Tag: book lover

Book Review: Sharp Objects

Posted on by Shawshank

So I watched the HBO miniseries long before I read the book. I loved the series, so I really wanted to see how the book was.

I loved the book as much as the miniseries.

Newspaper journalist Camille Preaker, is broken. Mentally broken. Fresh out of a recent hospitalization for self-harm for carving words on to her body. Camille is sent back to her hometown to investigate 2 brutal murders, as well as navigating and interacting around her family, including her 13 year old half sister.

I really liked the grittiness of the book, and the descriptions of her family and what it was like growing up in a small town. Since she’s a reporter, no one what’s to talk to her on the record, but she persists, and ends up figuring it all out.

Did I mention the twist ending?

I think I just did, but you have to read it for yourself. But when I first saw the twist on the show, I was shocked, repulsed, disgusted all at the same time. It was great. The book lead up to it as a slow burn.

I just wish I could read it again for the first time. Go out and get it!

Book Club: Full Dark, No Stars

Posted on by Shawshank

Before getting into the meat and potatoes of the Book Club, is like to draw attention to the new graphic. A couple nights ago, I asked Crystal for a couple new graphics for the site to inspire me and to make it look a little more professional. She’s awesome at them, so thank you so much baby!

Ok, week 2 of the Lockup Library Book Club. This months book is Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King. This week we’re talking about story number 2;

Big Driver.

This is a Lifetime movie waiting to happen. Oh wait, it’s already been turned into one. Not my favourite so far. At some points it was a little rambly.

Big Driver is a story about Tess, a lite mystery writer in a small town in Massachusetts giving a talk in the library. Tess only takes speaking engagements where she can drive, and at the most spend one overnight. At the end of her talk the organizer, Ramona, tells her of a shortcut that’ll shave some time off her drive home.

Tess takes the shortcut, and here’s where bad things happen. She gets a flat tire, and has to wait and hope that someone will drive past, as there’s no cell coverage.

Someone does drive by and stops to help. He doesn’t help though, he grabs her and rapes her multiple times and leaves her for dead.

It’s a story of retribution. Tess escapes and plans her revenge.

It was an ok story. I just don’t think it really was for me. I wasn’t really into it, when she started to talk to her gps like it was a person. I think along the way she pretty much had a mental snap as well.

I hope the next story catches my attention better than Big Driver did. But like I’ve heard before, you either really like King’s stories or you don’t.

So far, out of the two stories read, it’s 50/50.

On to the next story! See you next Sunday, friends!

5 books to read to survive the pandemic

Posted on by Shawshank

First off, I want to draw attention to this absolutely fabulous Lockup Library graphic. I asked Crystal to make me some graphics for the site, and she knocked it out of the park. A really big thank you to Crystal. I love em!

Ok, just scrolling through the Discovery section of the WordPress app, and I saw a post about surviving the lockdown. So here’s my take, since (knock on wood) there’s been no lockdown here, on 5 books that’ll help you survive the pandemic.

1. House of Leaves.

This book is so immersive, that you’ll forget where you are. If you like puzzles, footnotes for days, and a pretty ambiguous ending, then this will be the first book that will help you survive the pandemic.

2. Foucault’s Pendulum.

This book throws you right into the action of the mysteries of secret societies and conspiracy theories. It goes to show that if you make something up, someone out there will believe you and go to all sorts of ends to protect it. This will be the second book to help you survive the pandemic.

3. Midnight Sun.

Take a vampire that’s been around for over 100 years, and give him is Juliet. Follow Edward as he second guesses himself at every turn. This is Twilight from Edwards perspective. This is the third book that’ll help you survive the pandemic.

4. The Historian.

Another vampire book, but this one has a twist – the possibility that Vlad Dracul is still alive. It’s a book with time jumps, both back and forth, with multiple main characters. This is the fourth book that will help you survive the pandemic.

5. Night Film.

The final book that will help you survive the pandemic is Night Film. A mystery/thriller. You could also call it a murder mystery as well. It’s a mixed media book with websites, and magazines in it. Confused? You’ll have a grand time figuring everything out.

Honorable mention:

The Stand. Real life mimicking books? Maybe! But this book is good. Scary good. Scary because it’s like real life!

I hope you enjoyed my 5 books that’ll help get you through the pandemic. Thoughts? Comments? Post them below!

They’re gonna clean up your looks with all the lies in the books

Posted on by Shawshank

Just scrolling through the discovery open here on the WordPress app – using book keywords to find like minded people, I’ve seen weird things lately.

You book people, is that all you do? No jobs or anything? I was scrolling and saw one person “was well on her way to 400 books read this year”. She read 23 in October.

Do you even retain anything from the books when you’re reading that much? Is it out of love that you read or some sort of odd obligation to your blog?

One blogger just simply posted a month of her sites stats. Wow, show off much? I’d assume that most people would read and blog about reading for themselves. Apparently this person does everything for site hits.

Also, and this is gonna sound mean, but how the hell can you afford book hauls every month? Y’all look like you’re buying at least 4 to 5 BRAND NEW books a month? Granted I do book hauls as well, but I spend less than $5 a month on seconds hand books. Are y’all selling body parts?

I read for me. I’m not putting any pressure on myself to perform and read as much as I can, because, lemme tell you something – you may be well on your way to reading 400 books this year, but I’ve read (and reread) the Twilight Saga this year, more than a teen girl in the fall of 2005.

I blog for me as well. I like to share my thoughts (as unpolished that they are) on the books that I read, and anything else that’s happening in my life.

Rant over, please carry on with your day!

A licky boom boom down

Posted on by Shawshank

Welcome to week one of Full Dark, No Stars for the Lockup Library Book Club. It’s been an insanely busy week here, between working on the farm, or watching the elections, I haven’t had too much of a chance to read. I got a good chunk of the story finished. Although I’m not quite there, I’m ready to talk a little about it.

It’s a classic story. Husband, wife, and kid. Wife inherits land. She wants to sell it and move to the city. Husband doesn’t want to leave his farm that’s been in his family for a couple generations. So he kills her with the help of his son.

That’s when things get a little strange.

Rats. Rats everywhere.

Then the bad things start to happen.

For me, Stephen King can be hit or miss. If I like the book I really like it. If I don’t, I’ll stop and close the book. I’ve only read a few of his short stories. This is a really good story. Full disclosure; Crystal and I watched the Netflix movie, so I didn’t go in too blind. But when King gets down to it, he’s amazing at describing settings, and slowly building up terror, or just general uneasiness in his stories. I can’t wait to see how it ends.

What are your thoughts on 1922? Are you enjoying it? Freaking you out? Indifferent? Gimme your thoughts!

Next up in the book: Big Driver. See you next weekend!