What are you reading?

[Sham]

Finished Carrie. Yep. Definitely much better the second time around.

I'm still disappointed in Chris and Billy's "comeuppance." It's so weak and unoriginal compared to all the shit they put other people through. They got off way too easy.

[Neon Maniac]

I finished Battle Royale by Some Japanese Guy. It was a good read, and I'd reccomend it. I was really curious how it would mesh with the movie, and I was pleasantly surprised it did a good job, probably a better job, of conveying the interpersonal relationships of the students. I really could've done without all the flashbacks and long drawn out character subtexts, but I guess you can't have the depth necessary without them.

I'm currently reading Hunger Games by Some White Woman. It's the same idea as Battle Royale, but takes place in the future about 100 years, is set in North America after some disaster wiped out the US. It's set in a country caled Penama or something stupid like that, and there's The Capitol, and 12 outlying districts. Because of a rebellion of the districts like 75 years before, The Capitol forces a death match every year to punish the districts. Not unlike Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, there's a lottery drawing where a girl and a boy from each district are sent to The Capitol and basically go Battle Royale on eachother. It's in the future for the premise, but not 'in the future' ala Sci-Fi. So far it's as lame as it sounds. I'm about half way into it and the game just started.

[shiki-jitsu]

I'm currently reading Hunger Games by Some White Woman. It's the same idea as Battle Royale, but takes place in the future about 100 years, is set in North America after some disaster wiped out the US. It's set in a country caled Penama or something stupid like that, and there's The Capitol, and 12 outlying districts. Because of a rebellion of the districts like 75 years before, The Capitol forces a death match every year to punish the districts. Not unlike Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, there's a lottery drawing where a girl and a boy from each district are sent to The Capitol and basically go Battle Royale on eachother. It's in the future for the premise, but not 'in the future' ala Sci-Fi. So far it's as lame as it sounds. I'm about half way into it and the game just started.

OMG that sounds like John Titor's life story.

[Neon Maniac]

You know, now that you mention it, it really kind of does. At least what they say about the districts and the rebellion. There's another book I may read next that is basically almost exactly his life story sans time travel if the summary is to be believed.

[Sham]

Finished Desperation by Stephen King. Really surprised by this one. Gets right into it, which I wasn't expecting from a King novel. The ending's a little rushed, but it's a solid book overall.

[Neon Maniac]

I liked how Desperation jumped right into the heart of it, but did you think it was fair that...

Spoiler:

they got out of it all because the little boy prayed and God let them live?

This is what is killing/has killed King's work for me for the last 10 years.

I'm reading The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe.

[Sham]

I liked how Desperation jumped right into the heart of it, but did you think it was fair that...

Spoiler:

they got out of it all because the little boy prayed and God let them live?

This is what is killing/has killed King's work for me for the last 10 years.

From what I understood of the book

Spoiler:

the boy was never praying to live, but listening to God because he owed him a favor. I thought it was pure chance any of them made it out alive.

As an agnostic, I didn't mind the religious aspect of the book. I found it interesting for the most part.

[Neon Maniac]

Was this the first King book you read where

Spoiler:

a little boy prays and everyone gets saved?

I ask because this is becoming King's norm. He puts his characters into a no win situation, gets to the climax

Spoiler:

and a little boy prays and everything works out.

To me, it's a let down, a major let down. If I wanted to read that, I'd go to the Christian bookstore and read their suspense fiction, because that's how all of those end.

[Sham]

Was this the first King book you read where

Spoiler:

a little boy prays and everyone gets saved?

I ask because this is becoming King's norm. He puts his characters into a no win situation, gets to the climax

Spoiler:

and a little boy prays and everything works out.

To me, it's a let down, a major let down. If I wanted to read that, I'd go to the Christian bookstore and read their suspense fiction, because that's how all of those end.

The only King books I've read are Carrie, Cujo, Desperation, and about four hundred pages of It before I took a break and lost my spot.

The praying aspect of Desperation, for me, was the point of the book. It wasn't tacked on at the end like some sudden realization. It was a recurring subplot. I didn't feel cheated by it.

I think the only spiritual moment of the book I wasn't too thrilled about was

Spoiler:

the part where David can get service on the cell phone when no one else can.

I didn't think that moment played by the rules.

I don't know anything about King using religion in his newer books, but I gotta say Desperation would've been a completely different novel without it. Again, I really enjoyed reading it despite its flaws.

[Neon Maniac]

I really enjoyed reading it too, which is why I was let down by the praying. To me, that didn't play by the rules. Regardless of religious beliefs, if your characters can get out of the situation by praying or some other form of divine intervention, I think that's a cheat.

I don't remember how The Regulator's end, but I don't think I felt cheated by it. You should read that next or at least soon, since that's the companion to Desperation. It's pretty cool, it's the same characters in a different situation, kind of like an alternate universe type thing. If you want more praying, read Cell. A great book until the end.

[shiki-jitsu]

If you want more praying, read Cell. A great book until the end.

It was better as The Rising.

Seriously though, I couldn't get past a few chapters on Cell. King is worse now than he ever was.

[Neon Maniac]

OMG... Keene wishes he could write like King. I'm seriously surprised The Rising was even published, as bad as it is in some parts. It's a fun story, but seriously, Keene really looks like an idiot in some parts of the book.

[shiki-jitsu]

It's a fun story, but seriously, Keene really looks like an idiot in some parts of the book.

"Blood blossoming from his head... " or whatever corny phrase he reused like 20 times in the book.

[Neon Maniac]

Or the dialog of the gangstas.

[Spez]

Finished Desperation by Stephen King. Really surprised by this one. Gets right into it, which I wasn't expecting from a King novel. The ending's a little rushed, but it's a solid book overall.

I'm reading this now too. I'll have to come back to read all the spoiler tags.