Dean Koontz

I have tired of his books, but I do admit to having read most of them. For a young reader though who liked King's The Mist, but may be intimidated by the length of King's usual books, I would recommend Koontz. The Mist reminded me of Koontz themes. They are a bit scary, or at least try to be, though I found them more amusing. Every book has a love story mingled in, and they always have a happy ending. The good guys always win, and there is somewhat of a logical explanation at the end for whatever bizarre things may have occurred in the story, rather unlike King.
Anyway, I think students who liked The Mist, or Twilight might like Koontz. They are all a quick read, and there are tons of them. Intensity was his best. I would even read that one again. Other than that, I was thinking of the kids. They could get a kid to keep reading.

This is another test...

Winter's Bone -- #3

Are we supposed to know at the end who dunnit? Uncle Teardrop knew, and the blue bag full of money seemed to be the clue that sent him off to his fate.

I searched "blue bag" and the only blue bag that came up was several references to the one that Gail carried diapers and such around in. Did Gail somehow come up with all that money and spring Jessup so he would meet his fate and Ree could keep the house? Or did somebody borrow the diaper bag for that purpose?

Am I missing something here? Anybody?

Lorna on Winter's Bone

Now that I've actually read it, I would say this was a desperately depressing and probably starkly realistic book. I wonder if we're related to any of those Ozark folk? Some cousin on Dad's side once bought a resort in the Ozarks. Do you remember going out there with Uncle Sheldon and Aunt Barbaline? They made me ride with them because I was car sick and they thought the air conditioning, which they had and we didn't, would help. It didn't. I did not, however, puke in their lovely car.

I don't remember the "resort" at all. It was, I believe, owned by our cousin David, one of the grown-up cousins, Carolyn's brother. I think they were Uncle Dale's kids with his first wife, but I couldn't swear to it.

Anbody else remember this trip?

Anyway, I couldn't say I liked Winter's Bone, but it was moving and believable. Even if we don't want that kind of reality in the good ole' US of A, it's here. In that sense it reminded me of the hometown "underbelly," the seedier side of life there. But, thank God, there is a brighter side as well, and I didn't see any brighter side in the book. Except Ree herself, who had pretty much admitted defeat by the end. She'd be "ok," but she wasn't getting out.

Lorna on Winter's Bone

I'm only five or six chapters in, still unsure where this is taking me, but found it interesting that you, brother, said it reminded you of our home town. The drugs, yes. But are "our" people really so backward? My FB page should make The New York Times or something. Not because it's so brilliant; it's quite mundane for the most part, but because of the span of political views that are aired there. I have bleeding heart liberal friends, and I have ultraconservative friends; I have elder friends and I have teenage friends, and their thoughts all show up on my FB page. I know of one case where two women have become cyber friends because of one commenting on the other's post. Technology is a wonderful thing in many cases.

But most of that wasn't about Winter's Bone. And neither is the next comment.

I finished a sort of fantasy short story that I first wrote in high school, and I sent it to Pat asking for comments. She started with "I'm not going to lie to you," a phrase we'd been discussing on Sunday afternoon, and then wrote, "I liked it." She recommended I consider making it a novel instead of a short story, but I think it's destined for a SciFi/Fantasy magazine, and my hope is, for publication there. It's funny that horror horrifies me; most Stephen King movies scare me to death, as do many of his books. I'm talking cold-sweat, scared to go to bed, nightmares when I do kind of horrified. But I think I could write horror. Maybe because I experience it the way I do. I have at least one story that's been rattling around in my head for years that screams for a horrifying ending. I wonder if I'll have nightmares if I write it down, or if I'll exorcize some demon in the process. Well, no time for it today, so the question will hang in the air until I have time and energy to answer it.

LM