Book Review: NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

"NOS4A2" by Joe Hill
First published in 2013
686 pages
My rating: 4.5 out of 5
Image from Goodreads

The Short Of It:
"NOS4A2" was an enthralling and utterly wacky fantasy-horror-fiction blend and I loved it!

The Long Of It:
Christmasland is a magical place populated with happy children who open presents every day, feast on cocoa and candy canes, and ride the Sleighcoaster to their heart's content. Sounds delightful, right?

Not exactly. Those kids just so happen to be kidnapped children who've literally had the soul sucked right out of them, possess mouths full of row upon row of hook-like teeth and play super-fun games like scissors-for-the-drifter.

Charles Talent Manx III is the creator of this veiled world where it's Christmas every day, and he has a very special 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith -- with the license place NOS4A2 -- that he uses to transport his children/victims to Christmasland.

While Charlie Manx uses his special talent for evil, Victoria McQueen, just 8 years old when the story opens, uses her unique gift for good: to locate missing items, like her mother's bracelet or the neighbor's cat. She rides her bike over the no-longer-in-existence Shorter Way Bridge and out the other side, where whatever she seeks will be -- no matter the actual distance. That's how Vic crosses paths with Manx the first time; she rides across her bridge in an anger-fueled fit looking for -- hoping for -- trouble and pops out at Manx's Sleigh House thousands of miles away in Colorado, a folly that nearly costs Vic her life.

Now Vic is a messed-up adult, plagued by memories of her childhood trips across the Shorter Way and her brush with Charlie Manx -- which were obviously hallucinations and coping mechanisms... right? She's been in and out of mental institutions and sought peace in drugs and alcohol to no avail. When Charlie Manx appears in her life once again, -- and whisks the person she holds most dear in the world off to Christmasland -- Vic must confront her past and call back the Shorter Way Bridge, because she may be the only person who has the power to stop Manx from continuing to kidnap and suck dry children for all eternity.

Joe Hill is such a talented writer. I loved the richly drawn characters in this novel, from Maggie, a extremely eclectic Scrabble champion librarian from Iowa, to despicable and disgusting Bing Partridge, Manx's sidekick. Hill's settings are vivid, he's a master of the written word, and he possesses a creative mind capable of thinking up all kinds of crazy and terrifying things -- just what a horror writer needs.

The book got off to a slow start for me, but once I got into the story I was hooked. It's a long book at almost 700 pages, and certainly some of that could've been trimmed off, but somehow it never really managed to feel draggy. A bonus is the wonderful illustrations throughout; I especially love the flyleaves! I saw that AMC is planning to turn "NOS4A2" into a TV show, and I will definitely be tuning in for that.

There were a couple fun library quotes in the book (obviously they came from the parts featuring my favorite character, Maggie the librarian) and I'll leave you with those:

"Vic smelled the vast vault filled with books before she saw it, because her eyes required time to adjust to the cavernous dark. She breathed deeply the scent of decaying fiction, disintegrating history, and forgotten verse, and she observed for the first time that a room full of books smelled like dessert: a sweet snack made of figs, vanilla, glue and cleverness."

"No one looks to closely at a librarian. People are afraid of going blind from the glare of so much compressed wisdom."

New Release: The Last One by Alexandra Oliva

"The Last One" by Alexandra Oliva
First published July 12, 2016
302 pages
My rating: 4 out of 5
Image from Goodreads

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Short Of It:
This was a fast-paced apocalyptic thriller that combines a worldwide plague, woodland survival, and an inside look at the filming of a "reality" TV show. It was unique and gripping!

The Long Of It:
I will never be able to watch "Survivor" again without thinking back to "The Last One," an innovative book that meshes a hard-core survivalist reality show with an apocalyptic disease outbreak.

The book is told in intertwining narratives, and the first is a third-person perspective of the filming of "In the Dark," a reality show that centers on outdoor survival, though in a rather more extreme way than the shows we're used to. After some time as a group, the contestants separate for solo challenges that involve trekking alone through the woods for days. Unlike many reality shows on TV today, "In the Dark" has a super-fast turnaround time that insures viewers are watching in nearly real-time.

