77 Shadow Street so far...

When I read the synopsis for the book, I was given the impression that the story was going to be told from the houses point of view, or even the thing that was killing everyone. Then as I started reading the book, I decided the story was going to be told in a series of events, much like a paranormal documentary. Now that I'm a little further into the book and certain characters keep making reappearances I am now able to pick out which characters will be the main characters, and who will probably form bonds and possibly even romances. However, since Dean Koontz's writing has changed since his older books, I haven't decided if this could end in absolute tragedy, or if there will a silver lining at the last chapter.

Also, I'm getting a House on a Haunted Hill vibe.

Oh and, I'm still waiting to be terrified.

June's Book Pick

Dean Koontz's 77 Shadow Street will be our very first pick for the month of June. I've never read this one and it's been a very long time since I've read one of his books since I prefer some of his older writings. In fact I think you can find one of his books under Just Couldn't Put It Down tab up top.

I actually discovered this one on Good Reads (LOVE that site) and the blurb about it just captured me;

"I am the One, the all and the only. I live in the Pendleton as surely as I live everywhere. I am the Pendleton’s history and its destiny. The building is my place of conception, my monument, my killing ground. . . .

The Pendleton stands on the summit of Shadow Hill at the highest point of an old heartland city, a Gilded Age palace built in the late 1800s as a tycoon’s dream home. Almost from the beginning, its grandeur has been scarred by episodes of madness, suicide, mass murder, and whispers of things far worse. But since its rechristening in the 1970s as a luxury apartment building, the Pendleton has been at peace. For its fortunate residents—among them a successful songwriter and her young son, a disgraced ex-senator, a widowed attorney, and a driven money manager—the Pendleton’s magnificent quarters are a sanctuary, its dark past all but forgotten.

But now inexplicable shadows caper across walls, security cameras relay impossible images, phantom voices mutter in strange tongues, not-quite-human figures lurk in the basement, elevators plunge into unknown depths. With each passing hour, a terrifying certainty grows: Whatever drove the Pendleton’s past occupants to their unspeakable fates is at work again. Soon, all those within its boundaries will be engulfed by a dark tide from which few have escaped.

Dean Koontz transcends all expectations as he takes readers on a gripping journey to a place where nightmare visions become real—and where a group of singular individuals hold the key to humanity’s destiny. Welcome to 77 Shadow Street"

Most of the books I've read of his are more thriller/suspense/mystery/paranormal-but-not-necessarily-scary, so this is the first horror book of his that I'll be reading. And from some of the comments and reviews on this book I think this month's read will be very promising/


So what other Dean Koontz books have you read? Do you remember the first one to get you hooked? Mine was "From the Corner of His Eye." I love how all the characters are connected together. I felt like I was playing "6 Degrees of Seperation with Kevin Bacon."

Also, don't forget to tune into the forums to discuss 77 Shadow Street at 8:30Pm on Saturday June 30th.

Chapter 1 of The Bookish Owl

Hello and welcome to The Bookish Owl, a book review and book club. It's easy to join, all you have to do is become a follower of my blog and follow my Twitter feed.

On the Blog

So here's how it will work; every month I will choose two books for us to read. One book will be the primary book, and the other is the alternate book. You can read both books if you want or just one of them. And it doesn't matter which, because both books will be discussed. If you have a suggestion, you can email me at  thebookishowl@gmail.com , I may use the book you suggest for the bookclub, or I'll read it and then give a review. But one thing is for sure, if you send a suggestion it will be added to the "Reader Recommendations" page.

When I announce the book I will give the date and time at which it will be discussed in the forum which you can find at the top of the blog. And please be sure to visit The Rules topic when entering the forum.

Also, along with our club reads I will be reading other books on the side which I will be giving reviews of.

On Twitter

On my Twitter feed I will be giving updates on posts, asking followers questions, and just doing posts that is book/reading related.

On to the good stuff...

I already have our first read picked out, it's by Dean Koontz I do not have an alternate for the first month however, and I"m not ready to announce the book yet since I still haven't gotten my hands on it. It'd be pretty bad if I couldn't read the book but still had to host the discussion. What kind of book club leader would I be?