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Talisman
Talisman | King, Stephen
with Peter Straub World Fantasy (nominee) Jack Sawyer, twelve years old, is about to begin a most fantastic journey - an exalting, terrifying quest for the Talisman. Only the Talisman can save his dying mother and defeat the enemy who is out to destroy them. But to reach his goal, Jack must make his way not only across the breadth of the United States, but through the wondrous and menacing Territories as well. The Territories lie as firmly in the imagination as Atlantis or Oz; they are as real as every reader's own vision of that parallel world which can only be evoked in the mind's mysterious eye. In the Territories Jack finds a world little removed from the Earth's own Dark Ages: though the air is so sweet and clear a man can smell a radish being pulled from the ground a mile away, a life can be snuffed out instantly in the continual struggle between good and evil. Jack discovers 'twinners', odd reflections of the people he knows on Earth - most notably the dying Queen Laura, the 'twinner' of Jack's own imperilled mother. But only a few can flip from one world to the other like Jack's late father, his malevolent uncle Morgan Sloat, and Jack himself. As Jack makes his way westward towards the redemptive Talisman, a dual array of heart-stopping encounters challenges him every step of the way - from a terrifying period of captivity in an orphanage run by a sadistic religious fanatic, to the sudden and murderous attack on the Territories by the enemies of the Queen. Stephen King and Peter Straub have combined their talents to create an unforgettable epic of fantasy,adventure and resounding triumph.
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5feet.of.fury
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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1. In the sun near a body of water 🏖️
2. Kate Daniels (Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews)
3. I‘m not really a re-reader but Hound of the Baskervilles (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) I have read multiple times
4. (Tagged book)
5. Stickers that don‘t peel off. 😡 and miscommunication trope when the character goes “just let me explain” Buddy… just explain.

@KateReadsYA #litsyfoundfamilyswap

KateReadsYA Hahaha number 5 🤣 2w
27 likes1 comment
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intothehallofbooks
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Pickpick

A low pick. This isn‘t one of my favorites by Mr King. It was still a great story, but it never really excited me the way some of his others have. It took me a little over one month to read. Some of the scenes will probably stick with me forever, especially the ones involving Wolf. But I doubt I‘ll ever reread this one.

Next up #readingStephenKing: Thinner! I‘m excited and curious about this one. Going in completely blind!

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intothehallofbooks
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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After two weeks of reading, I‘m finally half-thru with The Talisman. And after nine years of renting, my husband and I bought a house today, yay!! 🎉🍻

#readingStephenKing

TheBookHippie 🎉🎉🎉🎉 9mo
PirateJenny Congrats on the house!! 9mo
candc320 Congratulations!!! 9mo
See All 8 Comments
DivineDiana How exciting! 9mo
DaveGreen7777 Congratulations! (On both the house and the reading progress!) 😁 9mo
Suet624 Congratulations!!!
9mo
Bookwormjillk Congratulations 🍾 9mo
Reggie Congrats! 9mo
31 likes1 stack add8 comments
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intothehallofbooks
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Finished this AMAZING puzzle while listening to The Talisman. Still very early in the book #readingStephenKing #audiopuzzling

This is one of my favorite puzzles to date!! I saw this one in an ad online and loved it. Then I found it on clearance at my local Barnes & Noble a few weeks ago and absolutely had to have it!!

TheSpineView Love it! ♥️ 🧩🐶 9mo
28 likes1 comment
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Pikathulhu
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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I decided to play along with #readingbracket2023 - at least, so long as I continue to remember to do so! My bracket is, naturally, going to be absolutely full of Stephen King this year. It'll be interesting to see how it pans out!

dariazeoli One of my favorite King books! 14mo
Pikathulhu @dariazeoli I somehow missed this one when I was tearing through everything of his I could find when I was younger, so this was an extremely welcome surprise in my King read-through! 14mo
18 likes2 comments
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swynn
Talisman | King, Stephen
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Mehso-so

The bestselling book in the U.S. in 1984 was this collaboration between Stephen King and Peter Straub, about a boy who crosses America and a parallel world in order to save his mother's life. Like so much of King's stuff, I like the idea better than the execution though there are some great scenes that will stick with me. I hear there's a television series coming, so I guess I'm ready for that.

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Pikathulhu
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Pickpick

I cannot believe I hadn't read this before. When I was tearing through any and all King I could get my hands on at a too-young age, this book would have blown my little mind wide open. A sweeping mini-epic recounting a boy's quest to cross America - and its dimensional mirror - to save his mother's life, this was an utterly engrossing read I found immensely difficult to put down. It stands firmly among King's best works of the '80s. 5/5

TrishB Loved this one too 👍🏻 1y
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Pikathulhu
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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I love Stephen King, but sometimes he generates some real clunkers in his attempts to culturally connect with his audience. I feel like this line can only have been more ridiculous when this book was released in 1984.

