Book Review / Rage by Richard Bachman [aka Stephen King]

 

At 9:05 a.m. in Room 16 of Placerville High School Mrs Underwood realised that she had to go back to the basics in Algebra. The exam results had not been good.

At 9:50 the change-of-class bell rang. But in Room 16 Algebra was already long over. For Mrs Underwood, over for ever. She lay dead on the floor, shot through the head, her eyes still wide open, her blood already dark and congealed as a fly settled hungrily on her bare neck. Mr Vance was dead as well. The bullet had caught him full in the throat as he came through the door.

The kids were still there, not hurt but not going anywhere. The boy with the gun, sitting so casually on the edge of the teacher's desk, had decided that. He watched and waited as outside the police circled and conferred. School had been evacuated. Except for Room 16 where the kids still had a lot to learn.

The end of the first lesson. Time for a second, a third. A whole timetable of terror stretching ahead of them...

Published:  6th September 1977

Publisher:  Signet

Goodreads : Link Here - Opens in new window

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Bought

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...

As disturbing of a story this is, I couldn't put it down.  Following Charlie Decker, and the rest of the class including the teacher, as he plunges deeper and deeper into his 'rage'.  I would have to say that if you wanted to read a story that takes you complete out of your comfort zone and makes you so uncomfortable that you want to put the book in another room, or out of the house, this is one of those!  

What I wasn't fond of with this story...

This is not necessarily a complete negative but this story was very uncomfortable to read, which I guess is the point of this plot, but didn't make for an easy read considering the topic also.  

 

Book Review / The Dark Half by Stephen King

A “wondrously frightening” (Publishers Weekly) tale of terror and #1 national bestseller about a writer’s pseudonym that comes alive and destroys everyone on the path that leads to the man who created him.

Thad Beaumont is a writer, and for a dozen years he has secretly published violent bestsellers under the name of George Stark. But Thad is a healthier and happier man now, the father of infant twins, and starting to write as himself again. He no longer needs George Stark and so, with nationwide publicity, the pseudonym is retired. But George Stark won’t go willingly.

And now Thad would like to say he is innocent. He’d like to say he has nothing to do with the twisted imagination that produced his bestselling novels. He’d like to say he has nothing to do with the series of monstrous murders that keep coming closer to his home. But how can Thad deny the ultimate embodiment of evil that goes by the name he gave it—and signs its crimes with Thad’s bloody fingerprints?

Published:  1st January 1989

Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton

Goodreads :  Click Here

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Bought

Genres:     Horror, Thriller, Fantasy, Mystery and Supernatural

Pages:  460 pages, Paperback

MY REVIEW

What I loved about this story...   Now this story really creeped me out.  At first it might seem like a split personality type of story but then it takes another twist and turn and becomes something more horrifying.  The suspense in this novel is off the charts and I was truly creeped out for the majority of the novel, and loved it!

Would I recommend... For those who like classic Stephen King horror this is one not to miss.  

 

Book Review / Pet Sematary by Stephen King

 Stephen King’s #1 New York Times bestseller Pet Sematary, a classic about evil that exists far beyond the grave—among King’s most iconic and beloved novels.

When Dr. Louis Creed takes a new job and moves his family to the idyllic rural town of Ludlow, Maine, this new beginning seems too good to be true. Despite Ludlow’s tranquility, an undercurrent of danger exists here. Those trucks on the road outside the Creed’s beautiful old home travel by just a little too quickly, for one thing…as is evidenced by the makeshift graveyard in the nearby woods where generations of children have buried their beloved pets. Then there are the warnings to Louis both real and from the depths of his nightmares that he should not venture beyond the borders of this little graveyard where another burial ground lures with seductive promises and ungodly temptations. A blood-chilling truth is hidden there—one more terrifying than death itself, and hideously more powerful. As Louis is about to discover for himself sometimes, dead is better…

Published:  14th November 1983

Publisher:  Scribner

Goodreads :  Click Here

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Bought

Genres:     Horror, Thriller, Fantasy and Paranormal

Pages:  395 pages, Paperback

MY REVIEW

What I loved about this story...  Classic Stephen King horror.  I loved every moment of it.  Very creepy.  This is one of those 'things are not as they seem' type of horrors which I love to read.  Not only do you have the pet sematary and having Dr Creed's own pet come back to life, you have what I perceive to be a slow descent into madness for Dr Creed especially when there's an accident with a member of his family...  How can a story be heartbreaking and horrific in the same way!

