SarahKat’s Comments (group member since Jan 11, 2017)

SarahKat’s comments from the 2025 Reading Challenge group.

Yay! I'm looking forward to your thoughts

Updated

Finished!!

(view spoiler)[The last chapter title is "Here's Your Happy Ending." I laughed really hard at that. And it WAS a good ending! Yay!

I will say after Charlie goes to Deep Mareen I didn't like it as much. The goofiness of the skeletons and then the comparatively quick final battle was sort of a letdown. I was sadder when Mr. Bowditch died than any of the people we lost in Empis. Though it was sad we lost them.

It did seem silly that no one tried to fight Elden before this but that question is answered in Leah needing Charlie to sort of help lead and help her realize what needed done. I like that he gave Claudia and Woody crap for not trying to do that much earlier. I'm also glad the Rumpelstiltskin stuff came full circle and he defeated Gogmagog by saying its name. (hide spoiler)]

Those are thoughts just off the top of my head. I might have more to say later, especially after you finish and share what you think! Hope you enjoy!

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Not a problem! I just have way too many books to *try* to read this month and this happened to be the first available from the library so I'm focusing almost exclusively on this right now.

Through Chapter 22: (view spoiler)[I'm starting to not enjoy this as much. The entire time since Charlie has been caught is just goofy. He's being held prisoner by skeletons who make them play some kind of more violent version of rugby? Really? I hope he gets out of this soon so perhaps the good part of the story can progress.

The interesting thing is he's apparently physically changing into *The Prince*.

I do think Mr. King is being a little facetious about the fact that he's writing a fairy tale too. He writes like he's above writing such tripe and then proceeds to write it. It's okay to just WANT to write a fairy tale without having it be steeped in irony. (hide spoiler)]

Through chapter 17: (view spoiler)[The story is now progressing faster than I would have thought. They are almost to the sundial to hopefully restore Radar to her younger self. I really hope this endeavor works. So far this has been sort of the main quest of the book and I’m wondering what will happen during the second half of the book, because whether or not Radar is restored, we still have quite a chunk left. Perhaps Charlie will somehow heal the land of the gray.
I like the land and the people he’s met. It’s very otherworldly and interesting. Sometimes a little creepy. People are just sort of fading. Leah with her wound she has to drink out of was surprisingly disturbing. (hide spoiler)]

Thank you for letting me know Kristy!

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I get that. I have a lot of fantasy or supernatural books for October and I'm trying really hard to not be reading them at the same time.

Have you watched the Dark Tower show with Idris Elba? Maybe I'll just watch the first season of that to remind myself of the plot and then try reading the 2nd book.

I'll try to update on this book under spoilers so you can look at them when you get to it.

Chapter 9: (view spoiler)[I actually cried when Mr. Bowditch died and I'm not much of a crier. I'm not going to like it when Radar goes either!
I think we are just now going to get into the weirdness in the shed. Mr. Bowditch was a woodsman. Maybe there's a big bad wolf in there.
I like Charlie's backstory and that his dad is a recovering alcoholic. I think a lot of the time, authors make the parent alcoholic or something so the kid has a bunch of unsupervised time because the parent is passed out or otherwise suffering from their addiction. In this case, the dad is sober and really cares about Charlie and where he is. Which yes, makes it harder for Charlie to go do things but it's refreshing. (hide spoiler)]

Hi Marleen!

I've started this. Stephen King is always hit or miss for me but a friend recommended this one. I'm liking it so far but he's bad at endings so we'll see...

I read The Gunslinger years ago and didn't like it but I've been told I should continue the series as it gets much better. I loved 11/22/63 and The Green Mile.

Finished! (view spoiler)[This was so good, especially the ending. I love that the Thunderhead just gets so angry it cuts off all contact with humanity, except for Greyson it seems.

Goddard kills all the Grandslayers and may get away with it because he also sinks the entire island. No record of the decision they made that he has to apprentice again. I like that Rand let Rowan go. Maybe she'll turn all the way good before this is over.

Will Curie make it? And where was Faraday? I thought he was on the island too. (hide spoiler)]

Fun! I just finished a book today so I'm searching the ebook for all the words.

