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woffordleejones's reviews
94 reviews
Revising the Pact by Todd Kirby
5.0
This story that is full of heart and was such a pleasant read. Simplistic and beautifully written, full of amusing humor; I found myself smiling throughout. There were also some laugh-out-loud moments. There were some very nice creepy/spooky moments that put me on edge (but I love when a book does that). I laughed and cried; it will pull on your heart-strings. But very simply put…it was a very touching and heartfelt story that I believe everyone should experience.
Dog Days O' Summer by James Newman, Mark Allan Gunnells
3.0
A fun little summer read. I got a Stranger Things vibe (more ’90’s than ’80’s) mixed with a feel of an R.L.Stein’s Goosebumps story. The Cemetery Dance publication version that I was gifted was nicely packaged, but it had a drawn graphic in the front of the book that gave away the story. Also, in the dedication page, James Newton further mentioned the key element in this story…so going in there were no surprises (except one…I talk about that later on). I knew before reading why the teens wanted to to kill their teacher, Mr. Martinsen, (as hinted at in the synopsis page). There were clues as you went along to help you figure it out and I would’ve loved to have been able to figured this story out for myself, even if I happened to figure out the story early on. It would’ve been a much more enjoyable read. Also, my biggest complain in Dog Days ‘O Summer is that many times throughout the book there were small vignette chapters (a half a page at most) that explained exactly what was going to happen in the very next main chapter. To me this took the last of the enjoyment out of the read because the surprises were revealed before you actually were able to read and enjoy those reveals. I read a book to be surprised…to be awed…to solve the mystery of the story, etc. It would’ve been nice to be able to do so, rather than be spoon feed everything that happens before it happens. That being said, there was one huge twist during the Epilogue that did surprise me and I thank the authors for not giving away that huge bit of awesomeness I didn't see coming. That was pretty cool. All in all, it was a simplistic and fun read. Good for all ages but seemed geared for a younger audience.
Jaws by Peter Benchley
1.0
This is one time that I have found that the movie was actually much better than the book. Although the scenes with the shark and its victims were very visceral, there was very little of that. The book is called JAWS, I needed more bite (so much more bite). I, like the shark, craved more victims. This would’ve forced Brody into that need to stop the shark faster, but sadly, the shark faded away after the first initial attacks.
The book lost track of who the main character was. A good bit of the story followed Brody’s wife, Ellen, and her longing to go back to her old lifestyle before her and Brody were married. I felt that most of the conversations/dialogue between Brody and his wife were stilted. He was sarcastic/pissy with her thorough the book (and that pissed me off). No wonder Ellen wanted to have an affair/go back to that old life. I didn’t need the huge dinner chapter or the chapter of Ellen and Hooper meeting to have the affair; that huge long conversation was very unnatural and forced. Tell me about your fantasies.
Probably the worst thing about JAWS was that the whole ending to the book was very anti-climactic (although I did love the insults that Quint was yelling at the shark…I will be using some of those on my daily commutes to and from work). This would be the same for me if Master Speilberg had never made a movie version. Benchley seemed rushed in wanting to wrap it up. Now that I have read the book, I can’t see JAWS in the same way as I have always loved it. Pass on the book, get some popcorn and watch it again for the first time.
The book lost track of who the main character was. A good bit of the story followed Brody’s wife, Ellen, and her longing to go back to her old lifestyle before her and Brody were married. I felt that most of the conversations/dialogue between Brody and his wife were stilted. He was sarcastic/pissy with her thorough the book (and that pissed me off). No wonder Ellen wanted to have an affair/go back to that old life. I didn’t need the huge dinner chapter or the chapter of Ellen and Hooper meeting to have the affair; that huge long conversation was very unnatural and forced. Tell me about your fantasies.
