I dragged my husband into the closet, turned off the light and said "Look my new Stephen King book glows in the dark!" He was thrilled. 🤣 Great wrap-up!
I honestly squealed and immediately went and pulled out my copy of the US version of Holly to check when you said it glows in the dark. Yes! Its lettering and windows all glow. I had not noticed that previously and had not heard anyone else mention it. yay! It was probably my favorite of the series. King did a fantastic job with the story and the characters, especially how he wrote Holly. The creep factor is at an all time high in this one and I loved it! Great list Olly.
Some great recommendations, Olly! I planned on picking up Holly one day soon, and now I'd better make sure I get that glow-in-the-dark cover! I'll be PO'd if I don't 😆 Seriously though. I might have to pick up "Julian" as well. Thanks for posting!
I remember when 'bag of bones' was new on the shelf in bookstores. I was so curious! But Mom said no. Oh well. Maybe I'll finally pick it up one of these days... On an unrelated note: have you read the spooky spooky book 'Peace' by Gene Wolfe yet? I'm the one who recommended it to you many moons ago, and I believe you did buy the physical copy at one point. I'm still extremely curious to hear your thoughts on that book! It's a very, very cerebral read... According to Neil Gaiman: “The first several times I read Peace it was a gentle Midwest memoir. It was only on the second or third read that it became a horror story.”
Where does the flies coming out of the mouth phenomenon in horror come from? I've read several different authors who describe this but I've never found the origin. Is it supposed to refer to death and decay I wonder?
Really nice mix of book in this review but as someone who has 46 paperback books piled up to read and and 52 digital ones it will be some time before I'm on Amazon ordering the first two book in the Johannes Cabal series ( I am on Amazon ordering the first two book in the Johannes Cabal series) Bugger!
Glad you had a great reading month and found a surprising favorite. The lettering and the house windows glow on my copy of Holly. The American bookstore Books-A-Million has had a lot of glow-in-the-dark exclusives over the last few years. I picked up The Haunting of Hill House there just for the cheap thrill of a glowing house.
SO GLAD TO HEAR your review of Holly. 🤜🏼🤛🏼 I purchased it 3 weeks ago & it’s on my TBR shelf as soon as some cold/nasty winter days roll in. My cover of Holly glows, lol. Thanks for that info cause I never would have known. Thanks for your reviews, Olly! We’re really enjoying your channel. 👍❤️🇺🇸
Chipmunk speed enabled. Another great month. 👏🏻👏🏻 Jotted a few down to pick up while I still can. September feels AGES ago! 😂 Also a great patreon perk to view videos earlier. 😁
My September short reads: The People of Darkness-Tony Hillerman One of my favorite authors. This is about Jim Chee investigating the theft of a box of mysterious items from a wealthy man's house. It was the basis of the second season of the "Dark Winds" series on AMC. Ellery Queen-The Player on the Other Side Classic Ellery Queen, but ghost written by science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon. Contrived but enjoyable. This was on my kindle. Sue Grafton-C is for Corpse Another favorite author. I live the earlier Kinsey Milhone because they were more focused. In this one Kinsey is hired by a man who believes someone is trying to kill him. No spoiler here, he does eventually die and Kinsey goes on to figure out who did it. Isaac Asimov-The Stars, Like Dust I this paperback up at a library book sale. By the time I finished reading it the book was falling apart. It was okay. Read like a Star Trek episode, long before Gene Roddenberry even thought of the t.v. series. Maybe he read this book. There are political machinations, escapes and lots of talking between the characters. I started reading The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway but I could not finish it. I just didn't care about the characters. For October I'm reading Salem's Lot by Stephen King. I read this over forty years ago so I don't remember a lot.
I love Bag Of Bones! I just finished Duma Key (4th time, listened the last two) and I still loved it. I've been debating of listening to it for few months, but this week I just had such a hard time that I needed some comfort in my life and as soon as I hit play I started to cry, felt like coming home.
Sounds like Julian was the one that really got you. I will not surprise if you give it a full review sometime soon if you haven't done so far. It is a rare for any book to hit you in a place you didn't realize until it happens. On a somewhat lighter note I wonder when strange stuff happening in a small town become a thing. I feel like most horror novels boil down to that or it might just be.
