Alkaid

Rose Madder was one of my earliest King reads, after Carrie, but before It. I was 12-14 at the time, and my mom, also a King fan (Pet Semetary was a family favorite), but I recall Rose Madder being the only King book on her shelf. It was a battered copy with the ‘96 Signet cover. Ugly, but oddly poignant.

Even though it's been well over 20 years since I've read it, I was surprised by how much I'd forgotten. I just remember it being a heavy and traumatic read, since my mom had a bad track record with men. Most of her boyfriends back then were abusive, and she married the worse of the lot, who was her own personal Norman.

It all hit pretty close to home, and I can see why she held onto her copy for so long. The one complaint I have about it are some of the more fantasy elements, but that final reveal of Rose Madder’s true form was perfect horror.

I'm also glad I experienced the second read in audiobook format, as the contrasting narrators added more to the experience. And I'm not good at making suitable voices in my head. My inner voice sounds like Jason Mantzoukas, which doesn't suit the vibe at all.

I'd forgotten the author's habit of explaining words. That was charming when I was a child, but kinda annoying as an adult. Still one of my favorite series. I'd also forgotten how delightfully morbid this series was. Looking forward to rereading it!

I think I preordered this years ago, but only recently got around to reading it. So I'm very disappointed to admit that I just...can't get into it. Frankly, it bored me to tears.

Great premise, but the writing was like reading nails on a chalkboard. Might revisit in the future.

My first and probably last splatterpunk. I might've liked it more when I was younger, before my preferences changed to prefer psychological horror above all else. I didn't mind the gore and even some of the grosser scenes.

The characters and writing as a whole was "meh".

I had a good idea of what the plot twist was going to be early on, but wasn't a fan of the execution at all. I almost put the book down soon after Doug was introduced. The guy was bad news from the start.

And while it's technically not a YA book (it's definitely too mature for that), it reminds me why I typically avoid young protagonists. Stand up, Liv! Stand up!

I think it would be better as a movie, tbh. Usually I prefer the source material, but the book just didn't grab me like I hoped

This book was a chore. Hands down my least favorite of the bunch. Here's hoping Chapterhouse is much better.

I only read this after watching Kennie JD's video. It's...it's so interesting. And nasty (ugh!) but I really got sucked in by the psychological aspect.

This was my favorite book in the series. Still got mad love for the elves, despite their flaws. Paolini's writing is stronger here, too.

While I didn't agree with everything, it really made me question a few things. Not equating autism to a disability is the biggest hurdle for me to cross.

It's been a few years since I last read the series, but I don't remember liking this one as much as the first. But after reading it again, I really like it. Mostly due to the subversion of the heroes journey we got in the first book. That warning about charismatic leaders shines brightly here.

Rereading books from my childhood, and came back to Eragon to relive my love for dragons. Eldest will always be my fave, but this was a decent start to the series. Also forgot how bad Broke was. Murtagh is a cool dude, tho.

What a fascinating read...also disturbing in multiple ways.

This book took some surprisingly dark turns. Hit a little too close to home. Not my favorite of the series so far, but good nonetheless.

This was a book I read as a teen, and recall enjoying enough to read several times. Unfortunately, I don't have as much love for it now as I did then. Most of the stories were mid at best, and this really was such a...mismatched collection.

There are a few stories I enjoyed, notably Chattery Teeth, Rainy Season, The Moving Finger, Popsy, and Suffer The Little Children. The rest were either just okay or...just downright bad.

I'd only recommend reading this one for a select few stories, but otherwise it's a miss.

This was my very first Stephen King book. I tried reading it at 12, but couldn't finish it. I think my mind wandered after 200 pages or so.

I actually finished and enjoyed it more as an adult; funny how that works. There were a few things I didn't care for, such as characters being too wordy and allowed to ramble on. But it's an old book, eh.

I saw this listed on my library's Libby feed, and borrowed it based on the title alone. It didn't disappoint, thankfully.

This story was very consistent with what I know of prisons, esp for a trans woman. The humor is what partly kept me going.

"We should all be like puppy dogs, wagging our tails."

Ranking the novellas:

• 1. Loaded; haunting story that's all too relevant to America's obsession with guns.

• 2. Snapshot. Eerie and a good opener.
• 3. Rain. It lost me in the middle, but bounced back by the end. Had some good funny moments, too.
• 4. Aloft. Meh overall.

I liked the concept and commentary, but overall I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Wasn't sure about it in the beginning, but I'm glad I stuck with it!

I first experienced this series through the podcast, and was hooked from the start! It's hilarious to think how the IRS manages to survive an apocalypse.

Read this for high school years ago, and vaguely remember us watching the movie after. It's better now that I'm an adult, and actually made me tear up. Pure classic.

I was such a huge fan of these books, but never finished the series. This was a good reintroduction, especially with the full cast audiobook!