Robert McCammon discussion

Our October group read has been chosen and it is (drumroll please!): Mystery Walk!. (It edged out Usher's Passing by only one vote!)

I hope to see everyone in the discussion! Thanks for your participation and for helping to keep the love of Mr. McCammon's older works alive. :)

We can start the discussion right here. Please preface your posts with the page number and/or location and then put your comments within a spoiler tag.
The directions for spoiler tagging are listed above the box where you type, on the right side. (Some html ok).

I have opened the We're Done thread for this book. Once you are finished, please join us there for our final discussion. No spoiler tags will be used in that thread to make it easier to discuss. So don't pop in there and peek or something may be ruined for you!
Here is a link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Happy Reading!

Can't wait to re-read that one----unfortunately, it's one that disappeared mysteriously from my shelves. Will have to "shop" first!

It's going to be a little while before I am able to start this one. Please, don't wait for me. Feel free to begin reading and discussing at any time!

Charlene wrote: "It's going to be a little while before I am able to start this one. Please, don't wait for me. Feel free to begin reading and discussing at any time!"

I'm hoping for a week or so....a little backlogged with "new" reads!

Kimberly wrote: "Charlene wrote: "It's going to be a little while before I am able to start this one. Please, don't wait for me. Feel free to begin reading and discussing at any time!"

I'm hoping for a week or so...."

me too so that's good. I've been wanting to reread this on for awhile

Starting tonight!!


katie

Good, Katie! I hope to start soon. :)

Okay. I dusted my copy off and put it on my bedside table to begin tonight, too. It's been so long that it'll be new to me again - yay!

Great, Rebecca! We would love to have you. :)

Randolph, I'm sure you will add a lot to the discussion. :)

Why would you say such a thing? I've never found that to be the case with you. You're straightforward and have some great insights. Nothing a-hole-ish about that. :)

Today is the 10th. I just remembered I needed to read this book. Probably start it today sometime. Looking forward to another McCammon novel.

Excellent, Pam! I will be starting next week, I hope!

I'm new to this and not sure how this works. But will any discussion related to this book just go on in this thread, or is there somewhere else I need to go? Thanks.

It will go here! Please just post where you are in the book (Chapter number, page number, percentage) and then put spoiler tags around your post.
Directions for the spoiler tags are on the right side above the box where you type (some html is ok.)

There will be a final thread titled-We're Done and that will be when we're finished, so we won't have to deal with spoiler tags in there.

Glad to have you, Rebecca!

Okay. I don't know what spoiler tags are or see anything to the right of here regarding that, but if it means "just don't spoil things for those who haven't read", I'll just keep it in mind when posting.
Last night I left off about a fifth of the way through the book, page 80, if I want to be precise - ha ha. While things are familiar to me, it's been so long since I'd read this that it really seems like the first time reading it. It has to be at least 20yrs ago that I read it the first time.

To spoiler tag-
(view spoiler)[ type brackets- <> with the word spoiler in between. Then type whatever you were going to say. Then type brackets again and type /spoiler in between them. (hide spoiler)]
Above the box in which you type there's a link that says " some html ok", if you click that, the directions for spoiler tags are listed there. :)

I'm about 20% in and I'm enjoying my reread so far. I enjoy coming of age tales.

Moving right along to 50% or Chapter 7-Ghost Show.

(view spoiler)[ The Dr. Mirakle's Ghost Show sounds like a good time to me!

I love Ramona's character. She is so mysterious and strong. I'm also feeling bad for John, but I think I like his character more now, after his injuries.

It's funny to me that the town hates Ramona so much, but they talk enough about her and people come to see her. It's like in public they hate her, but if they were having a problem, she would be the first one they called. Bunch of racist hypocrites. (hide spoiler)]

The haunted Octopus freaks me out.

I keep forgetting about this!!! I shall read it next, I hope I don't forget..:-)

Haunted Octopus? Aye, aye, aye... I haven't reached that point yet and I'm about a quarter of the way. (Billy & Ramona just arrived at Rebekah's.)

Knowing about the haunted octopus will certainly help me to remember to read this book!!

I didn't elaborate on it, for fear of spoiling anything, but yeah...you'll see. :)
If there is anything spoiler-ish I will mark it spoiler, so I don't ruin it for anyone. If you see the chapter number and know you're not there yet, don't click on "view spoiler"!! :)
I should finish this tonight.

