Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

I'm still not sure how to go about fairly summing up and reviewing a book that everyone is anticipating reading (if they haven't already, I'm a bit behind the game) by an author that I adore, but here goes.

It's been years since Dan Torrence and his mother escaped the Overlook Hotel. Now, Dan has made his way to Frazier, New Hampshire. Here Dan has found friends and supporters who have helped him to battle his demons. He's dried up, joined AA, and is on the road to recovery when he meets Abra Stone. Though not in the traditional sense. See, Abra is like Dan - she shines. And Abra soon discovers that someone is after kids like her. They're called the True Knot. They travel the roads of America in their RVs and campers, seeking out kids who share Dan and Abra's talents. And now they've got their sites set on Abra.

First, yes - you have to read The Shining before reading Doctor Sleep. Sure, I'll admit you can probably get away with it; Doctor Sleep is a story in and of itself that doesn't rely on The Shining. But c'mon! Why would you skip Dan's early story and jump right into this one? Take my advice, treat yourself to both if you haven't already.

I love, love, loved returning to Danny Torrence and his story. Doctor Sleep is creepy and completely excellent, as I'd expected it would be. There are some little Easter eggs and references to other works (if you've read Joe Hill's NOS4A2 then you'll notice that King refers to Hill's big bad from book and vice versa).

King has honestly never let me down and again his latest is no exception. I've been anticipating this book even before last October when King and son Joe Hill released their short collaboration, "In the Tall Grass." See, I quickly realized that the short story included excerpts from both King's and Hill's upcoming releases (Doctor Sleep and NOS4A2). I had to resist the call of that early teaser, however, because I figured it would be sheer torture to wait another year before reading the actual book.

It was still torture to wait for the book - I start to get more and more anxious as the day of release grows closer, finding that the anticipation of a new Stephen King can sometimes squash my desire to read anything else. It's a personal problem. I'm dealing with it :)

Lo and behold the day of release finally came - and (I found this out in July) King was making a stop in Boulder for his tour. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would actually have a chance to attend a Stephen King event, but here it was! My chance! The event sold out, of course, but thankfully I had my tickets in hand. It was hosted by the fabulous Boulder Bookstore at our Chautauqua Auditorium and each ticket came with a copy of the book - with 250 randomly distributed signed copies included in the book handout (we didn't get one).

King spoke about his career, his time in Boulder, The Shining and other works, and of course Doctor Sleep, treating us to two passages - Dan's bottom and Dan's own return to Boulder - before answering questions. It was truly a fabulous event and I'm so glad that I had a chance to attend.

Top Ten Tuesday: Best/Worst Series Enders

I've decided to jump on board with Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week the topic is: Best and Worst Series Enders.

Best:

1. The Dark Tower by Stephen King (Dark Tower book 7) - because, whoa! I know some people didn't like the way this ended but I LOVED it!

2. The Last Word by Lisa Lutz book 6 in the Spellman series - so I'm not sure if this is a "series" ender. It is supposedly the final book narrated by Izzy. I do so love the Spellman family so I hope we'll see more of them in the future. As with all the others, this was a hilarious installment and a nice final note for Izzy.

3. The Neon Graveyard by Vicki Pettersson book 6 in the Signs of the Zodiac series - to be honest, I don't remember many specifics about this particular installment, but I do recall feeling a satisfying sense of closure.

4. To Hell and Back by Lilith Saintcrow book 5 in the Dante Valentine series - I was so sad to see the end of this series. The characters and the worldbuilding were really excellent. One of my favorite urban fantasy series ever.

5. Alpha by Rachel Vincent book 6 in the Shifters series - this was also a satisfying close to a series that I particularly enjoyed.

6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling - of course it's on the list!

Worst:

7. Reached by Ally Condie - while I enjoyed this book on its own and even as part of the series, I felt like it still left questions unanswered (and even brought to mind new ones). It didn't feel like a series wrap up. 

8. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - I hate to say that this one didn't stack up because there were no games, but I think I missed that aspect of the first two books in this third. It actually wasn't a bad book it just didn't quite hit the spot compared to the other two. 

9. The Death Cure by James Dashner - the final book in the Maze Runner series was fine, it just didn't quite live up to the expectation set by The Maze Runner.

10. Ash by James Herbert - I hate to include this one because I love Herbert's work so much, this book was kind of a mess. Both of the other David Ash books are amazing and creepy as all get out. This one was just kind of cheesy.

