Book Review | Revival by Stephen King

Posted August 7, 2025 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Revival by Stephen King

A dark and electrifying novel about addiction, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life.

In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs—including Jamie’s mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.

Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of thirteen, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family’s horrific loss. In his mid-thirties—addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate—Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil’s devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings.

This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written. It’s a masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Frank Norris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2025 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #28: A crossover (Set in a shared universe))
The Stephen King Constant Reader Challenge

The Reason

For the The Stephen King Constant Reader Challenge and because I’ve heard amazing things about this one in particular.

The Quotes

“That’s how you know you’re home, I think, no matter how far you’ve gone from it or how long you’ve been in some other place. Home is where they want you to stay longer.”

“People say that where there’s life, there’s hope, and I have no quarrel with that, but I also believe the reverse. There is hope, therefore I live.”

“Religion is the theological equivalent of a quick-buck insurance scam, where you pay in your premium year after year, and then, when you need the benefits you paid for so—pardon the pun—so religiously, you discover the company that took your money does not, in fact, exist.”

“This is how we bring about our own damnation, you know-by ignoring the voice that begs us to stop. To stop while there’s still time.”

The Narrator(s)

David Morse. It was perfectly fine and I enjoyed it very much.

My Thoughts

I liked it very much but I’d hope to like it more. I’d heard so many people hype it up so maybe I went in with overly high expectations. The story itself was really good but not what I expected. I thought it was going to be some kind of church horror in the vein of the movie Midnight Mass, but it wasn’t. Which is completely fine, I like where the story went too!

It was very slow burn, taking fifty years to come to fruition, and it was very interesting to see the characters develop over that time; the way they grow up and grow old, the way their beliefs and values evolve, everything they do to bring them where they end up. I’ve said it before that one of the reasons I love SK’s books so much is because he’s so good at character study. This book was amazing for that, and it’s still one I really enjoyed reading, even if I don’t love it as much as SK’s other books.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

Tags: , , , , , ,

Book Review | If On A Winter’s Night A Traveler by Italo Calvino

Posted August 7, 2025 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

If On A Winter’s Night A Traveler by Italo Calvino

If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler is a marvel of ingenuity, an experimental text that looks longingly back to the great age of narration—”when time no longer seemed stopped and did not yet seem to have exploded.” Italo Calvino’s novel is in one sense a comedy in which the two protagonists, the Reader and the Other Reader, ultimately end up married, having almost finished If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler. In another, it is a tragedy, a reflection on the difficulties of writing and the solitary nature of reading. The Reader buys a fashionable new book, which opens with an exhortation: “Relax. Concentrate. Dispel every other thought. Let the world around you fade.” Alas, after 30 or so pages, he discovers that his copy is corrupted, and consists of nothing but the first section, over and over. Returning to the bookshop, he discovers the volume, which he thought was by Calvino, is actually by the Polish writer Bazakbal. Given the choice between the two, he goes for the Pole, as does the Other Reader, Ludmilla. But this copy turns out to be by yet another writer, as does the next, and the next.

The real Calvino intersperses 10 different pastiches—stories of menace, spies, mystery, premonition—with explorations of how and why we choose to read, make meanings, and get our bearings or fail to. Meanwhile the Reader and Ludmilla try to reach, and read, each other. If on a Winter’s Night is dazzling, vertiginous, and deeply romantic. “What makes lovemaking and reading resemble each other most is that within both of them times and spaces open, different from measurable time and space.”

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2025 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #25: Breaks the fourth wall)

The Reason

This was the BOTM for my in-person bookclub, and one of our member’s favorite book.

The Quotes

“What harbor can receive you more securely than a great library?”

“Reading is going toward something that is about to be, and no one yet knows what it will be.”

“Every new book I read comes to be a part of that overall and unitary book that is the sum of my readings…if you need little to set the imagination going, I require even less: the promise of reading is enough.”

The Narrator(s)

Jefferson Mays. The narration was fine, I had no issue with it.