This half of the story was fascinating to me; it was a sort of behind-the-scenes look at all the manipulation and unreality that goes into filming a "reality" TV show. We all know by now that they're somewhat -- or completely -- scripted, and if you've ever suspected the producers of manufacturing drama and characters ("the villain," "the dumb blonde") by showing viewers specific clips and editing soundbites together in a deceptive way, you would be right -- at least according to "The Last One."

The other half of the novel is narrated by Zoo, one of the contestants on "In the Dark." We meet her when she's well underway on her solo challenges, and isolated in the woods she has no idea that disaster has befallen the world around her. Because she has no reason to suspect an apocalyptic event, she explains away every odd occurrence as part of the show, which is set up in part to test the contestants' mental and emotional fortitude. Zoo is determined, intelligent and capable, and she refuses to give up on what she thinks is still "In the Dark," trial after harrowing trial. Her sections of the novel are part psychological profile, part adventure story and part outdoor survival guide. And it is through Zoo's eyes that we understand the destruction the plague has wrought, though she believes it's all staged for the show.

Zoo, a cheerful and friendly woman who works at an animal rehabilitation center, sounds as though she'd be a pretty likeable character, but I had a hard time warming up to her. I just never felt that connection, maybe because Zoo's continued denial of circumstances eventually became irritating. And, despite being a devoted wife and generally nice person, she's kinda self-centered. I was also a little disappointed in the vague ending, which can be interpreted based on whether you're a pessimist or an optimist. I would've liked a more concrete resolution to Zoo's (physical and mental) journey. Another small gripe I had is that the characters are referred to by their typecast nickname in the chapters about the filming of the show ("Zoo," "Exorcist," "Carpenter Chick," "Black Doctor") and their real names in Zoo's sections, which added a bit of unnecessary confusion (though I can see why Oliva chose to do that, because it does add to her point about the artificiality of reality TV).

The publisher's blurb compares this book to "Station Eleven" and "The Passage," two books that I loved -- and while I enjoyed "The Last One" I didn't find that it had the beauty and magic of "Station Eleven" or the zombies, adrenaline-fueled plot and awesome writing of "The Passage." But, like both of those novels, "The Last One" is a intriguing twist on an apocalypse thriller and the unique storyline had me hooked from page 1. Definitely not the best novel I've read this year, but it was still a page-turner that'd be perfect for beach, pool or hammock reading this summer!

Meet the Blogger: 10 Facts About Me

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is 10 facts about me. There are lots of ways bloggers could take this topic, and I decided to focus on 10 get-to-know-you biggies that often come up in first conversations. Booknerd is obviously a huge thing, but you all know that already! ;)

Hi, I'm Lindsay. Nice to meet you!
I'd love for you to leave a fact about yourself in the comments!

1. I'm an Air Force spouse (and I grew up an Air Force brat).

My dad was in the Air Force until I was in high school, so in some ways it was a natural transition for me to marry an Air Force guy. There are a million highs and lows to being a military family. Moving every three years means life is a constant adventure, but it also means missing out on family events, leaving good jobs and good friends, and never being able to have nice thing without worrying about them being broken in a move (something we're dealing with right this very minute, in the middle of unpacking from our move from Ohio to Hawaii).

2. I'm from Colorado.

My Dad's job took us to Colorado in 1997 and that's where my parents settled down. While I can't say I'm a Colorado native, it's where I attended middle school through college and it's where I call home. I can't help telling everyone I meet how amazing Colorado is. I love hiking and photography and mountain drives and plentiful sunshine and gorgeous seasons and Colorado is the place to be for all of that! Go Broncos!

3. My other big hobby besides reading is knitting.

I taught myself to knit (with the help of the internet) in 2009 while Jarrod was attending some military school and I was between jobs and needed something to do. Now it's one of my biggest passions! I love creating things, and many knitters find the craft to be incredibly soothing and relaxing. After all those years I finally knit my first sweater last year (of course, it's a long-sleeve, thick wool cardigan that I won't have a single use for in the next three years), and I'm working on another one right now -- a short-sleeve cotton top that'll be suitable for Hawaii.

