The Ruins

The Ruins
by  Scott Smith

Genre:  Horror; Science fiction; Suspense
Publisher: Simon & Schuster  on 
18 July 2006
Reading with my ears:  Unabridged 
14 hours 39 minutes
Narrator:  Patrick Wilson

Trapped in the Mexican jungle, a group of friends stumble upon a creeping horror unlike anything they could ever imagine. Two young couples are on a lazy Mexican vacation–sun-drenched days, drunken nights, making friends with fellow tourists. When the brother of one of those friends disappears, they decide to venture into the jungle to look for him. What started out as a fun day-trip slowly spirals into a nightmare when they find an ancient ruins site . . . and the terrifying presence that lurks there.

My thoughts:
I saw the movie a few years ago, not great but very entertaining.  I forgot all about it until I saw someone talk about the book on a Halloween video on BookTube.  I was intrigued, I remembered bits and pieces of the horror and wanted to experience some of that suspense again.  

Just let me start by admitting, the characters are all dumb assesses.  Yeah, I said it!  Don't get me wrong, they are not unlikeable, in fact you will be hoping they find a way out of this mess they got themselves into.  But they had clues all through the beginning chapters, even Mayans trying to warn them away but no . . .  they had to keep going.  Just over the next hill . . . 

I loved this book.  The atmosphere and the desperation were described so well that I was reaching for my bottled water a few times.  I could actually feel the heat and the thirst. There are some gore and the descriptions get very detailed but it is all part of the story and nothing is there just for shock value. 

The narrator builds the creepy atmosphere of people trapped in an awful situation with no way out.  His voice was perfect for this story.  He definitely added to the enjoyment for me.

I can recommend this audiobook highly - it was an enjoyable ride.

We are all Completely Fine

We are all Completely Fine
by  Daryl Gregory

Genre:  Horror; Speculative Fiction; Fantasy
Publisher: Tachyon Publications on 
12 August 2014
Source:  NetGalley - 182 pages
Reading with my ears:  Unabridged 
04 hours 14 minutes
Narrator:  Tavia Gilbert

Harrison is the Monster Detective, a storybook hero. Now he’s in his mid-thirties and spends most of his time not sleeping.
Stan became a minor celebrity after being partially eaten by cannibals. Barbara is haunted by the messages carved upon her bones. Greta may or may not be a mass-murdering arsonist. And for some reason, Martin never takes off his sunglasses.
Unsurprisingly, no one believes their horrific tales until they are sought out by psychotherapist Dr. Jan Sayer. What happens when these likely-insane outcasts join a support group? Together they must discover which monsters they face are within and which are lurking in plain sight.

My thoughts:
I have not been in therapy myself but this was exactly as I would imagine group therapy sessions to be.  Awkward meetings that slowly turn into meetings that are looked forward to. Strangers that turn into friends or at least people you are comfortable with.

Off course it would have to include those in the group you would like and those that just want to share too much all the time.  And even in this little group of trauma survivors, this is true.  You will like some of the characters and others will leave you cold.

This small group has been the victims of some terrible crimes and slowly you begin to see that their perpetrators might not be all human all the time.   You are given little tidbits of the crimes as the novella progresses and all seems a little "off".  

I don't want to give too much away - this is a story that you have to into blind.  It is only a short novella so there is not much fluff to fill out pages.  The story is presented to you in black and white.

I will recommend it for a few hours' escape.

{Movie} Review: Triangle (2009)

Triangle (2009)
Starring:  Melissa George

When Jess sets sail on a yacht with a group of friends, she cannot shake the feeling that there is something wrong. Her suspicions are realized when the yacht hits a storm and the group is forced to board a passing ocean liner to get to safety, a ship Jess is convinced she's been on before. The ship appears deserted, the clock on board has stopped, but they are not alone... Someone is intent on hunting them down, one by one. And Jess unknowingly holds the key to end the terror.

My thoughts:
I loved this movie.  All the twists and turns keep you guessing until almost the final seconds.  It makes you realize that you do not need big budget special effects to make a great movie, you just need a good story.  I have added this one to my favorites of all time.

