I would definitely recommend Stephen King’s short story collections! I find they’re much more fast-paced than his novels, and easier to get into. Everything’s Eventual is my favourite
just want to say i stumbled across your channel and videos a few days ago and i absolutely love your content haha keep posting stephen king readvlogs!! I'm doing a SK marathon all this year so love when you talk about him :)
I have read the book and seen the movie of Doctor Sleep. As a reader I typically don't say this very often, but I actually preferred the movie to the book. The movie is a fantastic adaptation that sticks true to some of the points of the Doctor Sleep book while also being a solid sequel to the movie version of The Shining. I can't wait for it to come out on Blu-Ray and DVD because I will definitely be watching it again. I'm planning on doing a comparison video on the two of them. I hope you get a chance to watch the movie!
Happy New Year Gabby and I just wanted to let you know that I think you look beautiful in the last clip of this vlog. Can’t wait to see what King book you read next. 📖 💕
the one thing I loved the most about the shining was that there wasn't that much present supernatural, it was more the isolation and mind problems that made him crazy. sad to say I didn't like doctor sleep either for the same reason that the supernatural "shining" and the cult kind of ruins the whole point of the shining.
@@gabbyreads I think the shining delved more into the fact of madness from silence, because of how much Jack is affected by isolation and being cut off from outside world. There are no ghosts in shining, that's what i think. But i agree with one thing that shining never needed a sequel. Doctor sleep works as a standalone, but shining's terrifying aspect was the overlook. The hotel was the antagonist of the story. Jack slowly became mad as the hotel made him. The adaptation of doctor sleep was good too. I liked it very much. I hope he continues with books and keeps writing.
I really enjoyed it but I was also creeped out by cults (so probably that's why) and I find him more interesting as an adult then as a kid because I could relate more. And the personal growth away from the addiction and so on was also interesting by me. But I get why you didn't like it... I was bored with shining so I guess it's just taste :) still loooooved your vlog again so much ♥️
I read this earlier this year, and the beginning was also slow for me! Once I got to the part where Abra meets Danny I couldn’t stop reading it. Glad someone else felt the same way!
I loved the movie! The scene between Danny and Jack at the Overlook almost made me cry. Definitely an amazing follow up to the Shining in my opinion :)
I was more interested in Dan because from the start he had a rough family life, the scary part of having the shining, where as Abra has a great family life, I always cheer for the underdog. I loved the quirky True Knot characters too, the names😅 I've read this book three or four times and I was yelling at the movie because it didn't match how I pictured it, when I read the book, but that's just me.
Oooo I really like the intro!!! Also I’m really wanting to get into Stephen king!!! Any recommendations on where I should start? Preferably something shorter but I know next to nothing on where I should probably start sooo...
I can’t read Scary books. I love watching your reading vlogs. I think it’s more interesting when the book doesn’t work out. It doesn’t matter to me as long as you’re honest and we get to see true feedback on a book. 👍
Stevo wrote it at the same time Twilight franchise was playing and ..was '' a thing''. It's clear that he was thinking of it when he was writing the book .Plenty of similarities and shared aesthetics.
I listened to the audio books of both The Shining and Doctor Sleep and loved both ☺ I think they work better as audio books, feels like less of a slog that way. You should try Salems Lot, if you liked Pet Sematary I think you'd really enjoy that!
Yeah Right Ok. Yeah I noticed this.. unfortunately I’m not the one who created the art, it was actually made by this really talented guy on Instagram but I didn’t notice the spelling error until I was making it for my intro but oh well 😅
I listened to the Audio book and I loved it. I think the Tru Knot was definitely more similar to psychic vampries, as they drank the life force of people with the Shining. I personally enjoyed it, but I love vampires. I also was happy about how it ended. I can understand why you didnt like it. Spoilers: I really enjoyed the fact that we got to explore more of the world where The Shining existed. In The Shining, we only got to explore The Shining in an immediate family and in Doctor Sleep we got to see how The Shining existed more out in the real world. I think this was fascinating, and how people can have different levels of it. I acknowledge we got to see a bit of the different levels in The Shining, but I feel Doctor Sleep developed ideas that were only touched upon in The Shining. Also, I feel Dan going down the road of his Father and then finding redemption and happiness could be construed as telling a different story for the Torrences in general. Jack could have had a different life, but he kept choosing alchohol instead of his family. Dan chose family and I really liked the happier ending in this. Also if you are a fan of The Shining movie, the Doctor Sleep movie did so many tributes to it. It also has a different ending from the book. I think since you liked the Movie better, you will probably prefer the Doctor Sleep Movie.
