Welcome to Litsy!

@shortsarahrose Thanks for my creepy Christmas package! Which segues perfectly into my last read of the year. 100 boys/men are picked for the annual Long Walk in an unclear just how dystopic America. Each participant will walk until they cannot walk any longer at such time a soldier will shoot them. It sounds so simple a story and then King puts his magic on it. You care for these guys and become invested and then affected. So good.👇🏼

My favorite book is “Battle Royale,” so I‘m no stranger to the theme of dystopian regime holds a competition that kills teens. However, I found this book to be underwhelming. Maybe it‘s because I wasn‘t emotionally attached to any characters, so their deaths didn‘t affect me. Still, I‘ll be thinking about this when I‘m walking around Seoul on Saturday afternoons 😅

I'm biased with this one. I discovered it at a young age, and it's always been a favorite of mine. While the concept itself is a good deal older than this book, I love King's take. The characters are memorable, the conversations are interesting, and the examination of our innate death wish is provoking. Despite a few "speed bumps" along the way, The Long Walk is one I consider worth taking time and again. 5/5

This was a re-read that happened to fit the next #PromptMaze (decade I was born). Because it's a Bachman book, it's rather dark in tone, and no happy endings are to be had here. Like the Hunger Games, there can only be one winner, so lots of dead kids walk these pages. This is a story I've read multiple times, and depending on my mood when I read it, I view the ending differently. Can't believe this hasn't been made into a movie yet. #Scarathlon

Picking up an old favourite

Stephen King is not rly my vibe but I will say he‘s a very good writer and can relay that doom-feel super well. However, I was a bit on the fence with this one. I know it was published back in the day but I extremely dislike how he uses casual gay bashing and the n-word for effect. It bothers me and detracts from the overall experience 🤷🏽‍♀️
This was a cool premise tho and altho there‘s not much world building, I was so intrigued abt ⬇️

Waiting room reading! I‘m late...this is my May #bookspin 📖

@TheAromaofBooks
#bookspinbingo

I read this during long haul flights from Australia to Spain and back, which felt fitting to the discomfort. Overall it left me unsatisfied. Why is there a Long Walk? What are the Squads? Had any winner survived? What actually happened at the end? Interesting idea but not a book I'd recommend, probably would have enjoyed as a novella but pointless as a novel.

Ohhh...I‘m excited! My #bookspin is The Long Walk and my #doublespin is Seabiscuit! Looking forward to both!

@TheAromaofBooks
#bookspinbingo

First in my 12 books in 2022. Absolutely wild.

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
@Eggs
#Beginswith Long

Day 15/16

It‘s #Two4Tuesday time with @TheSpineView !

🕐 I prefer a fast moving plot, but when I look at my favorites list from last year it‘s full of mostly slow burners so 🤷🏼‍♀️?
🕑 This is a book about walking, and, wow.

Thanks for the tag @TheRiehlDeal ! I tag anyone who wants to play!

🏆 This was my favorite book read in March!

📷 Photo taken in the Mojave National Preserve (on an infrequently used road)

#12BooksOf2021
@Andrew65

I struggled to finish this one. Probably my least favorite King novel.

#scarathlon #teamhendrix @StayCurious
5+1+(6h×10×7r)=426
#screamathon @4thhouseontheleft #littenlisten @aperfectmjk #spookoweenreadathon @TheSpineView #panspookathon #wickedathon #realikehellathon #frightfall

Book 117

I listened to The Long Walk by Stephen King, a dystopian story about an annual walk during which, if you stop walking, you get shot. The entire thrilling novel takes place during the walk. Characters could be better developed and the ending could be more satisfying. 3.5 ⭐s

“In the near future, when America has become a police state, one hundred boys are selected to enter an annual contest where the winner will be awarded whatever he wants for the rest of his life. Among them is sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty, and he knows the rules—keep a steady walking pace of four miles per hour without stopping. Three warnings and you‘re out—permanently.”

As promised, here is my King ranking. This is 1 of 2 posts. This includes books 16-30 & are ranked horizontally from left to right starting at the top row. I broke the series down for this ranking, a ranking including series in place of individual book entries would look diff. Also, I'm planning on reading “Four Past Midnight“ in the future, but “Langoliers“ was read as a separate book.

#LitsySummerCamp @ImperfectCJ

Keeping things morbid here in Camp Bitches Be Readin', this is the first book that came to mind when I saw the prompt talking about a significant walk. I've read novella many times, because the ending still haunts me. The book is about a group of young men who sign up to do the long walk, where the last person still alive is the winner. Your feet will ache just reading it!

The Long Walk (one of four stories in this collection) bored me. I could definitely tell it was written by Stephen King and I think he did a lot to develop these characters while they were on their long walk. But I needed more from this world or perhaps more to set up the story before the walk began. It would have been even better to me if it were one of his *very* short stories. I doubt I‘ll reread, I just didn‘t enjoy it. #readingStephenKing

Is this a metaphor for the Vietnam War?

Also, how alarming is it that Stephen King used this pseudonym when he didn't want to write a happy ending?

#BookSpinBingo square 9
@TheAromaofBooks

My gosh, I‘m struggling with this one. I‘m exactly halfway thru and bored to pieces. I can‘t believe it. I won‘t be DNF-ing because I‘ve wanted to read this one for-e-ver and because I‘m hoping it will pick up soon. I even added the audio to see if it helps with my interest. Not yet! But I‘m only halfway thru, so there‘s still time 😩 #readingStephenKing

Next stop on my #stephenkinglonghaul re-read adventure!

