I too ordered "Flight or Fright" as soon as I got the notification from CD!
The Year of Cemetery Dance 2018
- Thread starter Dana Jean
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Dana Jean do you have a Cemetery Dance book that is your favorite? Which one would you pick or recommend to others?
Ask me this question at the end of the year,
. I just have so many CD books to read, I would hate to give you an answer based on a handful of reads under my belt. Although I've read some great reads so far, the one I've really like the most is Knuckles and Tales. I loved those stories. The book I'm currently reading is packing a punch for me so far, about 100 pages to go to see if the quality makes it to the end.Do you have a favorite Cemetery Dance book you would recommend to me?
I mostly read the King related ones. But have a few others that after my next eye appointment I hope to read. I can't wait to get back to reading more.Ask me this question at the end of the year,
Do you have a favorite Cemetery Dance book you would recommend to me?
I hope your next eye appointment brings great results where you can read all your books with greater ease. And be sure and let us know about your CD books. I seem to be the only one blabbing away about them. I would love to hear other people's thoughts about their books, even the same book I read and compare our reactions to them.
Could be the same feelings, or could be really different -- I'd enjoy someone else's take on the books.
10. Nothing Lasting
by Glen Krisch
About the Book:
"Twenty-five years ago, Noah Berkley's childhood was stolen from him.
Twenty-five years ago, he lost the first and only love of his life.
Twenty-five years ago, someone died at his hand.
Only now—after all these years and spurred by the death of his father—does Noah Berkley believe he can face the memories he buried in the winter of 1984.
But sometimes memories aren't the only things we recover when we reopen the wounds of the past..."
My Thoughts:
Glenn Chadbourne sets the tone with his unsettling cover art and Glen Krisch continues the feel in this seriously well written book.
Right out of the gate, Mr. Krisch hit my anxiety trifecta -- pets, kids and old people. Just a few pages in and I had to lay the book aside and walk away to calm down my beating heart. I knew that this was going to be a bumpy ride for me given how I invest myself so much into a writer's world, but, I also knew that it was going to be a rewarding experience in terms of how a story should be told.
The action and suspense were at times too much for my Where-the-F**k-is-This-Going sensibilities. And I mean that in a good way, he had me so off balance. Mr. Krisch clenched my lungs between these pages and was unrelenting in his hold. I had to break away frequently to breathe!
The writing is smooth and consistent. Great care and skill is used in building that tension. The characters are well developed, alive! Lots of believable twists and surprises that kept me wanting more.
It's as if he took elements from other successful stories and combined them in his own blender of madness and poured this little masterpiece out.
This was a good one.
by Glen Krisch
About the Book:
"Twenty-five years ago, Noah Berkley's childhood was stolen from him.
Twenty-five years ago, he lost the first and only love of his life.
Twenty-five years ago, someone died at his hand.
Only now—after all these years and spurred by the death of his father—does Noah Berkley believe he can face the memories he buried in the winter of 1984.
But sometimes memories aren't the only things we recover when we reopen the wounds of the past..."
My Thoughts:
Glenn Chadbourne sets the tone with his unsettling cover art and Glen Krisch continues the feel in this seriously well written book.
Right out of the gate, Mr. Krisch hit my anxiety trifecta -- pets, kids and old people. Just a few pages in and I had to lay the book aside and walk away to calm down my beating heart. I knew that this was going to be a bumpy ride for me given how I invest myself so much into a writer's world, but, I also knew that it was going to be a rewarding experience in terms of how a story should be told.
The action and suspense were at times too much for my Where-the-F**k-is-This-Going sensibilities. And I mean that in a good way, he had me so off balance. Mr. Krisch clenched my lungs between these pages and was unrelenting in his hold. I had to break away frequently to breathe!
The writing is smooth and consistent. Great care and skill is used in building that tension. The characters are well developed, alive! Lots of believable twists and surprises that kept me wanting more.
It's as if he took elements from other successful stories and combined them in his own blender of madness and poured this little masterpiece out.
This was a good one.
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Or in this case, your nose to the tombstone.
Next up: Not a CD book, but I received it from CD in a grab bag so qualifies for this thread.
