“If it’s ka it’ll come like a wind, and your plans will stand before it no more than a barn before a cyclone.”
The fourth book in the Dark Tower series“If it’s ka it’ll come like a wind, and your plans will stand before it no more than a barn before a cyclone.”
The fourth book in the Dark Tower series finds Roland telling his ka-tet the story of the first time he encountered a thinny, and also his first love, Susan Delgado.
Sadie and Jake of 11/22/63 have been my favourite King love story since forever, but I’ve got a new favourite - Roland and Susan. “If you love me, then love me.” Okay, yes. They’re teenagers and it might get a bit icky if you think about it for too long. But I think King perfectly portrays the intensity and naivety of first love. I love Susan as a character, I find her incredibly relatable, and I’ve cried with her as she mourns the loss of her father.
It honestly crushes my heart to see Roland laugh and smile with such carefree abandon. I feel like this book is CRUCIAL to understanding Roland’s past and his obsession with the tower - we finally get to see the more human side of Roland, and appreciate why he is so haunted.
Outside of the love story, I absolutely adore Alain and Cuthbert. I love the bond between the three of them, it gives me warm fuzzy feelings... and SHEEMIE. What an unsung hero. Even the villains are fucking badass. Jonas and the Big Coffin Hunters are a formidable force and that scene in the bar is just epic. And the showdown in Eyebolt Canon!! I LOVE IT. Rhea the Coös is another character that I should hate, but she steals the show anytime she pops up - although she makes my skin crawl *shudders*
I just noticed I haven’t even acknowledged the parts that bookend Roland’s tale. They’re great too, and the tie-ins to The Stand will have any Constant Reader flailing!! And the writing. My god. Some of King’s best work in here. So many parts I just reread over and over. I truly feel like this is one of King’s best pieces of work.
My fangirling is over. For the time being. 5 stars....more
"These children that come at you with knives--they are your children. You taught them. I didn't teach them. I just tried to help them stand up." - Cha"These children that come at you with knives--they are your children. You taught them. I didn't teach them. I just tried to help them stand up." - Charles Manson.
On 9 August 1969, seven people were found shot, stabbed and bludgeoned to death in Los Angeles. America watched in fascinated horror as the killers were tried and convicted. This book details the crimes and murders of the Manson Family, as well as the trial that followed.
This book was written by District Attorney for the Manson case, Vincent Bugliosi, which was one of my favourite aspects about this book. Every fact and detail of the trial is therefore more than likely accurate. The book is told chronologically beginning at the Tate murders, resulting in the trial and subsequent conviction of the Manson Family. This helped in keeping track of exactly what was going on, as there are so many key players within the Family.
Charles Manson has always fascinated me, and I found this to be a really interesting look into what he was really like, what motivated him, how he got others to do his killing for him, his beliefs surrounding Helter Skelter, how he manipulated people, how he built the Family. Given how there were so many other members of the Family involved in these crimes, it would be easy to get confused as to who was who, but Bugliosi does a really good job of reminding you as to who each person is and also develops them so well that it would almost be hard to forget!
The book is full of evidence that was found, excerpts from conversations/interviews that were taped, details of questions and answers given during the trial... the list goes on. Bugliosi also describes his trail of thought at each part, and this really gives a great insight into how lawyers think and present their case. I was literally in awe of how intelligent Bugliosi was and the skills needed to be an effective lawyer.
This was such an enjoyable reading experience, I almost didn't want it to end. Definitely one I will revisit in years to come....more
"We did not ask for this room or this music. We were invited in. Therefore, because the dark surrounds us, let us turn our faces to the light. Let us "We did not ask for this room or this music. We were invited in. Therefore, because the dark surrounds us, let us turn our faces to the light. Let us endure hardship to be grateful for plenty. We have been given pain to be astounded by joy. We have been given life to deny death. We did not ask for this room or this music. But because we are here, let us dance."
A school teacher, Jake Epping, travels back in time through a portal with the aim of preventing the assassination of JFK, often considered to be a huge watershed moment in American history. But first, he must create a life for himself in the years leading up to the assassination as he has some research to do. In doing so, he stumbles upon the town of Jodie and a beautiful librarian named Sadie Dunhill.
