Friends, oh friends, have I read some amazing ones for you this week. I have TWO 6/5 recommendations and if you know me, both are surprises. I don’t want to tease you anymore so let’s get into them.
11/22/63
By: Stephen King
Release: 11/8/2011
Page count: 842
KU: No Hoopla: No
Synopsis: Jack Epping is tasked with unimaginable - stop the assassination of JFK. Time traveling without causing damage before is going to take all he has, and Oswald may be the least of his concerns.
First line: “I have never been what you’d call a crying man.”
Favorite line: “All other things being equal, the simplest explanation is usually the right one.”
Thoughts: Well, this was a literary freaking masterpiece. The most unlike King book ever. Every word was needed yet there was zero filler. To be honest, and it’s weird saying this about an 842-page novel, I wish it was longer. I wanted to live in this universe for so much longer. Exceptionally crafted worlds, brilliant characters, and 100% heartbreaking. An absolute must read.
Rating: 6/5
Other recommendations: IT, THE LONG WALK
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THE CLOWN
By: Kevin J Kennedy
Release: 10/1/24
Page count: 124
KU: Yes Hoopla: No
Synopsis: A group of teenagers' head to a pop-up carnival for a night of fun shenanigans. It may be free to get in, but it will take their souls to get out.
First line: “Melissa could hear her mother shouting up the stairs to turn her music down, but she had no intention of doing so.”
Favorite line: “She ruffled up the girl’s hair and honked her nose.”
Thoughts: A claustrophobic read that delivers on the gore. The problem for me was the repetition of what just happened and what the characters were thinking. While distracting, it is still a quick read and worth it if you want to know more about the Halloweenland universe.
Rating: 3.5/5
Other recommendations: HALLOWEENLAND, VAMPIRES
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DANTE’S THE INFERNO - A Graphic Novel Adaptation
By: Paul and Gaetan Brizzi
Release: 11/19/24
Page count: 160
KU: No Hoopla: Yes
Synopsis: Dante, guided by Virgil, must travel the nine circles of Hell to find Beatrice. Souls eternally tortured, demons at play, and truths to be found abound in this graphic novel.
First line: “Midway in the journey of our life, I find myself in a dark forest…”
Favorite line: “A journey awaits us; we must begin our descent at once.”
Thoughts: The drawings were stunning! Especially the lust circle. I wish the reader could have had more time in each circle as there was so much that could have been explored.
Rating: 4/5
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THE RISING: MORE SELECTED STORIES FROM THE END OF THE WORLD
By: Brian Keene
Release: 1/28/25
Page count: 118
KU: No Hoopla: Yes
Synopsis: A new collection of short stories from THE RISING universe. Poignant and heartbreaking to gory and familiar.
First line: “Mount Rushmore was speaking in tongues.”
Favorite line: “One of his exes had once described him as ‘not exactly suicidal but wouldn’t rush to get out of the way of an oncoming car.’”
Thoughts: This is my first book of Keene’s short stories or novels. Even without reading THE RISING, the reader can understand and emphasize with this new world. And ignore anything bad you have been told about zombies; Keene’s is far scarier.
There wasn’t a story less than five stars for me. But my Top Five were: Waiting for Infinity, Body Talk, Plan D, Watching it Burn, and Wasted Time.
Rating: 6/5
Other recommendations: THE RISING, SIXTY-FIVE STIRRUP IRON ROAD
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