11. Ted's Score
by Daniel P. Coughlin
About the Book:
"From the author of the films Lake Dead, (After Dark Film’s 8 Films to Die For) and Farmhouse, Daniel P. Coughlin’s Ted’s Score is a shocking, suspenseful tale of a depraved, ax-wielding serial killer.
When beautiful Jules Benton, a seventeen year old senior, goes missing after the spring formal dance in the small town of Watertown, Wisconsin, her father, Richard Benton, becomes suspicious of Jules’ boyfriend, David Miller and his involvement with her disappearance.
When Richard confirms his suspicions, the brutality of his capability consumes him and soon David will find out what that means.
Unbeknownst to David or Richard, a serial killer by the name of Ted Olson has more to do with Jules’ disappearance than anyone might suspect. As Jules’ whereabouts unfold, the truth begins to bleed from a dark place. And the authorities have begun to smell the criminal acts committed.
Murder and mayhem catch up with the slow pace of this ordinary Middle American town when evil, perversion, and death mislead these simple folks into a disastrous wave of crime that spirals out of control. All the while, Ted collects his score."
My Thoughts:
There are different ways of reading a book.
One is where you totally accept the plot, the characters, the settings. The stars have aligned and the writer has introduced you to this world that you embrace, no questions asked. It could be about the colonization of Jupiter, an opium den in Seekonk, Massachusetts or cats taking over a Build-a-Bear -- when writing is brilliant, you don't question anything. A talent like that is a rare and beautiful thing as they say.
The second is where you suspend disbelief. Here, there are some things that trip you up, but the writing is still very smooth. You choose to go with the story, although you might not invest as much of your belief in it. It's still wildly fun and entertaining.
And then you have the reads that for whatever reason keep pulling you out of the story. Beat you over the head with lots of words, "signifying nothing."
The buck stops at the skill of the writer to sell his world.
I'm hesitant to even talk about this book because I don't have a lot of good things to say. But, I will try to be fair and as kind as I can be.
This book wasn't quite sure what it wanted to be. It was about Ted who is a serial killer, and the first half of the book, that's the character that kept me reading. The serial killer parts were the most interesting. While we were given chunks of information about the guy and his life, I didn't feel we really got into the meat of his stabby killer life. We would start to get some good description going, really showing us and not telling us other things, backstory that filled us in on why baby Ted became Big Bad Ted -- but then we would switch to scenes that just took the wind out of all that potential tension. All of his moments felt hurried.
Interspersed with information about Ted were vignettes of teenage life. For me, most of these teenage moments didn't ring true. The language of the teens, the interaction between them and then the relationship they had with the adults in their life -- all these things seemed forced and stiff. Not every scene was bad, so, I started out suspending disbelief that I was just out of touch with these kids and their world. I blamed myself. And I kept reading.
Half way through the book, this wonderful thing happened. Mr. Coughlin had this seriously intriguing twist. He immediately had my attention. And as the second half progressed, he quickly lost my attention. He squandered this fantastic idea.
Introducing the random adults in the story is where all hell broke loose and sh*t itself. Their appearances in the plot are where any semblance of cohesive storytelling fell apart.
Not only did we jump the shark, after said jump, we did a spin and immediately started hacking the shark in the back about 40 times. This was the very definition of Deus ex machina in full and glorious action.
In reading about Mr. Coughlin, he is obviously a talented guy. I don't know what happened here. He had moments where he hit his stride and he had me. I was with him. And that twist I mentioned? So well written! That moment in the book was genius. I was anticipating some great hours of reading, watching where we were going to go with that, but I ended up dragging my own almost lifeless body down a dead end.
Of course, stories and reading are all subjective. We all have experiences and knowledge in our brains that shape how we take in information and process it. So, this is just my opinion about this one book. I'm sure Mr. Coughlin has better examples of his amazing writing.
I would like to give kudos to the cover artist. But I could find no name. So, maybe this was just a stock photo that the publisher had? I don't know. But, it's a good cover for the story.
by Daniel P. Coughlin
About the Book:
"From the author of the films Lake Dead, (After Dark Film’s 8 Films to Die For) and Farmhouse, Daniel P. Coughlin’s Ted’s Score is a shocking, suspenseful tale of a depraved, ax-wielding serial killer.
