Jump to content

Ian's reading 2015


ian

Recommended Posts

So here we are in a new year - just a quick look back at what I read last year, which was:

 

Books read in 2014 - 33

average score (out of 5) - 4.3

 

Seems what I lacked in quantity, I made up for in quality.

 

Hopefully, this year I'll get both. Sadly, I only got the one book for Christmas, Mr Mercedes by Stephen King, so I'll be starting that today.

 

Happy reading, everybody!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 168
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Happy reading, Ian  :smile:

 

Be interested to see what you think of Mr Mercedes.

 

 

I'm really enjoying it at the mo - about halfway through.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mr Mercedes by Stephen King

 

A cat-and-mouse suspense thriller featuring a retired homicide detective who's haunted by the few cases he left open, and by one in particular - the pre-dawn slaughter of eight people among hundreds gathered in line for the opening of a jobs fair when the economy was guttering out. Without warning, a lone driver ploughed through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes. The plot is kicked into gear when Bill Hodges receives a letter in the mail, from a man claiming to be the perpetrator. He taunts Hodges with the notion that he will strike again.

Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing that from happening.

Brady Hartsfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. And he's preparing to kill again.

Only Hodges, with a couple of misfit friends, can apprehend the killer in this high-stakes race against time. Because Brady's next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim hundreds, even thousands.

 

My Thoughts.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

I can see on Goodreads that this book has divided people - some hate it, others love it. I can see where both viewpoints come from in all honesty, but I'm going to have to plump for....loved it.

First up, congratulations to Stephen King. At 67 years old and having written 54 novels, you decided to write something different from your normal genre (ok it's not a million miles away, but still).

A straight thriller, with a wickedly insane antagonist and a rag-tag group of "heroes" - I'm thinking SK has gone deep into Dean Koontz territory. That, for me is not a bad thing. And what shines through, as always in King's books is the characterisation. He has never been afraid to build up a character in the first few pages only to kill them off in chapter two; It doesn't surprise anymore, but it certainly adds a frisson to the reading. You care about these people, straight from the off. There have only been a handful of times that a character's death in a book has drawn me up short - and now Stephen King has done it to me 3 times. Yes, you see it coming - that makes it worse!

In short, I really liked this book. It ins't the best thing King has written, but as I've said before, even his not so good stuff is head and shoulders above a lot of writers, in my opinion. 4/5.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm glad you enjoyed Mr. Mercedes, Ian :). I have to admit, I didn't read all of your review, because of your "SPOILER ALERT", as I don't want to spoil the book for myself.

 

It's not much of a spoiler, but it would be enough to potentially give away a big plot development.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Decided to make a start on the very vague reading resolution that I made to myself, which is to read some of the classics that I, so far, haven't got around to reading. I'm being very fast and loose on my interpretation of classics. I think for the moment, especially as I still haven't got around to moving the bookcase back into the living room, and I'm suffering with No-Money-January Syndrome (herein called NMJS :P ) they will all be those books that I can download free onto my Kindle.

 

I'm starting with a bit of a cheat - I wanted Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, but while downloading that I realsied that I could remember virtually nothing about Treasure Island. I know that I've read it at some point, but I just can't remember. So, I've started with that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, you are really grabbing the bull by the horns and actually doing something about a new reading year's resolution. I applaud you! :D Treasure Island is a fine read, I hope you enjoy it the second time around :)

 

Edit: And I don't think it's cheating. It's a perfect way to get you in the mood for more classics. It's easing your way in :yes: 

Edited by frankie
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I'm starting with a bit of a cheat - I wanted Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, but while downloading that I realsied that I could remember virtually nothing about Treasure Island. I know that I've read it at some point, but I just can't remember. So, I've started with that.

 

Both brilliant books - enjoy you re-read!  :smile:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another thumbs-up for Treasure Island here. I haven't read Kidnapped yet but hope to get to it soon. I'm sure I'll enjoy it given how much I loved both Treasure Island and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Happy Reading Ian :)

 

Hope you enjoy Treasure Island .. it's on my shelves .. I really should get around to it. Perhaps your review will encourage me .. no pressure though :D We're also suffering from NMJS ... bloomin' Christmas!! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hope you enjoy Treasure Island .. it's on my shelves .. I really should get around to it. Perhaps your review will encourage me .. no pressure though :D We're also suffering from NMJS ... bloomin' Christmas!! :D

 

That makes me think of Jonathan Strange & Nister Morrell Mister Norrell :blush: 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...