My Friday Five...

1.  Books. The Moth Presents: A Point Of Beauty is my current read and I am LOVING it. I love this series - true stories selected based on the theme of the book, or of The Moth event. I always find myself in awe of the honesty and openness of the storytellers. As for their stories, I am always left pondering the fact that we all have our own stories to tell and they are always so varied and different, and yet, we can still connect because of them. These stories remind us that we can always find a way to relate to one another and that is amazing. 

2.  TV shows. I've been rewatching Seinfeld and LOVING it. I find myself laughing so hard and it is the best. I also watched One Day on Netflix. I read the book ages ago and remember throwing it when I got to the end. So, I wasn't eager to watch the show. I liked parts of it, but still got upset at the end. So, it wasn't a favorite. I was rewatching Grey's Anatomy, but I stopped again. I just can't seem to get past season 15. Oh well. 

3. Journaling. I've been watching journaling videos on YouTube and feel more inspired to write. And to keep it simple - which is how I used to journal.  Paper and pen is all I need. I just need to remind myself of that. Instead I find myself reaching for stickers, stamps, etc. and then wind up barely writing. Ugh. 

4. Albums. I just ordered two Sarah McLachlan ones and I'm excited. I used to listen to her music all the time and I have CDs of her music. So, I didn't really need to order the vinyl version, and yet, I did. Yikes! I couldn't help it. And, now I'm stoked to listen to them again. 

5. Music. I've been listening to Madonna. True Blue. Love that album! And, of course, Like A Prayer, which is the BEST. 

Hope you have a terrific weekend. Happy reading!

My JLC17 read is...

I had to go with Murakami for my first read - how could I not? I'm a huge fan of his work and thought it would be fun to read a collection of his short stories for the challenge. I've read a few of the stories already, but that was ages ago, so I figured this would be a good re-read of sorts. I've finished the first story, Drive My Car, which was intriguing in the way in which it explored the idea of intention. Of course, I found myself humming The Beatles tune, Drive My Car. The next short is titled, Yesterday, and the title alone has me curious. And of course, Yesterday, by The Beatles will be running through my head. 

What about you? Are you reading any Japanese Lit for the JLC17? If so, share in the comment section. Or,  if you have any recommendations for me, share those, too.  Either way, I hope you are reading something great. 

And now, I'm off to journal about all the feels. Happy reading!

An Autumn Kiss: Timeless Victorian Collection Book 7 featuring stories by Laura Rollins, Annette Lyon & Lisa H. Catmull

 

about book:

An Autumn Kiss is the seventh book in the Timeless Victorian Collection, a bestselling anthology series from Mirror Press. The book features three novellas from acclaimed historical romance authors whose stories reveal if one kiss will change the lives of the three heroines.

“The Plucky Miss Ruth,” by Laura Rollins

Miss Ruth Hughes is certain she’s caught in a time loop—every day she wakes to find it exactly as the one before. A thrilling prospect to be sure. If the many books she reads on time travel has taught her anything, it is that to break free she must complete an all-important task. For Ruth the task is straightforward: reunite a couple, once desperately in love but forced apart by society. Unfortunately, things are not always as easy as they first appear. Struggling, Ruth opens up to the handsome Lord Lambert and he readily agrees to help. With autumn on the brink of turning into winter, time is running out for Ruth to help the ones who need her most. And, with a bit of luck, perhaps she can even find a little time for her own happily ever after.

“Mr. Dowling’s Remedy,” by Annette Lyon

Crandall Dowling’s aspirations of becoming a physician collapse when he develops symptoms that land him in an asylum. He’s been at Sherville Retreat long enough for autumn leaves to appear when Beverly Stanton arrives. She’s held under the dubious diagnosis of “hysteria” but seems perfectly sane, unlike Crandall, though his verbal and physical tics don’t seem to scare or even bother her. Beverly and Crandall develop a friendship fueled by an undeniable attraction that under other circumstances could become more. But in an asylum, one cannot plan a future, let alone one of love or marriage. Then tragedy strikes, testing staff and patients beyond anyone’s training. When the dust settles, Beverly’s diagnosis may be reversed, but if she leaves, what will become of her? What of Crandall? And what of their autumn-born love?

