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The Long Walk
The Long Walk | Stephen King
In this #1 national bestseller, master storyteller (Houston Chronicle) Stephen King, writing as Richard Bachman, tells the tale of the contestants of a grueling walking competition where there can only be one winnerthe one that survives.In the near future, when America has become a police state, one hundred boys are selected to enter an annual contest where the winner will be awarded whatever he wants for the rest of his life. Among them is sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty, and he knows the ruleskeep a steady walking pace of four miles per hour without stopping. Three warnings and youre outpermanently. A psychologically dark tale with commentary on society, teenage life, and cultural entertainment, The Long Walk is still poignant decades after its original publication (Publishers Weekly). This edition features an introduction by Stephen King on The Importance of Being Bachman.
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Michael_Gee
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Pickpick

Cheezits, this is a grim, bleak story. 100 boys set out on a walk that only ends when all but one are ☠️. Somehow, it‘s worse than you imagine. It‘s a purposeless Vietnam era dance-a-thon inspired by Jackson‘s “Lottery.” You like the Hunger Games but find it too uplifting? Craving a novel abt totalitarianism in America?! You‘ll love The Long Walk!

I appreciated the queerness of the MC; the layers of attraction, shame, and emotional bonding.

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Chiperskee
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Pickpick

I liked this one a lot. It has the makings to be a very good movie too.

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Koffeejazzandbooks
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Pickpick

4mph???? Lol there's no way. I loved this, last few pages I was sad...then confused then quite disturbed. King doesn't disappoint 😁

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BeckyWithTheGoodBooks
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Pickpick

King‘s incredibly tense novel about a dystopian America with a yearly walking competition for teenage boys is one that will stay with you well after the last mile. King wrote this when he was only 18, and it is a strong example of his ability to make non-horror scarier than his most vile monsters. When taken as an allegory for war (the Vietnam War was happening while King wrote it), the depth and poignancy of this novel is King at his best. 4⭐️

TheLudicReader I did not know he was only 18 when he wrote it. 1y
BeckyWithTheGoodBooks @TheLudicReader I guess he was technically 18 when he started it. It‘s the first book he wrote (but not the first published). 1y
21 likes2 comments
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Erinreadsthebooks
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Yesssss! Little Free Library win 🤩🙌💃

Oryx Jackpot 1y
Soubhiville Great find! That‘s my favorite King. 1y
TheBookgeekFrau Nice!! 1y
30 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Cfschiltz
The Long Walk | Stephen King
Pickpick

Really great read. Exceeds expectations; mine were low at first considering it‘s based completely on boys walking a long distance. It explores the meaning of friendship, mental fortitude and the limitations thereof. Go King 👏👏

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Reggie
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Pickpick

@shortsarahrose Thanks for my creepy Christmas package! Which segues perfectly into my last read of the year. 100 boys/men are picked for the annual Long Walk in an unclear just how dystopic America. Each participant will walk until they cannot walk any longer at such time a soldier will shoot them. It sounds so simple a story and then King puts his magic on it. You care for these guys and become invested and then affected. So good.👇🏼

Reggie Thanks Margie for this book!🖤 2y
Bookzombie Yay! I was so sure you had probably read this one. 🖤 2y
Rissreads Another one stacked! 2y
HettyG I read this book one time, 30 years ago. I have never stopped thinking about it, it has literally haunted my life in a way very few books have. Cheers! 2y
61 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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karasu13
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Mehso-so

My favorite book is “Battle Royale,” so I‘m no stranger to the theme of dystopian regime holds a competition that kills teens. However, I found this book to be underwhelming. Maybe it‘s because I wasn‘t emotionally attached to any characters, so their deaths didn‘t affect me. Still, I‘ll be thinking about this when I‘m walking around Seoul on Saturday afternoons 😅

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Pikathulhu
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Pickpick

I'm biased with this one. I discovered it at a young age, and it's always been a favorite of mine. While the concept itself is a good deal older than this book, I love King's take. The characters are memorable, the conversations are interesting, and the examination of our innate death wish is provoking. Despite a few "speed bumps" along the way, The Long Walk is one I consider worth taking time and again. 5/5

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MidnightBookGirl
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Pickpick

This was a re-read that happened to fit the next #PromptMaze (decade I was born). Because it's a Bachman book, it's rather dark in tone, and no happy endings are to be had here. Like the Hunger Games, there can only be one winner, so lots of dead kids walk these pages. This is a story I've read multiple times, and depending on my mood when I read it, I view the ending differently. Can't believe this hasn't been made into a movie yet. #Scarathlon

