Year 3, week 10: The Lottery and seven other stories

This week's book:
The Lottery and seven other stories
Shirley Jackson

This week's book I hoped was going to be creepy or weird or scary, but disappointing is an understatement. This is the third of Jackson's books I have read and this was my least favorite. The lottery I was told was suspenseful, but the major plot point was kind of played out now. The story was originally published in The New Yorker in 1948 and was quite a draw, but the plot has been overused. The rest of the short stories just end, no resolution, just end. I was listening to the book via audiobook, and because the narrator didn't pause between the stories, I had to keep going back and trying to find resolution for almost all of the stories. If you want to read something from Jackson, read The Haunting of Hill House or We Have Always Lived in the Castle. I wouldn't recommend this book, and I’m glad I just borrowed it from the library.

Year 3, week 9: NOS4A2

This week's book:
NOS4A2
By Joe Hill

This is the second novel by Stephen King's son I have read this month and holy smokes was it long. It took me forever to finish this book. I listened to it on audiobook (obviously when the kids weren't in the car or around me) and read it some as well. Apparently this book has been made into a miniseries or TV show, but I haven't watched it yet. I do think this book might work better as a show than as a book. The book is full of specific scenery that perhaps due to my sleep deprivation I could just not bring up in my mind. The book is sooo long winded, I think it could have been edited down a few hundred pages.

The story follows a troubled girl who has the ability to find lost things and can travel far distances on this magic bike. She meets up with a girl who can tell the future using Scrabble tiles, and "vampire" like creatures who take children and turn them into weird zombie creature things. I am doing a dreadful job of explaining the plot. The vampire man takes these children and uses their life force as a way of staying young forever. He takes them to a magical land that's like Christmas all year, and in his mind he is taking them away from the horrible lives they might end up having if he doesn't make them into one of "his" children. The main character is not a very unlikeable character, and I had trouble relating to her. There is a guy that keeps saving her from different situations, even from the "vampire", but she treats him not the best.

Due to the length and the speed I read, I don't think I can recommend the book. Maybe check out the show for a Halloween scare?

Year 3, week 8: Heart Shaped Box

This week's book:
Heart Shaped Box
By Joe Hill

This week's book is a novel by Stephen King's son, not the song by Nirvana. The whole time I was reading the book my hubby kept having the song by Nirvana stuck in his head whenever he saw the book on the coffee table. Needless to say he was super excited when I finally put the book in our little free library.

This is the second "scary" book for Halloween and October. This is also the second of Hill's books that I have read, Horns being the first. I am a fan of Stephen King and so I thought I would try a novel or two of his son's. I have the same feelings about Hill's book as I do about sequels of my favorite movies, I will enjoy it but just not as good as the original.

This novel is about an aging rock star who is being haunted by an ex-lover's step father. It gets yucky at times, but it was alright. I started the book a while ago and then thought it might make more sense to read it around Halloween instead of at the hospital when I was having my third child. I would recommend it if you want to read a creepy story for this time of year. 

Year 3, week 7: The Amityville Horror

This week's book:
The Amityville Horror
By Jay Anson

It's the best month of the whole year! October brings all my favorite things: hoodies, fall leaves, pumpkin everything, leggings weather, football, and most importantly, Halloween and my birthday! October also brings scary movies and books.

The first "scary" books of the year for my blog is The Amityville Horror. I have no idea where this copy of the book came from, perhaps the ghouls from the book put it in our house? I think everyone has heard of the story of the Amityville Horror; a family gets a good deal on a house that has had a grisly murder in it, and then the ghosts from the past come and make their lives hell. There is the classic film adaptation from the 1970's but let's all take a moment to think of the adaptation that Ryan Reynolds is from like 2004. His chopping wood scene where he isn't wearing a shirt still makes my teeth sweat. I can not confirm nor deny it was my computer's wallpaper my freshman year in college.

As a whole, the book is not bad, scary enough, and not too long. I think someone could probably read this pretty quick if they set their mind to it.