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JessClark78
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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I finally got around to reading this recently. Another great novel by King, with Peter Straub.

#AlphabetGame #LetterT
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

TheLudicReader Great book. 2y
29 likes1 comment
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BC_Dittemore
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Mehso-so

I really don‘t know what to say about this book. I love King‘s multiverse, the idea of the thin spots between worlds, the idea of ‘flipping‘, they‘re cool concepts and great storytelling devices. I think where The Talisman falls the most flat for me, is it spends too much time in ‘our world.‘ I kept wanting to see more of the Territories. King and Straub could have done so much more with this concept but they dawdle too much on trivial scenes.

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BC_Dittemore
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Been on my TBR list forever. With the recently announced Duffer Brothers Netflix series adaptation figured I‘d go ahead and get a jump on it.

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5feet.of.fury
Talisman | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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I am not usually a “buy it twice” type of person. But my paperback copy has no cover because I carried it around so much 😂

One of my all time favorite books. Could NOT resist the 1984 OG hardcover.

WJCintron I have that same cover/edition! Love SK! 2y
18 likes1 comment
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Oryx
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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And because I'm easily influenced - they were reading The Talisman on Stranger Things, so of course I need to jump on that bandwagon.

TrishB Enjoy 👍🏻 2y
51 likes1 comment
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amywithbooks
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Pickpick

I had not read this since high school and forgot how wonderful this story is! 12 year old Jack is on a quest between worlds to reach the Talisman to save his mom's life. A lot of adventure and action, and Jack's character is one of my favorites by King! Definitely check this out!

Addison_Reads One of my favorite King books. 💚 I still need to read the sequel. 2y
13 likes1 comment
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amywithbooks
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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How I spent the bulk of my Mother's Day!

Christine Perfect! 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Looks wonderful 💚 2y
18 likes2 comments
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amywithbooks
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Next up on the #stephenkinglonghaul re-read journey. One of my favorites!

vivastory I haven't read this one, but the upcoming King gives me similar vibes. Can't wait!! 2y
18 likes1 comment
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booklover3258
Talisman | King, Stephen
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Pickpick

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/pTJWKgsdaiQ

Enjoy!

5feet.of.fury I love this one. For some reason my whole friend group became obsessed with this book 15ish years ago, I carried my copy EVERYWHERE and my cover fell off. It‘s getting made into a series! 2y
booklover3258 @5feet.of.fury I know I'm so excited to see it made into a series! 😊 2y
39 likes2 comments
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pigiann
Il Talismano | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Pickpick

Ottimo romanzo on the road, con personaggi ben scritti e una trama solida: 700 pagine che scorrono con facilità. Attenzione però al linguaggio che contiene violenza esplicita, per i lettori sensibili.

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jackilynn
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Pickpick
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jackilynn
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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I was so close to finishing one more book before I had to head back to work (aka the school). I only needed one more day. Sadly, I didn't make it though. 😫

HeathHof That bookmark!🤩 3y
jackilynn @Mynameisacolour it is my go to bookmark whenever I read a Stephen King book. It has many different characters from his books on it. It is getting pretty beat up though. I may need to get a new one 😩 3y
16 likes2 comments
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jackilynn
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
This post contains spoilers
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Nooooo 😢

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jackilynn
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Well since I couldn't get the latest release I guess I will just go back to working on the unread King books I physically own. 🤔🤓📚

Hestapleton I LOVED this one! 3y
jackilynn @Hestapleton I am hoping i will too because it sounds like something I should really enjoy! 3y
16 likes2 comments
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Ast_Arslan
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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I am posting one book per day from my to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it. Some will be old, some will be new - don't judge me, I have a lot of books.

Day 106th

Join the fun if you want!

#tbrpile

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KathyWheeler
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Pickpick

This quest novel about a young boy looking for a way to save his dying mother has always been one of my favorite SK books. I still like it, but I understand my husband‘s comment that it needed some editing (he liked it too.) I walked this morning before it got too hot. #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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I did a lot of listening today. We took a drive down to the Mississippi coast, so we listened to The Talisman on the way there and back. I listened to The Guncle on my walk. This has been a bad fitness month for me, but I‘m getting back to it. #audiowalk #BFC21

wanderinglynn Looks like you had a lovely drive. 3y
TrishB Looks beautiful ❤️ 3y
25 likes2 comments
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DaveGreen7777
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Thanks for this #WondrousWednesday @Eggs and thank you for the tag @TheSpineView 😁

1. Tagged! This was one of the first books I received as a gift from the wonderful @Branwen and I loved how the story blended fantasy and horror!

2. “Othello”. I expected Shakespeare to be boring but found reading this play to be mesmerizing.

3. “Hannibal” by Thomas Harris. I loved the first two Hannibal Lecter books, but this one left me bitterly disappointed!

