Koontzland - Dean Koontz discussion

Lightning as been selected as our November 2015 Group Read. This is the new thread for discussing the book. Lightning was last featured in 2010 and there is a older discussion topic with many comments that you may find interesting as well.

Excellent - a great book!

Yay, read this book years ago, it had a profound effect and has always remained my all time favourite Dean Koontz book. Looking forward to reading it again and wonder if my perspective will change...

This is one of my favorite books-haven't read it in many years as I'm not much of a re-reader but I remember much of the plot and look forward to the discussion. Hope everyone enjoys it!

Seems like I read it rather recently as a mini-group read, but I lose track of time :-)

I am tentatively planning to read it with you all. I own it; it's around here somewhere. I'm a little nervous, though. When I first read Lightning (roughly seven years ago, give or take a year) I was working and would only read it on my lunch breaks, as I didn't want a certain character in my home.

I'm now disabled and unable to work, and spend 99.9% of my time at home. So I'm nervous because what if I feel the same about that character?

But I'll try to read it with you all. Maybe the group read and discussion will help me get through it.

Jen you won't be reading alone. Keep the book in the freezer. The bad guys will be locked up and frozen. It worked for Joey on the sitcom Friends. Before that even aired a relative of my did that with Pet Cemetery.

Jen, it's been awhile since I first read Lightning but I am hoping you will love it as much as I did as we re-read this together. I remember it as a mostly positive book. Hope you see that too this time around.

One I haven't read! I'm in.

Diane Lynch wrote: "Jen you won't be reading alone. Keep the book in the freezer. The bad guys will be locked up and frozen. It worked for Joey on the sitcom Friends. Before that even aired a relative of my did that w..."

That sounds like a great idea! Thank you!!!


Karen B. wrote: "Jen, it's been awhile since I first read Lightning but I am hoping you will love it as much as I did as we re-read this together. I remember it as a mostly positive book. Hope you see that too this..."

Thanks for the encouragement, Karen!

I have to get the book from the library :-)

Ohh, Lightning, I didn't care much for this one the first time around.

For this group I always start the book on the first day of the month. Looking forward to it.

I like Lightening very much!!

Just started reading this for the first time.

I have requested Lightning from the library and will be joining you when I get it in :-) Happy Reading & Happy November Everyone!

I started reading this book and now I can't put it down! I love Laura and her besties.... I don't want to say too much more, but I'm on chapter 3.... If other discussions start popping up... I'll comment more

Thanks Angela :-) Have you read Lightning before?

Diane Lynch wrote: "Just started reading this for the first time."

You are gonna have fun! :-)

My first time reading lightning

Angela wrote: "My first time reading lightning"

Have Fun! I am waiting for a copy from the library. I've read Lightning a few times :-)

Anyone else knee deep into the book yet?

Just started

Had to finish another before I could immerse myself in it. I want to savor it. sorry Angela

I am 50% finished now. Once again I am grateful that I couldn't remember much from the last time I read this book. I remembered the character's name --- Laura and her birth. So there have been no real spoilers for me. Like one of the characters I am still asking, "why her?"

Laura Shane :-)

Laura Shame: ?

Laura Shame: ?

Shane. Her last name is Shane if I remember right :-)

She's a great author.

Sorry Dustin. That was a typo. I ment Laura Shane: ? I don't know her character well enough to form an opinion like you. It really lost the effect when I spelled it wrong.

Laura Shane: ?. And Spell check strikes again.

In the first description of "the gate" did anyone notice how it describes the Stargate as well? (I was a big fan of Stargate SG-1)

I just finished my re-reading of Lightning again. It's great as it was in my previous reading.

This time there was an afterward by Dean that cracked me up. Maybe I didn't notice it the last time around. But so much of what he had to say was so good.

Diane Lynch wrote: "Sorry Dustin. That was a typo. I ment Laura Shane: ? I don't know her character well enough to form an opinion like you. It really lost the effect when I spelled it wrong.

Laura Shane: ?. And Spel..."

That makes sense now :-)

For anyone who is interested in the audio book, the narration here is excellent.

Karen B. wrote: "For anyone who is interested in the audio book, the narration here is excellent."

I will be listening and following along in print as usual :-) the narration makes a big difference and I'm been very happy with most if not all of Dean Koontz's books in audiobook format - which is a good thing since he is my #1 author.

Dustin I didn't realize that you too followed along with print when listening. Doesn't it make a difference from just reading the print? I have also found that all of the Koontz audibles are good.

Karen B. wrote: "Dustin I didn't realize that you too followed along with print when listening. Doesn't it make a difference from just reading the print? I have also found that all of the Koontz audibles are good."

What I do is mostly listen and then when a particular passage catches my attention, I mark it in the book. Also, it's easier on GR to track my progress if I use book pages rather than the audiobook.

I picked up my printed copy of Lightning from the library but am still waiting for my audiobook on CD. I saw the copy of Lighting that I was sent and immediately I thought "Holy Shit! That book is so tattered - I'm surprised they are still circulating it" but what I said to the librarian at the checkout is "This copy has sure been read a lot" :-)

That's how you know it's a good book.

Karen B. wrote: "That's how you know it's a good book."

I know. It just seems they usually pull the books from circulation at this point. I've read Lightning a few times and if I find a good copy at the thrift store I need Lightning for my Koontz Collection. I told the librarian that I should probably buy a copy a copy since I have re-read Lightning so many times. She said, "but why buy when you can borrow from the library" Well, I like to mark passages in my books and I can't do that with library books. I told her "I use the library like crazy" and the librarian behind her said "He's a frequent customer".

Karen B. wrote: "I just finished my re-reading of Lightning again. It's great as it was in my previous reading.

This time there was an afterward by Dean that cracked me up. Maybe I didn't notice it the last time a..."

Karen, what is the gist of the afterword? My paperback copy might be an original paperback copy and doesn't have an afterword. If the afterword needs to be read I can borrow the kindle book from my library and maybe that edition has the afterword.

Jim he writes about publishers' expectations, other fiction writers, more or less defending his attitude toward his writing. A lot of it is said very subtly. I would try to see if your library has a recent copy and just sit in the library and read it, it will only take a few minutes. If my copy Kindle copy was lendable through Amazon I would lend mine to you. Sorry.

Karen B. wrote: "Jim he writes about publishers' expectations, other fiction writers, more or less defending his attitude toward his writing. A lot of it is said very subtly. I would try to see if your library has ..."

Thanks Karen. That is a good idea about sitting in the library and since I have to go there this week....That is probably the one downfall about kindle books. I cannot count how many new authors I have read because friends will lend me a book and say "read this". You can't do that anymore.

some books I can still lend, but this wasn't one of them. I will look at your profile again to see if there are any books I have in which you much be interested.

Karen B. wrote: "some books I can still lend, but this wasn't one of them. I will look at your profile again to see if there are any books I have in which you much be interested."

Thanks Karen for the offer but that is not necessary. I have plenty of books I want to read and not enough time. I was lamenting a pastime that all of us book lovers have done with lending books. I remember I have a friend who recently read her first Koontz book and she thought he was good. I gave her "Lightning" and told her to read it. She was blown away and became a Koontz fan for life. With his new novels I cannot do that anymore because they all are kindle books.

Jim and they are expensive. I want to read Frankenstein and when I went to order the Kindle version, the paperback was cheaper! (I have Amazon Prime so there was no shipping charge)

Mind blown!

Yep. Lately I've noticed that more and more. I check out the price for used "like new" and compare. But this time it was the regular Frankenstein paperback, not a used copy that was cheaper than Kindle.

I liked this book. It showed me how Koontz's style has changed over the years.