vaughanreads's reviews
138 reviews

Bilbo Baggins, a quaint and reserved Hobbit, is thrust into quite the adventure with folk that he would have otherwise never crossed paths with. Thorin Oakenshield and his company of dwarves, along with the wise guidance of the old wizard Gandalf, take Bilbo on an adventure to the east to retake the lost dwarf kingdom of Erebor from the dormant terror that is Smaug the Dragon. The young hobbit will face many great perils, make many friends and even more enemies along the way and discover more about himself now than he has ever before.

This is the fourth time I have read Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’, it is just as enjoyable to read now as it has ever been. For only a sub-300 page novel, the story is infatuating, the characters are vast and deep and the sense of purpose for the quest is never lost or forgotten. The quest sub-genre of fantasy can be a cumbersome task, as it can often become repetitive or dull over time. However, Tolkien really nails it by using such diverse mini adventures along the timeline. The fact that I read this book in around a week is a testament to how little it was not in my hands.

There were some absolutely stunning illustrations throughout this book, two of which are above. I made a promise to myself that I wasn’t going to run through the book and look at all the pictures before starting to read - as I’m assuming a lot of you would have done ;) This was special to me as I have read the story a few times but never in this edition, which I got last year.

There is nothing negative that I have to say about this book, however that isn’t to say I wouldn’t change anything about it. The only thing I would have to say is that I have grown quite fond of books that utilise sub-chapters; it helps a lot with managing my reading sessions, keeping my attention span ticking over and giving me a small dose of dopamine when I reach a minor milestone. This book does not suffer too much without it, though I will say that it does have at least three very large chapters - about 25-30 pages - which is a bit of a challenge for myself. That is why alternatively I would have liked to see some chapters just cut in half. For example, you cannot cut ‘Riddles in the Dark’ at all, because it’s all basically one relative point in time - but ‘Flies and Spiders’ could have easily been cut in half. It’s a very minor point that maybe I’m making a bit of a Hobbit Hill out of, but it’s a thought that occurred nonetheless.

To finish off this review, I wanted to leave you with some out-of-context quotes which I appreciated:

*“Do you wish me a good morning, or that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?”*

*Trolls simply detest the sight of dwarves (uncooked).*

*“Dawn take you all, and be stone to you!”*

*“Now what on earth or under it has happened?” said Thorin.*

*“He [The Master] may have a good head for business - especially his own business,” some murmered, “but he is no good when anything serious happens”* 

*The Elvenking looked at Bilbo with a new wonder. “Bilbo Baggins!” he said. “You are more worthy to wear the armour of elf-princes than many that have looked more comely in it.”*

Daniel Torrence, now a grown man, struggles to find meaning in the world around him. After his brush with death at the Overlook Hotel decades ago, Dan is unable to understand what normal life could exist for a man with The Shining. 
Just as Dick Hallorann had shown young Danny Torrence the meaning to his powers and saved him from his corrupt murderous father, Daniel Torrence must now protect the life of young Abra Stone from the ancient group known as The True Knot.


An over-arcing trope discussed often in the literature community is that King can sometimes produce some chunky monkeys. Myself and my friends have all, at least on one occasion, jokingly said, "Ugh, it's getting to be a little bit sluggish."
While this inherently sounds like a bad thing, I have mixed opinions, contextually staying with Doctor Sleep as the example.

There were definitely a handful of occasions that I felt certain things were not really all that necessary to mention or that I honestly felt a little bored at times. I can honestly say that this book ties up every damn loose end I was expecting to see.
There are many epiphanous moments where something dormant in the back of your mind twitches and you stiffen your back upright, like a detective in the field. It brings a certain serotonin rush that really defines a good book for me; the other being a good twist and fuck me was there a belter!

If you haven't read the first book, I would honestly recommend reading it first. While it is not inherently necessary to enjoy the narrative of the second novel, you will miss out on a lot of great analogies, references and comparisons that King really pulls off in this book.

One final thing to mention is that I felt this booked dealt with alcoholism and anger management in an incredible way. The Shining was written by King in what he himself refers to as his alcoholism days and the regrets he feels really come across in this book. I feel like he has gained slightly more respect in my standings understanding a little more about the man's life. Maybe I should read his memoir? Keep an eye out

'Carrie White is no ordinary girl'

Carrietta White is a god-fearing introverted young woman that's about to graduate high school. She has had a hard life, between having a dangerous religious fanatic for a mother and being degraded and bullied at school...but only so much pressure can applied before Carrie breaks and causes biblical turmoil - an angel with a flaming sword.

'Carrie' was such a delightful return from a brief vacation from King's work. This book grew arms, grabbed either side of my face and pulled me in every time I opened it up. The tension is absolutely spot-on and it always, as unorthodox as it is, reveals something major before the event has happened. 
When you read this book, you'll realise that the event was not what you were waiting for, it was the storytelling of how it happend.

Paul Sheldon, New Yorker and esteemed author of the Misery Chastain novels, begins his new literary adventure - Fast Cars. The conclusion of the Misery novels, however, was not taken lightly by Paul's number one fan - Annie Wilkes. Finding himself in an chaotic car crash in snowy Sidewinder, Annie rescues Paul and gives him food, medicine and shelter...but Paul will learn very quickly that Annie Wilkes has a temper that would rival that of the gods.

This is only the fourth novel I have read by Stephen King, but I can confidently say that Misery is undoubtedly my favourite novel of his. The sharp, jagged sine waves of tension throughout this book are absolutely phenomenal. It reminds me of how I felt when I read my first ever King novel, Pet Semetary, how I would stay up until my eyelids betrayed me.

This was not only another buddy read with my lovely bunch of Booksta friends, but I read this with my partner as well and we would regularly, throughout June, gush about the vile and gritty horror.

This novel is an easy five star and would recommend highly, provided you can tolerate some truly stomach turning descriptions or gore and pain.