Book Review / Misery by Stephen King

 

The #1 national bestseller about a famous novelist held hostage by his “number one fan” and suffering a frightening case of writer’s block—that could prove fatal. One of “Stephen King’s best…genuinely scary” (USA TODAY).

Paul Sheldon is a bestselling novelist who has finally met his number one fan. Her name is Annie Wilkes, and she is more than a rabid reader—she is Paul’s nurse, tending his shattered body after an automobile accident. But she is also furious that the author has killed off her favorite character in his latest book. Annie becomes his captor, keeping him prisoner in her isolated house.

Annie wants Paul to write a book that brings Misery back to life—just for her. She has a lot of ways to spur him on. One is a needle. Another is an axe. And if they don’t work, she can get really nasty.

“Terrifying” (San Francisco Chronicle), “dazzlingly well-written” (The Indianapolis Star), and “truly gripping” (Publishers Weekly), Misery is “classic Stephen King...full of twists and turns and mounting suspense” (The Boston Globe).

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...  It has to be the way that this story made me feel so uncomfortable all the way through the book was, wierdly enough, the best part of my experience of this book.  Right from the moment that Paul was found in the snow and from then on everything was so uncomfortable to read and follow it was the feeling that I really didn't want to read it because of what was happening but I really did because the story and the writing was excellently carried out.  Its such an odd thing to have to try and explain but hopefully it makes sense!   Also, what an ending.  Loved that part the most!

What I didn't like about this story...  This story definitely reached the upper limit of what I can bear when I read horror.   Quite a lot of what Paul had to go through really made my stomach churn, but that's just a personal preference rather than there's something wrong with the book.  

Would I recommend...  Yes but with the caveat that this book is not for the faint-hearted!  If you do decide to read this book know that its very graphic and a lot to take in for a lot of the book!

Book Review / Aphrodite's Tears by Hannah Fielding

In Hannah Fielding’s latest novel a young archaeologist who travels to the remote island of Helios to investigate an ancient shipwreck, becomes caught in a web of dark obsession, mystery and seduction.

In ancient Greece, one of the twelve labours of Hercules was to bring back a golden apple from the Garden of Hesperides. To archaeologist Oriel Anderson, joining a team of Greek divers on the island of Helios seems like the golden apple of her dreams.

Yet the dream becomes a nightmare when she meets the devilish owner of the island, Damian Theodorakis. In shocked recognition, she is flooded with the memory of a romantic night in a stranger’s arms, six summers ago. A very different man stands before her now, and Oriel senses that the sardonic Greek autocrat is hell-bent on playing a cat and mouse game with her.

As they cross swords and passions mount, Oriel is aware that malevolent eyes watch her from the shadows. Dark rumours are whispered about the Theodorakis family. What dangers lie in Helios: a bewitching land where ancient rituals are still enacted to appease the gods, young men risk their lives in the treacherous depths of the Ionian Sea, and the volatile earth can erupt at any moment?

Will Oriel find the hidden treasures she seeks? Or will Damian’s tragic past catch up with them, threatening to engulf them both?

Published:  1st January 2018   

Publisher:  London Wall Publishing

Goodreads : Click Here

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Bought

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...  I have now read the majority of this author's novels and have loved each and every one of them.  With this one, like the others, I was swept away from the very start of the book.   For me, it has to be the romance in this story with Oriel and Damien.   So beautiful and the attraction builds as you go through the novel, not too fast but also not too slow!  There's also the history of the island of Helios in Greece and the mystery of what history surrounds the island.  There's nothing better than a mix of both historical mystery and romance.  

What I did not like with this story...  Absolutely nothing.  Loved this story.

Would I recommend? Absolutely!  If you love a bit of romance and historic mysteries you need to pick this up!

Book Review / The Tommyknockers by Stephen King

Late Last Night and the Night Before ...

... Tommyknockers, tommyknockers, knocking at the door.

Something was happening in Bobbi Anderson's idyllic small town of Haven, Maine. Something that gave every man, woman, and child in town powers far beyond ordinary mortals. Something that turned the town into a death trap for all outsiders. Something that came from a metal object, buried for millennia, that Bobbi accidentally stumbled across.

It wasn't that Bobbi and the other good folks of Haven had sold their souls to reap the rewards of the most deadly evil this side of hell. It was more like a diabolical takeover...an invasion of body and soul--and mind....