“A Railway Through the Roses,” by Lisa H. Catmull

Mr. Adrian Everard has tried everything to keep his father’s factory open, but a single solution remains. Marry an heiress before Christmas to fund the desperately needed railway. The local landowner, Lady Anne Baxter, will not agree to sell her garden—or her heart. Indeed, his childhood friend is determined to sabotage all his efforts to find a wife. As the deadline for Adrian to choose a bride draws close, one thing becomes painfully obvious. Saving the factory will mean losing the woman he loves forever.

my thoughts:

Love, love, love! What a fabulous anthology of novellas - Victorian historical romance at its very best! An Autumn Kiss is the seventh book in the Timeless Victorian Collection and it is AMAZING! Three fantastic stories that sweep you away to the Victorian era during the Fall season - how fun is that? I  really enjoyed each novella - they were unique, captivating, and such a treat to read. I grabbed a huge cuppa, settled down somewhere comfy, and dove right in. Talk about the perfect weekend read!

We have romance via a time loop, an asylum, and unrequited love - what more could we want, right? Each story makes for a quick and cozy read, which I just loved! And, I really enjoyed how each author explored love - they made you think about all the ways in which we love and wish to be loved. Such a terrific group of stories that easily complemented one another. I loved reading new-to-me authors, and now I can't wait to find more of their works. 

An Autumn Kiss is a truly delightful read! I would happily recommend this book to anyone and everyone looking for their next Fall read - you are going to fall in deep with this book! Check it out!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

A House Is A Body: Stories by Shruti Swamy

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book: (from Goodreads)

INTRODUCING A DAZZLING NEW LITERARY VOICE

In two-time O. Henry-prize winner Swamy's debut collection of stories, dreams collide with reality, modernity collides with antiquity, myth with true identity, and women grapple with desire, with ego, with motherhood and mortality. In "Earthly Pleasures," Radika, a young painter living alone in San Francisco, begins a secret romance with one of India's biggest celebrities. In "A Simple Composition," a husband's moment of crisis leads to his wife's discovery of a dark, ecstatic joy and the sense of a new beginning. In the title story, an exhausted mother watches, distracted and paralyzed, as a California wildfire approaches her home. With a knife blade's edge and precision, the stories of A House Is a Body travel from India to America and back again to reveal the small moments of beauty, pain, and power that contain the world.

my thoughts:

Short stories are my jam and this book is where they are at. I'm serious. This book was chock full of fantastic short stories that just tugged at your heartstrings and made you think about family, motherhood, identity, life, and desire. It was excellent.

Swamy has compiled a delicious book of short stories that will have you staying up late into the night or reading one short a day to savor them all slowly. I chose the latter and would dip in and out of this book every day to get my fix. Normally, I gobble books up, but this time round, I wanted to take my time. I wanted to sit with each story and just take my time.  And let me just say, reading this book slowly was the way to go. I just loved getting to know these characters and getting lost in each of their stories. It felt like such a treat to have a great short story to dive into each day. I really enjoyed Swamy's writing and storytelling - top notch all the way through.

I would happily recommend A House Is A Body to fans of short stories and anyone looking for a new great read - you won't want to miss out!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!

