This is strange for me in two ways.
1) I have never, to my recollection, written a book review. So, I beg your patience with this post. And…
2) I am not a fan of sharing dreams. But, this is going to be an exception…a very public exception.
Okay, let’s get started.
I just finished “Wizard & Glass” by Stephen King. This is the fourth book in the Dark Tower series and picks up seamlessly where “The Wastelands” left off.
Roland, Eddie, Susannah, Jake and Oy are screaming toward Kansas on Blaine the Mono and must use their collective wits to survive the ride. I don’t think I am giving anything up by saying that they do survive — had they not, the book would have been less than 100 pages instead of almost 700. The reader is then taken on a journey back in time to when Roland was a young gunslinger.
Without divulging anything specific, Mr. King’s Constant Readers will meet some new characters to love, or hate, and find some “old friends” along the way.
I believe I am supposed to talk about the writing quality, character development, blah, blah, blah. (See why I don’t write reviews?) But, frankly, I read Stephen King for his amazing story telling. I am not an English major (no offense to English majors intended) so I don’t feel qualified to critique style, grammar, etc. If I can read a book that has a good story, I am a happy reader. If it is written well enough that I can form an HD movie in my mind’s ‘theater’, I am a happy reader. With “Wizard & Glass”, I was a happy reader.
That out of the way, let’s get to the “When I Made Stephen King Cry” part.
A couple of nights ago, I had a very vivid dream that I was on a low stage in a Bar & Grill (to provide a point of reference, think of your local Applebee’s or Chili’s). On stage with me were Stephen King and Joe Hill. We were mic’ed up and discussing books, reading, etc. Then, Stephen King says something funny and everyone looks our way. It’s at that point, in my dream, that I tell Stephen King how much I enjoy his books…and he starts crying. Now, it wasn’t wailing, not even blubbering, just sharing the type of tears that make you wonder if someone is happy or upset. I woke up just as the audience/diners starting getting upset that I had made him cry. He was waving them down, but I still woke up with the feeling that I was about to get an imaginary ass-whopping.
So, hit me with your best interpretation, if you are so inclined. And, thanks for letting me share.
My current book is not on my “Catch Up Reading Challenge” list. But, given my dream, I thought I would give my psyche a break from Stephen King books. So, I am enjoying Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich.
Paul's Catch Up Reading Challenge 
Wow, Paul, I’d say you CAN write reviews. I think the best reviews are when the reader gets personal and lets everyone know that the book really got to them in some way. You’re reading my all time favorite series right now (and the next book, Wolves of the Calla, is probably my favorite Dark Tower book). As far as your dream goes, I’m not sure how to interpret it, but you should be glad you have strange dreams like that. I can rarely remember mine! Thanks for hooking me up to your review!
Tammy, Thanks for creating the challenge and for the kind words! I was stressing about writing the review. But, with the first one out of the way, I believe this is going to be fun for me. I am looking forward to Wolves of the Calla. It’ll probably be my next book.
Your review is perfect–they’re not always about grammar and style. Good reviews give you enough sense of the book to determine if you’d like to read the book yourself. The joy of readers writing reviews for other readers is that we can tell stories as we talk about the book. There are many ways to tell a good story, and, frankly, I like to hear what effect the story has on the reader . In this way we connect with others just like the books connect to us.
Oh, and P.S. Welcome to my weird night time world! I don’t have a dream that isn’t wildly and weirdly fantastic!