Koontzland - Dean Koontz discussion
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By the Light of the Moon
Stand Alone Novels 2000-2007
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By the Light of the Moon (Group Read - April 2011)
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He didn't stick me with the needle as far as I know. All I remember is I went to this hamburger joint where a Mrs. Claus type woman was working. She gave me this button that said "Fries Not Flies". I like to collect buttons. I enjoyed my root beer - it was not diet. Yes, I do have a plant named Fred - I take him everywhere I go - I put him in this doughnut thing on the seat and buckle him in for safety. Lately, I've been noticing how many birds there are - it's like I'm living in Alfred Hitchcock film. Anyway, he didn't stick me with his needle as far as I can recollect, but I do remember seeing a man of that description when I went to get my root beer. By the way, all my aunts have asses that look like two giant pumpkins and my older cousin had a bad situation when she tried to ride her bike - had to go to the hospital - just felt like I should share that information, I don't know why.
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-By The Light of the Moon, Chapter 7
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"Pupid srick"
"Hickdead"
....
"Good luck," he said, and then he left with his Coke and his peanuts and his evil dreamy smile.
-By the Light of the Moon, Chapter 6
Quiet...I'm counting my teeth.
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-By the Light of the Moon, Chapter 4
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"Quite as it should be, m'lord."
Still a few to go...."Quite as it should be, m'lord"... I hate crackers that are all, "round and shapey".
Ok. Help me understand. What are the stages of autism? Which one does Shepard have? Why doesn't Shep realize that they are in danger?
Mischelle wrote: "Ok. Help me understand. What are the stages of autism? Which one does Shepard have? Why doesn't Shep realize that they are in danger?"There aren't stages of autism; rather autism exists on a severity spectrum (hence autism spectrum disorder--ASD), such that individuals with ASD can vary widely from one another in the degree to which they are affected and in the types and degrees of symptoms they present along the three main categories of deficits found in ASD: social, communication/language, and restricted/repetitive interests. Shep is fairly low functioning, as he doesn't talk and rarely even acknowledges the existence of other people. He seems to mostly exist in a reality separate from other social entities, which is why he doesn't recognize the danger or he possibly doesn't care about it if he does recognize it.
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Just started by The Light of the Moon, I read it years ago.I forgot how witty and colourful D.K can be. I,m really enjoying this book again.
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I'm still reading/listening too. Would anyone like to join Anne & I? Post here if you're a bit behind on reading our April Group Read or if you care to start By the Light of the Moon. One more person interested makes it a Mini-Group Read. Thanks.
just finished reading By the Light of the Moon,enjoyed it so much.
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Me too. will post some favorite parts at a later date :-)
I think I will read The Bad Place next if I can find it.
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The Bad Place should be an easy one to find at the library or bookstore. Audiobook is also available. We read The Bad Place one year ago (May 2010) as a group read. Here's the link to the discussion thread if you'd like to comment while or after you read the book:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/3...
thank you, I think this is the book I initally wanted to read, I,ve read D.K. books years ago and to read them all again will be just great.
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I've been doing lots of re-reading of Dean Koontz, especially since joining this group :-) I didn't used to re-read books, but I feel like some books are worth reading again and again. I even have a goodreads bookshelf I created called "worth reading again and again" - pretty original title huh :-) I do think the first reading experience is the best because I don't know what to expect from Dean, but each time I re-read I pick up on different things. Because I'm in a different place in life with each reading, the story affects me differently each time. Some books are not worth re-reading or even reading once for that matter, but for me every Dean Koontz book is a work of wonder and worth reading at least once. By the Light of the Moon is a beautiful story so it's of course on on my "amazing" and "worth reading again and again" shelves.
The Koontz book Dustin rereads most often is Your Heart Belongs to Me--it's his very favorite.
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Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado
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I was reading The Secret and By the Light of the Moon at the same time so the following conversation between Dylan and Jilly connected the two books for me. I think it all begins with deciding what we want and choosing what we focus on:
"Creation is an act of will," he said.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Before I create a painting, I conceive it in my mind. It exists from the instant it's conceived, and all that's needed to transform the conception into a tangible work of are time and effort, paint and canvas."
"Are we in the same conversation?" she wondered.
In the backseat Shepherd sat in silence again, but now his brother spewed a prattle more disturbing than Shep's. "Positive thinking. Mind over matter. If God created the heavens and the earth merely by thinking them into existence, the ultimate power in the universe is willpower."
"Evidently not, or otherwise I'd have my own hit sitcom and be partying in m Malibu mansion right now."
"Our creativity reflects divine creativity because we think new things into existence every day - new inventions, new architectures, new chemical compounds, new manufacturing processes, new works of art, new recipes for bread and pie and pot roast"......
