The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings

[Cool Chris]

Ended up with a marathon session to finish off The Drawing of the Three last night. Tonight I start The Wastelands.

Two books done....what are your thoughts so far on this read through? Better, worse or about the same as your first time through?

You didn't ask me, but I am going on this journey for the 2nd time myself, so will respond. 

I highly enjoyed The Drawing of the Three the first time through, and it was quite enjoyable the second time as well. It was fun to revisit who Eddie Dean was before he met Roland.

The Wasteland was as big of a drop off as I remembered it being. "Hey, we got our ka-tet, let's head toward the Tower!! Wait, we have to spend the whole first half of the book picking up our last member. The second half with River Crossing, or whatever it is, and Lud, are so underwhelming.

My first reading of Wizard and Glass captivated me like so few books have before or since. The second reading of the Mejis story was like revisiting an old friend. The parts with Blaine are a drag on an otherwise masterful story.

I said earlier I don't remember much from Wolves of the Calla so it must have left so little an impact on me. At this point in this current reading, I've lost interest in the Wolves, and am barely curious what happens to the NYC vacant lot.

For a series that is ostensibly about a quest, there is so little actual questing.

[SchecterShredder]

I think you have to view the keystone world task with the lot/king/etc as half the questing,  and beating bad guys along the way to the Tower in Roland's world as the other half. From that perspective, there's a reasonable amount of questing. There's still a whole lot of pointless drag in most of the books though.

I've got 80 pages left in The Dark Tower, and I'm a little sad to be finishing up.  It's long,  it isn't perfect(by any definition whatsoever), but, as you said Chris, it feels like visiting with an old friend.

[Cool Chris]

That's an interesting take that might have eluded me upon my first reading. I want to revisit this when I finish the series.

[lucky7]

Just finished Fairy Tale by Stephen King.

No spoilers I did enjoy it, very different.
Not sure if it was the same for releases around the world but one bookshop in Australia gave each buyer of the book a pin with Stephen King and Fairy Tale and an image of the dog, Radar. Pretty cool gift for free.

Now getting back into Decimate by Christopher Rice.

[SchecterShredder]

What's everyone's take on re-reading books?

Once upon a bye, I used to give my partner a real ribbing about her constant re-reading. She would read some books at least once per year, and, on one vacation in particular, I remember she read the entire Hunger Games series twice. I never really understood the appeal, and then she likened it to watching a movie you like more than once.

Fast forward a decade, and I re-read almost as much as I read new books. There's something almost comforting for me to read a book I really enjoyed.

How about it, DTFers? Do you enjoy re-reading your favorites? Do you think it's a waste with how much undiscovered literature is out there? Is there a book or series you revisit on a regular basis?

[hefdaddy42]

Re-reading has always been a big part of my reading habit, although admittedly it's been a while since I've done a re-read that wasn't a comic.

The comparison to re-watching a favorite film is apt.

[Kwyjibo]

I do a lot of re-reading just like I watch good movies more than once and listen to my favorite records countless times.

I wouldn't probably read something twice in a short period like a vacation, but after a year or so I  consider it.

The fact that there is so much more out there which I don't know doesn't bother me.

[axeman90210]

Ended up with a marathon session to finish off The Drawing of the Three last night. Tonight I start The Wastelands.

Two books done....what are your thoughts so far on this read through? Better, worse or about the same as your first time through?

Definitely not worse. I've never been one who disliked The Gunslinger, it definitely draws me in for the sprawling epic to come. The Drawing of the Three though really elevates things. I remember being glued to the book my first time reading it in high school and it was much the same this time.

[Cool Chris]

I have read several books more than once. Throughout most of my twenties, I was single, lived alone, and didn't do much in terms of socializing. I read a ton, and several of those books got multiple readings. The second hand bookstore was one of my favorite shops. Once I started going to the library, and especially once I started checking out books digitally, (and had kids and lost the majority of my free time), I stopped revisiting books.

Just like with my DVDs, and CDs years ago, I am finally starting to slowly purge some of my books. I am keeping everything by my favorite authors and those I have for sentimental reasons. But there are too many books out there and too easy access to them to hold on to, knowing the chances of me re-reading them are slim to none.

[lucky7]

I do re-read some authors, but I find there are so many new releases I don't have enough time.

