Current Read: Doctor Sleep

I have been reading some Stephen King this month. Perfect for Halloween. It has been a busy month with school volunteering, and the house remodel, though, so my reading time has been a bit limited. So this book will be going into November. Really enjoying it.

Happy Reading!

Salem's Lot by Stephen King

Another October, another R.I.P., and another King Read-a-long.

This time I joined Melissa , Trish and Care in reading Salem's Lot. 
This was a first time read for me, believe it our not. This book has been on my bookshelf for over a decade and this was the first time I actually read it. So glad I did. It had really proper creepy vampires.  Yay!
I was seriously yelling at my book and feeling anxiety for these characters when they wouldn't get things done before sundown. Why don't they get their vampire killing on first thing in the morning? No, they wait until half an hour before the vamps are to awaken. Agh! Way to get my heart going really fast, King!
But that is why I read these, right? 
So here is the tease they give for the book:
Thousands of miles away from the small township of 'Salem's Lot, two terrified people, a man and a boy, still share the secrets of those clapboard houses and tree-lined streets. They must return to 'Salem's Lot for a final confrontation with the unspeakable evil that lives on in the town.
So, did I miss the final confrontation?  I know they go back, but I don't really remember a confrontation. 
Okay, ladies, what's next on our list of King books. :)

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
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Pet Sematary ReadAlong

This book was so good that I read it very quickly. I couldn't put it down, actually, and finished way before the end of this Read Along. In true Stephen King fashion, it is filled with frights and horrors that you wish could never actually happen, and questions that you hope you never have to answer. 
Having a young child made this book even harder to read. 
The premise is this: A young couple with two kids move into a new home on a very busy street. Their cat gets hit by a truck and a neighbor helps to bring it back to life with the help of a strange indian burial ground behind their house. When their son is hit by a truck, Louis takes some drastic actions to bring back his son. The problem is, was it really his son that came back?
Ack! Yeah. Nightmare making book. I loved it. 
There are also some mentions of places and people from some of his other books that are always fun to find. Like little Easter Eggs for us fans, I guess.
I am ready for another King Read Along! What is next Jill?


Happy Reading! _________________________________________

Current Read and Teaser: Pet Sematary by Stephen King

Jill's Pet Sematary Read-Along is this month and I am totally engrossed in this book. I may be ignoring other books that I should be reading.  I have a month tp read this but will most likely finishes much sooner. Here is a snippet foreshadowing what is to come...

"Louis Creed came to believe that the last really happy day of his life was March 24, 1984. The things that were to come, poised above them like a killing sash weight, were still over seven weeks in the future, but looking over those seven weeks he found nothing which stood out with the same color." Chapter 35

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Pet Sematary Read Along

Jill of Somewhere in a Book is hosting a Pet Sematary read along this month. Yay. I love everything by Stephen King, and this is one book of his that I had not read before. So excited to read it now... and with friends! So fun.
I started reading last night and had a hard time putting it down. I read eight chapters. Not scary yet, so had no problem reading at midnight. Not sure if I will be doing that when the hubby is not here and the real scares begin.
The little girl is at school-time to read a bit more!

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Review: Joyland by Stephen King

Joyland by Stephen King 283 pages, paperback Published June 2013, Hard Case Crime
Source: purchased
Devon Jones goes to work at an amusement park for the summer and discovers an unsolved murder and the ghost of the murdered girl in the haunted house ride. With the help of some fellow college summer workers and a mom and son staying up the beach, Devon investigates in hopes of solving the crime.
Another great King book. Loved the mystery and the thrown in creepy supernatural stuff- just enough to remind you it's a Stephen King story. 

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
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Review: 11/22/63 by Stephen King

11/22/63 by Stephen King 880 pages, Hardcover Published July 2012, Gallery Books Source: borrowed Jake Epping's life takes a drastic change when his friend Al shows him a way into the past through the back room of his restaurant. He also sends him into the past with a job to do. Save President Kennedy from being assassinated. Entering the past in 1958, he has some time to kill before then. Literally. 
He falls in love, saves some lives, and ends some others all while fighting against the past that doesn't want to change. And, well, maybe it shouldn't be.  Once again I am blown away by a Stephen King book. Never a disappointing read when I pick up one of his books. Missing from this one are the monsters and gore that he is famous for, but still present is King's great storytelling, interesting characters and suspense. 
Can't wait to talk about this one with my father in law, who lent it to me. I want to hear his take on it. Not sure if he has read King before and he is slightly obsessed with the theory that LBJ was behind the assassination.
Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Review: Under the Dome by Stephen King

Under the Dome by Stephen King
I didn't think I would get this read in time for the mini-series but I did. Yay!
I could not put this book down. Reading it on my phone, of course, allowed for reading in many locations. My parents thought me a bit rude when all I could do was stare at my phone the whole time we were visiting. I was taking advantage of the fact that they could entertain the little girl.
Anyway, I loved it. Stephen King can do no wrong in my eyes. 
The premise, a town cut off from the rest of the world by an invisible dome, is pretty creative. The effects it has on the people within could only be truly explored by King. He can see the darkness within these supposedly "good" people and show how easily the dark can come out when there are no consequences. When the dome comes down some respond in fear, others attempt to gain power and a few try to keep order.  It is amazing how quickly everything goes downhill in a week. 
There are so many characters in this book. A little hard to keep them all straight at the beginning. The numbers dwindle down a bit, though, made it easier to keep track of who is who. There are the good, the bad and the just plain monstrous. It is King, after all.
Barbie is the perfect protagonist, slightly flawed, but brave and willing to help the town despite having been feet from the town limit. Big Jim Rennie is the small politician in a little town who wants/needs power over everyone and gets the chance on this day. He may be the only one inside who doesn't want it to go away. 
The pace was perfect, the explanation of what the dome is-interesting and so simple, yet terrifying. Makes one feel so little. I also liked the global warming effects that take place within the dome. A little environmental commentary to make us think about what we are putting into our air. Lucky we aren't surrounded by a dome.
Ready to watch the show. Will you be watching? Starts Monday, June 24th on CBS.