Would I recommend...  Absolutely.  If you haven't read a Stephen King novel before this is a great place to start.  Also, if you are fan of classic horror and you haven't read this yet you need to!

Book Review / Firestarter by Stephen King

'You're a firestarter honey....just one big zippo lighter'

A year ago, he was an upstanding instructor of English at Harrison State College. Now Andy is on the run with his daughter. A pigtailed girl named Charlie. A girl with an unimaginably terrifying gift.

A gift which could be useful to corrupt authorities. Soon Charlie will be caught up in the menace of a fateful drug experiment and a sinister government ploy . . .

Let the reader beware: FIRESTARTER is Stephen King at his most mesmerising . . . and menacing.

Published:  29th September 1980  
Publisher:  Hodder
Goodreads : Click Here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought
Genres:     Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction and Fantasy
Pages:  576 pages, paperback

MY REVIEW

What I loved about this story...  This was such a wild ride.  You have the father and daughter (Andy and Charlie) who are on the run.  Not only did his wife (deceased) have special abilities but so does Andy and Charlie.  The best part, for me, was following Charlie as she discovers her powers and learns to use them.  Not only does she seem to be good but she seems to be better than most.    The drug experimental part of the story was really only a small part of what interested me.  For me, it was all about the characters and how they developed throughout the story (especially Charlie) that made this great.

Would I recommend...   Definately!  I don't think this is necessarily horror, but more thriller and science fiction mixed up together as one.  

 

Book Review / Cujo by Stephen King

 

Librarian note: An alternative cover for this ISBN can be found here.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, a monster came to the small town of Castle Rock, Maine . . . He was not a werewolf, vampire, ghoul, or unnameable creature from the enchanted forest or snow wastes; he was only a cop . . .

Cujo is a huge Saint Bernard dog, the best friend Brett Camber has ever had. Then one day Cujo chases a rabbit into a bolt-hole. Except it isn't a rabbit warren any more. It is a cave inhabited by rabid bats.

And Cujo falls sick. Very sick. And the gentle giant who once protected the family becomes a vortex of horror inexorably drawing in all the people around him . .

Published:  1st January 1981

Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton

Goodreads :   Click Here

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Bought

Genres:     Horror, Fiction, Thriller and Suspense

Pages:  432 pages, Paperback

MY REVIEW

What I loved about this book...  I am going to be completely honest here, I am not a big fan of dogs.  It's not that I don't like animals, I do, but I've never gravitated towards dogs that much ever since I was a kid and having been constantly chased down by the neighbour's dog!  So, with that in mind, I wasn't too hyped about picking up this book and reading about dogs but it's Stephen King so I completely trusted his writing to not let me down and he didn't!  I felt all the emotions for this poor dog - happy, sad, frustrated and horrified.   If ever I was tempted to put a book in the freezer because it was too creepy and scary, this one was it for me.  That said, I didn't want to put this down and at a reasonable size of 432 pages for Stephen King I nearly did that had it not been for the fact that I needed sleep!

Would I recommend...  Absolutely!  Very sad, creepy and horrific in places (and sometimes all at the same time)!

Book Review / The Dead Zone by Stephen King

 

Stephen King's fan-favourite thriller. Also available in audio for the first time, read by Academy Award nominee James Franco.

The two things that conjured up that horrible night, were his run of luck at the Wheel of Fortune, and the mask...

Meet Johnny Smith. A young man whose streak of luck ends dramatically in a major car crash. Followed by blackness. A long, long time in cold limbo.

When he wakes up life has been turned upside down. His fiancée has met someone else. And Johnny is cursed with the power to perceive evil in men's souls. He's had these hunches since he had an ice-skating accident as a child. Now he has an ability to see into the future. An ability which will bring him into a terrifying confrontation with a charismatic, power-hungry and dangerous man...