Almost True Confessions: Closet Sleuth Spills All by Jane O'Connor

Good morning, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the TLC blog tour for Jane O'Connor's Almost True Confessions: Closet Sleuth Spills All.

Rannie Bookman needs work. A freelancer who recently thwarted death, her 15 minutes of fame isn't paying the bills. But when she gets a call about a hush-hush new project - the latest bio tell-all from the notorious Ret Sullivan - it looks like things are turning around. Unfortunately, when Rannie arrives to pick up the manuscript she finds poor Ret strangled to death in her bed. The author had her fair share of enemies, not the least of which is an Oscar winning actor she outed as a pedophile. He's been serving a 15 year stint behind bars ever since he attacked Ret and threw lye in her face. That aside, even Rannie can't imagine who would actually kill the author. Could the answer be hidden inside the pages of Ret's latest book?

I have a confession of my own, Almost True Confessions is a sequel to Dangerous Admissions and I've not read it. I was all set for this to be a potential issue but thankfully it wasn't. I know I've missed out on some character development and the story behind Rannie's last incident, which is referred to quite often, but otherwise I was able to jump right into Almost without issue.

As someone who works in publishing, there was a definite appeal right off the bat with this book. O'Connor herself is a veteran of the industry and though I've had somewhat bad luck with other publishing themed mysteries in the past, it didn't deter me from adding Almost to my wish list. So the opportunity to take part in the tour was one I jumped for.

Almost True Confessions kind of exceeded my expectations as a result. First off, it was a bit darker than the bubbly mystery I expected. Second, the various publishing "insider" quips and the notes on upper crust New York City society made the book a bit of a stand out in my opinion. And finally, Rannie herself is an incredibly appealing lead character. She's got depth to be sure - a divorcee and single parent with a college age daughter and a son whose about to be off to college herself, Rannie has all the normal parenting woes to deal with on top of job worries, boyfriend issues, and getting wrapped up in another murder. All in all, a highly enjoyable read!

Rating: 4/5

To see more stops on the tour, check out the official TLC tour page here.

This House is Haunted by John Boyne

After the death of her father, Eliza Caine finds herself in an awkward position. Their house is rented and her position as a teacher at a local girls' school isn't enough to cover it. When she sees an ad for a governess position, complete with housing, she applies and is hired. But the whole thing is odd. She arrives to find that the children's parents aren't in residence. In fact, it was the previous governess who hired her. What's more, no one wants to answer her questions about the Westerlys. The townspeople in Gaudlin are closemouthed and Mr. Raisin, the Westerly's attorney, never seems to have time for Eliza's queries. The children themselves are especially evasive as well when it comes to their parents and even their former governesses. And while the kids are pleasant enough, especially the boy, Eustace, Eliza has sensed something disturbing at Gaudlin Hall. 

John Boyne (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) adopts a traditional gothic style in his latest, This House is Haunted. The book also serves as a bit of an homage to Charles Dickens with Eliza, her father, and others throughout the book sharing a passion for his work. Dickens even makes an appearance of his own in the tale.

I'm a big fan of Victorian ghost stories and gothic lit and Boyne has done his very well. With a few minor exceptions, this could easily be a story from the actual time period of its setting (in my opinion).

The book is a bit short, but as with all stories I've read in this vein, it is rather dense. It's a great book for settling in on a cold and wet afternoon!

(This House is Haunted officially hits shelves on October 8.

Rating: 4/5

New Releases 10/8/13

Some of the new titles hitting shelves this week are:

Longbourn by Jo Baker

Lighthouse Island by Paulette Jiles

This House is Haunted by John Boyne

The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch

The Last Winter of Dani Lancing by P.D. Viner

The Preservationist by Justin Kramon

Storm Front by John Sandford

Pagan Spring by G. M. Malliet

What Lies Beneath by Sarah Rayne

Inherit the Dead ed by Lee Child

White Ginger by Thatcher Robinson

The Alligator Man by James Sheehan

The Antagonist by Lynn Coady

Rasputin's Shadow by Raymond Khoury

Cold Blooded by Amanda Carlson

The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure

Vicious Circle by Wilbur Smith

Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson

The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor by Robert Kirkman & Jay Bonansinga

Doomed by Chuck Palahniuk

Resist by Sarah Crossan

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Death and the Girl He Loves by Darynda Jones

Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier

Tandem by Anna Jarzab

The Brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney

New on DVD:
The Purge
After Earth

New reviews at Bookbitch.com:
A Cold Season by Alison Littlewood
Aunty Lee's Delights by Ovidia Yu

Vicious by V.E. Schwab + a Giveaway

Guys, Victoria Schwab's first adult book is out and it's a doozie! I mean, I was already a fan of Schwab since reading The Near Witch but I was still blown away. And you can be, too! Read through to the end to enter to win your very own copy of Vicious.

