I may be wrong, but I feel like Pet Semetary is one of King’s more underrated books. When people talk about the “best” King books all you hear is- theI may be wrong, but I feel like Pet Semetary is one of King’s more underrated books. When people talk about the “best” King books all you hear is- the Stand, Salem’s Lot, the Shining, It. Now don’t get me wrong, those are all worth reading and all wonderful in their own way, but man… there is something too real about Pet Semetary. A book that makes you question all that you thought you knew is a rare find. Pet Semetary makes you question yourself and how you would react.
When Louis Creed moves his family to the country, he thinks it’ll be the best thing for them. A nice quiet old farmhouse and friendly neighbors to boot. Sure the truckers drive a little too fast up their road, but it’s a small price to pay to have such a lovely lot of land to share with his family. The Crandells come over to introduce themselves and Louis can’t help but feel love for Jud. He’s the father Louis always wanted.
Louis’ wife takes the kids to visit her family and while they’re gone, the family cat, Church, is struck and killed by a car. Maybe even a truck, who can be sure? Louis’ daughter, Ellie calls frantic with panic she can’t explain. She’s had a dream you see, and in that dream Church was dead. Tell me he’s not dead, Daddy. No, dearheart, Church is fine, say thankya. Louis doesn’t wantto upset his daughter while she’s away. He’ll wait and explain things to her when she gets home.
But according to Jud, he may not have to. There’s an old indian burial ground up behind the house. The kids like to take their pets up there to the Pet Semetary. Just follow me, and I’ll show you the way, Louis. Just follow me, and mayhap you won’t need to tell Ellie anything at all.When Ellie returns home, she finds Church home and safe. A little smelly, sure, but he’s alive.
One day while flying a kite, Gage, their 2 year old son, goes running after the kite. 2 year olds fall, everytime they run. (trust me, I have one.). But Gage doesn’t fall this time and what waits for him is a fate so dark, I hate to think of it.
So ask yourself this- in the midst of your grief, what wouldn’t you do to have your child back. The child that was so sweet and innoncent. If given the chance, would you take him up to that old burial ground and see if you could get him back?
I read this back when I was 14 or 15 working a summer job at the beach. I spent my break with my nose stuck between its pages loving every word of it. Going back to it now as an adult, an adult with a 2 year old nonetheless, resulted in a much different reading experience. Even the thought of losing my son is enough to reduce me to tears. I used to think to myself that there’s no way in hell I would try something like that, but I am not even half as sure about that as I was. Now, I think there is nothing I wouldn’t do to get him back to me. No matter the cost.
I think this book contains some of King’s most profound insights into human nature. It plays so deeply on our emotions that I can’t really question any of what happens in it. It made a lot more sense to me now than it did the first time around. And for that it scared the everliving fuck out of me, say thankya.
I strongly recommend snagging a copy of this on audio. It's narrated by Michael C. Hall- aka Dexter Morgan. UGH! I would listen to that man read a grocery list. ...more
The Long Walk is a short story by Richard Bachman, aka a much younger and much more cynical Stephen King. It centers around Ray Garraty, one of the 10
The Long Walk is a short story by Richard Bachman, aka a much younger and much more cynical Stephen King. It centers around Ray Garraty, one of the 100 boys selected to participate in this year’s Long Walk. What is the Long Walk you ask? Exactly what it sounds like: a long fucking walk.
The Rules: Keep walking. Keep up the pace. If you don’t, there are armed guards there to put a bullet in your head. Get too tired? Get shot. Stop to chat? Get shot. Run off and try to get free? Get shot. Slow down? Get shot. Catch pneumonia and struggle to keep up? Get shot.
What happens if you are the last man standing walking? Well, you get whatever you want for the rest of your life, or so the story goes. You get all the riches. You get comforts unimaginable. But will it matter if your mind is gone?
This book is just one giant mindfuck from start to finish. We are inside the mind of Garraty and we get the firsthand experience of what it’s like to walk nonstop day and night through the elements. He’s supplied water and a lovely food supplement that’s squeezed through a tube along with some crackers for good measure.