4. My last two jobs were at libraries...

...and I hope to be working at one again soon. One of the hardest things about leaving Ohio was saying goodbye to my lovely library and awesome co-workers. Working at a public library can mean some crazy and irritating experiences (you should look up Librarian Bingo if you haven't seen it; here's one version!) but it was so nice getting to share my passion for books with patrons and my co-workers all day.

5. I'm single-handedly keeping the post office in business.

In a time when so much of life is conducted online, it's such a wonderful treat to find something fun and personal waiting in the mailbox! I send cards for every holiday, plus letters to friends, family and penpals (as in strangers I've never met in real life!). I also participate in postcard swaps through my favorite knitting website, Ravelry, as well as Postcrossing, a super-fun international postcard exchange. I've received some absolutely gorgeous postcards from all over the world!

6. We have a kitty named Lily, and we miss our furbaby boxer, Conan, every single day.

We added Conan to our family right after we moved to Florida following college graduation -- before we even had a sofa! He was our baby, our joy and the completion of our little family, and we were absolutely devastated to lose him to lymphoma two years ago. We also have a kitty cat, Lily, whom we adopted last time we were stationed in Hawaii. Hawaii has tons and tons of feral cats, and she part of a litter of feral kittens up for adoption. She's adorable and sweet, but she pretty much hates anyone but me.

7. I collect things.
When I was a kid, it was pencils and postcards and rocks, in high school and college it was paper coasters from restaurants, and at the current moment it's Starbucks You Are Here coffee mugs (among other things, like pressed autumn leaves, seashells and Harry Potter books!).

8. I'm an introverted homebody...

(source)

9. ...but I love to travel!

 

I love adventuring and exploring, especially to beautiful natural wonders. One of my life goals is to visit every U.S. national park, and I think about 2/3 of my bucket list involves travel. I'm lucky to have a willing (and way more competent than I am) travel buddy in my husband. In the last year or so, we visited Gettysburg, New York City, Tennessee with a little jaunt to North Carolina, Colorado, Cleveland, Niagara Falls, back to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, and Florida. Now that we're in Hawaii our travel will be much more limited, but of course we'll visit the other islands, and I have plans for an Alaskan cruise and a big trip to Australia and New Zealand.

10. I love watching (and going to!) the movies, and, while I don't watch a ton of TV, there are some shows I adore.

Because what better way to break the ice than to discover you share a fandom?! Some of the shows I love are "Downton Abbey," "Game of Thrones," "Sherlock," "The Walking Dead," "Orphan Black," "Elementary," "Outlander," "Homeland," "Mr. Robot," and my guilty pleasure, "Switched at Birth." I'm also totally pumped for the "Gilmore Girls" revival, and I like (or want to catch up on) everything on PBS Masterpiece (I loooove historical dramas!).

Monday Musings

Highlight of the week: Every other year, Hawaii hosts a huge military exercise called RIMPAC, with 26 other nations participating. It's going on right now, and yesterday several Navy ships were open for military and their families to tour. The picture above is from the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis. Most people never get to see an F-18 at all, much less touch one! It was a fun day!

We're also chugging away at unpacking and organizing and getting the house put together. We've made tons of progress but we're both starting to slow down... once all the easy stuff is put away it starts to lose its fun! I have been enjoying setting up the room that's officially called a study and unofficially called Lindsay's Reading Room. It has sort of a nature-y (non-beachy, since that's the rest of our house) theme going on, and I bought the most lovely, bright, cheerful bird curtains from Pier 1, which we got hung up Saturday night.

Reading: I'm a little over halfway through "NOS4A2" by Joe Hill. Very rarely does it take me this long to read a book, but I've been so busy unpacking. And also, it's long -- nearly 700 pages! It took me a while to get into, but now it's hard to put down. Next up is an advance-reading copy of a book that comes out tomorrow (I'm a little behind!): "Everything I Don't Remember" by Jonas Hassen Khemiri.

