Little Danny Torrence can read thoughts, and the stories in his father’s mind scare him nearly to death. Stephen King’s 1977 classic follows Danny’s family through a terrifying winter as they care for a deserted Colorado hotel whose history is anything but bucolic. Campbell Scott brings a refreshing perspective to the spooky story. Understated, yet fully engaged, he changes point of view between Danny and his parents, leading the listener effortlessly. Scott colors the secondary characters with slight shades of regional accents, bringing them to life without overperforming them. His detached, choppy rendering of horrors from the hotel’s past contrasts with his effusive illustration of its present, wringing every drop of terror from both. R.L.L. 2006 Audie Award Finalist © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
Why wait for the holidays to gift yourself a good book? Our monthly picks have you covered, whether you’re looking for a museum mystery, faerie lore, a hopeful novel of family, a music memoir of a rock legend, a queer romance, or a modern fairy tale about the importance of community. Our Mystery/Thriller Pick Our […]
A semester-at-sea goes horribly awry when Liv’s ex-bestfriend goes missing the first night of the program. As Liv tries to uncover what really happened, her discoveries lead her to believe that the ship holds eerie secrets, making her wonder what else it might be hiding. Those We Drown is an atmospheric debut perfect for fans of What We Harvest and That Weekend. Keep reading to hear from Amy Goldsmith about how the Horror genre has inspired her and what Horror books she recommends YA readers pick up next.
In a much-quoted passage from Stephen King’s beloved memoir On Writing, he says that “books are uniquely portable magic” and for his Constant Readers, there’s no end to the magic and mystery of his multiverse. It’s always a thrill to pick up on the (sometimes very small!) connections while battling a malevolent shapeshifting clown, discovering secret telepathic powers, or raging against inner demons.
There’s no denying that Stephen King is a prolific writer. He’s also a real writer’s writer. Heck, he even wrote the definitive book on the topic: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. It’s the perfect book for writers new and old—and really anyone who loves stories. After all, who wouldn’t love looking at storytelling from […]
“I live on art. I’m an art vampire, that’s how I sustain myself.” Jacqueline Holland’s debut novel The God of Endings weaves together themes of motherhood, mortality and the human condition in a vampire novel unlike any we’ve seen before. Holland joins us to discuss vampire lore, the power of art, how her novel grew out of a grad […]