Firestarter by Stephen King 3/5 stars

Hey, guys! I finally finished Firestarter! I feel like I've been working on this book for months; it just didn't catch my interest.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows Charlie's face behind a veil of fire. There are many editions of Firestarter but this is one of my favorite covers. B+ cover.

Official Description:
First, a man and a woman are subjects of a top-secret government experiment designed to produce extraordinary psychic powers.
Then, they are married and have a child. A daughter.
Early on the daughter shows signs of a wild and horrifying force growing within her. Desperately, her parents try to train her to keep that force in check, to "act normal."
Now the government wants its brainchild back - for its own insane ends.

My Review:
Firestarter was a bit boring. Despite the title, there were four fires in the entire book. Four. It had great promise of excitement, but it fell short and dragged on.

The writing was also disorienting as it jumped between the present and the past without any notice. You could easily be halfway through a scene before realizing it happened twenty years ago and then having to reread the already boring scene again.

The characters were largely unremarkable. Charlie and her father, Andy, were okay characters, definitely not something I will remember anything about within a few months.

Also, little research went into the science behind Firestarter. I'm not a biologist or anything, but I took the generic Biology class that everyone has to take, except Stephen King apparently. Small inaccuracies throughout the book completely threw me out of the story. (For example, using water as a control injection instead of saline, which could possibly kill someone.)

That being said, the action scenes were intense and exciting.  However, these scenes were few and far between.

Overall, I would not recommend reading Firestarter simply because it was boring. Stephen King's books are always hit or miss, and, for me, Firestarter was a definite miss.

Phrase:
Necromancer

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Carrie

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

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Carrie by Stephen King 4/5 stars

Hey, guys!  I just finished reading/ listening to the audiobook of Stephen King's Carrie.  The audiobook was of poor quality, but the book in and of itself was definitely interesting.

The Cover:

The Cover:

It shows Carrie's face with the red background.  The red works really well in that it matches the books theme of blood.  (Seriously, it's everywhere.)  Even with the general color-scheme it's not a thrilling cover.  Overall, B cover.

Official Description:

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...

My Description:

Carrie, a high schooler, is constantly bullied by her peers, and her mom is a complete religious zealot. After a scarring start to her puberty, she discovers that she is telekinetic.  

The book is told as the slow build up to the school prom (and its impending disaster) and its aftermath.  The story is split between different characters point of views (all in 3rd person) with an emphasis on Carrie. The other half is newspaper articles and interrogations of people evolved in the story set in the aftermath of prom.

My Review:

I really enjoyed the way that Carrie was told with careful foreshadowing.  It never ruined the story but kept the plot interesting even when nothing was happening in the story.  The plot itself was an interesting idea that was well executed.
The characters were a bit two-dimensional.  Even Carrie fell flat.  Their lack of complexity didn't detract from the story, but this book definitely did not rely on its characters.
The thing that bothered me the most about Carrie happened in the first couple of chapters (well, it had no chapters, but in a normal book, it would have been in the first few chapters).  Stephen King goes on to describe a teenage girl locker room and then moves to discuss periods, where he stays for most of the book.  I found his description rather to be extremely dated (written in the 1970s) or just plain inaccurate.  It seemed like he had no idea what he was talking about, and no one bothered to correct him.
That being said, I can forgive most of this as a result of the really cool linkage of blood throughout the book.  It worked really well and is a huge symbol throughout the book.  Seriously, you could write a great paper on that.
Overall, it was a decent book that I was glad I read, if only to understand cultural references. However, it is definitley not in my top three favorite Stephen King books.  (Misery, The Long Walk, and 11/22/63 take that cake.)

Audiobook Review (read by Sissy Spacek):
This was the worst audiobook I've ever listened to.  Do yourself a favor and rather listen to a different version or actually read it.  There was no clear distinction between the story and the articles (interviews, newspapers, etc.), and the narrator never used voices or anything else to distinguish who was talking.  There were long periods where I had no idea who "she" was.  I had no problem with Spacek's country accent but it seemed unnecessary since the events of the book happened in Maine, not South Carolina.  I just started listening to Thirteen Reasons Why and that, about 10 minutes in, has already blown away Carrie's audiobook.

