Stacey Wright

I just finished Fairy Tale by Stephen King and here are my thoughts.

Charlie has had a rough 17 years of life, after his mother died, his father became an alcoholic. It took years for his dad to get back on track and for things to become normal. As Charlie is going past his neighbors house, he hears a dog barking. He goes to check it out and finds Mr Bowditch in bad shape. After taking care of him for a while at his home, they built a friendship. The only thing off limits to Charlie is the shed out back. One day something tries to get out and Mr Bowditch knows he has to entrust someone with his secret. He dies before he can tell Charlie everything but thankfully, knew his time was short and recorded an unbelievable story along with the deeds to the house and a safe full of gold.

The shed leads to another world, The place where Mr Bowditch got the gold and the ability to stay alive. Charlie makes the harrowing journey to save the dog that has now become his very best friend.

King knows how to spin a tale... See what I did there? Haha! I'm not going to lie, I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the last part. I enjoyed Mr Bowditch and the friendship that blossomed between him and Charlie. The second half of the book had Charlie in the other realm and, don't get my wrong, was brilliant, I just missed that crotchety old man.

The world building was phenomenal and I have a special place in my heart for dogs in literature. The story was very powerful and I loved all the fairytale references that were dropped in the book. The book was seriously long but anyone who knows King, knows he likes meat on his bones.

It was definitely one of my favorites of the year so far!

4.5 stars

I just finished The Fraud by Zadie Smith and here is my review.

It's 1873 and Mrs. Eliza Touchet is working for her cousin, by marriage, as a housekeeper. He happens to be a novelist, not that he has been famous for many years. She has been the housekeeper for 30 years to both of William's wives.

Andrew Bogle grew up as a slave and understands what happens to slaves on Jamaican sugar plantations. When Andrew finds himself as the star witness in a trial of an imposter, he knows his future relies on him telling the right story.

The trial is all about a low class butcher from Australia claiming he is the rightful heir to a large estate and the trial has Mrs. Touchet gripped, her and all of England. Can the truth ever be revealed?

I was so excited to get this book. I really enjoyed other books by the author and had high hopes. The book was all over the place. I could barely keep up with what POV it was and what time it was for a lot of the book. It wasn't cohesive or structured and it was so hard to get into a flow with the book.

I really enjoyed reading Mrs. Touchet's POV but it was all over the map it felt like a chore to read. The story was fascinating, the plot was exceptional but the execution just wasn't there for me and I was actually glad to be finished.

The book was really well researched and the writing was good, I just didn't like the format of the book, it did not work for me. It did send me down a rabbit hole researching the contents of the book and that made it all so worth it!

If the chapters had been longer and had more meat in each of them with less jumping around, it would have been an easy 5 stars. It pains me to be disappointed in it but it won't put me off more from the author.

3.75 stars.

Thank you @penguinrandomhouseca for my gifted copy

Don't Believe her by Nicola Sanders

Ella's best friend left home and hasn't contacted her since and she cannot get over that fact. She has kept searching for years... When she runs into her brother years later, sparks fly and she moves in with him with her daughter... All of sudden Carla returns but she remembers her friendship with Ella very differently...

OMG this book had me whipping around like a damn kitchenaid mixer!!! Ella has memories of her and Carla being the best of best friends. Carla upon returning says that she actually wanted nothing to do with Ella and she only let her hang around because she had lost her mother. Ella doesn't believe it's Carla but Carla's mother and brother don't agree. You never know who to trust!

One minute I don't trust Ella, then I don't trust Carla and then I don't trust the brother... I was like FRACKKKK I don't know what's what! My hands were shaking and my heart was pounding....

The ending had me literally shrieking!!!

Those with heart conditions might want to give this a miss!!

5 stars

Silver Spells - Kate Moseman

This book was so good!! When Luella gets fired from her job, she unleashes the magical powers that have laid dormant inside her. As she tries to get a handle on her magic and her life, she finally feels like she has stepped into her destiny.

The characters are excellent. The writing is good and I really enjoyed how much the book gave us in a short period of time. It was well paced, quirky and exactly what I needed. I am pumped to know it is book 1 in a series. Heck yeah! Magic... Banter and friendship. GIMME MORE!

4.5 stars

I read all three of the Brightest Stars novels back to back.... Anna Todd has created a really solid New Adult military fiction series.

The Falling - We are introduced to Karina, a massage therapist living on an army base and coming up to her 21st birthday. It's at her job that she meets Kael. An injured soldier with a surly demeanor. The attraction is undeniable but their beliefs couldn't be more different.

I found the characters hard to connect with. The dialogue felt a little forced and unnatural and I couldn't decide if that was the author's plan to make you feel the awkwardness oozing from the pair.

The idea of the two characters healing each other was beautiful and some of the book was really solid and other parts... A little shaky. I have book 2 and I'm hoping book 2 finds its footing after the cliffhanger. It feels like a big book for not a lot of time passing and not much has happened yet.

3.5 stars