(Charlie the Choo-Choo) Charlie the Choo-Choo is a children’s book written by Beryl Evans, also sometimes known by what I believe is her pen name, Claudia y Inez Bachman. Why am I writing about a children’s book by some woman in my Stephen King blog? Well, if you know the Dark Tower, you know that … Continue reading Don’t Ask Me Simple Questions, I Won’t Play Silly Games
("Cookie Jar") So, remember I said that The Bazaar of Bad Dreams had an extra story in the paperback version that wasn’t in my Kindle? That it was published in a magazine, apparently open to the public, but that I couldn’t access the story or the magazine? And that the only version I could find … Continue reading Even Two Bits In A Bum’s Upturned Hat Mattered
(Revival) Revival gets my vote for the most frightening King book of all time. It’s probably the most a King book has scared me since encountering Thinner around the age of 13. And unlike Thinner, Revival scared adult me and still has the power to scare me on re-read. I’ve only read Revival once before … Continue reading Any Day Could Be The Day We Go Down, And We Never Know
(Mr. Mercedes) To me, Mr. Mercedes feels like the mark of a new era in King's books. That sounds grander than I actually mean it to, but I don’t know how else to put it. It differs from what came before, though, in some ways that seem important. Mr. Mercedes (taken alone — this is … Continue reading That’s All History Is, After All: Scar Tissue
(Doctor Sleep) Before this book came out, did you wonder a lot about what happened to Danny Torrance from The Shining? Because… I did not. Doctor Sleep is not a bad book and I don’t dislike it, but I do have to wonder why, of all the things, King chose to revisit this story so … Continue reading Life Was A Wheel, Its Only Job Was to Turn, And It Always Came Back Around to Where It Started
("The Dark Man") You're not alone if you don’t know what The Dark Man is. It was on my list in between Joyland and Doctor Sleep, so I of course decided to read it. I couldn’t find it in ebook form, but I did find an itty bitty hardcover by Cemetary Dance on Amazon that … Continue reading I Am A Dark Man
(The Wind Through The Keyhole) I don’t know if Stephen King will return to the Dark Tower again, or if he wants to, but we know that he at least did at one point, because this is part of the main Dark Tower series. Although it came years after the end of the series, it … Continue reading The Stories We Hear in Childhood Are The Ones We Remember All Of Our Lives
(Ur) Have I mentioned before that I’m reading these all on a Kindle? As much as I can, anyway — there are rare exceptions. Storm of the Century comes to mind — I had to buy the book. But mostly, I read on a Kindle. It lets me highlight and take notes without making a … Continue reading The Tower Trembles; The Worlds Shudder In Their Courses
(The Dark Tower: The Dark Tower VII) We’re here. To steal a quote from another epic series, one that this series owes a lot to: here, at the end of all things. Except it’s not, not really. After seven books (plus an eighth that I won’t be able to touch on for a while yet) … Continue reading The Trip Has Been Long And The Cost Has Been High… But No Great Thing Was Ever Attained Easily
(Song of Susannah: The Dark Tower VI) I’m of the opinion that Song of Susannah is hugely underrated. And I think I know why. It’s that slide effect the last three books have. Wolves of the Calla takes you up the stairs and onto the slide, then pushes you to start the sliding. The Dark … Continue reading It’s Wonderful How Everyone Seems to Think They Know Just What Ka Means for Them
Uniquely Portable Magic 