Goodreads Link:-   https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11356787-the-dead-zone

Genres:-  Horror, Fiction, Thriller, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Paranormal and Mystery

Publisher:-  Hodder & Stoughton

Pages:  530 pages - Kindle Edition

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...   I just could not put this book down.  The plot sucked me in right from the beginning when we meet Johnny and everything was going right, when he went on a date to the crash right the way through to the very last page.  The suspense in this story, for me, was everything.  I needed to know what was going to happen next and whether Johnny was going to get back the luck he had at the start.  At 530 pages it was certainly a challenge but I managed to read this in 2 sittings over 2 days and that's an achievement for me!  

What I didn't like about this story...  Absolutely nothing.  Loved this from the first page to the very last

Would I recommend... Yes 100%  For those who are not so keen on the style of graphic horror you get with Misery, this is an ideal one to pick up.  I would call this more of a triller, science fiction mystery rather than a horror to be honest.  

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 / 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 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 / 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.  

Review / The Long Walk by Richard Bachman aka Stephen King

Check out the Goodreads Link here...
 

This is my first Richard Bachman book (but not my first Stephen King book).  I am very slowly making my way through Stephen King's backlog of books and thought I would give this a go to see what is so different about writing under this name to books written under the Stephen King name. 

Honestly, I am not sure what the difference is but I really enjoyed this one.   Am I sure why they were doing the Long Walk in the first place, no.  Am I wondering if I have missed something in the novel that told me why, yes.  Will I re-read it to find out, no.    I think its better not knowing and just leaving it at that.  Also, I really enjoyed the ending.  I am not going to say why because I don't want to spoil this for anyone who hasn't read it yet but it was the perfect ending and the one I had been hoping for.  

Would highly recommend...

Book Review / Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

 On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless - mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky 12-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the "steam" that children with the "shining" produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father's legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant "shining" power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes "Doctor Sleep."

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan's own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra's soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted fans of The Shining and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.

Published:     24th September 2013
Publisher:  Scribner
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  The Shining, Book 2
Source:  Bought

 

MY REVIEW

 

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed The Shining, I knew that I had to pick this one up pretty much straight away.  I had to know what came next in this story.  For obvious reasons, I am not going to go into any detail to avoid spoilers but as with reading the first book, I just couldn't put this down.  This story is a bit longer than its first book but I just didn't want the story to end!  It did take me longer than a day to read but no longer than a couple of days!

What I loved about this story is pretty much everything!  Despite the fact that book 1 and book 2 were written years apart, it really didn't feel like it.  Yes, time has moved on in the story but it really just felt like I had blinked and the time in story has just flown by.  The atmosphere and suspense felt the same as what I had experienced in the first book, but even better!  

And that ending was just perfect!

I did watch the movie not long after finishing the book and I really did enjoy that also.  It was a lot better than I thought it would be (obviously not as good as the book!) and a lot better than the movie of The Shining, for me anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / The Shining by Stephen King

 Danny is only five years old but in the words of Old Mr Hallorann he is a ‘shiner,’ aglow with psychic voltage. When his father becomes caretaker of the Overlook hotel, Danny’s visions grow out of control.

As winter closes in and blizzards cut them off, the hotel seems to develop a life of its own. It is meant to be empty. So who is the lady in Room 217 and who are the masked guests going up and down the elevator? And why do the hedges shaped like animals seem so alive?

Somewhere, somehow, there is an evil force in the hotel – and that too is beginning to shine.

Published:     28th January 1977
Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 1, The Shining
Source:  Bought

 

MY REVIEW

 

For me, this is one of those stories that I have heard more often because of the movie with Jack Nicholson, not that I had watched it before I read this novel, but that it is a very popular movie.  Of Of course, the book is nearly always better than the movie so I knew I had to read this first before even attempting to watch the movie.  