Things We Lost In The Fire: Stories by Mariana Enriquez

(Thank you to Blogging for Books for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

An arresting collection of short stories, reminiscent of Shirley Jackson and Julio Cortazar, by an exciting new international talent

Macabre, disturbing, and exhilarating, Things We Lost in the Fire is a collection of short stories that use fear and horror to explore multiple dimensions of life in contemporary Argentina. From women who set themselves on fire in protest of domestic violence; to angst-ridden teenage girls, friends until death do they part; from street kids and social workers, young women bored of their husbands or boyfriends, to a nine-year-old serial killer of babies; and from a girl who pulls out her nails and eyelids in the classroom, to hikikomori, abandoned houses, black magic, northern Argentinean superstition, disappearances, crushes, heartbreak, regret, and compassion, this is a strange, surreal, and unforgettable collection that asks vital questions of the world as we know it.

my thoughts:

Short stories are my jam and this book is my new favorite. I absolutely LOVED Things We Lost In The Fire by Mariana Enriquez.  Talk about a batch of creative and captivating stories that will haunt you for days.

Set in Argentina, this book depicts modern day in a dark and twisty manner using history and myths to ground it.  Topics such as life, death, relationships, poverty, feminism are explored against disturbing, eerie, and horrific monsters, ghosts, and the supernatural.  It all makes for quite a suspenseful and terrifying read - and I LOVED every minute of it.  Enriquez knows how to create a story that engages her reader with her sharp and creative writing, relatable characters and unique storytelling.  She is a force and her book is fierce.

My favorite stories were, Adela's House and The Inn.  One's a tale of revenge and the other is about a seemingly abandoned house.  Both are riveting and spooky - they linger in your thoughts and imagination for quite some time.  I loved the eerie feeling that came with reading this book - it made for such a fun experience.

I would happily recommend Things We Lost In The Fire to fans of short stories and fans of horror/thrillers - you will LOVE this collection of short stories!!




I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

GIVEAWAY: Dogs and Their People by BarkPost

Just in time for the holidays - Dogs and Their People!  Talk about the BEST gift for dog lovers everywhere.  An awesome book filled with photos and stories about pooches and the people they LOVE.  How cute and fun does that sound?  I know that I'm going to love gifting this tome to my loved ones who are obsessed with their sweet and loyal canine friends.  They are going to flip over Dogs and Their People: Photos and Stories of Life with a Four-Legged Love - "the first official BarkBook from the humans over at BarkPost."

Here's what you'll find in this super cool book: 

"A collection of community-sourced and never-before-told anecdotes, stories, photos, and intimate insights, Dogs and Their People captures the depth, spirit, and power of the extraordinary bond between humans and their pups and spotlights more than two hundred unique and remarkable dogs.  Some are celebri-dogs (oh hello, Tuna Melts My Heart and Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund) while others are just making their debut (like Putnam publicist Katie’s Newfoundland, Hank, on page 228!); some will make your heart ache while others will make it soar; and others simply look dapper in color.

But this book isn’t just about the dogs; it’s about celebrating the crazy, consuming, unconditional love we feel for them. It’s about the songs you’ve made up for them, the hugs you’ve given them on bad days, and all the outfits that—let’s be honest—you forced them into. It’s about the lightness they’ve brought to our lives just by being there—and having smushy faces. We hear you, dog people; this one is for you."

Talk about a must-read for dog lovers! Dogs and Their People is bow-WOW!  

GIVEAWAY:

Thanks to the publisher I'm allowed to giveaway one (1) copy of this awesome book! Just leave me a comment (don't forget to include your email address) and I'll throw your name in the hat.  Open to US residents only.  Last day to enter is 11/27/16.  Good Luck!!

Another Addition to my R.I.P. XI TBR List...

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

Thank you, NetGalley!! I just got approved for this creeptastic looking novel and can't wait to dive into it for R.I.P. XI!!  Pretty spooky looking, eh? I think it will be perfect for R.I.P. XI.  Its about a family that moves into this apartment building that is next to a graveyard.  Strange and scary things start to happen and soon people are moving out of the building.  Soon, the family are the only tenants left.  Or are they?  Apparently, someone or something is lurking in the basement and the family is about to find out what's really been happening in the building.  Eek!! How creepy does that sound?!  I can't wait.  This story was originally published in 1986 and has been recently translated into English - how cool, eh? And now I get to read it for R.I.P. XI.  I'm thinking it will be the perfect story to kick off Halloween season next month. What do you think? Doesn't it sound spooky?

