Tag / Stephen King

by jim

The Decade In Books

The 2010s have drawn to a close and its time to take a look back at the previous decade. Today, we move on to books, specifically the 229 books I read between 2010 and 2019. This decade coincides completely with my starting the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge, which I have never really come close to completing.

2015 was my best year, with 31 books completed.  2010 was by far the worst year in terms of finished books, with only 7.  Over the course of 10 years, those 229 books totaled over 77,000 pages.


152 different authors contributed to the books I’ve read this decade, 35 of which I’ve read multiple times.  The ghost writer for Richard Castle leads the way and is the only author I read more than 10 offerings from over the last 10 years.  The most surprising entry is Erle Stanley Gardner, who passed away in 1970. Continue reading →

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Prolific Authors 2019

Way back in December of 2011 (and again in the Decembers of 2013, 2015, and 2017), we took a look at the authors I have read the most, dating back to high school. Since our last check-in, I’ve read an additional 48 books from 50 different authors. There shouldn’t be much movement over the past 2 years, but it’s time to take another look and see if my “favorite” authors have changed much in that time span. Once again, we will be limiting ourselves to the now 70 authors from whom I have read more than one book.

 

Author Name Current Total 2017 Total Difference
Nancy Holder 16 15 1

Nancy Holder adds 1 new book over the past 2 years to maintain her lead.

Richard Castle 15 14 1

The writer (or writers) using the nom de plume of the main character from the television show Castle sees a slight increase, despite the show being off the air for well over 3 years now.

Stephen King 13 12 1
Greg Rucka 13 13 0
Christopher Golden 12 12 0
Brad Meltzer 12 11 1

Very little movement in the next tier the past 2 years.

Jeffery Deaver 11 8 3

We round out the double digits with Deaver, who will be going up again soon, as I’m currently reading one of his books. Continue reading →

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Book 13 (of 52) – The Colorado Kid

The Colorado Kid – Stephen King

The Colorado Kid, a short novel by Stephen King, is a mystery about a mystery in a small, New England town.  A young intern at the town’s small paper, finally earning the trust of her 2 bosses, is told the tale of a body that had washed up and was found by two local kids.  The man, eventually identified, was from Colorado, where he was seen the day before.  How did he get back east without anyone noticing he had left Colorado?  How did he die?  Why did he come?

The questions abound, and are not to be found within the pages of King’s first contribution to Hard Case Crime.  It’s an interesting mystery, and there probably isn’t a satisfying answer to be found.

 

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2018: The Year In Movies

Movie_Reel_22

The loss of my annual long December vacation saw a slight downturn in movie watching for me, with my lowest total since 1988.  I managed to watch 55 movies last year, my seventh consecutive year under 100 and my lowest total since 1993.  Again, many things contributed to this, chiefly the insane amount of TV I’ve been watching, the greater effort made towards going out for walks, and the awful amount of time I spend either at work or getting to and from work.

Here’s a look back at the first 50 movies I did manage to watch last year and what recollection, if any, I have of them. The films are listed in the order I saw them.

The French Connection (1971)
Hailed as one of the best films of the 70s, I can’t say it plays well here in the 21st century.

Cobra (1986)
Somehow I missed this Stallone “classic” back in the day.

Table 19 (2017)
The misfit table at a wedding bands together to settle scored, both old and new.

Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2017)
The classic board game moves to the video age in this sequel.

Patriots Day (2017)
Mark Wahlberg plays the hero of the Boston Marathon bombing.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
It certainly took me a while to see the latest installment in this franchise.

Life (2017)
A team of scientists find proof that life once existed on Mars, potentially dooming life on Earth in the process.

Snatched (2017)
Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn go on vacation together and hijinks ensue.

People Like Us (2012)
When his father dies, Chris Pine learns that he had another family that needs some help.

The Layover (2017)
Two friends compete over a man when a hurricane turns their flight in to a road trip. Continue reading →

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Prolific Authors 2017

Way back in December of 2011 (and again in the Decembers of 2013 and 2015), we took a look at the authors I have read the most, dating back to high school. Since our last check-in, I’ve read an additional 60 books from 47 different authors. There shouldn’t be much movement over the past 2 years, but it’s time to take another look and see if my “favorite” authors have changed much in that time span. Once again, we will be limiting ourselves to the now 54 authors from whom I have read more than one book.

Author Name Current Total 2015 Total Difference
Nancy Holder 15 13 2

A new leader in the clubhouse, as Nancy Holder adds 2 new additions over the past 2 years to put her out front.

Richard Castle 14 9 5

The second largest increase (or largest for someone I had read before) goes to the writer (or writers) using the nom de plume of the main character from the television show Castle.  I’m guessing this total will stay pretty static, with the show off the air for over a year now.

Greg Rucka 13 13 0
Christopher Golden 12 12 0
Stephen King 12 12 0

These three round out the top 5 with absolutely no movement over the past 2 years.

