Blood And Smoke

by Stephen King | Audiobooks |
ISBN: 0671046160 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wyldanthem of Lancaster, Pennsylvania USA on 2/2/2004
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7 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wyldanthem from Lancaster, Pennsylvania USA on Monday, February 2, 2004
Stephen King has forced us to confront our greatest fears. He has guided us through the depths of our imagination to places we never would have ventured alone. Now, in Blood and Smoke, he takes us inside a world of yearning and paranoia, isolation and addiction. It is the world of the smoker.

In this audio-only collection, the now politically incorrect habit plays a key role in the fates of three different men in three unabridged stories of unfiltered suspense.

In "Lunch at the Gotham Cafe," Steve Davis is suffering through intense withdrawl -- from both nicotine and his wife. His desperation for a cigarette and for his ex are almost too much to bear, but that's nothing compared to the horrors that await him at a trendy Manhattan restaurant.

In "1408," Mike Enslin, bestselling author of "true" ghost stories, decides to spend the night in New York City's most haunted hotel room. But he must live to write about it without the help of his ex best-friends, his trusty smokes.

And in "In the Deathroom," a man named Fletcher is held captive in a South American stronghold. His captors will use any tortuous means necessary to extract the information they want from him. His only hope lies with his last request -- one last cigarette, please.

A cartonfull of chills and thrills, Blood and Smoke is classic Stephen King. The most mesmerizing storyteller of our time is at his inventive and compelling best.

Stephen King is the author of more than thirty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. Among his most recent are Hearts in Atlantis, Bag of Bones, Storm of the Century (a screenplay), The Green Mile, and The GIrl Who Loved Tom Gordon. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist, Tabitha King.

Journal Entry 2 by wyldanthem from Lancaster, Pennsylvania USA on Tuesday, February 3, 2004
I never was a big fan of audiobooks. So much depends on the reader’s voice, that a good story could be ruined easily by its narrator’s phlegmy throat, monotone voice, or bored tone, and I prefer to judge a book by the story it tells, not by the person who tells it. A narrator’s odd accent, the smacking noise he or she makes while pausing between sentences, or even the speed at which he or she is reading can be distracting to the point that I forget the story entirely and become fixated on the narrator instead.

That said, I picked up a copy of Stephen King’s Blood and Smoke, which is available only on audiobook. I am willing to break my personal no-audiobooks policy for only a few authors, and he is at the top of that list. And, as an added bonus, King is the narrator. He might not have the smoothest voice, but he sure as hell knows how to narrate a good story -- especially his own.

Blood and Smoke is about three different men, all three are reformed smokers (note the package's Marlboroesque design), and all three are involved in typical King-invented situations. In “Lunch At the Gotham Café,” Stephen Davis quits smoking the same day his wife “quits” their marriage; in “1408,” writer Mike Enslin will need more than his lucky Hawaiian shirt and lucky cigarette to survive his 17 minutes in The Dolphin’s haunted hotel room; and in “The Deathroom” ... well, it took me a while to get to that one. I was so spooked by the second tape (“1408”) that I couldn't bring myself to listen to the third and final part of Blood and Smoke, until two days later.

I’ve read a lot of horror novels, watched many slash-and-hack films, and am very familiar with King’s previous works, but none of that seemed to prepare me for “1408.” I’m not sure if it was the substance of the story and how it reminded me (a little bit) of The Shining; the perfectly described details of a place that in all likelihood never existed, but could be real; King’s eerie, slightly nasal voice; or some combination of the three, but for the first time since I can remember, I couldn’t get to sleep because of a scary story.

Thank you, Stephen King, for being that damned good.

Journal Entry 3 by wyldanthem from Lancaster, Pennsylvania USA on Wednesday, February 4, 2004
Eventually, I plan to release this audiobook in the wild. But I’d like for it to travel a bit first, so that whoever picks it up later can read about its exciting adventures and what others thought of it.

So here are the rules:

+ Journal when you’ve received the book (so we know it’s not lost).
+ Journal when you’ve finished the book (let us know what you thought).
+ PM the person whose name appears next on the list for their mailing address and send them the book! (If you're the last name on the list, PM me for my address.) And don't forget to make another journal entry to let us know it's been sent to the next ring participant!

Also, please rewind the tapes when you're finished with them, so that the next participant can start listening to the tapes without having to do much work.

Thanks, and happy "reading"!

Final mailing list


  • Wickedwordz (Florida, USA), U.S. only
  • Alanfoxboro (Tennessee, USA), U.S./Canada only
  • BigBird2002 (Arizona, USA), U.S. only
  • Lilmisstypo (California, USA) U.S. only
  • Wyldanthem (Couldn't get any int'l mailers, so I'll send this to Rarsberry :o) )
  • Rarsberry (Dunedin, N.Z.)


Past reader
Current reader
Future reader

Journal Entry 4 by wyldanthem from Lancaster, Pennsylvania USA on Thursday, August 26, 2004
This is a first: I left town a little more than a week ago for a vacation, but sometime while I was gone, this book was returned to me by the post office. My apartment building has a temporary P.O. Box system (our packages stay in the box for two days, then are returned to the post office), and after sitting in my box for a couple days, it went back to the post office. It was later accidentally delivered to one of my neighbors, who gave it to me this evening.

