about the author:
Stephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels
website:
http://www.stephenking.com

book synopsis
This is the way the world ends: with a nanosecond of computer error in a Defense Department laboratory and a million casual contacts that form the links in a chain letter of death.

And here is the bleak new world of the day after: a world stripped of its institutions and emptied of 99 percent of its people. A world in which a handful of panicky survivors choose sides -- or are chosen. A world in which good rides on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail -- and the worst nightmares of evil are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the dark man.

In 1978 Stephen King published The Stand, the novel that is now considered to be one of his finest works. But as it was first published, The Stand was incomplete, since more than 150,000 words had been cut from the original manuscript.

Now Stephen King's apocalyptic vision of a world blasted by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil has been restored to its entirety. The Stand : The Complete And Uncut Edition includes more than five hundred pages of material previously deleted, along with new material that King added as he reworked the manuscript for a new generation. It gives us new characters and endows familiar ones with new depths. It has a new beginning and a new ending. What emerges is a gripping work with the scope and moral complexity of a true epic.

For hundreds of thousands of fans who read The Stand in its original version and wanted more, this new edition is Stephen King's gift. And those who are reading The Stand for the first time will discover a triumphant and eerily plausible work of the imagination that takes on the issues that will determine our survival.

my rating: five stars
challenges I used this book for:
The Life of a Book Addict
Reading Group Challenge 2016
12+4 alternates ( it was one of my 4 alternates)

Around The Year In 52 Books
The 2016 List
Around The Year In 52 Books
1. A book you meant to read in 2015, but didn't

2016 Choose Your Own Challenge Challenge
1: A book you meant to read in 2015 but didn't

what did I think of the main characters: I loved how each character inter acted with each other , how you got to see the different sides of the character , and how it even made you like the ones that you was to hate,

what did I think of the book:
this is actually one of my all time favorite books of his, and the biggest one that I've read this year, can't believe it took me this long to reread it or even pick it up, those something about this book that just had me hooked from the start of it, what can I say I think its one of his best books , and if you haven't picked it up what are you waiting for

1. You’re completely against judging a book by its cover, but you will absolutely judge a person by their favorite book, without hesitation.

2. The main reason you fear death is because there are just so many books to read and you have to read them all and damn it if death doesn’t understand that! Heaven better be a giant library, that’s all I’m saying.

3. “Just one more chapter” is the most valid argument you’ve ever heard.

4. One of the greatest joys is reorganizing your bookshelf. And by “reorganizing,” we mean taking all the books off the shelf, cleaning the shelf, and putting all of the books back exactly where they were before, but taking the time to individually reminisce on each book as it’s lovingly placed back on the shelf. You’re basically Scrooge McDuck counting and recounting all of his gold.

5. You need a minimum of a week to recover from a truly fantastic book.

READ MORE

Oh gosh what a year,

It's been a crazy one for sure! The highlight of Last year 2014 Was... Taaadaaa ((Drum roll' lol)) I didn't just get into reading again. I got in to it as a Hobby, and I started this blog, and Joined GoodRead's! I found my passion for book's again. And... The best part of that was. I found out how much of addiction it is, and that I absolutely love Horror!

Well to keep it short and sweet here is my Best book list The book's I REALLY enjoyed reading, as well as my best and favourite author’s as well.

This book draws you in from page 1. it gave me an atmosphere of genuine fear. I've always loved a good horror story, and mostly the ones that play unashamedly on your physce and senses, but this is just something that goes beyond that. Every part of your mind is opened to the deep seated fears and horrors within you, by taking you further and further into the darkness and by making you realise that it's only the beginning. so yes This is one of my favourites this year. Adam Nevill i salute you!

Oh yes! THIS book.

I found myself having a massive discussion with friend’s Over this book, I was totally pushing that it is a dystopian Horror. But How do you write a brilliantly effective and downright scary horror novel without ever showing any violence, or any monsters, or even giving the reader a chance to guess at what the bad thing actually is? Is that Even a good thing for an Author to do? Hell yes it is! I've never read a Book like Bird box before were every page just keeps you on Edge! This is definitely a 2014 favourite!

Just thinking about this book and the effect it had on me, even now Brings a Wench feeling to my chest. It's one of the most most powerful books I have ever read. You will cry tears of sadness and joy, feel anger and fear, love the story and possibly hate it too. If you have children you will cuddle them extra hard! It rips you up to your core I've never cried over a book or while reading a book. But this book... I Cried while reading it not just a bit Or a few pages.. But whole chapter's.

This Book was the 1^st official horror book I ever read. So I reread it in 2014 and found my love for The Author James Herbert as well as his work's to add to my collection.

This is really a terrific novel, well paced, tautly written, and totally absorbing. It is an absolute page turner, with scenes of horror matter factly written, making it all the more believable and horrific, while tinged by a trace of dark humour. The tension is crisply maintained throughout the entire book, from start to finish, and makes for a riveting read that is hard to put down. This is a must read for all those who love a good horror story. Bravo! Mr James Herbert. <3

Oh honestly my heart flutters when I think of Joe Hill. The man can write some awesome Book's and that's not just because He's Stephen kings son. Its because if anything... He’s even a better writer then his dad! At least what I feel. I was in two minds if I wanted to pick this or “NOS4R2” I’m going to review NOS4R2 as I’m currently reading it. so Horn's it is all I can say is give it a read! It made my top list for 2014.

I guess These are the book's I can think of on top of my head for my list, I hope you enjoyed it. And see you in 2015 for more Book Review's!

Decided to do a little book buy. And got theses Lovey's I’ve heard Really good review's of Joe Hill's “Nos4A2” It's no secret, I have a little fan crush on Joe Hill, and I’ve only read one of his book's But it was amazing! So I'm really hyped to see what No4a2 is like. The only zombie book's I've read are A.E Moorats Queen Victoria demon hunter and Dawn of the Dreadfuls, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Dreadfully Ever After both by Steve Hockensmith So really looking forward to getting my teeth into these!