Garraty is interested in learning about the other boys who willingly volunteered to partake in this walk, the biggest sporting event of the year. He’s still not sure why he volunteered, but it’s buried somewhere deep in his mind. Will he find the answers he is looking for? Will he come out on top or will his be one of the 99 bodies scattered along the side of the road?
I loved this book the first time I read it many years ago, and I loved it even more the second time around on audio. For a book where the premise seems simple and boring, it is an enthralling read. No matter what format you choose, you will not be disappointed.
Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of my most treasured possessions. I love this book like I would do a child. I would say that it’s hard to describe Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of my most treasured possessions. I love this book like I would do a child. I would say that it’s hard to describe this sort of affection towards a book, but let’s face it, we’re on Goodreads, and if YOU people don’t get it then you shouldn’t be on here.
Charlie. Dear, sweet, loving Charlie. The book is told through a series of letters that he is writing to someone he has never actually met. Charlie tells this anonymous person everything about what is going on his life. It starts with him talking about his friend who has recently committed suicide and then goes on to his new friendship with Patrick and Sam.
Patrick is the best. There is nothing I can put into words that sums it butter than that. Read the damn book and find out for yourself.
Charlie is in love with Sam. She is cool and sophisticated and beautiful, but not in the traditional way, or so Charlie says. She’s kind and funny and accepting.
Charlie is learning to participate in life instead of standing on the outskirts and being a wallflower. Not just participating in life but experiencing it. He goes out, he drinks, he tries drugs, he gets a girlfriend, he learns the difference between being what someone needs vs what someone wants. And most importantly he learns what it means to be your own damn person.
As the story progresses we see the writing in these letters develop. Charlie is perfecting his craft and his dream of being a writer seems more and more plausible. He loves books. The most recent book he read is his new favorite book ever time.
But Charlie is… different. There has been a lot of speculation as to whether he has a form of autism or not. I think the ending of this book explains Charlie's "odd" behavior enough that I haven't ever given it much thought. He’s socially awkward-overly honest without realizing the truth can sometimes be hurtful. He sees everything without fully understanding what he is seeing and there is a level of nativity that can’t be ignored. Charlie is special though, about that there is almost no argument.
The struggle of finding oneself in those painful teenage years can certainly be a brutal experience. It can also be rewarding in ways we didn’t think possible. I find myself reminiscing about some of my own experiences, sometimes with fondness, sometimes with tears. Regardless of how we feel about those experiences, they do in fact make us who we are in the here and now. And that is what this book is about: life.
A truly wonderful coming of age story that will have you smiling, gasping, laughing, crying and gritting your teeth in anger. If there is one book out there that could possibly help someone who feels lost, I think this is the one that I would recommend. I am so glad I took the time to re-read this one.
Brian K. Vaughan thought to himself- Watch this, readers! Your hearts are about to be ripped right out of your chests! Muhahahahahahaha. I secretly h Brian K. Vaughan thought to himself- Watch this, readers! Your hearts are about to be ripped right out of your chests! Muhahahahahahaha. I secretly hate you all even though you’ve made me rich. .
What say the fans?
Fuck you, dude.
Alright, that’s what this fan has to say anyway. Fuck you for making me feel all the goddamn feels there are, you son of a bitch.
*sobs*
But seriously, here’s the thing. This series is everything. It’s life. It’s our very existence. It’s this completely out-of-this-world story that is filled with every day moments that are very real to ALL of us. When I first started this series I thought I would enjoy it because it was so bizarre. But it’s the realistic themes of marriage, parenthood and the oppression of people by their government that make this series all that it is.
It’s filled with profound insights into human nature and our existence. It’s a series that slows you down and makes you think outside the box and challenge what has been accepted for so long.
“The only action that has vaster repercussions for the universe than making a life is TAKING one... which is why I'll never understand why most people put so little foresight into doing either.”
Watching this family grow together- both on the physical and metaphorical level- has been one of the most satisfying aspects of this series. I can’t stress enough how realistic it comes across for something so “out there”. The everyday challenges of marriage, children and in-laws are spot on.
