Tag Archives: horror

Y: Yellowcake by Margo Lanagan #atozchallenge

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The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge  is for bloggers who wish to participate by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been posted. My theme for 2023 is Book Reviews.

You can read my reviews without worrying about spoilers. My reviews are quite brief and I give away nothing more than you would read on the back cover or on Goodreads.

YELLOWCAKE
BY
MARGO LANAGAN

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Summary

This is a book of ten short stories written by Australian novelist Margo Lanagan. Yellowcake is classified as young adult fantasy, but to me that isn’t really a correct classification, as not all stories in this book are fantasy. The stories range from fantasy to horror and much in between. The stories are all different from each other, and some I found absolutely heart breaking. There is a strong sense of family and the need to belong, that runs through many of the stories.

The author has written an afterword about where she found her inspiration for these stories, which I found very interesting and really did add to the stories.

My Thoughts

I’m not generally a short story fan but do occasionally like to read a short story. Usually, I would just read one story now and then in a short story book, but I read each story in Yellow Cake, one after the other. For this review, I felt that I needed to experience the entire book, as I would a longer novel. I picked this up only because I was looking for a book to read for the letter ‘Y’. I didn’t realise until I’d finished reading the book that it is classified as young adult. I would say that the stories in this book are suitable for both young adult and adults, as I have found is often the case with young adult in recent times.

The author has an unusual view of the world, and of people, and why they do what they do. I found most of the stories to be compelling. A couple of the stories are the author’s version of classic fairy tales.

My favourite story is Shroud of Gold, a vague rewrite of he classic fairy tale, Rapunzel. It begins when Rapunzel has had her hair cut off, and is the story of the Prince’s rescue of her, and his love for her. Parts of the original Rapunzel can be recognised during the story, as they appear in the new version. This is my favourite of the short stories in Yellowcake. That could perhaps be because I have loved the story of Rapunzel since I was a child.

I’d recommend this book as a way of dipping into fantasy, if it’s not a regularly read genre, but remembering that this book is about much more than fantasy.

All books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library, unless otherwise stated.

Star Rating 

Please note that my star rating system isn’t at all based on literary merit, but is based on my enjoyment for the book.
For me a book that gets five stars, is a book that I really enjoyed, and found difficult to put down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Unputdownable. Would definitely read again
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Fantastic read. Not to be missed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️Enjoyable read. Would recommend.
⭐️⭐️Wouldn’t read again
⭐️Don’t recommend this book again

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Next Phase In Fitness & Life and Tracking Down The Family

© 2023 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com

Needful Things by Stephen King #AtoZChallenge

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The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge  is for bloggers who wish to participate by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been posted

Needful Things by Stephen King

Summary

Castle rock, Maine, where Polly Chalmers runs You Sew and Sew, and Sheriff Alan Pangborn is in charge of keeping the peace. It’s a small town, and Stephen King fans might think they know it’s secrets pretty well: they’ve been here before.

Leland Gaunt is a stranger – and he calls his shop Needful Things. eleven year old Brian Rusk is his first customer, and Brian finds just what he wants most in all the world: a 1956 Sand Koufax baseball card. By the end of the week, Mr. Gaunt’s business is fairly booming. At Needful Things there’s something for everyone.

And of course, for everyone, there’s a price. For Leland Gaunt, the pleasure of doing business lies chiefly in seeing how much people will pay for their most secret dreams and desires. And at Needful Things, the prices are high indeed.

For alan and Polly, this autumn week will be an awful test – a test of will, desire, and pain. Above all, it will be a test of their ability to grasp the true nature of their enemy. they may have a chance……

But maybe not, because, as Mr. Gaunt knows, almost everything is for sale: love, hope – and even the human soul.

With a demonic blend of malice and affection, Stephen King says farewell to the town he put on the map – and delivers another spellbinding testament to his dark genius. – blurb

My Thoughts

This is my second reading of this book. It became one of my favourite Stephen King books when I first read in when it was a new release in 1991. This second reading had me falling in love with the story and especially the characters, all over again.

In my mind King is intending this book to be a warning about materialism. Every thing that you want can be bought at Needful Things. But every thing comes with a price. The shelves may look empty, but every thing you need or want is there.

Needful Things has everything that fans have come to expect from a Stephen King – suspense – humour , action, the unbelievable that is believable, and really great characters. Stephen King is the master of characterisation.

As often happens in a King novel, you will come across people you know from earlier novels. I love that about his novels.

