Books read in 2025: No. 38 -- Billy Summers

by Stephen King

Started: Oct. 25

Finished: Nov. 15

Notes: I've been trying to read horror of late, so naturally I turned to the King of horror. To be honest, I'm not sure this one actually is horror, but with King it usually is, or at least is horror adjacent.

Mini review: No, not horror, but not a bad story, sort of modern noir. A hitman is hired for a job which takes him months to complete, and to fill his time he decided to write a fictionalized biography of sorts, so this novel jumps back and forth between the that biography and the events of this work. Eventually the hitman's job is performed, but he finds he has been double crossed, but he's not going to let things lie. To say more would be to give too much away. I wouldn't say this is King's best work, but it's still a decent read. King fans will want it, those who don't know King or who don't care for him could do worse. I will say this one has a bittersweet ending, but one with a touch of hope.

Beer of the Week: Heineken Dark

Beer score: 5.0

Company: Heineken
ABU: 5.0
IBU: 28

A pretty mediocre beer. If you are a beginner beer snob, don't worry, because there are plenty of better beers out there, not that this one is awful.

It pours brown.

It smells faintly of caramel.

It's taste is of a little maple bitterness.

It's wet.

That's about all.

But even though it's wet, it's not a big thirst quencher.

To repeat myself, not awful, but there are tons of better options available.

Beer of the Week: Young's Ram Rod

Beer score: 4.1

Company: Young's
ABU: 5.0
IBU: NA

Young's makes better beers, but this one didn't do much for me, though it wasn't awful.

Pours a smooth, light brownish color while giving off a sweet, slight apple smell.

Wet with a cool bitterness going down. There's just a touch of sweetness in the flavor, and it has something of a cider feel in the mouth. The bitterness grows stronger the more you drink.

Apple cider fans might appreciate this beer.

Beer of the Week: Corsendonk Abbey Pale Ale

Beer score: 8.7

Company: Brouweij Corsendonk
ABU: 7.5
IBU: NA

To be honest, I don't even know if they make this beer any more. Maybe it goes by a slightly different name nowadays, or perhaps it has a different name in different parts of the world, but no amount of online sleuthing could prove to me this beer still exists under this name. But that doesn't mean I didn't get a chance to try it again recently, and that after not tasting it in nearly two decades. Fortunately for me, a buddy of mine had a bottle that had been sitting in his beer fridge for a good long while.

And aging did not hurt this pale ale one bit.

Pours a pale golden color and leaves behind plenty of foamy head that takes a while to vanish while giving of citrus scents, perhaps a little orange or lemon.

Has a slightly fruity, sour taste that can make the lips pucker, though it's not as tart as some lambics I've tried. Goes down easy enough that you could drink these all night and not feel full. Not quite smooth enough to be served as an after-dinner drink, like wine, but almost.

Yet another great-tasting brew from Belgium.

Books read in 2025: No. 37 -- Under a Graveyard Sky

by John Ringo

Started: Oct. 14

Finished: Oct. 25

Notes: I've been trying to read more horror of late, so why not a novel where zombies have taken over the world and to survive humanity has had to take to the oceans? It's also a nice bonus that I've been meaning for a while to check out this author.

Mini review: If Tom Clancy had written a zombie novel, it would have been this one. Hell, the USS Dallas submarine even shows up. More action than horror here, but this was a fun read, and apparently the first in a series. I'll have to look for more of these books.

Beer of the Week: Highland Brewing Daycation IPA

Beer score: 5.8

Company: Highland Brewing
ABU: 4.9
IBU: 40

To be honest, I know IPAs have been popular for a few years now, but it's one of my least favorite types of beer, so I'll be glad when that trend burns away.

That being said, this one has a huge foamy head, if that' your thing. In a clear glass it has a slightly cloudy copper color and gives off smells of citrus zest and maybe a little bitter woodiness.

On the tongue, this one is fairly watery for an IPA. There's initially a burst of citrus bitterness not uncommon to this style, but it burns away quickly to be replaced by a vague flat bitterness that lingers on the back of the tongue for a while.

One of the lighter IPAs I've ever tried.

Books read in 2025: No. 36 -- Gone Girl

by Gillian Flynn

Started: Sept. 22

Finished: Oct. 14

Notes: I've been trying to read more horror of late, but I honestly can't say if this book qualifies or not. I don't even remember why I bought it other than I had listed it on my Books I want to Read list. I don't even remember why I placed it on that list, but something must have drawn me to it. Anyway, I know there's been a movie of this novel, though I've not seen it, and I seem to have spotted some blurbs online about the movie at least having horror elements, so maybe it'll fit in with my current reading attempts.

Mini review: A wife goes missing and all the clues seem to point at the husband, as might be expected. But this is a complicated story where nothing is at it seems. Without giving anything away, I will say the true villain here is one of the most devious, though not necessarily bloodthirsty, I've read in fiction in a long while. Ultimately, this is a story about bad people who deserve one another. I can now see why this one made my list of books to read.