Published:  11th October 2012   

Publisher:  Hodder

Goodreads :  Click Here

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Bought

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...  Despite what I mention below, I did enjoy this story and I'm glad that I picked it up.  Honestly, the best part of it was how weird the story was and how the story escalated as it went along.  At just under 1,000 pages, I was expecting and really enjoyed all of the build up with the plot and characters.  That did not disappoint!

What I did not like about this story...  There was a huge chunk in the middle of this story where I just lost interest in the story.  This is definitely more to do with me rather than the story as the writing, plot and character building was all beautifully carried out.  There were a few times where I really did struggle with wanting to pick this back up, but I am glad that I did.  

Would I recommend?  If you like slow build horror with a mix of supernatural/paranormal give this a go.

Book Review / The Forgotten Tower by Lulu Taylor

1939

When Arthur Pendleton arrives at Wakefield Castle with cases of precious fossils from the Natural History Museum, all he wants is to protect them from London bombs in peace and quiet. Soon, though, he is drawn to the family there: the deaf old colonel with his Fortnum’s catalogues, Great Aunt Constance and her delicate constitution, and the grandchildren – from the eldest, Imogen, to the youngest, Archie. But who is the beautiful woman he has seen weeping in the castle grounds? Is she real or a ghost?

With war declared, the family at Wakefield Castle prepare to make sacrifices and to open their doors to newcomers. But while the castle offers a refuge for many, including evacuees, it is also a place to hide many things: sorrow, secrets and even people . . .

As winter deepens, an unwelcome arrival begins to change everything, and suddenly danger is apparent within the castle walls itself.

The present

Georgie Wakefield never wanted to be a chatelaine, but the castle is her husband Casper’s legacy and he is determined to restore its fortunes. Hiding from her troubled past, Georgie sets about learning all she can about the family who lived there before her, including from an inherited recipe book with notes in many hands. Who was Etti Boule and why are the children who were there during the war determined to remember her? Can she be connected to the West Tower, with its legends of hauntings and a weeping woman?

The arrival of her sister, escaping from a violent marriage, awakens Georgie’s darkest fears. As the secrets of Wakefield begin to reveal themselves, she realizes that, in order to be free, she must confront what she most dreads . . .

Published:  23rd November 2023   

Publisher:  MacMillan

Goodreads : Click Here

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Bought

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...  Duel perspective, split timeline and historical drama.  What more can I say?  I loved this so much.  This story was so rich in atmosphere with the castle and its surroundings mixed with interesting characters and a plot that made it so I did not want to put this story down!  There's something about a split timeline, past and present, that somehow manages to weave itself together as the story goes on that always pulls me in.

What I did not like about this story...  Absolutely nothing!  Loved this.

Would I recommend...  Yes!  If you love Kate Morton and you haven't picked this up yet, you need to!

Book Review / The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King

The King is dead, murdered by an unusual poison.

While evidence is gathered, and the land of Delain mourns, Flagg the King's magician, unscrupulous, greedy and powerful, plots. Soon the King's elder son, Peter, is imprisoned in the needle, the top of a high tower, for his father's murder. And Thomas inherits the throne.

Only Peter knows the truth of his innocence, and the true evil that is Flagg. Only Peter can save Delain from the horror the magician has in store. He has a plan, but it is rife with danger. And if he fails, he won't get a second chance...

A captivating tale of heroic adventure, of dragons and princes, of mysterious mice and men from the pen of the master storyteller. If you were enchanted by King's acclaimed fantasy series THE DARK TOWER, don't miss THE EYES OF THE DRAGON. 

Published:  2nd February 1987   
Publisher:  Hodder
Goodreads : Click Here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...  Now this book really surprised me.  I like to go into Stephen King novels blindly, not reading much about the description.  The majority of the books I have read by this author so far were horror so I assumed this will be another one.  I was wrong!  This was more fantasy fiction and I loved it!  I am also beginning to get a feeling for the 'Stephen King Universe' as I am truly suspicious of the evil in this book, Flagg, and where else has this entity been; what novels has this 'thing' appeared in?  

What I did not like about this story...  I would have loved a bit more suspense and possibly mystery in the story as, in places, the story dragged for me.  

Would I recommend... Absolutely!  If you are not a fan of horror but still want to try Stephen King.  Give this a go!

Book Review / Masters of Death by Olivie Blake

From Olivie Blake, the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six comes Masters of Death, a story about vampires, ghosts, and death itself!

Viola Marek is a struggling real estate agent, and a vampire. But her biggest problem currently is that the house she needs to sell is haunted. The ghost haunting the house has been murdered, and until he can solve the mystery of how he died, he refuses to move on.