It is difficult to talk about this movie because I don't want to give anything away.  I was even hesitant to add the whole blurb above.  What makes it a great movie is that you are kept guessing, so don't watch any of the trailers.  I was unable to find a trailer to add to this post as they all give too much away.  So stay away!

The only advise I can give, is to listen to the dialogue and take notice of the details in all the scenes. Something in the background of one scene might become significant later in the story.   There is a lot of gore in this movie but it is part of the atmosphere and terror that Jess feels, so do not let that keep you away.

Please let me know what you thought after watching this one.  You will not be disappointed.

{Movie}Review: 1408

1408 (2007):
Starring: John Cusak, Samuel J Jackson

The cynical and skeptical writer Mike Enslin writes books evaluating supernatural phenomena in hotels, graveyards and other haunted places, usually debunking the mystery. While writing his latest book, he travels from Los Angeles to New York to spend one night in the Dolphin Hotel's evil room 1408, which is permanently unavailable for guests. The reluctant manager Mr. Gerald Olin objects to his request and offers an upgrade, expensive booze and finally relates the death of more than fifty guests over decades in the cursed room. However Mike threatens Mr. Olin, promising to sue the hotel, and is finally allowed to check into the room. Later in the night, he finds that guests of room 1408, once they have checked in, might never leave the room alive.

My thoughts:
Stephen King has not been very successful when it comes to movies made from his books but this one is a little gem.  You are not so much shown the horror as given little glimpses to make you feel the suspense - this is psychological horror at it's best. 

John Cusak is an expert at playing a tortured hero and in 1408 he becomes the cynical cult story writer trying to show that this hotel and it's ghost is just a scam.  I am hesitant to say anymore - you don't want to be robbed of all the shocking, scary moments.   

Also watch out for the alternative ending . . . I am not sure which one I prefer . . .

I really need to find the novella as I have not read the original pages.   I have heard that the movie is very close to the short story.

{Audiobook} Review: 14

14
by Peter Clines
Genre: Mystery, Horror, Science Fiction
Date Read: 07 May 2014
Reading with my ears
Narrator: Ray Porter
Unabridged audio - Length: 12 hours 38 minutes

Padlocked doors. Strange light fixtures. Mutant cockroaches.
There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment.
Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much.
At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s.
Because every room in this old Los Angeles brownstone has a mystery or two. Mysteries that stretch back over a hundred years. Some of them are in plain sight. Some are behind locked doors. And all together these mysteries could mean the end of Nate and his friends.
Or the end of everything...

My thoughts:
This book was such a nice surprise.  I had started the ebook a while back but had to set it aside for a shiny new title and totally forgot about it until a friend suggested I give it a try.  I expected horror (I love horror!).  But this story was more of a mystery.  The first three quarters of the book, we are trying to figure out where the crazy was coming from (and there are a lot of crazy!).  Huge illuminating cockroaches anyone (I would have not even unpacked!)
Very soon, the tenants of the apartment building getting to know each other, having fake movie-nights so that they can discuss the mystery without the supervisor noticing.  I loved the way that all the friends had their own story and background explained.  There were not many that were not very quickly a beloved part of the story.  

This was a four star read for me until just a few chapters from the ending.  I do not want to give away spoilers, so I will just say that the book took a strange turn that I did not enjoy.  But all in all it was an enjoyable experience.
Audio:  I really enjoyed the voice of Ray Porter.  I think I could listen to him read the phonebook.  His voice is so smooth – it just flows over you.  I just felt sorry for him when he had to read some of the drama in the last few pages – wonder what he was thinking

{Movie} Review: Absence (2013)