Even more Hideous than Dr Sleep. I remember on of them was so and so. The other was so annoying you ll be clenching your teeth wishing it is over already, and the third(not in that order) so hideous i spiked the end. Clearly Stevo wrote them as a Tv script concept, from where he gets most his money nowdays.
I totally agree with everything you said. It was boring. The cult thing dragged on too much. I only finished it because I loved the shining so much. If you want to get into stephen king. Try The Stand. It is a long book, but so worth it. There is so much to that book x
I must admit that I didn’t read the book, but I really enjoyed the movie and thought the villain in the movie was fantastic. You should at least give the movie a try!
This was so true!! I just finished the book. The way the end battle was written was so confusing and so lackluster, I was just confused and disoriented while reading it by how cluttered everything was. It felt as if the last scene never got edited and slipped through every stage of rewriting and editing.
If you want something very different by King, but absolutely fantastic, then Dolores Claiborne is the book. It gets a lot of negativity because it isn't typical King horror, but it is a great piece of writing and a compelling story with a greatly likeable protagonist.
I can barely remember the book, and I line books about cults. But I will say it isn't the first time I've read a young female character like that, not even in a King book. That said, I preferred "The Shining" book I've the me. They've very different. I love "Insomnia" the best.
I never say this but I liked the film better than the book for once! The film is a mix of the best and scariest bits of the book and Stanley Kubrick’s film. The True Knot is scary in the film, really scary. It’s much better...! Try The Long Walk! It’s long for what it is but nothing has ever made me feel so exhausted and made my legs hurt so much while I was just sitting down and reading. Stephen King’s short storied tend to be much faster paced. Have you seen The Mist film? Not the tv show, the film. That’s a great film and even King said it was better than his book and he loved the ending. Gut wrenching but sticks with you!
I'm reading Pet Sematary rn and I'm about 100 pages in but so far it's really hard for me to get into. Does it get better? Cause I'm thinking to DNF if it doesn't :/
The book is fine, but!.. the movie is waayy better. Here’s my take on “Doctor Sleep”- Dan is struggling with not only his alcoholism, but his haunted past. And his past is catching up to him when he helps Abra to defeat Rose the Hat, and ugh! Rose is amazing as a character ^^ With the Overlook hotel- you get to go back to an old haunted place where it’s rotting from the inside, & Dan has to face his ‘demons’ once and for all. By burning the hotel down. Which in fact was the original ending from the Shining (book). The movie honors that at the end of Doctor Sleep.
Awe so sorry the book disappointed you. I think the only book I ever read of Stephen king was the Tommy knockers. I think that was the name of the book and that was along time ago. I am going to try to read Salem's lot by him next month.
You should try The Secret Of Crickley Hall by James Herbert. The BBC did make a TV series of the book, it was quite good but it missed quite a bit of the book out. Not a fan of Stephen King sorry.
@@JeshikaPaperdoll he doesn't get the love he deserves. Have to admit that his work hasn't transferred to film well, I'm hoping Shrine will prove me wrong.
He’s really underrated. I’ve loved James Herbert since I was a kid. Fluke was a really good book to film but that was less horror and more just heartbreak.
I stopped halfway through this book. I will say, though, it felt good to get my frustrations out with this book by yelling at the screen as you explained what you read.
Same. I have no interest in reading about cults... also werewolves and vampires... especially in 2020. Vampires were okay back when I was in middle school but I have no interest in that stuff now.
