A Hero’s Journey

Fairy Tale by Stephen King combines elements of some series and story favorites: Stranger Things, Game of Thrones, and of course, classic fairy tales.

Charlie narrates his unbelievable tale. He starts with some of his childhood before progressing to saving a grumpy old man named Bowditch at the age of seventeen. This interaction changes the course of his life. He gives up sports to help with Bowditch’s recovery and his aging dog, Radar.

In doing so, he learns that Bowditch has an incredible secret. His locked shed holds a well that leads to another world. This world contains huge amounts of gold and a way to turn back time. Charlie decides to travel there in hope of saving Radar’s life. Once there, he realizes that there is an entire kingdom that needs to be saved too. There is a terrible curse over the remaining people causing them to be horribly disfigured. Any goodness that remains is in danger.

Charlie is captured and seems destined to die in this world. But his prison mates believe he is a prince destined to save them all.

This book has all the elements of an amazing tale, including fantastical creatures, monsters, danger, adventures and several heroic characters. I was reminded within only a chapter or two that Stephen King is truly a masterful story teller.

Ghostly Memory

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak combines elements of a ghost story and mystery.

Mallory is a recovering addict, who is fortunate to land a job as a summertime nanny to sweet, imaginative, five-year-old Teddy. All is going great until Teddy starts drawing pictures of his imaginary friend Anya. The pictures (which are shown throughout the book) depict a murder and cover up.

Mallory begins investigating the real Anya, who lived in the cottage where Mallory is currently staying. Her observations cause Teddy’s parents to question her sobriety.

Cracks begin forming between Teddy’s parents and their relationship with Mallory, leading to a major surprise ending.

Deadly Secrets

Five Survive by Holly Jackson is a suspenseful teen read.

Six friends head out for spring break in an RV. They manage to get stuck in the middle of nowhere while trying to find a campsite. An active shooter takes out all their tires and gas tank. He communicates his request by walkie talkie: the person holding a secret must reveal it. This is the only way to prevent them from all dying.

This begins their desperate attempts at survival while also sifting through each character’s possible secrets. There are intense moments with plenty of double crossing, mafia involvement and suspense.

Red is one of the main characters. She lost her mom tragically and hasn’t been able to recover from her own guilt. Her mom is in her mind constantly through their ordeal which all connects to the final secret once it’s revealed.

This is a fast paced read with an unexpected ending.

A Brutal Time

Kindred by Octavia Butler is a captivating mix of science and historical fiction. I decided to read it in preparation for an upcoming lesson with eleventh graders.

Dana is a black woman from California who is suddenly transported from her current time in the 70s to a plantation in antebellum south. She quickly realizes that she is there to save the plantation owner’s son (Rufus). Rufus is a distant relative, and Dana seems destined to travel back in time whenever his life is in danger – which is quite often. This creates a clash of worlds as she must transition from more modern times to a setting of brutal slavery.

Time is meaningless as she can be gone for days or months that only equate to minutes or hours in her time. It is only when her own life is threatened that she is able to return to her real life.

Dana manages to accustom herself to moving between times, even bringing along her white husband the second time. It becomes unclear whether Dana and her husband will ever be able to live normally in their correct time. Readers get to know the southern characters which makes every hardship even more horrific and Dana’s presence even more necessary, as perhaps she is not there to only help Rufus.

This book is unlike anything I’ve read before and one I won’t forget.

Best End Day

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera is the prequel to They Both Die at the End. I did not read the latter.

The book explores the idea of being able to learn your exact death day by buying into a company called Death Cast. The book jumps to various characters (Death Cast owner, an employee and others), but is primarily focused on Valentino and Orion.

Valentino just moved to NYC to start a career in modeling a day before his twin sister. He is at the debut of Death Cast in Times Square when he meets Orion and Orion’s best friend who is like a sister for the first time. Orion has a heart condition and has bought into Death Cast. Valentino decides to join in by buying a one day membership. The very first phone call is made, and shockingly it’s Valentino who receives the call.

This moment speeds up everything, especially Valentino and Orion’s relationship. Orion does his best to give Valentino the best end day possible, all the while not knowing when/how death will come.

