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What Are You Reading Now? Pt 2.
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Betsy
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Jun 09, 2015 07:00AM
Just finished FINDERS KEEPERS; can't wait for that discussion !
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Rhian wrote: "I'm sure I will if I stop falling asleep! I've managed 30 pages in 2 days ha"I've Mr Mercedes on my shelf and I would read it this month. I've heard good.
Just started on Strong Motion by Franzen Currently in the middle of
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Eggers
Giles Goat-Boy by Barth
the Recognitions by Gaddis
Just finished
A Naked Singularity by DeLaPlava which was truly great!
Thank You for Smoking by Buckley which was funny as hell!
Nick wrote: "Just finished a couple of books including DESPERATION. I'll have a review as soon as I collect my thoughts. Still didn't like it, but it is a little better than I remember. Also finished and revi..."
I'm sad you didn't like Desperation, Nick. I'm interested to see what didn't work for you.
I'm getting on a train in Switzerland and will be on it all day... then on a flight back to San Fran. No internet on the way... but I'll let you know what I thought in detail, Kirstin. I tried to summarize it in my review... maybe I just didn't say enough.
Just finished "At the Water's Edge" by Gruen.. really good as was "The Church of Marvels and now about a third of the way through Finders Keepers..
UGH I've taken on new responsibilities at work and I've been too preoccupied to read. Getting back to Harry Bosch tonight.
:æ: wrote: "UGH I've taken on new responsibilities at work and I've been too preoccupied to read. Getting back to Harry Bosch tonight."I am in the same boat! I feel I've been reading at a snail's pace, and even though work is not 24/7 it's so mind encompassing!
If your new responsibilities are a good thing...good luck!
Kirstin wrote: "Nick wrote: "Just finished a couple of books including DESPERATION. I'll have a review as soon as I collect my thoughts. Still didn't like it, but it is a little better than I remember. Also fini..."
Kirstin - since you and I agree on so many books I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out why we disagree on this one. I guess I want a novel to have some brightness and a little joy to offset all the horror. King does that pretty well usually, but every now and then he comes up with something that is just too gruesome for my taste, and this was one of those books. Also, I've always thought of King as a great developer of characters, and there were just too many characters that I either didn't care about at all, or at least not that much. I can see people caring about little David. But I really couldn't get into him, and he's one of the keys to the whole book, isn't he? I'm not sure why I didn't like him... too saintly, I guess, artificially so. As for the writer character... King's had much better variations on the same guy in a lot of his other books. I mean compare him to the writer in IT? Can't remember any names right now... too jet lagged to know who I am let alone who any of King's characters are named. . Anyway, on this one I think we'll just have to agree to disagree.
Nick, I think I liked Desperation for everything that you disliked it for. Sometimes books just appeal to one when they don't another. Makes for good conversation.
Nick wrote: "Kirstin wrote: "Nick wrote: "Just finished a couple of books including DESPERATION. I'll have a review as soon as I collect my thoughts. Still didn't like it, but it is a little better than I remem..."Thank you for replying, Nick. You are too sweet! :) I wrote my comment before your review was up and I understand what didn't work for you. I agree with Kathryn's post above. I liked this book for the very reasons you didn't. Sometimes I find King a little...mild when it comes to horror so, when I read Desperation, I appreciated the gore. Lol. I did really like David but it was the demon that scared the crap out of me. I also found it to be something different than the usual fare. I was just hoping you would enjoy it for your sake. It's never fun reading a book you're not into.
I hope you had a great holiday and that your jet lag wears off soon! :)
Thanks, Kathryn and Kirstin. Happy to disagree. BTW: I myself have been accused of being a candy-ass in writing my horror novels. One guy read a chapter of mine, put it down, stared at me for a second, and then shouted MORE COW BELL! Always thought King delivered plenty of COW BELL. No doubt he does in Desperation. Of course after a week in the swiss countryside, if I hear another cow bell, I'm going to strangle somebody. :-)
Finished Mr Mercedes and it was disappointing I'm still trying to figure out how to rate it, I did like the story and will read the following 2 in the trilogy
Does anyone else have trouble reading the book AFTER you've seen the movie? I read The Stand after seeing the mini-series and found myself bored in parts only because I kind of had a rough idea already of what is happening. Same thing happened when I tried to read Fight Club after seeing the movie countless times. I think my brain needs to create the scenes in order for me to fully engage a book - which is rough because there are plenty of SK books out there I'd like to read, but I've seen the film.I am going to start the Mr. Mercedes/Finders Keepers books soon. It's hard to go off of reviews because I find sometimes I love the books people didn't and can't read the ones others love.