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
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DomeAlong!

I am in! A little late, but I really want to read this before the show starts. 
I am a long time fan of King's. My first book of his was Christine, which I read back in high school. I chose The Shining for book group last October and have enjoyed being freaked out by every book of his that I read.
Off to buy myself a copy!
Happy Reading! _________________________________________
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Book Review: The Stand by Stephen King

The Stand: The Complete and Uncut Edition by Stephen King Published by Doubleday, 1990 ebook
I finally finished! It was long, but well worth the read. 
So much going on in this book, but just so well written. It is a story of survival, of redemption and humanity. It is the fight between good and evil, both real and imagined. There really is so much to laud in this book- the characters, the pacing, the parallels with the Bible and the story itself.
Now, I assume that most people know what The Stand is about, but for those who are not familiar with it- a quick synopsis. A deadly disease is released into the world, a flu that wipes out quite a large percentage of the population. Those who survive must make the choice of whether to join Mother Abigail or go and join the dark man in the west. A choice between good and evil. A small band of those with Mother Abigail are chosen to make the final Stand against Randall Flagg and save humanity.
Definitely, the best book by King I have read. So happy I was finally able to read it. I was a little hesitant after being disappointed with the tv movie. This was so much better. I feel a remake is in need.   Thanks, Trish for the Standalong!
Source: purchased ebook _________________________________________

The Standalong: Halfway through

I have finally made it to the halfway point. Wow! What a book. Even when I am not reading I get reminded of it: When someone sneezes, when we were driving through the Lincoln Tunnel leaving NYC,when I start coughing! Ack!
So here's how it is going so far:
1. How does The Stand compare to your initial thoughts on the book?I knew what to expect going in having seen the tv movie and also being a fan of Stephen King and his style of writing. This is much better than the movie.

2. Characters you love so far? Characters you want to kick in the shins? Nick (I keep picturing Rob Lowe) and Frannie (she's the only strong female character so far) are my favorites so far. Can't stand Harold. What an annoying and creepy guy.

3. Most cringe worthy moment?The Lincoln tunnel especially realizing how long it was after driving through myself. Also, Rita dead in the tent. Actually, Larry wearing the clothes he pulls out and them smelling of death. Ick.

4. Any predictions for the second half? (no spoilers if you're past there!)More of the same. I have seen the movie. I know what happens._________________________________________

The Stand-along

I just couldn't resist this read-along. It's a big one, too. Hope I can get through it. Anyone else joining in on the fun? If you want to, just click the button and sign up!
1. What makes you want to read The Stand?I have  always wanted to read it. I am a big fan of Stephen Kin.
2. Describe your preconceived notions of The Stand.It's a BIG book. It's classic King!
3. What was the last scary(ish) book you read or movie you saw?Funny enough, we read The Shining for Book Group back in October.
4. Which version of the book will you be reading from?The unabridged, extra long version.
5. What are you previous experiences with Stephen King?I have actually read quite a bit of King's books and seen many movies based on his books. I am a fan and can't believe I haven't read this one before.
6. Anything else you'd like to add (bonus points for being extra random).My brother-in-law lives in Maine. King is from Maine. Lots of his books are set there. That is my connection to King. :) Hehe.
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October Book Group: The Shining by Stephen King

I was so worried that I would be the only one reading this book. Everyone seemed so hesitant to read a horror genre book at our last meeting. Surprisingly all but one read it! Yay!- and on top of that, everyone really enjoyed it. I hosted this week and loved having people here to enjoy my Halloween decor. This months book: The Shining by Stephen King

Thoughts about the book:I was so excited to hear that everyone had a hard time putting this book down since I had the same reaction. I was reading it every chance I had. Most of us really liked the psychological aspect of the book- not knowing if what was happening was real or all in their heads. 
The Overlook definitely had an affect on all of us readers. One had a creepy experience in a building with fire doors closing and alarms going off and getting freaked out by the fire hoses in the hall. Agh! The rest of us were just a little more aware of the dark and noises in our homes.
Popular Question:What was the significance of the wasps/wasp's nest?This was one that we didn't really have an answer for. It came up a few times- different character's experience with wasp nests and then again at then end. It seemed to simple that it was just a reference to the Overlook being its own kind of wasp nest. It seems like something more. Ideas?
We also had fun comparing the book to the movie. We all decided the book was better.
Next Months book: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

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Book Review: The Shining by Stephen King

The Shining by Stephen King


I have been wanting to read a Stephen King book for a very long time. I read Christine years ago when I was a teenager but hadn't read anything else since. I decided to pick The Shining for my book groups October read. Probably not the best book for my easily scared group of friends, but for me-the perfect read.
Most, I believe, know the story, right? Jack Torrance takes a job as the winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel which is in the Rocky Mountains closed off to everything once the snow starts to fall. He brings along his wife, who is ready to leave him the minute he starts drinking again, and his son, Danny with his psychic abilities.
I enjoyed reading this all month long. I loved the slow build up of the supernatural scares to the big final battle between the Torrance's and the Overlook Hotel. It was interesting to me how much of this is a psychological thriller rather than blood and gore scares. There is that, too, but the psychological thrills were so much more disturbing and scary.
Next on my Stephen King books to read list: It. 
5/5
Source: purchased ebook for iPhone Kindle App
RIP VI Challenge_________________________________________

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.