I’m on page 262 right now and so far I’m super disappointed. It has its interesting and respectable moments but that’s about it. The Shining movie (both versions) are one of my favorites of all time and the book is so iconic in my opinion. It’s unfortunate that Dr. Sleep didn’t live up to what I expected. With that being said I’m just enjoying it for what it is, they can’t all be iconic winners. Cheers from Houston 🍻 ☕️ Until the next good read…
This is one of the few times where I think the movie did it better. I really liked this book at the beginning but it ran out of gas the longer it went on. I didn't mind reading about Dan's alcoholism. I found it interesting. The True Knot were not King's best villains. I mean, they're essentially the same species (or perhaps a close cousin species) to the psychic vampires in SLEEPWALKERS but nowhere near as entertaining (Stephen King, one of the world's most celebrated writers, was once paid a shit ton of money to coin the phrase, "cop-kebab"...you can't make this shit up and it's awesome). They just seemed kind of...pathetic to me and Abra, as a protagonist, was entirely too strong in my opinion. Clearly, I have mixed feelings about this book. I've read it twice and I had the same opinion both times--it's pretty middle-of-the-road. What I find most interesting about the book isn't even about the novel itself. Stephen King published two new novels in 2013. June saw the release of JOYLAND, a paperback original published by Hard Case Crime (his upcoming novel, LATER, will also be published by them), an imprint that publishes old-school crime novels as paperback originals in the vein of Raymond Chandler. JOYLAND was sort of just written off. For King fans (myself included) DOCTOR SLEEP was the major release of that year and JOYLAND was just more of a side dish. I mean, DOCTOR SLEEP had been long-hyped since it was first mentioned by King when he was on tour to promote UNDER THE DOME in 2009. But JOYLAND is, in my opinion, a much better novel. It's not really a hardboiled crime novel like Hard Case Crime tends to publish--it's much more of a sentimental coming-of-age mystery with a minor element of the supernatural thrown in for good measure. I give JOYLAND 5/5 and I think it's a damn shame that DOCTOR SLEEP has overshadowed it as much as it has. I also find it kind of interesting to see how King's previous works tend to bleed into the next thing. For example, REVIVAL, released in 2014, is kind of a mashup between DOCTOR SLEEP and JOYLAND. I give that one 5/5 stars, too. I'll say one more thing about DOCTOR SLEEP: I don't like the ending. I didn't like it when I first read the book in 2013 and I didn't like it my second read through in 2019. King has a reputation for writing terrible endings. It's a mindset I never really subscribed to. I think he's unfairly judged because he had a few books that didn't really stick the landing (and no, I'm not talking about IT...I'm looking at you, NEEDFUL THINGS!) but for every King book where he botches the ending, there are easily three or four that end perfectly. With all of that in mind, sometimes I fall into the trap of thinking as a writer and how I would've ended the story. That's not really King's fault. If anything, it's flaw on my part. But it doesn't change how I feel about the ending of DOCTOR SLEEP. There is nothing inherently wrong with it...it just didn't have that gut punch I wanted to see. Which brings me to the ending of the 2019 movie. It's one of the many reasons why I think the movie is better than the book. The movie is a perfect experience while the book is kind of a slog to get through at times. I'm not going to spoil it here but I do like the more..."downer" endings King has done like PET SEMATARY and the aforementioned REVIVAL. Perhaps that's just the nihilist in me coming out but I like to see that kind of stuff in my media and I was so thrilled that director, Mike Flanagan decided to go that route. Of course, this is just a personal thing for me. Overall, the book is...fine. It's not an abomination nor is it a masterpiece. It's an okay book that was ultimately boosted by the hype around it.
Certainly I would say King is no way near as good as he used to be. I really like The Shining, but I think I will give Dr Sleep a miss on the basis of your experience here.
It seems this book is very divisive, you really either hate it or love it.I was very lucky that I loved it, but I think that is because I do read some fantasy, and you are not a fantasy reader, so the fantastical elements are not your jam.
![Reading YOUR HORROR RECS 👻 [spooky reading vlog]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5jAmlL4vcsU/mqdefault.jpg)
![Reading YOUR HORROR RECS 👻 [spooky reading vlog]](/img/tr.png)
I would definitely recommend Stephen King’s short story collections! I find they’re much more fast-paced than his novels, and easier to get into. Everything’s Eventual is my favourite
Caris M I’ve read that and it was more comical than horror
I feel it's two separate stories that slowly come together. I don't look at it as a sequel. It just happens to have Danny in it.
