Quitters, Inc., a short story by Stephen King

Quitters, Inc. is a short story written by Stephen King, first published in his 1978 short story collection called "Night Shift".

Richard, a middle aged heavy smoker runs into his old college buddy. After talking a bit, his buddy tells Richard about a company called "Quitters, Inc." to which he credits his ability to finally quit smoking and advised Richard to give them a try.

Richard, who is not only fed up with being a smoker, has now also started drinking and hates his job. Richard needs a change, so he decides to contact this new company, Quitters, Inc, that claims to have a 98% success rate and guarantees that their clients will never smoke again. Why not try it, right?

On his first visit, Richard meets Victor, a man who will be his "quitting counselor". Victor explains to Richard their method of finding out about EVERYTHING in Richards life, every secret, everything from his past to present, as well as everything in his family's lives. Even though he explains that this information about him will remain confidential, Richard is quite angry at the intrusion. Matters are made worse when Victor explains that Richard will be under CONSTANT supervision, even inside his own home. 

He also explains their use of "aversion training" in which he demonstrates how a rabbit can be trained to not eat by shocking it with electricity. He explains that if Richard is caught smoking (the first time) his family will be shocked in a similar manner. If shocking him and his family members (including his son and wife) isn't enough, they will move on to beatings, the breaking of bones.  The 10th and final infraction is death.

How will Richard fare with his struggle to quit smoking?

Book funnies.

Alexander and the Magic Mouse by Martha Sanders

A favorite from my childhood, not just as a good story, but also due to it's incredible illustrations.

Alexander and the Magic Mouse is the story of an nice old lady who lives high up on a hill, the only hill around, above a small town and a river. She lives with her exotic friends... a Brindle London Squatting Cat, A Magical Mouse, a Yak and an Alligator names Alexander. 

Even thought the cat was always trying to catch the Magical Mouse (he never succeeded because she would make herself invisible), and Alexzander was sad that people in town were always afraid of him (when he tried to smile at them, they could only focus on his teeth!) they all generally got along and lived together happily on the hill.

One day, the magical mouse told the old lady that it was going to rain for a whole month, so they all pitched in to make sure they had food and tea and fire wood and books and games to last the month and planned a cozy time of it. Then it occurred to the lady that the small town at the bottom of her hill might be swept away by the river if it rained for a month!

The only one able to make it through the pouring rain and flooding was Alexander. With a note in his mouth from the lady to the mayor, he made his way to the town, but no one would read his note as they were all too frightened of him! What would happen to the town if he couldn't get a townsperson to help him warn the mayor?

Hmmm. Read and see. 

Happy world book day!

 

You are going to be isolated for 2 years. (deserted island, space, jail!?!, etc.) You can choose 10 books (and 2 series) to take with you. What are they? 

Me:

1. The nightingale - Kristin Hannah

2. The Stand - Stephen King

3. The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley

4. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café - Fannie Flagg

5. The Shining - Stephen King

6. Interview With A Vampire - Ann Rice

7. The Witching Hour - Anne Rice

8. The Help - Kathryn Stockett

9. Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M. Auel

10. Prince of Tides - Pat Conroy

Series - 

1. Harry Potter - 7 books - J.K. Rowlings

2. Tudor Court Series - 6 books - Philippa Gregory

You??

 

 

The Long Walk, a terrifying novel by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)

Originally published in 1979, written by Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman) this story makes me wonder if it might have been a partial inspiration for "The Hunger Games"?

The United Sates, in the future, is a dystopian nightmare.

Every May 1st the USA holds a competition called "The Long Walk". 100 teenage boys, chosen at random, walk until they cannot walk anymore. 

The long walk stops for nothing, not weather, not illness, not injury, not bodily functions like eating, sleeping, using the bathroom, nothing. Contestants often suffer mental breakdowns during the walk.

If at any point the contestant stops walking or drops below 4 miles an hour, they are given 120 seconds to resume walking at 4 miles an hour, or they get a "ticket". "Buying a ticket" means being shot by soldiers with army-type rifles until they are dead. 

The competition is over when only one walker remains.

The last walker, the winner, receives "The Prize", a large sum of money and whatever he wants for the rest of his life. But at what cost? A wonderfully horrific novel.

 

The Shell Seekers, a wonderful novel by Rosamunde Pilcher

First published in 1987, I had heard of this novel, but only just read it for the first time recently. To say that I enjoyed it would be an understatement.

This is an epic family saga. Set in England, the novel follows the life of Penelope Keeling, moving back and forth between time periods from her youth to later in her life with her own grown children with whom she struggles to have deep connections with two of the three.

In her youth, she was raised in a rather bohemian environment, surrounded by artists, painters and sculptors, her mother was French and her father was a painter who appreciated an unconventional but rich life. 

As a young woman, she discovers romances and life-long friendships as World War II threatens all that she knows and loves and changes the world around her.

As a fiercely independent and strong woman with three grown children, she finds comfort in her friends, her garden and many memories.

"The Shell Seekers" is one of her father's paintings and is her most prized possession. However, once it is discovered that it is extremely valuable, it sets in motion a need for Penelope to explain to her children the importance of the painting, which morphs into her life story which focuses on the importance of family, friendships and living the life that makes you happiest. 

Never having heard their mothers' life story, it serves to strengthen their family's tense and distant relationships. 

A warm all encompassing novel that I highly recommend.

Perfect!

 

 

Happy Easter!

 

Reading offers profound physical & mental health benefits.

Found while researching the internet for health benefits of reading:

Reading is very good for you. Research shows that regular reading:

• improves brain connectivity
• increases your vocabulary and comprehension
• empowers you to empathize with other people
• aids in sleep readiness
• reduces stress
• lowers blood pressure and heart rate
• fights depression symptoms
• prevents cognitive decline as you age
• contributes to a longer life

Benefits of reading fiction:

- Makes you more openminded

- Improves relationships

- Boosts creativity

- Illness reduction

- Improves overall intelligence

- Increases your social circle

Reading has been shown to do all of the following:

- Reduce stress levels (by 68 percent!) 
- Preserve brain health and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
- Alleviate anxiety and depression
-  Help you fall asleep
- Increase life expectancy
- Boost happiness and overall life satisfaction

10 Benefits of Reading: Why You Should Read Every Day

1. Mental Stimulation

2. Stress Reduction

3. Knowledge

4. Vocabulary Expansion

5. Memory Improvement

6. Stronger Analytical Thinking Skills

7. Improved Focus and Concentration

8. Better Writing Skills

9. Tranquility

10. Free Entertainment

Benefits of reading every day

- Reading is a positive habit that has life-long impacts on your health.

- It’s like exercising or eating your vegetables.

- Studies have shown that reading every day can actually increase your life expectancy.

- A study of over 3,600 participants found that those who read regularly lived an average of 2 years longer than those who didn’t regularly read books and news articles.

- In addition, the study suggested that those who read 3.5 hours a week (30 minutes a day) were 23%  likelier to outlive those who didn’t read regularly. That’s right! Reading helps you live longer!

The moral of this story... 

Reading offers profound physical and mental health benefits.