Phrase:
Go to your closet.

If You Liked This Book You May Like:
Rage by Stephen King

Happy Reading!

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The Running Man by Richard Bachman (AKA Stephen King) 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  I just finished the second to last book in The Bachman Collection which included both Rage and The Long Walk (both of which were worth reading).  The Running Man was good. The ending was a little rushed, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.  This is going to be a fairly quick review relative to my other ones.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows Richards (the main character) in the middle of a target with the sights set on him, while he's running.  I like the cover, but I'm not blown away.  A solid B cover.

Official Description:
The Running Man is set within a dystopian future in which the poor are seen more by the government as worrisome rodents than actual human beings. The protagonist of The Running Man, Ben Richards, is quick to realize this as he watches his daughter, Cathy, grow more sick by the day and tread closer and closer to death. Desperate for money to pay Cathy’s medical bills, Ben enlists himself in a true reality style game show where the objective is to merely stay alive.

My Review:
This book is mostly really intense.  It definitely keeps you hooked on suspense the entire time you're reading it.  There was plenty of action.
The main character, Richards, was complex and interesting to read about.  He was by no means perfect or very "hero-ish", but he acted like a real person would when placed in this situation.  The background characters were much less developed.  Maybe even underdeveloped.  To be fair, the side characters were not very major in the book as most of it was Richards's internal thoughts.   Richards was the only character that any effort was put in to make him non-two-dimensional.  
I loved the plot and the excitement it brought.  However, the books ending was super rushed and just didn't fit in with the rest of the book at all.  The last twenty pages of the book were out of nowhere, confusing, and just breezed over.  The ending really disappointed me and just made my entire recollection of the book decrease in quality.  
The Running Man was not my favorite Stephen King/Richard Bachman book, but I did enjoy it for the most part.  If you like the concept, go ahead and give it a read.  If you're skeptical, maybe pick up a different Stephen King book.

Recommended:
Misery
The Long Walk
11/22/63

Phrase:
Looking for a running man, not a hiding man.

Happy Reading!

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The Long Walk by Richard Bachman (AKA Stephen King) 5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  A few days back, I posted about the first book I read in The Bachman Books collection.  I had already read Rage (which was interesting and mostly enjoyable) and decided to start the second book, The Long Walk.  It was one of the best books I've ever read.  The premise was fantastic, the characters incredibly complex and fascinating, and the writing... just perfect.  

The Cover:

It shows the dotted yellow road line extending farther than you can see in the distance, a shoe that had fallen off a Walker on the ground and a storm brewing on the horizon.  It works really well for this book, I think.  It's not eye-catching per se, but it does link with the book in the perfect way.  One of the covers that you look at after you finish reading and think, "I get it."  A+ cover.

My Description (There isn't a very good one officially):

The Long Walk is an annual competition.  100 teenage boys enter each year to see who can walk the furthest and win fame and a prize of their choice.  The rules are that you must keep walking at a pace of over 4 mph.  If you go under that speed, you get a warning.  After four warnings you are out.  The catch is that when you are out, you are shot by the soldiers lining the road.  There is only one winner, the other 99 must die.  

Ray Garrity enters this competition during The Long Walk, and he must battle physical and mental strain just to stay alive.

My Review:

Saying that I was a ball of pure stress while reading this book would be an underestimate. Considering that it was basically a book about characters walking in a straight line, you wouldn't imagine that I would be so stressed.  However, the way that The Long Walk was written, it kept me so far on the edge of my seat that I was almost on the floor.  If you could read this book without getting a knot in your stomach/ experience physical pain, I would be shocked.  This excitement was caused by anything and everything: a steep hill that was almost impossible to go up at 4 mph, a friend being shot for stumbling too many times, an exhausted stumble, or just the realization that literally everyone was going to die.  

The mental and physical hurdles of the Long Walk were also crazy.  The Walkers walked for hundreds of miles with breaking pace.  Not for sleeping, eating, or even going to the bathroom.  The other boys dropped like flies from everything from a cramp, to exhaustion, to the inability to continue walking in their own pus filled shoes.