And now, I'm off to continue reading A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.  Happy reading!!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of When Watched: Stories by Leopoldine Core

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book: (On Sale August 9th)

The provocative, lyrical, and wonderfully introverted stories in Leopoldine Core’s debut story collection, WHEN WATCHED (Penguin Paperback Original; ISBN: 9780143128694; On-sale: August 9; $16.00), possess something permanent at their heart. Chronicling characters of all stripes and sexual orientation, Core, a 2015 Whiting Award winner and author of the poetry collection Veronica Bench, has delivered a wise and deeply intimate collection, one that bravely tunnels straight to the center of human suffering and longing. In Core, the quiet, the strange, the cast-aside have found their literary chronicler. 

In these domestic yet almost otherworldly stories set in and around New York City, you never know where you might end up. Populated by sex workers, artists, and recovering addicts, lovers, friends, and nontraditional families, Core’s wholly realized characters are endlessly striving to understand each other. While they may seem to operate at the margins, there is something eminently relatable, even elemental about their romantic relationships, their personal demons, and the strange shapes their joy can take. Battling and balancing their innermost thoughts and fears with greater forces out of their control—a cross country road trip ending in a crash, a child imagining her own kidnapping, a hallucination of George Harrison—the characters in WHEN WATCHED absorb the world around them—its quiet reverberations, its dark contours, the imperceptible yet transformative moments. 

Dirty and squalid, poetic and pure, dark but always illuminating, these carefully crafted stories ruminate on and explore the strange ways in which we experience the world, as it is and as it could be. Refusing to turn away from the place felt from within, Core takes what we know of identity and smashes it. Her characters and stories are belief systems all their own. Reminiscent of the writings of Jane Bowles, Deborah Eisenberg, and Miranda July’s No One Belongs Here More Than You, WHEN WATCHED announces the arrival of a distinct, daring, and deeply sensitive new voice in American fiction.

my thoughts:

Short stories are my jam! I am seriously getting hooked on these amazing little ditties that pack such a powerful punch in such a short amount of pages. They are simply the BEST. Not only do they make dipping in and out of a book easy-peasy, but they have you constantly craving more. Leopoldine Core's debut collection of shorts, When Watched,  is the perfect example of what I am talking about. It is chock full of dark, raw, complicated, and fascinating stories.  They are all so damn good, that I couldn't help but fall in love with each one.  The way she writes about relationships and people's emotional and inner struggles is just fantastic. She's direct and to the point in her language and I found her exploration of issues to be honest and real.  My two most favorite stories from the collection are: Orphans and The Trip. Talk about short stories at their best!!  

I absolutely loved reading When Watched. It was a mix of quirky, relatable, and unputdownable stories that I won't soon forget. I would happily recommend this book to fans of the short story and anyone looking for something great to read next - you will not want to miss out When Watched!!


GIVEAWAY: Thanks to the publisher I'm able to give away three (3) copies of this book!  All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave me a comment telling me the name of your favorite collection of short stories. Don't forget to include your email address, so that I can contact you in case you win the giveaway.  Last date to enter is August 10th!  Open to US residents only.  Good Luck!!

Currently Reading...

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

We've Already Gone This Far takes us to Wequaquet, Massachusetts: a town like many towns in America, a place where love and pride are closely twinned and dangerously deployed.

In this stunning debut, Patrick Dacey draws us into the secret lives of recognizable strangers.  We meet longtime neighbors and friends when the ground beneath their feet has shifted in ways they don't yet understand.  Here, in small-town Massachusetts, after more than a decade of boom and bust, everyone is struggling to find their own version of the American dream: a lonely woman attacks a memorial to a neighbor's veteran son, a dissatisfied housewife goes overboard with cosmetic surgery on national television, a young father walks away from one of the few jobs left in town, a soldier writes home to a mother who is becoming increasingly unhinged.  Life's strange intensity and occasional magic is all around.