Watching: We didn't have much time for TV-watching this week either, but we did catch up on a couple more season 6 "Game of Thrones" episodes. And I finished watching the three-part BBC miniseries "Daniel Deronda," based on the novel by George Eliot. We have the Benghazi movie "13 Hours" to watch next.

Listening to: Hyperparadise by Flume.

Baking: Quadruple-berry pie with blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. Soooo good!

Buying: I'm in a decorating frenzy right now, and I decided I just had to have a little boxwood wreath -- and Target just so happened to have them on sale on their website! I recently saw a trick about hanging a wreath with ribbon or burlap by sticking thumbtacks into the top of the door, and I'm thinking I might do that with the door of the guest room.

Looking forward to: Being completely done with unpacking! Maybe this time next week?

Not looking forward to: The blood test I have to go get this week. Please explain to me how someone can be so thrilled to get a tattoo but absolutely stomach-roiling terrified of a blood test!?!?! Sigh.

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I'm linking up with Kathryn at Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

10 Underrated Books You Should Check Out

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is about underrated books, but in a much more objective way than usual: it's our 10 favorite reads that have under 2,000 ratings on Goodreads. This one was slightly tough for me because apparently most of the lesser-known books I've read are ones that I didn't like all that much! Still, I just managed to pick out 10 underrated books that I'd be happy to recommend. I avoided putting new releases on the list, but I did include a couple books that came out earlier this year that I think should get more recognition!

The Alaskan Laundry by Brendan Jones

119 Goodreads ratings

review

"The Alaskan Laundry," the story of a young woman who escapes her troubled past in Philadelphia by heading to Alaska to work her way up in the fishing industry, just came out in April, but it has the second-lowest number of Goodreads ratings of any book I've read! It definitely deserves more recognition than that. The sense of atmosphere is amazing and our main character is a total badass. I'm not usually a big fan of character-drive novels, but this one is great!

//

Poor Your Soul by Mira Ptacin
146 Goodreads ratings

review

"Poor Your Soul" is another book that came out this year, in January, and it deserves to have way more than 146 Goodreads readers! It's a poignant and raw memoir about an impossible choice and the grieving process that followed. The writing is so open and honest that you'll feel like you're friends with Mira by the end.

Pen & Ink: Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them by Isaac Fitzgerald and Wendy MacNaugton

568 Goodreads ratings

review

I'm always surreptitiously checking out other people's tattoos and I often wonder (and sometimes ask) about them. "Pen & Ink" is a fantastic collection of stories about the personal significance -- or lack thereof -- of a bunch of random people's body art. The tales are fascinating and run the full gamut from "I was drunk" to extremely meaningful. And the hand-drawn replicas of the tattoos -- rather than photos -- just brings everything together.

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The Adventuress by Tasha Alexander

(#10 in the Lady Emily series)

980 Goodreads ratings

I've been a devoted reader of Tasha Alexander's historical Lady Emily mysteries for going on 8 years now, and I was shocked and a little saddened to see last year's installment have so few ratings! The books are set in the late 1800s and feature an amateur sleuth who is far ahead of her time. The stories fall halfway between cozy mystery and crime thriller and, with the exception of one or two, they're all excellent for an enthralling historical diversion.

The Great Christmas Knit-Off by Alexandra Brown

1,016 Goodreads ratings

review

I probably wouldn't have picked this book up based on the cover alone, but since I'm a knitter I couldn't resist! It ended up being such a fun, delightful, fluffy, festive read and I recommend adding it to your holiday reading next Christmas! Despite featuring a knitter, you don't need to know the first thing about knitting to enjoy the story.

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Boo by Neil Smith

1,242 Goodreads ratings

review

What a unique read this was! Outcast Boo has always been picked on, but he never expected to be gunned down in front of his middle school locker. After he dies, he goes to a special heaven for 13-year-old Americans -- and finally finds companionship with a group of misfits while setting out to determine the identity of his killer. The book was by turns hilarious, quirky and heartbreaking, and it's a superfast read. It'll appeal to fans of "Wonder," though it's much darker.

