You ever have a book on your TBR for so long that by the time you get to it, you don't really remember what it's about or why you wanted to read it?

Haha, yeah... me neither...

Anyway, completely unrelated to that: I put off reading this for the longest time because I thought it was one of those 'following a couple throughout their life together' stories, and I grabbed it from the shelves* just now on impulse, only to realize that's not what it's about at all! So, my next read it is.

*in my house, not the store

#themarriageportrait #maggieofarrell #booklover #bookstodon #readersofpixelfed

Allowed myself a wee book shop as a reward for doing a social thing I was feeling anxious about. It was slim pickings at the bookstore, but I did find this one from my TBR for a reasonable price.

#theyearofthehare #booklover #readersofpixelfed #bookstodon

I am uhtechnicuhally rereading Jane Eyre, but I genuinely don't remember a one single thing, so it feels like a whole new experience. I have this gorgeous 'painted edition', and I was so intimidated by the size for a good while, it really took me way too long to get to it. However, the writing is very accessible, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far. I'm trying to read about 60p a day, so I can finish it before the end of the month. Mostly because I have so many library books I need to return in March :V and I hate extending library loans, because there really aren't that many copies of most English language books in the system here, so any time I extend my loan is time someone else has to wait for a copy!

#janeeyre #charlottebronte #booklover #reader #readersofpixelfed

Against the Machine was a gorgeous read. Nothing so powerful as a genuinely good writer taking perfect aim at the heart of the matter.

I’m just starting Finding Lights now.

#book #books #readersofpixelfed #againstthemachine #paulkingsnorth #chrissmaje #findinglightsinadarkage

Okay, elephant in the room: this is nothing like the (80s) movie.

It’s significantly darker and deals WAY more with classism and mob mentality. Ben’s not running in an ARENA, he’s got the entire US to run in!

And the ending… Jeez Louise. Talk about a finality to it.

I hear they’re remaking the movie to be more faithful to the book and I really wonder if they’re going to keep the same ending. It’s, uh, something else.

I suppose the core is the same: a man runs from hunters. But that’s about where the similarity stops. Book Ben is doing it for money that he needs where movie Ben was a framed prisoner.

Book Ben is also a lot less interesting than Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Sorry, Mr. King.

I thought the book ran a little long and the critiques on classism was enough without a subplot about how the air in the future is becoming poisonous and the poor are dying because they can’t afford fancy nose filters.

Kinda slowed the book down and, where a lot of King’s slower parts are there deliberately to show you the passing of time, this is a CHASE book. If there was ever a “go, go, go,” kind of book, this is it.

Also, this is the only time (so far) I’ve thought this, but The Running Man feels like it was a BIG inspiration to Chuck Palahniuk. A lot of it felt like he could have written it.

Pretty interesting.

Is it worth reading? Yeah. A lot of Bachman books are, but you have to go in knowing they’re a little more hit-or-miss and always darker.

Well. Usually darker. The Regulators felt more like a King book than a Bachman book.

This book is a lot of fun, regardless. I wouldn’t have any problems re-reading it during my next King re-read.

#stephenking #therunningman #books #bookrecommendation #booktok #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booksky #readersofpixelfed #read #readinglog #richardbachman #runningman #horrorbook #chasebook #thriller #thrillerbook #constantreader

This book was chock-full of so many red herrings that I‘m not sure if it was deliberate or if Stine was giving himself options with how he felt toward the end of the book.⁠
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But I had an idea who it was pretty early on, so maybe deliberate? ⁠
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This is one of those books where you wish there was another twenty pages or so (and it‘s already longer than most Fear Streets) because Stine was aiming for a case of the protagonist going a little nuts and it was abruptly there and abruptly gone in this book. Another twenty pages would have made those transitions smoother.

Definitely one of the better Fear Streets out there, though I still think the best is One Evil Summer.

#rlstine #fearstreet #yahorror #horror #books #bookrecommendation #booktok #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booksky #readersofpixelfed #read #readinglog

Perhaps it’s the autism, but I am faithful to a fault. Monogamy in just about every form is a piece of cake for me.

Even when it’s dumb. And this is a prime example.

I was a Goosebumps kid, through and through but I would see these Christopher Pike books in the shops with rad covers (not this one). I was irrationally indignant, offended that some other YA/children’s horror writer would DARE take shelf space away from RL Stine and I refused to read it out of principle.

Dumb.

Dumb, hell, it’s downright tragic because 1) more horror is always a good thing, 2) there’s room at the table for more horror writers, and 3)…

Pike’s a better writer.

