoping to find some lonely souls that like Cari Mora. I will read it soon but the feedback definitely made me less excited. Hannibal Rising was not good so we know Harris is fallible but hoping for the best.

Finishing up Revival on Audiobook. David Morse does a great job on the read. Excited for Brian's release.

seeking: ANYTHING DT related #246
Ready Plyer One Sub Press S/L

[St. Troy]

I'm still going with A Game Of Thrones, which had troubled me initially:


I'd been warned that Martin goes bananas with the number of characters...now on page 24, I've already taken note of 24 freaking characters. I like the writing and the story is intriguing, but this is starting to seem like the literary equivalent of watching a young guitarist who thinks playing 3 minutes of 1/64th notes is the point of music - wow, you can shred, cool, we get it.

...I rarely drop out of books, but if this is going to take me 4 months to read, then...I struggle to see how this might be worth it.

I stuck with it, now on page 120. Around page 70, I realized that the story was progressing nicely and the character load had somewhat stabilized, and then when

Jaime Lannister pushed Bran out of a window to die

...I was like holy shit I need to find out what happens. Still enjoying it now.

[NiceM]

Erikson - Reaper's Gale

[Mattrick]

I've got about 80 pages left in The Nest by April D'Aprix Sweeney. It's a fairly good read with some good humour throughout, but I can tell this is one of those books where it's really going to hinge on how it wraps up.

[Mattrick]

I've been looking forward to reading this since I heard about it sometime ago.



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[WeDealInLead]

Heinlein - The past through tomorrow vol. 1

This was great. Space adventure and exploration but with actual science. Science is actually interesting and you pick up interesting tidbits of knowledge to impress your friends with when the opportunity presents itself. It's neither "hard" SF nor the condescending info dump *cough* Dan Simmons *cough*. Stories are set in the same Future History world of The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. I'm about to start Vol. 2.

Destination Moon is on YouTube, check it out.

[Still Servant]

I'm going to a used bookstore metropolis tomorrow. What have you been reading that you have enjoyed? Let me hear it.

[ladysai]

Any Ian Rankin Inspector Rebus novel. Great murder mysteries.

[webstar1000]

Wise Mans Fear.... man this guy can write. Is there any other goodness from him you all would recommend?

[WeDealInLead]

Lucius Shepard - Five Autobiographies and a Fiction

[Mattrick]

I about a quarter through We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas. It's pretty great so far.

[Garrell]

Finished Cari Mora, Not aweful but not his best by far. Choppy story with little meat to it.
A third through The Cabin At The End of The World by Paul Trembley. Good so far but the first chapter was boring. After that, it seems to have taking off.

[Heather19]

A third through The Cabin At The End of The World by Paul Trembley. Good so far but the first chapter was boring. After that, it seems to have taking off.

Just wait until the end :D

I re-read all 3 Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark before I go see the movie. Loved those books growing up as a kid. And the artwork was just as creepy as I remembered it being.

[webstar1000]

I can't wait for the all the people who read brother to pop by with thier love for this book....

[WeDealInLead]

A third through The Cabin At The End of The World by Paul Trembley. Good so far but the first chapter was boring. After that, it seems to have taking off.

Just wait until the end :D

.

Haha. How Tremblay went from a fresh new voice (to me, at least) to Koontz on a bad day is something I can't explain.

[Heather19]

Really, I loved the end.

And Brother has been on my list for awhile now. I just have too many books I want to read and not enough time.

[Mattrick]

I about a quarter through We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas. It's pretty great so far.


I'm two thirds in an it's no longer pretty great so far, it's just pretty damn great.

[Jerrika]

I read Looking for Alaska by John Green. That man is rather pretentious and his books are formulaic. He always seems to recycle his plotlines and characters. It's like he keeps writing the same book over and over again.

[Mattrick]

We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas isn't just a great book, it's one of the greatest books I've ever read. It's rare to encapsulate a lifetime on paper, but that is what Thomas did with his character of Eileen Tumulty, the only child of a pair of Irish immigrants in New York in the 1950s. It's really hard to describe the happenings in the book or even the main characters since some of the main characters don't appear until later in Eileen's life, but GO OUT AND GET THIS BOOK. There are many understated and poignant moments throughout the book that contain within in them the sorts of moments in life that stick with each of us, moments that aren't necessarily large or impactful, but cause as much pain or joy anyways. The way Thomas depicts the change in people, in neighbourhoods, in society itself, is so true to life. The characters are depicted with flaws, with strengths, as people in the way that people exist, with the sort of qualities we don't admit we possess, but we do, that lends them great authenticity. It's not often a novel really gets under my skin in that good way, but this one did. It's simply a modern day masterpiece.

