Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

I forgot Dean Koontz was a little weird

The Other Emily by Dean Koontz

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  OK somehow I read that book where the guys moves in and out of different worlds and there are copies of him (no idea what the title is – I just found it. It’s Dark Matter by BLAKE CROUCH! Totally not Dean Koontz, silly me), and all the Odd Thomas books by Dean Koontz and forgot that he’s a little into science fiction! I was like “ooh this looks like a good psychological thriller”, when I should’ve been thinking “ooh what crazy space / […]

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” – Lao Tzu

Lightning by Dean Koontz

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I opened my 2018 review for Dean Koontz’ Velocity with, “Dean Koontz is my man. He writes pop thrillers with interesting characters and a certain panache that I enjoy.” That same introduction applies for this review of Koontz and his 1980s sci-fi thriller called Lightning. From its opening moments, Lightning has an ominous tone.  Even the sunnier moments have shadows. Koontz makes it very clear that the characters in the book will face real darkness throughout their lives. It feels dangerous and even foolish for […]

Two more Odd Thomas novels that were OK

Odd Hours (Odd Thomas #4) by Dean Koontz

Odd Apocalypse (Odd Thomas #5) by Dean Koontz

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OK, so I made it to book 4 of the Odd Thomas series.  I don’t know.  I really liked the first book.  Each subsequent book gets weirder and weirder though.  And don’t get me wrong, I’m ok with weird.  It’s almost like each book tries to out-weird the one before it though.  We meet AnnaMaria too, and she’s just a lot.  She’s supposed to be this super charismatic, charming person.  To me she just read as annoyingly vague?  Nothing she said made sense or really […]

OK I may have over-estimated Odd Thomas filling the Bosch void in my life

Forever Odd (Odd Thomas #2) by Dean Koontz

Brother Odd (Odd Thomas #3) by Dean Koontz

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I had a great reaction to the first Odd Thomas book.  I did not love this book.  By the end of the book I was listening to the audiobook at like 1.6x.  This is pretty fast.  I basically hated it and wanted it to be over! At the start of this book Odd is awoken by his recently dead neighbor, who is a doctor with a stepson Odd’s age.  The son is missing, and the rest of the book is basically Odd trying to find […]

A new series to fill the Harry Bosch shaped hole in my heart

Odd Thomas (Odd Thomas #1) by Dean Koontz

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I stumbled onto this book like I stumble onto many books.  I was searching for a new audiobook on my library app, and I searched “available now” and either “horror” or “mystery”, I can’t remember.  I usually try both, and sometimes “thriller” too.  It’s taken me to some cool books, and occasionally some clunkers. Anyway, like my title states, I needed a new series!!  I’ve read EVERY AVAILABLE HARRY BOSCH book, so I need a new mystery solving man in my life.  Odd Thomas is […]

Chitinous Critters and Cardboard Cutouts

Phantoms by Dean Koontz

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One late afternoon, sisters Jenny and Lisa Paige drive up to Snowfield, CA, a small ski resort village where Jenny works as a doctor. Lisa, her fourteen year old half sister, comes to live with her after the death of their mother. Though Jenny is used to the town being quiet, when she drives through it she notices that the lights are on but nobody’s home (which is, in and of itself, an accurate description of any character in this novel, but I digress). As […]



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