Breathe To Read

Breathe To Read

Sunday, January 4, 2026

Book: The Regulators

 Book: The Regulators

Author: Stephen King

Pages: 512


This is my 4th book of the year

What Amazon Says:\
It's a summer afternoon in Wentworth, Ohio, and on Poplar Street everything's normal.  The paper boy is making his rounds; the Carver kids are bickering at the corner convenience store; a Frisbee is flying on the Reed's lawn; Gary Soderson is firing up the backyard barbecue.  The only thing that doesn't quite fit is the red van idling just up the hill.  Soon in will begin to roll, and the killing will begin.  A quiet slice of American suburbia is about to turn to toast.  The mayhem rages around a seemingly still point, a darkened house lit fitfully from within a flickering television screen.  Inside, where things haven't been normal for a long time, are Audrey Wyler and the autistic nephew she cares for, 8 year old Seth Garin.  They're fighting their own battle, and its intensity has turned 247 Poplar Street into a prison house.  By the time night falls on Poplar Street, the surviving residents will find themselves in another world, one where anything, no matter how terrible, is possible - and where the regulators are on their way.  By what power they have come, how far they will go, and how they can be stopped - these are the desperate questions.  The answers are absolutely terrifying.

This was a pretty good book.  It is Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman.  This is a companion novel to a previous novel named Desperation.  Same characters reimagined with the same antagonist.  This is a solid King story (it is one of his older novels) - with a lot of gore right out of the gate.  The story develops well, and it runs about typical length of a King novel.  Were there some slow spots?  Of course.  But overall, a good read.

Stars: 3.5


Book: Natural Selection

 Book: Natural Selection

Author: Elin Hilderbrand

Pages: 55


This is my 3rd read for the year

What Amazon Says:
After a string of bad dates and no prospects, Sophia Othonos has finally hit the jackpot: an actual nice guy.  When he suggests a romantic getaway, she's sure they're about to take the first step toward their future.  A rustic cruise to the Galapagos Islands isn't exactly her idea of a vacation, but Sophia is ready for anything - until her boyfriend has to cancel.  Now she's all alone on a trip that was meant for 2.  Sophia finds herself at a corssroads about who she is, what she wants, and whether her relationship is really everything she thought.  But if she's going to suffer an identity crisis, at least she gets to do it amid the unexpected majesty of nature.  Eight days of wild, unobstructed beauty are enough to make anyone reevaluate their life.  These islands are all about adapting to your surroundings - and change just might be what Sophia needs most of all.

This was another free Amazon Kindle book.  I have not read many Hilderbrand books, but this was a pretty good short read.  I did not see the end coming as much as I should have.  It drags a bit in the middle, but oveall a good story.  Good message about self worth.

Stars: 3


Saturday, January 3, 2026

Book: Sublet - A Short Story

 Book: Sublet - A Short Story

Author: Greer Hendricks

Pages: 53


This is my 2nd read for the year

What Amazon Says:
Anne is barely keeping it together.  A frazzled ghostwriter and aspiring novelist, she juggles 9 year old twins and a listless marriage from an overcrowded Manhattan apartment, spreading herself thinner each day.  Just as Anne is about to give up on her dreams, she lands her biggest client yet: Melody Wells.  Melody paints a picture of serenity and empowerment in the lavender haze of her visualization workshops - however, the one thing she can't manifest are the pages her publisher is demanding for her new motivational book.  Enter Anne.  As Melody invites Anne deeper into her magical world, Anne finds herself working impossibly long days and traeling far beyond her comfort zone.  When Melody passes along a lead on a spacious sublet complete with East River views, built-in closets, and 3 bedrooms, Anne can't believe her luck.  Melody seems to know just what her family needs.  But as small, unsettling incidents begin to accumulate, Anne starts to wonder what price she's willing to pay for the good life.

This was an interesting enough short story.  I have a goal this year to work through my large backlog of Amazon free reads/short stories, and this was one of them.  Overall it felt like a complete story even with its few pages, and I was curious enough to keep reading it all at once.  Ending was a bit weak, but overall, a solid read.

Stars: 3 


Friday, January 2, 2026

Book: Of Monsters and Mainframes

 Book: Of Monsters And Mainframes

Author: Barbara Truelove

Pages: 424


This is my 1st read of the new year

What Amazon Says
Demeter just wants to do her job: shuttling humans between Earth and Alpha Centauri.  Unfortunately, her passengers keep dying and not from equipment failures, as her AI medical system, Steward, would have her believe.  These are paranormal murders, and they began when one nasty, ancient vampire decided to board Demeter and kill all her humans.  To keep from getting decommissioned, Demeter must join forces with her own team of monsters: A werewolf.  An engineer built from the dead.  A pharaoh with otherworldly powers.  A vampire with a grudge.  A fleet of cheerful spider drones.  Together, this motley crew will face down the ultimate evil - Dracula.  This book probes what it means to be one of society's monsters - and explores the many types of friendship that makes us human.

I had not heard of this book until I watched a booktok on it.  Then I saw it made the list of best sci-fi on goodreads, so I decided to check it out.  I found it interesting.  I think it started strong, but then I felt it went a bit off the rails near the end.  The plot slows down.  It stops being from Demeter's point of view almost all together, which was a bit of a disappointment.  Overall a fun read about found family, and I am glad I picked it up.

Stars: 3.5