[webstar1000]

We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas isn't just a great book, it's one of the greatest books I've ever read. It's rare to encapsulate a lifetime on paper, but that is what Thomas did with his character of Eileen Tumulty, the only child of a pair of Irish immigrants in New York in the 1950s. It's really hard to describe the happenings in the book or even the main characters since some of the main characters don't appear until later in Eileen's life, but GO OUT AND GET THIS BOOK. There are many understated and poignant moments throughout the book that contain within in them the sorts of moments in life that stick with each of us, moments that aren't necessarily large or impactful, but cause as much pain or joy anyways. The way Thomas depicts the change in people, in neighbourhoods, in society itself, is so true to life. The characters are depicted with flaws, with strengths, as people in the way that people exist, with the sort of qualities we don't admit we possess, but we do, that lends them great authenticity. It's not often a novel really gets under my skin in that good way, but this one did. It's simply a modern day masterpiece.

It only has 3.7/5 on Goodreads... that is quite low no? I mean I am all about a new book but tend to try and read higher rated ones. You saying break my rule?

[Joe315]

I read Looking for Alaska by John Green. That man is rather pretentious and his books are formulaic. He always seems to recycle his plotlines and characters. It's like he keeps writing the same book over and over again.

I haven't read John Green, but I find that with others as well.

[WeDealInLead]

We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas isn't just a great book, it's one of the greatest books I've ever read. It's rare to encapsulate a lifetime on paper, but that is what Thomas did with his character of Eileen Tumulty, the only child of a pair of Irish immigrants in New York in the 1950s. It's really hard to describe the happenings in the book or even the main characters since some of the main characters don't appear until later in Eileen's life, but GO OUT AND GET THIS BOOK. There are many understated and poignant moments throughout the book that contain within in them the sorts of moments in life that stick with each of us, moments that aren't necessarily large or impactful, but cause as much pain or joy anyways. The way Thomas depicts the change in people, in neighbourhoods, in society itself, is so true to life. The characters are depicted with flaws, with strengths, as people in the way that people exist, with the sort of qualities we don't admit we possess, but we do, that lends them great authenticity. It's not often a novel really gets under my skin in that good way, but this one did. It's simply a modern day masterpiece.

It only has 3.7/5 on Goodreads... that is quite low no? I mean I am all about a new book but tend to try and read higher rated ones. You saying break my rule?

In general, I'll check out a book if the premise seems interesting or someone whose judgement I trust recommended it. A lot of King falls in the 3.5-4 bracket. Cujo and Christine are rated lower than this book. Don't get me started on Tommyknockers, Rose Madder, Gerald's Game, Sleeping Beauties etc.

I'm giving up on Shepard. I just don't have much interest left for a single paragraph that goes for a page and a half and buddy is just ranting about what's real vs what's in his head. I enjoyed that technique in his other book called Viator but enough is enough. I think I'll tackle an anthology next, maybe some Best Of.

[Heather19]

I don't ever consider a books rating when deciding whether or not to read it. Maybe if it was 1 star I might think otherwise, but a 3.7 sounds good to me, no? Maybe it's just because I'm a strict rater. A 3 isn't bad to me. I only give out 4s and 5s to books I love. A 3 to me would be an average book. Enjoyable, but nothing mind blowing, and it certainly doesn't mean I disliked it.

[mattgreenbean]

Currently reading Walking Alone by Bentley Little. A career spanning collection of his short stories. These are easy-to-read stories before bed.

[Mattrick]

I imagine those that rated We Are Not Ourselves low or more middling aren't into stories that don't have a strict plot. It's very much a book that meanders, a collection of moments in a lifetime. But it's excellent and very easy to read 100 pages at a time unless you're a reader who needs a strong driving narrative to keep you going.

[WeDealInLead]

Helen Marshall - The Migration

She's a local girl (Sarnia, Ontario) and this is her first novel. I just read 100 pages in one sitting. Gaiman's endorsement is right on the cover.