If you were to ever feel guilty for sitting down while reading a book, this is the one to do it.  You can't feel very good about laying in bed while reading about Garrity fantasizing about the calm, painlessness that was death.  

The characters were some of the most well-thought-out and unique characters that I have ever read about.  I couldn't help but to love them, but only one character would be left standing.  I had to sit by as all the characters that I grew to like were slowly worn down past their breaking point, walked for miles in desperation, and then were shot.  It could be quite traumatizing if you are a person who can't handle character deaths!

The plot, the characters, the ideas that it makes you think of, the writing style were all perfect.  My only complaint about the entire book was the last page.  It was fully wrapped up, but left for a bit of interpretation.  I understand why Richard Bachman/ Stephen King did it, and it did work well for the story but I wanted a little bit more of an ending!

Even with the ending, I would recommend The Long Walk with all of my heart.  It was one of the best books I've ever read.  Just, please, please consider reading it!

Phrase:

Jelly sandwiches

Happy Reading!

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Rage by Richard Bachman (AKA Stephen King) 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  A few days ago, I bought a collection of four Stephen King novels that he wrote under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman in the eighties.   The books were Rage, The Long Walk, Roadwork, and The Running Man.  I picked it up mainly because I have been really wanting to read The Running Man, and the whole collection was three dollars (it was a used book store) so I thought that even if I hated the other three books, I would have a good deal.  Let's just say that based on just the first book, I've already more than gotten my money's worth!

The Cover:

The Cover:
I don't like this cover.  It shows Charlie, our protagonist, sitting at the front of Mrs. Underwood's class with the pistol in his lap.  That's fine, but the expression on his face is too cruel.  It doesn't match the tone of the book at all.  C cover.

Official Description:
A disturbed high-school student with authority problems kills one of his teachers and takes the rest of his class hostage. Over the course of one long, tense and unbearable hot afternoon, Charlie Decker explains what led him to this drastic sequence of events, while at the same time deconstructing the personalities of his classmates, forcing each one to justify his or her existence.

My Review:
I loved the idea of this book.  It is a book about a school shooter, from the shooters's perspective.  He seems perfectly reasonable, and I found myself rooting for him, as absurd as that sounds.  The most interesting part of this idea was how chill Charlie's hostages were.  They also seemed to be rooting for Charlie.  I don't want to spoil anything for you guys because this book was a roller-coaster ride of subtle shifts that ended up... where it did.  (Wow, what an ending!)  Rage was a very interesting view on humanity, insanity, and schools.  It is definitely worth reading and I'm glad that I did!
A good portion of this book was Charlie completely wrecking teachers and policemen as they tried to talk him down, and it was hilarious!  That alone was fantastic.  
The only drawback of Rage was that a few of Charlie's stories were a little long-winded.  It wasn't a big deal but it did slow the book down a bit.
Also, I need to warn you that this book is for the older folks.  If you are not in high school yet, I would not read this book.  There are a few scenes that are a bit racy that could make you uncomfortable.  Even if you are in high school, I would give a warning.  You know what you are comfortable with, keep it in mind!  The scenes in question have some variation of language,  violence, and sexual situations.  The last one is the one that I'm mainly warning about.  Decide for yourself.
I still definitely recommend Rage as it has a unique view on humanity and the way that society works.

Phrase:
The next time you ask a question...

Quote:
"What must it be like for a suicide coming down from a high ledge? I'm sure it must be a very sane feeling.  That's probably why they scream all the way down."

*Note: I was browsing the internet because I thought there was a movie version of this to draw your attentions to (there isn't), and I noticed that Stephen King has stopped the printing of Rage because he is afraid about inspiring school shooters.  You can still find it in The Bachman Books collection and libraries, but you may be unable to buy a new copy.  Sorry!
To read more: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/07/15/stephen-king-discusses-book-he-doesnt-want-anyone-to-read/

Happy Reading!

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Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy #1) by Stephen King 4/5 stars

Hey, guys!  So, I am in a bit of a reading rut right now, so I though I'd go ahead and review a book that I read back in September, Mr. Mercedes.  Enjoy!