I recently reread from Relic through to Bloodless all the Pendergast novels from Preston & Child, that was about 20 books and took a good few weeks.

After Anne Rice passed away I planned to read all the Vampire Chronicles before my trip, but it hasn't worked .. I read Vampire then will read Tale of the Bodythief.

But now reading axeman90210 posts regarding The Dark Tower novels, I may have to give them a reread .....  I can honestly say it is so long I feel like I have forgotten a lot. As I look at them on the shelf the first three look like pretty quick reads, it is the thickness of the others that makes the task seem daunting.

[Zydar]

Today my copy arrived of 'Limited Edition Of One' by Steven Wilson. I'll start reading it soon.

[masterthes]

Continued through my She-Hulk runs this last weekend, this time Peter David's run. Not as good as the last one IMO. Now, reading He Who Fights With Monsters, Book One by Shirtaloon

[Podaar]

Fairy Tale - Stephen King

[ZeppelinDT]

Just finished a re-read of 1984. Last read over 20 years ago.

Now starting Erik Larson’s In the Garden of Beasts

[Podaar]

Now starting Erik Larson’s In the Garden of Beasts

That is an excellent book! I read it years ago and still feel it's impact on me.

[SchecterShredder]

[masterthes]

Finally finished Careless Love. It was a slog to get through. Before diving into spooky season, I'm going to read The Godfather by Mario Puzo

[Cool Chris]

Just finished Wolves of the Calla. As I said earlier, I remembered so little of this book from my previous reading, and it's because so little of it is memorable. I like Calla Bryn Sturgis as a setting; no one creates a quaint little town better than King. Callahan's story was mildly interesting, but it just isn't a journey I wanted to go on at this stage in the ka-tet's quest. The plot abou tthe vacant land in NYC has some potential here, but it just isn't realized here (I know there are 2 more books...). I just didn't care about the build-up to the impending battle against the Wolves, such that when the battle finally(!!!) happened, it had already lost interest in that story line.

[hefdaddy42]

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

[masterthes]

The Troop by Nick Cutter. Let spooky season begin!

[axeman90210]

Just finished Wolves of the Calla. As I said earlier, I remembered so little of this book from my previous reading, and it's because so little of it is memorable. I like Calla Bryn Sturgis as a setting; no one creates a quaint little town better than King. Callahan's story was mildly interesting, but it just isn't a journey I wanted to go on at this stage in the ka-tet's quest. The plot abou tthe vacant land in NYC has some potential here, but it just isn't realized here (I know there are 2 more books...). I just didn't care about the build-up to the impending battle against the Wolves, such that when the battle finally(!!!) happened, it had already lost interest in that story line.

Yeah, that whole book hinges on how invested you are in that showdown with the Wolves. Personally I couldn't put it don for the last stretch of pages, but I can easily see the book feeling like a slog.

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

Be curious to see how you find that one.


I finished The Wastelands a few days ago. I enjoyed it more than I remember my first time through the Tower books. I've decided to take a detour though, I found this Dark Tower reading list that slots in other SK books with ties to Roland's quest in the appropriate places. Seems like a good way for me to revisit a couple other favorites and also check off a few new to me King books as well. I'm currently knee deep in The Stand for the umpteenth time.

https://www.listchallenges.com/the-dark-tower-a-suggested-reading-order-for

[masterthes]

The Troop by Nick Cutter. Let spooky season begin!

very good, although I thought the denouement wasn't really earned, and I thought Cutter got a little carried away with the animal cruelty. Any, going back to He Who Fights With Monsters. Want to finish that before heading into my next spooky read. I'm also planning on working through The New Annotated Dracula by Bram Stoker and Leslie Klinger. It's been a while since I last read Dracula, so I thought I was due for a reread   

[Cool Chris]

Just finished Wolves of the Calla. As I said earlier, I remembered so little of this book from my previous reading, and it's because so little of it is memorable. I like Calla Bryn Sturgis as a setting; no one creates a quaint little town better than King. Callahan's story was mildly interesting, but it just isn't a journey I wanted to go on at this stage in the ka-tet's quest. The plot abou tthe vacant land in NYC has some potential here, but it just isn't realized here (I know there are 2 more books...). I just didn't care about the build-up to the impending battle against the Wolves, such that when the battle finally(!!!) happened, it had already lost interest in that story line.

