Book Review | The Long Walk by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)

The Long Walk is a dystopian novel by Stephen King published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman.

On the first day of May, 100 teenage boys meet for a race known as "The Long Walk." If you break the rules, you get three warnings. If you exceed your limit, what happens is absolutely terrifying.

I've been asked on many occasions if I've read this book, and I never stopped to wonder why. Of course I see now why this book has been recommended to me throughout the years. It's like asking someone who's afraid of clowns if they've read IT. The Long Walk is a perfect fit for me. I wish I had read it sooner! I wish I had read The Long Walk prior to the upteen billion dystopians I've already experienced in recent years. It kept reminding me of The Hunger Games instead of vice versa as it bloody well should have been.

I listened to The Long Walk on audio which was a great experience. Grab it off Overdrive if you have yet to read this one. There's an amazing introduction by Stephen King included with the audio. I have the "Bachman Books" on my shelf so I pulled it down to read the introduction again only to find a completely different introduction! If you've already read the Bachman Books, you might be interested in reading the second introduction King wrote for it.

I've put off reading Bachman over the years. Up until now I think I've only read The Regulators (right after reading Desperation) and Thinner (right after watching the movie). I've had some deluded idea in my mind that I wouldn't enjoy them like I enjoy a King novel. I can't speak for the rest of the Bachman Books, but you don't get more Stephen King than The Long Walk. He really, really thought no one would know Richard Bachman was Stephen King?! No one writes like Stephen King. In my opinion, no one even comes close to writing like Stephen King. So now I have some more reading to do!

The Long Walk was a great way to end a not-so-remarkable reading year. It serves as a good reminder of how important it is to pull down the back titles throughout the year and enjoy some gems I've been missing out on.

8/10: Great Read

Currently Reading | December 26

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas day yesterday. It was beautiful here. Everyone was in shorts and t-shirts. I wanted to be at the beach or barbecuing... I did watch White Christmas on TV last night so I was half in the spirit!

I have this week off of work; I hardly know what to do with myself. I'm going to try to catch up on some blogging this week and finish up my Goodreads challenge. Thank you so much for the short read suggestions! Also, I want to thank you guys for the messages regarding my kitty. It really meant a lot to me. I know you guys understand how hard it is to lose a pet going into the holidays.

Books Read Last Week

Escape from Lucien (Amulet #6) by Kazu Kibuishi
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

You can read my review of The Girl on the Train here.

Currently Reading

The Long Walk by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)

What about you? What are you reading this week? Be sure to let me know in the comments or leave me a link!

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This post is being shared as part of Book Date's It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Book Review | The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train is a psychological thriller from Paula Hawkins.

EVERY DAY THE SAME
Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

UNTIL TODAY
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

Why did I read The Girl on the Train?

It's the holiday season, and I have a billion things to do. A billion things that would be so much better with an audiobook in my ear. I happened to have The Girl on the Train on my Overdrive so I went with it.

The Strengths

What a perfect audiobook for someone as distracted as me right now! This is one of those Gone Girl type of compulsive reads. I was glued to this book. Like Gone Girl, the people in The Girl on the Train are truly awful - all of them, but I couldn't look away.

The Weaknesses

I was confused at first. The POV switches between three different women. These women are all married to and/or seeing different men and then "the girl on the train" also has nicknames for some of them. It took me a while to figure out who was who. Once I got the cast of characters down, though, they were rock solid. Even though they were all unreliable, it became very easy to follow.

Would I recommend The Girl on the Train to others?

I would! In a weird, weird way I want to be able to say I hated this book. The characters were so unlikeable and there were some underlying messages I didn't care for, but I can't deny not being able to put this one down. If you enjoy the Gone Girl type of compulsive read, I definitely recommend giving The Girl on the Train a go.

7/10: Recommended Read

Currently Reading | December 19

Last week I posted my review of Terry Goodkind's Nest.

It was a very rough week last week ending with my 20 year old cat passing away. I didn't get much reading done - just Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie.

Books Read Last Week

Currently Reading

I need help with my Goodreads challenge. I only need 5 more books, but with everything I have going on right now, I'm going to really have to push through. I think I got the Agatha Christie idea from a random twitter thread, and it was a great help. If you have any recommendations for short books that will grab my attention I would really appreciate it! I'll probably hit up the library for a graphic novel or two.

What about you? What are you reading this week? Be sure to let me know in the comments or leave me a link!

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This post is being shared as part of Book Date's It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Book Review | Nest by Terry Goodkind

Kate Bishop thought she was an ordinary woman living and working in Chicago. But when she unexpectedly finds herself in the middle of a police investigation into a brutal murder, Kate makes a shocking discovery: she has the ability to identify killers just by looking into their eyes.

Trying to grasp the implications of this revelation, Kate is drawn deep into a world of terror. She is tracked down by Jack Raines, a mysterious author with shadowy connections to those who share her ability. He tells Kate that her unique vision also makes her a target, and only he can help her.

Now, hot on Jack and Kate’s heels are a force of super-predators, vicious and bloodthirsty killers who will stop at nothing until Kate is dead. But even as she fights for her life, Kate still isn’t sure if Jack is really her salvation, or another killer coming to slaughter her.

An explosive mix of action and suspense, Nest is a landmark new novel from worldwide bestselling author Terry Goodkind, and a complete reinvention of the contemporary thriller. Travel with Goodkind on a dangerous journey to the back alleys of the darknet, to the darkest corners of our minds, and to the very origins of what it is to be human.

I'm not usually into spoilers, but I'm about to tell you what happens in this entire book.

Kate, you have a special ability.
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Stories from the past
Explaining
Mankind is awful and video gamers only play video games because they are a suitable substitution for killing people
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Explaining
Stuff finally happens
The End

Would I recommend Nest to others?
No.

3/10: Didn't Like It

Review copy provided by publisher