My Thoughts

If you are reading this for the first time, please do not read it on audiobook. I was so confused! It was only during our bookclub discussion that I realized the overarching story was interspersed with little short stories in between. I didn’t realize that and couldn’t understand why the story was jumping all over the place. Subsequently, please take my review with a grain of salt since I’m sure I missed a lot.

The things that I did get and understood; I like that it was meta. It reminded me a little of The Shadow of the Wind, which I enjoyed very much. I like that there was a focus on the reader and reading experience, but interestingly, the part that interested me most was where there was focus on the writer and the writing experience. That part made me want to write!

I’m pretty sure I missed out on a lot by listening on audio instead of on print, but either way, I feel like this is a book that gets better with more rereads. I like rereading so I’ll get to it again eventually, but probably not anytime soon.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

Tags: , , , , ,

Book Review | A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost

Posted August 6, 2025 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost

If there’s one trait that makes someone well suited to comedy, it’s being able to take a punch—metaphorically and, occasionally, physically.

From growing up in a family of firefighters on Staten Island to commuting three hours a day to high school and “seeing the sights” (like watching a Russian woman throw a stroller off the back of a ferry), to attending Harvard while Facebook was created, Jost shares how he has navigated the world like a slightly smarter Forrest Gump.

You’ll also discover things about Jost that will surprise and confuse you, like how Jimmy Buffett saved his life, how Czech teenagers attacked him with potato salad, how an insect laid eggs inside his legs, and how he competed in a twenty-five-man match at WrestleMania (and almost won). You’ll go behind the scenes at SNL and Weekend Update (where he’s written some of the most memorable sketches and jokes of the past fifteen years). And you’ll experience the life of a touring stand-up comedian—from performing in rural college cafeterias at noon to opening for Dave Chappelle at Radio City Music Hall.

For every accomplishment (hosting the Emmys), there is a setback (hosting the Emmys). And for every absurd moment (watching paramedics give CPR to a raccoon), there is an honest, emotional one (recounting his mother’s experience on the scene of the Twin Towers’ collapse on 9/11). Told with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, A Very Punchable Face reveals the brilliant mind behind some of the dumbest sketches on television, and lays bare the heart and humor of a hardworking guy—with a face you can’t help but want to punch.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
N/A

The Reason

I really like him on SNL and Pop Culture Jeopardy.

The Quotes

“I’m a creature driven by a combination of guilt and FOMO, which often overrides any sense of self-preservation.”

“What I realized was: I might never have this chance again. In fact, I almost certainly would never have this chance again. Did I really want to look back and think: I could have done more, but I was afraid people would think I was lame for trying too hard? I decided to try really hard.”

“That’s two lessons I learned very quickly: (1) You don’t need to do anything in life—if it feels wrong or unnatural, it probably is. And (2) I had no one but myself to blame for not trusting my own instincts and pushing back when I felt something was wrong.”

“That’s what Harvard was like: thinking you’re pretty good at something, then meeting someone who is really good or even one of the best in the world. And that doesn’t mean they get good grades. A lot of the most famous alumni left without graduating because their work became more important than school. People like Bill Gates, Matt Damon, and Mark Zuckerberg. And you know who did graduate? The Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski. The point is: Never graduate from Harvard.”

The Narrator(s)

The author himself. It was great!

My Thoughts

I really enjoy watching him on SNL and Pop Culture Jeopardy, then I came across his book, thought the title was funny, and decided I wanted to learn more about the guy. It was actually quite fascinating because I know nothing about him other than his recent public works, and I have so much more respect for him now seeing how hard he worked to get where he is. Especially in the entertainment business.

One of the things that surprised me most was learning about his family background and his firefighter mom. I thought that was really cool. It got real when he talked about his mother working during the Twin Towers’ collapse, and I could tell how impactful that experience must have been for his mother and his family. I like him more now than ever, and I’m glad I read this book.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

Tags: , , , , ,

Book Review | The Love Haters by Katherine Center

Posted August 6, 2025 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

It’s a thin line between love and love-hating.

Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West.

The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but fakes it that she can.

Plus: Cole is Hutch’s brother. And they don’t get along. Next stop paradise!

But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good looking man she has ever seen . . . but also a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful Aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two.

Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2025 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #22: Found family trope)

The Reason

I need more Katherine Center books in my life!

The Quotes

“Reading love stories isn’t frivolous. It’s profound. It’s not escape, it’s the opposite. Trust me, and trust yourself: love stories are the best kinds of therapy. They aren’t shallow, they’re deep. Start looking and you’ll see it, too. Love stories make us better at love. In all directions. And getting better at love of course, means getting better at life.”

“The funny thing about the internet is that it is basically a collective hallucination. If you don’t join in, it doesn’t exist.”

“Every time you have to be brave, you get to be a little braver next time. That’s what life is for.”

“If you don’t reject the harsh things people say to you, then I guess, at some point, that means you accept them.”

My Thoughts

This was so perfectly charming and fun to read! I love Katie and Hutch’s chemistry, and I love the story and how their relationship unfolded. Katie was adorable and awkward and so relatable. I couldn’t help but love her. Hutch was portrayed as the strong, silent type, but he’s just as awkward and I love it! It was such fun reading this, I even learned some things about helicopters and how rescues work.

I also love that there was a found family element to the story with Rue and her friends. Katie was being cared for and I love that for her. I didn’t like Cole so much, I thought he was wildly unprofessional and what he did was basically workplace sexual harrassment. It might not have been so bad if they were friends, but as he was Katie’s superior at work, I really didn’t like that part of the story.

The main part of the story was sweet though, and I love the dog. He was the funniest wingman! This was such a fun and enjoyable read, and just what I needed.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

Tags: , , ,

Book Review | Swept Away by Beth O’Leary

Posted August 6, 2025 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Swept Away by Beth O’Leary

Two strangers find themselves stranded at sea together in this epic new love story by bestselling author Beth O’Leary.

What if you were lost at sea…with your one-night stand?

Zeke and Lexi thought it would just be a night of fun. They had no intentions of seeing each other again. Zeke is only in town for the weekend to buy back his late father’s houseboat. Lexi has no time for dating when she needs to help take care of her best friend’s daughter.

Going back home with a stranger seems like a perfect escape from their problems. But a miscommunication in the dark, foggy night means no one tied the houseboat to the dock. The next morning, Zeke and Lexi realize all they can see is miles and miles of water.

With just a few provisions on the idle boat, Zeke and Lexi must figure out how to get back home. But aside from their survival, they’re facing another challenge. Because when you’re stuck together for days on end, it gives you a lot of time to get to know someone—and to fall in love with them.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2025 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #52: Published in 2025)

The Reason

I’ve enjoyed many of the author’s works.

The Quotes

“Sometimes the biggest moments in your life are disguised as nothings.”

“If you’re the sidekick for long enough, you forget how to lead your own life.”

“Life is full of extremes right now. Either I’m doing absolutely fuck-all for hours on end, or I’m dashing around panicking.”

My Thoughts

This might be my least favorite of all the author’s books. I can’t go into detail without spoiling it, but there’s a lot of big traumatic stuff casually thrown around like it’s nothing. If you’ve read the book or don’t mind spoilers, you can click on the arrow below.

Spoiler
It’s not really lighthearted romance, it’s quite serious and traumatizing, tbh. Also, the MMC having sex at 16 with a 28yo for two months, and then numbing himself with sex with 65 partners for years afterwards. And Penny getting pregnant with his child 4 years ago and never telling him, with no remorse on her part and yet it was just…forgiven? This is a whole lot of fucked up shit.

