Review: The Mist by Stephen King

Review: The Mist by Stephen King
Genre: Horror
Rating: B+
For: RIP Challenge and Readathon
From: Sheesh, I've had this one kicking around so long I have no idea where it came from! Thrift store maybe?

I was killing two birds with one stone by reading this book over the weekend. First, it was one I had on my RIP list, because why not put a quick fast Stephen King read on your RIP list, right? And second I thought a scary short story would make for perfect readathon reading.

The story is a pretty simple one. A storm comes. Afterwards, there's this really creepy fog rolling in. Our main character and his son decide to go to the store really quick, and while they are there, the mist envelopes the store. They are trapped!

Well, unless of course, they decide to brave the mist and they've seen what happens to people who do that and it's not pretty.

This was an interesting study on what might happen to people stuck in this scary situation. Some go crazy, some rise to be leaders and keep a straight head. Some totally freak out and make things worse for everyone else. I enjoyed the intensity of this little tale. It didn't really scare me or freak me out though. (I'm told there are much better King books if I'm looking for that.) I found the mist itself to be much more creepy than what was actually in the mist.

The story seemed sort of familiar and made me wonder if I've seen the movie or something. But I don't think that's what it was. I think it's because it had a similar premise as The Passage, a story still rolling around in my brain. But, I did find the movie trailer, so I share that here with you so you can get a better feel for it. After watching it, I can see that the movie looks much more freaky than the book actually was. But, it is a perfect Halloween type read, that's for sure!

Review: Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale and Nathan Hale

Book: Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale and Nathan Hale
Genre: Graphic Novel
Rating: A
For: the readathon
From: I bought it!

So last January, we went to the launch party for this book and met all these Hale people. They were fabulous and funny. The whole experience was a perfect Saturday afternoon family adventure. Then I promptly went home, put the book on the shelf and never got to it.

Until the readathon that is! Perfect book for that! It took me about an hour to read it, and it was light and fun and easy and perfect.

It's the story of Jack (as in The Beanstalk). We get a little background first, about how he robbed the giants and his mom got mad, so he left his city for a bit. That's when he met Rapunzel, and they have their adventure as portrayed in Rapunzel's Revenge. Then, they decide to come back to the city and see Jack's mom again, and that's where this book's story really begins.

We learn that the giants in the sky have been wreaking havoc on the city and Jack and Rapunzel end up solving the little mystery and coming to the rescue of course! The stuff they get themselves into is hilarious and the way they get themselves out even better. The pictures are awesome (sometimes you have to really examine them to truly get what's happening) and the storyline is very fun.

Bottom line: Read it!

Other Reviews:

Book Nut
Becky's Book Reviews
Booking Mama

And if you don't follow Shannon's blog, you really, and I mean REALLY must click on over here and see her beautiful newborn twins.

The Sunday Salon: Ten Ten Ten

In honor of the day, I give you ten random thoughts/lists in three different categories, thus 10/10/10.

Ten Thoughts About The Readathon

1. It never fails to blow me away at how fast the hours and day fly by.
2. Planning and anticipating with Toto (my sixth grader) was nearly the best part!
3. Distractions were many, but that's to be expected and not a big deal.
4. I didn't get much read, but that's also to be expected and not a big deal.
5. We snacked so much we didn't need real food. Not sure that's such a good idea!
6. Mini challenges are so fun to break things up BUT blogging in between reading takes up lots of reading time.
7. I loved curling up amongst my bookshelves. It was very cozy. I just need more comfortable reading chairs for that area in order to make it a complete picture.
8. Even small books take a large chunk of time to read.
9. I feel a sort of let down when it's all over, sort of like Christmas. Anyone else?
10. There's pretty much no way I can last a full 24 hours, but 18 hours is just perfect for me!

Ten Books I'm Really Anxious to Read Soon!

1. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
2. Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
3. Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson
4. Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
5. Reckless by Cornelia Funke
6. Torment by Lauren Kate
7. The Lost Saint by Bree Despain
8. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney
9. Jane by April Lindner
10. Unbroken Connection by Angela Morrison

Ten TV Questions

1. Why does Monday have almost all the good shows?
2. Have vampires and werewolves always been together in stories?
3. Why is Alex O'loughlin so cool?
4. Do you think people go on Survivor and then act especially obnoxious on purpose?
5. Who's your favorite new team on Amazing Race? Team Glee perhaps?
6. But can anyone live up to the awesomeness that was the cowboys?
7. Why did Zachary Levi have to go and get a hair cut?
8. Why does The Event need to have such a Lost wanna-be feel about it?
9. Why did I not watch Castle from the beginning?
10. What does Friday Night Lights have to be on non-normal TV?