I'm going to try this again -- this book will be back in the mail tomorrow, on it's way to sunny (and humid!) Florida to *finally* get this 'ring started! My apologies for the unnaturally long wait, everyone!

Delivery Confirmation Number:
0303 3430 0001 0866 1372

Journal Entry 5 by WickedWordz from Miami, Florida USA on Tuesday, September 14, 2004
I LOOOOOVE Stephen King. Thanks so much Wyldanthem for starting this ring. Both my boyfriend and I will listen to it. Will pass on soon :)

BTW, just to let you know, the reason I put it in Permanent Collection status, is not because I intend on keeping it, it's because that's the only status that was empty (I never keep bookcrossing books). This way, I can keep my rings and rays separate from the other books on my shelf. You know, to see what I need to read (listen to) first.

Journal Entry 6 by WickedWordz from Miami, Florida USA on Friday, April 1, 2005
Finally listened to this, and realized that I'd read all of these stories in "Everything's Eventual". I had the impression that there was something on there that wasn't in print, but I guess not. Nevertheless, I'm happy I listened to them again. They're very good, and disturbing, as is Stephen King's way. Thanks wyldanthem, for giving me a chance to enjoy these stories again :) I appreciate it! Mailing out tomorrow morning to next person. Hope everyone else enjoys!

Released 19 yrs ago (4/2/2005 UTC) at -- By Hand Or Post, Ray/Ring, RABCK, Meetup in Miami, Florida USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed to kz4ufo, who's helping me get everyone's rings out the door. Thanks so much :)

Journal Entry 8 by kz4ufo from Panama City Beach, Florida USA on Friday, April 8, 2005
I received this in the mail today from WickedWordz. There are several BookCrossers who have volunteered to help re-distribute some Book Rings and Rays in her possession.

These BookCrossers have generously offered their time (to ship) and provided postage or money to help keep this moving. Please keep in mind just how much effort has been placed in getting this to you.

It will be sent via media mail to the next participant.


Journal Entry 9 by alanfoxboro from Searcy, Arkansas USA on Thursday, April 14, 2005
I received this audiobook today in the mail. Thanks to wyldanthem for the bookring and to kz4ufo for sending it on to me. I will listen to it and post a review ASAP.

Journal Entry 10 by alanfoxboro from Searcy, Arkansas USA on Monday, April 25, 2005
Hearing Stephen King read his own stories is always cool, and these are three good ones.

Lunch at the Gotham Cafe: Probably the weakest story of the three, at least for me. It brought out feelings of anger instead of fear. Cigarettes played the biggest role in this one.

1408: Very spooky. I think that this is one of SK's very best short stories. Maximum chill, minimum time.

In the Deathroom: Another strong story. Explores torture and psychological strength. I wish Nunez had been more fully explained.

Thanks again to wyldanthem for the bookring. BigBird2002 has asked to be skipped, and Lilmisstypo has not yet responded to my PM. I will get this book on to the next person ASAP.

Journal Entry 11 by wyldanthem from Lancaster, Pennsylvania USA on Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Blood & Smoke arrived back home safe and sound -- thanks everyone! I'll be sending this off to rarsberry soon.

Journal Entry 12 by rarsberry from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Monday, June 13, 2005
This came in the mail today, very unexpected, I had forgotten about it.
I saw the package and wondered what it was, then saw it said it was an audio book and I knew straight away.

It will have to wait a week and a half til I'm on holiday so I can listen to it well.

Thank you very much Wyldanthem for posting it to me, it only took 8 days to get here. :o)

Journal Entry 13 by rarsberry from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Thursday, July 7, 2005
I finished listening to The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood today, so I'm now listening to this audio tape.
I'm on to the 2nd story, its raing outside, a small storm.
I have the book Everything's Eventual, which the 3 stories are written in, and I'm able to read along with the audio tape.
It cool to actually be able to hear what SK sounds like, not what I had imagined.
I will finish the tapes today and hold onto them for a while, until I find someone that wants them and I have money to post them somewhere.

Thank you again for letting me hear these stories. :o)

Released 18 yrs ago (8/22/2005 UTC) at -- By post or by hand/ in person, RABCK , bookring/ray in Dunedin, Otago New Zealand

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Posted them to BenjyMouse in Auckland, to keep them travelling. :o)

Journal Entry 15 by BenjyMouse from Dunedin, Otago New Zealand on Thursday, August 25, 2005
Arrived safely in the mail this morning. Thanks rarsberry...I'll get listening this weekend.

Edit:

Took me longer than expected to get through these tapes. This is my first ever audiobook, and I found myself dozing off every time I tried to listen to the tapes.

That said, the stories were quite creepy, although King's reading of them sometimes seemed a bit rushed.

Released 18 yrs ago (10/6/2005 UTC) at To the next participant in Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

mailed to funkybamboozle in Australia

Journal Entry 17 by Funkybamboozle from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Monday, October 24, 2005
I received this today and plan to put it in my car cassette player tomorrow. Cant wait!!

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