I have no issues with serious topics being covered in a romance, if it’s done right, but in this case, it’s the fact that they are presented as normal. Also, I usually really enjoy the forced proximity trope, but the circumstances were just too scary in this book. I feel like this at this point, the story should’ve been categorized under survival fiction or drama, and the romance shouldn’t be a part of it at all. More care should’ve been given to the sensitive topics, imho.

My Rating

⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

Tags: , , , ,

Book Review | Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Posted August 6, 2025 by Haze in Book Reviews / 1 Comment

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s Space Shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.

Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s Space Shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.

Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easy-going even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warm-hearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane.

As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe.

Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.

Fast-paced, thrilling, and emotional, Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting readers to iconic times and places, with complex protagonists, telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love, this time among the stars.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2025 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #31: Audiobook has multiple narrators)

The Reason

It’s a TJR book, plus Julia Whelan narrates it. Of course I’m reading it!

The Quotes

“Happiness is so hard to come by. I don’t understand why anyone would begrudge anyone else for managing to find some of it.”

“You are what you are, and I like what you are. Anyway, nobody is one thing all the time.”

“In all of her time spent watching others, she hadn’t picked up on this part of falling in love, that someone could look at you as if you were the very center of everything. And even though you knew better, you’d allow yourself a moment to believe you were worthy of being revolved around, too.”

“So when you look out at the sky, the farther you can see, the further back you are looking in time. The space between you and the star is time.”

The Narrator(s)

Taylor Jenkins Reid, Julia Whelan, Kristen DiMercurio. TJR narrated the Author’s Note. Julia Whelan and Kristen DiMercurio read the different timelines of the book. They were both great, and of course, everyone knows I love Julia Whelan!

My Thoughts

This book packs 100% emotional damage. I know it’s a little dramatic but I was genuinely emotionally wrecked at the last part of this book and I was sobbing so loudly the night I finished it that my husband was completely perplexed. He asked me the next morning, hesitantly, to tell him about the book because he wanted to know why I was crying so hard, and so I told him the summary, and started crying again!

I don’t know why the book hit me so hard, I can’t even say it’s my favorite TJR book, and I do have issues with the storytelling/time jumps and feeling like they spoil the story for me. It’s just that the whole scene at the end was so emotionally powerful. It was hit after hit after hit, and a KO punch at the end!

Well, now that we’ve established that I’m a huge crybaby, let’s move on. I loved the story; I love reading about how life might have been like for female astronauts breaking into a male dominated space. I love seeing the women navigate their environment, and I love that different coping methods were represented, not all good ones. Times are different now, I know, but I like that Lydia’s reasoning for why she does that was discussed, because I can see her pov as well. I also love how Lydia learned and grew as a person. Not saying that I like her as a person, but I love her character!

Overall, I loved the story, and I guess I loved being emotionally destroyed, but as I said, I’m not sure I like the timeline edits, and I’m also on the fence about where the story ended. I feel like it ended there for maximum emotional impact, but I also feel like the story is unfinished. I wanted to know more about everyone else; there were other characters’ stories that felt unresolved and I needed more. I feel like it might have been better served with an epilogue. Still a great story by one of my favorite authors!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

Tags: , , , , ,

Book Review | Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Posted August 6, 2025 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

‘Everything is finished. I have nothing but you now. Remember that’

Anna Karenina seems to have everything – beauty, wealth, popularity and an adored son. But she feels that her life is empty until the moment she encounters the impetuous officer Count Vronsky. Their subsequent affair scandalizes society and family alike and soon brings jealously and bitterness in its wake. Contrasting with this tale of love and self-destruction is the vividly observed story of Levin, a man striving to find contentment and a meaning to his life – and also a self-portrait of Tolstoy himself.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2025 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #49: Set in a country with an active volcano)
The Classics Club

The Reason

This has been on my TBR for a while. I had a few false starts last year but there was a buddy read this year that motivated me to finally finish it.

The Quotes

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

“If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.”

“He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.”

“Rummaging in our souls, we often dig up something that ought to have lain there unnoticed.”