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: if you haven’t started this series yet you are MISSING OUT BIG TIME. There’s a reason people everywhere are creaming their shorts over it. There’s nothing else that can compare to Saga. Between the artwork and the story being told it is untouchable. The absolute best comic series I have ever read.
The Tale of the Body Thief is the 4th book in the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. And it is by far the best one.
Lestat is being followed. EverywhereThe Tale of the Body Thief is the 4th book in the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. And it is by far the best one.
Lestat is being followed. Everywhere he goes he senses that someone is watching him. He can’t shake it. Finally, his mysterious follower leaves him instructions to meet. Is it a trap? Is he being lured in under false pretenses? Of course, every single person that Lestat talks to instructs him NOT to go.
So, being Lestat he goes.
The man who Lestat meets offers him a once in a lifetime opportunity- to be mortal again. After centuries of immortality, Lestat could walk in daylight, taste wine and foods, and once again experience life through mortal eyes.
Once again everyone tells Lestat not to even entertain the notion.
Once again, Lestat does what he wants and goes full-bore into the endeavor. I’ll give it to him, he had a contract, rules, agreements and an arrangement that made sense to both parties. But a man who physically steals bodies? Can he truly be tusted?
Of course not. Lestat is forced to be mortal for much longer than he intended. His body has been taken from him and he is now susceptible to the elements.
What ensues is nothing short of exciting. The whole book I was on the edge of my seat. I didn’t know whether Lestat would be able to track down the man who had taken possession of his body. Being mortal he no longer has his preternatural abilities. He’s an average human being. Would the other vampires trust that he was in fact Lestat? Would they even help him given the almost nonstop trouble he had caused as a vampire?
This book was so revolutionary to me. The idea of an immortal being once again becoming mortal and the manner in which it was done was just so fucking cool. I absolutely loved it. If you want to read one book out of the entire series, this should be the one you check out. ...more
Unwholly is the second book in the Unwind Dystology. Everyone should know by now that my favorite thing in the world (other than HP) is YA Dystopian. Unwholly is the second book in the Unwind Dystology. Everyone should know by now that my favorite thing in the world (other than HP) is YA Dystopian. So when these books got brought up in a group of pantsless friends, I nearly wet my pants.
I was hooked from book 1; a unique storyline and a haunting one as well. Just a quick recap: in this world unruly children are sent to be “unwound”. This means that their body parts are harvested against their will and used for transplants….but they’re not really dead. Their body parts are conscious of the fact that they have been placed on another body. Very haunting concept indeed!
When we get into book 2 we pick up just about where we left off. However, we are now being introduced to a new charcter….an abomination. His name is Cam. But is he human? Can a person really exist if they have never truly been born? You see, Cam has been created by using ONLY harvested parts from other unwinds. Each piece has been chosen for different reasons creating a “perfect” person. From head to toe he has been sewn together like Frankenstein’s monster. But is Cam a monster?
One thing we learn very early on is that Cam is in love with a girl. Throughout his training and education he comes across a picture of a girl and is instantly taken with her beauty. But she isn’t just any girl…. No, she is Risa Ward.
Connor, Lev and Risa are on the run….from more enemies than they can keep track of.
This book is action-packed and really sent the storyline in a new direction. It brought on questions of morality and makes you question what you think you know. So far, my favorite of the series. ...more
Thanks to a few like-minded weirdos I stumbled upon this little gem. I was supposed to be apart of a buddy read but everyone knows I’m a slow poke and
Thanks to a few like-minded weirdos I stumbled upon this little gem. I was supposed to be apart of a buddy read but everyone knows I’m a slow poke and everyone was finished with the book before I even got through chapter one.
EITHER way, I was able to enjoy this book a great deal, and I have a forespecial thank you to hand out to Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan for gifting me a kindle copy of this here book. (I promise, we will get to book two before 2017. Scout’s honor.) And a few more thank-you’s go out to Kelly, Shelby and of course, my darling Delee for putting up with my slow-ass and “encouraging” me along the way.
