Peter James' team very kindly sent me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. This is my first ever short story collection read by Peter JamPeter James' team very kindly sent me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. This is my first ever short story collection read by Peter James, and right from the get-go I was happy and entertained, with the old-school, but much appreciated take that short stories should end with a twist at the end. The majority of these stories are about couples and/or couplings and are supernatural/ghost, horror or crime fiction themed. If you were entertained by the TV Show 'Tales of the Unexpected' you will hands down love this collection. [image] If the great short stories weren't enough the final two novellas are co-written with Ian Rankin for a Roy Grace and Rebus team-up!) and Val McDermid for a Roy Grace team-up with Hill and Jordan. This is some peak UK detective series' reading. A deserved 8 out of 12, Four Stars for such a well put together collection. [image] 2024 read...more
Numerous short stories essentially set amongst the same peer group, creatives in 1980s Greenwich Village, New York; and it is with aplomb Janowitz shaNumerous short stories essentially set amongst the same peer group, creatives in 1980s Greenwich Village, New York; and it is with aplomb Janowitz shares an almost blistering accurate ride through this community leaving no stone unturned as the stories talk of a life of survival as most of them work towards (or don't) to their big break. Above all it savagely and wittily details the unrealistic and to certain degree in-denial lives not too subtlety covered by their self-conscious posturing and just like most other communities desperate need not to be alone... bur albeit probably a tad funnier because of the pretentiousness of it all? [image] I can imagine someone who hasn't really read any of the blurb being condescending and appalled about the characters/characterisations, and that would be kudos to Janowitz for so convincingly creating this reality. Limited appeal outside the West for this one, although it should be noted that this a great example of expansive short storytelling within a single reality which I really really liked. A 7 out of 12, Three Star read :) [image] 2023 read...more
Twenty-two short stories mostly frantic, and voiced by people (mostly young White males) with some sort of technically undiagnosed mental and/or psychTwenty-two short stories mostly frantic, and voiced by people (mostly young White males) with some sort of technically undiagnosed mental and/or psychological condition in a sort 'a day in the life of' scenario where the topics vary from sex and drug taking to philosophical thoughts and finding a way to survive. Even though the writer was very kind enough to send me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review, no matter how I try to be fair, I found this a very difficult read to find anything to like about it! [image] With so many characters swearing all the effing time, being sex obsessed but in a juvenile way and there being a distinct lack in any real characterisation - almost every character had the same voice, after around the third story I lost interest and didn't care about any of the people in this! To make it worse / or better, Kyle's a great writer. Maybe being a 50+ year old Black man I just couldn't find anything in this for me; then again as a former club promoter and DJ, I really think I should have. BUT, maybe this was not just for me so here's a link to another take, a cool five-star review on this book. Old man me, just gives this a one-star, 2 out of 12, but what do I know? This might be s stellar read for younger more 'hip' readers. [image] One last thing, I feel some writers really think us reviewers get a kick out of giving negative reviews. We don't! It's really difficult, we appreciate being sent review copies; I did everything I could on this one, in honesty this was a DNF for me, but I gave up my time to read all 491 pages. We, us reviewers, just can't lie to thank writers for sending us books, as that would defeat the entire idea of who we are and what we do. Thank you so much for sending me this Kyle, it's just not for me. I was drawn in by the Amazon and Goodreads' reviews that you sent me. [image] 2023 read...more