The Narrator(s)

Maggie Gyllenhaal. She was great! I enjoyed her narration a lot more than the one I tried last year (forgot who the narrator was, but it wasn’t Maggie!).

My Thoughts

I honestly love Tolstoy’s writing and the way he keeps me invested, interested, in suspense, never knowing what’s coming next, but I also didn’t like the characters and the over-the-top drama and toxicity, and I’m just so happy it’s over!

I thought I would like Anna’s character more, but I couldn’t stand her once we got to know her more and I really hated her by the end of the book. In fact, I didn’t really like any of the characters much, but funny enough, I loved the character study and I was very impressed by the way Tolstoy kept me interested in them throughout the whole book.

There was so much to explore with the different characters; their behaviors, motivations, growth or non-growth. I never knew where they were going to go or what they were going to do, but it also never felt unrealistic to me. I just love Tolstoy’s writing and I definitely want to read more, but I feel like I never want to read this book again because I’m so sick of Anna and I never want to see her again. Fortunately, Tolstoy has got several other books I can read, so I’m looking forward to those!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

Tags: , , , , ,

Book Review | The Wild Robot Series by Peter Brown

Posted August 6, 2025 by Haze in Book Reviews / 1 Comment

The Wild Robot Series by Peter Brown

Can a robot survive in the wilderness?

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is—but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island’s unwelcoming animal inhabitants.

As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home—until, one day, the robot’s mysterious past comes back to haunt her.

From bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a heartwarming and action-packed novel about what happens when nature and technology collide.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2025 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #TBD)

The Reason

I loved the movie! I didn’t know there were books but came across them as I was browsing my library’s catalog and just had to read them!

The Quotes

“The island was teeming with life. And now it had a new kind of life. A strange kind of life. Artificial life.”

“If you stand in a forest long enough, eventually something will fall on you.”

“I’ll tell you what: If I could do it all over again, I’d spend more time helping others. All I’ve ever done is dig tunnels. Some of them were real beauties too, but they’re all hidden underground, where they’re no good to anyone but me.”

“As the robot looked out at the island, it never even occurred to her that she might not belong there. As far as Roz knew, she was home.”

The Narrator(s)

Kate Atwater for the first book, Kathleen McInerney for the second and third book.

My Thoughts

I love that the movie stayed pretty true to the first book. There are some differences, of course, but I feel like the important points were covered. The stories for the second and third books aren’t told in the movie but I’m hoping there will be more movies, maybe! I personally loved the first book most; the other books had good stories to tell too but I wasn’t as invested and I think I didn’t feel the urgency as much. Still a wonderful series and I enjoyed it very much!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

Tags: , , , ,

Top Ten Tuesday | Stephen King Books That Are Not Horror

Posted August 4, 2025 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 29 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Genre freebie 

I’m going with Stephen King Books that are Not Horror. I’m currently doing a Stephen King Reading Challenge, and although I’ve read several of his books, his catalog is so extensive that I’m not even halfway done yet. I don’t think I’m even a quarter-way done! He also has a lot of books that aren’t explicitly horror, even though he’s most recognized as a horror writer. Below is a list of books he’s written that I wouldn’t categorize as horror.

I haven’t read all of these, but have watched some of the film adaptations so I’m vaguely familiar with the stories, and I’m quite confident they’re mostly non-horror. If you’ve read them and don’t agree, please let me know! If you’re familiar with his works and can name more that aren’t horror, please do!