• Ghost: Thunderhead pg. 153 "So then am I in the presence of a ghost?"
• Witch
• Vampire
• Zombie
• Werewolf
• Skeleton: Thunderhead pg. 42 "A skeleton crew staffed the twenty-four-hour food concessions and recharging stations."
• Monster: Thunderhead pg. 213 "I would be the very monster that mortal man feared..."
• Demon: Thunderhead pg. 240 "...her appetite returning with the freeing of her demons."
• Curse: Thunderhead pg. 226 "Rowan tried to curse at him."
• Coffin
• Tomb: Thunderhead pg. 452 "... taken from the Tomb of Rameses II..."
• Spirit: Thunderhead pg 9 "Brahms felt his spirit crumble."
• Shadow: Thunderhead pg 49 "I guess whoever holds the torch casts the darkest shadow."
• Creepy
• Haunted: Thunderhead pg. 44 "Every mansion was a haunted one."
• Possessed
• Spell: Thunderhead pg. 355 "... any of them who had been caught by Goddard's spell..."
• Potion
• Scream: Thunderhead pg 301 "If I had a mouth, I might open it to scream."
• Blood: Thunderhead pg. 226 "His blood is getting all over my white carpet!"
• Web: Thunderhead pg 401 "The scythedom's seat of power was a web of bureaucracy"
• Bat: Thunderhead pg. 150 "A fluttering bat in the eaves above could sound like a dragon taking wing."
• Black Cat
• Cauldron
• Graveyard: Thunderhead pg 148 "While on her graveyard shift, she'd be lucky if one or two people showed up."

Congrats Amy!

Getting through this really quickly. I'm through Part 4.

(view spoiler)[I liked Rowan's new purpose in life, to end scythes who are abusing their power. I think it's good Faraday is trying to reign him in a little bit because even those scythes aren't all completely evil like Goddard.
I did not see Goddard coming back and it's so messed up they used Tyger's body for him. Gross, disturbing, and very sad, especially for Rowan. He's having a hard go of it. The scythe he let live is now a pretty important cog in the new order scythes, and he gleaned Rowan's dad.

Citra and Curie keep being targeted, by who I assume is Goddard's group. I can't tell if Constantine is good or back or neutral. Greyson is having a rough time too. Why can't the Thunderhead place someone as his new contact like he did with Traxler from the beginning? (hide spoiler)]

It looks like Joy responded to my question as to whether to continue this series in August but has since deleted that comment and hasn't commented since.

November's read will be canceled unless I hear from her before October 25th.

As with Charlie Parker, if both Kristy and Cordelia don't check in this month, I'll be canceling this series.

This series will likely be canceled next month unless I hear from both Cordelia and Kristy. Looking back, Kristy has never commented on these books.

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Hi Jennifer! I am in for 10

1. (Un)Lucky Numbers: Read a book with 3, 4, 7, 8, or 13 in its title or series number. Each of these numbers is considered lucky in one culture while unlucky in another.
A Line to Kill
2. Don't Walk Under a Ladder: Read a book in which someone purposefully walks, hikes, or climbs.
We Were Never Here
3. Find a Four-Leaf Clover: Read a book set in Ireland or a book with a green cover.
Weyward
4. Find a Horseshoe: Read a book that includes horses, or a book with a door on the cover.
Anita de Monte Laughs Last
5. Have a Lucky Wedding: Read a book featuring something old, something new, something borrowed, or something blue.
Fairy Tale
6. Don't Break the Mirror: Read a book where a mirror is used as a plot device, or with something broken on the cover.
Lady Oracle
7. Knock on Wood: Read a book with a tree on the cover, or a book including a carpenter or builder.
Two Twisted Crowns
8. Don't Let a Black Cat Cross Your Path: Read a book with a cat on the cover, or involving witchcraft.
Hex
9. Lucky Penny: Read a book about making money, or with a unit of currency in the title.
Our Mutual Friend
10. Don't Spill the Salt: Read a book featuring a cook, or with the letters S-A-L-T in the title.
Spellbook of the Lost and Found

OCTOBER Buddy Reads are posted!

Happy Reading!