Recommend A Book You Read on Vacation
Recommend A…is run by Chick Loves Lit, and I love this little meme because it is basically like a practical test in reader’s advisory, which was my favorite part of being a librarian (and the reason why I run this blog). People come up to librarians all the time requesting some very unique or odd things. I also like the challenge of recommended unique or odd things for popular requests (romance, fantasy, “a book like The Hunger Games”).
Today we are looking back to the fun days of vacations and the books we read when we have time to really sit back and enjoy them in a more carefree environment. A good vacation for me is one where I have time to read lots of books, especially books that challenge me or have been in my TBR pile for too long. Since I’ve already shared the oodles of books I read on my vacation this summer, I thought I’d think back to the times of my youth. We often go to my family’s cabin in Vermont for a week or two in the summer, and other people are always leaving old books in the cabin. One summer (I think I was in middle school), I picked up a copy of this book and couldn’t put it down…
Carrie
by Stephen King
Plot in a nutshell: Carrie White lives with a mother who is crazy religious, and she’s different. Her classmates bully her, and she’s an outcast. But one day Carrie gets her first period…and telekinetic powers that she uses to fight the forces that have made her miserable for so long. Oh, and there’s a popular boy asking her out as his fake prom date, a bucket of pig’s blood, and lots of killing. Stephen King’s first published novel.
Why I recommend it: I first read this book as a kid, which is probably the perfect time to be reading such things. What it shows is how good a horror writer ole Steve-o is. That man can take a story that has the potential to be a Friday The 13th-esque-cheese-fest, and make it something that really frightens us. I wasn’t scared in the check-under-the-bed-for-serial-killers kind of way, but more in the general “people are SHITTY sometimes” kind of way. I think Carrie’s mom was the most frightening character, with her crazy religious fanaticism, but the way Carrie’s powers manifested really showed how much crud that girl put up with over the years. So yeah…don’t bully people. Oh my.
Who I recommend it to: I’ve heard people refer to Carrie as a sort of Stephen King gateway drug. It’s still the only Stephen King novel I’ve ever read, and I enjoyed it. You don’t have to be a fan of horror to enjoy this novel, but you do have to be able to tolerate psychologically terrifying stuff. But it’s pretty short (maybe 200 pages?) and it will stick with you for a long time. I still remember it, sixteen years later. I recommend it to everyone who can handle it, ages 11 and up (yes, I said 11. Some uber-cool kids might enjoy it).
Have you ever read Carrie? What did you think of it? Have any other Stephen King recommendations for me?
Posted on September 10, 2012, in books, librarian, Movies, religion and tagged adult, Grade: A, horror, recommend a..., religion, stephen king. Bookmark the permalink. 5 Comments.
I’m a big baby and can’t read Stephen King after seeing “The Shining”
I’ve read Carrie, and really enjoyed it! I’d also recommend Misery, it’s an interesting insight into King’s thinking as it touches on what I suspect are two of his deepest personal fears (obsessive fans and difficulty writing).
I started reading Dean Koontz and Stephen King when I was 11, so I can back up that age rec! I didn’t get around to Carrie until I was in college, though. If you were interested in trying other Stephen King something like The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon might be a good choice. Psychological rather than scary. I thought Carrie’s mom was the scariest part of this novel, too. It’s the hardest thing when you are getting it from all sides at school and it only gets worse when you go home.
this is one of two of the Stephen King books i have NOT read. i love the way he writes – i feel like all of his novels have the ability to be “Friday The 13th-esque-cheese-fest” but he rises above it and captivates people. Stephen is the author to which i measure all other horror/fright/thriller authors. is that unfair? probably.
the first book i read by him was The Gunslinger. I picked it up for 10 cents at the Friends of the Library used book sale in 8th grade, didn’t realize it was part of a series until my junior year of high school, and i’ve read it seven times. ((the rest of the series only three)) the thing i love about the Dark Tower series is the fact that almost every book he’s written ties into it somewhere. i always get a little excited and feel like i’m part of some special club or something when i recognize a place or a name ((IE one of the characters from Hearts in Atlantis pops into the Dark Tower for a book or two))
the only book i cannot stand by Stephen King is Gerard’s Game. and IT – but i’m halfway thru that. it’s slow going because i get creeped out and set it down and read something happy until i can stand it again :0)
apparently i’m not allowed to edit – i meant Gerald’s Game, not Gerard. please excuse the mistype :0)