How's your readathon hangover going?
What books are you anxious to read?
Do you have any TV questions?

Readathon: Final Update/Hour Seventeen

What I’m reading now: Just finished, finally, The Mist. Sheesh, that took me long enough! I may read a couple chapters in Bleak House now.

How many page read since last update: only 170

How many pages read total: 473

Books finished since last update: one .... yes!

How many minutes/hours read since last update: so here's where I began to lose track, I read very sporadically, but probably about 3 hours of the last five

How many minutes/hours read total: 9 and a half or so?

What the family is reading: Toto is concentrating on 39 Clues and has lasted pretty good with me. JJ had friends come over to watch Prison Break

What we are listening to: yeah, Prison Break!

What we are eating: I'm about ready to have some ice cream for dinner! What? Yes, you heard me!

Distractions: let's see, an hour trip to get a kid from his friends, Prison Break going on in the background, various other family activities, blogging, random inability to focus!

Mini Challenges: we loved the word scramble challenge

Visits Made: oh please, none! I think I'll go visit now for a bit, and then read for a bit more, but this will be my last update!

It's been fun. Even though I'm pretty lousy at staying focused and really reading long and hard, I have a blast trying and just playing along.

The rest of you that last through the whole thing, you are fabulous! I'll probably last a couple more hours (it's just now 10:00 p.m. here) and then I'm sleeping.

Title Word Scramble Mini Challenge

We had a blast with this Title Word Scramble Mini Challenge.  Here's our answers:

1.yfferil enal
Firefly Lane

2.aste fo eend
East of Eden

3. retwa orf pntshleea
Water for Elephants

4.ot lkli a ckomgnrbdii
To Kill a Mockingbird

5. het gtaer ysbtag
The Great Gatsby

6. yrhra tetrpo dna eth lyhdtea wollsah
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

7. hte rat fo nrgcai ni eht nair
The Art of Racing in the Rain

8.eth mite reslveart efwi
The Time Traveler’s Wife

9. eht rlig ithw eht gnodar ooattt
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

10.ydira fo a mypiw idk
Diary of a Wimpy Kid

11.a kwrlnei ni emit
A Wrinkle in Time

12. het rpoal sxprese
The Polar Express

13.vole dewlak ni
Love Walked In

14.reehw eth dwli hingts rea
Where the Wild Things Are

15.eht ginnhsi
The Shinning

16.dnohogigt oonm
Goodnight Moon

17. vwtienrie hwti a pvmarie
Interview With A Vampire

18. eht cretse file fo eesb
The Secret Life of Bees

19. eht raesch
The Search

20. het pelh
The Help

Readathon: Update 4/Hour Eleven

What? Hour Eleven already? But we just got started!!! 

We got sleepy and had a little nap, read a little more, then took a break to run an errand and eat some lunch. That took the last hour and a half, but I thought I'd update where I'm at anyway. 

What I’m reading now: The Mist by Stephen King

How many page read since last update: 59 (wahoo, huh?)

How many pages read total: 303, wow am I racking them in or what?

Books finished since last update: none

How many minutes/hours read since last update: 1 hour reading, 15 min. napping, 1/2 hour blogging, and 1 1/2 hours break

How many minutes/hours read total: 6 1/2

What the family is reading: JJ is reading The Illiad, Toto finished Calamity Jack and has started Song of the Sparrow (total pages read 298...looks like the race is on!)

What we are listening to: Hmmmm.... I think we'll do an Enya Pandora station for a bit.

What we are eating: We had chicken/avocado mini sandwiches and chips for lunch.

Distractions: sleepiness mostly now, and food again I suppose

Mini Challenges: none since last time

Visits Made: none since last time!

Okay, I'm ready to buckle down now and accomplish something!

Readathon: Update 3/Hour Eight

What I’m reading now: I think I'm going to try The Mist by Stephen King

How many pages read since last update: 144

How many pages read total: 244

Books finished since last update: One! Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale... very fun!

How many minutes/hours read since last update: about 1 1/2 (and about 1/2 hour blogging)

How many minutes/hours read total: 5 1/2

What the family is reading: Toto finished Pendragon, started 39 Clues book 2, but is now reading Calamity Jack! JJ has joined us doing homework.

What we are listening to: Secret Garden, but I think I'll change to something else now, Yanni maybe?

What we are eating: caramel popcorn until our mouths are sore! And some random chocolate candy.

Distractions: not so bad this time around. Some coming and goings to keep track of with random family members is about it. Lunch will be soon, and perhaps an errand. Ugh, the next update will be bad I bet.

Mini Challenges: Just did the book puzzle one. We got a kick out of that.

Visits Made: a handful this time! Yes, I'm trying.