Let me preface this review by saying...prepare for a LOT of fangirling. When I first read this book it blew me away, and on my reread, it had the exact same effect. I would go so far as to say that this is one of the best books I've ever read. Usually I can find faults within all of King's works, but I'm sitting here trying to think of something I didn't like about this book and I've got nothing. Zilch. Nada. On my first read I sometimes felt a bit bored by the JFK plot, but I think that was because I was so impatient to get back to Jake's life and relationship with Sadie. Now on my reread, I already knew what was coming - the same urgency wasn't there - so I was able to appreciate that storyline a bit more and it's actually really piqued an interest in learning more about this moment in American history. Sooo...this time around, I ain't got any complaints.
King's writing is beautiful in this book. He evokes such a range of emotions in these pages, one minute I was laughing, the next I was crying. He makes me nostalgic for a time period and a country I didn't even live in! THAT in itself is a skill (Lana Del Rey also does this for me). A root beer never ever appealed to me until I read this book. His, or rather Jake's, reflections on life just really resonated with me, life CAN turn on a dime and this book is a constant reminder to just enjoy what you have when you have it - because who knows what is around the corner?
11/22/63 also stars two of my all-time favourite King characters - Jake and Sadie. I fell in love with Sadie as Jake did. Sadie is brave, headstrong, resilient, and given her past, her outlook on life is inspiring. As for Jake, some of the decisions he makes (without giving away any spoilers) proves that he is simply a good man. To take on such an arduous task, spanning years of your life, is admirable. And with these two amazing characters, King writes his greatest love story. It is beautiful and heartfelt and REAL. It shook me to my core.
If anyone ever tries to tell you that King can only write horror, slam this book in their face! Although that's not to say that there aren't moments of horror... the events that occur in the Dunning household are truly terrifying, with some of the most graphic and unforgettable descriptions King has ever written. Credit must also be given to the ridiculous amount of research that must have gone into this book. The attention to detail is staggering - I personally cannot say how much of it is accurate as I don't know much about the JFK assassination - but I'm guessing King left no stone unturned.
What's great about 11/22/63 is that you don't need to be a fan of King or of horror in order to fall in love with this book. I'm actually trying to convince my mum to read it as I think she'd love it, but she remains stubborn - I WILL break her!! On a final note, I'm intrigued as to what King's initial ending was - he says in the afternotes that Joe came up with a better ending than the one he had planned. I wonder if it would have left me so dehydrated....
11/22/63 remains my second favourite King book, BUT it is the best King has written, in my opinion. Does that make sense? It does to me. This book gets ALL THE STARS. Truly incredible....more
"We mourn the blossoms of May because they are to whither; but we know that May is one day to have its revenge upon November, by the revolution of tha"We mourn the blossoms of May because they are to whither; but we know that May is one day to have its revenge upon November, by the revolution of that solemn circle which never stops - which teaches us in our height of hope, ever to be sober, and in our depth of desolation, never to despair."
The unusual occurrences in the MacNeil house could easily be explained away - rats in the attic, misplaced furniture - but the disturbing changes in Regan MacNeil's behaviour could not. Doctors are unable to diagnose what could have caused this shift in personality, so Regan's mother turns to Father Damien Karras, who is suffering from his own lack of faith.
I'm finally writing a proper book review for one of my favourite books of all time after reading it for the third time. But let's go way back to the start… The Exorcist was pretty much my gateway into reading horror. Growing up I hated horror, you couldn't have paid me to watch a horror movie - I blame my brothers forcing me to watch Freddy Krueger at a very young age and mentally scarring me - but in my late teens, I was intrigued. I started off by watching the Scream movies to ease me into the genre, but pretty quickly my movie choices escalated into what is considered one of the most terrifying movies of all time - The Exorcist. It quickly became one of my favourite movies and I decided I needed to read the book. And so my journey into horror literature began.
I remember thinking the book wouldn't be as scary the movie, but boy was I wrong. I think the book is somehow more terrifying. Granted, we don't have the incredible cinematography or that haunting score, but what we have instead is a slow and tense build as Regan falls under the possession of Pazuzu. During my readalong of this book a number of people seemed to be surprised by William Peter Blatty's prose. A lot of people were like "Shit, this guy can write". And he can! After reading this, Legion and The Ninth Configuration, he would rank as one of my favourite authors, and so I take a lot of pleasure in people "discovering" Blatty as a writer.
