It by Stephen King

I once read an interview with Stephen King. In the article he was asked if he liked the screen adaptation of The Shinning. King responded by saying, no. That he was very disappointed with the movie and that he doesn’t actually care if one leaves the movie theater scared but cares more if people are able to relate to the characters and care about them and their lives. He went onto say that he felt the movie failed to do this.I agree with King, when I read The Shinning I emphasized with the characters: Danny broke my heart, I hated and loved his father at different points, I was scared for Wendy and then Dick I love to death. But after seeing the movie I felt completely blasé.That is what I like about Stephen King the most, that he gives you a look into the characters lives. As in It, there are eight main characters and he makes sure to, tell the reader about all parts of their lives. We find out about their families, fears, likes and dislikes, and even the things they are most self-conscious of. With these minor details about the characters we’re able to emphasize with them. When he writes a book he makes sure that he is also writing something we can relate to. Instead of just writing about untreatable killer clowns and monsters he also writes about people and real emotions. So we do not end up reading a book that we could never relate to. Which is usually my main criticism of fantasy, it’s just so hard too relate to.There are two types of Stephen King fans, there are the fans that admire him then there are the fans that are obsessed with him. I personally just admire him but I can definitely see why other people like him so much.

The World According to Garp by John Irving

i love john Irving, and Hotel New Hampshire was a book that got me into reading in the first place. It had been almost two years since i had read a john Irving book, and i decided this summer that i was going to pick up another one. After hearing about how The World According to Garp was Irving's best piece of work i was excited to finally sit down and read it. It was a charming story, but also boring. i found it boring because almost every conflict in the book was a sexual related problem, it almost made the book seem trashy.
In the book, the main character Garp is a striving writer and he writes a story that gets a devastating review that exclaims, the story was nothing more than just a "x-rated soap opera" and i feel that describes The World According to Garp perfectly. If i had not read another john Irving novel before Garp, i wouldn't pick up another one.

Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems by Billy Collins

I have not read much poetry in the past, so i decided that over the summer i would read a book of poetry. i had figured that Billy Collins was a good place to start. Since he's "America's Poet Laureate". But i think America may be wrong, I'm not saying that he's horrible but maybe just a little overrated. I was expecting more, then only liking 21 poems out of over 100 poems. I also felt that he wrote with a sort of "arrogance" almost, i even remember him in one of the poems basically stating that he is the greatest poet. But my favorite poem was "My Number". Even though i wasn't completely satisfied with this book i would read another one of his collections again. But i wouldn't go as far as claiming him "America's Poet Laureate"; i think America has greater talent.