Let the Right Book In

Roadwork tells the story of Bart Dawes, a man suffering from grief following the death of his young son. To add to his woes, he is to lose both his workplace and home as a consequence of the extension of a nearby interstate highway. "I know something else as well: there's a place in most of us where the rain is pretty much constant, the shadows are always long, and the woods are full of monsters." Let me give you a little background into my history with the Bachman books... before Roadwork, I had read The Running Man and Thinner. I thought The Running Man was okay, I liked the idea and I enjoyed the ending, however it felt like it dragged a bit in the middle. I had a better experience with Thinner, it felt more like a King book to be honest and that's probably why. The Bachman books seem to have a pretty bleak outlook with dark endings, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, I like that sometimes. It just feels a bit depressing at times and I much pref...

Considered by many to be King's best collection of stories/novellas, Different Seasons contains two stories that were ultimately developed into two of the greatest movies of all-time: The Body, which became Stand by Me, of course, and Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption - the movie is obvious, no? "Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free." Sometimes I really hate reading an awesome Stephen King book... no, I'm not crazy. I just get stressed about where I'm going to rank it in my top books list and what other books are gonna get pushed down the list!! Different Seasons is simply a masterpiece. Having read most of King's epic stories, I thought I'd seen King at this best - but no, this is his best. The writing, the characters, the storylines, it feels like everything is turned up a notch here. This is a prime example of how King is so much more than just horror. Let's start off with Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. Now I...

Another month and another awesome box from Vincent and Jessi over at NRB! This month's theme was Corporate Overlords. Initially when I heard this theme, I was literally clueless and had no idea what to expect, which kinda made this month a little bit more exciting. And I was right! It is exciting. It's not really a "genre" (if you can call it that) that I've had much experience with in the past, and yet I'm still obsessing over everything in this box. Just look at all of the awesome things!! But firstly, let's begin with the books. I must admit, I've never heard of either book before... as I say, I'm predominantly a horror fan so a lot of this kind of stuff would be new to me. However, these books sound great and I'm open to trying new authors and different books - that's what I love about this subscription box! It'll make you pick up books you might otherwise miss. The new release in this month's box was Borne by Jeff Vande...

A mesmerising and enchanting look into the excess and decadence of the 1920's, The Great Gatsby focuses on a mysterious millionaire, Jay Gatsby, and his obsession for the rich and beautiful (and wed) Daisy Buchanan. The story is narrated by Nick Carraway, a bond salesman renting a small house on Long Island, right next door to the illustrious Gatsby, with whom he forms a friendship. "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." Okay, I think I'm becoming a tad obsessed with The Great Gatsby. I couldn't remember if I had read it before or not, and to be honest, I'm still not sure...BUT I had seen the movie before reading this book and I would say it actually enhanced the reading experience. It really helped with the visualisation of Gatsby's grand parties and the associated excess and debauchery. It would almost be impossible to imagine all the beauty and grandeur that this book revolves around. I love thi...

Set in an Oregon psychiatric hospital, one of the patients, Chief Bromden, narrates the sequences of events that follows after RP McMurphy, a rebellious character who fakes insanity to avoid prison, is institutionalized. What follows is complete anarchy as McMurphy attempts to antagonise Nurse Ratched, the head administrative nurse who rules her ward with an iron fist. This story is an intriguing insight into mental health institutions and conformity back in the 1960's and the need to control those who don't quite fit into what is considered to be "normal" in society. "But it's the truth, even if it didn't happen." Okay, I'm really going to struggle with regards to writing a review for this book. I actually left it a couple of days so I had time to think about it. I watched this movie years ago and really enjoyed it - another one of my favourite movies of all time is Girl, Interrupted, so you could say I really love books or movies se...

Dr. Montague, an investigator of all things supernatural, invites a small group to join him in staying in an eighty-year old mansion, Hill House, where strange and unusual events have been known to occur. Within this group is Eleanor Vance, a recluse having spent most of her life looking after her ill mother; Theodora, an outspoken artist; and Luke Sanderson, the heir to Hill House. "No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood so for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone." Have you ever read a better opening to a book than that? BLEW. MY. MIND. I have to say, ...