I was just looking at the LJ community 50 Book Challenge in which members challenge themselves to read fifty books in a year. I've discovered in the past that no matter HOW busy I am with school, I need something to relax myself, and reading is usually it. Being a PhD student, I think it would be crazy of me to challenge myself to that many books (about four a month), but I think it's reasonable to challenge myself to ONE a month, don't you? If I happen to read more than one in a month (which I will THIS month seeing as how I've been on vacation for the first half), I will NOT let the extra carry over but will rather count it as a bonus. So that you know I'm keeping up with my own challenge, I'll provide you with a review and/or synopsis of the book I read.
So, without further ado, I give you Lisey's Story by Stephen King.
This is a rather interesting contribution by SK. I've seen it touted in book clubs as a love story, and in a way I guess it is. When the story begins, Lisey's (pronounced lee-see -- it rhymes with CeeCee as she points out) bestselling author husband of 20+ years has been dead for two years. Besieged by academics wanting to either look at or get her to donate her husband's "papers," she sets herself the task of cleaning out his study. During the process, she must cope with a deranged fan, her sister's self-mutilation behaviour, and her husband's troubled past -- all of which lead her to go behind the "purple curtain" that represents her own purposefully forgotten memories to recall and revisit Boo'ya Moon.
I loved this book. I am a huge SK fan -- have been since I discovered Carrie in high school -- but several of his latest books (e.g., Cell) have been kinda "eh." This one has gotten back to what made me fall in love with him as a writer -- his imagery, his effortless fusion of the supernatural with the mundane, his ability to make the character into someone you want to know. This is now in my Top 5 Favorite Stephen King novels along with The Stand, The Green Mile, Bag of Bones, and It.
Bool! The End!
4 comments:
A book a month is my goal, too. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.
I used to be an avid reader (about 1-2 books a month), but because of my physical ailments, I am lucky to read 1 book every 2 months. My mom still pesters me to write one though! Now I prefer the movies.
I, too, love SK...well the author anyway! ;) Your 5 fave SK books are on my fave list! Along w/ Cujo, Carrie and The Regulator's. This book sounds like a book I'd enjoy...on my way to the bookstore now!
For the SK fans out there, I highly suggest his biweekly column in Entertainment Weekly, The Pop of King. He's so funny and surprisingly pop culture savvy. I'm not always crazy about all his books but I love the guy's pop culture smarts.
Computers SUCK cuz I left a comment days ago, and came back to leave another and saw that mine never made it on here. I wonder what I did wrong?! I wrote about having tons of time at work to read, but no time during the day to go out and get new reading, so I will re-read all 5 Harry Potter books for the umpteenth time and the same for my Outlander series. I am hooked. I hope your trip back was unevenful and things are going well in the deadliest city in America.
Jennifer
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