I'm the same Stace I didn't enjoy reading the shining because I had seen the film too many times, however I read misery a few weeks ago and enjoyed it even though I had seen the film, when I started under the dome I kept thinking of the tv show but thankfully got passed that and enjoyed it so much
Stace wrote: "Does anyone else have trouble reading the book AFTER you've seen the movie? I read The Stand after seeing the mini-series and found myself bored in parts only because I kind of had a rough idea al..."I don't have a hard time watching after reading, but I definitely enjoy a book more if I read first. I am a very visual reader and have no trouble seeing what I read. What makes things hard for me is when I see a movie then read and find that the casting for the movie doesn't jive with my mind's eye.
The Shawshank Redemption is a perfect example. The movie is perfect unto itself, but the Andy and Red I see are so very different than Robbins and Freeman that the first twenty pages or so is tough going to get rid of the pictures of them in my mind and replace them with what I imagined upon my first read.
Rhian wrote: "I'm the same Stace I didn't enjoy reading the shining because I had seen the film too many times, however I read misery a few weeks ago and enjoyed it even though I had seen the film, when I starte..."Very good point. I forgot about The Shining. I listened to it as an audiobook after seeing the movie many times - it wasn't scary to me at all for some reason. I felt like the movie version was much scarier. Still a good book, though.
Stace wrote: "Rhian wrote: "I'm the same Stace I didn't enjoy reading the shining because I had seen the film too many times, however I read misery a few weeks ago and enjoyed it even though I had seen the film,..."Misery was that way for me. I watched the movie and loved it. I then ran out and bought the book and hated it. It wasn't until years later when I picked it up again and re-read it that I could finally enjoy and appreciate it.
Rhian wrote: "Finished Mr Mercedes and it was disappointing I'm still trying to figure out how to rate it, I did like the story and will read the following 2 in the trilogy"So far (I'm about half way through) Finders Keepers is lightyears beyond Mr. Mercedes as a novel and even as an idea... and the characters are much stronger.
Kandice wrote: "Stace wrote: "Does anyone else have trouble reading the book AFTER you've seen the movie? I read The Stand after seeing the mini-series and found myself bored in parts only because I kind of had a..."I thought it was the perfect adaptation Kandice, large parts of it are almost word for word. But you are probably right, I did see the movie first so I never had to get over Freeman as Red.
Nick wrote: "So far (I'm about half way through) Finders Keepers is lightyears beyond Mr. Mercedes as a novel and even as an idea... and the characters are much stronger. "
Yes. Or as they say in Kings's native land: Ayuh.
Here's my review if you haven't seen it. Looking forward to reading yours.
Yes. Or as they say in Kings's native land: Ayuh.
Here's my review if you haven't seen it. Looking forward to reading yours.
:æ: wrote: "Nick wrote: "So far (I'm about half way through) Finders Keepers is lightyears beyond Mr. Mercedes as a novel and even as an idea... and the characters are much stronger. " Yes. Or as they say in..."
Thanks... I want to finish the book first, then I'll read your review.
Just started the Royal Family by Vollmann and it's brilliant. Also have 4 others going as well. Haven't read any King in a while, so I'll ask my pals here which of the following should I read next:The Talisman
Bag of Bones
Lisey's Story
Duma Key
Revival
Needful Things
Thoughts would be appreciated. And sorry for the lack of links, doing this on my phone.
TheLongWait wrote: "Just started the Royal Family by Vollmann and it's brilliant. Also have 4 others going as well. Haven't read any King in a while, so I'll ask my pals here which of the following should I read next:..."Out of that list, I liked Needful Things best.