What I loved about this story was the suspense.  There is so much of that in this novel it really did keep me on the edge of my seat and I have to admit that I read this book in one day because I just could not put it down!  Because I had heard of the story I had thought that the main character would have been the dad of the story, but it wasn't.  It was the son, Danny.  I liked that we were viewing the story from his perspective especially as he is the character who is the 'shiner'.  There are also nice moments between Danny and a new friend who is also a 'shiner' which I thought was a great additional level to the story.  

I should also mention that this book also touches on some real aspects of family relationships such as alcoholism and a brief reference to the hitting of the son by the father.  This just added another layer to the family dynamic which added to the chaos that follows. 

I have also watched the movie and boy is it different to the book!  I am not saying the movie is bad or anything, I did enjoy it, but the book was better by a long mile!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King

 

 

'Salem's Lot is a small New England town with the usual quota of gossips, drinkers, weirdos and respectable folk. Of course there are tales of strange happenings—but not more than in any other town its size.

Ben Mears, a moderately successful writer, returns to the Lot to write a novel based on his early years, and to exorcise the terrors that have haunted him since childhood. The event he witnessed in the house now rented by a new resident. A newcomer with a strange allure. A man who causes Ben some unease as things start to happen: a child disappears, a dog is brutally killed—nothing unusual, except the list starts to grow.

Soon surprise will turn to bewilderment, bewilderment to confusion and finally to terror . . .

Published:     17th October 1975 (this version 11th May 2021)
Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought

MY REVIEW

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this novel.  At 768 pages long, it took a while but I loved every minute!  We follow not only the main character, Ben Mears, who returns to 'Salem's Lot (also known as Jerusalem's Lot) after an accident changed his life, with the memory of a traumatic experience in an old house in 'Salem's Lot when he was a kid, but also a lot of the characters in town as things change when newcomers come into town (other than Ben).

What I loved about this story was the suspense.  It was a very slow build, but well worth sticking with it.  I can't think of a single moment in this story where I was bored or didn't feel like I wanted to continue and that, for me, is a sign of an amazing 5 star read!  With this novel first being published back in 1975 I really didn't feel like it had either aged badly or felt like it was set in the old days.  For me, you could pick up this story and pop it down into any town anywhere in these times and it would mostly be relevant.   I think that is what added to the suspense, the fact that this could literally happen anywhere, if you believe. 

What I also loved, and I am not sure whether it was just the particular version of the book I bought, was when I I thought the story was over, there was an additional couple of short stories at the end going forward a bit in time and seeing how the town was after the events of the main story.  

This book kept me on the edge of my seat and would recommend for those who like a good vampire story or like to be spooked!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / Carrie by Stephen King

 

Carrie knew she should not use the terrifying power she possessed... But one night at her senior prom, Carrie was scorned and humiliated just one time too many, and in a fit of uncontrollable fury she turned her clandestine game into a weapon of horror and destruction...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Published:     13th October 2011
Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand Alone
Source: Owned

 

BOOK REVIEW

Stephen King has written so many books and as I have started to get more into his writing I wanted to go back and start at the beginning.  I think this was his first published book (but do correct me if I am wrong!) and one that I was very keen to read and discover more.  I have always been meaning to watch the movie also but haven't because I wanted to read the book first - as books are nearly always better than the movie!

We follow Carrie as she is bullied both at school and at home and she was at the brink of falling apart, having had enough.  However, there is more to Carrie than meets the eye.  Carrie has powers that she hasn't really used... until now...

I really enjoyed this but do have to admit that I couldn't get hooked into this story and found parts of it not interesting to follow.  For me, the story picked up when Carrie was about to break and we start to see exactly what power she has and what she could do with it.  Honestly, the best part of the story was the characters.  This is something that I have come across with the Stephen King novels that I have read so far, that I tend to enjoy the most.  You have a mix of good and bad characters, interacting independently, together and against each other.  

A slow read but worth a pick up for the enjoyable characterisation.

 

 

 

Book Review / 11 22 63 by Stephen King

Jake Epping is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching adults in the GED program. He receives an essay from one of the students—a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk.

Not much later, Jake’s friend Al, who runs the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to 1958. He enlists Jake on an insane—and insanely possible—mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life—a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time.
 

