Finished these two audio books within the last few days. Both of them are very good and shorter than most of the stuff King produces. Keyhole is part of the Gunslinger canon (get it?) while Joyland differs from the Master's usual stuff. Both are worthwhile reads.

For those of us who enjoyed the exploits of Roland and his band of merry (and soon to be deceased) crew, Wind through the Keyhole is like a savory after a banquet. If you've read The Dark Tower series (as I have--several times), you might find it hard to focus on the parts of the story that deal with Eddie, Susanah, Oy, and Jake. You know that three of these four are going to die and it takes a heap of psychic distance to banish that from your mind as you read. The "tale within a tale" structure is not as smooth as it might be and I wonder if King rushed this one to press. Still, the action sequences, character development, and story telling are well within the Master's usual standard. The biggest issue I have lies with the CD: King reads the work himself. Steve: Hire professionals to do your stories in audio. Simply being able to read the text flawlessly isn't enough. Presentation helps even the best writer and your presentation--while not awful--is obviously that of an amature.

Joyland uses a professional reader and its appeal is strong but unusual. King always makes you care about his characters but this book is a true tour de force. That's because it hasn't much else. The story line is a bit trite (a ghostie haunts a fun house), the action sequences few, but you come to care deeply about the protagonist. Heart strings get tugged with a doomed child who is also spunky and psychic. Romance blooms briefly between the kid's mom and the protagonist. A deus ex machina climax -- not a King specialty -- works well, here, and the sad denouement choked me up. (I'm easily choked up--a big softee--but I defy you to read this without a tightness gripping in your throat.)

Read these books. They're worth the time.

Strongly recommended: 4 smiles