" - but guided by thought and reason," Dylan continued patiently, "we can use other kinds of energy to transform existing matter into virtually anything we conceive. I mean, we spin thread to make cloth to sew our clothes. And we cut down trees to make lumber to build shelter. Our process of creation is a lot slower, clumsier, but it's fundamentally just one step removed from God's. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
........
"Assume we were made in God's image."
"All right. Yeah? So?"
"Then it's also reasonable to assume that although we aren't able to create matter out of nothing and although we can't change existing matter solely by the application of thought, nevertheless even our less than godlike willpower might be able to influence the shape of things to come."
"The shape of things to come," she repeated.
"That's right."
"The shape of things to come."
"Exactly," he confirmed, nodding happily, glancing away from the interstate to smile at her.
"The shape of things to come," she repeated yet again, and then realized that in her frustration and bewilderment, she sounded disturbingly like Shepherd. "What things?"
"Future events," he explained. "If we're in God's image, then maybe we possess a small measure - a tiny but still useful fraction - of the divine power to shape things. Not matter, in our case, but the future. Maybe with the exercise of willpower, maybe we can shape our destiny, in part if not entirely."
"What - I just imagine a future in which I'm a millionaire, then I'll become one?"
"You still have to make the right decisions and work hard... but yeah, I believe all of us can shape our futures if we apply enough willpower."
Still suppressing her frustration, keeping her tone light, she said, "They why aren't you a famous billionaire artist?"
"I don't want to be famous or rich."
- Dean Koontz, By the Light of the Moon, Chapter 13
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I really didn't like it, but I've only read it once. I'm willing to give it another try :-)
We all know you loved it. It's right next on your list to mine and Jason's favorite, Breathless.
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I will give Breathless another try sometime too. I believe in giving second chances (sometimes) after I've had a while to get over being angry, disappointed, furious and upset. I'll try to read it again when it's chosen as group read but I'm in no hurry to re-read it before then.
I've heard that an updated edition is on the marker. It has an additional chapter with dinosaurs!
Maciek wrote: "I've heard that an updated edition is on the marker. It has an additional chapter with dinosaurs!"Do the dinosaurs eat the fluffy little creatures from the first book, thereby illustrating survival of the fittest from Darwinian evolution?
No, the dinosaurs appeared from nowhere, silly!
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Awesome. The book has been completed! I would really like to read this expanded edition - I think it will help make sense of the story. Please post more info on how I can get a copy. Thanks.
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:-)Thanks Jen, I'm pretty excited to be able to use it to commute to work. I added a milk crate on the back so I can carry stuff around.
Dustin Crazy wrote: "btw Today I used "The Secret" to get me a new bike, a new job (my third one - I'm collecting 'em), and a tattoo...."Well, are you going to give us details on the new job and tattoo?
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Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado
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[image error]
I will only be working there 10-15 hrs a week.
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Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado
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I'm thinking of adding that little owl right above digger, but I haven't decided yet. I don't want it to look like the little owl is coming out of Digger's head so I think I'd change it with some space between the two - I have to consult my tattoo artist.
Dustin Crazy wrote: "This is what my new third job looks like...."You've been hired as a graphic artist to design logos for shoes retailers? ;-) Nice tie-in to this thread with your last post, by the way. :-P
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I'm actually considering adding the words "By the Light of the Moon" as a tattoo :-) I was thinking I could wrap the words around my arm as a band - still working on this idea in my head.
could you not put it round the owls body?
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:-) Sure I could do anything I want, but I thought of using the phrase "By The Light Of The Moon" after the I got my owl. I want to create a band under the owl with the words "BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON" in it. Right now I'm thinking of centering the phrase right under then owl so that it's easier to to read rather than spread it out around the arm, although I still want a band continued around the arm with the phrase centered in the middle and other designs on the sides. Someday I will get pictures to share :-)
Dustin Crazy wrote: "This is what my new bike looks like:"I had a dream last night that I was riding your bike while you were in some building, but it didn't look like this one. One of its tires went flat while I was doing so. :-)
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Sounds like you got a glimpse into my past. That was my old bike that you experienced. My present & future is much brighter.
Dustin Crazy wrote: "Sounds like you got a glimpse into my past. That was my old bike that you experienced. My present & future is much brighter."You got rid of your old bike just because one of its tires went flat?
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It probably goes with your colouring.
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I am a brown owl, you have to be a white owl. Or maybe we can paint you brown.
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or an owl in combat gear
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Koontzland - Dean Koontz
Books mentioned in this topic
By the Light of the Moon (other topics)Breathless (other topics)
By the Light of the Moon (other topics)
The Secret (other topics)
By the Light of the Moon (other topics)
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From Chapter 9 of By the Light of the Moon:
"For all I know, you could be a serial killer," she told Dylan as he held open the front passenger's door to her and Fred.
"I'm not a serial killer," he assured her.
"That's exactly what a serial killer would say."
"It's exactly what an innocent man would say, too."
"Yes, but it's exactly what a serial killer would say."