Dallas decided to help us over here at WRA, but then Celeste forgot which books they had read and recorded... so he edited this. We know you've already heard the episode but if you want to hear how it sounds when Dallas Edits rather than Celeste.... Nows your chance!

We're reading Diana Wynne Jones's "Howl's Moving Castle" — the 1986 novel behind Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli film — and digging into what the book does differently from the movie. Expect a full "what have you been reading" detour through Anne Rice, Stephen King, and the Dresden Files before we get to Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer. We also share some news about the future of the show. We Read Allegedly is part of the Geek Devotions Network, where we talk books, movies, and the geeky stuff we love — allegedly.

0:00 Intro

2:52 What Have You Been Reading? Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

7:48 Celeste's Pick: Dresden Files Book 4 (Summer Knight)

14:24 Book Recommendation: Dial D for Deadman

16:41 Introducing Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

17:48 The (Corrected) Story of the Book and the Movie

25:54 How the Book and Movie Differ on Michael/Markl

27:00 Calcifer, Billy Crystal, and a Pink Floyd Tangent

28:48 What Makes a Good Audiobook Narrator?

33:12 Book vs. Movie: Where Howl's Moving Castle Lands

33:32 The Great Ponyo Debate

36:29 Final Takeaways on the Book

37:14 An Update on Squid's Future with the Show

39:24 The Heart of Stone, the Heart of Flesh

40:29 Sign-Off

Things Mentioned

• Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22249781
• Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
• Salem's Lot by Stephen King
• It by Stephen King (1990 miniseries, Tim Curry as Pennywise)
• The Dark Tower series by Stephen King
• The Green Mile by Stephen King
• Dresden Files: Summer Knight by Jim Butcher
• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
• Dial D for Deadman by Barry J. Hutchison (Space Team universe) — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44137334
• Thrawn by Timothy Zahn
• John Dies at the End by David Wong
• Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
• Howl's Moving Castle (2004 film, dir. Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli)

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What do you do when the book you were assigned makes you so mad you can barely get through it? Celeste and John tackle The Running Man, Stephen King's dystopian thriller published under his pen name Richard Bachman, and they both walked away with the same feeling. What did they think about the protagonist, the underlining messaging, and the over all structure of the story? Check out this very honest review of one of King's most debated early works.

📚 Books and Media Mentioned

Main Episode Book:

• The Running Man by Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman)

Recent Reads:

• Final book in the Fred the Vampire Accountant series (Celeste)
• Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind, and Naked by Jean "Malice" Thornton, brother of Pusha T (John) | Content advisory: mature language and themes

Books Referenced in Discussion:

• The Long Walk by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• The Cell by Stephen King (recommended as a better alternative if you like this type of story)
• Bone Man's Daughter by Ted Decker (mentioned by John, author name stated from memory mid-conversation)
• The Circle series by Ted Decker

Movies and Shows Referenced:

• The Running Man (1987 film) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Blade Runner
• Altered Carbon
• Speed (1994) starring Keanu Reeves

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 Intro and welcome back after a hiatus

1:05 Recent reads: Celeste on the final book in the Fred the Vampire Hamilton series

2:29 Recent reads: John on Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind, and Naked by Jean Malice Thornton (Pusha T's brother)

4:51 Transitioning to the main book: The Running Man by Stephen King as Richard Bachman

5:12 Plot summary: Ben Richards enters a deadly televised survival competition to get medicine for his daughter

6:00 John's reaction: why he put it straight into his Did Not Finish pile

7:07 Celeste's reaction: bored, couldn't connect to the main character at all

8:00 The Richard Bachman identity: why this book feels more agenda-driven than typical Stephen King

9:39 Character problem: we never get to know Ben Richards before the chaos starts

10:41 World-building discussion: could this be in the same universe as The Long Walk? The Fahrenheit 451 comparison

11:02 Structural issues: the chapter countdown gimmick and why it does not add up

12:14 "It felt like a Squid book": a nod to Katherine, who picked this title, and her taste for the dour

13:06 Final ratings and craft discussion: King's writing quality saves it from zero stars

15:29 The movie comparison: 1987 Schwarzenegger film vs. the book

16:00 The Speed (1994) physics tangent

17:29 Final verdict: do they recommend The Running Man?

18:33 Closing book recommendation: The Cell by Stephen King

🔗 Find Us

Website: wereadallegedly.com

Instagram: @wereadallegedly

Twitter: @wereadallegedly

Goodreads: We Read, Allegedly group

Email: wereadallegedly@gmail.com

Proudly part of the Devoted Geek Network: geekdevotions.com

We Read Allegedly is a book review podcast where we are definitely, totally reading books as often as we say we are.