King, Stephen; 11/22/63 :"Informal Buddy Read" ; REVISIT 7 November 2015 (originally 3 January 2015)

[Lisarenee]

This topic is open for discussion of 11/22/63 by Stephen King. Be prepared for SPOILERS.

Book Synopsis:
If you had the chance to change the course of history, would you? Would the consequences be what you hoped?

Jake Epping, 35, teaches high-school English in Lisbon Falls, Maine, and cries reading the brain-damaged janitor's story of childhood Halloween massacre by their drunken father. On his deathbed, pal Al divulges a secret portal to 1958 in his diner back pantry, and enlists Jake to prevent the 11/22/1963 Dallas assassination of American President John F. Kennedy. Under the alias George Amberson, our hero joins the cigarette-hazed full-flavored world of Elvis rock'n'roll, Negro discrimination, and freeway gas-guzzlers without seat belts. Will Jake lurk in impoverished immigrant slums beside troubled loner Lee Harvey Oswald, or share small-town friendliness with beautiful high school librarian Sadie Dunhill, the love of his life?

[Lisarenee]

Reserved

[[deleted user]]

Awesome! I'm in. :)

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

I won't re-read this, but I will join the discussion as I loved this book and I'm so glad I was convinced by my GR friends to give it a shot. It was my first King novel and didn't disappoint

[Joanne]

I just finished this as an audio book. I loved it! Well researched. I would like to join this discussion.

[Lisarenee]

Did a start date ever get established?

[Michelle]

I have this one on my Nook and have been wanting to start it. Would anyone like to read along with me?

[Kelly]

Michelle wrote: "I have this one on my Nook and have been wanting to start it. Would anyone like to read along with me?"

Still looking for someone?

[Michelle]

I am, Kelly. Are you interested in doing an informal BR with me for it?

[Kelly]

Sure. I need a few weeks to get through the ones I'm currently doing though. Maybe the 22nd or so? Are you around for reading over Christmas?

[Michelle]

Let's do it! I'll be super busy at work that week, but I will read at night and on lunch breaks to decompress from the crazy shoppers.

[Michelle]

I may be a bit slow on the reading, but I'll be here!

[Kelly]

Michelle wrote: "I may be a bit slow on the reading, but I'll be here!"

Sounds good :) I tend to multi-task read books so books usually get drawn out a bit anyway. Now, to go actually make sure I can get it from the library then :)

[Michelle]

I may start this one a little early because it fits with a different challenge this week. I'll spoiler everything and chat when you can catch up!

[Kelly]

Michelle wrote: "I may start this one a little early because it fits with a different challenge this week. I'll spoiler everything and chat when you can catch up!"

Sounds good :) Mine came into the library so I'll pick it up early next week.

[Michelle]

Not started yet! Too many other challenge books to tackle so I used one that fit a couple of different ones. I promise I'll start before Christmas.

[Beth]

I'll be reading this in January, so if anyone wants to join me, you are welcome to!

[Kelly]

Michelle wrote: "Not started yet! Too many other challenge books to tackle so I used one that fit a couple of different ones. I promise I'll start before Christmas."

No problems, I haven't started yet either. I just picked it up today though so it will be read sometime soonish :)

[Renee]

I just started this one (751 to 900 pages for the T3 duel.....and BR points!)

Chapter 2
(view spoiler)[
I like the time travel concept in this book. Control over when you want to travel and knowing you will go to a fixed point in space and time. A bit like "Groundhog day" in that it starts the same, but you can choose to get off the ride. (hide spoiler)]

[Renee]

Finished Part 1
Good explanation of the time travel rules.
(view spoiler)[ Always turn up in same place at same time. Each trip resets what was changed last time. You can take things back and forth. You can stay in the past as long as you like, but when you come back only 2 minutes have passed. (hide spoiler)]

[Kelly]

Ack. I need to read so many books.

[Renee]

Part 2 Chapter 6 section 7
Ooo that was my favorite bit so far. Lindy-hopping! That is my other passion apart from reading and this is the first time I've come across it in a book. I met my husband at swing dance classes too.

[Renee]

Karen wrote: "I won't re-read this, but I will join the discussion as I loved this book and I'm so glad I was convinced by my GR friends to give it a shot. It was my first King novel and didn't disappoint"

My first King novel too Karen. I'm not into horror so I haven't read him before. This one is great so far.

[VNerdbooks]

Loved this book so much, did it on audio.

Renee the children (view spoiler)[he meets in this one where they are dancing etc. are actually the kids from IT (although it's never mentioned) that's why I asked you if you had read it (hide spoiler)]

[Renee]

V Audio Nerd wrote: "Loved this book so much, did it on audio.

Renee the children [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I haven't read IT. I thought they were a bit odd. (hide spoiler)]

Finished part 2
(view spoiler)[ Wonder what he will do with his head wound before going back. (hide spoiler)]

[Renee]

Chapter 11
(view spoiler)[
So glad he decided to save the girl too, and without getting anyone hurt. I even got a little choked up when his wife asked "What did you save him from" (hide spoiler)]

[Renee]

Finished part 3
(view spoiler)[ I haven't read "IT" but do you think the book George is writing as a cover might be "IT"? I'm a bit wary of scary stories, but I might have to give it a go sometime.

I got all choked up at the end of the play too. All the descriptions of how emotional everyone else was got me in too.

Part of me just wants George to let go of his mission and settle down in this lovely little town. I think he could make a huge difference to the future by shaping young minds. But I really want to know what happens when he tries to stop Oswald. (hide spoiler)]

[Renee]

The people I'm reading about at the moment.
Lee Harvey Oswald, his wife Marina and daughter June.