Probably the worst thing about JAWS was that the whole ending to the book was very anti-climactic (although I did love the insults that Quint was yelling at the shark…I will be using some of those on my daily commutes to and from work). This would be the same for me if Master Speilberg had never made a movie version. Benchley seemed rushed in wanting to wrap it up. Now that I have read the book, I can’t see JAWS in the same way as I have always loved it. Pass on the book, get some popcorn and watch it again for the first time.
The ADHD Vampire by Matthew Vaughn
4.0
Poor Horace Dracul, he only wants to be like his half-brother, Dracula. But it’s not easy being a vampire…especially when there are so many lights and sounds to steal your focus away from the prey you’re stalking. High praise for The ADHD Vampire. This is a story from the vampire universe that you have never read before. It is a very imaginative, hilarious and a bloody disgusting read with lots of interesting characters. Look out for Martha, a retired cyborg ex-spy with a vendetta of her own. I don’t know who is more powerful. Find out for yourself. This is something you can definitely sink your teeth into, even if you have dentures.
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
5.0
They say if you can think it up or imagine something, chances are it has already happened somewhere else in the world. That is why I call Mr. Mercedes a true to life story as a number of events of a maniac running people down with an automobile has already happened in numerous place around the world. Mr. Mercedes is a totally original cat and mouse thriller. The characters are so real they seem to be cut straight out of life from somewhere in the world and they would have to be with the very real situations that this very disturbed individual puts them in. And by them, I mean, Bill Hodges's and his two sidekicks, Jerome Robinson and Holly Gibney (Holly enters much later in the book, but comes in with perfect timing). It takes the mind of all three of these to figure out The Mercedes Killer’s biggest and most diabolical plan. I love the whole back-and-forth between Bill Hodges and The Mercedes Killer. Mr. Mercedes is very intelligent individual and always one step ahead, but Bill Hodges is an amazing detective (he reminded me of those old private dicks from the old black and white movies of years past). Also, I loved the whole backstory that sets Mr. Mercedes on his path of destruction. So original and tragic. There is a lot of heartbreak in this tale, but through that heartbreak there is restoration and renewal in the lives of Bill Hodges, Jerome Robinson and Holly Gibney (at least for a short while…I know everything isn’t completely tied up in this first book as there is more to come in Finder’s Keepers and End of Watch (and maybe even in The Outsider, as I know Holly comes back as a main character in that story)). Can’t wait to see what Master King as prepared for us in those remaining tales. I highly recommend this first story to anyone. It’s a pretty phenomenal read. Don’t miss it.
Kin by Kealan Patrick Burke
5.0
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse...it does. KIN starts out at a high tension moment and each additional chapter just intensifies the suspense and horror. This book in my opinion had a Quinton Tarantino vibe about it, in that it wasn’t written in chronological order. To me, KIN started out at what I would call the midpoint of this story and as the aftermath (second half of this story) played out you found out what happened (from the first half) through snippets of memory or conversations between the different characters (but mainly Claire Lambert). This brought everything to full circle completion. I felt it was a very creative way to tell this story. I will add that in finding out what happened to Claire and her friends (in the first half), I never felt jipped or let down with the way the author relayed those story elements to me in the second half. It was just vivid and horrific enough to allow me to paint the images in my mind. Vivid descriptions, the way all the characters were related or connected, along with really great well-written prose; it all came together to make a harsh reality and extremely dark horror story. Loved every page of this story! An easy ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ from me.
Companions In Ruin by Mark Allan Gunnells
5.0
I had a lot of fun reading this one. It is chop full of the shortest most concise horror stories I have ever read (emphasis on on the word ‘chop’). What I thought was so awesome about CiR is how few pages Gunnells needed to tell each of his stories. There is no fluff here, just 25 honed, precise little tales of terror. And from looking over the list of stories again, it was very hard for me to highlight three to five of my favorites because they were all so crazy good. But if I had to choose, a few that really gave me a reaction were: End of Her Rope, The Price of Survival, Unknown Number, Friends Like These and By the Light of Dawn. From the love of the outside cover to the clever written stories inside; this book really packed a punch with me.