Another surprising aspect for a number of people was how emotional the book is. I shed a few tears at the end myself. Damien Karras is one of the most well-written and believable characters I've ever come across. He struggles with his faith as he tries to decipher exactly what is happening with Regan and you can really feel the turmoil he is going through. He is a psychologist as well as a priest, so I found it really interesting to get inside his mind and follow his thought process and research - is Regan possessed or can this be explained by some psychological disorder? As someone who believes in demonic possession, I find these sections of the book incredibly informative. And they help me build my argument for people who try to tell me that these things don't exist because all the symptoms can be explained away by science. In my opinion, they can't. *insert sassy emoji*
This book is one of the very very few that I struggle to read in bed at night. I've become very desensitised to horror, but I think a lot of us still have certain triggers that overwhelm us and send our brain into overdrive. Demonic possession is one of my triggers, as are murderous home invaders (I'm looking at you Golden State Killer). As well as being unnerving and scary, it gets pretty uncomfortable to read at times, particularly when it comes to trying to imagine a young girl screaming expletives in a growling voice coupled with her constant projectile vomiting. And the crucifix scene. I honestly felt like I needed to go to mass after reading that scene. It will always remain one of the most horrific sections I've ever read.
One of my favourite aspects of The Exorcist, and Blatty's works in general (what I've read so far anyway), is his examination of good vs evil. This seems to be a recurrent theme and one that he is very accomplished at exploring. This merely isn't a story about the possession of a young girl, but its really a commentary on a vast range of topics such as faith and the lack of it, to what exists after death, if anything exists at all. It might be presented as "horror" on the surface, but really it goes so much deeper than that.
All the stars!! It somehow gets better on each read....more
“Gold don’t come off. What’s good stays good no matter how much of a beating it takes.”
Vic McQueen has a special gift for finding lost things. All she“Gold don’t come off. What’s good stays good no matter how much of a beating it takes.”
Vic McQueen has a special gift for finding lost things. All she has to do is jump on her bike and the Shorter Way Bridge will guide her to whatever she is looking for. Until one day she finds trouble in the form of Charlie Manx - a vampiric old man who feeds on the souls of children.
I have this terrible habit where if I don’t read Joe Hill for a prolonged period of time I forget how amazing Joe Hill is and then when I read some of his work I’m thinking to myself “omg Joe Hill, you are literally ranked just under your father in my faves list, I love you” well... this is a habit I need to BREAK.
My initial review for NOS4A2 when I first read it back in July 2016 just HEAPS praise on Hill and how original and inventive and unlike anything else this book was. I was worried a reread would change my opinion. But no... if anything I love this book even more! This book is 700+ pages but it doesn’t feel like it, and that to me, is the sign of a fantastic read where you simply can’t stop yourself from turning the pages. It's difficult not to make comparisons with Stephen King, and although I can see some similarities, make no mistake about it, Joe Hill has his own unique voice and with some pretty amazing unique ideas. This book was like no other book I've read before, very original and it captivated me from the very first page. It was thrilling, fascinating, touching, scary, gruesome...the list goes on.
Our heroine, Vic McQueen, isn’t all that likeable when we first meet her as an adult, but she grows on you and Hill fully develops her into a character that you really root for. And sweet sweet Lou - he deserves the world. Charlie Manx is one of the BEST villains I’ve ever had the pleasure of coming across. He’s absolutely hilarious whilst being incredibly fucking terrifying at the same time. But even more horrifying than Manx is his little helper, Bing. Bing is the lowest of the low... he’s sick and twisted and much more of a human monster than the supernatural Manx. He gives me the heebie jeebies!
NOS4A2 simply doesn’t fit into one genre box, it ticks a lot of them - horror, fantasy, suspense, humour, a little bit of romance... it has everything! And those Stephen King Easter eggs fill me with such joy.
This book is firmly in my top 5 books of ALL TIME! Christmasland is one of my favourite fictional places and I’ve no doubt I’ll be paying another visit. It really holds up on a reread. 5 stars!
"Cause what you buy, is what you own. And what you own... always comes home to you."
Louis Creed and his family have recently moved to the town of Ludl"Cause what you buy, is what you own. And what you own... always comes home to you."
Louis Creed and his family have recently moved to the town of Ludlow, Maine. Behind their house there is a path that leads to a 'Pet Sematary', where the children of surrounding areas have buried their beloved pets in years gone by. Deeper in the woods there lies an ancient Indian burial ground, that Louis discovers has some sinister properties when their family cat dies...