Stephen King is my favorite author. I typically love most of his writing.
I love your Stephen King reading vlogs! And I'm excites to see more of them :)
just want to say i stumbled across your channel and videos a few days ago and i absolutely love your content haha keep posting stephen king readvlogs!! I'm doing a SK marathon all this year so love when you talk about him :)
I struggle reading Stephen king without an audiobook. His stories do much better for me in that format, but I have liked all that I have read.
I just love you're Stephen King reading vlogs... Still doing it ❤
Characters like Eleven are based on the Montauk Project which was a government program. It’s pretty interesting to learn about if you’re interested.
I have read the book and seen the movie of Doctor Sleep. As a reader I typically don't say this very often, but I actually preferred the movie to the book. The movie is a fantastic adaptation that sticks true to some of the points of the Doctor Sleep book while also being a solid sequel to the movie version of The Shining. I can't wait for it to come out on Blu-Ray and DVD because I will definitely be watching it again. I'm planning on doing a comparison video on the two of them. I hope you get a chance to watch the movie!
Happy New Year Gabby and I just wanted to let you know that I think you look beautiful in the last clip of this vlog. Can’t wait to see what King book you read next. 📖 💕
I love the Christmas lights on your bookshelf!
the one thing I loved the most about the shining was that there wasn't that much present supernatural, it was more the isolation and mind problems that made him crazy. sad to say I didn't like doctor sleep either for the same reason that the supernatural "shining" and the cult kind of ruins the whole point of the shining.
Destiny Daniels sooooo true, I feel the same
@@gabbyreads I think the shining delved more into the fact of madness from silence, because of how much Jack is affected by isolation and being cut off from outside world. There are no ghosts in shining, that's what i think. But i agree with one thing that shining never needed a sequel. Doctor sleep works as a standalone, but shining's terrifying aspect was the overlook. The hotel was the antagonist of the story. Jack slowly became mad as the hotel made him. The adaptation of doctor sleep was good too. I liked it very much. I hope he continues with books and keeps writing.
I want to see your thoughts on The Stand and Salem’s Lot. I want to read those next. I heard The Stand was one of his best books
I really enjoyed it but I was also creeped out by cults (so probably that's why) and I find him more interesting as an adult then as a kid because I could relate more. And the personal growth away from the addiction and so on was also interesting by me.
But I get why you didn't like it... I was bored with shining so I guess it's just taste :) still loooooved your vlog again so much ♥️
I read this earlier this year, and the beginning was also slow for me! Once I got to the part where Abra meets Danny I couldn’t stop reading it. Glad someone else felt the same way!
I wasn't a big fan of the book when I first read it but the movie version is a brilliant mix of the book and Kubrick's "Shining" movie.
Plus Ewan McGregor is fire👀
I loved the movie! The scene between Danny and Jack at the Overlook almost made me cry. Definitely an amazing follow up to the Shining in my opinion :)
I was more interested in Dan because from the start he had a rough family life, the scary part of having the shining, where as Abra has a great family life, I always cheer for the underdog. I loved the quirky True Knot characters too, the names😅 I've read this book three or four times and I was yelling at the movie because it didn't match how I pictured it, when I read the book, but that's just me.
Oooo I really like the intro!!! Also I’m really wanting to get into Stephen king!!! Any recommendations on where I should start? Preferably something shorter but I know next to nothing on where I should probably start sooo...
Olivia Bergin Pet Semetary is my favorite and it’s not too long!
I can’t read Scary books. I love watching your reading vlogs. I think it’s more interesting when the book doesn’t work out. It doesn’t matter to me as long as you’re honest and we get to see true feedback on a book. 👍
0:48 2019 hehe. btw that intro drawing thing is amazing!
Stevo wrote it at the same time Twilight franchise was playing and ..was '' a thing''.
It's clear that he was thinking of it when he was writing the book .Plenty of similarities and shared aesthetics.
