The Life of Chuck Book and Movie

It's no secret that I love reading books, then watching the movie or TV adaptation and comparing them, so here's the latest... The Life of Chuck.

The Life of Chuck by Stephen King. Read this on the recommendation from a writer friend who watched the movie. I like reading the books first to see what I imagine, so I got this from the library immediately. I love the story structure and how innovative it is to have the world exist because one person’s mind created it. This was a short story made up of beautiful moments and I read it in just an hour or so because I couldn’t put it down. Even with the sad ending (at the beginning), it was so wonderful that I just wanted to crawl inside of the story. I can’t wait to compare it to the movie.

It's also super cool that the dance scene is a flip book on the movie version of the book! Little details like that make things feel special.

Now to the screen adaptation...

I don't know why I thought Chuck was Kevin Costner... something about the image looks like him to me. Am I crazy? It also made me think of the In & Out cover, which is Kevin Kline, so maybe I just merged "dancing on a movie cover" and Kevins and had that impression. I also don't know a lot of "current" actors, so me thinking it was Kevin Costner was actually me thinking that I was "in the know" and had some movie knowledge by identifying the actor from this random shot alone. But I digress.

I liked the movie overall. I liked the callbacks about math and the stars, which, if they were in the book, I missed them or had forgotten by the time I watched the movie (maybe two weeks later, but two weeks in January 2026 is two fucking lifetimes, so consider that).

I liked that some of the same actors from Act 3 were in other acts as different(?) roles at the dance in Act 1, though it also seemed that Marty was a teacher at the school when Chuck was a kid, talking to him at the dance, yet wasn't old enough in Act 3 for that to be true... Am I missing something here? I'm convinced I have a degree of face blindness because I don't recognize people until I know them very well (see also thinking Chuck was Kevin Costner), so maybe it wasn't the same actors? And I understand how Chuck knowing them when he was young would bring them to life in Act 3, the way that's framed, so maybe I'm just nitpicking too hard at something that shouldn't be a big deal.

Beyonf that, there were some differences, like Chuck's time in a band is glossed over, which impacts the dance scene in a subtle way. Honestly, the shift of that moment linking back to his grandmother is so much more touching to me. That was a great change.

Overall, I liked the book better than the movie just because I felt like it had more depth. I learned more about Chuck in the story. But in the movie, it felt like some random peeks into his life without really feeling the weight of who he is. That made the ending seem a little flat, because I wasn't connected to Chuck like I was in the story.

I keep seeing things about this being an "uplifting" movie, and maybe it's just the fact that I read the story and watched the movie in January 2026, but it really doesn't feel that way to me. It feels really dire. Knowing you're going to die and the waiting being the hardest part... yes, exactly, except now it's breathing down our necks. The moments of Chuck's life that we do get to see are sweet, yes, and though he dies young he still had a full life - I get all that. But it's not uplifting to me.

Have you seen and/or read The Life of Chuck? What are your thoughts? Let's talk about it!

January Round-Up

As 2025 came to an end, I gave myself a few reading goals. My overarching goal is to read books from my shelves, because I've bought a lot of books that sound great, then get distracted when my library holds come in, or someone recommends a book to me, yada yada yada. But beyond that, I want to read one writing book each month, and one poetry collection each month. While I feel like I didn't read much this month (dammit, doomscrolling), I did accomplish those two goals by the skin of my teeth.

Though I didn't read as much this month as I usually do according to trackability, I did read 9 short story/flash fiction collection manuscripts for Split/Lip Press, with more to read over the next two months. So I can't claim those since they're not published...yet, but I've read some great ones.

The Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire, #1) by Tui T. Sutherland. My son wanted me to read this book because he loves this series. It was more violent than I thought it would be considering how much he likes it, but overall it was a good book and an interesting premise. I don’t think I’m going to blaze through the entire series soon, but if I don’t know what to read, it’s definitely something I’d be willing to pick up and see what happens.

Short Cuts by Raymond Carver. Part of my short story project for the month. I originally read this in 2008 or 2009 and probably watched the movie around then, too. I’ve re-read some of the short stories since, but this is the first time I re-read the entire collection. I read it right after watching the movie again so I liked seeing how the director interpreted some of the stories.

Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes by Karen Rose Smith. I read this for the Cozy Mystery Book Club. I love culinary cozies and I’m a tea fan, so I liked that aspect of the storyline. The mystery was fairly intriguing as well. However, the writing style seemed really basic. I was always aware I was reading a book because everything was told and explained instead of shown through action and dialogue, so that was disappointing. Daisy was a weak character, too. She had no personality and deferred to men so much. She was a widow and mentioned her late husband a bit, which is understandable, but she kept saying she “didn’t know why” she had feelings for handsome, kind Jonas, but also went on dates and seemed trying to force something with Cade, which had been her prom date but was really dismissive and somewhat controlling of her. I found it off-putting that she kept acting like she wanted to be with him even after admitting how he treated her annoyed her. Get a backbone! I wouldn’t have finished this if it wasn’t for book club. Read the full review here.

The Life of Chuck by Stephen King. Read this on the recommendation from a writer friend who watched the movie. I like reading the books first to see what I imagine, so I got this from the library immediately. I love the story structure and how innovative it is to have the world exist because one person’s mind created it. This was a short story made up of beautiful moments and I read it in just an hour or so because I couldn’t put it down. Even with the sad ending (at the beginning), it was so wonderful that I just wanted to crawl inside of the story. I can’t wait to compare it to the movie.

Very Nice by Marcy Dermansky. Wasn’t sure what to expect with this one but it was a nice, quick read as a snow storm blew into my area. I read it in one night. I liked the different points of view and how all the characters came together. The ending was a little lackluster to me, considering Chekhov’s gun and how much potential there was there, but I liked the author’s writing and would read more from them.

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. I’d heard about this since it came out and was intrigued based on the title alone. My favorite aspect of this book was definitely the cultural insights. I think the title definitely sets a different idea in your mind and the story didn’t live up to THAT, for me, but it was still enjoyable and I loved how some chapters were short, reading almost like flash fiction pieces, and sometimes the chapter titles came directly into play with the content so you had to keep it in mind as you read. The ending was kind of meh though, like leading into more of the same instead of a resolution.

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene. I love mysteries but have never read a Nancy Drew book, so I wanted to start with the original. It was an interesting book, definitely providing a glance back at the time. I don’t think it’s interesting enough to read the whole series, but I know there are some “modern” spins on it, I think with a younger Nancy as the main character, so I’ll probably give those a try too, just to see. I didn’t necessarily dislike the book, but I don’t think it stands the test of time and can hold its own in the current literary field.

 

Writing Creativity and Soul by Sue Monk Kidd. My writing book for the month. I’ve read several of Kidd’s novels, years ago, but didn’t know she’d written a writing book. It was exactly what I wanted (and needed) to start the year fresh. I love her approach to writing and how she shared finding inspiration, nurturing an idea until it becomes a story, and more. I highlighted so much in this book - really helpful quotes to revisit when I feel stuck in my own writing.

The State That Springfield Is In by Tom C. Hunley. My poetry book for the month. Maybe a cheat because it’s a re-read and I know I’d love to read it again, but honestly, I should have been re-reading it every year since my first time (in 2020) because it’s just that good. My previous review: These poems were told in the voices of Simpsons characters - beloved and obscure. It was pretty eye-opening to think of these characters as real people, and they randomly pop into my head and make me remember them as more than just fictional sitcom characters. I can’t recommend this enough to Simpsons fans, poetry fans, or people who love fictional characters as if they were real.

Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes by Karen Rose Smith

Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes by Karen Rose Smith

I read this for the Cozy Mystery Book Club, and you can check out the discussion here.

I love culinary cozies and I’m a tea fan, so I liked that aspect of the storyline. The mystery was fairly intriguing as well. However, the writing style seemed really basic. I was always aware I was reading a book because everything was told and explained instead of shown through action and dialogue, so that was disappointing.

Daisy was a weak character, too. She had no personality and deferred to men so much. She was a widow and mentioned her late husband a bit, which is understandable, but she never got into her grief, so even bringing him up felt hollow and didn't add anything to the story.

Beyond that, she kept saying she “didn’t know why” she had feelings for handsome, kind Jonas, but also went on dates and seemed trying to force something with Cade, which had been her prom date but was really dismissive and somewhat controlling of her. I found it off-putting that she kept acting like she wanted to be with him even after admitting how he treated her annoyed her. Get a backbone!

I did like the aspect of an adopted daughter wanting to find her birth mother and how that was handled. It felt really rushed at the end though, and a lot of that action happened off the page. And also, it was all facilitated by... guess who? A man! So that was kind of a bummer.

I think this would have been a much better book is Daisy (and her aunt Iris) were stronger characters - and stronger women. I wouldn’t have finished this if it wasn’t for book club.