With a skewering insight and real warmth of spirit, Dacey delivers that rare and wonderful thing in American fiction: a deeply imagined book about where we've been and how far we have to go.

my thoughts:

Sounds pretty awesome, eh?  Well so far, it really is.  I'm a huge fan of short stories, so I was super excited to get my hands on a copy of Dacey's book.  Anything set in small-town America is my cup of tea.  I love stories that delve into the everyday lives of everyday people - these are the stories that highlight the real-life struggles we can all relate to.

From the little I've read, I am already in deep with Dacey's captivating story telling.  I want to find out more about these characters who are neighbors and friends.  I want to learn more about this little town that keeps on chugging.  I love how these people know the good, the bad, and the ugly about each other.  From town gossip to looking out their front window, they know more about their neighbor than they do about their own kids. I just love how Dacey shows us the ways in which people try to band together, to show a united front in the face of the hardships that surround them all.  Such great storytelling!  I can't stop reading this book!

So, I'm off to read more of Dacey's addicting stories in his amazing book, We've Already Gone This Far. 

Mendocino Fire: Stories by Elizabeth Tallent

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

The long-awaited return of a writer of rare emotional wisdom

The son of an aging fisherman becomes ensnared in a violent incident that forces him to confront his broken relationship with his father. A woman travels halfway across the country to look for her ex-husband, only to find her attention drawn in a surprising direction. A millworker gives safe harbor to his son’s pregnant girlfriend, until an ambiguous gesture upsets their uneasy equilibrium. These and other stories—of yearning, loss, and tentative new connections—come together in Mendocino Fire, the first new collection in two decades from the widely admired Elizabeth Tallent.

Diverse in character and setting, rendered in an exhilarating, exacting prose, these stories confirm Tallent’s enduring gift for capturing relationships in moments of transformation: marriages breaking apart, people haunted by memories of old love and reaching haltingly toward new futures. The result is a book that reminds us how our lives are shaped by moments of fracture and fragmentation, by expectations met and thwarted, and by our never-ending quest to be genuinely seen.

Profound yet elemental, Mendocino Fire marks the welcome return of a sage and surprising voice in American fiction.

my thoughts:

I'm a huge fan of the short story.  In fact, I'm always on the hunt for new-to-me authors that are capable of packing quite a punch in such a short space.  Luckily for me, I've found Elizabeth Tallent's brilliant new book of short stories titled, Mendocino Fire.  Comprised of ten stories, this terrific book is filled with a fascinating cast of characters - each bent on surviving broken relationships and struggling with making sense of their lives.  Written in a beautiful and descriptive prose, these short stories are filled with emotion, relatable situations, and an honesty that is both captivating and refreshing.  Tallent delves into these characters' messy lives, their pain, and flaws with such raw intensity - its truly breathtaking at times. She explores humanity and our need for connection in such a compelling and vivid manner -  these stories thrum with life.  I'm serious! You can't help but feel these characters' need for some sort of link to some one or some thing.  Its utterly mesmerizing.  I found myself dipping in and out of these stories in an attempt to savor them.  I didn't want them to end.  I loved getting lost and entangled in Tallent's words.  The beauty of her writing is awe-inspiring.  I absolutely loved getting to know her writing through this book and can't wait to seek out more of it.  I love that I have found a new author to fall in love with. 

Mendocino Fire is a must read for fans of Tallent and fans of the short story - you will LOVE this book!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tours schedule for: Mendocino Fire

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

Currently reading...

(Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!)

I am smitten with Katherine Heiny's book of short stories: Single, Carefree, Mellow. So far, I've only read two of the shorts in the book, but I can already tell that this book is my jam.  The writing is superb; the characters are unlikeable, relatable, and realistic; and the stories are fascinating, quirky, entertaining, and hilarious.  I am in love with this book!  In fact, I've decided to dole out the stories piecemeal - I'll be reading one a week.  After all there are only eleven and I'm already down two - yikes!