Fives and Twenty-Fives by Michael Pitre

1,255 Goodreads ratings

review

"Fives and Twenty-Fives," an Iraq war story skillfully written by an Iraq war veteran, was one of my favorite books of 2014. I picked it up because, as an Air Force wife, I try to read military fiction here and there, and I'm so glad I did. Even if you wouldn't normally read a war novel, you should check this one out for the fascinating story, the dynamic characters and the awesome writing.

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The Fair Fight by Anna Freeman

1,360 Goodreads ratings

review

"The Fair Fight" has a totally unique premise: female boxing in the 1700s. It's the kind of historical fiction that will take you on an immersive journey back in time -- and then remind you that it totally sucked to be a woman 250 years ago. This book is not a fast or short read, but it definitely deserves more recognition.

The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man by W. Bruce Cameron

1,557 Goodreads ratings

review

Sometimes you just need a wacky, light, fun read -- preferably, in my case, with a dog involved -- and "Midnight Plan" fits that bill perfectly. It's about a repo man (with a basset hound sidekick) who gets unwittingly pulled into crime-solving. It features an outrageous cast of characters and it was a fantastic piece of fluff. The second book in the series comes out next month and I'll definitely pick it up.

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I'll Be Seeing You by Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan

2,728 Goodreads ratings

review

Well, this is a bit of a cheat since it has more than 2,000 ratings, but it's one of my all-time favorites and I would love for someone else to read it because they saw it on my post! (And, really, 3,000 ratings is still pretty underrated.) It's an epistolary novel -- one of my favorite kinds of books -- set in WWII. It's told in letters between two very different women who are set up as penpals while their husbands are off to war.

Monday Musings: Happy 4th of July!

Highlight of the week: The movers delivered our household goods on Friday! It was like Christmas morning opening up boxes of stuff we haven't seen in three months... and sleeping in our own bed and sitting on our own couch and vacuuming these filthy floors! Of course there were plenty of unpleasant surprises unpacking -- there always are -- but I'm so glad that we can finally home-ify this house!

I know it's unkind to make fun of people's spelling errors, but this just cracks me up. And in my defense, the packers messed up a bunch of my picture frames, so...

Reading: I read "Written in Red" by Anne Bishop, a delectable urban fantasy novel (review to come -- I loved it!), and then started "N0S4A2" by Joe Hill, a book I've been meaning to read for ages. I haven't had much time to read the past couple days so I'm not very far in, but I'm expecting to enjoy it. So far it's just kinda weird -- and it seems so dauntingly long!

Watching: The BBC three-part miniseries "Daniel Deronda" based on the book by George Eliot.

Also watching: Our kitty cat, Lily, sitting in the window watchfully eyeing the mongoose that's scampering around our backyard. We have two frequent mongoose visitors and I've named them Neville and Luna.

Listening to: "Drink You Away" by Justin Timberlake.

Eating: Fresh Maui Gold pineapple.

Buying: Sod, curtains for four rooms, patio lights, a patio rug, plants (including a poor 50-cent tiny coleus that I'm going to try to nurse back to health), a new throw blanket for the couch, a shower curtain rod, a towel holder, a really cool handmade "ALOHA" sign... you get the idea. I also ordered a two-sided wreath holder so I can hang a wreath on both the inside and the outside of the front door.

Looking forward to: Tonight we'll take a break from unpacking and head over to Pearl Harbor for the Three Days Grace concert and fireworks. And of course I'm looking forward to getting the house put together this week!

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I'm linking up with Kathryn of Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A Look Back: June 2016

The Month:

*It's been a fairly quiet month here in Hawaii. We arrived May 25 and spent three weeks living in a hotel on base while we were house-hunting (a stressful and grouchy time, but we won't go into that!) and then we moved into our new home two weeks ago today. And today, the moving company is finally delivering our stuff! (For some crazy reason, they were backed up enough that they needed four weeks to deliver, so we've been making do with the little bit of loaner stuff available from the Air Force. I have never been so excited to sleep in my own bed -- or to vacuum!) After living for two weeks in an almost completely empty house, I am so looking forward to making this place feel warm and homey! And to have some patio furniture so I can sit outside!

