funny, clever stories
931918
Very well written, funny, clever stories. I have fun reading them. I would recommend this book. Jacob keep up the good work.received the book from author thanks to Goodread first reads.
2905996
I had bought the first book in the Diskworld series with intentions to jus purchase that one book.  I have just bought book #4 and am watching my Amazon gift balance slowly go down.  Have to admit that these are wonderfully clever stories and the humor in the one liners is enough to cause you to blow a laugh gasket.
1431829
Wonderfully written short stories about modern women.  Life lessons in these stories. Very witty author, love her style and the snarky character in the first story, especially.
2028125
Humorous narrative and outrageously funny at times.  I chuckled a lot reading this and laughed out load more than once.  It is a very clever book. Characters were off-beat but believable.
1599601
Clever, funny and a joy to read.  I bought some copies for Christmas presents :)
290261
(This review was originally posted on Alexa Loves Books.)

This book is a collection of three stories, all of which are saccharinely sweet and geared, of course, towards happy endings.

My favorite character from "Jubilee Line" by Maureen Johnson is Jubilee herself, who has an interesting name and ends up in a very intriguing situation - because of a massive snowstorm, she gets stuck in the middle of pretty much nowhere on a train.  After escaping to Waffle House, the story then follows her (mis)adventures in the company of Stuart, someone who's definitely not her boyfriend and who she isn't thinking about that way... or is she?  I enjoyed the ending of this story in particular!

John Green's contribution, "A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle" was, hands down, my favorite of the bunch.  It's mostly about friendship (with a little romance thrown in, of course) and it's hilariously, absurdly amusing.  Three best friends - Tobin, JP and the Duke (who's a girl, in case you wanted to know) set out on a crazy attempt to get to the Waffle House in the middle of a snowstorm all to meet these so-called "hot" cheerleaders who are stranded there.  The story made me laugh out loud, and I definitely aww-ed at the ending.

Lauren Myracle's story "The Patron Saint of Pigs" tied up the book neatly, bringing all the main characters from the other two stories into play, as well as focusing on characters that we've been wondering about since the start - Jeb and his girlfriend Addie.  Though the story was cute, I really didn't like it as much as the other two - except for the pig, of course!

All in all, this book was pretty much as I expected it to be - fluffy, light, and an easy read.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, of course, but as with most books of this genre, the stories ended up blurring into one in my mind towards the end.
3429733
As someone who enjoyed Karen Kaplans Encountering the Edge, her memoir of seven years as a hospice chaplain, I looked forward to Curiosity Seekers and was not disappointed. She takes clever ideas and puts unconventional characters in amusing situations. Curiosity Seekers is a collection of five stories set in our future featuring the quirky Ackermans.  Full disclosure: Im thanked in the Acknowledgements for retweeting Karen Kaplan more than anyone else. I appreciate her thanks and after reading Curiosity Seekers, I remain a fan.

Escapade introduces Homer and Muriel Ackerman in the year 2045, both with their own ways of hunkering down into the past. Homer and Muriel are a middle-aged, contrarian, happily long-married couple, who trade gentle quips during their zany adventures. Homer restores books in an age where printed books have become scarce, replaced by quantum-books. Muriel creates greeting cards intended for one person, which she insists are to be hand delivered. Through one of Homers clients, they discover the existence of a group of Opting Outers, people who shun email, e-commerce, and other modern technologies. The Ackermans plan an exploratory visit to these seemingly like-minded folks and hijinks ensue. I enjoyed Kaplans take on the observers paradox: the act of observing causes changes to [that which] you observe. The Ackermans effect unexpected change in the Opting Outers, despite their efforts to fit in. I also noticed the observers paradox in the second and fifth stories.

A Dementia Returnee explores the case of a friend of the Ackermans, Virginia Boyden, who is among the first to be successfully treated for dementia in the year 2053. Both this story and the next share some themes with the much lauded novel Flowers for Algernon, though with a much lighter tone. The story comments on how we treat people with cognitive impairment, and imagines the experience of someone recovering from the condition. Kaplans insight as a hospice chaplain enriches the story, and her compassion and skill at listening also shine through.

Flowers for Ackerman - The protagonist in this story uses technology to try to forget something he/she wants to avoid processing. The story explores and comments on what our relationship with technology could become and reminds us of how that relationship has and will change. I enjoyed Kaplans humorous take on the matter and its my favorite story.

Gomer Gone Wayward includes a flashback to a time when Gomer was asked to restore a book with troubling content and introduces the Ackermans niece Beatriz, who was similar to [Gomer] and to Muriel: always in pursuit of curiosities.

Fighting to Listen continues Beatrizs story in 2095 and relates her familys adventure on the first mobile city that breaks out of orbit. Beatriz notes that, We might be more like the Opting Outs than we care to think. They were a small community with little outside contact. Sound Familiar? Kaplans masterful use of recurring themes strengthen the book and enriched my enjoyment of it.

Curiosity Seekers encourages you to look beyond what you know and experience an optimistic future with imaginative characters. I finished the book sharing a bit of Kaplans contagious optimism. Im happy that I spent time exploring with the Ackermans.
4329835
My grandson loves these stories and they are very clever.  He just turned 6.
4276950
The Price of the Haircut by Brock Clarke is a very highly recommended collection of eleven short stories.
These stories are bursting with social satire, wit, surreal situations, and peculiar plot twists. The writing is excellent and the stories were perfectly presented, the characters are humorous and flawed, but somehow relatable. The situations seem absurd, yet ordinary. I loved every single story in this collection.

