My Stephen King Summer Update #1

Last month I declared my intention to read all 12 books that Stephen King had recommended as summer reads in an article in Entertainment Weekly.  So far it's going great, I've already read 6 of the 12 books, and I'm starting the 7th book now. 

And King's list has not disappointed!  But he's a bit of a trickster.  Obviously Mr. King, knowing of my intense dislike for reading books in a series out of order, and counting on my obsession fondness for him to outweigh my weird, bookish OCD, purposefully included several new books in an established series.  While I'm not the most punctual person in the world, I don't like arriving late to a party.  I am never that last minute movie goer, scrambling around during the previews or opening credits, searching for a primo seat.  In fact, I hate those people.

In June I read Buried Prey and The Fifth Witness, both newest offerings in a series.  The weird thing is, when I read these books, the world did not end, hell probably didn't even get a little chilly.  And I liked both the books even though I wasn't bff's with the main characters yet.  I think I'm ready to let go of my Must Read In Order mentality. 

I even gave myself permission not to follow Stephen King's order- 3 of the books I read in June were indeed June suggestions, but I couldn't get my hands on the 4th book, so I read one from July's list.  I know.  It's scandalous.  But I'm feeling a bit Rhett Butler about it, not giving a damn.    So here's what I read, how I rated it, and what I thought about it:

Buried Prey by John Sandford
From Goodreads:

A house demolition provides an unpleasant surprise for Minneapolis-the bodies of two girls, wrapped in plastic. It looks like they've been there a long time. Lucas Davenport knows exactly how long.

In 1985, Davenport was a young cop with a reputation for recklessness, and the girls' disappearance was a big deal. His bosses ultimately declared the case closed, but he never agreed with that. Now that he has a chance to investigate it all over again, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: It wasn't just the bodies that were buried. It was the truth

My Thoughts-  I wasn't completely sold on Davenport- he's a bit arrogant and his Let Me Do It attitude annoyed me at times, but the story was very exciting.  The flashbacks, the search for justice, the surprise attacks, it was all very edge-of-your-seat reading.  Plus I have a soft spot for re-opened cold cases.  Buried Prey is book #21 in the Lucas Davenport series, so I was way out of my comfort zone here, but I didn't feel lost at any point.  I just wasn't as emotionally invested in Davenport as I usually am in thrillers.  Will definitely be on the lookout for other books in this series (but probably only the ones that sound enticing, I've no wish to go back and read 20 books in order, I mean, have you seen my tbr pile?!).

Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson
From Goodreads:

Daniel H. Wilson, the author of this book, has a doctorate in robotics from prestigious Carnegie Mellon and his writing credits include the nonfiction How to Survive A Robot Uprising and How to Build a Robot Army. That knowledge alone should activate your senses as you enter Robopocalypse, a realm where robots run free and humans flee skittering in many directions. Told with the unfolding menace of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, this novel will keep you up late and your computer

My Thoughts: Okay, that's a bit of a lame summary of this book, because I found Robopocalypse to be AWESOME and I don't even like robots!  Seriously, I will pick zombies and vampires any day over robots or aliens.  But for me, Robopocalypse is everything you don't actually get when watching the Terminator movies- the actually beginning of the war.  Only Wilson's robots are a bit smarter than the ones in the Terminator movies.  They aren't interesting in nuking our planet, but rather ridding it of mankind.  This book is told in many different styles and voices, but that's something I actually really like.  It reminded me a bit of how Carrie by Stephen King is presented.  I plan on jumping on the robot band wagon if Wilson and others keep bringing on the cool robot books. 

The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly
From Goodreads:

Mickey Haller has fallen on tough times. He expands his business into foreclosure defense, only to see one of his clients accused of killing the banker she blames for trying to take away her home.

Mickey puts his team into high gear to exonerate Lisa Trammel, even though the evidence and his own suspicions tell him his client is guilty. Soon after he learns that the victim had black market dealings of his own, Haller is assaulted, too--and he's certain he's on the right trail.

Despite the danger and uncertainty, Haller mounts the best defense of his career in a trial where the last surprise comes after the verdict is in.

 My Thoughts: I'm going to be honest, I really didn't think I was going to like this book.  I was expecting to hate the whole foreclosure storyline to bore me, but it didn't and it's really not the main focus of the book and what is presented is done so in a entertaining way.  I also hate the name Mickey... that hasn't changed.  This book has so many twists and turns, some of which I thought I saw coming only to find out that it was only the tip of the ice burg.  It also helps that even though I haven't seen the movie The Lincoln Lawyer based on the first book of the series, I was able to picture Haller as Matthew McConaughey.  Great courtroom drama, and some really great characters.

The Silent Land by Graham Joyce
From Goodreads:

Award-winning novelist and cult favorite Graham Joyce transports readers to a mysterious world of isolation and fear with a hypnotically dark story about a young couple trapped by an avalanche in the remote French Alps . . . a daring and powerful novel about love, loss, and rebirth. In the French Alps around Chamonix, a young married couple is buried under a flash avalanche while skiing. Miraculously, Jake and Zoe dig their way out from under the snow—only to discover the world they knew has been overtaken by an eerie and absolute silence. Their hotel is devoid of another living soul. Cell phones and land lines are cut off. An evacuation as sudden and thorough as this leaves Jake and Zoe to face a terrifying situation alone. They are trapped by the storm, completely isolated, with another catastrophic avalanche threatening to bury them alive . . . again. And as the couple begin to witness unset­tling events neither one can ignore, they are forced to con­front a frightening truth about the silent land they now inhabit.

My Thoughts: The Silent Land is a fairly short book, and a fast, engrossing read.  Even though I figured out what was going on, I still couldn't put the book down.  Despite the elements of horror, it's a lovely, elegant book.  You really get to know Jake and Zoe and to understand their marriage and relationship.  Despite the fact that I was able to enjoy reading this book while sitting on the porch on a hot day, I suspect this would be an even better read on a cold, snowy day.

That's the books I read in June from King's list.  So far this month I've read The Sentry by Robert Crais and The Cypress House by Michael Koryta.  On deck are The Five and Dog On It.    I'm expecting great things from these reads, and so far I haven't been disappointed.