2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss If It Bleeds, the second book in the Holly Gibney series by Stephen King.

Pages: 447 pages

Length: 1 month (June)

Participants: bailey, Jannene, Dominique

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

So excited!

I hope my hold comes in soon! It says 4 weeks on Libby but maybe some of the people ahead of me will deliver later.

When is everyone planning on starting?

Dom and I can wait.

Bailey, did you move up im line any?

bailey wrote: "I hope my hold comes in soon! It says 4 weeks on Libby but maybe some of the people ahead of me will deliver later.

When is everyone planning on starting?"

Have you moved up?

Sorry, I'm not sure how I missed your messages until now!

It doesn't seem that I've moved very much (if at all) in line. It still says 4 weeks but I'm in 8th place on 6 copies so I think I'm just going to break out my hardcover copy.

Let us know. We started our Charlie Parker book so we can keep busy until you get it.

I got the audiobook and have started reading it today! I’m starting with Holly’s story and then I’ll go back and read the three other stories after.

bailey wrote: "I got the audiobook and have started reading it today! I’m starting with Holly’s story and then I’ll go back and read the three other stories after."

I didn't realize that it was 4 different stories. Dom and I can start at the end of this week. We just started lincoln Rhymes yesterday.

Sounds good to me!

I’ll go ahead and give my first update since I started the book. I’m towards the end of December 16th.

(view spoiler)[ Gosh I love Holly so much! She’s back doing her thing for Finders Keepers and has made tons of progress since we first saw her in Mr. Mercedes. I’m really glad to hear some of the callbacks to Brady Hartsfield and how he still has an effect on how Holly operates.

So far it seems like If It Bleeds is a direct sequel to The Outsider which is pretty cool! I’ve forgotten some of the smaller details about the book but it’s pretty clear the outsider was correct about having “siblings” or whatever you want to call them. Hearing about how Dan and his son have remembered the current outsider’s face and voice is crazy! I can’t imagine remembering a face that well over several decades! I’m hoping that these two side characters don’t become collateral damage in Holly stopping the new outsider.. (hide spoiler)]

Just started the book and skipped to 'If it Bleeds'.

Up to end of December 16

(view spoiler)[Holly sure knows how to pass time. I like how shes recording this for Ralph.

Meeting Dan and Brad was creepy. The way they walked her though the many manifestations the outsider has done. I like how Dan knows faces and Brad is all about the voices.

I'm a little worried like you Bailey on the safety of the two men.

She is so protective of her friends because she doesn't want to lose them thst she is willing to put herself in front of the fire. I hope she gets some help to get rid of the outsider.

Her mom is a piece of work. I feel bad for what Holly endures with her. (hide spoiler)]

Jannene wrote: "Up to end of December 16
"

(view spoiler)[Yes!! Oh my gosh her mom is awful! The whole time I was listening to that part I kept trying to will Holly to just stop interacting with her. I don’t remember her mother being this agitating in previous books with Holly but I could just not be remembering. (hide spoiler)]

Finished 'If it bleeds'. That book with Holly is so good. The following one called 'Rat', I have given up.

Not much faith in the other two we skipped to get to Holly.

Her section was awesome. Totally loved the ending.

I agree! I wish the whole book was just Holly’s story. I read The Life of Chuck and Mr. Harrigan’s Phone and I’m about halfway through Rat. I really enjoyed Mr. Harrigan’s Phone but not so much The Life of Chuck. It wasn’t bad.. it just wasn’t as good as SK’s other short stories. So far I’m not impressed with Rat at all. It seems like the same old story about a guy trying to write books and something spooky unfolds. I’ll still finish it but it’s not that entertaining, especially with Holly’s story taking place directly before it.

I am enjoying Mr. Harrington's Phone.

I liked Mr. Harrington but Chuck I gave uo on. Yep, i did about 50% of the book.

I liked If it Bleeds but the rest felt like filler. I don't know what King was trying to do but I was not a fan. I didn’t finish Chuck or Rat. The other story was good.

I read all of If It Bleeds last year. I don't remember any part of the Holly story. I feel like he is making a lot of references to it in Holly and some of it sounds familiar but it doesn't seem to affect this story.

I loved Mr. Harrington's Phone.

I'm surprised how much I'm into Holly. I've been wanting to read it all day but I have to read something for my sister.