52 likes3 stack adds8 comments
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kelseycoleburke
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Picking up an old favourite

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Nalbuque
The Long Walk | Richard Bachman
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Pickpick

Stephen King is not rly my vibe but I will say he‘s a very good writer and can relay that doom-feel super well. However, I was a bit on the fence with this one. I know it was published back in the day but I extremely dislike how he uses casual gay bashing and the n-word for effect. It bothers me and detracts from the overall experience 🤷🏽‍♀️
This was a cool premise tho and altho there‘s not much world building, I was so intrigued abt ⬇️

Nalbuque I was intrigued abt this world. We hear a lot of talking and characters thoughts, but we know very little abt what‘s actually happening in this universe. Made me want to know more. Also all the walkers felt multi dimensional, and were interesting and somewhat likeable. Worth a read but I prob won‘t go back to it (but many reviewers said they would!) 2y
16 likes1 comment
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GinaKButler
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Waiting room reading! I‘m late...this is my May #bookspin 📖

@TheAromaofBooks
#bookspinbingo

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
GinaKButler @TheAromaofBooks This book is definitely not for everyone, but it‘ll be in my top 5 Stephen King books. I can‘t stop thinking about it and it might call for a reread at some point. 2y
TheAromaofBooks I love it when a book gets under your skin like that!! 2y
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danx
The Long Walk | Richard Bachman
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I read this during long haul flights from Australia to Spain and back, which felt fitting to the discomfort. Overall it left me unsatisfied. Why is there a Long Walk? What are the Squads? Had any winner survived? What actually happened at the end? Interesting idea but not a book I'd recommend, probably would have enjoyed as a novella but pointless as a novel.

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GinaKButler
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Ohhh...I‘m excited! My #bookspin is The Long Walk and my #doublespin is Seabiscuit! Looking forward to both!

@TheAromaofBooks
#bookspinbingo

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
14 likes1 comment
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ItsMeeshCapiche
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Pickpick

First in my 12 books in 2022. Absolutely wild.

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Ast_Arslan
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Eggs Perfect 🖤❤️🖤 3y
24 likes1 comment
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PaperbackPirate
The Long Walk | Richard Bachman
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It‘s #Two4Tuesday time with @TheSpineView !

🕐 I prefer a fast moving plot, but when I look at my favorites list from last year it‘s full of mostly slow burners so 🤷🏼‍♀️?
🕑 This is a book about walking, and, wow.

Thanks for the tag @TheRiehlDeal ! I tag anyone who wants to play!

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 3y
30 likes2 comments
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PaperbackPirate
The Long Walk | Richard Bachman
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🏆 This was my favorite book read in March!

📷 Photo taken in the Mojave National Preserve (on an infrequently used road)

#12BooksOf2021
@Andrew65

Linsy Beautiful! 3y
Leftcoastzen Such a great photo! 3y
Andrew65 Great photo, and can‘t go wrong with Stephen King. 3y
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Ruthiella Perfect picture for that title! 3y
Bklover This pic is perfect! 3y
PaperbackPirate Thank you! This was a very difficult picture to get because the wind was blowing so hard! The book fell over between each photo. It was worth it! 😂 @Linsy @Leftcoastzen @Andrew65 @Ruthiella @Bklover 3y
fredamans My favorite story from the Bachman Books. 3y
bthegood such a creative post/photo- always fun to see how you will post your reads! 3y
PaperbackPirate @fredamans It‘s amazing how he can make a story about walking so interesting! 3y
PaperbackPirate @bthegood So sweet, thank you! 3y
51 likes10 comments
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Traci1
The Long Walk | Richard Bachman
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Panpan
RaeLovesToRead This is one of my favourites, weirdly enough! 😊 3y
TheSpineView 😊 3y
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MelKelsey
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Pickpick

Book 117

I listened to The Long Walk by Stephen King, a dystopian story about an annual walk during which, if you stop walking, you get shot. The entire thrilling novel takes place during the walk. Characters could be better developed and the ending could be more satisfying. 3.5 ⭐s

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deeannloso
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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“In the near future, when America has become a police state, one hundred boys are selected to enter an annual contest where the winner will be awarded whatever he wants for the rest of his life. Among them is sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty, and he knows the rules—keep a steady walking pace of four miles per hour without stopping. Three warnings and you‘re out—permanently.”

deeannloso I had to bail on this one. It was just too slow. 😴 3y
14 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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MidnightBookGirl
The Long Walk | Richard Bachman
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#LitsySummerCamp @ImperfectCJ

Keeping things morbid here in Camp Bitches Be Readin', this is the first book that came to mind when I saw the prompt talking about a significant walk. I've read novella many times, because the ending still haunts me. The book is about a group of young men who sign up to do the long walk, where the last person still alive is the winner. Your feet will ache just reading it!

