A Couple of Good Books

Although I consider myself "a reader", I don't nearly get through nearly as many books as I want to read.

So usually, I'm months or years behind when I read something really good.

My Kindle is usually 2 years behind current books.

It was this way with "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo", and that entire series.  I had heard about it, and I'd seen the books in stores, and it was always being advertised on Amazon when I'd go searching for books.  But I just never got around to reading it.  When I finally did, I was blown away...those books were phenomenal.

I usually hesitate to mention the books I'm reading on here, because I'm no literary critic.  I can barely write a functional blog.  And to be honest...I'm not sure how functional this blog is.  I'm just a dude with a keyboard, and few ideas.  (Most not very original).

However, I do enjoy reading, and stories.  Lately, I've been alternating between reading a fictional story (like a Stephen King book or something), then I'll read something funny (like Adam Carolla), and I'll follow that with something about sports, and then maybe something on motivation.  And I just go around and around like that.

Anyway, I finally read a couple of books I've been meaning to read for a LONG Time.  And I really enjoyed them.

Neat Covers are the one thing I do miss, using a Kindle.

Horns by Joe Hill

I'd read Joe Hill's first novel, "Heart Shaped Box" a few years back, and after that I eagerly awaited his next release because I had enjoyed it so much.  Of course, "Horns" came out like a year later, in 2010, and I waited to read it until just now...because I was reading other things.

I made a mistake.  Horns is a tremendous novel, by probably the most promising young novelist of this era.  Hill, who is Stephen King's son, is extremely talented, and both of his full length books have been really enjoyable.  He also recently released a new novel, entitled "NOS4A2", that is getting tremendous reviews.

So, if you like Supernatural Thrillers... I'd would certainly recommend Mr. Hill and his works.  I'm certainly not going to wait 3 years to read NOS4A2.

I did actually buy this in paperback, and it basically has nothing on the cover.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

I actually remember first seeing the commercials for the movie for The Road.  It starred Viggo Mortensen and it looked like a really good movie.  While I watched a review for the film, I think it was the dude on CBS Sunday Morning... he mentioned that it was from a book.

So I made a mental note of it.  Just something I thought that..."If I get a chance, I should probably read it."  Well, a few years pass, and I get stuck at the repair shop in Sioux Falls, during the Howard Wood Track meet, while they replace the Fuel Pump on my vehicle.  So I walked down the street, and went to Barnes and Nobles and looked for a book and found "The Road".

I must say, I really don't know how to describe this book, other than I've never really ever read anything quite like it.  A man and his son... living in some sort of post-apocalyptic world... make their way South along the road.  That's about all I will share.  My wife kept asking me about this book as I was reading it, and I kept telling her... "Well, they are still walking down the road"...

It was just very original, and touching, and very good.  I highly recommend.  (It's also quite short...so that's a bonus).