The next three went MUCH more quickly. Probably accounted for by the fact that I didn't have a 1000-page Stephen King book in the mix!
91. Origins of the Wheel of Time: The Legends and Mythologies that Inspired Robert Jordan by Michael Livingston
I am a HIGE fan of The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (and finished by Brandon Sanderson). In fact, once I finish my Stephen King re-read, this amazing fantasy series is next on my list for a reread. I own hard covers of all of the books as well as the prequel, the companion guide and the concordance, so when I saw this book featured in an email newsletter from Tor Books, I knew it was destined for my bookshelf. This novel dives into the story of the creation of the series and explains Jordan's (really James Rigney, Jr.) process in creating the characters, lands, stories and legends of the Third age. Part glossary and part biography, this is an amazing resource and reference for the committed fan of the series and the world that Jordan created.
92. Blockade Billy by Stephen King
So after Under the Dome, it was nice to read a much shorter King novel (lol). This novella tells the story of a baseball team and its surprise star catcher. There appears to be something not quite right about Billy (and with a King novel you know what that means... surprises coming)! The novella is a tribute to baseball and a fun quick read. It is also paired with another short story (Morality) that explores the question of what you would do for money, and the repercussions of sin. A short and interesting read as well.
93. The Secretary of Dreams: Volume Two by Stephen King with illustrations by Glen Chadbourne
This is the second (and so far, final) volume in this series. A lavishly illustrated collection, oversize and in a hard case, this is a keepsake. The book contains 6 of King's short stories (which you can read in other collections) but what makes this edition so special are the illustrations. Three of the stories ("Gray Matter", "One for the Road", and "Nora") have been turned into graphic novels, and the other three ("The Monkey", "Strawberry Spring" and "In the Deathroom") are presented with full-page illustrations and spot-art. A treasured addition to my King collection, this and Volume 1 were gifts to me from a dear friend and are long-since sold out. Copies are available through resale but are quite pricey.
Now off to some more King (maybe with a Koontz thrown in)!
I bet this will surprise absolutely no one, but I read some more Stephen King books... LOL... I've been sick with COVID for the last week or so (a very mild case) so I have also been catching up on some SK TV, and for those who haven't yet seen it, I highly recommend the series "Castle Rock" on Hulu. A fun Stephen King mash-up of stories but new content set in the town constant readers know well. As for my next three books:
94.
Velocity by Dean Koontz
I started this group with a suspense / horror novel not by King. This is a book of Koontz's from a few years ago, so you may already have read it, the novel begins with the story of a bartender caught in an ultimatum which will lead to the death of one of two strangers. If he goes to the police, an elderly woman will die. If he doesn't go to the police, a schoolteacher in Napa will die. He has six hours to decide. From there, the pace accelerates as he takes the law into his own hands and begins a race to the finish of the novel to see who will survive and who will die. Short chapters, great prose, and a captivating story mean that this one is a page turner. Fun to read, but be careful if you are a bit squeamish; there are some gory details.
95.
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
Be prepared, these are dark stories. This collection of four novellas (1922, Big Driver, Fair Extension, and A Good Marriage) allow King to explore some dark topics - serial killers, the impact of murder, a deal with the "devil" and violence against a spouse. Each is a captivating tale and much like
Different Seasons or
Four Past Midnight, King excels in the novella form. I particularly enjoyed the last story - "A Good Marriage" - as it explores a wife discovering who her husband really is, and the revenge she plans and executes. Some stories have a slight element of the supernatural ("1922" specifically), but generally these are just examinations of how dark the human soul can be.
96.
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Imagine you could go back and change history. Imagine you had a doorway to 1958 and could stop by Kennedy assassination from happening. And further imagine that history throws everything it can to stop you from making that change. This novel is one King wanted to write since 1977 but he didn't have the literary chops to do it. And then in 2011, he tackled it as his 60th book published. The resulting novel (at more than 800 pages long) is a beautiful tribute to the late 50s and early 60s, and a love story that -- oh yeah -- is also an exploration of the Kennedy assassination. It is quite a beautiful book, and I loved reading it again. Now I want to go watch the Hulu series with James Franco because I hear it is pretty good.
Only 11 (almost 12) more years of King works to go before I finish my re-read. It's been an awesome project which I hope I will finish in early 2023...
Speaking of which, who is hosting next year's post?