ImperfectCJ This was actually the first one I thought of, too (along with The Road), but I figured as host I should keep it upbeat. 😆 3y
CharismaRaven13 I remember reading this years ago. Great book. 3y
57 likes2 comments
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intothehallofbooks
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Mehso-so

The Long Walk (one of four stories in this collection) bored me. I could definitely tell it was written by Stephen King and I think he did a lot to develop these characters while they were on their long walk. But I needed more from this world or perhaps more to set up the story before the walk began. It would have been even better to me if it were one of his *very* short stories. I doubt I‘ll reread, I just didn‘t enjoy it. #readingStephenKing

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vlwelser
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Pickpick

Is this a metaphor for the Vietnam War?

Also, how alarming is it that Stephen King used this pseudonym when he didn't want to write a happy ending?

#BookSpinBingo square 9
@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 4y
35 likes1 comment
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intothehallofbooks
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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My gosh, I‘m struggling with this one. I‘m exactly halfway thru and bored to pieces. I can‘t believe it. I won‘t be DNF-ing because I‘ve wanted to read this one for-e-ver and because I‘m hoping it will pick up soon. I even added the audio to see if it helps with my interest. Not yet! But I‘m only halfway thru, so there‘s still time 😩 #readingStephenKing

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amywithbooks
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Next stop on my #stephenkinglonghaul re-read adventure!

Reagan My favourite! 4y
14 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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PaperbackPirate
The Long Walk | Richard Bachman
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🚶🏻 I met my first #MarvellousMarch goal by finishing this book! This is maybe the only author who can make a story about walking interesting while getting the reader invested in the characters.
👟 I took this picture on a lightly used, lightly maintained highway Sunday on the Mojave National Preserve. I love how it goes straight without cars almost as far as the eye can see. Only the wind was against me, knocking over the book many times.

Kenyazero The receding line in this shot is amazing! Great shot! 4y
Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏🙌 4y
PaperbackPirate Thank you @Kenyazero ! 😎 4y
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PaperbackPirate Thank you @Andrew65 ! 🙌 4y
Gissy Nice picture! 4y
51 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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PaperbackPirate
The Long Walk | Richard Bachman
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@Andrew65 has a #MarvellousMarch Readathon to help me us to our goals this month!
I want to
🚶🏻 finish The Long Walk - only 68 pages to go
💐 read The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauerneister
🍎 I‘m switching from online back to the classroom this week, so I can use the motivation to set aside some me time!
Sounds like fun! Who else is playing?

Andrew65 Great to have you with us. Good luck. 😊👍 4y
Andrew65 Good luck with the move back into the classroom. We did that last week. 4y
PaperbackPirate @Andrew65 Thank you! Any advice? 4y
See All 6 Comments
Andrew65 @PaperbackPirate Children I have to say were fine. Hungry for learning and meeting with friends, Main advice they got tired easily so doing things over shorter period of times and afternoons being lighter touch and creative activities. But bit by bit aim to build up stamina. Staff loved it but were tired them selves, don‘t put pressure on yourself in the first week. 4y
PaperbackPirate Thank you for the advice @Andrew65 ! It was pretty rough mostly due to technology issues, but we‘re settling into a routine now. 4y
Andrew65 @PaperbackPirate Great 😊 Well done, a massive achievement! 4y
34 likes6 comments
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Auntynanny
The Long Walk | Richard Bachman
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Mehso-so

I listened to this on audio. I'm not sure if I would have liked it better if I read it in print. It's kind of a dystopic horror in which young men compete to see who can walk the longest. Those who are unable to keep up a set pace are shot. I found that I wanted to know more about the society that the men came from, but it was largely left unexplained.

