Robert R McCammon

[Joanne]

welcome to the Boy's Life fan club Jason

[Jason]

Thanks, Joanne! :)

[Glenn]

Boy's Life is the kind of novel I aspire to write. One of my top three all-time favorite pieces of fiction( along side Salem's Lot and the Shining).

[Char]

Yeah, Glenn. There is no doubt that Boy's Life is one of the best books of all time. At least, there's no doubt in MY mind. :)

[Char]

Same here, Kyle. :)

[Tressa]

Whenever I see a McCammon book at a UBS or thrift store, I snatch them up so I can keep the ones I don't have and send them to people who need them.

[Char]

I know. :(

Well he had that 10 year or so break where he wasn't writing at all, so I'm sure that contributes to the rarity of those hardcovers and paperbacks. :(

I just started picking up the Kindle versions, even though I've already read most of them. It's been so long that a re-read will seem all new anyway. Plus it's nice that his Kindle books are loan-able.

[Char]

Tressa wrote: "Whenever I see a McCammon book at a UBS or thrift store, I snatch them up so I can keep the ones I don't have and send them to people who need them."

Aww, how sweet is that?

[Tressa]

I don't collect every horror author's books, but I do his since he's a favorite and lives in my area.

[Tressa]

Charlene wrote: "Tressa wrote: "Whenever I see a McCammon book at a UBS or thrift store, I snatch them up so I can keep the ones I don't have and send them to people who need them."

Aww, how sweet is that?"

Off the charts.

[Tressa]

I think I remember seeing that cover back when I was a kid. Probably at the grocery store near the magazines. I used to go read MAD magazine while waiting for my parents to finish shopping. Those were the days.

[Eileen]

Kyle ~Special K: Rebel Leader~ wrote: "Boy's Life is also one of my all time favorite fiction books. I wish I could write like McCammon. I've read it twice and it was actually better the second time around."

Boys Life is next on my list. I've heard amazing things about this book. I sure hope I enjoy as much as everyone else has.

[Char]

Eileen wrote: "Kyle ~Special K: Rebel Leader~ wrote: "Boy's Life is also one of my all time favorite fiction books. I wish I could write like McCammon. I've read it twice and it was actually better the second ti..."

I'm SURE that you will, Eileen. :)

[Joanne]

I can't imagine you won't love it Eileen~as everyone else has said it's one of my all time favorites.
I still have all my original paperbacks and I've picked up some hardcovers over the years. I now also have many as ebooks but as I have with some of my other books, I don't plan on getting rid of any of my McCammon's~~the covers alone make them worth keeping.

[Char]

Joanne wrote: "I can't imagine you won't love it Eileen~as everyone else has said it's one of my all time favorites.
I still have all my original paperbacks and I've picked up some hardcovers over the years. I no..."

I loved those older covers, Joanne. All the e-books of his are those generic covers now. :(

[Gatorman]

Robb wrote: "Read Swan Song recently. I really liked it. Impossible not to compare it to The Stand... and it comes out pretty well.
Swan Song had no boring parts and had a more satisfying ending. [spoilers r..."

I liked Swan Song a lot but it doesn't compare to The Stand, IMO. Even the ending of The Stand was better. The journey was more interesting and eventful and you can't beat Flagg as a villain.

[Caleb]

I finished Mine. Great book!

[TJ]

Caleb wrote: "I finished Mine. Great book!"

Caleb,
If this is your first McCammon, don't stop there. He has a wealth of great books. Try "Boy's Life", "Stinger", or my personal favorite, the epic "Swan Song".

[Char]

Boy's Life, Caleb! Boy's Life!
Or Swan Song-that's good too. :)

[Tressa]

In our library's UBS I picked up hardback copy of Boys Life/Gone South in excellent condition, a hardback copy of Heart-Shaped Box in excellent condition, and a paperback copy of Boys' Life.

[Jon Recluse]

Nice, Tressa!

[Char]

VERY nice! Whoot!

[Tressa]

I like to stockpile copies of McCammon's books in case someone needs one.

[Caleb]

TJ wrote: "Caleb wrote: "I finished Mine. Great book!"

Caleb,
If this is your first McCammon, don't stop there. He has a wealth of great books. Try "Boy's Life", "Stinger", or my personal favorite, the ep..."

Definitely not my first book - more like my tenth. :)

[Jason]

I'm listening to Speaks the Nightbird right now. I'm so glad to have returned to McCammon.

[Jon Recluse]

I've been saying it for a long time, McCammon was the writer everybody missed the first time around.

[Kimberly]

I'll admit to being a little slow here, (and I'm almost TERRIFIED to say this in front of Charlene!), but BOY'S LIFE is one of the few McCammon books that I haven't read yet....