TheLongWait wrote: "Just started the Royal Family by Vollmann and it's brilliant. Also have 4 others going as well. Haven't read any King in a while, so I'll ask my pals here which of the following should I read next:..."I liked them all... especially Bag of Bones.
Star Wars: The Essential Reader's Companion. I just watched the original trilogy again and I thought it would be great to spend more time with these characters.
TheLongWait wrote: "Just started the Royal Family by Vollmann and it's brilliant. Also have 4 others going as well. Haven't read any King in a while, so I'll ask my pals here which of the following should I read next:..."I don't think you can go wrong with any of those! :)
:æ: wrote: "Star Wars: The Essential Reader's Companion. I just watched the original trilogy again and I thought it would be great to spend more time with these characters."Star Wars (and Trek) books are so comfy to me. Like sliding into old slippers and relaxing and I'm sure it's because I feel as if actually know the characters. ;)
TheLongWait wrote: "Just started the Royal Family by Vollmann and it's brilliant. Also have 4 others going as well. Haven't read any King in a while, so I'll ask my pals here which of the following should I read next:..."We are all going to give you different answers, so I don't know how helpful it is, but My favorites on your list are Duma Key and Lisey's Story.
They are all good and worth reading, though.
Currently reading SK The Talisman and Mary Shelly's Frankenstein... 2 books at once is my limit, my little pea brain can't take it!
I'm reading The Analyst on my way to work, started it today and it's really interesting.Also I'm reading Ghost Story and The Final Empire on my kindle, both awesome books so far.
Kaylee wrote: "Currently reading SK The Talisman and Mary Shelly's Frankenstein... 2 books at once is my limit, my little pea brain can't take it!"
You're not alone. I can do an audiobook in the car and an e-book at night. That's it for me.
Tom wrote: "Duma Key!"I loved Duma Key too. Maybe start with that one... especially since it's got a long (non-horror) build up - LongWait. I know you're not a big horror fan.
Nick wrote: "So far (I'm about half way through) Finders Keepers is lightyears beyond Mr. Mercedes as a novel and even as an idea... and the characters are much stronger."I'm about 2/3 through and I can't wait to find out what happens. I'm also enjoying this one more that Mr. Mercedes.
Thanks for the suggestions guys!I'll be reading my hardcover of Bag of Bones and the ebook version of Duma Key this summer .
Just finished Giles Goat-Boy and loved it. Also reading:
The Recognitions by Gaddis
Strong Motion by Franzen
A Fraction of the Whole by Tolz
The Royal Family by Vollmann
All are amazing in different ways. Franzen's novels go down so easy for me. Love the way he writes. The Recognitions is difficult but brilliant. A Fraction of the Whole is funny as hell. The Royal Family is dark and grimy and tremendously well written. I recommend all of them. Again sorry for no links as I'm typing on my phone.
TheLongWait wrote: "Thanks for the suggestions guys!I'll be reading my hardcover of Bag of Bones and the ebook version of Duma Key this summer .
Just finished Giles Goat-Boy and loved it. Also reading:
The Recogniti..."
But how the hell can you keep all those books going at the same time, LongWait. What's your modus operandi?
The plots are VASTLY different as are the styles of writing. There's really no secret...just read 30 pages of one and move to the next. I try to alternate every day or every update. So tonite I should read The Recognitions.
Plus I'm brilliant! Laughing my ass off!
TheLongWait wrote: "The plots are VASTLY different as are the styles of writing. There's really no secret...just read 30 pages of one and move to the next. I try to alternate every day or every update. So tonite I sho..."I have to stick with one or two at the most. I really couldn't break away from Finders Keepers now if I tried.
I will do a long burn on one book occasionally. I did that with A Naked Singularity.
Taking a King break and going Sci Fi. Isaac Asimov: Foundation
No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt - The Home Front in World War II. Taking a one book break from my fav Stephen King.
Richard wrote: "Taking a King break and going Sci Fi. Isaac Asimov: Foundation"OH, Richard, you have just hit my weak spot: Asimov's mind-blowing robotic series. I liked the ones with the humanoid robot so much and the three laws of robotics so clever! Just might have to have a re-read now that you have brought those books to the forefront in my mind.
And, Nick, agree that once you're into FKeepers, you are greedily stuck !
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