Origin- Dan Brown which was exactly like every other Dan Brown book (which is not a good thing). One dimensional characters, the presence of the same female supporting character in every book just with a different name, an easily and early predicted secret bad guy, terrible dialogue between characters, and a relatively interesting underlying mystery.
Ready Player One- Ernest Cline I was initially intrigued by the world Cline had created until I realized that it ran purely on nostalgia and little to nothing else. I found the devolution of the Artemis character from strong-willed female supporting character to doting damsel who fawns over the male lead in the 3rd act to be especially grating. I was a bit annoyed with how comically evil Nick Sorrento was. Overall, I thought it a fairly mediocre young adult novel that hooked people in with the nostalgia and provided little else in way of story, world building, or characterization.
Boy's Life- Robert McCammon One of my favorite books I've ever read. The story of a 12 year old boy coming of age in a fictional, small Alabama town. Lots of elements of magical realism. There is murder, the loss of friends and family, a shootout, a man-eating gator, taking on the KKK, an evil monkey, dinosaurs. It all sounds ridiculous but it highlights the innocence of childhood that we lose as we age.
The Road- Cormac McCarthy It is a much quicker read than I was expecting. I remember having significant difficulties getting through the first 40-50 pages, but then something clicked and I just couldn't put the book down. I thought McCarthy's style of writing with limited punctuation, very realistic and mundane dialogue significantly enhanced the reading experience given the subject. This book is so g***amn depressing and I loved it. I actually bought Blood Meridian, Suttree, Child of God, and No Country for Old Men after reading this.
The Shining- Stephen King A Phenomenal psychological horror book. The descent of Jack Torrance into madness is both horrifying as the Hotel slowly breaks away at his defenses. Also, the psychological tormenting that the house inflicts on Danny Torrance is terrifying. Definitely my favorite of the King books I've read so far.
The Body- Stephen King A fun, quick read. I think I actually enjoyed the movie a bit better despite it being essentially a carbon copy of the book.
'Salem's Lot- An excellent vampire tale. Loved the setting which King is so great at, loved all the characters of the Lot, as well.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child- John Tiffany & Jack Thorne As a huge Harry Potter fan, I really wish I never read this. I know this is an adaptation of the play, but god was it absolutely terrible. None of the established characters acted anything like their normal selves, and the story was just so absurd. If any Harry Potter fan has not read it yet, I recommend you stay away from this book.
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