I'm enthusiastically welcoming September and joining Kat for Unraveled Wednesday. In my mind, the cooler weather of fall should be ushered in as soon as we bid good riddance to the hot, muggy, sweltering sweatiness of August. While I know that this isn't exactly how it works, I have high hopes for somewhat cooler temperatures, decreased humidity, and more comfortable dew points when the remnants of Hurricane Ida depart the area. For now, it's all rain, all the time and I'm happy I can stay indoors today.
This is what the Drachenblut Hitchhiker looked like yesterday afternoon. It's pretty much the same, but I have completed 40 teeth. There are still more to go, plus some red stripes when the spirit moves me, but pouring rain and a good audiobook may help towards the accomplishment of that. I finished a perfectly pleasant mystery, A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie, last week. It served to introduce Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and and London- based Sergeant Gemma James in a mystery set at a time share in Yorkshire. I have the next three books, and I hope that these characters grow and develop more. If so, there are 17+ books in the series, so this may provide some pleasant reading for quite a while.
But I got a bit distracted from this series by the new Stephen King novel, Billy Summers. As a teenager I was a big fan of Stephen King. Carrie, The Shining, and The Stand were early favorites. I really should have known better, but I read 'Salem's Lot when I was living alone for several months, and had to call my sister at 2:00 am one morning after turning on all the lights and hiding the book in the freezer still couldn't keep me from seeing vampires outside my window. (Sorry, Jill!) Even though King's books seemed increasingly creepy, I still read Thinner, It, Misery, Christine, and Pet Sematary. Then I had children and read Cujo. To me, it was King's most frightening book of all because it could have happened, without vampires, possessed cars, and malevolent clowns in sewers. I could easily imagine the terrifying rabid dog scenario with my own children, so I quit reading King's books, and wasn't tempted for 25 years until I read 11/22/63. It was wonderful, and so far, so is Billy Summers. It's not King's usual horror, but rather a character study of an Iraq war veteran turned sniper. But Billy has scruples; he only shoots "bad people". I can't begin to imagine how this one will end, but I also don't want it to. The audiobook has been quite immersive and compelling for me.
What are you making and reading (or listening to while you try to ignore laundry, making dinner, and your husband asking you questions)?
I see progress! before you know it you will be red striping it :)
ReplyDeleteYour Hitchhiker is certainly growing Bonny and I love the way it is playing out (or knitting out as the case may be). The red stripes will be so lovely an addition as well. I've been reading the Duncan Kincaid-Gemma James series by Deborah Crombie (I think I've read 8 or 9 of them). I have been finding them enjoyable - not compelling, but fun to read and I enjoy reading series and seeing the character development. Thanks to your reading "Iron Lake" I've really taken to the Cork O'Connor series by William Kent Krueger (and I think there are 18 in that series too!).
ReplyDeleteAh, Stephen King. My guiltiest of guilty pleasures when it comes to reading. (No one can suck you in with storytelling like Stephen King.) :-) I look forward to Billy Summers, but - as you know - I'm putting it off for now. (I don't need another reading hangover anytime soon. . . ) I love your latest Hitchhiker. The colors are terrific, and the red stripes will add such a great pop. XO
ReplyDeleteYour hitchhiker is really moving along! It looks great! (here is to a day where the rains ease up...okay, stop... we are at the 5+ inch mark for rain with no slow down in sight....)
ReplyDeleteI have never been one for horror (there's enough out there that's scary to me as it is!) so have read very little Stephen King, though I keep wanting to check out 11/22/63. And The Shawshank Redemption is one of my favorite movies, so one day I should really read the original story.
ReplyDeleteThis HH is looking good -- and big! It's extremely rainy here today (the remnants of Ida are passing through), so it will be a good day for knitting and reading. I'm trying to finish up a scrappy charity hat and am reading A Tale for the Time Being, which I just started yesterday.
I have an ambivalent relationship to Stephen King's writing, but yes I am on the waiting list for Billy Summer at the local library. I'm about 235 on the waiting list. The last one I read was Mr. Mercedes, compelling and disturbing at the same time. But that's what SK does.
ReplyDeleteLove the hitchhiker!
I completely understand the ambivalent relationship with King. I don't read his horror stuff at all any more, but for me, he can also write a compelling non-horror story. I really enjoyed 11/22/63, and Billy Summers has been good so far. I don't yet know how it will end, so I should reserve judgement until then, but the story and characters have been quite intriguing so far.
DeleteI wish for cooler temps, too, but it's a little early for me, like 2 months early - LOL. Your HH looks like you have made a lot of progress to me. Looking good, Bonny. I read several of Crombie's books in the past, but stopped somewhere along the way. I also read a lot of King when I was younger, then stepped out of the horror genre. I may investigate King's newer books to see how he has evolved. I am reading The Henna Artist, and while not a great book, I also find the culture and history of another place interesting. It's dark and rainy here as well. Ida just doesn't want to leave.
ReplyDeleteThankfully, at least for now, we are feeling cooler temps & lower dew points. It's wonderful. I have never read a Stephen King book!
ReplyDeleteI love that Hitchhiker. My son-in-law and I were just discussing Stephen King while sitting on the beach last week. So many memories of his books, I read them all when I was in high school and college. I'm adding Billy Summers to my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteIda was gone by the time we got up today and wow, the weather she left behind is gorgeous. Hope you get that side of her tomorrow! I've been seeing Billy Summers pop up on Instagram, but had no thought to potentially reading it until your description. Can't wait to hear what you think!
ReplyDeleteThe Hitchhiker is coming along. I too like the way the colorway is knitting up. Red stripes are going to be the perfect finishing touch. It seems like it is either feast or famine when it comes to rain. I hope your power stayed on.
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