Jeff, I now understand your dislike of whips.
Miriam Black is possibly one of the best female MCs ever written. She’s bad-ass. She takes no shit. She’s snarky as fuck. And has one of the best worst gifts known to man. If she comes in contact with you she witnesses your death. She watches it all play out in her head. The date, the time, the cause- no matter how boring or gruesome.
As if the mindfuck of knowing the details of how someone is going to die isn’t enough, Miriam is unable to stop anyone’s death from occurring. Just think about that for a second…. We aren’t just talking about your run-of-the-mill, natural causes of death scenarios. We are talking about children, teenagers, mothers-to- be- all dying of different causes. And there is NOTHING she can do. Even if she tells them and they by random chance believe her, their new actions will only lead them to the same fate.
So, dealing with this she does what anyone would do. She drinks and smokes and tries her best to separate herself from any real connections in life. She removes herself from family and friends. She lives on her own and puts everything into her journal.
How does she live? Wellllll, she is sort of shameless. She maps out deaths in a calendar and takes what little cash they have on them after they’ve departed. To her defense, she only takes what she needs to move on to the next location and it isn’t like she has any chance of stopping the death from happening. She knows what she does* isn’t exactly right, but how many of us are able to throw stones?
After taking a pretty bad beating and trying to move on to the next death, Miriam is picked up on the side of the road by Louis. Everything is going smoothly until he accidently comes in contact with her and she sees his death play out before her eyes. He says a name in her vision of his death…not just any name…. her name. What could this possibly mean??
Now, before you all freak out that I have ROONT the whole story, be assured that I have not. This is just the tip. (teehee). It’s a good story, decent writing and even some sex scenes that I actually enjoyed. I look forward to checking out the second book with my BFF Dan sometime in the near future. ;) If you’ve been on the fence about this one, it is time to jump. Read it. Love it. Or get locked in my basement and suffer my wrath. :D
I’ve read a lot of Rick Riordan’s books. I have to say Magnus Chase is my favorite.
For me the Roman and Greek Mythologies are a tad on the overwhelmi
I’ve read a lot of Rick Riordan’s books. I have to say Magnus Chase is my favorite.
For me the Roman and Greek Mythologies are a tad on the overwhelming side. There’s so many gods-major and minor- to remember. It’s never been a strong suit of mine. I have trouble keeping track of who is who and who does what. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the Percy Jackson series or the Heroes of Olympus series, but just that I will never remember all of the details.
I think Norse Mythology is right up my alley.
Magnus Chase dies- right in the beginning so it isn’t a spoiler. It’s literally in the name of the first chapter that he dies. But when he does, he doesn’t go to heaven or hell. He ends up in Valhalla. And boy, does he have a LOT to learn.
This book is by far one of the funniest ones Riordan has written to date. I laughed out loud on more occasions than I think I ever had reading ANY book. Magnus Chase is an absolute riot as a character and beats Percy out for my favorite Riordan Character- which is no small feat! Knowing almost nothing about himself or his role in preventing Ragnarok, he is forced out of the “comfort” of Valhalla and into a world that is more than he ever realized.
I have seen so many people complain over the years that Riordan uses a pattern for his books. Guess what? So do a LOT of writers. (Dan Brown, anyone??) You write what you know. Riordan knows witty humor and sarcastic characters with a dash of sass. And he knows his mythologies- inside and out. He also knows how to write about them in a way that explains to his readers without it feeling like a course in school. His pattern works. Each character in each series is his/her own person. They aren’t all the same story being told over and over again. They’re fun reads that keep you entertained from cover to cover.
I can’t wait for the next book in this series to be released! In the meantime I will be starting Trials of Apollo!