Before I actually start this review, I just noticed that this book was the first in a series.  What?!?!  This was, and will never be, a series book.  I'm just completely floored and kind of offended to be honest.  Anyway, so on to the rest of the review.

The Cover:

We need to touch on how beautiful the cover is. The generic idea of it is an umbrella with a creepy smiley face on the handle protecting from raining blood. However, once I started reading I realized the umbrella is Debbie's Blue Umbrella! (If that isn't significant to you before reading, it will soon.)

Official Description:
In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes.
In another part of town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the "perk" and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.
Brady Hartfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. He loved the feel of death under the wheels of the Mercedes, and he wants that rush again.
Only Bill Hodges, with a couple of highly unlikely allies, can apprehend the killer before he strikes again. And they have no time to lose, because Brady’s next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim thousands.
Mr. Mercedes is a war between good and evil, from the master of suspense whose insight into the mind of this obsessed, insane killer is chilling and unforgettable.

My Review:
Mr. Mercedes was a good book. It started off a little slow with a few things happening, but those things were not terribly exciting (for the most part). However, in the last half of the book, it really picked up! I enjoyed the storyline a great deal. 
However, the characters were more of a problem. Quite a few were well developed characters with some development, but, at the same time, others were incredibly one dimensional. Some characters simply seemed a little limp in comparison to the others. Also, Janey's entire character was for the purpose of (SPOILER: having sex with Hodges).
Also, every single decision Hodges made was insanely stupid. He must of gone to the school of Let's not Ask for Backup!
I, generally, am not a fan of crime books where the story is told from alternating point-of-views between the cop and the criminal.  It tends to ruin the suspense for me as well as slowing the story down.  Sadly, this was the case in Mr. Mercedes.  I was a little disappointed in that regard, but it was definitely still a good book.  I think that I just got my hopes up too high.
All of these little grievances aside, I did enjoy reading Mr. Mercedes. I LOVED the ending! If I did it over again, I would still read it. On the other hand, it is most certainly not the best Stephen King book I've read. Try Misery and 11/22/63 before you move on to Mr. Mercedes.

Phrase:
Under Debbie's Blue Umbrella

Happy Reading!

2014, A Year of Books

I thought that since the year is ending, I'd give you the highlights of the books I read this year.  I read 75 books this year, most of which I loved, and I had a hard time narrowing it down, but here are most top 10 favorite books of the year, in no particular order. (If I read multiple books in a series, they're counted as one).  All of the official descriptions came from Goodreads, and the brief reviews were written at the time that I finished the book.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Official Descriptions

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washedup child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun–but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.

Or

Katherine V thought boys were gross

Katherine X just wanted to be friends
Katherine XVIII dumped him in an e-mail
K-19 broke his heart 
When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact.
On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun--but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl. Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.

My Brief Review:

This book was incredibly funny.  I loved the characters, the situations, and even the calculations.  It was truly masterful, and one of my favorite realistic fiction books.  It's the second-best John Green book, by far.

Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Official Description: 

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.
A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

My Brief Review: 

I really loved the book's voice. (In a way, it reminded me of the narrator in Beautiful Creatures.) The entire book flowed very smoothly and the storyline was very engaging. This book was definitely worth the hype, which so few books are. It was fantastic. Highly recommended!
In an unrelated note, I love how the author's name on the front cover was so small unlike some others like James Patterson whose name fills each of his books' entire cover so that it's difficult to tell if you are reading "Blah Blah Blah Book" or "James Patterson". I really appreciate it when authors make the book more important than themselves. You go, Ransom Riggs!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Official Description:

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

My Brief Review:

Easily the best book I've read in a long time. I cried during the last third of the book, but I loved it so much! It is one of those books that seem to reach into your soul and brighten some small essential part of yourself. At least it did for me.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Link to Full Review from earlier this year

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Official Description:

Life can turn on a dime—or stumble into the extraordinary, as it does for Jake Epping, a high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine. While grading essays by his GED students, Jake reads a gruesome, enthralling piece penned by janitor Harry Dunning: fifty years ago, Harry somehow survived his father’s sledgehammer slaughter of his entire family. Jake is blown away...but an even more bizarre secret comes to light when Jake’s friend Al, owner of the local diner, enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession—to prevent the Kennedy assassination. How? By stepping through a portal in the diner’s storeroom, and into the era of Ike and Elvis, of big American cars, sock hops, and cigarette smoke... Finding himself in warmhearted Jodie, Texas, Jake begins a new life. But all turns in the road lead to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald. The course of history is about to be rewritten...and become heart-stoppingly suspenseful.

