Fantasy Buddy Read - Fairy Tale by Stephen King - Sept 6th, 2022

[Nora]

I love the Charles Dickens reference to A Christmas Carol! Another great horror book by another amazing author!

[LTJ]

Just finished this and another 5/5 for me! I'll always love Stephen King but this was just a brilliant read and something unexpected for me. I haven't read a fantasy novel in YEARS and this was just wonderful! I loved all the characters, adventures, plot twists, and of course, RADAR.

I loved every minute of this and honestly, with a little over two months to go, Fairy Tale could be the best novel of 2022 for me. It was that good!

[Kasia, il Barbaro]

Whoa that's such high praise LTJ!!!

I'm back to it, at page 178, took a bit of a hiatus, and wow... I hope that (view spoiler)[Charlie takes Radar down that well to the sundial and gives her like 50 more years of life (hide spoiler)]

[LTJ]

@Kasia: Oh yes, my friend! As for what you think will happen, you're going to love the rollercoaster ride that this is :-)

[Gareth]

I finally got a copy on Saturday and I'm already around halfway. Enjoying so far but keeping an open mind.

[Denis (deez_bookish_adventures)]

I agree with all the praise for this one, it was an outstanding read! it is definitely in the running for book of the year, for me at least.

[Ginger]

Finished this one last night! I could not put it down and just busted out the 150 pages in one setting.
I really loved this one and thought the ending was fantastic. It just made sense to me with how SK brought it all together at the end.
Don't click on the spoiler unless you are done...

(view spoiler)[It was a happy ending but then it wasn't with Charlie closing up the opening to Empis. I thought that was the best decision and could see how our world would have exploited Empis if it was found out. (hide spoiler)]

I still need to do a review for this one and hoping to get it done today. 5 stars from me and glad SK keeps writing books like this.

I think the pacing in the middle slowed a bit but it didn't take from the overall fun and escape feeling that I got every time I picked this up. The characters were great and the star of the book was of course, Radar! :D

[Kasia, il Barbaro]

I got to page 215 last night, I wanted to read more but it was 12;40 am and I'm not a late night reader anymore lol.

So impressed by so many 5 star ratings on here, that's quite a feat! I heard that the middle has some pacing issues but if the story still makes sense I don't mind. I feel like a lot of Booktubers read it in 24 hours just to post a video review the day after it came out and were all exhausted and semi positive about it lol. Not something you should rush per my opinion.

Sometimes I wish I could pause time and read and read...

[LTJ]

@Kasia: That's EXACTLY what it was where people rushed to read it to get reviews/video content up and didn't enjoy the moment. Yeah, it took me almost all of September to read it but I savored it, took my time, and really enjoyed everything in stride.

I get why content creators want to be the first but in my opinion, it defeats the purpose of enjoying a good book. No need to rush, enjoy the moment!

[Nora]

LTJ wrote: "Just finished this and another 5/5 for me! I'll always love Stephen King but this was just a brilliant read and something unexpected for me. I haven't read a fantasy novel in YEARS and this was jus..."

I’m so glad that you enjoyed this book, LTJ! I’m still at the beginning and I’m taking a break from it currently since I’m doing a mother daughter book club on vacation and we’re reading The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix.

[Sally, The Ninja Clown]

@Nora, that sounds so nice to read with your daughter! And I loved that book, thought it was really fun. Hope you both enjoy it!

[LTJ]

@Nora: Thanks, my friend! That's so awesome you're doing a mother/daughter book club ON VACATION! I hope you have a blast as vacations rock, enjoy :-)

BTW, I loved that novel by Hendrix, LoL I'm pretty sure you will as well. Happy reading!

[Nora]

Sally wrote: "@Nora, that sounds so nice to read with your daughter! And I loved that book, thought it was really fun. Hope you both enjoy it!"

It’s actually my mom, me and my sister. I don’t have any kids but my sister brought my niece along too. I’m really enjoying the book too:))

[LTJ]

@Nora: Ohhhhhhhhh, I get it now, still, that's pretty damn awesome! Enjoy :-D

[Ginger]

LTJ wrote: "@Kasia: That's EXACTLY what it was where people rushed to read it to get reviews/video content up and didn't enjoy the moment. Yeah, it took me almost all of September to read it but I savored it, ..."

It was the same for me too LTJ and Kasia. I was shocked so many people finished in a day just so they could have one of the first reviews for it. 😂🤣
It took me almost a month to finish this and it’s because I savored it along with not wanting it to end!

[Kasia, il Barbaro]

Yeah haha totally agree, never rush a story unless you are crazy wild about it and just can't put it down :)

[Kasia, il Barbaro]

Nora wrote: "Sally wrote: "@Nora, that sounds so nice to read with your daughter! And I loved that book, thought it was really fun. Hope you both enjoy it!"

It’s actually my mom, me and my sister. I don’t have..."