*On June 15, the day we got the keys to our house, Jarrod and I celebrated our 8-year wedding anniversary by picking up and hauling in our new washer and dryer, then eating at our favorite burger place (we're super-fancy around here!).

*Our kitty cat, Lily, joined us in Hawaii last Friday! We had to delay bringing her out because we couldn't find any decent cat-friendly lodging while we were house-hunting, so she spent an extra couple weeks with her grandparents in Colorado. She's already found her new favorite perch, the living room windowsill where she can watch the birds and our occasional mongoose visitor.

*We had several days between moving in and DirecTV hooking up our cable, so we binge-watched season 1 of "Mr. Robot" on Amazon Prime; perfect timing because the new season starts in a couple weeks. It's a unique thriller about a cyber security expert/hacker/schizophrenic and we both enjoyed it. And now that we have our cable hooked up, we've been taking advantage of our three months of free movie channels to catch up on this season's "Game of Thrones" on OnDemand.

*I finally had my first Moscow mule cocktail! It was delicious and I totally want to learn how to make them myself. Maybe I'll even buy some cute (faux)copper mugs!

*We had an unpleasant surprise last weekend when we encountered a scorpion crawling across our master bedroom floor. YIKES!

The Books:

Books finished: 6

Favorite book: "The Wolf Road" by Beth Lewis... but "Written in Red" was so good too (in a completely different way)!

Biggest let-down: none this month! :)

Most excited about reading in July: "Sleeping Giants" by Sylvain Neuvel. I have it on hold at the library and I'm hoping it comes in soon; I've been dying to read it since before it came out, but the timing was all wrong with our move and being able to get it from the library.
Books added to to-read list: 17 (I actually added a couple more since I started writing this post, but I'm too ashamed to count and add them!)

Books added to maybe-to-read list: 27 (Houston, we have a problem!)
Most intriguing TBR addition: "The Last Days of Night" by Graham Moore, out in September. From Goodreads: From Graham Moore, the Academy Award–winning screenwriter of "The Imitation Game"...comes a riveting historical thriller about the "War of the Currents," the famous race for glory and riches between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse.
Books read from my summer reading list: 0
Books read from my must-read-in-2016 list: 1 ("Written in Red")

Favorite Bookstagram: (below) I just love the cover of "Lily and the Octopus" and it was fun turning it into an Instagram photo. I seldom read e-books until I started requesting advance-reading copies from NetGalley recently, and it's been interesting taking photos of my iPad (and battling that glare!). Follow me on Instagram @knittinglindsay!

The Knits:

I've made some good progress on my Cap Sleeve Lattice Top (pattern from Purl Soho) this month! It should be done shortly; I just have to finish the stockinette body and bottom ribbing on the front, then it'll be time to seam the sides together! It's been a fun and easy knit, and I'm excited to have a handmade sweater that I can actually wear in Hawaii without getting heat stroke! I've been scouring Ravelry for more short-sleeve sweater patterns and I'm sure I'll start another one soon!

The Blog:

Favorite post: 10 Things I Love About Harry Potter  I put this post together at the last minute and it turned out to be such fun! I really enjoyed looking back through the photos from our February trip to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (one of these days I'll write up a whole post). It also made crave a Harry Potter movie marathon, so maybe that's what I'll do this next week in between unpacking.

Favorite link-up post: 25 Gorgeous Bookish Art Prints to Add to Your Wishlist  So much for Top Ten Tuesday, we've got Top 25 Tuesday! Looking at this post just makes me happy... so many pretties!

Book reviews:

"June" by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore (4.5 stars)

"Lily and the Octopus" by Steven Rowley (4 stars)

"The Wolf Road" by Beth Lewis (5 stars)

"Age of Myth" by Michael J. Sullivan (4 stars)