Contents include:
The Price of the Haircut: The mayor of a town determines that a riot was due to a man who said a racist comment while giving an eight dollar haircut. Racial attitudes are examined through a group of men who have been getting expensive, but bad haircuts for years. The men wonder if it would be better to go to this barber and only pay eight dollars for their haircuts.

The Grand Canyon: A woman tells the story of her honeymoon at the Grand Canyon in one long run-on sentence.

What Is the Cure for Meanness?: A young man gives his mother gifts that subsequently die. The first gift that died was a lilac bush, which he gave to her after his Dad left his mom for another woman on her birthday.

Concerning Lizzie Borden, Her Axe, My Wife:  A man is kicked out of the house by his wife and six days later invited to join her on a trip to the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast in Fall River, Massachusetts  - and take the official two-hour tour.

Good Night: A parent struggles to accept affection from a son without caustic commentary.

Our Pointy Boots: Soldiers suffering from PTSD return home from war and tell reporters that, "The first thing were going to do when we get home is put on our pointy boots and parade around the Public Square."

The Misunderstandings: A dysfunctional family has a horrible night of family discord turn into a misunderstanding that turns into more misunderstandings, all of them curiously beneficial.

That Which We Will Not Give: A family has a shared story about the time their mom asked their dad for a divorce and he wouldnt give it to her. The story could differ, "depending upon who was telling it and which part of the story they chose to emphasize."

Cartoons: An ex-wife is taking a cartoon-drawing class at the community center.

Children Who Divorce: Child actors from a well-known movie, who all married young, then divorced, and loved the star in the movie, are participating in a play/remake of the story. They have a doctor who listens to them to make sure they are mentally prepared for the show.

The Pity Palace:  In Florence, Italy, Antonio Vieri believes his wife has left him for "the famous American author who wrote those best-selling novels about Italian gangsters in New York, and Antonio Vieri was feeling sorry for himself, so very sorry for himself that his friends warned him that if he did not stop feeling sorry for himself, he, Antonio Vieri, would become famous for it throughout Florence... " A tourist/entrepreneur begins selling tickets to tourists to meet the very sad, miserable Antonio Vieri.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
164506
This collection of stories and essays by David Sedaris definitely contains a lot of variety.  Overall, I found the way the stories were dripping with sarcasm delightful.  Some stories were a bit dry, but others such as "SantaLand Diaries" and "Diary of a Smoker" had me laughing out load.  However, the best stories I found were the ones such "Season's Greetings to our Friends and Family!!!" which I had to think about before fully understanding and laughing at their humor.  I would definitely like to read more of Sedaris' works, especially those based on his real-life experiences as, overall, I found the collection of essays in this book more entertaining than the stories.
1440428
I really enjoyed reading these stories, especially since it is winter in New England at the moment. This book contains a broad assortment of travel stories--they are all quite amazing. Some are laugh-out-loud funny while others have you petrified for the authors. A beautifully put together book.
153094
I love these stories. They are teeming with inventive ideas about a future where technology has increased our isolation, but we still strive for connection. Two lovers plan a way to stay together in a world that forces half the population into a deep sleep to conserve resources. A woman discovers that she actually prefers her husband's clone. Students come to terms with the fact that they have no corporeal existence. Le Dain's stories are clever, dark and funny and they stay with you long after you have read them. Highly recommended.
1630516
What a clever collection of short stories! I really enjoyed reading this! I love how different they all were, but also how well they went together. The sci-fi thriller, Accomplice, was my favorite, but they are all so good its hard to choose. Bloodlines, which also had a bit of sci-fi, was extremely clever and had a great twist that Ive definitely never encountered before, and Eugenia was just a great character. Bernie & Baris was an entertaining fairy tale with very lovable characters. Downhill was smart and witty with an entertaining twist on a monster we see a lot of these days. A Funny Thing Happened in the Morgue was a unique love story with a beautiful and eerie setting, and quirky and lovable characters. And A Childs Imagination was a nice, quick little spook in the middle. I highly recommend this book to people who love fantasy or horror, or just really unique stories!
3885518
A really fun book of short stories. This author has a sense of humor and lends it to her writings.
2506252
Masterfully written, these eight stories are delightfully surprising and sublimely clever. Whether elucidating the strange eating habits of a pet hedgehog or capturing the innocence of a young daughter unknowingly swept up in her father's mysterious actions, Appel reminds us of a time when stories could be both literary and entertaining. If these stories at times stretch the credibility of more skeptical readers, they're nevertheless a whole lot of fun.
3526477
The stories range from funny to bittersweet, and are honest and fun to read.  I recommend this highly to anyone.
1420664
This is a truly delightful collection of adventures taken from author Lily Temmer's own life...and what fun, madcap adventures she's had!!  These short tales recount zany situations with over-the-top interesting characters (mostly real-life family members and friends).  It's more than just situational splendor, though.  It's the *way* the stories are written that brings a sense of whimsy and delight to the reader.  I laughed out loud many times - and imagined the scenes as if I were actually there.  It takes a skilled writer to experience a moment in time and capture the hilarity of it in words.  I can't wait until the next volume of stories emerges! (fingers crossed that there will be a second volume!)