Admittedly, my 4th quarter reading list was a very small one. I sort of fell off the reading wagon at the end of the year, and I’m not entirely sure why. I tackled It, as always, but only two other spooky books in October did me in for the year. 2024 has started off pretty strong, though, so we’ll see where it leads for the year. While I’m not changing my reading goal- hoping for 30 books throughout the year- I’m secretly hoping that I stick to a 3-4 book a month minimum. We’ll see what happens come December.
It by Stephen King: I’m sure by now that some long-term readers of mine are aware of how in love I am with this book. Every time I re-read (and I might be on my 20th time through), I find some other detail that I’ve overlooked before, and I think that’s part of the testament to why I love it so much. At it’s core (or, at It’s core), It explores the solid bounds of friendships and fate, especially in the face of what scares us. Yes, there’s a scene that even Mr. King has admitted went a little too far, but removing that, you’re still left with 1,200 pages of a beautiful coming of age tale that can stand alongside any other.
Rose Madder by Stephen King: It had been several years since I pulled this one out of the basement for a re-read, and I’m not sure why. This is the story of a woman who, after existing in a very brutal marriage for some time, finally walks out the door on her abusive husband. Her escape would have been a clean one, but her police detective husband employs every trick in the book (both ethical and not-so-much) to find her. She finally grows into herself after settling in at a women’s shelter, making some friends, and finding employment, but when creepy husband catches up with her, she has to escape into a mythological world to find escape. It’s one that will have you cheering for female empowerment.
Disruptions: Stories by Steven Milhauser: Like The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, Disruptions was lauded as being oh-so-scary, but for me, it just… fell flat. Some of the ideas were great, and felt like they could go somewhere, but they just didn’t make me feel anything. Perhaps it’s because I am such a fan of outright horror novels that I don’t scare as easy? Maybe I’m a little numb to spooky because I revel in gory movies? Whatever the case, this one just couldn’t get me excited. Though I will say that the cover art was phenomenal.
** this post is not sponsored in any way. all thoughts and opinions are my own **
** photo by Don Lehman **