Twelve beautifully interwoven short stories (one per chapter) about the lives and in many cases life-stories of an eclectic group (although the majoriTwelve beautifully interwoven short stories (one per chapter) about the lives and in many cases life-stories of an eclectic group (although the majority are Black or mixed-raced women) across nationalities, gender, sexuality and most of all generations with oldest point-of-view story being that of a 98-year old woman , and former farmer! Amma, pro-Feminist, pro-Black pro-Lesbian, class and one-time anti-conformist race and gender warrior now in her 50s has a dazzling African female orientated play debuting at the National Theatre, and this is where the 12 characters stories meet at the start and end of the book. [image] I found all 12 stories utterly absorbing as the dig deep into the experiences and/or feelings of the character-lead. Big warning - this is no boo-hoo story dictated by intolerance and inequality, it's 12 personal stories spanning over a century(!) about pain, love, family, loss, hard work, belonging, escape etc most of all it's a story that shows just 12 of the many faces of people in the modern UK, that one thing diversity certainly does bring is diverse stories. Oh, and did I mention that Evaristo's writing style: sentence and paragraph constructions without a starting capital letter; superbly individually sharing of the sentiment and 'voice' of each character making them that more distinct and believable; delicately interweaving of the stories that build a bigger picture on completion; the writing was also extremely accessible whether detailing opera preferences or working on a farm - this was a lot to read. Boy, Man, Reader gave this a 9.5 out of 12 very firm Four Stars. [image] 2023 read...more
A collection of 21 short stories and a novella from the, at the time of publishing, enfant terrible of Scottish Fiction Irvine Welsh; and he doesn't hA collection of 21 short stories and a novella from the, at the time of publishing, enfant terrible of Scottish Fiction Irvine Welsh; and he doesn't hold back, asides from about a quarter of the stories being banal, the rest are ground breaking, at times shocking, and mostly could be seen as extension of the 'Trainspotting' universe. Like his bestseller, they are frantic episodic escapades set in the heart of a world transformed by Thatcherism/Reagan-ism that leaves the working masses, and more essentially their young disenfranchised and seemingly left with only self absorbed non-constructive personal pleasure seeking. [image] With nearly all single Scottish male protagonist with some sort of drug connection led, but this further allows the reader to see the pure naked talent of Welsh's world view of a stark working class 'lost generation' with limited prospects living life day by day... but importantly at times darkly comedic as well though. Overall 5 out of 12... usually triggers for drug use, violence and explicit male-lens sexual imagery. [image] 2022 read...more
There comes a time when I just have to accept that despite a writer being widely loved and appreciated, they're just not my cup of tea. First publisheThere comes a time when I just have to accept that despite a writer being widely loved and appreciated, they're just not my cup of tea. First published in 1999 this loosely connected (smoke, mirrors and magic) collection of short stories and verse(!) simply passed me by, and I only continued reading it because it was Neil Gaiman, and they were short stories. Out of the 35 shorts in this book only 7 of them managed to get 3 stars or more from me. No doubt those (many of you) that like Gaiman's work will enjoy this, although I should also add that there's a fair amount of explicit sex in several of these shorts, which is not something one usually gets from Gaiman. This will probably be my last ever Gaiman read - he's just not for me! 3 out of 12 [image] 2022 read...more
Billed as six novellas from the biggest emerging Scottish writers in the 1990s this actually an OK collection. Pop Life by Gordon Liege the first (andBilled as six novellas from the biggest emerging Scottish writers in the 1990s this actually an OK collection. Pop Life by Gordon Liege the first (and best) story is a remarkable short on the male friendship; The Dilating Pupil by the only female writer featured Laura J. Hird is a stand alone gem that veers from the urban Scottish working class male reality of the other reads and takes a dark comedic look at a female student trying to seduce a much older male tutor from his perspective - pretty funny. Irvine Welsh probably goes to over the top with his what if UFOs didn't land in Roswell, USA, but landed in Rosewell in Midlothian Scotland; it starts off so well, but maybe straight comedy is not his niche. Overall a worthwhile introduction to these writers. 7 out of 12. [image] 2022 read...more