It's no secret that Pet Sematary is my favourite King book, but this is the case for a number of different reasons. When I first started reading horror I couldn't imagine words on a page actually scaring me, I always felt like I needed something visual to keep me up at night. Then I found Pet Sematary... I'd never had an experience before where I actually felt scared to turn the page - this was of course in the climax at the end of the novel. My heart was racing, my palms felt sweaty, I just kept thinking, "There's no way this book is going to go THAT dark" (clearly I didn't really know King yet!!). And then it did. And a King junkie and Constant Reader was born. IT was my first King, but Pet Sematary was where I became hooked.
**NB Plenty of spoilers ahead**
Now it's time to get personal... grief and loss has been a huge part of my life. When I was younger, my dad was diagnosed with MS, a debilitating disease that quite literally drained the life from him in front of our eyes. I guess this is similar in some ways to the Zelda and Rachel storyline, apart from the fact that my dad was never angry or resentful over his illness - or if he was, he never showed it in front of me. He progressively got more and more ill, over time losing his ability to speak, walk, eat. Death was ultimately a relief. But what about those who are left behind? It's strange because even though I was only 10 when he died, which is around 18 years ago, there are still days or times when the unrelenting grief can come out of nowhere and floor me. The loss of a parent is something you never get over, it is simply something you learn to live with. The only thing that can possibly be worse is the loss of a child. King's depiction of the grief and loss that both Louis and Rachel go through is so accurate it hurts. This book really resonated with me on a deep level, as I had never before read such a harrowing and realistic outlook on death and loss. There are so many passages that I've made a note of and will revisit over and over again.
The way King crafted a book that is terrifying and heartbreaking in equal measures will never fail to astound me. Because this book IS terrifying - to lose someone is terrifying, to have to try to move on is terrifying, for them to come back "different" is also terrifying. Sometimes on instagram I will see people criticising Louis' decisions or making out that he's a bad parent and it makes me want to scream. Grief and loss does not allow for rational thinking. It does not allow for good judgement. It can be all encompassing to the point where you feel like you can't breathe. I defy anyone to tell me that if in a similar position you wouldn't even consider it (not forgetting the fact that there are other forces at work here). I know I would. Couple that with the overwhelming devastation and loss and your decision is pretty made. So to label Louis as a bad parent is absolutely ridiculous to me. Don't get me wrong, there was Ellie to consider, he still had that to live for, but in those heady initial days following such a heartbreaking loss, rational thinking ain't happening.
It's a bit of a slow-build this book, but the pay-off is worth it. I enjoyed getting to know the Creeds, watching them form friendships with the Crandalls across the road. All the good stuff, you know, before shit hits the fan. And when shit hits the fan, it is almost too much to take. Gage's little Star Wars shoe in the middle of the road... the cap full of blood. Images that send chills down my spine. Then the unbearable dread as Louis digs up that coffin, not knowing what exactly he is going to be presented with. The way Louis initially thinks that Gage has no head as there is a dark moss covering his face... THIS IS THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES. The little figure appearing in Louis' room as he sleeps, the child's laughter that Jud can hear... Ellie having these vivid dreams and knowing that her family is in danger. This is really a masterclass in how to craft well-written, piss-your-pants horror. I bow to you, Sai King.
Some of King's best writing in here and one of his best endings too. There's also some unforgettable characters in Louis Creed, Jud Crandall, Victor Pascow and Zelda. PUH-LEASE can I find a Jud Crandall that can act as a father figure to me?? The adaptation for this book is also pretty decent: Louis is a hot dad, Fred Gwynne was born to play the role of Jud, Zelda will trigger a cold sweat to run down your back...
I could quite honestly write an entire thesis on Pet Sematary, so I'll end it here. All I'll say is this: if you didn't feel something when reading this book...... you need to check yourself *insert sassy emoji* Always my number 1 King book. 5 stars from me - obviously.
Update: listened to audiobook in April/May 2018. Incredible narration by Michael C Hall. Still 5 stars. Obviously.
Update 2: reread in March 2019 in anticipation of the new movie. Somehow loved it even more!!
Update 3: reread October/November 2020. 5th read. Still my fave.
"Your hair is winter fire, January embers My heart burns there, too."
Evil resides in Derry, Maine. Whether that is in the form of Pennywise the Dancing "Your hair is winter fire, January embers My heart burns there, too."
Evil resides in Derry, Maine. Whether that is in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, a werewolf or a leper, it pulses through the heart of Derry and has done for many years. IT focuses on a group of children, the Loser's Club, as they try to overcome evil and face their biggest fears in order to do so.
