Welcome to another Top 5 Wednesday. This week’s topic is about the books you read before you started discussing books online. I decided for the bar to be set before I joined Goodreads, since that’s when I started doing star ratings and reviews. These aren’t necessarily my favorite books from before I started sharing my reading online. This is me taking the opportunity to talk about some books I haven’t read in a long time that should be talked about and read more. So let’s do this.
Kill the Dead by Tanith Lee. A dark fantasy that follows a “ghost slayer” on his quest to… slay ghosts. I did say it’s been a while since I’ve read a few of these, and this was one of those Lee novels I read early on when I was just getting into her. I need to reread it, because I remember it being a wonderful adventure with a great twist ending. The twist has stuck with me, but I don’t dare spoil that part. It deserves to be experienced.
The House by Bentley Little. There are plenty of books I could mention by him, as he was a huge favorite when I was in my teens. I still read his work, but there was something magical about being a young horror fan and finding Little’s strange work for the first time. The House was one of those that taught me old subgenres can learn new tricks. It’s a haunted house story that takes an entirely different direction than what you might expect. At first it seems to fit the tropes, and then it takes a turn. Another I don’t dare spoil.
The Dead Zone by Stephen King. I always have to mention King. He was a mainstay for me in my youth. This is one I don’t mention often, even though it’s probably King’s most meticulously planned novel. Whereas his other works are clearly built as he writes, this one had such well-crafted momentum. He knew what he wanted to do, and it shows. It’s a book with so many exciting high points in its storyline, and when it crests that final wave, it challenges everything you know about protagonists.
Hideaway by Dean Koontz. Another author I read prolifically as a teen. Until I read one too many of his books that left a lot to be desired. Since then, I’ve read him very sparingly. But I’ll always remember the crazy ride that was Hideaway. With it’s weird religious magic. And the typical trappings Koontz is known for, but I have to say he did them best in this book. Maybe if I reread it, I wouldn’t be as enthralled now, but it made such an impression at the time.
The Terminal Man by Michael Crichton. I think I’ve managed to list all of fifteen-year-old-me’s favorite authors in this list. Ending on my “remembered the least” choice. I devoured Crichton’s work at the time, and this was one that read like an SF thriller. It wasn’t very long, and it felt more like watching a movie than reading a book. With the point of it really being to horrify using an experiment gone wrong. That old trope. But I also remember having a blast with it.
That’s my list! I probably need to reread most of these, but the nostalgia factor is still very high with all of them. Thanks for reading, and as always, happy geeking!
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