Absence (2013)Starring:  Erin Way, Eric Matheny, Ryan Smale

Expectant mother Liz wakes to find her nearly-to-term pregnancy has disappeared overnight. When doctors can find no medical explanation for the loss, police treat Liz and her husband Rick as prime suspects in what has now become a missing child case. Only Rick and Liz's brother Evan trust her version of events. As word spreads, the young couple is subjected to the unwanted attention of the police and prying neighbors. Evan feels for his sister and, as a film student, begins documenting her story. Even though he can't prove Liz's innocence, he sets out to tell her side of what happened and to set the record straight. To relieve some of Liz's grief, Rick and Evan take her on a vacation to the mountains. Evan meets a local girl named Megan and the two hit it off. Things begin to settle down and Liz's spirits even start to improve. But as Evan continues documenting their vacation, unusual patterns arise. Liz still has no real answers for the disappearance of her baby despite his interviews and questions. Evan and Rick are horrified when her condition visibly declines. No one can ignore the fact that something is very wrong with Liz. When the trip spins out of control they realize that whatever happened with Liz and her baby isn't over. None of them are safe.

My thoughts:
The movie starts with some scary “facts”.  If this is not just for cinematic effect, it must be the most scary and invading kind of crime.  Our story starts with a cesarean theft.  Liz is seven months pregnant and she is the victim of a violent infant kidnapping (also known as Fetal abduction).  I have heard of some cases where a “baby” has been stolen out of their mother’s body but I have not heard of the mother surviving.  That in itself is a terrible image. 

The whole movie is part of the sub genre of “found footage” movies that was such a hit for a while (and that I am a huge fan of!).  I do not want to say more about the plot because it will be impossible not to give spoilers, so just read the blurb above. 
I thought the love between Liz and her brother Evan was beautiful.  Liz has raised Evan even since their parents died when he was twelve and I could feel Evan’s anguish trying to make Liz smile and forget about the last few weeks (if that is possible).  For a while, Erin became more than a shadow of her former self and she was such a sympathetic character – loved her.  

This movie was all about the relationships.  The love between Liz and her husband was gentle and convincing and as I already mentioned, Liz and Evan really connected on screen.   The action comes in little bursts but this movie is all about dialogue.  
I LOVED it and would recommend it highly for a little distraction.


Edited 04/05/2014 - Available on Netflix

{Audiobook} Review: The Shining

  The Shining
    by Stephen King
 
  Genre: Physiological Thriller, Horror
  Date Read: 22 March 2014
  Reading with my ears
  Narrator: Campbell Scott
  Unabridged audio - Length:
  15 hours 54 minutes

Danny was only five years old but in the     words of old Mr Halloran he was a 'shiner',   aglow with psychic voltage. When his father became caretaker of the Overlook Hotel his visions grew frighteningly out of control.
As winter closed in and blizzards cut them off, the hotel seemed to develop a life of its own. It was meant to be empty, but who was the lady in Room 217, and who were the masked guests going up and down in the elevator? And why did the hedges shaped like animals seem so alive?
Somewhere, somehow there was an evil force in the hotel - and that too had begun to shine...

My thoughts:
I read THE SHINING a lifetime ago and I still remember how scared I was – I even had to put the book aside for a bit between some of the scenes.  This was the first book that scared me enough to stop me reading.  I loved it! 

I watched the (original) movie a week or two ago and decided to re-read (listen to) the book again.  I must admit that it lost some of the scary-ness for me.   This time round it felt more like a physiological thriller.  It was about a man slowly losing his grip on reality and sinking into madness and not so much about a haunted hotel.  I could see that Jack Torrence wanted to blame everyone around him for his own failures and short comings.  Unfortunately only his wife and son was around and they made excellent scapegoats.  

I have also lost some of my sympathy for Danny (I did not enjoy DR SLEEP as much as the rest of the world).  I realize that he was just a little boy but I was unable to think of him as such.  He seemed to be much more mature than a five year old child.

The narrator of the book, Campbell Scott did not seem like a good fit when I started.  He talked too slowly and in such a dull tone.  But as soon as the real story begun, he was perfect.  That tone just made all the bleakness and emptiness of the snowed in hotel more real.  He quite literally scared me with Jack’s screams a few times.  He was an excellent fit for the story.

All in all, this was still an enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend it.