I listened to the audio books of both The Shining and Doctor Sleep and loved both ☺ I think they work better as audio books, feels like less of a slog that way. You should try Salems Lot, if you liked Pet Sematary I think you'd really enjoy that!
I love the movie, can’t wait to hear your thoughts on that 👌🏻
I loveeee the vid, I don't know it was probably mentioned and I missed it but the intro there's a typo on skyscraping ?
Yeah Right Ok. Yeah I noticed this.. unfortunately I’m not the one who created the art, it was actually made by this really talented guy on Instagram but I didn’t notice the spelling error until I was making it for my intro but oh well 😅
It’s still a dope intro I just wasn’t sure to mention it or not :’)
I listened to the Audio book and I loved it. I think the Tru Knot was definitely more similar to psychic vampries, as they drank the life force of people with the Shining. I personally enjoyed it, but I love vampires. I also was happy about how it ended. I can understand why you didnt like it.
Spoilers:
I really enjoyed the fact that we got to explore more of the world where The Shining existed. In The Shining, we only got to explore The Shining in an immediate family and in Doctor Sleep we got to see how The Shining existed more out in the real world. I think this was fascinating, and how people can have different levels of it. I acknowledge we got to see a bit of the different levels in The Shining, but I feel Doctor Sleep developed ideas that were only touched upon in The Shining.
Also, I feel Dan going down the road of his Father and then finding redemption and happiness could be construed as telling a different story for the Torrences in general. Jack could have had a different life, but he kept choosing alchohol instead of his family. Dan chose family and I really liked the happier ending in this.
Also if you are a fan of The Shining movie, the Doctor Sleep movie did so many tributes to it. It also has a different ending from the book. I think since you liked the Movie better, you will probably prefer the Doctor Sleep Movie.
I'm the same as you, I loved Abras character. Such a sweet girl but really clever and powerful ☺
I would recommend you to read Bill Hodges series starting with Mr Mercedes. Plz do more reading vlog. You looks stunning by the way.
I have Mr Mercedes in the mail rn and I’m so excited to get started!!! Yay!
Even more Hideous than Dr Sleep.
I remember on of them was so and so. The other was so annoying you ll be clenching your teeth wishing it is over already, and the third(not in that order) so hideous i spiked the end. Clearly Stevo wrote them as a Tv script concept, from where he gets most his money nowdays.
@@parapoliticos52 last one is actually very bad, but I did enjoy the first two installment. I agree it's ment to write as script.
I’m reading the night shift rn and it’s really good! It’s a short story collection
I totally agree with everything you said. It was boring. The cult thing dragged on too much. I only finished it because I loved the shining so much. If you want to get into stephen king. Try The Stand. It is a long book, but so worth it. There is so much to that book x
Loving that new intro❤️❤️❤️
Have you read “the green mile” my Stephen King? Or seen the movie?
Damya Simmons no I haven’t read or seen it! It’s one of the books on my endless TBR
I think it's a good book, I love Rose Character.
i love your vlogs so much!!
I must admit that I didn’t read the book, but I really enjoyed the movie and thought the villain in the movie was fantastic. You should at least give the movie a try!
This was so true!! I just finished the book. The way the end battle was written was so confusing and so lackluster, I was just confused and disoriented while reading it by how cluttered everything was. It felt as if the last scene never got edited and slipped through every stage of rewriting and editing.
I read The Shining. I hated it. It was so boring and the spooky parts were not enough! Should I read Doctor Sleep?
will there ever be a 3rd book or not? did King say anything? i don't know if i should expect it or not
If you want something very different by King, but absolutely fantastic, then Dolores Claiborne is the book. It gets a lot of negativity because it isn't typical King horror, but it is a great piece of writing and a compelling story with a greatly likeable protagonist.
I feel like I will never enjoy Stephen King's newer works as much as I did the classics. He seems to be just as tired of dragging them out as I am.
Ay! First Reading Vlog of 2020 🙌❤
I can barely remember the book, and I line books about cults. But I will say it isn't the first time I've read a young female character like that, not even in a King book.
That said, I preferred "The Shining" book I've the me. They've very different.
I love "Insomnia" the best.
