Hooked on Books discussion

Members Starting the BR: Sammy and Jenny
Book: Wizard and Glass by Stephen King


Anyone is free to join in this Buddy Read! Happy Reading!

Ok, so I finished it already... lol.

Can't believe I bought my paperback copy almost 27 years ago! Talk about taking my time with a series 😆

Enjoyed the opening. I love a good riddle! Ok, so maybe they weren't all good, but that was kinda the point.

I also love how King weaves so many of his books together through the Dark Tower. There was much of The Stand in the opening section here.

also I am reminded I still need to get a copy of Charlie the Choo-Choo... I'm going into town in a couple of days. May look for it then! 😁

I will come back for more on this one in a bit. Need to go feed myself.

Well, technically, I have finished it too. But, my reread is just starting. teehee

I was surprised by how much of the book is backstory... It was a little like the Princess Bride. A little bit of bookending of "current" stuff, with an occasional interjection here or there, but I'd say 80% at least was backstory.

Good thing it was a good backstory, lol! I got probably the strongest "western" feel from that segment of the whole series so far.

But I'm definitely ready to get back to Jake and the gang.

I'm reading The Bachman books as well, and will likely finish that tonight, so I am primed to dive into more King.
I am not shocked that it didn't take too long for people to suss out that Richard Bachman was actually King. The writing is very similar, and the character development is the same level of excellent.

Now that you mention the back story element of Wizard, it is starting to come back to me. Pretty sure I read it quickly for a challenge. I may take a little longer this time. Or, it will be done in a day. We'll see...

King has a very distinctive style. I rather enjoy it, which is why I've read (almost) all his books and find them easy to read. Not everyone has the same experience (but enough people do to make him one of the most successful novelists of all time!).

What format are you using for this one?

I did a combination of audio and paperback, and I hugely preferred the sections I read myself. It was like reading a whole different book. It really underlines the difference a good narrator can make to a book. I didn't hate this guy (some are so awful I just can't!), but I didn't like him much either.

I almost never listen to King on audio. Except I did love the narrator for Under the Dome. I don't remember who it is of course.

Years ago I bought the paperback boxed set of the series, so I am reading that very thick book.

I got no reading done last night, as I sat in front of my tv watching the Democratic National Convention for bloody hours. I only meant to catch a couple of the speeches. Oh well.
So, I am starting my morning with the last few chapters of The Running Man. Just the thing to get me in a good frame of mind for work!!!

Same here. This was the first King audio I've done, and it's not encouraging me to do any more! 😆

Damn, I really like this book. There were several times I wanted to slap Roland, or his friends, but instead, I wanted to warn them what I knew about the baddies plotting against them.

Starting at the beginning, the train journey was intense. Blaine gave me the heebie jeebies. It fed into my perhaps non-sensical fear of AI taking over the world. Yes, I took Terminator to heart. And I still want to date Michael Bien. Although I think I just spelled his name wrong.

I have a coffee mug with "I dream of a world where a chicken can cross the road with having its motives questioned" on it, and now I want one with the baby stapled to the chicken on it. I am sick.

The back story about Susan was long, but it didn't feel long. It does explain an awful lot about Roland and his worldview.

I am trying to comment without spoilers in case Angie jumps in at any point.

I must say that I am really shocked that this series has not been turned into a Netflix or HBO series. It covers many genres, and I think if it was done well, it could be amazing.
I tried to watch the movie with Idris, but I couldn't get past the first half hour or so. It wasn't good. Even though I like the idea of Idris as Roland, even though I did picture him differently in my head, whoever wrote the screenplay was drunk.

I did actually watch the movie, but kinda tuned out the story and just enjoyed the scenery (Idris). Yeah, he wasn't cast to fit the book character at all, but I'm guessing with diversity in mind instead. Either way, he's yummy so I just went with it.
I'm sure there will be a series eventually...

Also, I may or may not have ordered a copy of earlier.

I think that the chicken/baby thing would be an excellent way to discover who is or isn't a Stephen King fan if you print it on a T-shirt and walk around with it. People with either throw death glares at you or chuckle if they get it.

I like that idea. I have no problem wearing challenging t-shirts. When people do not recognize the TARDIS though, I have to wonder about the people in this country of mine, and their upbringing.

I have one with Deadpool spray painting the blue box, and one with the Jawas stealing it. When people get the Star Wars reference, but not the Dr. Who one, I just have to sigh, and then tell them to watch Blink. It is the best gateway drug into Who.

You'll have to let me know *if* the Choo Choo book shows up on your doorstep, how it is. Is it creepy or wonderful? Or both!

I suspect both! lol.


For me 'blink' was the first thing I'd watched that managed to creep me out in decades! One problem with starting to read King aged 7, is that I was pretty soon immune to horror. I never expected to find something that got to me even a little in an episode of doctor Who!

so arrived yesterday, and I read it as a bedtime story last night.

It would seem like a fairly standard children's story, if it wasn't for the illustrations. They are creepy! He looks like some kind of demented evil (almost clown-like!) creature, which fits in with the whole Blaine the Mono thing from The Wastelands and Wizard & glass.

Fun!

Is now happily on my shelf as part of my King collection 😁

So cool and creepy. How fitting for a King shelf.