Asimov wrote 37 short stories set in and around his Robot series, this book contains 31 of them. The stories pretty much sum up Asimov's contribution Asimov wrote 37 short stories set in and around his Robot series, this book contains 31 of them. The stories pretty much sum up Asimov's contribution to robotics (he invented the word) in sci-fi and the real world, because unlike most of his peers he mostly saw robots as a tool for the growth of human kind and most of the issues around them being logistical, technological, psychological etc. [image] After reading a fair amount of Asimov's Robot series this year (2021), his ideas and writing were still captivating enough to grab my attention, but with the same mind and reality involved story after story did start to feel repetitive in 31 story, 600+ pages book. The cream of the crop, and deservedly made into a movie is Asimov's Robot-as-pathos story - The Bicentennial Man (10 out of 12, Five Star Read)... the overall collection I rate around 7 out of 12, Three Stars. :) [image] Note: All the short stories in The Rest of the Robots appear in this collection. [image] 2021 read...more
Robot #0.2: Asimov's 'sequel' of sorts to I, Robot has eight more short stories, some with a surprising touch of humour, and the big hitter like 'GallRobot #0.2: Asimov's 'sequel' of sorts to I, Robot has eight more short stories, some with a surprising touch of humour, and the big hitter like 'Galley Slave' that looks at the anti-Robot movement and some of its drivers through the lens of a court case. More Robot reality world-building via short story telling by Asimov, with a few of the shorts also featuring ace robopsychologist, and his main protagonist in the early Robot books, Susan Calvin. 7.5 out of 12 [image] 2021 read...more
Robot #0.1: Asimov had 9 short stories published (in magazines) set in the same 'Robot' reality over a decade, before putting them all together in thiRobot #0.1: Asimov had 9 short stories published (in magazines) set in the same 'Robot' reality over a decade, before putting them all together in this ground breaking book. Key robot-psychologist Susan Calvin recounts some of the key robot (milestone) stories to the narrator, ranging from ominous mind reading to very loyal lovable robots, through to the possible overruling of mankind's self determination. It's been 90 years since publication, yet still one of the best thought out and compelling looks at the growth and expansion of AI ever conceived. 8 out of 12 [image] Really looking forward to reading the rest of the series. :) [image]...more
Subtitled 'Returning to Haifa and other stories' this is one of the Palestinian author and a one-time leading member of the Popular Front for the LibeSubtitled 'Returning to Haifa and other stories' this is one of the Palestinian author and a one-time leading member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)'s most well known works. Nowhere near as politically charged or anti-Israeli scathing as one would suspect, this collection of 15 short stories and the 'Returning to Haifa' novella focus on the Palestinian children in the late 1940s and in the novella in the 1970s. [image] Ghassan Kanafani is obviously a very well educated literary writer and it could be argued that his prose deflects from the stories he wants to tell. The short stories are intermittently connected and focus on Palestinian children in the newly occupied territories focusing mostly on how such a sea-change impacts on their everyday lives. 'Returning to Haifa' on the other hand pulls no punches as Palestinian couple return to Haifa to see the home they were forced out of, and maybe to also find out what happened to their baby son who they had to leave behind because of the dire circumstances of the Zionist take down of Haifa, after Britain abandoned it. All this books gives an interesting and extremely thought provoking view of the effects of displacing a people. 8 out of 12. [image]...more
The final book in the almost complete collection of Dick's short stories; this volume contains 24 shorts of varying lengths with original publication The final book in the almost complete collection of Dick's short stories; this volume contains 24 shorts of varying lengths with original publication dates spanning the period of his peak from 1963 to 1981. I must admit that there are some awfully banal stories here, but there are also some very good ones, include the story source for the movie Total Recall. [image] This may not show the best of Dick at all, but what it does give the reader is insight to the myriad realities and situations that were born from his creative mind. 6 out of 12 overall....more