I never say this but I liked the film better than the book for once! The film is a mix of the best and scariest bits of the book and Stanley Kubrick’s film. The True Knot is scary in the film, really scary. It’s much better...!
Try The Long Walk! It’s long for what it is but nothing has ever made me feel so exhausted and made my legs hurt so much while I was just sitting down and reading.
Stephen King’s short storied tend to be much faster paced.
Have you seen The Mist film? Not the tv show, the film. That’s a great film and even King said it was better than his book and he loved the ending. Gut wrenching but sticks with you!
Ruth Parker I’m planning on reading the long walk soon 😌 and no I haven’t seen the mist!
I'm reading Pet Sematary rn and I'm about 100 pages in but so far it's really hard for me to get into. Does it get better? Cause I'm thinking to DNF if it doesn't :/
“Go outside and be social”
What’s that? It’s been so long I can’t even remember what “social” means😂 stay safe gabby!
Salem's Lot! Curious to see what you think of it.
she gushes all over it yet it has vampires in it? ironic
The book is fine, but!.. the movie is waayy better. Here’s my take on “Doctor Sleep”- Dan is struggling with not only his alcoholism, but his haunted past. And his past is catching up to him when he helps Abra to defeat Rose the Hat, and ugh! Rose is amazing as a character ^^ With the Overlook hotel- you get to go back to an old haunted place where it’s rotting from the inside, & Dan has to face his ‘demons’ once and for all. By burning the hotel down. Which in fact was the original ending from the Shining (book). The movie honors that at the end of Doctor Sleep.
I also hated the True Knot. I loved the ending but honestly I thought that whole book kinda dragged. I absolutely hated the movie ending!
Really enjoyed this video!! I did not realize that Abra is Eleven😲..
Unfortunately I didn't enjoy doctor sleep but I absolutely enjoyed the movie adaptation Mike flannigan did a brilliant job
Awe so sorry the book disappointed you. I think the only book I ever read of Stephen king was the Tommy knockers. I think that was the name of the book and that was along time ago. I am going to try to read Salem's lot by him next month.
@gabbyreads I just started reading Stephen king books I have read 11 books of he’s so far and I’m reading talisman right now
I couldn't get into Doctor Sleep either, the movie however is awesome!
I didn't care for this good either. I finished it, but it took me forever.
I just completed this one on 1.8.20 .... I had EXACTLY the same thoughts on this one & The Shining is a favorite of mine too. So much disappointment.
Would love to hear your thoughts on salems lot
Complete opposite for me, hated the Shining, Loved Doctor Sleep.
You should try The Secret Of Crickley Hall by James Herbert. The BBC did make a TV series of the book, it was quite good but it missed quite a bit of the book out. Not a fan of Stephen King sorry.
Ghosts of Sleath is my favourite James Herbert. That’s a good’un.
@@JeshikaPaperdoll he doesn't get the love he deserves. Have to admit that his work hasn't transferred to film well, I'm hoping Shrine will prove me wrong.
He’s really underrated. I’ve loved James Herbert since I was a kid. Fluke was a really good book to film but that was less horror and more just heartbreak.
@@JeshikaPaperdoll love that book too, and Creed
Please read Green Mile next! 😌😌😌
Where to start Stephen King? I am confused
I stopped halfway through this book. I will say, though, it felt good to get my frustrations out with this book by yelling at the screen as you explained what you read.
Will you please recommend some best books on humour and satire. I will be much more thankful to you.
Yeah it was 3 stars for me
Same. I have no interest in reading about cults... also werewolves and vampires... especially in 2020. Vampires were okay back when I was in middle school but I have no interest in that stuff now.
Don’t get chocolate on the pages. That’s my biggest fear...food or drink on the pages
I’m on page 262 right now and so far I’m super disappointed. It has its interesting and respectable moments but that’s about it. The Shining movie (both versions) are one of my favorites of all time and the book is so iconic in my opinion. It’s unfortunate that Dr. Sleep didn’t live up to what I expected. With that being said I’m just enjoying it for what it is, they can’t all be iconic winners. Cheers from Houston 🍻 ☕️ Until the next good read…
At 8 minute mark it sounds pretty much like the movie
Please read Skeleton Crew.