[St. Troy]

I just finished A Game Of Thrones (I made it past my initial trouble with sheer character overload, and it paid off big-time). Wildly exciting, chaotic and unpredictable; even as large forces (alliances, grievances) shift and evolve, immediate events drive it all. There are so many "WTF" things:

Bran pushed out a window; incest among the powerful; King Robert's death, actual dragons; Eddard executed; Jaime captured; Dany killing Drogo, Viserys' "gold crown"

...you really never know when the wheels are going to come off next.

Martin does a great job creating interesting characters (Tyrion is fantastic, Arya rocks, Joffrey is a giant douchebag; I could go on and on) and memorable scenes; it's good to finally understand what all the fuss was about.

I will start A Clash Of Kings tonight and can't wait to jump in. Unfortunately, my reading of ASOIAF will have to pause for several months after that; I have 2 Arthur Machen volumes (from Centipede Press and Oxford University Press) to work on in October/early November, then mucho Christmas reading (A Christmas Carol, 2 volumes of other Dickens Christmas Stories, and The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern (which was the basis of It's A Wonderful Life)) from November through December.

And even then, since these (ASOIAF) are my daughter's books, I can't read A Storm Of Swords until she does - although she finished ACOK a few months ago, she still doesn't plan to get to ASOS by January - so, it could be almost a year before I get to that. Bah!

I know I should consider this wait a good thing, given that only 5 books are finished and I'll just end up having to wait for 6 & 7 with the rest of the world, but I want to race through them all right now.

[St. Troy]

...a bit more about A Game Of Thrones:

As basically everyone knows (and I suspected, before reading), AGOT is not "quest-y," like LOTR (destroy the ring before it destroys all of you!) or Harry Potter (destroy Voldemort before he destroys all of you!) or even The Kingkiller Chronicle (no clearly defined "quest" but feels as if it's working toward something having to do with the [REDACTED]); basically, the concerns here are much more pedestrian and human - although this is still fantasy by any definition, and as I said before, quite exciting.

[Girlystevedave]

I finished Nick Cutter's The Troop in one day. Guys, seriously, when Stephen King said it was "old-school horror at its best", he wasn't kidding. It was a damn good book that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a solid, well-written, scary story.

Currently reading: Will Save the Galaxy for Food by Yahtzee Croshaw

[fernandito]

Did you read The Deep by Cutter?

[Girlystevedave]

Did you read The Deep by Cutter?

Not yet. But after reading The Troop, I want to check out The Deep.
Did you read The Deep?

[fernandito]

Yes, it's creepy as shit. I know for sure you'll like it.

[Girlystevedave]

Yes, it's creepy as shit. I know for sure you'll like it.

You had me at "creepy as shit". :lol:

I can't wait to read it. Not only for the scary factor, but I really really enjoyed Cutter's writing style with The Troop. It felt like I easily slipped into the story just like I do with King's books and that doesn't happen often for me.

[Ricky]

I finished Nick Cutter's The Troop in one day. Guys, seriously, when Stephen King said it was "old-school horror at its best", he wasn't kidding. It was a damn good book that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a solid, well-written, scary story.

You read the whole book in one day?! :o

[Girlystevedave]

I finished Nick Cutter's The Troop in one day. Guys, seriously, when Stephen King said it was "old-school horror at its best", he wasn't kidding. It was a damn good book that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a solid, well-written, scary story.

You read the whole book in one day?! :o

I did! Now, to be fair, I accomplished absolutely nothing else in that 24 hours other than lounge around, but still- I didn't want to to anything other than read the book. I'm telling you, Ricky. It was good!

[Mattrick]

I've got The Troop on my couch right now.

[Heather19]

Just listened to Where the Crawdads Sing. I needed to see what all the fuss was about. I'll preface this by saying that this isn't my normal type of book to choose to read, but I didn't care for it at all. It was also giving me major Glass Castle vibes. And that's another book I hated, so maybe that's also why I didn't enjoy it.

[Girlystevedave]

I've got The Troop on my couch right now.

Nice!

[St. Troy]

Just started A Clash Of Kings, now about 70 pages in. Very exciting, in line with AGOT. Joffrey needs a beating more than ever before, and I'm sure it will only get worse.

[WeDealInLead]

Finished The Migration. Solid 4 out of 5. It loses a little momentum in the second third but that's just the quiet before the literal storm. Or extinction event rather. The spirit of the book is similar to Greg Bear's Blood Music and ACC's A Childhood's End but the author is coming at the story from a more human (vs. scientific) angle.