[Kimberly]

Kyle ~Special K: Rebel Leader~ wrote: "Has anyone read Andrew Coburn? He's an author who lives somewhat near my area. I just started his 1979 book The Babysitter"

Kyle--that cover looked so familiar! I just found the paperback in my (rather extensive) TBR pile. Yet another treasure I forgot I had.... Let me know how you like it, and maybe I'll dust it off and start reading it myself!

[Char]

*gasp* You haven't read Boy's Life? You must!!

[Kimberly]

I know, I know....I'm going over to Amazon to check out this one, and SKIN MEDICINE (Curran).... (hangs head in shame.....) I'll go and find a "box of shame" to hide myself in until I finish reading Boy's Life.

[Jon Recluse]

Kimberly wrote: "I'll admit to being a little slow here, (and I'm almost TERRIFIED to say this in front of Charlene!), but BOY'S LIFE is one of the few McCammon books that I haven't read yet...."

WHAT?!?

[Jason]

Jon Recluse wrote: "I've been saying it for a long time, McCammon was the writer everybody missed the first time around."

I was a huge McCammon fan during the 80s and 90s. He was my favorite, actually. When he stopped publishing, I stopped reading him. It took me forever to pick him back up after he started publishing again. Not sure why that was. I guess I just forgot how much I love his writing. Now, he's definitely becoming a favorite again.

[Jon Recluse]

I was a big fan, too.
When he stopped publishing, I kept the faith, watching for his return.
When Speaks the Nightbird came out, I was one happy camper.

[Char]

I started a yelling, jumping up and down fit at the library when I first saw Speaks the Nightbird on the shelf with McCammon's name in big letters! You could say that I was excited. :)

[Joanne]

I also read McCammon in the 80s and 90s and as I've said, still have all my old paperbacks, but I also have a couple of hardcovers picked up along the way. I was excited too to find Speaks the Nightbird years later but it was volume I and I waited for Volume Ii to read them. Now I'm anxiously waiting for the new ones

[Kimberly]

Charlene wrote: "I started a yelling, jumping up and down fit at the library when I first saw Speaks the Nightbird on the shelf with McCammon's name in big letters! You could say that I was excited. :)"

I haven't read that one yet....I'm finding that there's quite a few good books I have to catch up on!!:)

[Char]

Oh Kimberly, that series is so great. :)

[Barb]

Charlene wrote: "*gasp* You haven't read Boy's Life? You must!!"

I haven't read Boy's Life yet either. I've loved everything else I've read by McCammon & it's been on my Amazon wish list forever...so, I don't know what's keeping me. I'm sure I'll get to it sometime this year. I also bought Mine a while back & it has been sitting on a shelf--I got the drift that it's kind of disturbing so I'm waiting for the right mood before I start it.

[Gertie]

I really liked Gone South and Boy's Life, and Swan Song is one of my favorote books, period. However Speaks the Nightbird bored me, to be honest.

[Joanne]

I second that! I'll soon be starting The Providence Rider and am really looking forward to it except that it's the last in the series for now ....

[Char]

I'm currently reading McCammon's The Night Boat. It's so good I read it over the weekend and I only have 10% left to go. I just love McCammon. :)

[Calvin]

I've read Boys Life, Speaks The Night Bird (both volumes), Queen of Bedlam, Going South and Hunter From The Woods. Loved all of them. Going South was not as good as the others, but still good. McCammon is probably my favorite author along with Greg Iles.

[Jason]

Glad you liked Night Boat, Charlene. It's been years since I've read it, but I remember it being a ton of fun. I want to reread all of McCammon's work, now.

[Char]

The Matthew Corbett series now has two more, Calvin, in case you didn't know. They were both good as well.


Jason, I just finished and I enjoyed the hell out of it. It was just old school 80's horror FUN! I am slowly re-reading all of his books. All I remember about most of them is that they were good! I have Stinger and Usher's Passing lined up for my next re-reads (or first reads! I don't remember!).

[Jason]

Stinger is one of my all-time favorites.

[Char]

I will read (reread?) that one next then! :)

[Calvin]

Charlene, which books feature Matthew Corbett other than the two Nightbird books and Queen of Bedlam? I loved the 18th century setting and the characters.

[Char]

Calvin, one Nightbird book, Queen of Bedlam, Mister Slaughter and The Providence Rider. All good, each and every one. :)

[Char]

The last one is especially good. Matthew changes a lot over the course of each book.

[Calvin]

Charlene wrote: "Calvin, one Nightbird book, Queen of Bedlam, Mister Slaughter and The Providence Rider. All good, each and every one. :)"

Great. Had no idea.