The first story I read was called The Dive Bar.  Its about a woman who agrees to have a drink with her married lover's wife.  Talk about awkward!  Suffice it to say that the drink does not go down well.  Then again, what did she expect, right?  In fact, what did the wife expect?  I found myself wondering why anyone would subject themselves to such a meeting and also thinking that the man in question was most definitely not worth all the fuss. 

As for the second short - How to Give the Wrong Impression - well, its my favorite so far.  Basically, a young woman is in love with her roommate.  She is infatuated to the point that she pretends they are living together like a couple and not roommates.  She doesn't correct anyone when they assume they are dating.  And she is always telling her co-workers stories about him as if they were married.  He on the other hand doesn't seem to notice her adoration of him.  In fact, he mentions a cute classmate of his and she urges him to date her.  Its pretty sad and funny at the same time.  Reading this story I couldn't help but be reminded of an old college friend of mine.  She was obsessed with this classmate of ours and was convinced that everything he did (or said) was for her benefit - like he was secretly in love with her or something.  So, she would always give the impression that he was pursuing her, when in fact he wasn't.  A touch or a glance always meant more than it really did in her mind.  I tried to get her to see sense, but she was infatuated, so all I could do was listen.   Reading this story I can see how easily someone can misread a situation.  Love isn't one-sided and this story clearly demonstrates that, along with the ways in which unrequited feelings are mishandled. 

And now, I'm off to read the next story titled Single, Carefree, Mellow.  Ta for now! Happy reading!!

Man V. Nature: Stories by Diane Cook

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

A refreshingly imaginative, daring debut collection of stories that illuminates with audacious wit the complexity of human behavior, and the veneer of civilization over our darkest urges.

Told with perfect rhythm and unyielding brutality, these stories expose unsuspecting men and women to the realities of nature, the primal instincts of man, and the dark humor and heartbreak of our struggle to not only thrive, but survive. In “Girl on Girl,” a high school freshman goes to disturbing lengths to help an old friend. An insatiable temptress pursues the one man she can’t have in “Meteorologist Dave Santana.” And in the title story, a long-fraught friendship comes undone when three buddies get impossibly lost on a lake it is impossible to get lost on. Below the quotidian surface of Diane Cook’s worlds lurks an unexpected surreality that reveals our most curious, troubling, and bewildering behavior.

Other stories explore situations pulled directly from the wild, imposing on human lives the danger, tension, and precariousness of the natural world: a pack of “not-needed” boys takes refuge in a murky forest where they compete against one another for their next meal; an alpha male is pursued through city streets by murderous rivals and desirous women; helpless newborns are snatched from their suburban yards by a man who stalks them. Through these characters Cook asks: What is at the root of our most heartless, selfish impulses? Why are people drawn together in such messy, needful ways? When the unexpected intrudes upon the routine, what do we discover about ourselves?

As entertaining as it is dangerous, this accomplished collection explores the boundary between the wild and the civilized, where nature acts as a catalyst for human drama and lays bare our vulnerabilities, fears, and desires.

my thoughts:

Diane Cook's book of short stories, Man V. Nature, is one of the BEST book of short stories I've read this year.  The writing is fantastically sharp, witty, and imaginative.  The theme of 'man versus nature' is explored in diverse and disturbing ways that are thought-provoking and completely unforgettable.  I mean it - these stories will haunt you!  And by setting these stories in a dystopian world, Cook is able to blend society's meanings of bizarre and normal together perfectly.  She really knows how to create some truly amusing and twisted shorts with some pretty unexpected endings.  Her writing even reminded me of Vonnegut and Atwood's short stories - which I LOVE.  That's just how terrific Cook's work truly is. 