My Brief Review:

An amazing book. Not a single slow second in all 800 or so pages. I highly, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone! It was both a mystery, romance, and science fiction book all in one! I've recommended 11/22/63 to more people than I can count.

Misery by Stephen King

Link to my review from earlier this year

Legend by Marie Lu

Link to my review of this entire series from earlier this year

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Link to my review of this entire series from earlier this year

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Official Description:
Vane Weston should have died in the category-five tornado that killed his parents. Instead, he woke up in a pile of rubble with no memories of his past - except one: a beautiful, dark-haired girl standing in the winds. She swept through his dreams ever since, and he clings to the hope that she's real.
Audra is real, but she isn't human. She's a sylph, an air elemental who can walk on the wind, translate its alluring songs, even twist it into a weapon. She's also a guardian - Vane's guardian - and has sworn an oath to protect him at all costs.
When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both their families, Audra has just days to help Vane unlock his memories. And as the storm winds gather, Audra and Vane start to realize that the greatest danger might not be the warriors coming to destroy them, but the forbidden romance growing between them. 

My Brief Review:
I loved this book! It was just perfect. I do not have a single complaint (which is a first). The characters were wonderful and non-annoying. The romance was believable, and the plot line was really engaging. Also the voice of the novel (both Vance's and Audra's). 
It's kind of similar to Beautiful Creatures. But better. 
I highly, highly recommend!

Winger by Andrew Smith

Official Description:

Ryan Dean West is a fourteen-year-old junior at a boarding school for rich kids in the Pacific Northwest. He’s living in Opportunity Hall, the dorm for troublemakers, and rooming with the biggest bully on the rugby team. And he’s madly in love with his best friend Annie, who thinks of him as a little boy.

With the help of his sense of humor, rugby buddies, and his penchant for doodling comics, Ryan Dean manages to survive life’s complications and even find some happiness along the way. But when the unthinkable happens, he has to figure out how to hold on to what’s important, even when it feels like everything has fallen apart.
Filled with hand-drawn info-graphics and illustrations and told in a pitch-perfect voice, this realistic depiction of a teen’s experience strikes an exceptional balance of hilarious and heartbreaking.

My Brief Review:

Amazing. It was probably one of the funniest books I've ever read. I just loved Ryan Dean's narration style. It's also not very rugby-oriented like the official description would have you believe. (I'm not entirely sure what rugby IS and I loved it). 

I highly recommend Winger (but only if you have at least a high-school maturity level). 
I didn't have high hopes for this book, but it surprised me by being completely amazing. It had everything you could ask for and placed it all together perfectly.

If you are looking for a book to read this coming year, I strongly suggest trying out one of these.  They are all incredibly different but they were completely amazing, nonetheless.  

Happy Reading!

Misery by Stephen King (Amazing)

A week or two ago, I went into a used bookstore, and my dad bought me a copy of Misery because he had seen the movie and thought it was my kind of thing.  He was very, very right.  I found myself reading Misery from when I came home to 2:30am and then sleeping, only to begin reading again as soon as I awoke.  I had been looking forward to reading it since I brought it home, but I couldn't because I had this huge stack of library books that had "priority".  Anyways, I started reading it one night.  I planned to read a page or two to introduce myself to the characters and all that before I would officially begin reading it.  From my experience with Stephen King books (mainly The Shining and Pet Sematary), the first hundred pages or so go very slowly, so I figured it wouldn't make a difference.  I was wrong.  I ended up reading almost fifty pages before I forced myself away.  One thing you can say about this book is that it starts quickly, and without knowing it, you get sucked into this world.  This particular world that Stephen King makes is not supernatural in the least.  One hundred percent of it could have happened.  In a way, that makes the entire story more harrowing.
But I am getting ahead of myself.  Here are two versions of the cover; the one I read from and my favorite one.

