An excellent Koontz book.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
"Jimmy Tock comes into the world on the very night his grandfather leaves it. As a violent storm rages outside the hospital, Rudy Tock spends long hours walking the corridors between the expectant fathers' waiting room and his dying father's bedside. It's a strange vigil made all the stranger when, at the very height of the storm's fury, Josef Tock suddenly sits up in bed and speaks coherently for the first and last time since his stroke." "What he says before he dies is that there will be five dark days in the life of his grandson - five dates whose terrible events Jimmy will have to prepare himself to face. The first is to occur in his twentieth year; the second in his twenty-third year; the third in his twenty-eighth; the fourth in his twenty-ninth; the fifth in his thirtieth." "Rudy is all too ready to discount his father's last words as a dying man's delusional ramblings. But when he discovers that Josef also predicted the time of his grandson's birth to the minute, as well as his exact height and weight, and the fact that Jimmy would be born with syndactyly - the unexplained anomaly of fused digits - on his left foot. Suddenly the old man's predictions take on a chilling significance." What terrifying events await Jimmy on these five dark days? What nightmares will he face? What challenges must he survive? As the novel unfolds, picking up Jimmy's story at each of these crisis points, the path he must follow will defy every expectation. And with each crisis he faces, he will move closer to a fate he could never have imagined. For who Jimmy Tock is and what he must accomplish on the five days when his world turns is a mystery as dangerous as it is wondrous - a struggle against an evil so dark and pervasive, only the most extraordinary of human spirits can shine through.

Will be offering as a US Only bookring, will list participants here. Hardcover Edition Forum post announcing bookring.

Participants:

1. dg7500(Lancaster, Pennsylvania USA)
   
2. krin511(Olney, Maryland USA)
   
3. Mom2Ty(Maiden, North Carolina USA)
   
4. southernfryed (Lexington, South Carolina USA)
   
5. lisabb2(Grimes, Iowa USA)
   
6. saidenuj(Marcus, Iowa USA)
   
7. Satnam(Wilton, New Hampshire USA - Wants to be near the end)
   
8. rebeccaljames(Cincinnati, Ohio USA)
   
9. acountkel(Charlotte, North Carolina)
10. collectorkerri (Melrose Park, Illinois)
    
11. Disphora (Scranton, Pennsylvania )
    
12. awakeagain (Hackettstown, New Jersey)
    
13. cheli-garza (Dallas, Texas)
    
14. ASKmama (Newton, Massachusetts><---- Being Read By
    
15. efs300 (Back to Bedford, NH)

Bookring instructions ( Copied from catsalive):
1. SIGN UP for this bookring by sending me a Private Message. Order of participants will be juggled between geography, date of request and shipping limitations. Late additions may be added to the end of the list.
2. When the person before you on the list finishes reading the book, they will send you a Private Message for your postal address. If you no longer wish to read it, let them (and me!) know and I will move you down/off the list.
3. WHEN YOU RECEIVE THE BOOK please make a journal entry so everyone knows it has safely arrived. Bookrings should NOT be stressful, take your time and enjoy the book. Just make sure it gets mailed on to the next person.
4. WHEN YOU FINISH THE BOOK, make another journal entry telling us what you thought - did you like it? Did you think it was well-written?
5. CONTINUE THE BOOKRING by sending a Private Message to the person after you on the bookring list and request their postal address. Please check back here for the latest distribution list. If the person doesn't respond within 10-14 days (use your judgement), please PM the next person, and then me, so I can update the bookring list.
6. END OF THE RING, Back to me.

A note about shipping:

Please make all shipments Media Mail. There is no reason to rush this book around the US.

Mailed to dg7500 to start the bookring. DC# 03052200000035337960

Arrived today, and should be able to start it sometime this weekend...after I finish the book I'm currently reading. Thanks for starting the ring...I'm excited to read it, and then follow it's journey.

Happy day! :0)

My second Dean Koontz book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! A very interesting premise, and it had enough twists that I was always wondering what was around the next corner.

I've contacted krin511 for mailing info, and will be mailing the book out early next week.

Mailed out this afternoon...Media mail w/ delivery confirmation.

Enjoy! :0)

Arrived in yesterday's mail! I will start it this weekend.