I'm going to tackle Tremblay's collection Growing Things but I can't say I'm excited about it. First two stories were of the "choose your own adventure" type with ambiguous endings, and you know, I used to be all about that but these days I don't have an endless amount of patience and time to parse the meaning out of some convoluted 10-page story.

[Rjeso]

I started A Confederacy of Dunces last night and I already want to wring Ignatius' neck with my bare hands. Holy hell, he is insufferable.

[Ricky]

I finished Nick Cutter's The Troop in one day. Guys, seriously, when Stephen King said it was "old-school horror at its best", he wasn't kidding. It was a damn good book that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a solid, well-written, scary story.

You read the whole book in one day?! :o

I did! Now, to be fair, I accomplished absolutely nothing else in that 24 hours other than lounge around, but still- I didn't want to to anything other than read the book. I'm telling you, Ricky. It was good!

That's high praise if you read it that quickly!

[Br!an]

I read Looking for Alaska by John Green. That man is rather pretentious and his books are formulaic. He always seems to recycle his plotlines and characters. It's like he keeps writing the same book over and over again.

Time to move on.

[Mattrick]

I finished Nick Cutter's The Troop in one day. Guys, seriously, when Stephen King said it was "old-school horror at its best", he wasn't kidding. It was a damn good book that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a solid, well-written, scary story.

You read the whole book in one day?! :o

I did! Now, to be fair, I accomplished absolutely nothing else in that 24 hours other than lounge around, but still- I didn't want to to anything other than read the book. I'm telling you, Ricky. It was good!

That's high praise if you read it that quickly!


So that means The Need is as good as The Troop :D :D

[Heather19]

Just finished Boy's Life. What a great book. I will fully admit that it took me a little bit to get into due to the lack of an overall plotline, but once I got passed that, I really began to enjoy it. The writing is wonderful, and it's really a book that I think I'll continue to reflect back on.

[fernandito]

I finished Nick Cutter's The Troop in one day. Guys, seriously, when Stephen King said it was "old-school horror at its best", he wasn't kidding. It was a damn good book that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a solid, well-written, scary story.

You read the whole book in one day?! :o

I did! Now, to be fair, I accomplished absolutely nothing else in that 24 hours other than lounge around, but still- I didn't want to to anything other than read the book. I'm telling you, Ricky. It was good!

I just downloaded The Troop based off your recommendation. Here we go!

[Girlystevedave]

Just finished Boy's Life. What a great book. I will fully admit that it took me a little bit to get into due to the lack of an overall plotline, but once I got passed that, I really began to enjoy it. The writing is wonderful, and it's really a book that I think I'll continue to reflect back on.

Oh man, I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed it. I loved that story so much, so I always like hearing of other people's opinions on it. I really want to get around to rereading it one day.





I finished Nick Cutter's The Troop in one day. Guys, seriously, when Stephen King said it was "old-school horror at its best", he wasn't kidding. It was a damn good book that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a solid, well-written, scary story.

You read the whole book in one day?! :o

I did! Now, to be fair, I accomplished absolutely nothing else in that 24 hours other than lounge around, but still- I didn't want to to anything other than read the book. I'm telling you, Ricky. It was good!

I just downloaded The Troop based off your recommendation. Here we go!

Nice! Let me know how you end up liking it. :)






I finished Nick Cutter's The Troop in one day. Guys, seriously, when Stephen King said it was "old-school horror at its best", he wasn't kidding. It was a damn good book that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a solid, well-written, scary story.

You read the whole book in one day?! :o

I did! Now, to be fair, I accomplished absolutely nothing else in that 24 hours other than lounge around, but still- I didn't want to to anything other than read the book. I'm telling you, Ricky. It was good!

That's high praise if you read it that quickly!


So that means The Need is as good as The Troop :D :D

:lol: Yes, Matt. The Need and The Troop were both excellent books. :D

[WeDealInLead]

Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Phenomenal stuff.

I'm actually rereading the first hundred or so pages, it's that good.

[fernandito]

I just downloaded The Troop based off your recommendation. Here we go!
Nice! Let me know how you end up liking it. :)
100 pages in. So far, so good! :cool:

I love Cutter's descriptive powers.