Wow. Just wow. Five almost perfectly written short stories, all five of them being quite compelling (there's a little review of each of the first fourWow. Just wow. Five almost perfectly written short stories, all five of them being quite compelling (there's a little review of each of the first four stories in my reading updates for this book.). The best was saved for last as 'Part V - You Next Time' is essentially Daisy Jones & The Six with a much more powerful ending and less revealed mystery about the captivating female singer. [image] The marvel, for me of Sebastian Faulks' is not so much his peerless writing but how he manages to so authentically capture so many thoughts and inner voices. In this book we have a World War II spy, adults that grew up in the 19th century workhouses, an Italian orphan and his half sister in the near future, a housemaid in France during the Napoleonic era and finally a man lucky enough to meet and spend some time with a once-in-a-lifetime vocalist in the 1970s. This book is magnificent. 9 out of 12. [image] Just for the record the first and last short stories are both Five Star Reads....more
Five solid novellas, one about loss, Entrophy's Bed at Midnight; a horror short, Dying in Bankok; a wonderful Native American horror short, Sleeping wFive solid novellas, one about loss, Entrophy's Bed at Midnight; a horror short, Dying in Bankok; a wonderful Native American horror short, Sleeping with Teeth Women; and a top drawer sci-fi short Flashback. Then the cream of the crop a dark and brilliant supernatural tale of a poet in the World War I trenches, historical fiction and fantasy mixed at its best - The Great Lover. 7 out of 12...more
I really struggled to give a fig about any of these shorts, for me Atwood's skill lies mostly with long form novel writing. It still really hurts to gI really struggled to give a fig about any of these shorts, for me Atwood's skill lies mostly with long form novel writing. It still really hurts to give a Margaret Atwood book Two Stars! Even more annoying I just read the book's Wiki entry and it sounds interesting. Reread coming. [image] 2016 read...more
Mostly all the non Palomar and non Hoppers stories from all three brothers including, Mario Hernández's 'Marzipan' tales, Jaimie Hernandez's Rocket RhMostly all the non Palomar and non Hoppers stories from all three brothers including, Mario Hernández's 'Marzipan' tales, Jaimie Hernandez's Rocket Rhodes shorts and more from all three. Gilbert Hernández's sci-fi epic 'BEM' is from the first issue of the Love & Rockets comic book, and am afraid is probably the story I likes least in all the books. The gems in this collection are a Gilbert's 'The KKK Comes To The Hoppers', 'Death, God & The Devil Are One' and his amazing Frida Kahlo biography. 6 out of 12 for the overall collection. [image]...more
Twenty Stephen King shorts, some new, some published elsewhere. When you open a King short story collection, there's an expectation of some all-out hoTwenty Stephen King shorts, some new, some published elsewhere. When you open a King short story collection, there's an expectation of some all-out horror, maybe some suspense or mystery and a few references to the wider King universe. Each story was prefaced by a personal note or anecdote about the story or the telling of the story. [image] It's not that this collection is particularly poor or week, it's just that King has set himself high standards with so many amazing short stories, I found it difficult to really appreciate this collection. Despite a preponderance of just "good" shorts, two really stood out for me, first "Batman and Robin Have An Altercation" a wonderful tale about a father, a son and Alzheimer's! The second big-gun was "Herman Wouk Is Still Alive" where an older couple witness a horrific accident... can I hear old-school King? So many of these stories were set on great concepts and read well, but the endings were often unfulfilling or predictable. I suppose I am a big fan of the final page pay-off for short stories which this certainly lacked. Good book, but nothing special 7 out of 12. [image] 2020 read...more
Top drawer collection of short crime, mystery and/or thriller stories with a twist, including one with Deaver's greatest creation, Lincoln Rhymes. EasTop drawer collection of short crime, mystery and/or thriller stories with a twist, including one with Deaver's greatest creation, Lincoln Rhymes. Easily one of the best crime short story collections that I've read, although please note that I haven't read many. An 8 out of 12, Four Star read. [image] 2015 read...more
Five short stories setting mostly in or around the mythical Cornish location, Zennor - with 'The Giant's Necklace' and 'Mad Miss Marney' being the besFive short stories setting mostly in or around the mythical Cornish location, Zennor - with 'The Giant's Necklace' and 'Mad Miss Marney' being the best of them. 6 out of 12....more
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