When beautiful Jules Benton, a seventeen year old senior, goes missing after the spring formal dance in the small town of Watertown, Wisconsin, her father, Richard Benton, becomes suspicious of Jules’ boyfriend, David Miller and his involvement with her disappearance.
When Richard confirms his suspicions, the brutality of his capability consumes him and soon David will find out what that means.
Unbeknownst to David or Richard, a serial killer by the name of Ted Olson has more to do with Jules’ disappearance than anyone might suspect. As Jules’ whereabouts unfold, the truth begins to bleed from a dark place. And the authorities have begun to smell the criminal acts committed.
Murder and mayhem catch up with the slow pace of this ordinary Middle American town when evil, perversion, and death mislead these simple folks into a disastrous wave of crime that spirals out of control. All the while, Ted collects his score."
My Thoughts:
There are different ways of reading a book.
One is where you totally accept the plot, the characters, the settings. The stars have aligned and the writer has introduced you to this world that you embrace, no questions asked. It could be about the colonization of Jupiter, an opium den in Seekonk, Massachusetts or cats taking over a Build-a-Bear -- when writing is brilliant, you don't question anything. A talent like that is a rare and beautiful thing as they say.
The second is where you suspend disbelief. Here, there are some things that trip you up, but the writing is still very smooth. You choose to go with the story, although you might not invest as much of your belief in it. It's still wildly fun and entertaining.
And then you have the reads that for whatever reason keep pulling you out of the story. Beat you over the head with lots of words, "signifying nothing."
The buck stops at the skill of the writer to sell his world.
I'm hesitant to even talk about this book because I don't have a lot of good things to say. But, I will try to be fair and as kind as I can be.
This book wasn't quite sure what it wanted to be. It was about Ted who is a serial killer, and the first half of the book, that's the character that kept me reading. The serial killer parts were the most interesting. While we were given chunks of information about the guy and his life, I didn't feel we really got into the meat of his stabby killer life. We would start to get some good description going, really showing us and not telling us other things, backstory that filled us in on why baby Ted became Big Bad Ted -- but then we would switch to scenes that just took the wind out of all that potential tension. All of his moments felt hurried.
Interspersed with information about Ted were vignettes of teenage life. For me, most of these teenage moments didn't ring true. The language of the teens, the interaction between them and then the relationship they had with the adults in their life -- all these things seemed forced and stiff. Not every scene was bad, so, I started out suspending disbelief that I was just out of touch with these kids and their world. I blamed myself. And I kept reading.
Half way through the book, this wonderful thing happened. Mr. Coughlin had this seriously intriguing twist. He immediately had my attention. And as the second half progressed, he quickly lost my attention. He squandered this fantastic idea.
Introducing the random adults in the story is where all hell broke loose and sh*t itself. Their appearances in the plot are where any semblance of cohesive storytelling fell apart.
Not only did we jump the shark, after said jump, we did a spin and immediately started hacking the shark in the back about 40 times. This was the very definition of Deus ex machina in full and glorious action.
In reading about Mr. Coughlin, he is obviously a talented guy. I don't know what happened here. He had moments where he hit his stride and he had me. I was with him. And that twist I mentioned? So well written! That moment in the book was genius. I was anticipating some great hours of reading, watching where we were going to go with that, but I ended up dragging my own almost lifeless body down a dead end.
Of course, stories and reading are all subjective. We all have experiences and knowledge in our brains that shape how we take in information and process it. So, this is just my opinion about this one book. I'm sure Mr. Coughlin has better examples of his amazing writing.
I would like to give kudos to the cover artist. But I could find no name. So, maybe this was just a stock photo that the publisher had? I don't know. But, it's a good cover for the story.
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Sundrop and cat in a bag -- Not that you want to read that whole damn thing again, but I edited my review.
I don't have anything written out ahead of time, so it is just real time writing, and then I see some of my mistakes and fix them and I change a thought to make it clearer. Well, as clear as a non writer can be.