Goblet of Fire is almost everyone’s favorite Harry Potter book…or Prisoner of Azkaban. My personal feelings differ, but there is literally not a singl
Goblet of Fire is almost everyone’s favorite Harry Potter book…or Prisoner of Azkaban. My personal feelings differ, but there is literally not a single Harry Potter book that is bad. Having re-read these books so many times I have lost count, I have to say Goblet is on the lower end of my rankings. As it stands now, my favorites are in the following order: Order, Hallows, Prince, Stone, Prisoner, Goblet and Chamber. Now, be mindful of the fact that they ALL get 5 stars. We are talking about such a small difference in love it is hardly worth commenting on. But, I digress.
In Goblet of Fire we encounter all sorts of new and exciting things. We get to see the Quidditch World Cup! We get to see Death Eaters tormenting muggles and muggle-borns! We get to see just how much work goes into hiding the wizarding world from muggles on an everyday basis. We are introduced to Mad-Eye Moody and his intriguing career. We have our minds blown at the what-should-have-been-obvious fact that there are OTHER schools throughout the world…NOT just Hogwarts.
Upon his arrival at Hogwarts after the events of the Quidditch World Cup, Harry is shocked to hear that there will be no Quidditch this year at Hogwarts. However, he can barely register his shock when Dumbledore announces that in its stead Hogwarts will be host to an event that has not happened in over a century….the TriWizard Tournament. Representatives from two other schools will be joining the students and worthy champions will be selected by the Goblet of Fire to compete. Rules are aplenty though, as we find out just why the tournament has not been held in so long… students have died. So no student under the age of 17 is permitted to enter their name into the goblet.
So how does it happen that Harry’s name comes floating out of that Goblet? Being 3 years younger than his fellow champions surely puts him at a disadvantage. There must be dark magic involved. Someone is out to kill Harry…
Goblet of Fire is a fast-paced and exciting read; a wonderful addition to the series and a crucial one. The series starts to take a dark turn here and is just the tip of the iceberg for what happens in the next three.
Delee is a first-timer to the series and was supposed to read this one with me, but life happens sometimes and it got set aside temporarily. She’s lucky I love her as much as I do…or she’d be locked in my basement with Mr. King and that MahFah Jeff. But, I decided to give her a pass… this time.
Our journey has left so many behind. We have been attacked, beaten, and threatened. Yet, we persevere. Onward wayward travelers. Let
Commela Come Come!
Our journey has left so many behind. We have been attacked, beaten, and threatened. Yet, we persevere. Onward wayward travelers. Let us continue on our quest to the Dark Tower. Let us travel safely along the Path of the Beam
Our band of crazy MahFahs, led by the craziest MahFah yeh’ve ever encountered- Yours Truly- has seen and done much. I even let Jeff out of his prison luxiourous bedroom at my home to join us in this read. I did keep him on a leash- he’s not to be trusted.
Back to the review:
Roland and his Tet are on the Path of the Beam in search of the Dark Tower. After surviving the Starkblast and hearing another story from Roland’s past the gang is ready to move forward. But they’re being watched by the folken of the Calla. Which Calla? Calla Bryn Sturgis.
As much as Roland’s Tet would love to take a different route, Roland explains to them why they can’t. The duty of the gunslinger is to stand for those who cannot. Stand and be true, aye. He says true. What they find in the Calla is horrifying. Wolves come on horseback once every 26 years to take one from every set of twins. In our world that might not be so bad- but in the Calla twins are as common as Canadian pennies in a handful of change.
What’s worse than that? The wolves send them back once they’re done with them and that twin is forever ROONT; a drooling buffoon capable** of mostly just grunts and giggles.
One of my favorite characters became a favorite because of this book- Pere Callahan. His story in Salem’s Lot was not finished. It is continued here in the Calla.
Calla. Callahan.
But will the other folken listen to his pleas? Can they be convinced that now is the time to stop the wolves? Will Jeff ever get out of my basement for good?
This story is laid out beautifully. You are getting just enough information to keep turning those pages. You’re being teased with information. Your leaders are whispering and even you don’t know what they’re saying. There’s robots, twins, taters and gravy, time travel and talking caves. YERBUGGER.
Wolves of the Calla is a great read and is filled with a language that is sure to make any buddy read more interesting. I just can’t wait to continue this journey with my Ka-Tet.
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