Throwback Thursday (September 27) – The Talisman


Welcome to Throwback Thursday, a weekly meme hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books!

It’s the nature of book blogging to focus mainly on new releases, but there are thousands of great books out there that haven’t seen the “New Releases” shelf in years. We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

You don’t have to be a book blogger to participate! You can put up a Throwback Thursday post on your non-bookish blog; or if you don’t have a blog at all, just use the comments to tell us about a book you remember fondly.

Here’s how it works:
1. Pick any book released more than 5 years ago. Adult, YA, Children’s; doesn’t matter. Any great book will do.
2. Write up a short summary of the book (include the title, author, and cover art) and an explanation of why you love it. Make sure to link back to The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books in your post.
3. Link up your post at The Housework Can Wait or Never Too Fond of Books.
4. Visit as many blogs as you can, reminisce about books you loved, and discover some “new” books for your TBR list!

Feel free to grab the Throwback Thursday button code from the sidebar to use in your posts.

Thanks for participating, and we look forward to seeing which books you choose to remember!

My Throwback this week is…

The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub

Okay, I’m going to be honest here. I don’t remember much about this book, except that I really liked it. I remember why I read it. I was on a plane to Albania (yes, Albania) on a college chorus tour. My fiancé was on a different flight, so I was sitting next to a friend I didn’t know very well, and he had this book. And in talking about books and movies, he determined that I would probably like it. He had finished it, so he loaned it to me. And I read it, and I loved it. I just can’t remember what it’s about anymore. So here’s the Goodreads synopsis:

On a brisk autumn day, a twelve-year-old boy stands on the shores of the gray Atlantic, near a silent amusement park and a fading ocean resort called the Alhambra. The past has driven Jack Sawyer here: his father is gone, his mother is dying, and the world no longer makes sense. But for Jack everything is about to change. For he has been chosen to make a journey back across America–and into another realm.

One of the most influential and heralded works of fantasy ever written,The Talisman is an extraordinary novel of loyalty, awakening, terror, and mystery. Jack Sawyer, on a desperate quest to save his mother’s life, must search for a prize across an epic landscape of innocents and monsters, of incredible dangers and even more incredible truths. The prize is essential, but the journey means even more. Let the quest begin. 

Now, it may seem strange that I’m picking a book I don’t really remember as my Throwback. The main reason I’m picking it is because while I’ve actually read a decent amount of Stephen King’s books that I do remember, I recall liking this one more than all of those.

Because it is a King book (although it is co-authored), it’s probably a safe assumption that there’s a fair amount of violence. King also never shies away from uncomfortable situations and killing important characters, so we can safely assume that’s in there too. But there’s no denying that the man has a way with words and stories. Now I need to go check this one out from the library and remember why I liked it so much.

This is a blog hop! Link up your Throwback Thursday post below!