Night Shift was Stephen King’s first published collection of short stories. As someone who only relatively recently became a King fan, I was especially curious to explore his short fiction — often cited as where he truly shines. The collection contains twenty stories in total: sixteen previously published in magazines and four original to this volume.
Verity is one of those books that grabs you immediately and doesn’t let go. I came into it expecting a psychological thriller — and that’s definitely what I got. What I didn’t expect was the heavy romance element, but that ended up playing a much bigger role than I anticipated. In fact, it might have been a good thing I didn’t know Colleen Hoover was primarily a romance author before diving in.
As part of my goal to read all of Michael Crichton’s works in publication order, Eaters of the Dead was next on my list. I didn’t know much going in, but quickly learned it’s a mash-up of the real-life travel writings of Ahmad ibn Fadlan and the epic of Beowulf — a blend of historical fiction and myth retelling. I also knew it was the basis for the film The 13th Warrior, though I haven’t seen it.
Going into The Humans, I thought I was in for a quirky, alien-point-of-view look at humanity. And while that’s technically what I got, it ended up being so much deeper than I expected. This book is humorous, yes — but also contemplative and quietly profound. What starts off as a clever concept slowly transforms into a moving meditation on love, identity, and what it means to be human.
Let me start by saying: if you’re torn between reading and listening to this one, go with the audiobook. I did both, and I’m so glad I did — January LaVoy and Will Damron are fantastic, especially in the podcast segments, which feel like a true-crime show come to life.
Want to hear my thoughts on this book? Listen to Literary Treks episode 385.