Convenience Store Woman vs. Sky Daddy

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori

vs

Sky Daddy by Kate Folk

I read both of these books in December 2025 and saw some similarities. As far as I can remember, both were recommended in the back of The Collected Regrets of Clover by 

Mikki Brammer (but my memory is terrible so don't hold me to that). I was on library hold lists for both and got access to Convenience Store Woman first.

I've previously read translations, including the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, and I appreciate how hard it can be to translate work and keep the author's original intentions and the beauty of their language. I also know that there's still a lot lost, and cultural context can certainly shape your interpretation of a book.

It took me a bit to get through the book, but here are my thoughts:

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori. This book was interesting until incel Shiraha came into play. His rants were too realistic and repetitive, so I had to skim a lot of his sections. The resolution definitely improved my thoughts of the book, but I was much more intrigued by the essay included at the end that spawned the book idea. I like the concept of the romantic relationship with the store more than the overall novel itself.

When I got access to Sky Daddy, I read it all basically straight through. Here are my thoughts:

Sky Daddy by Kate Folk. I wanted to read this book because the title made me laugh and I was curious about how the concept would play out, but damn did it become my favorite read in December 2025! I read it in about a day and keep thinking about it. I wish it had gone on longer just because I want to immerse myself in Linda’s world more, but I have to say the ending is PERFECT and I would be so angry if it ended any other way.

Overall, there were a lot of similarities with the main characters, in my opinion. I'm not sure if they were meant to be autistic or just... "different" because honestly, the more adult women I meet, the more I feel that we're all drastically different in wonderful ways, and without a diagnosis and being told if someone is autistic, it's hard for me to tell. But these characters were certainly not "typical" female main characters, and I love them both for that.

That said, they were both a bit naive, moreso the narrator in Convenience Store Woman. She seemed oblivious to how she was being treated by the incel and put up with it for appearances, and I wish she was stronger than that. The Sky Daddy narrator seemed to be using the man as much as he was using her and kind of turned that situation on its head by the end, which was more satisfying, whether it was "wrong" of her or not.

I think the "relationship" in Sky Daddy was more interesting and engaging. I think that's what the author of Convenience Store Woman was trying to do, but it didn't come off that way because the incel derailed things, whereas in Sky Daddy, nothing came between the narrator and her planes. I'm not sure if that relationship aspect was something lost in translation or if it just wasn't really present in the story. It was definitely clear in the essay at the end, so I think that was the intention, but maybe the author didn't want to follow it through for the novel, or maybe it was an editorial decision.

If I had to recommend just one, it would definitely be Sky Daddy. I keep thinking about the ending and am ready to read it again, honestly, because the writing style was so engaging and I'm willing to just read anything and everything about this character's daily life.

Have you read one or both of these? What were your thoughts?

Castle Dark Series by Veronica Bond

I first read Death in Castle Dark in August 2024 after getting the recommendation from the Cozy Mystery Book Club (though I read it too late to participate).

Death in Castle Dark by Veronica Bond. First read: It’s the first book in a cozy mystery series (A Dinner and a Murder Mystery Series). I love the setting of a castle used for murder mystery dinners because it’s already engaging and spooky - then add in a real murder, and I’m hooked! 

Re-read December 2025: I heard there was a new third book in this series so I wanted to re-read the first. This is SO cozy to me - I love the mystery dinner theater concept, and set in a castle makes it that much better. This is one I'll definitely re-read again.

Castle Deadly, Castle Deep by Veronica Bond. This one didn’t pull me in as much as the first. I thought Nora’s relationship drama seemed kind of middle school and immature, and that dragged on for most of the story. Some of the twists were good though, so the ending redeemed the book overall. Also too much dependence on the Doll's House play - explaining it too much.

Death at a Castle Christmas by Veronica Bond. This was a bit too sweet for me. It felt like it was more of a clean romance than a cozy mystery. The ending seemed especially over the top, with everyone getting engaged for Christmas? After dating six months? I also felt like the storyline of the men trying to find treasure in the castle was a bit too similar to the last book, which is disappointing. I’d read another installment if it went back to “seeing” the murder mysteries performed in the castle - I think there could be 3 or 4 unique storylines around that concept and I wouldn’t think it was too played out.

The first book will always be a cozy mystery I'd like to re-read. However, the second seemed like too much filler, while the third seemed like it was trying too hard to wrap up the series. I'd read further installments if they focused more on the mysteries than sugary-sweet romance, but I have a feeling the author was indeed trying to wrap up the series with this delayed third installment.