Brad Meltzer 11 9 2
Jeffery Deaver 8 5 3

Slight increases for both of these authors, with more to come.  Meltzer’s next book is already pre-ordered, while there are a few unread Deaver works on my Kindle. Continue reading →

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Post Mortem – Under The Dome

Under_the_Dome_TVAfter 3 seasons, CBS pulled the plug on Under The Dome, their summer series based on the Stephen King novel of the same name.  Initially planned as a limited series, the ratings for the show were good enough to leave the first season open ended and to bring the show back for a longer run.  Unfortunately, the plots became more ridiculous as the show needed to find ways to keep everyone inside the dome while adding new characters who seemingly could get inside with little to no effort.  Ratings dropped for each subsequent season and, prior to the 3rd season wrapping up, it was announced that the show would not be returning for a 4th.

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Prolific Authors 2015

bookshelfWay back in December of 2011 and again in December of 2013, we took a look back at the authors I have read the most, dating back to high school.  Since our last check-in, I’ve read an additional 51 books from 42 different authors.  There shouldn’t be much movement over the past 2 years, but it’s time to take another look and see if my “favorite” authors have changed much in that time span.  Once again, we will be limiting ourselves to the now 54 authors from whom I have read more than one book.

Author Name Current Total 2013 Total Difference
Nancy Holder 13 13 0
Greg Rucka 13 12 1

Greg Rucka moves into a tie for my most-prolific author, thanks to his latest which I read last year.  Assuming he stays on the same schedule, he should take the lead by himself sometime next year.

Christopher Golden 12 12 0
Stephen King 12 10 2

After years of being ignored, Stephen King adds 2 new titles to his total over the past 2 years.

Richard Castle 9 5 4
Brad Meltzer 9 8 1

The top 5 rounds out with Brad Meltzer and Richard Castle, who put up the largest increase in the last 2 years. Continue reading →

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Book 5 (of 52) – Joyland

Joyland - Stephen King

Joyland – Stephen King

Joyland, Stephen King’s second novel for the Hard Case Crime imprint, tells the tale of a young college student who takes a summer job at an amusement park in North Carolina, stumbling upon a murder mystery and a haunted ride in the process.  Mostly, though, this is a coming of age story, as the protagonist, Devin Jones, gets over his first heartbreak, finds a place where he truly fits in, at least for a while, and manages to solve the crime of who murdered the girl who haunts the Horror House.

The crime elements, along with the supernatural, take a back seat in this tale, which I gather is not quite the intent of the line.  But when a name like Stephen King offers to write a book for you, I guess you don’t let silly quibbles like that stand in the way.  I enjoyed this side of King’s work and might look to pick up his first novel for this line, the inspiration for the Syfy series Haven.

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2014: The Year In Movies

Movie_Reel_222014 was a bit of an improvement over recent years in movie watching for me.  I managed to watch 78 movies last year, 16 more than 2012 and 2013 and my highest total since 2011, although it was my third consecutive year under 100.  Again, many things contributed to this, chiefly the insane amount of TV I’ve been watching and the awful amount of time I spend either at work or getting to and from work.

Here’s a look back at the first 50 movies I did manage to watch last year and what recollection, if any, I have of them. The films are listed in the order I saw them.

Repeaters (2010)
If Groundhog Day took place in a rehab and affected 3 people more messed up than Bill Murray.

Smashed (2012)
I have very little recollection of this film.

Your Sister’s Sister (2012)
2 messed up sisters and a mourning man share tequila and secrets.

Lovelace (2013)
Amanda Seyfried portrays the first lady of porn, Linda Lovelace.

Columbus Circle (2012)
A thriller about a shut-in who witnesses a murder and needs to leave her comfort zone.

A Good Day To Die Hard (2013)
The latest installment brings Bruce Willis to Russia.

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)
Jason Segel and Emily Blunt are engaged forever as life keeps getting in the way of them actually getting married.

Hell Baby (2013)
A comedy about a possessed woman who is about to give birth to Satan’s spawn.

Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World (2012)
2 lost souls find each other as the world is literally coming to an end.

Would You Rather (2012)
A sadistic host tortures his dinner guests for his own pleasure.

The World’s End (2013)
Continue reading →

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Book 19 (of 52) – Under The Dome

Under The Dome - Stephen King

Under The Dome – Stephen King

When a mysterious dome cuts a small town off from the rest of the world, its residents must find a way to survive while a power hungry local politician sees this as his opportunity to become the ultimate authority.  Such is the plot of this tome from Stephen King, the third longest book I’ve ever read and the longest since I tackled The Stand back in 1992.

Prior to reading 11/22/63 2 years ago, I had stayed away from King’s work since finishing Dolores Claiborne back in 1993.  But based on my enjoyment of that book, and a sale at the Kindle store, I picked up this one on the cheap.  After watching the first two seasons of the television adaptation, which CBS has aired over the past 2 summers, I finally found myself in the mood for this thousand page monster.

The show deviates pretty quickly from the book, sharing little more than character names and a dome at this point, so reading the book was an entirely new experience, although I did picture the show’s actors as the characters in my mind.  Overall, I enjoyed the book, though the ending, and the force behind the dome, left a little to be desired.  I do have a couple more King works waiting to be read, though none of this magnitude.