From the Bookshelf of Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge…

11/22/63

Stephen King

Finish date: January 7, 2015

Discussion: 2015 Challenge Prompts

Why we're reading this: love stephen king
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2015 Challenge Prompts

Prompt 25: A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't
By Ann · 67 posts · 992 views

last updated Jan 17, 2023 03:51PM

Prompt 39: A book with magic
By Ann · 48 posts · 446 views

last updated Jan 02, 2019 05:46AM

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What Members Thought

Oct 03, 2022 Melissa rated it it was amazing

I honestly don't know why I waited so long to read this one. I found out that it published in 2011, but it only just hit my radar a few years ago when my friends kept mentioning it. I didn't give much thought about it until then, so I had no idea it had been out for eleven years. If I had read it back when it was published, Jake and I would have been the same age. However, at that time I had a five year-old, a three year-old, and a baby. So big books like this one would have scared me off. Nowad I honestly don't know why I waited so long to read this one. I found out that it published in 2011, but it only just hit my radar a few years ago when my friends kept mentioning it. I didn't give much thought about it until then, so I had no idea it had been out for eleven years. If I had read it back when it was published, Jake and I would have been the same age. However, at that time I had a five year-old, a three year-old, and a baby. So big books like this one would have scared me off. Nowadays, my kids are teens and tweens, which allows me plenty of quiet reading time and I just devoured this book whenever I had the chance. Eight hundred and fifty pages just flew by as the story was so well-written, fast-paced, and engaging throughout. So if you're ever questioning why you should invest the time to read this novel, I would encourage you to just go for it! It will be worth your while, I promise.

This is not King's usual fare if you consider that he mostly writes horror novels. However, it has his genuine storytelling skill that I enjoyed from the few other novels of his that I have read. (Most recent before this was The Institute, reviewed here.) At times, it took on a Wally Lamb feel. There's more to the story than just the time travel element. It delves into human nature and compassion and there's a romantic storyline, as well. The level of detail is so impressive that I could just see the story playing out right in front of me. It was so well-researched too. There were some unsettling parts though, which may be hard for some readers to handle. I squirmed during those parts but then it was worth getting through each one to see what would happen next. I just had to know if Jake would accomplish his mission or if the obdurate past would continue to get in his way.

I love the feel of a simpler time that was played out in this story, from 1958 to 1963. Sure, not everything was perfect, but I loved all the camaraderie in Jodie, especially at the school. I just can't fathom what it would be like to function without a cell phone, the Internet, GPS, etc. I give Jake kudos for getting by without all the tools of the present.

There were a lot of themes and words that ran through the story multiple times. "Jimla," for example. Or saying obdurate all the time. Also, a lot of focus on things being in harmony. He said "Land of Ago" often, as well. And "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller was constantly playing.

Some of the stuff going on with Lee reminded me of 90 Day Fiancé. He had a wife from another country and his mother was completely overbearing. Sound familiar? :)

Overall, I just really loved this novel and can't get enough of it. I wish there would be a sequel written about preventing something that happened about six years ago. I'm sure Stephen King would love to give that storyline a whirl, given what I've seen on his Twitter feed.

Since there's already a TV series out there, I'm not going to cast this book. I never pictured James Franco as Jake, but would be interested to see how he takes on this role. The other roles seem pretty well cast, especially Sarah Gadon as Sadie.

Full review (with spoilers at the end) over at my blog. ...more

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Feb 09, 2017 Nadine in NY Jones rated it did not like it

Shelves: wouldnt-normally-read, everyone-loved-it-except-me, time-travel, alternate-planes-and-histories, audio, era-1960s

Dang this book is long. This started out as a 3 star read/listen for me, but I became progressively more and more irritated at its excessive length, so it was downgraded to 2 stars, and then finally down to 1 star. This just didn't need to be this long.

This would be a great book if you're snowed in at your family's ski lodge,* with nothing better to do than drink hot cocoa, play gin rummy, and listen to a long-ass story. Unfortunately, I am not stranded in a ski lodge, and I resented the amount ...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Heather Wescott rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was very different from the few other works of Stephen King's that I have read. No horror or gore, just a very imaginative and interesting story. ...more

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May 21, 2012 stephanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: would-rec, contemporaryfiction, history-memory, history-other, mystery, 2012

okay. so if this is stephen king, then i clearly have been missing out.

as a history nerd, i LOVED this. i loved all of it.

al and the diner. sadie and the sadie hawkins dance. miz mimi. jake and his stupid bets.

i couldn't put it down, and it's a BIG book.

even if you know the outcome, this is a case of how the journey is the important part. oh, be still my heart. the butterfly effect, except not. falling in love with a different time. feeling "home" for the first time somewhere other than your ...more

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Mar 06, 2025 Una rated it liked it

I was not impressed by this book. It started off strong! I was really hooked… then we went for numerous pages talking about nothing important to the story and it was almost like he forgot what he was writing until he remembered about Kennedy and what he was supposed to do.

This book was entirely too long.

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Jan 02, 2012 Connie rated it really liked it

Quite a story! Interesting. Took me longer to read than I expected considering I am on vacation. Of course, it is quite long! But it didn't draw me in like some books do. A lot of history. And a love story, which surprised me coming from Stephen King. ...more

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