Koontz tends to hide philosophies about life and family in wonderful prose. Jimmy Tock, the baker protagonist, is a great narrator of "Life Expectancy".

Mailed last weekend to Mom2Ty.

I just received this in today's mail, thank you!

I loved this book! It's not scary in the least, not supernatural, but it was an easy read and I fell in love with every one of the main characters. Thanks so much for sharing it!

This book arrived today along with another bookring. I will get to it as soon as I can though. Thanks for sharing. I will journal again as soon as I read it.

Almost the entire time I was reading this book, I was asking myself "Why am I reading this crap?" I didn't get interested until the last 100 pages or so. The book does have alot of twist and turns but I thought most of it was highly unbelievable. If I were facing death, I don't think I would be so sarcastic.

Book is on it's way to Lisabb2.

Just got in the mail today and will read shortly...got another bookring in front of this one!!!

Another great read by Dean Koontz!!! I found it hard to get into at first but once I was further along it was hard to put down with all the twist and turns between the Tock and Beezo clans!!! I loved the Tock family and their wacky baker lifestyle of staying up late and sleeping during the day too. I guess the ending could pave the way for a sequel with the new five days!!!

This book will be on it's way to saidenuj shortly!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

Recv'd in today's mail. I'm almost finished with my current read and this one is up next. Thanks much!

Another very good one by Koontz. I loved all the twists & turns all the way thru. I also liked Jimmy's philosophy of life. There were many quotes that I enjoyed, but this one is probably my favorite (no spoilers):

"My parents didn't raise me to ask God for blessings or benefits. For guidance, yes. For the strength to do the right thing, yes. Not for a winning lottery number, not for love or health, or happiness. Prayer is not a gimme list; God isn't Santa Claus."

I've PM'd the next person and will send this out as soon as I get a mailing address. Thanks for including me in this book's journey!

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed to Satnam, next up in the ring. Enjoy!


Delivery Confirmation #: 0304 1560 0000 6088 7501

This arrived the day before yesterday. I am in the middle of a book, but should get to this one soon.

Another great book by Dean Koontz!! Thank you efs300 for sharing. I mailed it on to rebeccaljames today.

I just received this book today. I have a couple of books before it. I should be able to get to it in a couple of weeks.

I mailed this book to acountkel this morning.

Arrived safe and sound today.
Will get to it soon!!!

This is the first Koontz I have read. It was pretty good. This book was about Jimmy. When his grandfather was on his death bed, he prophesized that there would be 5 terrible days in Jimmy’s life. He made Jimmy’s father write each date down. He also knew the exact measurements of Jimmy when he was born. And then he died. The book takes you through each one of these terrible days. When a chapter ends and you think you know what’s going to happen, you get there and you are surprised. I think, what makes Koontz so unique is his ability to put humor, terror, suspense into a story and it all seems to fit. He has a great way with words. I enjoyed the twists and turns. I am looking forward to reading another Koontz book.

Thank you efs300 for letting me participate in your ring.

Will send off to collectorkerri on Tuesday.

Received today. Will read ASAP.

This was my favorite Koontz book in a long time. I really liked most of the characters (unlike a previous journaler, I found Jimmy to be witty, not sarcastic) and cared what happened to them. That's one of my hallmarks of a good book. This story was well-paced and all-around well-told.

Sent to Disphora yesterday.

Enjoyed very much. Wasn't expecting the ending at all.

Rec'd this bookring yesterday and am starting it today. Should be ready to mail early next week. PMing cheli-garza.

I used to ignore Dean Koontz as just another horror writer and not a good one at that. Recently I've started reading some of his newer novels and completely changing what I think of his writing. I think he just gets better and better all the time. He has some of the freshest ideas around and a page turning way of writing.

I just received this book today. Pretty good timing since I've been taking classes and my last one is on Tuesday. Then watch out, book, here I come!

Awakeagain, thanks for the postcard. :) It will make a handy bookmark.

What a great read. It's one of those books that makes my husband think I'm a lunatic because I'm alternately laughing my head off and gasping in surprise. Mr. Koontz tied the whole story together so well it's amazing! This is only the second book I've read by him. It was a surprise that he can be so whimsical and humorous.

PMd ASKmama for address.

Received this book from cheli-garza a while ago - sorry! I'm about 40 pages in...