Stephen King 2025 read-along discussion

Happy New Year Constant Readers!!

2022 flew by for me how did everyone else fair? In 2022, My family and I went and saw a WWE Royal Rumble in St. Louis for my youngest sons Christmas Present. We spent a weekend in Moab, Utah and hiked over 31,241 steps/9 miles. I visited my sisters in Oahu back in July. My middle sister has been stuck in New Zealand for over 2 years. The country finally lifted the travel ban. I quit my job as an Instructional Aide for mild/moderate students and went back to school. My first semester I had 6 classes and student taught for 16 weeks. I earned straight A's and hopefully I passed my CalTPA. I also completed 16 books which is the lowest I have ever read, but at least I got some reading in. What did you guys do?

This year we are continuing with Lala's "Buzzwordathon" to keep the reads for this King read-a-long fun and exciting. This month we are focusing on the "Buzzwordathon" challenge of key words: Life or Death.

I found two short stories "A Death" and "Afterlife" they are both found in the short story collection (Bazaar of Bad Dreams). This month you have the option of focusing on just one of the two short stories. You can read both short stories, or you can read the entire collection. I wanted to be flexible this year with the reading because again, it's been hard for me to participate while in school. So I hope you all enjoy the less stressful version of this readathon this year.

"A Death" is a short story that was first written for the New Yorker (March 9th, 2015 issue) If you want to read it in it's "original form" here's a link to the story from the New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...
This story is set in the Dakota territory in 1889. It's the trial of a rancher's son for a crime he might not have committed. (Crime, historical genre's) There is no movie/tv show for this short story.

"Afterlife" is a short story that was first published in Tin House literary magazine in June 2013. King says he wrote this story because as he got older he thought of mortality. He read the story aloud for a charity event. You can watch it on Youtube with this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j--hD...
This story is about an investment banker that dies and enters a bureaucratic afterlife and has to make a choice. (fantasy, psychological horror genre) There is no movie/tv show that I could find that has been adapted from this short story.

If you choose to read the entirety of Bazaar of Bad Dreams, this short story collection was published in Nov 2015. King has 12 short story collections that he has written over the years, this one has 21 stories.
Here's a list of the short stories, where they came from and whether or not they have a movie/tv show.

Mile 81-ebook *was slated for a movie back in 2019*
Premium Harmony-New Yorker 2009 *trailer short https://www.imdb.com/video/vi184793113/*
Batman and Robin Have an Altercation-Harpers 2012 *amateur short film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTgr3...*
The Dune-Granta 2011
Bad Little Kid-NEW previously unpublished in English (originally published as an ebook in German and French) *In 2014 The Hollywood Reporter said this was going to be turned into a film directed by Laurent Bouzereau, but nothing so far.*
A Death- New Yorker 2015
The Bone Church-(poem) Playboy 2009 *Was lit for a tv series for Netflix back in 2018, still nothing so far*
Morality-Esquire 2009
Afterlife-Tin House 2013
Ur-ebook
Herman Wouk Is Still Alive-The Atlantic 2011
Under the weather-previously printed in Full Dark, No Stars *international movie trailer short https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx74-...*
Blockade Billy- 2010 standalone?
Mister Yummy-NEW previously unpublished
Tommy- (poem) Playboy 2010
The Little Green God of Agony- previously published in A Book of Horrors 2011 *Talks in 2020 of a film with Lionsgate...turned into a webcomic*
Cookie Jar-Virginia Quarterly Review 2016
That Bus Is Another World-Esquire 2014
Obits-NEW previously unpublished
Drunken Fireworks-audiobook read by Tim Sample 2015 *Variety mentioned a movie adaptation starring James Franco back in 2016*
Summer Thunder-Cemetery Dance 2013 (Turn Down the Lights)

Technically you could use this short story collection for 7/12 month challenges for the Buzzwordathon. It works for Jan, April, May, June, July, Aug, and Dec.

Hope you all have a wonderful start to the new year. As always....Happy Reading!!

I think I’ll read both…. I’m also doing one Brandon Sanderson book a month (stormlight archive) with another group and whatever else I can throw in the middle . I work part time at the library so I do have a few extra hours to spend not adulting lol

Girl more power to you!! I've been intrigued by Sanderson but I've been a little intimidated not gonna lie lol.

So excited for all of the picks this year and another year of Constant Reading!!

Chelley wrote: "I think I’ll read both…. I’m also doing one Brandon Sanderson book a month (stormlight archive) with another group and whatever else I can throw in the middle . I work part time at the library so I..."

I have to agree with Ashley, back when I first started Youtube, I was all about reading what everyone else was reading because it always looked so interesting. One of those books being the Sanderson books and me always saying...yeah, but not that one lol. Too big! Hope you are having a great year so far Chelley!

Yes Sanderson books are very large lol I’m just reading it slow … and I’m trying audiobooks this year so maybe that will help:)

LOVE audiobooks!! I wouldn't be able to read as much without them

Audiobooks are the absolute best when you're trying to mow down your TBR, or any challenge or in general. And when the narrator just syncs with you and propels the book forward in their performance, it's the cherry on top.

I enjoy King's short stories for the most part so, here's me finding the perfect excuse to buying a copy of this short story collection for my own library and reading both short stories. Also just want to note that I think it's brilliant to have chosen short stories on their own as part of the month's selection!

Josie wrote: "Audiobooks are the absolute best when you're trying to mow down your TBR, or any challenge or in general. And when the narrator just syncs with you and propels the book forward in their performance..."

Thanks so much for the feedback Josie. I wish I would have thought about doing it sooner.

Hello fellow Constant Readers!

I haven't done a closure message I think ever. Wow who am I?

How was this month's reads? Did you get the two short stories read? What did you think of them?

I was a bit meh with "A Death". I was definitely fascinated with "Afterlife" I always think about what happens after we die. There is a movie that I was obsessed with when I was little. This will be showing my age, but the movie is, Heart and Souls. I've been curious about the afterlife from the time I was super little, so yes I liked this story. I however, would have picked the other door lol.

P.S. the audio of this book is amazing. I always like hearing King's back stories of why he wrote a story before we hear the story, especially in his voice.

Oooh, here's me speaking about audiobooks and I didn't think to check this one out. I shall on that note! Cause I would like to continue to read the rest.

As for the stories read for here, you basically summed up my sentiments on both. Though I'd say of the two, definitely enjoyed Afterlife much better, particularly the concept of reincarnation, but not as living another new life, but repeating the same one until I guess you get it right. That was an interesting take on an ancient old concept.

Also, I was -Obsessed- with the movie Heart & Souls when I was a kid! Ugh, so sad and endearing, and funny and sweet, with a beautiful message in there as well. Now I really want to rewatch it.

Thank you! I look forward to this month's!

Josie wrote: "Oooh, here's me speaking about audiobooks and I didn't think to check this one out. I shall on that note! Cause I would like to continue to read the rest.

As for the stories read for here, you ba..."

Yay! Someone else who has seen the movie :D It's a bummer it is no longer available in my area on Amazon Prime.