I'm still thinking about the following three stories: Moving On, Somebody's Baby, and The Mast Year.  The first one is about a woman who has just lost her husband and is packing up to leave.  Apparently society dictates that widows be immediately moved to a shelter housing other widows.  In this new home they will learn to move on from their last marriage and find a new spouse.   Isn't that just crazy?!  Talk about speeding up grief!  The next story is about a woman who has a baby.  She's so happy, but gets unnerved when she notices a man staring at her house ALL THE TIME.  Her baby gets taken by this man and she learns that he takes everyone's children.  When she has a second child and he gets taken, she decides that "enough is enough" and is determined to do something about this man.  I must admit that I wasn't so sure where this story was going at first, but found myself riveted by it.  As for the last one, this woman is having THE best luck of all - promotion at work and newly engaged.  Suddenly she finds her yard filled with people trying to mooch off her good luck and things suddenly get too overwhelming for her.  Talk about luck turned bad.  

Writing about these stories has made me think of the last one in the book, The Not-Needed Forest.  In this story a group of boys that were taken from their families are sent down a chute to die.  Fortunately for them they find a way out and wind up living in a forest.  Let's just say that it turns into Terminus (think The Walking Dead) rather quickly and winds up leaving you chilled to the bone by the end.  

Man V. Nature by Diane Cook is an amazing read that I recommend to all fans of short stories.  You are going to fall in deep with this book and love every minute of it! And to find out what other bloggers have to say, here's the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Man V. Nature

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

A Brief Moment of Weightlessness: Stories by Victoria Fish

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

A Brief Moment of Weightlessness is a collection of short stories that illuminate the beauty and extraordinariness of “ordinary” lives. Each explores the human desire for connectedness and grace.  The stories range from large upheavals such as how a marriage shifts when a spouse loses a limb or how a girl reconfigures her world when her father goes to jail, to smaller moments such as when a woman experiences wonder again on a visit to a nursing home with her child and their dog, or when a man finds redemption in the midst of tragedy after being bitten by his dying dog. These illuminating, heartbreaking, poignant, astute stories take on serious issues of death/dying, injury, infidelity, aftermath of war, estrangement and more, but without a sense of gloom that could overwhelm them. They often, though not always, find that glimmer of hope or opportunity, and they are told in a voice that can cut to the quick of a character or conflict, with endings that don’t always resolve neatly. These stories explore, dissect and celebrate those small moments within the larger events that make all of our lives extraordinary.

my thoughts:
(My apologies to the author for this late post on her wonderful book!)

Short stories are where its at!  Seriously, its true.  Just pick up a copy of Victoria Fish's debut collection of shorts, A Brief Moment of Weightlessness, if you don't believe me.  This book has it all!  There are unforgettable characters, relatable issues (grief, death, illness, family, marriage), and unputdownable stories that will keep you hooked from start to finish.  Fish's quiet and self-assured writing displays a confidence and ease that just blew me away.  The way she is able to portray the complexity and simplicity of human nature is spellbinding.  And her ability to tinge each story with a bit of sadness made her prose even more beautiful.  I absolutely loved falling in deep with these eleven short stories and found myself wanting more once I had finished reading the last one.  Victoria Fish is an author that I look forward to reading more of.  Check out what other bloggers are saying about: A Brief Moment of Weightlessness

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of No Longer and Not Yet: Stories by Joanna Clapps Herman

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

The stories in No Longer and Not Yet look at the ways our lives are lived in the split seconds between what is no longer but is still not yet.  Most take place on Manhattan's iconic Upper West Side, in the shops, hallways, and parks that reveal this well-known "big city" neighborhood for the tiny, even backwater village it more often resemebles.  An Upper West Sider herself, Joanna Clapps Herman draws her characters honestly yet tenderly, revealing them as much through how they move - the slope of a shoulder, a vocal inflection, the weight of a football - as by what they do, as though their bodies speak the truths they can't express.

