Darkness at the Edge of Town

Goodreads: One morning the residents of Walden, Virginia, woke to find themselves cut off from the rest of the world by an impenetrable wall of darkness.

OK, this has made me decide that I am done reading Brian Keene.  The book is quite predictable and even a bit boring.  There is nothing new here – nothing exciting – nothing earth shattering – nothing that makes the book stand out.  I would almost swear that Brian Keene wrote this in his sleep.

In someone else’s review, they mentioned that the story was quite a bit like “the Mist”.  I knew there was something familiar about the book the entire time I was reading it but couldn’t put my finger on it until I read that.  Yes, it is so much like the Mist that I felt like I had read it before.

I have to say, I am a bit disappointed.  Maybe it isn’t all Keene’s fault – I told myself I was going to stop reading horror/sci-fi so maybe this book is a victim of the dying embers of interest in the genre.  I am not sure I will read anymore – it is all just too much the same.  What is sad is that I tried writing my own and found it also became a victim to the same formula that made the genre popular.  Maybe there is no original thought left out there.

I do find it sad when I “put away” an author.  Keene joins such greats as Koontz and King in my “so over it” file.  There are a few other authors that will soon be joining him there but who I am giving that one last try.

I give this book a C- and would say to read it only if there isn’t a copy of “The Mist” readily available.

The Unwanted review

Yes, I’ve already read this book and you would think that I wouldn’t keep going back to it over and over but I seem to. The book is different but I think what I like about it is the main character, Cassie.

The book is about a boy and a girl who both had an incident in a swamp when they were two years old.  The girls mother took her away to live in CA and it wasn’t until she died that the girl returned to her home state and to the father who loved her.  She barely arrives and strange things start happening.  The towns people all blame her and make her feel unwanted.  The boy is there and is her friend but she has no recollection of what happened to them when they were younger.  She is a teenager when she returns.

As you read through the book, you make assumptions about what is happening or what the people are like that, in some cases, turns out to be totally false in the end.  There is domestic abuse, fear, jealousy, hatred and a cat named Sumi.  Some of the characters are classic stereo-typical but one can hardly blame Saul for that…seems like just about every book has it in some fashion.

The book is classic Saul which pretty much sums the whole thing up if you are a fan of his.  I give the book a B+ which is slightly higher than last time I reviewed it.  I think I identified with Cassie even more this read through.  The end still disappoints me but also makes me have to admit that sometimes the bad people don’t always get the punishment we think they truly deserve.

Hate List Review

Goodreads: Five months ago, Valerie Leftman’s boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life

I was reluctant to read this book due to all the school shootings lately and because I actually work at a school (university).  My friend, Jade, recommended it but I was still pretty skeptical.  I am not going to go into a massive review of it like she did – I don’t have that kind of energy.  LOL

The book delves into relationships – boyfriend/girlfriend, schoolmates, and parents.  What would you do if you made a list with someone – innocently enough at the time – that they use to kill people? How do you forgive yourself? How does your friends and family forgive you?

I think the father was more angry that he made it on the list than anything but that is just my personal feeling.  I look at it and think – if my son had done that, I would not have reacted the way her family did.  For one, practically every single child alive has said “I hate you” to their parents at one time or another – they don’t mean it and we, the adult parents, know they don’t mean it.  So if I had made it on an innocent “hate” list I would have been hurt but I wouldn’t have taken it to heart.  I disagreed with the father saying she contributed to the tragedy because she had no idea her boyfriend would use the list to kill people.   We can’t be responsible for what other people do – if she had known he was going to do it, that would be different but she didn’t.

I am reminded of the movie “Hit List” with Cole Hauser and Cuba Gooding Jr where Cole’s character gets drunk and makes a “hit” list with a man he met at the bar.  Cuba’s character tells Cole up front that he is a hitman but Cole doesn’t believe him.  So is Cole’s character responsible when Cuba starts offing the people on the list? No, of course not.  He was drunk and angry at the people – he didn’t expect or anticipate they would actually be killed.

So anyway, I had some issues with the book and the way the characters thought.  The writing is very good and the book does hold you in its grip for the most part.  It is not the kind of book I normally read and doubt I will read more by that author.

There is, of course, way more to the book than I am telling – it has many angles, emotions and twists that keep a person interested.  I give the book an A but felt it fell just shy of an A+.

Thriller Thursday

This is a novella that I thought I’d give a try.  I like some of Brian Keene’s stuff and at $2.99, if I hate it, what have I really lost? That doesn’t even buy me a tea at Starbucks.

Overview: When Daniel Miller wakes up one morning, something has gone terribly wrong. The power is out. The phones are dead. The house is silent. The street is shrouded in fog. Both his partner and their adopted daughter are missing. So are their neighbors. And so is everyone else in the world. Daniel Miller is the last person left on Earth… or is he?

A Walk in the Woods review

Goodreads: The Appalachian Trail trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America–majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaining guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way–and a couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in)

As you can tell from my reviews, I also read Cheryl Strayed’s book “Wild” in which she walks the Pacific Crest Trail.  It was an enjoyable read that I could, as a woman, relate to on many levels. I laughed and cried in the course of reading the book.

“A Walk in the Woods” was different.  I suppose the main reason is that it was a man and men do things I just don’t understand.  I say that as a woman who raised a son as a single parent and who loves the differences.  I would never want a man who reacted like a woman in situations where I needed him to be a man and I’m sure most men would say the same thing about women.  :-)

This book made me not just laugh, but practically fall out of my chair laughing hysterically – sometimes at work.  Bill’s ideas, his shortcuts, his hiking partner… hilarious!  The people he met along the way…well, I have heard there were people like that out in the world and now I guess I know where to find them! LOL.

The one thing both books made me realize beyond a shadow of a doubt is that I will never attempt to walk either trail in any way, shape or form.  Though both writer’s talk about the comfort of getting back to the basics of life – I would not want to go through the pain to get to that place.  I love the outdoors – feel a kinship to the outdoors – but hiking mountains in deep snow…yeah, forget it.

Wonderfully written and funny from the first chapter, I have to say I very much enjoyed this book and recommend it without hesitancy.   I give the book an A!

It’s Sunday, what’s in your mailbox??

 

Books purchased this week are:

           

The latter is a disappointment to me because there are no pictures of the many dishes.  I like to compare how my dish looks to the picture of what the “perfect” dish is supposed to look like – how can I do that if I don’t have a picture? Rather irritated me.

Finally Friday

 

Yes, here it is finally Friday to all those who work a normal work week.  Personally, it means my first day back at work but I don’t mind – I like Friday nights at work.

It has been a while since I kept this blog up regularly.  I have to admit, I got burned out with reading after forcing myself to read over 100 books last year.  This year I have a way more modest and acceptable goal of reading 40 books – I am currently on track for that goal.

As I continue to strive towards reading (and writing), I will try to keep my blog more up-to-date.  :-)