The favorite:

The original:

The covers: 

The first cover is really neat.  It shows Paul's typewriter with the broken "n" key stranded in the snow.

The second cover shows Annie Wilkes's house in the middle of nowhere with the snow falling down, isolating those in the house from all others.

Description: 

Paul Sheldon is a bestselling writer.  After a crippling car crash, he is saved by Annie Wilkes, his number one fan.  Annie becomes his nurse and takes care of him in her house.  She asks for one thing from Paul in repayment for her services.  He must write a book for her, his best yet.  And if he doesn't... Let's just say that Annie has a huge temper, and no neighbors live close enough to hear his screams.  

Review: 

Misery was absolutely amazing.  Fantastic.  It completely occupied my thoughts for both of the days I was reading it, nonstop.  It had constant action and suspense.  It was absolutely impossible to put down.  The characters were super realistic in their own way.  I've never met a person like Annie Wilkes, but I could still see how she was thinking and understand her, even if it was in a twisted way. And Paul.  Paul was an amazingly complex character with so many different levels.  I felt pain for him, basically throughout the entire book.  

My only problem with the entire book was the segments of Paul's novel that were put in.  I couldn't quite get excited by the aspects of the book within the book.  But there were not many of those segments, and they did relate to what was happening between Paul and Annie. 

I loved Misery! However, I would both recommend it to everyone and to no one.  To clarify, I think it was such an amazing book that everyone who hasn't read it is missing out on a crucial part of life. And yet, it got pretty graphic and, basically, just not meant for delicate eyes and weak hearts.  I would feel terrible if I recommended Misery to someone and they couldn't sleep anymore, but it is such a good book!  You might be able to understand the issue here...

Either way, I was more involved with Misery than any other book I've read in a long time.  It wasn't awesome.  That word is too mundane to describe a book like Misery.  It was amazing, fantastic, heart-stopping.  It was so much more than awesome.  I highly, highly, highly, recomend Misery to all who can handle reading about a little misery.

Phrase:

so vivid!

The Shining by Stephen King (Awesome in a weird way)

Hey, guys!  Sorry that I forgot to post on Friday.  I can't keep track of the days of the week during breaks.  Anyway, I finally have a new book to post about: The Shinig.  All I can think to say is wow. The cover:

This is a very famous book.  Most likely one of the most well known Stephen King books. 

The book is about a family (Jack, Wendy, and their son Danny) who move to a hotel so that Jack can be the winter caretaker.  The hotel has many secrets from its past including the previous caretaker, who killed his entire family.  Danny (who has a special gift to see the future) knows that there is something about the hotel that will be very dangerous to his family.  The book is a mix of never-ending parties, a bloody mallet, mysterious hedges, a secret scrapbook, a boiler that creeps, and undead spirits crawling through the hotel.  The question that everyone is wondering is 'Will everything go to pieces in this isolated hotel before the spring comes?'.

For fair warning, this book has very bad language.  It is also might scare some people.  (It has the tendancy.)  Truth be told?  It is not meant for someone below high school, but if you, like me, have an alright filter and don't get insanely freaked out by scary things, you will love it.  I know I did.

I also want to point out that the movie is an almost completely different story than the book.  They didn't even get right who lived and who died.  So if that affects your opinion whether or not to read it, they are completely different, in a good way.

I really liked The Shining.  I wish I could write more in the description, but, like so many other good books, it builds on itself and I don't want to ruin anything.  I will say that half of the best parts occurs in the last 100 pages (out of a little less than 700).  This book will make you cry with despare, rant to someone is frustration, or make your eyes widen with pure shock.  (I know that sounds overly dramatic, but it's true!)  If you read it, you will really enjoy it.

I will be posting a lot soon, so I can cover the books I got for Christmas.

Hope you all had happy holidays!