I just finished The Fireman by Joe Hill. I bought it because it was a good second hand price and I was curious. It was way better than I expected. Very enjoyable, good characters and a killer ending. I have to say, though that it felt like an homage to The Stand. Not in a bad way. A lot of authors have an end of the worls story in them. You have a bad guy named Harold. A deaf kid called Nick who is very important to the story. You have a pregnant woman central to the plot. You have a hopeful but ambigous ending. That said, it was still very much it's own story. Maybe I'm too much of a Stand fanatic. Thoughts anyone? My summer reading project is The Count of Monte Cristo. Wish me luck.