Tag Archives: Stephen King

Candace Bushnell and Stephen King Together at Last, Laurie Halse Anderson

Because this week I read Killing Monica by Candace Bushnell and Finders Keepers by Stephen King. The former could’ve used more scary parts, and the latter needed a lot more sex appeal. And it’s pretty clear to me that a mashup of these two authors would make for a pretty fabulous book. On their own? Two pretty mediocre reading experiences. In Killing Monica, a bestselling author decides the only way to self-actualize is to kill off her most famous creation. Or at least that’s the…

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Revival by Stephen King

Synopsis: When Jamie’s childhood pastor loses his faith a spectacular crash and burn, Jamie’s own life takes a header into addiction and suicidal tendencies, but when the pastor comes back into Jamie’s life promising healing, Jamie takes the proffered gift with devastating repercussions. Review: First of all, I liked Revival better when it was called Needful Things. Secondly, I wish Stephen King would stop basing his interpretation of American Christianity off of one church service he went to back in 1962. Every time he explores…

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Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

Synopsis: A recently retired detective finds his suicidal urges lifting when he receives a taunting letter from someone claiming to be the man who drove a stolen Mercedes into a crowd of job seekers, killing many of them, including a baby. Review: I really don’t have much to say about Mr. Mercedes, except that I really wish Stephen King would stop writing black characters who like to talk like racist caricatures on purpose, only to have their white liberal friends laugh knowingly. I am really…

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Dr. Sleep by Stephen King

Synopsis: Danny Torrance from The Shining is now a grown man, an alcoholic that the demons inside him are no match for the demons driving the highways of America, looking for psychic kids so that they can torture them and steal their essence, and a young girl with whom he has a mysterious connection is their next target. Review: Of course I always read a Stephen King novel the minute it comes out, but I harbored trepidation about Dr. Sleep. In the afterword, King astutely…

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Joyland by Stephen King

Synopsis: It’s the summer of 1973 and Devin Jones has just signed on to work at a beachside carnival–that may be haunted. Review: Joyland is Stephen King at his most elegiac and nostalgic, ordinarily my least favorite mode of his, but this book really got me. I loved the carnival setting, the lingo, watching Devin learn the ropes. Sure, he was a little bit Mary Sue but it mostly worked. I felt that the plot faltered in the second half but I wasn’t expecting anything…

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The Shining by Stephen King

Synopsis: Dysfunctional family gets collective ass kicked by haunted hotel. Review: I think The Shining is probably my favorite Stephen King book–and that includes the Dark Tower books. And I’m always tickled at how different it is from the Kubrick movie–and how I can love them both as complete works without needed them to resemble one another. My husband decided he’d give King a try, having never read any of his books, and asked me which one. I didn’t hesitate before recommending this one to…

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The Illustrated Stephen King Trivia book and The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Trivia Book by Brian James Freeman, Hans Ã…ke Lilja, and Kevin Quigley, illustrated by Glenn Chadbourne

Synopsis: A thoroughly research set of quiz books for the ultimate Stephen King aficionado! Review: Wow, these trivia books are crazy comprehensive! The Trivia Book covers the books, and the Movie Trivia Book focuses on the movies. As any fan knows, there can be pretty substantive differences between the movies and the books. So if you know that Andy Dufresne’s final poster was different in the novella and the movie, and you can even guess who replaced Linda Rondstadt in the movie, then these books…

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The Dark Half by Stephen King

Synopsis: A literary author kills his crime fiction scribe alter ego, only to have him come to life and menace his family. Review: The Dark Half is classic King and a book I’ve ready maybe 4 times now. It felt thin to me this time, probably because I am so familiar with the plot. I still love the way it talks about the process of writing–I don’t think anybody really does that better than King.

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The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King (Dark Tower, Book 4.5)

Synopsis: On their way to Calla Bryn Sturgis, Roland and his ka-tet take shelter from a starkblast, and Roland tells the story of his first quest after killing his mother, and within it tells a fairy tale about a brave boy who tangles with a demonic trickster. Review: Oh, my, and it was good to hear Roland’s voice again, you say true and I say thankya. With the series complete, King didn’t need to add to his Dark Tower saga, but The Wind Through the…

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11/22/63 by Stephen King

Synopsis: A schoolteacher travels through a wormhole to stop Lee Harvey Oswald from assassinating JFK. Review: 11/22/63 started out really strong. I loved the premise and knew that Stephen King would do a lot more than just tell the A-story of Jake Epping, time traveler and would-be history changer. The historical aspects were really well done, particularly through the life Jake builds in small town Jodie, Texas, and the love story is poignant. However, I felt like the ending was a foregone conclusion, and I…

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