The cult is scary in the movie 😉
Please read The Institute by Stephen King!! 😭🙏🏼
This is one of the few times where I think the movie did it better. I really liked this book at the beginning but it ran out of gas the longer it went on. I didn't mind reading about Dan's alcoholism. I found it interesting. The True Knot were not King's best villains. I mean, they're essentially the same species (or perhaps a close cousin species) to the psychic vampires in SLEEPWALKERS but nowhere near as entertaining (Stephen King, one of the world's most celebrated writers, was once paid a shit ton of money to coin the phrase, "cop-kebab"...you can't make this shit up and it's awesome). They just seemed kind of...pathetic to me and Abra, as a protagonist, was entirely too strong in my opinion. Clearly, I have mixed feelings about this book. I've read it twice and I had the same opinion both times--it's pretty middle-of-the-road. What I find most interesting about the book isn't even about the novel itself. Stephen King published two new novels in 2013. June saw the release of JOYLAND, a paperback original published by Hard Case Crime (his upcoming novel, LATER, will also be published by them), an imprint that publishes old-school crime novels as paperback originals in the vein of Raymond Chandler. JOYLAND was sort of just written off. For King fans (myself included) DOCTOR SLEEP was the major release of that year and JOYLAND was just more of a side dish. I mean, DOCTOR SLEEP had been long-hyped since it was first mentioned by King when he was on tour to promote UNDER THE DOME in 2009. But JOYLAND is, in my opinion, a much better novel. It's not really a hardboiled crime novel like Hard Case Crime tends to publish--it's much more of a sentimental coming-of-age mystery with a minor element of the supernatural thrown in for good measure. I give JOYLAND 5/5 and I think it's a damn shame that DOCTOR SLEEP has overshadowed it as much as it has. I also find it kind of interesting to see how King's previous works tend to bleed into the next thing. For example, REVIVAL, released in 2014, is kind of a mashup between DOCTOR SLEEP and JOYLAND. I give that one 5/5 stars, too.
I'll say one more thing about DOCTOR SLEEP: I don't like the ending. I didn't like it when I first read the book in 2013 and I didn't like it my second read through in 2019. King has a reputation for writing terrible endings. It's a mindset I never really subscribed to. I think he's unfairly judged because he had a few books that didn't really stick the landing (and no, I'm not talking about IT...I'm looking at you, NEEDFUL THINGS!) but for every King book where he botches the ending, there are easily three or four that end perfectly. With all of that in mind, sometimes I fall into the trap of thinking as a writer and how I would've ended the story. That's not really King's fault. If anything, it's flaw on my part. But it doesn't change how I feel about the ending of DOCTOR SLEEP. There is nothing inherently wrong with it...it just didn't have that gut punch I wanted to see. Which brings me to the ending of the 2019 movie. It's one of the many reasons why I think the movie is better than the book. The movie is a perfect experience while the book is kind of a slog to get through at times. I'm not going to spoil it here but I do like the more..."downer" endings King has done like PET SEMATARY and the aforementioned REVIVAL. Perhaps that's just the nihilist in me coming out but I like to see that kind of stuff in my media and I was so thrilled that director, Mike Flanagan decided to go that route. Of course, this is just a personal thing for me. Overall, the book is...fine. It's not an abomination nor is it a masterpiece. It's an okay book that was ultimately boosted by the hype around it.
Certainly I would say King is no way near as good as he used to be. I really like The Shining, but I think I will give Dr Sleep a miss on the basis of your experience here.
The movie is fun. Not amazing but enjoyable.
Funny...because Stephen King absolutely hates Kubrick’s The Shining.
Try Salem’s Lot
It seems this book is very divisive, you really either hate it or love it.I was very lucky that I loved it, but I think that is because I do read some fantasy, and you are not a fantasy reader, so the fantastical elements are not your jam.
gabbyreads hey
11:59
Honestly I found the shining very boring on the whole. Not a King fan. Prefer Koontz really
It 'was' on my tbr but I don't think I'll bother with it now 😂
boooooo