A little under a week ago, the great Stephen King released his latest work, 11/22/63, a time-travel novel dealing with the delicate subject of the Kennedy assassination.  Resurrecting the seemingly quiet town of Derry, Maine, setting of It, Insomnia, and the short story "The Bird and the Album," he introduces us to Jake Eppling, a man who teaches GED classes at night and just so happens to learn that there's a portal to 1958 in the local diner.  Enlisted by the diner's owner to help stop the Kennedy assassination, Jake travels back and establishes a life for himself as George Amberson in hopes of stopping Oswald's plan.

The excerpts on the book's official (and very interactive) site show a book that appears to be Stephen King in top form, although this is his first venture into the realm of historical novel writing.  The previews don't offer a glimpse into the portions of the book dealing with Oswald himself or give any hints about how it might actually turn out in the end, but it is just enough to get fans excited!

While time travel isn't overtly the subject of the book, merely a device for the doings of the protagonist in the past and the lessons taught about life and love, a review in the New York Times calls it "one of the best time-travel stories since H.G. Wells."  I'm inclined to believe this before having the chance to read it myself simply because its Stephen King.  While there are moments in some of his books, very rare ones, where I felt something may have been missing or been too much altogether, I could certainly say even without having read 100% of his books that the greater portion of his work is outstanding.  He is a master of his craft, weaving a world of life, death, and the bizarre in a way that continually pulls us back for more, despite any very minor transgressions.  He has never betrayed his readers, and there's no way he would let us down now.

I'm looking forward to reading this book for myself and to offering a review to my readers!  I must admit that I haven't been keeping up with Stephen King's very latest work, but this one seems much more can't-miss than some others.  Perhaps this is because I've been reading a lot more literature that hinges on eras of great change, and I'm excited to read more!  If you'd like to pick up your own copy and read it for yourself, you can do so here.