I picked up Tell Me I'm Worthless at work and was looking at it, then opened it to a very "interesting/weird/awkward?" part of the book and I haven't picked it up again. I'm sure it was because it was out of context. And if you're wanting a book with a sentient house, you may want to try Man, F*ck This House by Brian Asman. It's very short and I can honestly say I've never seen an ending like that!
I don't think it's really necessary too, BUT they're all really good (IMHO) and if you plan to read them at some point anyway I would read them in order to avoid spoilers
Nigel Molesworth, like a pint sized Flashman, he's surely an antihero for the ages. Geoffrey Willans was the author (🤔) and Ronald (St Trinians) Searle did the art. I still dip into these on a regular basis and have done for about the last 50 years! Here's hoping some highly talented soul does a "Flashman" on Molesworth and writes his adult memoirs.
I loved Yours Cruelly too, so glad you enjoyed it. Horror version of Terry Pratchett??! Sold. 'Tell me I'm Worthless' sounds fantastic, will see if I can order it from my library.
If you’re not going to rate the books isn’t the monthly wrap-up kind of pointless? Why not just beef up the info. in your weekly wrap-ups and eliminate the monthly video? I for one will miss the ratings as it made it interesting to me to see which books you liked and which ones not so much. I know I won’t be watching these anymore if it’s jut 20+ mins of rehashed information.
I dragged my husband into the closet, turned off the light and said "Look my new Stephen King book glows in the dark!" He was thrilled. 🤣 Great wrap-up!
Ha ha brilliant
I honestly squealed and immediately went and pulled out my copy of the US version of Holly to check when you said it glows in the dark. Yes! Its lettering and windows all glow. I had not noticed that previously and had not heard anyone else mention it. yay! It was probably my favorite of the series. King did a fantastic job with the story and the characters, especially how he wrote Holly. The creep factor is at an all time high in this one and I loved it! Great list Olly.
Torch = Flashlight. He wasnt trying to burn it!
Some great recommendations, Olly! I planned on picking up Holly one day soon, and now I'd better make sure I get that glow-in-the-dark cover! I'll be PO'd if I don't 😆 Seriously though. I might have to pick up "Julian" as well. Thanks for posting!
I remember when 'bag of bones' was new on the shelf in bookstores. I was so curious! But Mom said no. Oh well. Maybe I'll finally pick it up one of these days...
On an unrelated note: have you read the spooky spooky book 'Peace' by Gene Wolfe yet? I'm the one who recommended it to you many moons ago, and I believe you did buy the physical copy at one point. I'm still extremely curious to hear your thoughts on that book! It's a very, very cerebral read... According to Neil Gaiman: “The first several times I read Peace it was a gentle Midwest memoir. It was only on the second or third read that it became a horror story.”
No, I’m afraid I still haven’t read it! I really should
Where does the flies coming out of the mouth phenomenon in horror come from? I've read several different authors who describe this but I've never found the origin. Is it supposed to refer to death and decay I wonder?
Really nice mix of book in this review but as someone who has 46 paperback books piled up to read and and 52 digital ones it will be some time before I'm on Amazon ordering the first two book in the Johannes Cabal series ( I am on Amazon ordering the first two book in the Johannes Cabal series) Bugger!
Ha! Hope you enjoy them!
My two non negotiabes: With Holly in any roll in a Stephen King novel, if anything happens to her, we riot. And SA Cosby is now on my must read list
Yes! Nothing must happen to Holly ever
Glad you had a great reading month and found a surprising favorite. The lettering and the house windows glow on my copy of Holly. The American bookstore Books-A-Million has had a lot of glow-in-the-dark exclusives over the last few years. I picked up The Haunting of Hill House there just for the cheap thrill of a glowing house.
I have a challenge for you. Make an entire video without using the word "really" 😂
I really don't think I could do that :D
SO GLAD TO HEAR your review of Holly. 🤜🏼🤛🏼 I purchased it 3 weeks ago & it’s on my TBR shelf as soon as some cold/nasty winter days roll in. My cover of Holly glows, lol. Thanks for that info cause I never would have known. Thanks for your reviews, Olly! We’re really enjoying your channel. 👍❤️🇺🇸
Thanks Diane! Glad you're enjoying the channel!
Chipmunk speed enabled. Another great month. 👏🏻👏🏻 Jotted a few down to pick up while I still can. September feels AGES ago! 😂 Also a great patreon perk to view videos earlier. 😁
Ok I have the E-Book version of ‘Bag of Bones’ so of course I didn’t realise it was a big book.