{Movie} Review: The Shining (1980) and Room 237 (Documentary about the movie)

 

The Shining (1980)

Starring:  Jack Nicholsen, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, and Scatman Crothers 

Genre:  Psychological Horror, Suspense

In the film, Jack Torrance, a writer and recovering alcoholic, takes a job as an off-season caretaker at an isolated hotel called the Overlook Hotel. His young son possesses psychic abilities and is able to see things from the past and future, such as the ghosts who inhabit the hotel. Soon after settling in, the family is trapped in the hotel by a snowstorm, and Jack gradually becomes influenced by a supernatural presence; he descends into madness and attempts to murder his wife and son. 

I was browsing around in my collection and found the documentary ROOM 237 which details the different theories of the possible symbolism of the movie, The Shining and I was immediately drawn in again.  I just love these kind of "conspiracy theories".  I am not able to think up these theories myself but I love reading about them!

Some of the deliciousness are:

The TV in the first scenes in the hotel does not have a cord (and why . . . )

Continuity in the movie (shown and debated if it was done on purpose)

The typewriter changes color continuesly.  Also the old German typewriter (and the repeating of the number 42 in the movie) represents the Holocaust.

Odd angles of shots and the reason for it

Symbolism in the movie suggest that the "fake Apollo landings" was supposedly filmed by Stanley Kubrick and he tried to tell the world.

The blood flowing out of the elevators are a metaphor . . . and on and on and on . . .    

After watching this, I had to re-watch the movie also.  Wow, no-one does crazy like Jack Nicholson.  The movie is a little dated but it is still a favorite.  

Now I will have to re-read the book!

Audiobook Review: The Long Walk

 

The Long Walk 
by Stephen King

 
Publication date: 01 April 1999 (first published 1979) 
Genre: Science Fiction; Dystopia; Horror 
Source: my own copy 
Date Read: 09 August 2013 
Narrator: Kirby Heyborne 
Length: 10 hours 40 minutes 

Every year, on the first day of May, one hundred teenage boys meet for an event known throughout the country as "The Long Walk." Among this year's chosen crop is sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty. He knows the rules: that warnings are issued if you fall under speed, stumble, sit down. That after three warnings... you get your ticket. And what happens then serves as a chilling reminder that there can be only one winner in the Walk - the one that survives...

My thoughts: 
When I was younger, I was a huge Stephen King fan and read anything with his name on it. As I have become older, I have read less and less of his novels as I have gradually lost interest in his writing style. I have found a few gems here and there but overall I have been disappointed.

Then I came across this audio copy of The Long Walk. I read it quite a few years ago and it was a happy surprise as I remembered the creepiness of it. I was not disappointed in this “re-read”, it held the same creep factor that I remembered loving from his earlier titles.

The Long Walk is about winning a race that will mean all your dreams coming true – for the rest of your life. So it is quite an honor for the 100 boys that is chosen from the lottery draw. Unfortunately only one boy can win and that means that 99 other boys will die. I cannot

imagine someone being eager and excited about this possibility but these teenage boys all seem to think they will live forever.

In this dystopia television extravaganza, warnings are given for any “infringement” of the rules . . . if your pace becomes too slow, you get a warning. If you sit down to rest your bleeding feet, you get a warning. If you try to leave the race in any way, you get a warning. Every warning can only be erased by walking an hour without any incident. And if you receive three warnings in an hour, you get your ticket – delivered by a gunshot. Your race is terminated – forever, while the spectators cheer.

This book is very entertaining even if it all takes place on a highway during a few days' stretch. We meet a few of the characters and not all of them are very likeable . . . The ending is somewhat strange. I have read a few reviews that speculate about the real meaning of the ending but I thought it was perfect just as it was. I recommend this for all dystopia lovers.

Audiobook Review: Doctor Sleep

Title: Doctor Sleep
Author: Stephen King
Source: My own audio copy 
Narrated by: Will Patton









Blurb:
 
On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are

quasi-immortal, living off the “steam” that children with the “shining” produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant “shining” power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of devoted readers of The Shining and satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.

Review:

I loved THE SHINING.  I read the book more than once, saw the movie a few times (here's Johnny!) and even sat through the disaster that was the re-make.  So imagine how excited I was, when Doctor Sleep was announced.  

