Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“A brave man helps. A coward just gives presents.”

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

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I’m a big King fan: I have seen a few movie adaptations, would put “The Stand” on my list of top 20 books, and this is the 15th book of his I have read. This new edition to his pantheon caught my eye at the library and was hesitantly recommended by a friend who was already shin-deep into this book, but on the fence about it. Having finished it, I give it a resounding fist shake for an excellent premise but meandering execution. It’s a […]

“Reality is thin but not always dark:” A Very Enjoyable and Thought Provoking Collection from King

Just After Sunset by Stephen King

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I was struck late last year with the overwhelming urge to read some Stephen King short stories, and so here is the result. I hadn’t read this collection for a few years so was able to re-read these with a sense of meeting old friends who I slightly remembered. This collection has a high overall level of stories, and I was struck by the strength of his writing and the way he worded things throughout, often very beautifully and strikingly. I will say that having […]

“… sometimes a woman has to be a bitch to survive, but bein’ a bitch is hard work….”

Dolores Claiborne: A Novel by Stephen King

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This was another holiday book exchange gift from Black Raven — a book I requested thanks to the recommendations of other Cannonballers [EDIT: Narfna!! I think it was you again! It’s like I’m your literary stalker.]. I don’t generally read in the horror category (although I did review King’s Carrie a few years ago and thought it was great). While there are some horror-y elements to Dolores Claiborne, I think “psychological thriller” is a better description and it is indeed a thrilling story. I was […]

Hairy Tail

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

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There’s something so simple and comforting at the heart of Fairy Tale. No psychological terror. No sexual assault. No prequels or lore.  No tween orgies. It’s the story of an old man, a boy, a dog, and an incredible adventure. And it was exactly the Stephen King book I needed at the closure of a hectic 2022. Fairy Tale opens with Charlie, a high school senior who has experienced the tragic loss of his mother, and the downwards spiral of his father. He has taken […]

Stephen King’s Latest is Quite Enchanting, Actually

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

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I actually haven’t read any other reviews of this, so I don’t know if I am in a minority if I say I found this quite charming.  It meandered quite a bit, and was perhaps a little slow in places, but overall nailed the old-school fairy tale vibe it was going for, IMO.  Maybe I just loved it because of the dog? Charlie, son of an insurance salesman and a mother gone too soon, is a pretty good kid (this seems like damning with faint […]

A Horse is a Horse, Of Course, Of Course

The Institute by Stephen King

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Luke Ellis is gifted. Not only does he have a very high IQ but he’s also mature for his age. Even though he’s only twelve he knows how to think things through, how to plan ahead. And sometimes, when he’s upset, things move around on their own account. He’s set for MIT with the help of his loving parents when a group of intruders sneak into his house, kill his parents and take him. He wakes up in a building deep inside the forests of […]



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