Hurrah for the return of series reading! Only Gor to pick back up. ^_^
My September short reads:
The People of Darkness-Tony Hillerman
One of my favorite authors. This is about Jim Chee investigating
the theft of a box of mysterious items from a wealthy man's
house. It was the basis of the second season of the "Dark Winds"
series on AMC.
Ellery Queen-The Player on the Other Side
Classic Ellery Queen, but ghost written by science fiction author
Theodore Sturgeon. Contrived but enjoyable. This was on my kindle.
Sue Grafton-C is for Corpse
Another favorite author. I live the earlier Kinsey Milhone because they
were more focused. In this one Kinsey is hired by a man who believes
someone is trying to kill him. No spoiler here, he does eventually
die and Kinsey goes on to figure out who did it.
Isaac Asimov-The Stars, Like Dust
I this paperback up at a library book sale. By the time I finished
reading it the book was falling apart. It was okay. Read like a
Star Trek episode, long before Gene Roddenberry even thought of the
t.v. series. Maybe he read this book. There are political machinations,
escapes and lots of talking between the characters.
I started reading The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway but I
could not finish it. I just didn't care about the characters.
For October I'm reading Salem's Lot by Stephen King. I read
this over forty years ago so I don't remember a lot.
My copy of Holly has the house on the cover and the title and windows etc do not glow in the dark ☹️
I love Bag Of Bones! I just finished Duma Key (4th time, listened the last two) and I still loved it. I've been debating of listening to it for few months, but this week I just had such a hard time that I needed some comfort in my life and as soon as I hit play I started to cry, felt like coming home.
Sounds like Julian was the one that really got you. I will not surprise if you give it a full review sometime soon if you haven't done so far. It is a rare for any book to hit you in a place you didn't realize until it happens.
On a somewhat lighter note I wonder when strange stuff happening in a small town become a thing. I feel like most horror novels boil down to that or it might just be.
What a great month!
Thanks, Crystal!
I’m on Finders Keepers to prep for Holly. I watched the Outsider and it was good, so that will save me some time.
I would guess most of your best reads of the year are not horror 🤭🤭
It does feel like that might be the case. None of them are sports books though
@@CriminOllyBlog cricket was briefly mentioned in Bomber 😉
I picked up Tell Me I'm Worthless at work and was looking at it, then opened it to a very "interesting/weird/awkward?" part of the book and I haven't picked it up again. I'm sure it was because it was out of context. And if you're wanting a book with a sentient house, you may want to try Man, F*ck This House by Brian Asman. It's very short and I can honestly say I've never seen an ending like that!
I really want to read that Asman book! Have heard great things about it
I wonder if Brian's last name is made up haha, but yeah thank you for reminding me of that book, I've always seen high praise from friends for it.
@@kaiju_k5042 I thought the same thing about his last name, but haven't looked into it.
@@katherineeaster5799I did wonder too lol. Have bought the book!
All the Sinners Bleed is set in Virginia. It's in my library. Have to read it soon. Trumbo was a great writer - blacklisted in the McCarthy era.
Yeah it sounds like his life was fascinating
I want to read Holly, but should I read other King books with Holly in it to get a better understanding?
I don't think it's really necessary too, BUT they're all really good (IMHO) and if you plan to read them at some point anyway I would read them in order to avoid spoilers
Bag of Bones has been on my TBR for years! Almost forgot about. Great wrap up!
Thank you!
Nigel Molesworth, like a pint sized Flashman, he's surely an antihero for the ages.
Geoffrey Willans was the author (🤔) and Ronald (St Trinians) Searle did the art.
I still dip into these on a regular basis and have done for about the last 50 years!
Here's hoping some highly talented soul does a "Flashman" on Molesworth and writes his adult memoirs.
I loved Yours Cruelly too, so glad you enjoyed it.
Horror version of Terry Pratchett??! Sold.
'Tell me I'm Worthless' sounds fantastic, will see if I can order it from my library.
If you’re not going to rate the books isn’t the monthly wrap-up kind of pointless? Why not just beef up the info. in your weekly wrap-ups and eliminate the monthly video? I for one will miss the ratings as it made it interesting to me to see which books you liked and which ones not so much. I know I won’t be watching these anymore if it’s jut 20+ mins of rehashed information.