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jackilynn
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Pickpick
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Soubhiville
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Pickpick

I feel like using this sticker is a little cruel for this book 😈.
I‘m pretty sure this was my third reading of The Long Walk. I don‘t know why the imagery has really stayed with me. It was just as good this time around. 👍👍
#AuthorAMonth

j9brown This one really stuck with me, too. Such a weird premise but so good. 4y
78 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Dogearedcopy
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Pickpick

I‘ll hand it to King: Only he could leave me in the dark and surprise me on the very last page! At first I was unhappy with the ending, but now that I‘ve re-read it a couple of times and, slept on it, I totally get it!
Anyway, the Bachman books are underrated and in this one, I loved the richness of each moment, each step— and even cried at one point.
🚶🏻‍♂️🚶🏻‍♂️ 🚶🏻🚶🏼🚶🏻‍♂️🚶🏼‍♂️ 🚶🏽‍♂️🚶🏽🚶🏿‍♂️ 🚶🏼

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LaraS
The Long Walk | Richard Bachman
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Just finished The Long Walk and am currently reading Horrorstor, a creepy book set in a knock-off IKEA. Each chapter starts with a stylized catalogue add for a piece of furniture. I love when books on my life unintentionally link together. 👟 #screamathon2020

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LaraS
The Long Walk | Richard Bachman
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Each year, 100 teen boys walk w/o stopping til there is only 1 left. Drop below 4 mph and get a warning; get enough warnings and you are killed. #screamathon2020

Only 30 pgs in and I figured I must've missed something. Why exactly are these kids walking? Is this in lieu of a prison sentence? Public blood-lust? Overpopulation? Higher-purpose grandstanding? Weird and violent expression of being trapped in a prison of privilege, a la fight club? 👇

LaraS Oh, no, it's a contest. An no one is forced to do it, they just...sign up. And the prize is...“anything you want. For the rest of your life“. Wait, what? How...how does that work? Is it just me, or does that seem like lazy writing? Hoping we at least get to hear the boy's stories so we can understand why they willing volunteered for this death march (with no objections from their friends/family?) 🤔 (edited) 4y
Sleepswithbooks I read this one this year.... 👍🏼 4y
11 likes2 comments
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Dogearedcopy
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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I started this one last year as my annual King read; but I made the mistake of listening to the audio at the same time! Odd habits die hard and I found myself proofing the audio against the text. Also, it took me a long time just to get to page 86! I‘m trying again, print only 🙂

From what I remember, set-up-wise, this is a combo of Hunger Games and a Death March 🥾

26 likes3 stack adds
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Zombmom
Long Walk | Stephen King
Pickpick

I got through this in about a day because it was such a good read!

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Ruthiella
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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#tropesinaugust
#gamescompetition

One of King‘s Bachman books, this takes place in a future dystopian U.S. ruled by a totalitarian government. Once a year 100 teenage boys join an annual walking contest called "The Long Walk". Each walker must maintain a speed of 4 mph. If he drops below that speed, he gets a warning; too many warnings he is shot. But what really kills most contestants is the psychological burden...only 1 can win/survive...?

Klou Oh my gosh. Wow. Your description has me hooked!! I must read this book 😂 4y
Soubhiville This is my favorite King story! 4y
Ruthiella @Klou I think you will like it, especially since you‘ve enjoyed other books by King. 😀 4y
Klou @Ruthiella good to know! Thank you! 4y
Ruthiella @Soubhiville I read all four Bachman books decades ago and this one really stuck with me. 4y
36 likes1 stack add5 comments
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BittersweetDreams
The Long Walk | Stephen King

“Just go on dancing with me like this forever and I'll never tire. We'll scrape our shoe on the stars and hang upside down from the moon.”

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Michellesibs
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Pickpick

This is probably the most exhusting book I've ever read. Stephen King in his usual way pulls you into the plot and all I will say is put some comfortable shoes on, as the title suggests you're in for a long walk and it's going to hurt and you absolutely will lose your mind.

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Sleepswithbooks
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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This afternoon calls for a new reading adventure while creating a double chin #overachiever

Bookwormjillk Way to multi-task! 5y
TheAromaofBooks Coconut almond swirl sounds AMAZING 5y
51 likes1 stack add2 comments
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BookwormOfTheDamned
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Pickpick

In this video, I discuss "The Long Walk" by Richard Bachman. Also, Kerry sings Happy Birthday to me.

https://youtu.be/wsZr5Jq_Bmg

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WellReadCatLady
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Have at least two weeks off for emergency closure. The days are starting to run together and it‘s only been 3 days. 😭 #stayhome

31 likes2 stack adds
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LiterallyLiterary
The Long Walk | Stephen King
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Pickpick

By far, my favourite Stephen King book. As horrific as it is, it is definitely a page-turner! King creates dread right at the beginning of the novel that stays with the reader until the very end.
#StephenKing #Favourite

5 likes2 stack adds