 

 

Published:    5th July 2012
Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone (but does have references to characters and places from IT)
Source:  Owned

 

MY REVIEW

 

Despite the fact that I live in the UK, I have always been fascinated by the assassination of John F Kennedy.  What happened before, what happened after and who really shot him.  There are so many stories and so many conspiracy theories it is sometimes hard to have a feel as to what really happened.  When I heard that Stephen King had written a novel with this as the main plot, I knew I had to pick it up.  Yes, I bought this book when it first came out back in 2012 and no I haven't read it until now and the only reason for that is that this book is so big.  The copy that I have is around 740 pages and the text inside is closely spaced and not large. 

We follow Jake as he is introduced to this portal that takes him back to the 1950s and is given a mission.  To prevent the assassination of John F Kennedy.  Now, this is not all what this story is about and at 740 plus pages I would expect more than just that in this story.  The main story, for me, is following Jake as he discovers life in the 1950s/1960s, where he makes friends and works to have money to live, where he fits in locating and watching Lee Harvey Oswald to get more of a feel as to what he should do and what Lee Harvey Oswald is doing at the time.  Jake needs to be sure that he is getting the right person.  Jake even falls in love and we follow that relationship also.  

I enjoyed every moment of this story.  It is very slow paced and for a very long book I would normallly get frustrated by going slower in a book that is going to take longer to read but there's just something about this author's writing that does make me slow down, sit back and kind of relax (as much as you can reading a Stephen King novel!).  

I would certainly not classify this as a horror.  More like science fiction with a touch of romance and a thriller all mixed in together.  I wouldn't pick this up if you are are wanting a classic horror.  This is not that story. 

Right after IT, this is my second favourite novel I have ready so far from Stephen King.  I can't wait to delve into more.  Certainly, there are loads to choose from!

 

 

 

 

Book Review / UR by Stephen King

Reeling from a painful break-up, English instructor and avid book lover Wesley Smith is haunted by his ex-girlfriend's parting shot: "Why can't you just read off the computer like everyone else?" He buys an e-book reader out of spite, but soon finds he can use the device to glimpse realities he had never before imagined, discovering literary riches beyond his wildest dreams...and all-too-human tragedies that surpass his most terrible nightmares.









Published:     12th February 2009
Publisher:  Storyville LLC
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

A very intriguing read.  If there is a story about book or about reading, no matter what happens I am definitely going to pick it up.  In this story, you have Wesley who reads e-books on his reader but he soon finds out that he can do a lot more with his reader.

This was a very short read but there's a lot packed into the pages.   The pacing at the start of the story was a bit slow but it soon picked up and I was hooked.  I wanted to find out what was going to happen next.

This was such a fun read and it does seem to make reference to some other book(s) of Stephen King's so I am intrigued to find out what that is about. 

Book Review / Blockade Billy by Stephen King

 Even the most die-hard baseball fans don't know the true story of William “Blockade Billy” Blakely. He may have been the greatest player the game has ever seen, but today no one remembers his name. He was the first--and only--player to have his existence completely removed from the record books. Even his team is long forgotten, barely a footnote in the game's history.

Every effort was made to erase any evidence that William Blakely played professional baseball, and with good reason. Blockade Billy had a secret darker than any pill or injection that might cause a scandal in sports today. His secret was much, much worse... and only Stephen King, the most gifted storyteller of our age, can reveal the truth to the world, once and for all.




Published:     2010
Publisher:  Cemetery Dance Publications
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone 
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

There are a few authors that I am very slowly working through their back catalogue.  Stephen King is one of them.  I had read this book before but a very long time ago and I wanted to give it another try, simply for the reason that I couldn't remember reading it.

At 112 pages, this story was easy to get through.  I have to admit that I don't follow baseball and I am not familiar with the sport but, honestly, that didn't really matter.  Yes, there were parts that I didn't really follow because it was all about the sport (and I knew that when I went into this story - so it was expected) but I enjoyed finding out more about Blockade Billy and wanting to find out what his secret was about.

This was a fun read.  You certainly do not have to be a fan of baseball to pick this one up.