Hello beautiful people and happy mid-week-Wednesday! Welcome to the blog.

It’s Wednesday and I’ve been sluggish all week.  Just getting through my AM workouts has been a ride on the struggle bus, but I’m working through it.  Work has been crazy-busy as all January’s are when you work with Elected Officials. But it’s work so I won’t complain too much.  One plus is that I’m on to my next book.

I’m excited as I’ve finished my first book of 2022, and I”m sharing my review and what’s up next.

“New” Review

Title | If It Bleeds 
Author | Stephen King
Pages | 447
Genre | Horror ,Thriller, Mystery
GR Rating | 4.47
Purchase | Amazon

Synopsis

Holly Gibney of the Finders Keepers detective agency is working on the case of a missing dog – and on her own need to be more assertive – when she sees the footage on TV. But when she tunes in again, to the late-night report, she realizes there is something not quite right about the correspondent who was first on the scene. So begins ‘If It Bleeds’ , a stand-alone sequel to The Outsider featuring the incomparable Holly on her first solo case.

Review (4.5 stars)

This book is a collection of long fiction stories.  This collection of stories was a great pick for the book of the new year. (Well, actually I started the book in December, but we wont harp on that one) It’s not gory, or too graphic but a great book to tuck into. I mean it’s Stephen King so maybe my tolerance level is different from others.

Mr. Harrington’s Phone

The first story “Mr. Harrington’s Phone“, was intriguing and and a little creepy.  Let’s just say some cell phones are forever.  This story is not just about a cell phone, but about also about friendship.  Friendship happens on every level and at every age, and it’s comforting how stories and traditions are  passed on to younger generations.

The Life of Chuck

The second story “The Life of Chuck” just kinda ended with a fart (so to speak) and left me scratching my head like there should have been more, and I want more, because the ending was confusing. It started off so great, like an end of days story, but I wasn’t feeling the ending. The Life of Chuck is told in reverse by Chuck who’s dying of brain cancer.  Chuck has fallen into the mundane actions of living (as well all do). His story shows how infinite, yet fragile the mind really is.

If It Bleeds

The third and most beefy story “If It Bleeds“, is a sequel to the “The Outsider“.  (Also an HBO series) My favorite by far.  This story is about an incident.  News people have a saying: ‘If it bleeds, it leads. (Good Reads) Meaning people follow the blood and carnage and are ok with it as long as it’s not them.  The same way a car accident causes slow traffic and rubbernecking because people are looking for blood.  Holly Gibney knows something isn’t right about the latest tragedy of a school bombing and begins to unravel the mystery behind the incident connecting it to an Outsider. She pulls all her sources to deal with this danger and comes out gaining a better understanding of her ticks and idiosyncrasies.

The Rat

The final story “The Rat“ tells the tale of what a person will do for the benefit of success.  Drew is a teacher by day and a writer on the side.  He’s written a few short novellas but has always had trouble finding the right words. He’s developing a new short story that came to him one day while taking a walk.  His wife is uneasy about this new story, as the last unfinished book caused Drew to have a nervous breakdown.  Neither his wife nor his publicist wants a repeat of the incident.  In a sickening fever a rat appears to Drew, and now he can’t shake it.  But this still begs the question …would you make a bargain with a rat, if you thought it would solve all your problems?

If you like Stephen King you’ll enjoy this read. Even if you haven’t read the Outsider, King has a way of bringing you into a story without the heaviness of all the history behind it.

Next Read

Title | Survive The Night
Author | Riley Sager
Pages | 3.24
Genre | Suspense, Thriller, Mystery
GR Rating | 3.52
Purchase | Amazon

Synopsis

Behind the wheel is Josh Baxter, a stranger Charlie met by the college ride share board, who also has a good reason for leaving university in the middle of term. On the road they share their stories, carefully avoiding the subject dominating the news – the Campus Killer, who’s tied up and stabbed three students in the span of a year, has just struck again..

My Good Reads Challenge Progress

Thanks so much for visiting the blog today.  Don’t forget to follow and subscribe, as I really appreciate the support. — Peace

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