You know, I don't think even spoilers could ruin a McCammon book for me!!! LOL

You're right, Pamellia. Spoilers or not, I'm reading it.

I hope you're enjoying it so far, Rebecca! :)

Rebecca wrote: "Haunted Octopus? Aye, aye, aye... I haven't reached that point yet and I'm about a quarter of the way. (Billy & Ramona just arrived at Rebekah's.)"
Thats where I am too.

Hello, Maribeth! I hope you're enjoying it so far. :)

Absolutely! But then, I love all McCammon books.

I've opened the We're Done thread for Mystery Walk! I put a link to that thread above and here is another one. No spoiler tags will be used in that thread, so don't pop on in there until you're done, because something may be spoiled for you!

I hope everyone can join us there when they're done, so we can talk about this great read!

Here is the link:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Maribeth wrote: "Absolutely! But then, I love all McCammon books."

Maribeth, I'm glad! I love all of them too. :)

ok~I'm starting this one tonight and very much looking forward to it.
I also read it many years ago and don't remember it so it will be like reading it for the first time~I do remember that I liked it, but then I have yet to read a McCammon book that I have not liked :)

I'm glad to see you here, Joanne! I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts. :)

Holy smokes, some of y'all are done!?! My bookmark looks to be about half-way through the story. Mirakle just came into the picture. I have found that I only like to read a couple chapters at a time, at most. It's sort of like nibbling on a yummy, decadent, dark chocolate cherry almond bar... Like to make it last - ha ha.

Rebecca, no worries! The read goes on all month. I just can't put McCammon books down one I start. :)

Can I have a piece of your chocolate? :)

Randolph wrote: "I'm glad that McCammon matured as a writer as his later novels duly attest. Not one of his best, at least so far."

It was when it was published! ;-) I have a lot of nostalgic love for the novel, but the writing and plotting are nowhere near as good as in his later novels.

Hunter

I definitely enjoyed this one more than Baal. But I could tell that this was one of his earlier works.

Hunter wrote: "Randolph wrote: "I'm glad that McCammon matured as a writer as his later novels duly attest. Not one of his best, at least so far."

It was when it was published! ;-) I have a lot of nostalgic love..."

Well said, Hunter.

Was watching TV yesterday afternoon about the top spookiest places in US. Winchester Mystery House in San Diego was listed as one. Now I know the inspiration for the Lodge in Usher's Passing!

At 73%· For some reason my fire keeps backing up...so I find myself reading a lot over. It was more of a hassle trying to find my place, so I simply started reading stories over. Enjoying the story. This guy can really weave a story.

I loved Usher's Passing. Even though I have re-read it recently, I may read it again soon! That Winchester House is crazy. Halls leading to nowhere, passage after passage winding all around? Crazy!!

Pam, when that happens, hit the menu thingy on the bottom, then hit the back button. It should bring you back in the story to where you were. That happens to me all the time.

Charlene wrote: "I loved Usher's Passing. Even though I have re-read it recently, I may read it again soon! That Winchester House is crazy. Halls leading to nowhere, passage after passage winding all around? Crazy!..."

Charlene--thank you--I thought it was just me until I read Pam's post!! LOL!! Oh wait, mine's a paperwhite....#$@B%! Any advice?

Even though we did recently re-read Usher's Passing, that is one (along with the Night Boat) that I REALLY would read again soon. Still have to start on Speaks..... but I promised a review for another (that I haven't started) yet!!

I somehow only read Usher's Passing for the forst time when we read it and it's now one of my favorites. A friend in another grouo is a big fan and is re~reading Ushers Passing this month.
I read Mystery Walk when it first came out and have remembered
really liking it. Re~reading it now I still liked it but I can see the growth of Mr McCammon's writing over the years

Exactly, Joanne! It's easy to see the difference when reading some of his newer works. I still love the story, just the same, though. :)

Joanne wrote: "I somehow only read Usher's Passing for the forst time when we read it and it's now one of my favorites. A friend in another grouo is a big fan and is re~reading Ushers Passing this month.
I read ..."

Still LOVE to re-read his books. I never get tired of them!

I haven't gotten tired of them either, Lavonne. :)

Charlene wrote: "I haven't gotten tired of them either, Lavonne. :)"

me either!