That sounds lovely Nora! I haven't read that Grady book, actually I only read one so far but already a fan :D

[Ruben]

I had to put it down for a few days only because I had to get away from the city to take care of some matters. After that there’s been some family issues that have kept me rather distracted (such is life). Although I wish I had already finished it, I’ve found myself quite trapped with the story which hasn’t disappointed me one bit.

[LTJ]

@Ginger: LoL oh yes, I saw people drop their reviews THE SAME DAY it came out. Maybe they got an early copy or something but yeah, I read and type pretty quickly and could never see myself reading a 600-page novel in a single day. Have you ever read that much in a single day?

[Kasia, il Barbaro]

LTJ wrote: "@Ginger: LoL oh yes, I saw people drop their reviews THE SAME DAY it came out. Maybe they got an early copy or something but yeah, I read and type pretty quickly and could never see myself reading ..."

I don't think you can be objective to an average reader going brute force through a big novel like that. Something will have to give. Either your enjoyment, or perspective or overall understanding of the story. It's not about the reading experience anymore with that kind of speed.

[LTJ]

@Ruben: I hope better days are ahead as yeah, I totally know what you mean! I probably would have finished this sooner but got swamped with work and obviously, that takes top priority over reading but all the times I did take reading breaks and read into the night, I loved reading this :-)

Not a single disappointment!

[LTJ]

@Kasia: Exactly! That's how I feel, to me, you're just rushing through it to get what? Pageviews? Clicks? If that's what you like, cool, but I think that could just ruin the experience. It's not like Stephen King writes a new novel a week, those moments of reading something BRAND NEW in the moment is something to always enjoy and cherish :-)

[Ginger]

@Kasia & @LTJ - Yeah, I've never read a 600 page book in a day. Not even if I'm on a plane for 12 hours. WTF... hahaha

I think I've tried to enjoy the reading experience more and not rush to finish a book just so I can get to the next. I know there's plenty of books that I can't put down but that's in different type of scenario. We've all experienced that!

I like to savor some books because I really don't want them to end but at the same time I can't wait to find out what will happen. It's such a weird conundrum and I experienced Fairy Tale like this when I was reading it. hahaha

[LTJ]

@Ginger: LOL yeah, I couldn't do it either, I think I could PROBABLY do 100 pages if I was just dedicating time to reading. I also don't rush any novel, even if it's a group read since rushing it tends to ruin the experience. To me it's like just fast-forwarding through a movie or TV show because you want to get to the end, LoL it just isn't the same as sitting back and enjoying it at your own pace.

LoL I love when an amazing book has me hooked and I finally get to finish it to then write my review. Yeah, I know it eventually does have to end but the journey is all that matters to me. LoL Fairy Tale rocks, I'll never forget this one by King, it's up there with all his other legendary work. I also think over the years, more and more people will speak of and appreciate Fairy Tale!

[Theresa (mysteries.and.mayhem)]

LTJ wrote: "It's not like Stephen King writes a new novel a week, those moments of reading something BRAND NEW in the moment is something to always enjoy and cherish :-)"

This comment is so true. It almost brings tears to my eyes. I wish he could write more, but writing them quickly would have a similar effect to reading them quickly, wouldn't it? Something magical would be lost.

I think I finished reading Fairy Tale in just over a week. I really tried to take my time as I read it. I certainly didn't rush, but I still finished it quicker than I intended. I just couldn't quit reading it! I completely lost myself in the pages.

[LTJ]

@Theresa: Right? LoL I saw it took King 2 years to write Fairy Tale and he did write a decent amount of novels in 2022 which is always a great thing.

I completely understand as yeah, Fairy Tale is a genuine page-turner and honestly, probably one of his best novels to date. It's up there in my opinion!

[Marie, Coffee-Chocolate-Book Lover]

I forgot to get back over here to say that I loved the book and gave it five stars. I agree with Ginger's spoiler as I felt that (view spoiler)[ I was surprised that Charlie covered up the well but I can understand the why of it but it would still be cool to have a place to go to get away from it all and Charlie having those friends from Empis with not being able to see them again - that was sad to me. (hide spoiler)]

I feel that it will be one of my top books of the year too. :)

[Marie, Coffee-Chocolate-Book Lover]

I agree with you all on here about the people that read the book in a day! Yeah right! That is what you call "Reader Skimmers" - they do not really read the book - they just read through it and grab highlights from the book by skimming.

With a book that size and of course it being King I want to savor every word and every sentence as truly like what LTJ said - how often does King write a book?!

For people reading a 600 page book in a day that means no eating, sleeping or bathroom breaks! LOL

[Ginger]

Marie wrote: "I forgot to get back over here to say that I loved the book and gave it five stars. I agree with Ginger's spoiler as I felt that [spoilers removed]

I feel that it will be one of my top books of th..."