Top Ten Stephen King Books That Are Not Horror

  1. 11/22/63 – One of his best works; I have read this book twice, watched the tv series, loved both and I could probably reread it over and over again! I would categorize this as time-travel historical fiction.
  2. The Green Mile – I’ve read the book and watched the movie, and it’s just heartbreaking drama. If there’s any horror, it’s the horror of human monsters. I cried so much for both the book and movie.
  3. Billy Summers – I’ve only read this once a while ago so I don’t remember a lot, but I remember loving it. It reads more like a crime thriller.
  4. Under the Dome – I read this and watched the tv series a long time ago and don’t remember much either. I mean, the dome phenomena is probably supernatural, but the monsters are only of the human kind.
  5. On Writing – The most obvious non-horror, since it’s his non-fiction memoir. I’ve read this a couple of times and it’s always amazing listening to him talk about writing. It’s so inspiring and it makes me want to be his bff!
  6. Fairy Tale – One of my favorite SK books; it’s like the title says, it’s more like a fairy tale than any horror story. I am enchanted by the book from the first page.
  7. Dolores Claiborne – I watched the movie but haven’t read the book. It’s another one I would categorize as a drama. Kathy Bates acts as the titular character, and she’s amazing as usual. I’m excited to read it eventually.
  8. Joyland – More like a coming-of-age story. SK is really good at those, and I enjoyed this one.
  9. The Body – Also a coming-of-age story, perhaps better known by its movie’s name, Stand By Me. I think most people are familiar with the movie and know that there’s not much horror to it. I haven’t read the book. Hopefully soon.
  10. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon – A survival story, not horror unless it’s adventure horror? It stays pretty true to real life and there isn’t very many paranormal elements to it except for hallucinations that can be explained in extreme survival conditions. At least, as far as I remember.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

Tags: , ,

Sunday Post | 3 August 2025

Posted August 2, 2025 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 10 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

Happy August!

I did very well last week on my fitness! I ran 5k on the treadmill three times last week after months of not running at all. It might just be that I’m feeling a little more motivated coming back to it after so long, but I fully intend on keeping it up as consistently as possible in the next few months. Fingers crossed!

I also did some more back-to-school prep; setting up my student ID, shopping for backpacks (I haven’t found one but I’m doing the research!), academic calendars, stationery, and other miscellanous things. I’m excited about going back to school and I’m making a bigger deal out of it than necessary! One more month to go and I’m counting down the days!

On my watchlist:
We watched Deep Cover and it was one of the funnest, most hilarious shows I’ve watched in a while. Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, and Nick Mohammed are three actors I’ve enjoyed, and they have such great chemistry together here. It gave me so much pleasure to watch them and I highly recommend the movie if you want a good laugh.

We also watched Untamed with Eric Bana, Sam Neill, Lily Santiago, and others, and it was really good too. I didn’t like Eric Bana’s character very much, in fact there were a lot of characters whose morals were questionable, but I did love Lily Santiago’s character, and the storytelling really pulled me in.

The Books

Books I read last week:

  1. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – Finished for the nth time and I’m happily surprised that I still love it as much as ever. This is the 4th time I’m reading it in 4 years and I was afraid I might get tired of it, but I didn’t! I’m not going to push it though, I think I’m going to leave it for a couple of years before I reread again.
  2. Revival by Stephen King – This is objectively a good story but I didn’t connect with it as much as I hoped. I’m not sure if it’s because it was overhyped and I went in with overly high expectations, or if I maybe rushed through the book too quickly. To be fair, I do tend to rush through my first time reading exciting books and there are several SK books that I loved more in the rereading.
  3. The Crêpes of Wrath by Sarah Fox – I read it for the punny title and I do enjoy cozy mysteries. This one was okay, I enjoyed it well enough, but I don’t think I’ll be reading the rest of the series.

Books I’m reading:

  1. The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin – I just started it. It’s been on my TBR so long, I’m glad to finally be reading this!

Last Week on The Blog

I spent some time doing admin on the blog! I’ve been leaving the “challenges” section of my book reviews blank because I hadn’t been deliberate about reading books for the challenges, but I finally took a look at them and have updated The 52 Book Club’s 2025 Reading Challenge with books that fit! I’m not done with the updates and the challenges aren’t finished, but I’m glad to see I’m not as far behind as I thought!

This Week

I’m going to finish The Keeper of Hidden Books and get started on other books on my August TBR. I’ll also continue with the reading challenge updates.

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

Tags: , , , , ,