April 2019 Reads:
Nine books completed in April.
A Little Red Books of Requests by Josh Malerman:
The latest in Borderlands Little book series. This entry contains three previously unpublished stories. Each story showed potential but each also failed to really satisfy me.
3 Stars
Revival by Stephen King:
This was an Audible re-read. I remember enjoying but not loving this story when I originally read the hardbound version. My views did not change. This is a very enjoyable story.
4 Stars
The Silence by Tim Lebbon:
This is a horror story published in 2015 but it reads like a classic tale. I am sure part of that is that it is an England novel and the language is slightly different. This is a story is about a family as they attempt to make it to safety after of an infestation of large flying creatures begin attacking any thing that makes a sound. The creatures also reproduce at a rapid pace. Society quickly collapses and to avoid attack you must not make noises.
4 Stars
True West by Sam Shepard:
This is an audio play that primarily takes place between two brothers whose lives have gone in completely directions. They are brought together at their Moms home while she is out of town. At times I really enjoyed this story and at times it felt formulaic and like it wasn’t going anywhere. My concern that it would not have a conclusion was not warranted but it did leave my unsatisfied.
3 Stars
Gerald’s Game by Stephen King:
Continuing my re-read of all Kings work on Audible I jumped into Gerald’s Game. I think this is the first one that I liked less than I remember. At times the story felt forced and I do not remember that from the original read. I believe I read this before Delores Claiborne originally and the links to that story are larger than I realized. I enjoyed it but it did drop from a 4 star read to 3 stars.
3 Stars
The Long Way Home by Richard Chizmar:
A varied mix of short stories, containing traditional horror, addiction, police drama, even some unexpected sci-fi thrown. There are even a couple of very personal essays. Overall a great read. The stories include collaborations with Ed Gorman, Ray Garton, Brian Keene and the authors son Billy Chizmar. This was a very enjoyable read. I will say that it does not pack the emotional punch A Long December does, but few books do.
4 Stars
The Long Walk by Slawomir Rawicz:
I cannot recall how many times I have read this book. I have a ratty old paperback. This time I decided to try the Audible edition. The Narrator does a great job and this story remains one I will always return to. This is a true tale pf a Polish soldier captured by the Soviets at the beginning of World War II and sent to a Labor camp in Siberia. He and a few others escape and walk from Siberia to India.
5 Stars
Bad Chili (Hap and Leonard #4) by Joe R Lansdale:
This was the first Hap and Leonard story I went into with no idea what the story was since the TV show did not make it this far. Although these stories are all variants on a single theme, I am really enjoying them. This one was my favorite story so far. These are just fun stories!
5 Stars
Lifeguard by Jason Sechrest:
This is a quick read that really packs a punch. A 13-year-old boy is relentlessly bullied by his stepfather. He finds a protector who may just save his life. The story feels very personal and has a twist that really makes the story! This was an audio book available from Jason’s Patreon page and if this is what I can expect going forward I will really enjoy this subscription. This is the first fiction I have read from Mr. Sechrest also.
Nine books completed in April.
A Little Red Books of Requests by Josh Malerman:
The latest in Borderlands Little book series. This entry contains three previously unpublished stories. Each story showed potential but each also failed to really satisfy me.
3 Stars
Revival by Stephen King:
This was an Audible re-read. I remember enjoying but not loving this story when I originally read the hardbound version. My views did not change. This is a very enjoyable story.
4 Stars
The Silence by Tim Lebbon:
This is a horror story published in 2015 but it reads like a classic tale. I am sure part of that is that it is an England novel and the language is slightly different. This is a story is about a family as they attempt to make it to safety after of an infestation of large flying creatures begin attacking any thing that makes a sound. The creatures also reproduce at a rapid pace. Society quickly collapses and to avoid attack you must not make noises.
4 Stars
True West by Sam Shepard:
This is an audio play that primarily takes place between two brothers whose lives have gone in completely directions. They are brought together at their Moms home while she is out of town. At times I really enjoyed this story and at times it felt formulaic and like it wasn’t going anywhere. My concern that it would not have a conclusion was not warranted but it did leave my unsatisfied.
3 Stars
Gerald’s Game by Stephen King:
Continuing my re-read of all Kings work on Audible I jumped into Gerald’s Game. I think this is the first one that I liked less than I remember. At times the story felt forced and I do not remember that from the original read. I believe I read this before Delores Claiborne originally and the links to that story are larger than I realized. I enjoyed it but it did drop from a 4 star read to 3 stars.
3 Stars
The Long Way Home by Richard Chizmar:
A varied mix of short stories, containing traditional horror, addiction, police drama, even some unexpected sci-fi thrown. There are even a couple of very personal essays. Overall a great read. The stories include collaborations with Ed Gorman, Ray Garton, Brian Keene and the authors son Billy Chizmar. This was a very enjoyable read. I will say that it does not pack the emotional punch A Long December does, but few books do.
4 Stars
The Long Walk by Slawomir Rawicz:
I cannot recall how many times I have read this book. I have a ratty old paperback. This time I decided to try the Audible edition. The Narrator does a great job and this story remains one I will always return to. This is a true tale pf a Polish soldier captured by the Soviets at the beginning of World War II and sent to a Labor camp in Siberia. He and a few others escape and walk from Siberia to India.
5 Stars
Bad Chili (Hap and Leonard #4) by Joe R Lansdale:
This was the first Hap and Leonard story I went into with no idea what the story was since the TV show did not make it this far. Although these stories are all variants on a single theme, I am really enjoying them. This one was my favorite story so far. These are just fun stories!
5 Stars
Lifeguard by Jason Sechrest:
This is a quick read that really packs a punch. A 13-year-old boy is relentlessly bullied by his stepfather. He finds a protector who may just save his life. The story feels very personal and has a twist that really makes the story! This was an audio book available from Jason’s Patreon page and if this is what I can expect going forward I will really enjoy this subscription. This is the first fiction I have read from Mr. Sechrest also.
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