Yeah, that whole book hinges on how invested you are in that showdown with the Wolves. Personally I couldn't put it don for the last stretch of pages, but I can easily see the book feeling like a slog.

Makes sense. And I was not invested at all the first time I read it 10 years ago, and I wasn't this most recent read either. Though as I said, I did enjoy inhabiting Call Bryn Sturgis. I was slightly interested in the story line with the vacant lot and Mr. Toren, but even then barely enough to keep me turning pages.

Again, what have we been reading about for 4 books? Roland's quest for the Tower. Nothing else is supposed to matter to him. Yet we have to stop in this hamlet for an entire book. It's like having Link stop gathering pieces of the Triforce before the final showdown with Ganon to find some lady's lost cuccos.

I finished The Wastelands a few days ago. I enjoyed it more than I remember my first time through the Tower books. I've decided to take a detour though, I found this Dark Tower reading list that slots in other SK books with ties to Roland's quest in the appropriate places. Seems like a good way for me to revisit a couple other favorites and also check off a few new to me King books as well. I'm currently knee deep in The Stand for the umpteenth time.

https://www.listchallenges.com/the-dark-tower-a-suggested-reading-order-for

That's cool, I know about the other books that tie in to the series, but never thought of what order to read them in.

[hefdaddy42]

NOS4A2 was not doing it for me. Next!


The Damnation Game by Clive Barker

[masterthes]

Finally finished HWFWM. It was great, will most likely be reading the next book in November (don't know how long these books will be available through Kindle Unlimited, so might as well take advantage. Anyway, reading a pretty much brand new book (came out on the 4th) called Curse of the Reaper by Brian McAuley

[masterthes]

Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic by Jeff Smith

[Cool Chris]

Alright so the Ka-Tet of Nineteen Ninty-Nine has slayed the wolves and brought peace to Calla Bryn Sturgis. Now we are back on track on our journey to the Dark Tower! Let's go!

Except... 100 pages in to Song of Suzanna and all I get is boring Suzanna/Mia/whoever drama.

[Kwyjibo]

Yeah, Song Of Suzanna is a weaker installment in the Dark Tower series.

[SchecterShredder]

Alright so the Ka-Tet of Nineteen Ninty-Nine has slayed the wolves and brought peace to Calla Bryn Sturgis. Now we are back on track on our journey to the Dark Tower! Let's go!

Except... 100 pages in to Song of Suzanna and all I get is boring Suzanna/Mia/whoever drama.

The East Stoneham scenes are pretty good though. Worth the wait. And John Cullum is a well delivered character.

[masterthes]

I'm glad I gave Bone another try. It was very charming. Only thing I didn't like about the omnibus was that it was in black and white. Also, I wasn't entirely happy with the main character's decision at the end. Anyway, back to some spooky stuff with The Good House by Tananarive Due

[hefdaddy42]

Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife by Bart D. Ehrman

[masterthes]

Until I Find You by John Irving. Taking a break from horror. I haven't read a book from John Irving in almost twenty years (maybe closer to sixteen). There was a stretch where I read six of his books in almost rapid succession (A Prayer for Owen Meany, The World According to Garp, Cider House Rules, The Hotel New Hampshire, Son of the Circus, and Widow For One Year), and then I stopped because I felt I had read all his major works. Hope this doesn't disappoint

[masterthes]

Ended up squeezing in one more thing to close out the month with Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark. It was nice. I also finally finished Horror Movies of the 1980s (been reading that off and on since last December). Now, working through another chunker with The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk

[hefdaddy42]

The Big Bundle by Max Allan Collins

It was my good fortune to read an advance copy of this upcoming novel which will be published December 6, 2022.  This is the latest in his series of Nathan Heller novels.  A fictionalized version of a historical kidnapping plot, this hardboiled tale was my first taste of Collins and Heller, but it will not be my last.

Told in a crisp, concise style, reminiscent of the great crime stories that Collins clearly loves, the novel inserts fictional detective Nathan Heller into the real life kidnapping and murder of Bobby Greenlease, the six year old son of Robert Greenlease Sr., a multi-millionaire auto dealer in 1953.  The case featured what was at that time the largest ransom ever paid in U.S. history ($600,000 – around $6 million in today’s numbers).   

Super fun read.  Can't recommend highly enough.

[hefdaddy42]

The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind by Jackson Ford