Here, Hannah Arendt's ghost haunts the building where she once lived, a hawk carries the apparition of a lost loved one, a homeless woman becomes Demeter.  Small moments and intimacies of life weave together to form a bigger picture: the squeak of the hotel bed, a leaf on a saucer, the quality of light in the therapist's office, the doorman's familiar jokes, the open cupboards, the unspoken words.  These stories show that, although we may think of ourselves in larger mythic narratives, our days are set in the terrain that is the opposite of the vast. 

my thoughts:

I'm a huge fan of the short story and No Longer and Not Yet solidified that sentiment.  Joanna Clapps Herman has created a fantastic set of stories that accurately capture everyday life in the Upper West Side of NYC.  We get a glimpse into the urban dwellers sensible and rather mundane life style - the one that consists of juggling playgroup, homework, dinner, and laundry.  This book is an exploration of normalcy through a group of characters that are unlikeable, relatable, and rather flawed.  We get the fear, doubt, unhappiness, loneliness that emanate from these characters as they endure struggles within their lives and relationships.  In fact, some of the stories interlink, which really helped to provide a much deeper and richer understanding of the characters' "no longer" and "not yet" moments in their lives.  I just loved that Herman chose to focus on these small moments in life that really do make a difference (without us really knowing it at the time.)  To get lost in a someone's moment makes us more aware and present for our own "no longer" and "not yet" moments.  I found that Herman's writing had a feeling of sparseness that added an emotional depth to the stories - it helped evoke such strong emotions and reactions with the simplest description of a look or movement.  I just loved this book and Herman's writing - it was terrific!

I would happily recommend No Longer and Not Yet to fans of the short story and to fans of great writing.  Here's the TLC Book Tour schedule for: No Longer and Not Yet

GIVEAWAY:  Thanks to the publisher, I'm able to give away one copy of this excellent book.  Just leave me a comment - don't forget to include your email address, so I can contact you in case you win.  Open to US residents only.  Last date to enter is July 20th, 2014.  Good luck!!

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of The Frangipani Hotel: Stories by Violet Kupersmith

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

A self-assured and stunning collection by an astonishingly gifted new writer, these stories—based on traditional Vietnamese tales—are sure to appeal to fans of Karen Russell, Jennifer Egan, Colson Whitehead, George Saunders, and Téa Obrecht. The Frangipani Hotel blends the old world and the new with fantastical, chilling, and original explorations of the ghosts that continue to haunt us: those of the Vietnam War.

my thoughts:

I love short stories.  So, when I heard about Kupersmith's book, The Frangipani Hotel, I figured I'd give it a read.  And, boy am I happy I did.  This debut collection of  ghost short stories was terrific!

There are nine stories in all and each one is a combination of the modern day thriller and Vietnamese folktales.  She managed to create such hauntingly, mysterious stories that proved to be a great way of exploring the aftermath of the Vietnam War.  Plus, the eerie, unexpected twists and turns in each story gave me goosebumps and made the whole reading experience such fun.  Kupersmith's mix of reality and the otherworldly was exciting and spooky - it was the perfect blending of cultures and traditions.  I absolutely loved reading this book!  The writing was simply engaging and the stories were unputdownable.  I know that I haven't really provided much details regarding the stories themselves, but that would ruin them.  These are the kind of tales you need to get lost in and enjoy for yourself - believe me, you want those goosebumps!

I would most definitely recommend The Frangipani Hotel to fans of ghost stories and short stories - you are in for a treat!  I'm excited to read more of Kupersmith's works in the future - apparently she's in the midst of a novel (hurrah!!).

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!!

GIVEAWAY: Open to US residents only.  The publisher is allowing me to give away one copy of this fantastic book - The Frangipani Hotel by Violet Kupersmith.  All you have to do is leave me a comment providing me with the name of your favorite book of short stories or the name of your favorite ghost story - don't forget your email address, so I can contact you.  Last day to enter is April 5th.  Good luck!!