It’s a love story first that also raises some thoughtful questions about life and death, fate and the people who come into our lives at different moments.

Life Science

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is about chemistry, cooking, overcoming obstacles and various relationship dynamics – all taking place in the 1960s. Elizabeth Zott has a lot going for her, but ironically these are the exact things creating some of her biggest issues.

Zott is a brilliant chemist, but unfortunately it’s a thankless profession as a woman during this time period. She falls in love with a coworker who happens to be a renowned chemist named Calvin Evans. Everyone believes she is with him for her own personal gain, but there is no denying their mutual attraction.

Spoilers ahead

Everything changes when Calvin meets an untimely death, leaving Elizabeth with their super smart rescue dog named Six Thirty (LOVE him) and an unborn daughter, Madeline. Elizabeth loses her job and begins working out of her own self-made lab in her kitchen. She eventually lands a role as a television dinner host for a show that becomes hugely popular. Her tv personality infuses a mixture of chemistry and life lessons while making delicious meals. Elizabeth eventually realizes that she needs to follow her own advice.

Calvin’s background begins weaving into Elizabeth and Madeline’s lives creating some surprises along the way.

This book is full of smart writing and quirky, interesting characters.

Time Loop

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister is an excellent read!

Jen witnesses her son murder a man outside their home. Her reaction exerts an extreme enough energy to propel her into a time loop. She wakes up each day in various moments from her past. Each date provides an important piece of information to help her understand how this crime came to be, and more importantly, how she can change it. The dates span back to before first meeting her husband.

Jen realizes that her life had many secrets that she was always too busy to notice. Now she has a chance to observe and to make adjustments. She relives these days while awaiting the pivotal date that will hopefully return her to a fixed present time.

I love this book. It has the perfect mixture of mystery, sci fi and romance. It makes me ponder all the seemingly tiny moments and various people that define us, second chances and destiny.

What Could Have Been

All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien is a story about the little choices we make and their potential consequences. It takes place in a Vietnamese community in Australia.

Ki lives away from her family and works as a journalist. She receives the devastating news that her brother Denny was attacked and killed while out for dinner with his friends. This news prompts her return home, and an attempt to uncover why this happened to her very smart, well-behaved brother.

Ki manages to get a list of possible witnesses, all who originally told the police that they saw nothing. She works her way through the list, moving from those who had no connection to her family to close friends.

Before Ki speaks with each witness, the author shifts perspectives so that we see events from their points of view. This creates an intricate and rich plot as stories may overlap.

While answers can’t bring her brother back, they do bring her to a state of acceptance and understanding. There is so much to unpack in this novel- the role of family, culture and feelings of guilt/regret. I highly recommend this one!

Royal Divorce

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O”Farrell is a historical fiction novel based in part on the sudden death of sixteen-year-old Lucrezia just one year after marrying the Duke of Ferrara.

The story travels between “present” time in 1961 as Lucrezia fears her husband’s murderous intentions after moving her to a remote location, their year of marriage leading up to this moment, and key events of Lucrezia’s childhood.

Lucrezia was always an independent, unique child. Her strong mind and artistic ability make her a bit unpredictable. When her sister dies unexpectedly, she is forced into an early arranged union to her deceased sister’s betrothed. Soon after their marriage, Lucrezia realizes that there are two sides to the Duke. He can be quite charming or extremely harsh. The Duke is desperate to have a male heir, and their problems compound when Lucrezia isn’t able to get pregnant. Lucrezia’s personality ultimately saves her from this terrible fate.

I really enjoy these time pieces, and found this to be an interesting approach with a great twist to an actual event.

Victory and Defeat

The Winners by Fredrik Backman is the final book in the Beartown trilogy.

The story takes place four years after book two. We see the progression of Beartown and Hed hockey along with plenty of new drama. After a storm destroys the Hed rink, Beartown may become the only club, uniting both programs. Meanwhile, a father daughter reporter duo are looking to reveal shady financial practices in Beartown.

There are familiar characters along with some new. Some have met success while others have hit roadblocks. Births, two major deaths and coming home are all important parts of the story.