15 June 2015
This is the fourth book in the Dark Tower series, Stephen King's one epic saga. The largest chunk of this story is actually the background of Roland, which is heavily referenced up to this point but never explained. So maybe 550 of the 700 pages of this book are devoted to this story.
My favorite part about Stephen King is he will tell you what is going to happen, but you will still read it anyway! From the very beginning, you know the girl dies and even that she burns, but the details of why never come out. As I read this book, you eventually met Susan and, despite knowing she dies, hope that somehow King was wrong. You hope that something has changed. You don't want her to die and as the time gets closer you read with increasing trepidation. You are convinced the very next time she screws up, she's dead . . . but then she's not. And the next time, and the next, until you're emotionally exhausted when. . . . BAM she's dead. And you don't even know what to do with yourself.
I love Stephen King.
Monday, June 22, 2015
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris (The Southern Vampire Mysteries, Bk 1)
5 June 2015
This was not a book I intended to read. I was at a friend's house and he just threw it at me for me to read, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I know that the book was the base for the HBO tv show Trueblood only because it prominently displays that information on the cover, and I know that show is about vampires, but that's it. So what I'm saying here, is that I had zero expectations.
I thought the author did a great job on the main character. Most female leads, especially in love-oriented stories simply dither around until things happen to them. There was some of that in this book, but it was a realistic amount when legitimate decision making would take place. The main character takes action sometimes, but also holds back sometimes, avoiding the stereotype at each extreme.
The author did not shy away from the sense of history a small, southern town can hold onto. The "what happened to their offspring" question is one I often wondered about in other immortal/vampire stories. Ms. Harris did leave some holes, but I assume they'll be filled in later on.
This is not the most graphic story I've read by a long, long shot, but it's not PG either. Again, the author creates a great balance between arousing and pornographic. I often lean toward grittier regardless of the topic, pain, joy, sex, fear, revenge. I typically like fully fleshed out, brilliantly vibrant emotions and descriptions. However, I've not been feeling up-to-par as of late and the less detailed sex scenes in this book, at this particular moment in my life, were spot on. I don't believe I could have said that same thing two weeks ago.
Overall, I'd give this book a "good" review. It's not one I'd push on everyone, but if a friend had already read some of my other recommendations and just wanted something simple, I'd throw this title out. I'll likely read more in the series, but I won't have to reign myself in from blazing though them all at top speed.
This was not a book I intended to read. I was at a friend's house and he just threw it at me for me to read, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I know that the book was the base for the HBO tv show Trueblood only because it prominently displays that information on the cover, and I know that show is about vampires, but that's it. So what I'm saying here, is that I had zero expectations.
I thought the author did a great job on the main character. Most female leads, especially in love-oriented stories simply dither around until things happen to them. There was some of that in this book, but it was a realistic amount when legitimate decision making would take place. The main character takes action sometimes, but also holds back sometimes, avoiding the stereotype at each extreme.
The author did not shy away from the sense of history a small, southern town can hold onto. The "what happened to their offspring" question is one I often wondered about in other immortal/vampire stories. Ms. Harris did leave some holes, but I assume they'll be filled in later on.
This is not the most graphic story I've read by a long, long shot, but it's not PG either. Again, the author creates a great balance between arousing and pornographic. I often lean toward grittier regardless of the topic, pain, joy, sex, fear, revenge. I typically like fully fleshed out, brilliantly vibrant emotions and descriptions. However, I've not been feeling up-to-par as of late and the less detailed sex scenes in this book, at this particular moment in my life, were spot on. I don't believe I could have said that same thing two weeks ago.
Overall, I'd give this book a "good" review. It's not one I'd push on everyone, but if a friend had already read some of my other recommendations and just wanted something simple, I'd throw this title out. I'll likely read more in the series, but I won't have to reign myself in from blazing though them all at top speed.
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