King and Koontz (2016 review catch ups)

I am getting tired of writing reviews, so I am putting two in one here. Hope you don't mind.

The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King.

This is the second book in The Dark Tower series. I had heard so many good things about this series, from people whose opinions on books I tend to agree with. But, I am just not getting it this time. Personally, I think these are fairly poorly written. While I can excuse poorly written for a good story, I can't say I find myself compelled to read these. The first book, The Gunslinger, dragged. It had its interesting moments, but mostly it just didn't keep me entertained (and let's face it - you don't read King to be intellectually challenged, so entertained is pretty much the sole goal). This book dragged less, but still had moments where I was yawning away and thinking of something else. I find that a lot of the diction is crude. I have no objection to that if it will develop a character etc., but here it felt like King put it there just because his audience is assumed to like below the belt references.

The concept has potential, and I think that is also what is adding to my disappointment. While I am curious to see what happens to these characters, I just don't know if I can drag myself to pick up another one. Which is sad as I have a few more on my bookshelves, and they look so pretty. I gave this 2 stars.

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz.

Odd Thomas is the first book in the (surprise!) Odd Thomas series. And Kerry scores again! (Kerry is my favourite bookseller at Bargain Books.) After a hectic year, I wanted something entertaining, not gruelling. She recommended this to me. Odd Thomas nailed that need perfectly. I was completely entertained.

Odd Thomas can see dead people. They tell him things so that he can help them rest in peace. But Odd Thomas can also see other things, like the furies that are following a man who has a filling cabinet in his house filled with information about serial killers. Disaster is set to strike the town - tomorrow!

I really enjoyed this. It was a combination of humour, suspense, intrigue and more humour. Odd Thomas is one of those books that one can read at record speed because the pages just turn themselves. Oh, and Elvis! He was a fantastic addition to the cast of characters.

I must admit that I really thought the plot was going to go in a completely different direction (but end at a similar point), so the surprise was pleasant too. I will definitely pick up another one.

In the unplanned (and unfair) King vs Koontz competition, Koontz wins!

From the Dust Returned by Ray Bradbury

This is not the easiest book to talk about. Mostly, because it appears to be a book when in actuality, it isn't. It is a collection of 'short stories' about a supernatural family (with a normal human boy) Bradbury wrote for a magazine, that have been collected and put into this book. As a result, it is nearly impossible to give a synopsis of the book.

First things first, if you happen to decide to read this, I would recommend knowing that this isn't a book. That threw me as I was expecting a continuous plot. There are characters that appear throughout 'chapters' that one has not encountered before. It seemed very disjointed and unstructured to me - because it was only after I finished the book and read Bradbury's notes on it and realised what I had been reading. Even the short stories themselves are not conclusive. Some have an 'ending' of sorts, others don't - they are snippets of the lives of these people.

There is no question that Bradbury can write. His style is poetic with his use of metaphor and alliteration. I also appreciated how the actual construction of the sentences captured the feeling of the scene (a noteworthy page and a half sentence describing the storm that brought the 'guests'). It does not make for light easy reading though. It requires brain power and a bit of time.

I am glad I have read this. It is not the Bradbury book I have been hunting bookshops for for years, but at least I have one notched under my belt.

I would only recommend this for fans of Bradbury, or those who really appreciate more cerebral reading experiences.

This is the 26th book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.
I gave this 3 stars on Goodreads.

The Diviners by Libba Bray

I really enjoyed this one. Libba Bray can build suspense and maintain it! If you happen to be in the mood for a well-written piece of light reading with a scary atmosphere, then this is the book for you.

Something evil has been released in a post World War 1 New York. Mysterious murders are happening. Evie O' Neill, a girl with a strange gift and a penchant for getting into trouble, has been sent to stay with her Uncle in New York, who also happens to be the curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult. Noticing a connection yet? Interested? You should be.

I think that what I enjoyed the most about this was how it was written. Unlike many books these days where things are spelt out for the reader in such tiny little details that, as the reader, one feels a bit insulted, Libba Bray left much of that up to the reader. It was a pleasant change. I also felt that although this book is classified as YA, it was written in a maturer style. 

I also appreciated her characters. First, I have to talk about the individual voices. Memphis was a young black man. I could hear it in his diction and accent. I did not have to be told it (and if memory serves me right, I wasn't told it - well, not bluntly at least). Second, the characters were different. While Evie and I would probably never agree over much (I am more of a Mabel), I could still appreciate her and enjoy her. And Sam! I really liked Sam. I can't wait to see what happens with him in the next book. The mysteries surrounding these characters were awesome, and kept me busy trying to guess what had happened in their pasts. If there is one thing I could fault, it would be that Evie was not a very realistic 17 year old. She would have been better off being in her early 20s, which would have matched her behavior a lot better. But is that necessarily a fault? I think it is what made me enjoy this more. I am tired of YA reads where the heroine's main concern is finding true love. Evie was not that girl and I loved her even more for it.

And now I am going to be left guessing what is going to happen until the next book comes out! In the mean time, I think I am going to see if I can get my hands on Beauty Queens  by her. It sounds like fun (and she seems hilarious too).