[VNerdbooks]

Yeah I got a slight JFK obsession after reading this, just to see it all "in real life" lol

[Renee]

It's caught me up. I'm googling images. Not sure if I want to read a thousand pages of It, but I think I'll watch the movies with hubby one night after the kids go to bed.

[VNerdbooks]

Broadlands (I think that is what it is called)was released last year, was really good.

[VNerdbooks]

Renee wrote: "It's caught me up. I'm googling images. Not sure if I want to read a thousand pages of It, but I think I'll watch the movies with hubby one night after the kids go to bed."

Loved the Film Tim Curry is so creepy as Pennywise the clown, be aware though the ending isn't great in the film! And it's reeeeaaallllllyyy long, about 3.5 hours

[Renee]

Still shorter than the book, and I'd have someone to cuddle if I get scared :)

[VNerdbooks]

I bet you have watched more Stephen King than you think Renee.

Movies I bet you have watched??

1. Carrie
2. The Green Mile
3. The Shawshank redemption
4. Stand by me
5. The Shining
6. Misery (My fave film/book by him)

[Renee]

2/6
I've seen Stand by me (liked the soundtrack too) and Shawshank. Been meaning to see The Green Mile, but haven't got around to it yet. I think Carrie, The Shining and Misery are a bit scary, maybe with the kids in bed and my big strong husband (and comfort food chocolate)

I think I was still watching Dirty Dancing over and over when all those movies came out :)

[VNerdbooks]

Haha I'm just showing my age, The Green Mile is not scary at all, it's one that will make you cry!

My husband WILL NOT watch a horror at all under any circumstances and The Green Mile is his favourite film of all time !!

Misery I think you will like, it's about a writer that gets in an accident in the snow and gets rescued by his "biggest fan" but she turns into a complete psycho lol, a little bit like extreme fan girling haha!

That's not scary either really, only a couple of moments that make you cringe, and Kathy Bates that plays her is BRILLIANT!!!

[VNerdbooks]

[Renee]

Finished Part 4
(view spoiler)[ There are lots of repeating themes, the past harmonising. I hope this will help George recognise danger in the next part. I'm glad he put Sadie first. I hope he kills Lee then takes Sadie back to 2011 with him, she can get microsurgery and live happily ever after. I don't think it will work out like that. This book we are reading is supposed to be the notes George is keeping in the lock box, so if we are reading it now, and the world we live in now JFK is dead, so I don't think he stops it, or maybe he stops it but then the world ends up even more screwed up so he has to go back and reset. Oh, I want to read some more. I'm really enjoying this. (hide spoiler)]

[Renee]

Finished Part 5
(view spoiler)[ Well that cut it fine. Obdurate past kept getting in the way. I liked how it worked in their favour when the key to the car was in the glove box. I was half expecting a second shooter on the grassy knoll to take out JFK anyway. Looks like George/Jake won't get the girl and the gold watch too. Intrigued to find out what will happen next. (hide spoiler)]

[Beth]

Started this earlier!
Loving it already.

Chapter 1
(view spoiler)[I love the time traveling part. I'm still a little confused at how fast Al's disease went. I hope there is a reason for that. If it was answered and I missed it in the first chapter, please let me know!

I feel like I'm going to like this character a lot.

Someone one told me that Stephen King does a bit of "padding" in his books and that they don't like it, but I actually like it because I like a lot of imagery and explanation. If the book had said "there is a store that doesn't sell fruit but it's a fruit store" (this is in chapter 2) then I would have been bored. But this book had so much description on it to where I could actually SEE the store. (hide spoiler)]

This is my first Stephen King book

[Renee]

Beth (Ducky) wrote: "Started this earlier!
Loving it already...."

It's my first Stephen King too. I loved it!

(view spoiler)[ The speedy disease is explained soon. There is a lot of scene setting and descriptive writing, but it isn't flowery. It is all well researched and I found it helped me visualise the different settings in the book (hide spoiler)]

[Renee]

Finished.

I loved it - all the way through. I was happy with the ending, and even got a little choked up.

My review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[VNerdbooks]

Glad you enjoyed it Renee, I love Stephen King, he's written some great books!

[Renee]

V Audio Nerd wrote: "Glad you enjoyed it Renee, I love Stephen King, he's written some great books!"

The Lindy-Hop references made it extra awesome for me!

[VNerdbooks]

Haha I bet it did!
You should try The Green Mile now, again no horror but a brilliant story, and the film is AMAZING!

[VNerdbooks]

http://youtu.be/bIGit7kgUv8

Trailer for the Movie x

[Renee]

V Audio Nerd wrote: "Haha I bet it did!
You should try The Green Mile now, again no horror but a brilliant story, and the film is AMAZING!"

Will do :)

[Beth]

Renee wrote: "Beth (Ducky) wrote: "Started this earlier!
Loving it already...."

It's my first Stephen King too. I loved it!

[spoilers removed]"

I just got past it and it makes a lot of sense now! The descriptions in this book do make it a lot easier to understand.

[Beth]

Chapter 3

(view spoiler)[
Wow, it's crazy what all can happen just by changing one thing in history. Now that they know that they have to do all the same things every time they go back, I wonder if he does stop the assassination if he will either have to live there forever or never go back. The writing is so great and makes it easy to follow. (hide spoiler)]

I am so sucked into this book. I wish I could call into work for the next week so I could read it all in the next few days

[Beth]

Finished part 2 finally

(view spoiler)[I was so caught up in what his Derry life was like, at times I forgot he's a time traveler there on a secret mission. I hope that we get to find out what happened to the Dunning family since they weren't all killed they were in real life.

But now that he's come back, he has to go back and do it all again before he can stop Oswald. Maybe this next one will go over better.

I was so scared that the portal was gone and he was stuck there forever! (hide spoiler)]