Fox D’Mora is a medium, and though is also most-definitely a shameless fraud, he isn’t entirely without his uses—seeing as he’s actually the godson of Death.

When Viola seeks out Fox to help her with her ghost-infested mansion, he becomes inextricably involved in a quest that neither he nor Vi expects (or wants). But with the help of an unruly poltergeist, a demonic personal trainer, a sharp-voiced angel, a love-stricken reaper, and a few high-functioning creatures, Vi and Fox soon discover the difference between a mysterious lost love and an annoying dead body isn’t nearly as distinct as they thought.

Published:  30th January 2018   

Publisher:  Tor

Goodreads : Click Here

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Bought

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story... The writing.  Definitely!  A lot of the books I've read are quick easy reads so its nice to pick up something I can get stuck into with a slower pace and the style of writing that you really do need to pay attention and absorb slowly to really enjoy.   Just as much as I like a fast faced thriller, I love a slow paced story too. 

What I didn't like about this story...  With this story I struggled a bit with the plot somewhere around the middle.  Honestly, I lost interest a bit but as the writing was so good I kept with it and it was worth it as it was a good story.  

Would I recommend?  If you like a slow paced story, one that you can sit and enjoy over a long period of hours and days, this is a good one to pick up.  I will certainly be picking up more books by this author.  

Book Review / Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King

The first scream came from the snowbound railwayman who felt the fangs ripping at his throat. The next month there was a scream of ecstatic agony from the woman attacked in her snug bedroom.

Now scenes of unbelieving horror come each time the full moon shines on the isolated Maine town of Tarker Mills. No one knows who will be attacked next. But one thing is sure.

When the moon grows fat, a paralyzing fear sweeps through Tarker Mills. For snarls that sound like human words can be heard whining through the wind. And all around are the footprints of a monster whose hunger cannot be sated... Cycle of the Werewolf.

Published:  1st November 1983   
Publisher:  Signet
Goodreads : Click Here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought 

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...  Well written and a good idea.  There were a lot of characters that I enjoyed learning more about.

What I didn't like about this story...OK, so this may be an unpopular opinion but this story was just not for me.  I couldn't get into it and I found the story to be slow.  By the time I was getting the gist of the story it was over, at only 128 pages long.  Its probably me with this story as I'm not overly fond of werewolf stories to be honest.  

Would I recommend?  If werewolf stories are your thing, definitely pick this up.  Always worth giving it a go.  This was just not for me.  

Book Review / The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

During a summer party at the family farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson has escaped to her childhood tree house and is happily dreaming of the future. She spies a stranger coming up the long road to the farm and watches as her mother speaks to him. Before the afternoon is over, Laurel will witness a shocking crime. A crime that challenges everything she knows about her family and especially her mother, Dorothy—her vivacious, loving, nearly perfect mother.

Now, fifty years later, Laurel is a successful and well-regarded actress living in London. The family is gathering at Greenacres farm for Dorothy’s ninetieth birthday. Realizing that this may be her last chance, Laurel searches for answers to the questions that still haunt her from that long-ago day, answers that can only be found in Dorothy’s past.

Dorothy’s story takes the reader from pre–WWII England through the blitz, to the ’60s and beyond. It is the secret history of three strangers from vastly different worlds—Dorothy, Vivien, and Jimmy—who meet by chance in wartime London and whose lives are forever entwined. The Secret Keeper explores longings and dreams and the unexpected consequences they sometimes bring. It is an unforgettable story of lovers and friends, deception and passion that is told—in Morton’s signature style—against a backdrop of events that changed the world.

Published:  9th October 2012   

Publisher:  Atrica Books / Pan

Goodreads : Click Here

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Bought

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...  At the risk of sounding repetitive every time I read and review a book by this author, the main aspect that I always enjoy is the duel perspective in the timeline and the build up of the mystery, both in the past in the future, and somewhere along the line it begins to unravel and you discover that both storylines are linked in some way that I usually never figure out until it actually happens.  I did not want to put this book down.  At nearly 500 pages, honestly, I had to put it down because of how long the story was but I can certainly say that it wasn't long before I picked this up again.

What I didn't link about this story...  Absolutely no comment here.   Nothing.  I loved this book. 

Would I recommend?  If you couldn't tell from the above, of course!!  If you love a good historical drama with a slow build, pick this up!  Even if you haven't but its something you have wanted to try, pick it up!