When college roommates Eli and Victor take their senior thesis research a bit too far, they both end up EOs - ExtraOrdinaries. Victor is imprisoned and vows to get revenge. Ten years later, free at last, that's exactly what he's set out for. He's joined by Sydney, a strange teenager hiding a secret power of her own, and Mitch, his cellmate, as they set out in search of Eli. But Eli's been a busy boy over the past decade, something Sydney knows all too well.

Yay, right?! Schwab's Vicious is a delicious spin on the classic superhero story. First, the premise that a near death experience can result in abilities is not only a bit different but it's kind of cool. Second, yeah there are arch nemeses but there's not a classic good guy/bad guy scenario here. Instead it's a twisted version that plays out spectacularly.

I really loved the structure of the book as well. Schwab shuttles the reader back and forth through multiple timelines giving the reader little nuggets of info from one chapter to the next. The result is that you start off thinking one thing and soon learn that you were kind of wrong. I'm trying to be just a bit vague so as not to give anything away - 'cause that's the best part!

If you've read Schwab's teen titles, Vicious is quite different. It's not YA for one - it's wholeheartedly and unabashedly adult in content. Which is not to say that Schwab's fan base won't enjoy it but if you've not read her before because her work was "teen" this is your chance to dive in and discover what a talent she truly is.

Rating: 5/5

And now for the giveaway: Thanks to the publisher I'm able to offer up one finished copy of V.E. Schwab's Vicious. To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before end of October 13. US only and no PO boxes please.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Never Come Back by David Bell

Elizabeth Hampton's mother has died. It was unexpected, sure, but the real shock comes when the police reveal that they suspect that Leslie Hampton's death is actually murder. From the beginning they seem to have set their sites on Elizabeth's older brother, Ronnie. Though Ronnie is very self-sufficient, his Down Syndrome had left him fairly reliant on their mother. And while Elizabeth has never seen her brother become violent, it appears Leslie had called the police in recent weeks thanks to a particularly nasty tantrum on Ronnie's part. Then Elizabeth discovers something strange: just one month before her death, Leslie changed her will. Elizabeth was certain that it would have been a reaction to the fight the two of them had just prior to the change but that's not it at all. Elizabeth's mother has added a third person to the will. Another Elizabeth who is to inherit a full third of her estate. Who is this other Elizabeth and just how is she connected to Leslie?

David Bell's third thriller is certainly a page turner. I finished it in just one weekend afternoon. Unfortunately about two thirds of the way through I started to feel a bit of a disconnect in the narrative. On the one hand, it seemed as though a lot of logical conclusions and connections were being completely ignored. And yes, people are people so that would likely be the reality of the situation. But when Elizabeth first discovers the other Elizabeth is in the will and calling her mother's lawyer, she doesn't say a word about it to the police. She hears that a strange woman has visited her brother and upon questioning him and hearing him say it was "Elizabeth" assumes he's hallucinating or dreaming.

Obviously by having the characters overlook logical leads they could be thrown out later on to move the story forward. Sadly instead it came across as too simplified.

There also came a point where each new shocking reveal felt too far fetched. The false leads were easy to see beyond and the constant wishy washiness between Elizabeth and her boyfriend as a major part of the plot also started to grate on me. Had other pieces of the book fallen more into place, this actually wouldn't have bothered me at all. Instead, it became one more mark against Never Come Back.

It's not to say that there wasn't anything enjoyable or intriguing about Bell's latest. Obviously I was hooked enough to keep reading. It's simply that the bar is set a bit high when it comes to stories like these for me.

It's also a shame that Cemetery Girl actually sets the bar pretty high itself for this author's work. While not one of my favorite books, it's incredibly well written and quite disturbing. Overall a much better read than Never Come Back proved to be.

Rating: 2.5/5