I know, I know. If you grew up in my era you would think that nobody could possibly touch Stine because of all the success he got but Pike STOMPS all over him in this book. It’s tight, it’s entertaining, and it didn’t feel shallow.

(You’ll have to pardon the pun.)

This book is a supernatural murder mystery and I. Fucking. Loved. It.

I can’t recommend it enough. I know The Midnight Club might be a more famous book, but trust me: this is the one to try out Pike. It’s nothing but great and Midnight Club is more… well say niche. I’ll go into it more later.

For right now, though, I’m questioning my life’s decisions. So many years wasted when I could have given myself the freedom to try new things, branch out, experiment, and probably most importantly, drop something altogether if it’s not making me happy.

Barr minimum I should stop being so wildly loyal to a handful of authors, get out there, and be nothing short of a literary slut.

You should, too. It’s good for the soul.

Maybe start with this one. ;-)

#books #bookrecommendation #booktok #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booksky #readersofpixelfed #read #readinglog #christopherpike #burymedeep

I’m a HUGE Steinbeck guy. I think that no author in the history of books has been able to capture the human condition - the struggle of it all - quite like him.

And this book? This book was pretty good.

It’s a little long for what I took to be the meaning of it, but still worth your time.

It focuses on a guy who decides to go west. As he goes, his father dies and the guy feels that his dad’s soul is inhabiting a tree on his new property. He talks to it and gets on with a prosperous life.

Eventually the kin-folk come and you know if there’s more than five people in a room, chances are one is a religious nut.

And guess what? One’s a religious nut.

The nut tries to convince the guy that it’s sacrilegious to treat the tree like it houses his dad’s spirit and, just before he leaves to go find more of his kind (or some bullshit), the nut KILLS THE TREE.

Says it’s for the best.

And the guy’s prosperous life crashes and burns like you wouldn’t believe.

And *I* take this to mean you should keep your religion to yourself because you interfering because you know best can ruin someone’s life.

I’ll say it again: trying to force your religious beliefs on someone else can ruin their lives with zero benefit. You’re not winning souls, you’re actively trying to hurt people.

When I mention Steinbeck to younger readers, they balk at the idea of reading him. His books are old and he’s a white man. What could he possibly add to the current conversation?

But the mind-blowing fact is that his books are WILDLY relevant today. Maybe even more than when they were written.

Why do you think his stuff is always selected for banning?

THESE are the books you should be reading if you’re one of those “I read banned books,” folks because it is BLATANTLY obvious why those in power would not want you to read them.

#books #bookrecommendation #booktok #bookstagram #booksky #readersofpixelfed #read #readinglog #johnsteinbeck #toagodunknown #literature #classics #bannedbooks

I have a big problem with stories that involve love triangles and manipulation in relationships. It’s just not fun to read about.⁠ That’s just me, though.
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There’s a… there’s a point where I think rationally that it’s time to cut the line and go and when characters not only go past that point but WAY past that point, it’s frustrating to read.⁠
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What’s even more frustrating is when Stine lays solid ground work for an interesting twist like if it was the sister who was playing these two girls off each other so she could swoop in and take the boy, proving once and for all that she isn’t as unattractive and undesirable as her sister claims, but then the perp goes with the more expected “I did it all to myself,” path.

There’s a lot of potential in Stine’s books and it makes me wonder if that’s what authors said when they were growing up. Like, if Agatha Christie fans were getting frustrated about how The Orient Express COULD have ended and decided they had enough and would start writing their OWN books to try to make some of that potential a reality.

I mean, there’s no getting around that creation is evolutionary so I could see that.

#books #bookrecommendation #booktok #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booksky #readersofpixelfed #read #readinglog

This was WAY better than Halloween Party. So much better.⁠
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It’s less than 150 pages so there’s not a ton of space for the mystery to take place, but… ⁠
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Here’s my hang-up: there’s a mystery and it is largely ignored because so much of the story is actually built around the red herring. So my question is at what point do we take issue with this? The mystery is BURIED with this red herring and it turns into a chase thriller.⁠
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But this thriller falls short because it’s all built on a REALLY dumb misread of a situation and then Stine sweeps in at the end and reminds everyone about the mystery that was brushed aside after the first couple chapters and it feels like, because of both of these things, neither is really strong.⁠
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It was okay, but I think its primary shining point is that is isn’t Halloween Party.

#books #bookrecommendation #booktok #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booksky #readersofpixelfed #read #readinglog