Seventeen by Hideo Yokoyama

Kazumasa Yuuki is a journalist for the local newspaper. In 1985, a Japan Airlines (JAL) passenger aircraft tragically crashed in a remote mountain range, leading to the deaths of 520 individuals. This incident ranks among the deadliest single-plane crashes ever recorded and he'd been put in charge as a crash desk chief. At the same time, he was making arrangements to climb Tsutate Mountain alongside his climbing partner, Kyoichiro Anzai. However, a mysterious turn left Anzai in a vegetative condition.

The narrative intertwines the true story of a Japanese passenger plane disaster with the obstacles encountered by the community newspaper business. The JAL crash had made the top story for several days and there were always disagreements and fighting over to create fresh news. The story highlights how Yuuki works closely with reporters across the group's stations skillfully managing the planning and organization of story elements, all while under pressure. The two life-changing experiences inflicted on him with seventeen years apart. I loved how the book was structured and the flawed elements of a character are where I find their humanity impacts the plot of the story.

 

You Like It Darker by Stephen King

The King is Back! Say that I'm biased anyway, I love most of the stories. This compilation consists of 12 short fiction. If you're a fan, then mostly the subject is about dark matters/ supernatural and paranormal. Most of these stories are quite new and the longest of them have never been published. Here is the summary of the stories:

1. Two Talented Bastid

- about a hunting trip in 1978 that changed the fate of two friends.

2. The Fifth Step

- a sober man who needs a favor from a stranger to hear him out and by doing so he could save his life.

3. Willie The Weirdo

- Willie is a boy who has difficulties in learning and is bullied at school. But he had a good connection with his grandfather until his dying day.

4. Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream

- The unsettling dream that Danny has about a woman's murder and burial in a desert compels him to explore the site on his own, drawing the attention of a detective who becomes obsessed with his actions. I love this the most and found it unsettling but can't stop thinking about it.

5. Finn

- Finn always had bad luck. He got kidnapped by a misunderstanding and a weird person. I think this is my least favourite.

6. On Slide Inn Road

- Brown's family goes to Derry to see a dying relative. The car they drove went to the ditch and strangers helped them, little did they know their kindness nearly made it to a tragedy.

7. Red Screen

- Leonard Crocker was detained because stabbing his wife. He claimed that his wife was an alien and ended up killing himself.

8. The Turbulent Expert

- an organization that recruits a person who can predict which airplanes will encounter severe and unexpected turbulence on any given flight.

9. Laurie

- Lloyd Sunderland was grieving over his wife and found some comfort when his sister brought a dog that he named Laurie. He became attached and became part of a family. I love this too.

10. Rattlesnakes

- another story that I love. Vic Trenton finds solace in a friend's home as he mourns the loss of his wife, bonding with his quirky neighbour Alita Bell, who is also dealing with the death of her twin son from the past. He becomes a suspect when Alita is found dead and leaves 'everything' to Vic, of all people.

11. The Dreamers

- William Davies was hired by a Gentleman Scientist who obsesses about people's dreams as a stenographer. I love the plot, but there's a loophole or maybe too short.

12. The Answer Man

- Phil Parker had met the Answer Man three times during his life. The mysterious figure is not a fortune teller but with the supposed ability to answer yes and no questions leading to unforeseen circumstances. 

Overall I give this book a 5 ⭐️ rating as I deeply admire SK's exceptional storytelling. The captivating writing kept me engaged from beginning to end, which I believe is the essence of a good story.

The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner

Romy is a former dancer at a strip club called Mars Room, had killed a man, Kurt Kennedy. She was convicted and had a long sentenced for her wrongdoing. Kurt had stalked, obsessed, hunted and never let her up. The prosecutor denied the self-defense situation instead dubious about the work she did to make a living. This novel starts out as a relatively straightforward story about a chaotic lives of women in a correctional facility from multiple first person narrators. All of them were people who suffered along the way of their childhood. It reveals a horrifying side of prison life and the injustice system. The Mars Room was shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize. I read this book due to all the hype but wasn't my favorite because of a few minor quibbles.