The Shining by Stephen King

The Shining by Stephen King

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I loved this novel! King really makes the Overlook come to life. From the freaky hedge animals to the creepy ghosts in the hotel, the Overlook becomes it's own character. As I read I was constantly on the edge of my seat wondering what it was going to do next. I loved the characters even though they each annoyed me at some point.

I have seen both the movie and the mini series and enjoyed them both, but seeing Jack free fall into insanity is something you just can't get from a movie. His irrational thoughts (whether caused by the hotel or not... you're never REALLY sure) and actions gave me the creeps and throughout the book I wanted to yell at Wendy and Danny to just leave already.

I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good scare and a lot of suspense!



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I am Legend by Richard Matheson

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I enjoyed this story. It really got into the psychological aspect of being left alone in a horrifying environment. There were some nerve racking scenes but I really liked getting inside the head of the character of Robert Neville. His fear and despair and yet, hope, made it a good read. For being written in 1954 (based in the 70's) it was surprisingly still modern. You didn't have the feeling like it was that much in the past.

Nothing like the movie, but I would definitely recommend it.



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E-book Prices Give Me a Headache

There is really no reason an e-book should cost more than a paperback. I mean, think about it. There is no cost for paper, ink, printing, etc. The publishers set the cost and I understand them not wanting to lose money, but come on! What "reason" do they have for making something that costs them practically nothing to create vs the printing of a paperback? I come with examples....

All of the books above cost more than their paperback version, while the example below is at least the same.

I am more likely to buy something that is the same or (preferably) lower cost as the paperback. Am I the only one practically outraged by this? I think everyone who has the same issue needs to write to the publishers and demand lower prices. I didn't pay $150 for an e-reader to spend more money on books after all.

The Stand by Stephen King

The Stand by Stephen King

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really liked this book (WAY better than the movie- but I'm glad I read this after watching the movie or I would have been disappointed) but the length about killed me. I don't have much time to read so it took me almost 2 months to get through. Some parts were a little slow but I enjoyed most of it.



The idea of a super bug or super flu freaks me out a little and I am interested in the Good vs Evil idea. Even though we know which side we are supposed to support, there were still people on the "good" side that weren't really that good and people on the "bad" side that weren't really that bad. I loved the characters (or in some cases really hated them) and for me that is what gets me interested in their stories. The connections between them made me care more.



This was my first Stephen King novel and I will definitely read more.



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Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Although I understand the appeal of the book, I wasn't that impressed. The strange jumps in time and place makes it hard to follow occasionally. Certain sections in the book are never completed and left me wondering, which was probably done for that reason. The repetition of "so it goes" got a little annoying but after awhile I suppose I got used to it. I appreciated that it wasn't a very long novel. If I had to read 500 pages of it I probably would have just put it down and left it. It was long enough to be entertaining short enough that it was easily readable.



The time travel and abduction put me off a little and I'm guessing that Billy was experiencing some form of PTSD from the war. No matter how strange the book, my guess was that the character Billy created the whole alien abduction in order to deal with other mental issues stemming from his time in the war.


Even with its flaws I can see why some people call it a "classic."


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