Completely agree Marie. The ending (view spoiler)[made a lot of sense on what happened with the portal but it was still sad for me too. (hide spoiler)]

Stephen King has done this before with 11/22/63. I thought the ending was right for that book too but it was still super sad!

[Kasia, il Barbaro]

Took me like 4 years but I just finished Fairy Tale, omgosh.. totally made me cry at the end, so emosh right now. I finally get to read all the spoilers! :)

[LTJ]

@Kasia: Yay! So glad you finished it as same here, just an incredible read with an awesome ending :-)

[Kasia, il Barbaro]

LTJ wrote: "@Kasia: Yay! So glad you finished it as same here, just an incredible read with an awesome ending :-)"

I feel like a truck just ran over me, I was going to start a new book but I have to pick myself back up, uff :P

[LTJ]

@Kasia: I can only imagine as I totally know what you mean. One of the many reasons why I love reading so much :-D

[Ruben]

The book is great! One of my favorites this year!

[Kasia, il Barbaro]

Its odd, I miss it already, the world, Charlie, everyone.. I want to be back in it even tho it took me a while to read it, was juggling other things and didn't want to burn through it too quick..

As per the middle (view spoiler)[ there was some slow down but I think it was fitting with Charlie being captured and spending his days in jail basically, it would make sense that the pace would match it, which is kinda cool. (hide spoiler)]

[LTJ]

@Ruben: Same here, it might just be the best book of 2022 for me. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden was also insanely good so I guess we'll see the last week of December which one will be No. 1 for me :-)

[Kasia, il Barbaro]

LTJ wrote: "@Ruben: Same here, it might just be the best book of 2022 for me. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden was also insanely good so I guess we'll see the last week of December which one will be No. 1 for ..."

I just saw that you read The Housemaid, it's on my TBR as well, awesome!

[LTJ]

@Kasia: Oh yes! ZOMG KASIA, this was an incredible read and I loved every moment of it. It's crazy good!

[Ginger]

Kasia wrote: "Took me like 4 years but I just finished Fairy Tale, omgosh.. totally made me cry at the end, so emosh right now. I finally get to read all the spoilers! :)"

That's totally how I felt and I thought the ending was perfect. I don't think I would have wanted (view spoiler)[a happy-ever-after with the possibility of Empis getting destroyed. (hide spoiler)]
I'm glad you finished and loved this one Kas!

[Kasia, il Barbaro]

Aww thank you Ginger, apologies I didn't keep up with the group but so happy to being in such good company with Fairy Tale, I want to go back already :P

[Ginger]

Kasia wrote: "Aww thank you Ginger, apologies I didn't keep up with the group but so happy to being in such good company with Fairy Tale, I want to go back already :P"

No worries! We read at the speed that we need too. I can't even keep up with The Expanse buddy read right now because of work and just LIFE. hahaha
So you shouldn't worry about trivial stuff like that. :D

That's totally how I felt Kas. When I finished, I already wanted to go back to that world. It's going to be a great re-read one day and I am also looking forward to it!

[LTJ]

I believe they're already working on a Fairy Tale adaptation which will be very exciting to see. LoL and as the saying goes: So many books, such little time. I'm just glad I'm off from work so I can just sit back, read, drink coffee, and write reviews :-D

[Kasia, il Barbaro]

What seriously?? That would be amazing on the big screen <3

[LTJ]

@Kasia: Oh yes! Literally the WEEK it came out I saw a bunch of articles that things are already in motion LoL

It goes to show that now it looks like the secret recipe to success is just making adaptations to every hot novel that comes out. ESPECIALLY straight to Netflix that I see all the time with King's content...

[Kasia, il Barbaro]

I looked it up last night, you are correct sir! Such good news.. I was very careful not to spoil any of the plot to my bf as I would mention bits of the story, just in case it was made into a movie or a show.

[LTJ]

@Kasia: Right? LoL that's so awesome of you not to spoil anything for your boyfriend! I have a feeling when this comes out, it's going to be a big one. I just hope it's done right and one word...

RADAR!

[Kasia, il Barbaro]

Radar is everything <3 Its crazy how King is the same man who wrote Cujo, he's really nuanced when it comes to writing animals in his tales.

Wonder who will play Radar? :P

[LTJ]

LOL every time I see Spaceballs or any reference to Spaceballs I immediately say loudly...

LUDICROUS SPEED

Such a classic movie! For sure, it's crazy how easily King can go from one spectrum to another with pets, I love it!

[Michael]

Arrggghhh. I was distracted by all the other titles on my to-be-read list, the month moved forward and then I was really too far behind. Read that first short chapter and loved it. When I do decide to pick this up in the coming months, I'll come back here to read your thoughts and leave my own comments just for the heck of it.

[Ginger]

Michael wrote: "Arrggghhh. I was distracted by all the other titles on my to-be-read list, the month moved forward and then I was really too far behind. Read that first short chapter and loved it. When I do decide..."

You definitely should Michael and hope you enjoy this one when you can find the time to get to it!