Unfortunately my excitement turned to disappointment fairly quickly.  I was irritated from the start.  Dan is messed up (as I imagine anyone would be after his experiences at the Overlook Hotel) but his troubled life was not shared sympathetically at all.  He just came across as a very unlikeable bum.   

Luckily he gets off the bus in the right town and his life is turned around when he meets Billy, someone with just a twinkle of shine.  He is introduced to AA by his new friends and his life becomes more bearable.  

He starts working at a Hospice (or Hot Spice as Abra calls it) as an orderly.  He uses his shine to ease dying patients as they finally let go and he becomes known as Doctor Sleep. 

Abra not only shines, she radiates!  Dan has never known anyone that shines so brightly.  Unfortunately this is also recognized by The True Knot, a group of creatures that craves shine.  They use steam (as they call it) like vampires use blood.  They hunt for children with the shine and through torturing them to death, they steal their steam.  Steam that has given them centuries of life.  They feel invincible, high above the average human being. 

As you can imagine, it becomes a battle for Abra's life.  And here her parents become the next irritating sequence for me. Abra is thelve years old - her parents have experienced some of her specialness through the years.  You would imagine that her mother would have some inkling of how to handle this paranormal situation . . .

There are not much horror in the supernatural sense in this book.  And I would not like to compare it to THE SHINING.  In fact, you can read Doctor Sleep without even having heard of THE SHINING.  All in all, it is not a bad book . . . as long as you do not expect the suffocating terror of his predecessor.

Doctor Sleep coming on 24 September 2013!

Coming soon!

The sequel to THE SHINING.

Blurb:
On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the “steam” that children with the “shining” produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant “shining” power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of devoted readers of The Shining and satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.

I can't wait!

Audiobook Review: Lisey's Story

Title: Lisey's Story
Author: Stephen King
Source: My own audio copy 
Narrated by: Mare Winningham

Blurb:

Lisey Debusher Landon lost her husband, Scott, two years ago, after a twenty-five-year marriage of the most profound and sometimes frightening intimacy. Scott was an award-winning, bestselling novelist and a very complicated man. Early in their relationship, before they married, Lisey had to learn from him about books and blood and bools.

Later, she understood that there was a place Scott went -- a place that both terrified and healed him, that could eat him alive or give him the ideas he needed in order to live. Now it's Lisey's turn to face Scott's demons, Lisey's turn to go to Boo'ya Moon.

What begins as a widow's effort to sort through the papers of her celebrated husband becomes a nearly fatal journey into the darkness he inhabited. Perhaps King's most personal and powerful novel, Lisey's Story is about the wellsprings of creativity, the temptations of madness, and the secret language of love.

Review: 
Let me start by saying that I love Stephen King.  Unfortunately his books have been either a hit or miss for me in the last few years as he moved away from purely horror.  
With Lisey's Story I have found some of that secret mojo that I loved .  The story is not horror although there are some horror elements.  It is a strange story that grips you and just propels you forward with every chapter.  It is fantasy mixed with a little bit of reality and lots of crazy!

We jump around in time as we re-live some of the life that Lisey and Scott shared.  We learn that mental illness lived in Scott's family (and to a certain degree also in Lisey's).  It is portrayed as a separate living being that is always nearby and will one day just suddenly take over your whole existence. And it did, first with Scott's beloved brother and protector, Paul, and then not long after, his father is taken.  Even Lisey's sister, Amanda, is stolen for a while.

In spite of all the subplots of sister-love, mental illness, greedy professors and a madman that threatens Lisey;s life, this is at it's heart a love stroy of a woman that has to keep on living after the death of her husband.  I thought it was handled very sensitively and I could feel Lisey's pain and longing throughout the story. 

I listened to Lisey's Story through the narration of Mare Winningham - her voice was perfectly matched to this story of Lisey's struggle to keep on living. Every day I looked forward to listening to little more of this strange world that engulfed Lisey's life.  I must admit that Lisey's Story was a perfect audio choice for me.  I am sure I would not have enjoyed it as much if I had to follow the words on paper.