Long awaited, hugely anticipated and freaking brilliant. King writes his first ever sequel to a previous standalone with wonderful results. This is the second review of Doctor Sleep on CBR5, after Lady Cordelia’s, but I doubt it will be the last. The full review can be found on my blog here.
Cannonball Read V 
You “tut” at people who read and walk simultaneously? I’ve done roundabouts a quarter of this year’s reading while on the move, and I only once ran into something (a black trash can… at nighttime)! Well, someone nearly ran me over with their bicycle, but they’re not supposed to be riding on the sidewalks anyway, so that’s hardly my fault. But, yeah, as long as you are coordinated enough to do both without unintentionally getting in the way, I see no reason for “tutting.”
As far as Doctor Sleep is concerned, I read your review hoping perhaps I’d get an idea of what people see in it, since I’m nearly halfway through and finding it absolutely boring. While this was a fine review, I still don’t really understand why people are giving this one rave reviews. Before it came out, it sounded like the sort of book his detractors would jump on him en masse for writing, and so far the book’s done nothing to dispel those thoughts. *shrugs*
I tut at them mostly because I’m NOT co-ordinated enough to do both and the constant fear I have of tripping over something or colliding with someone means I’m glancing around more than I’m reading. I find it massively distracting so it only happens on very rare occasions when I simply can’t put a book down. The last time it happened was at a very key point in Fingersmith by Sarah Waters.
Thank you for your praise of my review, though sorry you’re finding the book itself a bit of a chore. I remember you saying in your Joyland review that you weren’t getting your hopes up for this one.
You get better with practice. If someone with as little coordination as me can get to a point where I’m only tripping as much as usual (over my own feet, mind you), you can do it too! I guess it’s also easier in a small town like Butler where there’s very little foot traffic and I was always walking the exact same route to and from work. I wouldn’t dare try it walking around my new play of employ (Walmart). Could I manage it? If it wasn’t a peak time, perhaps, but do I really want to try? Not really. Though I did get rather accustomed to that sort of multitasking at Pitt when I had to weave through the crowds of students on my way to and from classes while texting and the like. But weaving is apparently just what I do, as my first girlfriend was kind enough to point out; it’s nearly impossible for me to walk straight, plus I can trip on flat, solid ground. Yet, somehow, despite it all, I walk and read at the same time without much incident. It’s a miracle, honestly. One night I was almost hit by a car, but again that wasn’t my fault. They had a stop sign and I was using my iPhone’s (blinding) flashlight to read by. Except idiots are always blowing right through or treating it as a rolling stop sign.
Yeah, I saw Walmart selling it on the cheap one day when I came into work and considered buying it, rather than waiting it out until I got a copy from the library (I was 20th or so in line on the hold list). Except I didn’t want this to be Under the Dome all over again, with even the small price being too much for what I was getting, and couldn’t really even afford it at that low price. The people ahead of me on the hold list burned through it, though, so I got it after just a couple weeks. I let myself get a little excited when I saw myself moving up in the queue, but any hope I had for Doctor Sleep surpassing my expectations is gone completely now. I have exactly 100 pages left, and I could easily have finished them tonight, as I’d already blazed through 200 pages and it was only 9:30ish when I decided to take a break, yet it’s not the sort of book that makes me want to continue reading late into the night. I’ll finish it tomorrow morning before work and, hopefully, move onto something more my style while I’m on my hour lunch in the evening.
95% of my reading is on a Kindle these days though so if I go ass over teakettle with that in my hand, it’s far more costly than just effing up a book.
Shame Doctor Sleep hasn’t worked out for you though. Even bigger shame you’ve COMPLETELY left me in the dust on this challenge 🙂
I’m not sure I could ever make the jump to a Kindle. I like having an actual physical copy of what I’m reading far too much. And, if I fall, I won’t possibly ruin a costly investment! Unless we’re talking about The Cat Behind the Hat. It lists for $75, I kid you not.
Well, you’re not the only one I left in the dust. 🙂 The only one even close is Malin, if I remember correctly. For a little while I was worried she was going to pull what she did when I was racing toward the Double Cannonball, snatching it away from me at the last moment with a sudden smattering of reviews. It also doesn’t help that I continually fall behind on reviews, so I could’ve been a dozen or more books ahead of her and still been beaten. Right now I’m four behind (Doctor Sleep included), and will probably be five behind come tomorrow when I have a day off and can finally get around to reviewing these books.
Well I now share a flat with a huge bibliophile and I’m slowly getting my real book vibe back so who knows maybe walking and reading will be my mission for 2014 :-).
I did notice you weren’t the first to a double so was really surprised and impressed just how far ahead you’ve gone. Crazy times.