The Shining

Let me just start by saying that this was not only my first horror book but also my first novel by Stephen King. This book had been sitting on my bookshelf for years but last week I finally decided it was time to get out of my comfort zone and read something different, from a genre and an author that I didn't know that well.

I think there was something addictive about this book because there were moments when I couldn't put it down! I loved how the plot kept building up and getting more complex and how the characters developed. But I also have to mention the hotel where the whole story took place because, for me, that was one of the strongest points of the book;  I think it was really interesting the way this place was almost personified - to a certain extent, it actually was - and how it influenced the characters' behavior. There were times I felt that the hotel was practically one of the main characters of the book!!

I have to say that even though we had well written characters with very specific traits and complicated backgrounds that made them stood out, what really surprised me was how powerful this family was as a unit, how they tried to overcome, together, the harsh period they were going through, how they hoped for better times.

I haven't seen the movie adaptation yet but I'm planning on doing it soon, especially because I've heard great things about it; however, some people have pointed out that it's different from the book but just as good, so I'm really curious about it.

I have to say, overall this book was a surprise because I wasn't expecting to like it  as much as I did! There were some creepy moments that actually scared me but I wanted to know - so badly - what was going to happen next that I just kept going. I would definitely recommend this book. 

4 out of 5 stars

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Quote of the week #6

“It is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.”

C. S. Lewis

Think of a Number

When I read the synopsis of this book I was like "I have to read it!"; the fact that a stranger could guess - on a letter - a randomly picked number from 0 to 1000 grabbed my attention! This seemed different from what I had already read within the crime/mystery genre.

For me, the strongest point of the book was the fact that it was really focused on the criminal investigation and didn't dwell too much on personal issues. However, by the end of the book I couldn't help but feel that it had been taken to an extreme; there were some issues regarding Gurney's (main characters) personal life that deserved some development.

Unfortunately there were some other issues with this book: I think there were some inconsistencies regarding the serial killer - his method didn't seem solid and sufficiently coherent, which ended up damaging the credibility of the plot (at least to a certain extent) - and some moments were a bit dry, especially during Gurney's self examinations.

I'm not particularly fascinated by this book but I'll be checking out the second instalment of this serie.  

3 out of 5 stars

An Unfinished Portrait

I’ve always been really curious about Agatha Christie’s work as Mary Westmacott so I decided to start by reading An Unfinished Portrait.

First of all let me just say that I’ve always been a great fan of her work and for that reason my expectations towards this book were high - unfortunately they weren’t met. I didn’t like the main character – thought she was too submissive and naïve – and the writing was a bit dry. The plot wasn’t that appealing; I kept hopping that something interesting would happen but it didn’t.

Reading this book was a bit of a challenge but I managed to finish it; I wouldn’t recommend it, especially if you more accustomed to her crime novels.

2 out of 5 stars