I don't have anything written out ahead of time, so it is just real time writing, and then I see some of my mistakes and fix them and I change a thought to make it clearer. Well, as clear as a non writer can be.
I read this one, too. Got a surprise ending.Next up:
This is the book where I decided I wasn't going to read any more Jack Ketchum books if they involve a woman/girl trapped and abused. I'm tired of that type of story line. Is it good? Yes. It's Ketchum and he's always good. But I wish he had moved onto something else before he passed away. He is an immensely talented writer.
Dear God. One of my anxiety producing things is kids. *heavy sigh*
Let me know what you think. It's a small book so you should be able to finish it in no time at all.
12. I'm Not Sam
by Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee
About the Book:
"Now I'm way beyond confusion.
Now I'm scared.
I've slid down the rabbit-hole and what's down there is dark and serious. This is not play-acting or some waking bad dream she's having. She's changed, somehow overnight. I don't know how I know this but I sense it as surely as I sense my own skin. This is not Sam, my Sam, wholly sane and firmly balanced. Capable of tying off an artery as neatly as you'd thread a belt through the loops of your jeans.
And now I'm shivering too.
In some fundamental way she's changed..."
My Thoughts:
I don't know if anyone remembers, but over in Hot Topics, we discussed a situation that is the same premise as this book, although the circumstances were a little different.
It involved an old man who would go to a nursing home and have sex with his wife who had Alzheimers. They were legally married. But, the woman had diminished brain function. And if I remember, she didn't know who this man was a lot of the times. But yet, he felt that he had a right to have conjugal visits with her.
In I'm Not Sam, this takes an even darker turn when a husband and wife are faced with the wife becoming a "split personality" of a 5 year old girl.
As a child, she is uninhibited about her body so acts like a little kid, running around naked, asking for help to bathe. Even though this is his wife, the husband is uncomfortable with this as he knows, in her mind, she is a child. For him to engage in any kind of marital act with her, even though they are married, was definitely a struggle that he faced.
I won't reveal any more than that, but, morally, ethically, even when a couple are married and have had a long and loving relationship, when does it become criminal? When does it cross the line of abuse?
Just for the record, In my book, both situations are creepy from the get go and the vulnerable person should be protected at all costs as they are not mentally able to give consent.
It's a difficult story, well told. Disturbing and unsettling.
William M. McPheeters gives us this realistic and unsettling artwork for the cover.
by Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee
About the Book:
"Now I'm way beyond confusion.
Now I'm scared.
I've slid down the rabbit-hole and what's down there is dark and serious. This is not play-acting or some waking bad dream she's having. She's changed, somehow overnight. I don't know how I know this but I sense it as surely as I sense my own skin. This is not Sam, my Sam, wholly sane and firmly balanced. Capable of tying off an artery as neatly as you'd thread a belt through the loops of your jeans.
And now I'm shivering too.
In some fundamental way she's changed..."
]
My Thoughts:
I don't know if anyone remembers, but over in Hot Topics, we discussed a situation that is the same premise as this book, although the circumstances were a little different.
It involved an old man who would go to a nursing home and have sex with his wife who had Alzheimers. They were legally married. But, the woman had diminished brain function. And if I remember, she didn't know who this man was a lot of the times. But yet, he felt that he had a right to have conjugal visits with her.
In I'm Not Sam, this takes an even darker turn when a husband and wife are faced with the wife becoming a "split personality" of a 5 year old girl.
As a child, she is uninhibited about her body so acts like a little kid, running around naked, asking for help to bathe. Even though this is his wife, the husband is uncomfortable with this as he knows, in her mind, she is a child. For him to engage in any kind of marital act with her, even though they are married, was definitely a struggle that he faced.
I won't reveal any more than that, but, morally, ethically, even when a couple are married and have had a long and loving relationship, when does it become criminal? When does it cross the line of abuse?
Just for the record, In my book, both situations are creepy from the get go and the vulnerable person should be protected at all costs as they are not mentally able to give consent.
It's a difficult story, well told. Disturbing and unsettling.
William M. McPheeters gives us this realistic and unsettling artwork for the cover.
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