🚶🏻 I met my first #MarvellousMarch goal by finishing this book! This is maybe the only author who can make a story about walking interesting while getting the reader invested in the characters.
👟 I took this picture on a lightly used, lightly maintained highway Sunday on the Mojave National Preserve. I love how it goes straight without cars almost as far as the eye can see. Only the wind was against me, knocking over the book many times.

@Andrew65 has a #MarvellousMarch Readathon to help me us to our goals this month!
I want to
🚶🏻 finish The Long Walk - only 68 pages to go
💐 read The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauerneister
🍎 I‘m switching from online back to the classroom this week, so I can use the motivation to set aside some me time!
Sounds like fun! Who else is playing?

I listened to this on audio. I'm not sure if I would have liked it better if I read it in print. It's kind of a dystopic horror in which young men compete to see who can walk the longest. Those who are unable to keep up a set pace are shot. I found that I wanted to know more about the society that the men came from, but it was largely left unexplained.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1361144957

I feel like using this sticker is a little cruel for this book 😈.
I‘m pretty sure this was my third reading of The Long Walk. I don‘t know why the imagery has really stayed with me. It was just as good this time around. 👍👍
#AuthorAMonth

I‘ll hand it to King: Only he could leave me in the dark and surprise me on the very last page! At first I was unhappy with the ending, but now that I‘ve re-read it a couple of times and, slept on it, I totally get it!
Anyway, the Bachman books are underrated and in this one, I loved the richness of each moment, each step— and even cried at one point.
🚶🏻‍♂️🚶🏻‍♂️ 🚶🏻🚶🏼🚶🏻‍♂️🚶🏼‍♂️ 🚶🏽‍♂️🚶🏽🚶🏿‍♂️ 🚶🏼

Just finished The Long Walk and am currently reading Horrorstor, a creepy book set in a knock-off IKEA. Each chapter starts with a stylized catalogue add for a piece of furniture. I love when books on my life unintentionally link together. 👟 #screamathon2020

Each year, 100 teen boys walk w/o stopping til there is only 1 left. Drop below 4 mph and get a warning; get enough warnings and you are killed. #screamathon2020

Only 30 pgs in and I figured I must've missed something. Why exactly are these kids walking? Is this in lieu of a prison sentence? Public blood-lust? Overpopulation? Higher-purpose grandstanding? Weird and violent expression of being trapped in a prison of privilege, a la fight club? 👇

I started this one last year as my annual King read; but I made the mistake of listening to the audio at the same time! Odd habits die hard and I found myself proofing the audio against the text. Also, it took me a long time just to get to page 86! I‘m trying again, print only 🙂

From what I remember, set-up-wise, this is a combo of Hunger Games and a Death March 🥾

I got through this in about a day because it was such a good read!

#tropesinaugust
#gamescompetition

One of King‘s Bachman books, this takes place in a future dystopian U.S. ruled by a totalitarian government. Once a year 100 teenage boys join an annual walking contest called "The Long Walk". Each walker must maintain a speed of 4 mph. If he drops below that speed, he gets a warning; too many warnings he is shot. But what really kills most contestants is the psychological burden...only 1 can win/survive...?

“Just go on dancing with me like this forever and I'll never tire. We'll scrape our shoe on the stars and hang upside down from the moon.”

This is probably the most exhusting book I've ever read. Stephen King in his usual way pulls you into the plot and all I will say is put some comfortable shoes on, as the title suggests you're in for a long walk and it's going to hurt and you absolutely will lose your mind.

This afternoon calls for a new reading adventure while creating a double chin #overachiever

In this video, I discuss "The Long Walk" by Richard Bachman. Also, Kerry sings Happy Birthday to me.

https://youtu.be/wsZr5Jq_Bmg

Have at least two weeks off for emergency closure. The days are starting to run together and it‘s only been 3 days. 😭 #stayhome

My final book of the decade. As I've previously mentioned, I gained a deeper appreciation of King this year after reading The Dark Tower. There's simply nothing else like it. Long Walk is my first experience with his Richard Bachman books. It initially came to my attention when someone on Litsy compared it to the Hunger Games, only a couple of decades before Collins book. I think Stand by Me meets the Hunger Games is a pretty good description.👇

Although I've already started planning my first book of 2020, I also put as much thought into my final book of the year. One of my favorite reading experiences this year was Dark Tower, so I'm going to send the year off with another King. I plan on finishing by 11:59 pm 12/31 no matter what it takes!

By far, my favourite Stephen King book. As horrific as it is, it is definitely a page-turner! King creates dread right at the beginning of the novel that stays with the reader until the very end.
#StephenKing #Favourite

Some light reading for the week. 😎 The end was a bit anticlimactic in my opinion, but quite a wild ride to get there.

Really good. I think this is a good place to start with King for sure. Interesting premise and executed as only Mr. King can.

Ray Garraty a is a 16yr old #smalltownboy in the walk of his life. In a grueling competition where there's only one winner and he'll gets whatever he wants there's just one rule - don'tstop moving. If you stop your out and by out I mean dead.

#wanderingjune @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB

Not my favorite of his books, but still great characters and atmosphere. I love how much is missing from this novel; the characters and their struggle are central to the point that they are the only thing on the page. No backstory, no news reports about the Long Walkers; just these boys and the walk itself. Because in the end, that's all there ever really is; everything else is just a distraction. Damn, King's worldview is so bleak.

Fittingly, I finished this audiobook on a very very long #audiowalk of my own! It was just as good as I remembered.

Though if I listen to The Running Man at some point I do not plan on running.

I went for an initially rainy but ultimately really beautiful #audiowalk today with one of my favorite Stephen King books. (My walk was much more peaceful than the Long Walkers')