Branwen Awwwww YAY! I'm glad it meant a lot to you and also that it let us bond over Stephen King! 😁💕📚 3y
DaveGreen7777 @Branwen Right?!? Considering we first met by bonding over R.A. Salvatore, it felt like keeping the tradition alive by bonding over Stephen King too! 😁 3y
Branwen @DaveGreen7777 YES! 🎉🎉🎉 I agree! 3y
See All 6 Comments
Eggs Great choices❣️ Thanks so much for playing Dave👏🏻👌🏼👍🏼 3y
TheSpineView You're welcome! 3y
52 likes6 comments
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Ast_Arslan
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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To buy or not to buy this one? This WAS the question, then I found it in the bookshelf in the living room 🤣😅
The books here aren't mine and the cabinet is too high for me so I don't always look up on those books 😅😅
Today I did it because I was wondering which King's novel my mom have and I find this... money saved 🤩🤑💰 🤣

I don't like the cover, but I don't mind 🤣🤣

#StephenKing #PeterStraub #TheTalisman #moneysaved #uglycover

MrT Agreed. Cover is awful. I can‘t really remember much about this SK as read so long ago, and there is a sequel - Black House. 3y
Ast_Arslan @MrT I have to admit that I want to read this because of the sequel 😅 The plot of Black House conquered me, but I think I will not understand it without reading The Talisman first 😅🤣 3y
15 likes1 stack add2 comments
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CaffeineAndCandy
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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#WondrousWednesday @EadieB ᴛʜᴀɴᴋs sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴀɢ! @Ruthiella 😘

@Eggs

🍁ɢʀᴀᴛᴇғᴜʟ ғᴏʀ ᴛʀᴜᴇ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs ᴀɴᴅ sᴀʟᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ

🍁ᴀɴ ᴀᴅᴏʟᴇsᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴀᴅᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ

ᴛᴀɢɢɪɴɢ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴀsɴ'ᴛ ᴘʟᴀʏᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ!!

EadieB You‘re welcome! Thanks for playing! 3y
Eggs Thanks for joining in 👏🏻📚🤗 3y
42 likes2 comments
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Hestapleton
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Pickpick

This was astoundingly good. An 80s, world-shifting quest of Tolkien-proportions. Adventure and horror all wrapped up together. It kept me on the edge of seat after the first 100 pages or so, never quite sure if old Traveling Jack was going to make it to the Talisman or not. The Gunslinger made me skeptical of King‘s fantasy writing. This made me love it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bookwormjillk I love this book 4y
BoleyBooks I need to re-read before I start Black House. 😉 4y
74 likes1 stack add2 comments
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allureofbeauty
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Best selling book of 1984. I haven‘t read it yet but I‘d like to someday.

#stephenking #thetalisman #peterstruab #1984 #bestselling #bestseller #king

TheNeverendingTBR Brilliant book!! 💫 4y
14 likes1 comment
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kable
Der Talisman: Roman | Stephen King, Peter Straub
Pickpick

Es war ganz gut. Nicht unbedingt meins, zu viel Fantasy, wenig Horror/Mystery

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Addison_Reads
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Pickpick

I can't believe I've waited so long to read this book. I absolutely loved it!

This book is more fantasy than horror/thriller, but it does also have its creepy moments. Jack is such a great character and Wolf is one of my all-time favorite book characters now having finished this.

Wonderful adventure through a fantasy world following a young boy on his quest to save his mom. 💚

#LitsyAtoZ #LetterT @BookishMarginalia

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DaveGreen7777
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Day 6 of the #GratefulReads photo challenge by @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks and @OriginalCyn620

#BookGiftedToYou - I‘ve received many wonderful books from my wonderful friend @Branwen over the years, including this beautiful edition of “The Talisman” that I had at my desk at work as part of my Halloween display!

As for why I‘m making the “shhh” gesture, well, I‘m taking this picture when I‘m supposed to be working, so please don‘t tell my boss! 🤫

ljuliel You ornery thing ! 😂 4y
DaveGreen7777 @ljuliel HA HA HA!!! 🤣🤣🤣 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I‘m not telling!!!! 🤣🤣 4y
See All 17 Comments
Branwen Aw yay! I remember gifting that to you! 🤓💕📚 I really like that book! King writes sone pretty awesome fantasy! I'll have to dig out my copy for a reread sometime soon! 😁 4y
Branwen PS-> Your secret is safe with me! 🤐💕 4y
Kaila-ann Such a good book 😊 4y
DaveGreen7777 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I appreciate that! 😂🤣😂 4y
DaveGreen7777 @Branwen Thank you! Both for the amazing book and for helping me keep my job! 🤣🤣🤣 4y
DaveGreen7777 @Kaila-ann Agreed! I loved this book! 😁 4y
vivastory Your secret is safe 😂 4y
DaveGreen7777 @vivastory HA HA! Thank you! 😂 4y
Zoes_Human That's one of my favorite King books. 4y
DaveGreen7777 @Zoes_Human He‘s a master both at writing horror and fantasy! 😱 4y
Zoes_Human @DaveGreen7777 And people. That‘s what makes his work so good. No matter how outlandish the circumstances, his characters are credible and real. 4y
OriginalCyn620 Ha! I won‘t tell! 😉 4y
DaveGreen7777 @Zoes_Human Very true, his novels are so character driven! 4y
DaveGreen7777 @OriginalCyn620 HA HA! I appreciate that! 😉😂 4y
68 likes17 comments
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Addison_Reads
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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OriginalCyn620 🙌🏼📚❤️ 4y
32 likes1 comment
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Eggbeater
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Bailedbailed

