Psssst! You can place holds on book that are on order but not in yet. If you go to the website and look it up you’ll see one hold on it. Guess who’s that is. 
And:
The Overlook is destroyed by a boiler explosion, killing Jack; he doesn’t freeze to death in a hedge maze.
True, but that particular difference thus far doesn’t seem to affect one’s reading of Dr. Sleep, whereas IMHO, the ones cited by me did.
I’ll recant my pedantry if further reading of the sequel changes my mind. 
Okay, off to the website to put my own hold on it!
So when I get the book, I’ll know who got chocolate all over it? 
Well, it’s in now - I must have searched for it a few hours before the library received their copies! There are 79 holds now, so you might not be the one smearing chocolate in my copy. 
The Shining is one of my favorite books of all time…I read it many many times when I was 13 or 14 years old. My copy is signed by Mr. King, who used to sign and return books if you mailed them to him with a SASE (with plenty of postage). It says “To Ryan (Lastname), Best wishes…and shine on. Stephen King (date).”
So I guess I might have to check this one out. I do have to disagree that the film would be good prep for this book…admittedly I haven’t read the new one, but the book is SO different from the film, and not even in a cliche “the book is better” way that you hear about every adaptation…you’re talking about Kubrick here, and he REALLY took the film in his own direction. I’d say you definitely need to read The Shining first. The film is great, but it’s a different beast altogether vs. the novel.
I’m zeroth in the queue!
I have a crazy work schedule plus I’m a slow reader. I had this pre-ordered on amazon, paper hardback edition, and it came yesterday.
I only got to page 23 last night and am hooked…so far this reads like vintage sober Stephen King without the gratuitous gore. Scary stuff and I am glad my dogs are in the bedroom with me at night to protect me from the gibbous Mrs Massey and her ilk.
I think it is fine to rely on the movie for background as long as the reader understands the difference between the movie and the book. Actually there’s enough backstory provided in the first 23 pages of the book; I am not sure it’s even mandatory to read or watch the original
although it would certainly be entertaining.
It is not,in my opinion, as scary as The Shining (I also think you need to read the book The Shining to really enjoy the sequel), but it’s very good, tight, entertaining. It’s miles above Under The Dome and the ending delivers.
But seriously, do yourself a favour and read “The Shining.” So, so creepy.
I have a signed and dated copy as well, though I got it back in '78 at a convention in Fort Worth. But mine’s not personalized!
I just finished it and really enjoyed it. He didn’t fuck up the ending, I liked the characters, and it had some good callbacks to the original, plus one of his son’s books.
The first time I read “The Shining”, it was 1985, I was 14 years old. I was with my family visiting Italy-- from Rome to Milan, then to England for a few days. Reading a novel about a haunted hotel in seven different hotels where no one spoke English (at first), then did speak English (but not the English I was used to), not to mention being in places where if there were ghosts of any kind, they’d be there, in old places, much older than anything in the states. Heck, ghost of lions that choked on Christians might be inhabiting the hotel in Rome for all I knew. 
It wasn’t a “novel” idea (Heh) to read that novel then. But those scary feelings are welcome now. I have to turn on the TV, shut out the lights and make sure the closet door isn’t open “just a crack”, because I don’t need “The Boogeyman” visiting me while I’m trying to read. No spoilers, but page three has already got to me. Hope I don’t need to visit the bathroom tonight.
I’m hoping the ending isn’t so damn supernatural where I can’t feel it. Worst endings I’ve read by King go to “The Stand” (so boring) and “The Tommyknockers”.
“It” is my favorite novel of his, and I’m glad to say I won three costumes contests of my portrayal of Bob Gray, aka, Pennywise the Clown. You tell me. Can I post a pic of that?
I really wish you would.
OKAY!! FINISHED!!! Shall we start a new discussion thread w/ spoilers??
Overall, I loved it. Quite the shock that:
Dan(ny) has a sibling, and shining runs in the family.
I thought the second part of your spoiler was established in the book. King’s masterpiece, IMO; never bothered to see the movie.
Yes, Wendy Torrance shone, as most mother’s do, but not the first part!
I finished it two days ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was not as scary as The Shining, but it was a more nuanced read.
I especially enjoyed the AA parts, having been a member of that group for well over two decades myself. SK takes his recovery seriously, for certain. I love how Dan’s AA group responded to his big reveal.
I’m in the final few pages and enjoyed the book. That’s two in a row, the first being 11/22/63, which I thought was a cracking read. Next up is NOS4A2, by his son.
Have you read Wind Through the Keyhole? That, along with Joyland, 11/22/63 and this latest one make 4 winners in a row for me.
I am going to pick up Joyland and 11/23/63, but dropped Dark Tower after Wizard…just couldn’t get into it…