Star Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

About the author

King at the 2007 Comic Con

Stephen King is a No. 1 Best Selling Author many times over. He is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. Many of his books have been adapted into major films and TV series. King received the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. In 2007, he won the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and in 2015 he received America’s National Medal of Arts.

He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist, Tabitha King.

Published 1991 by Hodder and Stoughton
Hardcover, 698 pages

Are you a Stephen King fan? If so, I’d love to know your favourite book. I promise to reply to all comments.

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You can find my other blogs here: 
Next Phase In Fitness & Life and Tracking Down The Family

© 2020 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com

 

 

Book Review: The Institute by Stephen King

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The Institute - Stephen King

SUMMARY

Luke Ellis is abducted from his bed in the middle of a night, and his parents are murdered. The super intelligent twelve year old with special powers is spirited away in a black SUV. When he wakes, Luke is in a room, at The Institute, hidden deep in the forest at Maine. The room is set up to look like his own at home, but with one difference. There is no window. Luke soon realises that The Institute is home to many children, who arrived in the same way that he did. All of these children, along with being intelligent, have the extra special powers or telepathy and telekinesis.

The children of The Institute are subjected to a series of experiments. The staff are dedicated to these experiments, and don’t give any thought to the children’s desires. The children are rewarded for going along with the experiments, and punished very severely for choosing not to be compliant. As children that Luke has become close to, begin to disappear, he becomes desperate to find a way out and to get help. But nobody has ever escaped from The Institute.

MY THOUGHTS

I really did enjoy this book, although I felt it was a little bit flat and repetitive before the action started, towards the end. As is usual with a Stephen King novel, I find that in a review, less is best. I’d rather the reader dive in without knowing too much.

The large cast of child characters were very endearing, and I found myself caring very much about what was happening to them. King’s usual excellent characterisation was evident here. It’s my opinion that he is the master of characterisation. The story is mostly about the children and their experiences, with some great action towards the end.

What The Institute was doing to those children was horrifying, but I didn’t feel that I was reading one of King’s horror stories. I do prefer his books that make horror and unreal situations totally plausible. And I did enjoy this book. But I do have to declare that I am a fan of King and have been since I first read Carrie in 1975. As usual when reading a Stephen King novel, I find myself wondering ‘how on earth does he come’ up with his ideas’.

I found the author’s note at the end to be very very touching.

STAR RATING
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

King at the 2007 Comic Con

Stephen King is a No. 1 Best Selling Author many times over. He is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. Many of his books have been adapted into major films and TV series. King received the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.  In 2007, he won the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and in 2015 he received America’s National Medal of Arts.

He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist, Tabitha King.

Published on 10 September 2019 by Scribner.
Softcover 482 pages plus author’s note.

To keep up with the latest book reviews, please pop your email address in the box on the sidebar. This will ensure you are notified of updates.

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© 2019 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com

#AprilA-Z Challenge E – Elevation by Stephen King

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#AtoZChallenge 2019 Tenth Anniversary blogging from A to Z challenge letter

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge  is for bloggers who wish to participate by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been posted. My theme for 2019 is Book Reviews.

Elevation

Summary

Scott is losing weight. Every day, the numbers on the scales decrease, even though he his not getting any thinner. The number on the scales is the same, whether he is wearing clothes or not. This is a riveting and very moving story about how one man’s problem can bring a small town together and bring about change to long held prejudices against others. A story about finding common ground within our differences.

My Thoughts

The above summary is very short. That is because, I really don’t want to spoil this book in any way for the reader. It’s a short read and could be described as a novella. I think it’s best to read it, knowing very little of the storyline.  This is a great story about tragedy, friendship and community, regardless of the underlying horror that is occurring.

I’ve been a huge Stephen King fan for years. But over recent years, I haven’t enjoyed his books as much as I did his earlier novels. Unlike some of King’s story lines, this one is very believable – even though it is totally unbelievable. King has that way of making the unbelievable seem believable.

This is an unusually small book for King.  It’s my opinion that the characters could have been developed more in a larger book. I do wonder if this book is trying to tempt readers who don’t want to invest large chunks of time into reading. I have friends who don’t read anything by King because of the length of his books. I would love to have seen this story be longer. But I’m happy, if the shorter length means more people are attracted to reading one of the most popular authors the world  has seen.

About The Author

King at the 2007 Comic Con

Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. Many of his books have been adapted into major films and TV series. King received the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.  In 2007, he won the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and in 2015 he received America’s National Medal of Arts.

He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist, Tabitha King.

My Rating:   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Published in 2018 by Hodder & Stoughton. Hardcover with dust jacket – 132 pages

Have you read this book. If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts. I promise to always reply to comments made in the section below.

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