I tried listening to the Audible book for this and the narrator was so bad I actually sent it back for a refund. Some of the accents portrayed were really insulting and made me uncomfortable. I also couldn't tell the difference between Jack's thoughts and reality. I love SK, but I don't think this one translates well into audio.

BookwormAHN I also bailed on this one. I usually prefer King's books on audio but I couldn't get into this one. 4y
Reagan I read this one and the beginning-maybe first 1/4- was a real struggle. I could see the audio being challenging. 4y
34 likes2 comments
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Karkar
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Started listening to this one today. Trying to catch up for the #Losersclub. I am about a month behind. 😬

DGRachel I love Frank Muller and I love Peter Straub, but I just couldn‘t stick with this one. Will be interested to hear how this one works for you. 5y
49 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
This post contains spoilers
show me
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Welcome to the #LosersClub open discussion for #TheTalisman!

Please be mindful of spoilers. We have new readers to King who haven‘t read all of his books. When referencing his other work, please keep this in mind for our new-to-King friends. Don‘t forget to tag each other in the comments so your friends can see your reply. Have fun!

15 likes3 comments
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DGRachel
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Discussion starts NOW!
#LosersClub

Open discussion is in the FOLLOWING POST marked as a SPOILER. Find the post for #TheTalisman & tap "show me" on the spoiler tag to join in the discussion. Join in whenever you can! Today. Tomorrow. Next month! The post will always be up so just tag any of us & we‘ll jump in to discuss with you. See you there!

47 likes3 comments
review
kylienoele
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
Pickpick

LOVED THIS. It was more of a fantasy than a horror, but I enjoyed it all the same. I will get to the next book (The Black House) sometime this year, but probably not until after October. I‘m in the mood for spooky books!
After reading this, I do think I will give The Dark Tower series another go sometime soon.

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kylienoele
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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I started this last weekend and it has taken me a little bit to really get into it, but I‘m enjoying it now!
Daisy and I are watching the wind and rain from Dorian. I hope any Littens in the path of the hurricane are doing okay and staying safe!

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DGRachel
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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The next book in our epic #AllTheKing buddy read is #TheTalisman! Grab your copy and check back around Sept. 18th for open discussion! I‘ve started this on audio and am really trying to finish for next month!
#TheTalisman #LosersClub #StephenKing #StephenKingInOrder #KingFromTheBeginning #ConstantReader #ReadAlong #BuddyRead #BookDiscussion #PeterStraub #collaboration

57 likes2 comments
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DePaepe
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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This tome has been fun so far!

6 likes1 stack add
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DGRachel
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Since I have 45 minutes left in this work day, and I've owned this audiobook since 2012, I think I will get a jump on the August-September #losersclub read. I love Peter Straub, and the audiobook is narrated by my all-time favorite narrator, Frank Muller. I have high hopes for this one. 😍

Bklover I‘m really looking forward to this one too for #losersclub! 5y
TrishB Loved this one 👍🏻 5y
Bookwormjillk One of my favorites 5y
JulAnna I listened to this on audio earlier this summer-really enjoyed it!😊 5y
58 likes4 comments
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DGRachel
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Just a reminder that August‘s #losersclub read is #TheTalisman! Buy, borrow, or beg your copy and check back in next month when we begin reading this one. I ❤️ Peter Straub, so I may join in, too. As always, everyone is welcome! Discussion for this one will be on or about September 18th.

47 likes5 comments
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jlabombard10315
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Finally sitting down to enjoy a few quiet minutes and a thunderstorm rolls in... perfect. 😊❤⛈🌩

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jlabombard10315
The Talisman: A Novel | Stephen King, Peter Straub
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Trying to get this foot to calm down, and then headed to bed to read for a few! I love my munchkins and husband, but some nights I just miss being able to curl up with a glass of wine and a book in a quiet house! 📚❤👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

tournevis My friend Sarah calls her finicky left foot her 'crankle'. It fits quite well. 5y
jlabombard10315 Haha, I like it! It fits very well these past few weeks! 5y
9 likes2 comments