Excuse me while I curl up into a ball and bawl my eyes out... IT was my first King and it really was what got me hooked onto King's writing. I was almost apprehensive at rereading this masterpiece - not just because of its size - but I was afraid that it would tarnish my memories from my first read, I was afraid it wouldn't be as good as I remembered it. However, I can confidently say that it was even better. The Stand is not King's masterpiece, in my opinion, this is.
This book, alongside 11/22/63, the Dark Tower series and Duma Key, is where King's writing abilities truly shine through. IT is simply chockfull of paragraphs and sentences where you need to just stop and pause, and let the awesomeness sink in. You will feel ALL the emotions when reading this book - heartache, fear, joy, sadness... you will laugh, you will cry, you will feel like you ARE a member of the Loser's Club.
Speaking of the Loser's Club, they have to be one of the most well-developed group of characters I've ever encountered, and I think a lot of that lends to the length of this book. We get to spend so much time with each of them individually as well as within the group. People sometimes complain about the length of IT, and perhaps I'm slightly biased, but I love the size and it's probably why you feel kinda lost when you finish - you're so deeply entrenched in this world that leaving again is heartbreaking.
In terms of the themes explored within this book - friendship, childhood, growing up, overcoming your fears - King handles each with such ease. There's a number of similarities between IT and The Body from Different Seasons, it's almost as if The Body was King's practice session for this epic coming-of-age tale. Other themes are also explored within these pages: racism, prejudice, domestic abuse. To anyone who says IT is simply a horror book - you could not be any more wrong (said in the style of Chandler Bing). Yes, horror plays a big part in this book, but as is the case with all of King's books, it's about so much more than that. King's depiction of childhood friendships is something special, it really brings you back to your youth, when everything seemed to be heightened - your first love/crush, the connections and bonds you felt with your friends.
Gahhh, I could talk about this book forever and ever! So I'll finish up by mentioning my favourite aspect of IT. Out of EVERYTHING that happens in this book and all the characters, I have such a soft spot for Ben Hanscom. On my first read, I recall Bill being my favourite, but on my reread, from the very first encounter, I have developed a crazy love for Ben. A reader, who is relentlessly bullied, someone who lived quite a lonely life until he met the Loser's Club... Ben is special to me. Then to see his love for Bev and the haiku he writes for her...MY HEART.
"Ben Hanscom had no sense of being lonely because he had never been anything but."
He's caring and sensitive...a truly good friend. Ben, you the real MVP.
And now I'll shut up. I could probably write a book on my thoughts about IT. One of my favourite books of all time and one of the best books I've ever read... firmly cemented in my top 3 Kings list. 5 stars out of me from me!!...more
“Monsters are real. Ghosts are too. They live inside of us, and sometimes, they win.”
When I first read The Shining a number of years ago I thought it “Monsters are real. Ghosts are too. They live inside of us, and sometimes, they win.”
When I first read The Shining a number of years ago I thought it was fantastic and gave it 5 stars, but it just never ranked as a personal favourite. On this reread, however, my socks were well and truly blown off and I had an entirely different experience. This is why I will always be a huge advocate for rereading - it’s quite apparent that wherever your head is at, or whatever life circumstances you find yourself in, can really impact how you view a book. As if that isn’t obvious.
On my first read, I was impatient. I was just starting to read King, I wanted the SCARY BITS. This time around I was emotionally involved. I felt a deep connection to Danny and I could really tap into Wendy’s fears as a parent. A younger, more naive me would have thought “why don’t you just fucking leave if all this creepy shit is happening?” - well, until the snow storm at least - but now I can appreciate this as a last chance saloon for the Torrances. They needed the money, they really had nothing else to go back to.
The Shining is surely one of King’s scariest, if not THE scariest - a few scenes in Pet Sematary might rival this title. One scene in particular left me feeling claustrophobic and breathless, and I regretted reading it one night before bed when I was home alone. I love that there’s so much history to the Overlook and that the former guests continue to hang around...
Jack’s descent into madness is terrifying. He is a complex character and it is difficult to know whether we are to sympathise with him or not. He’s far from a perfect father, but we are all flawed in our ways - just maybe not to this extreme. I shed a little tear towards the end, because I think in spite of all he has done, he does love his son - he was just the perfect prey for the Overlook to get its claws into.
I thoroughly LOVED this reread, and also the extra prologue and epilogue this edition has. The prologue in particular is something you should seek out if you’re a fan of The Shining - it really added another layer of history. 5 stars.
Reread November 2023 on big King chronological reread. Still 5 stars. ...more
Johann (jobis89)
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