Interesting Disney-like short stories
342954
Very interesting book. Six short stories, kinda, sorta set in the Magic Kingdom of Walt Disney World.

There are three I liked more:
"Now Approaching Main Street Station": which takes place in a Main Street/ Seahaven  little town, which much like on the Truman show, no one ever leaves. Whimsical, bittersweet, and leaves you with a ending that makes you want to read more.

"Mine for the Taking": which riffs on the "real" backstory of Big Thunder, what with  Barnabas B Bullion, etc. A band of intrepid (?) prospectors set out on a doomed mission, under the orders of that famed plutocrat and mining magnate.

"Wickedly Ever After" which is set a little in Fantasyland, maybe a little in StoryBrooke, and more than a little in some films. How do the Villains get along after losing?
3156937
Ludwig Bemelmans Favorite Stories by Ludwig Bemelmans is a collection of three whimsical stories by the author. I guess I wonder why these are three of the authors favorites. They are very different kinds of stories, being even more different than Madeline.

Hansi is the story of a young city boys trip to the countryside. It reads as an account of what he sees and does. I found it interesting somewhat because of the descriptions. One I have never heard before is of a cow She looked at the children with eyes that were like two fired eyes. I am not even sure what that means, but think that children would not be bothered by it and may even find it funny.

The second story is an animal fantasy about Rosebud, a rabbit, who teaches a whale, an elephant and maybe us all, Remember forever that one must never make fun of little people.

The last is perhaps my favorite, Castle No. 9. It is a silly story of an arrogant count who takes in his mind to change language. Soon he learns that the world does not follow suit. Poor Baptiste my heart went out to him as he humored the count.

I appreciate that these stories that had been no longer in print are available once again in this collection. Adults who loved Ludwig Bemelmans work as children will want this book. Children may still enjoy the Madeline stories more.

The publisher through Net Galley provided a copy.
2722112
If you've read and enjoyed the stories of siblings Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth, these shorts will be an enjoyable, and quick, read. If you haven't, they might be interesting, but the situations and family dynamics might not make as much sense. The author does include an intro page to each short story reminding readers about the couple and introducing the topic of the story, which serves as a good reminder if it's been a while since you read the books.

Some of them fill gaps in the couple's story (Will Simon ever read his father's letters? Will Hyacinth ever find the diamonds?) while others satisfy by giving minor characters in the story their own happy endings (Sophie's step-sister Posy, Eloise's step-daughter Amanda). These stories, sometimes serious and heartfelt, others lighthearted and sweet, are a nice journey back into the Bridgerton stories. Some shine more than others, but none disappoint.

The weakest is the final story, which doesn't quite fit the tone of the book, as it is the somewhat tragic and previously unexplored tale of Violet and Edmund. Perhaps because there was no novel devoted to the couple (though it didn't hurt Amanda's story) or because there was simply too much to live up to, but their story doesn't connect as well as the others. And despite Violet's satisfaction with her life and the happiness of her children, it was a depressing end to a mostly cheerful collection.

Julia Quinn is a great writer, managing to infuse these short narratives with all of the charm and sass of the originals. Pick this up for a comfortable and fun catch-up with old friends, but don't expect a deeply plotted thriller or full-length saga.
136078
"Magical Stories:A Collection of Short Stories" by author and poet Paras  Connaoth, is a marvelous stock of well written stories geared for children of all ages. The presentation is formulated in an easy going belles lettres style of writing.

The book begins with an engaging tale about "Dali the Little Dragon". Dali lives in a small town setting surrounded by mountains and natural wildlife settings. The dragon has smooth scales and a distinctive taste for apples. The second story is "Finding a Fairy". This tale portrays the character Molly basking in the sun, viewing summer blossoms and picking wild flowers. There is an interesting forest setting, travel along a stony path and a quaint village.

The stories are well written and geared to interest an audience of young children essentially in the primary grades. The author develops natural scenes, as well as, action characters and friendly animals.

Overall, "Magical Stories..." by Piaras O Cionnaoith is a gem of a book aimed at a young audience in the primary grades. The book may be used by librarians during formal periodic readings in a neighborhood library setting.
3387760
These 9 short stories belong in different genres, such as folk tales, supernatural, or sci-fi.  Most of them involve weird things or beings: angels, aliens, witchcraft, or mermaids.  Most of them are interesting.  A few I didn't like.  And a few are quite moving, especially the title story.  But as long as a collection of short stories, such as this one, has several good stories in it, I can recommend it even if it has a few stories I don't like.
4654563
A collection full of interesting and very amusing witchy short stories. Most of the authors I had not read stories written by them and found this collection piqued my curiosity for their books. I'm looking for some of the series.
The Mystery of the Magic Bottle by Ani Gonzalez
Dora Pendragons completely abnormal Magical Curiosity Shoppe was very entertaining with enchanted and cursed objects full of mysteries. Like her character and intrigued by her relationship with the intriguing Thomas Lane, a member of PRoVE, the local paranormal. Huh! An interesting couple. The Banhee's Creek original, strange and funny characters had kept my attention much of the time.
Witch, Please by M.Z. Andrews
A witch with two beaus and a potion that went wrong.  What would be the correct answer to her predicament? Amusing situations that made me chuckle.
Witcheroo by Nova Nelson
Bad mix in a potion and puff! More troubles to deal with.
The Mai-Order Witch by Joynell Schultz
This was a lovely that made me smile. A witchy lesson in love
Shot to Spell by Regina Welling & Erin Lynn
Around and around until you get it right. Amusing.
865310
I remember reading a couple stories from The Arabian Nights when I was a kid, usually ones that were included in other collections of children's stories.  I remember finding them a little strange and foreign but enjoying them, nonetheless.  After reading a few of the stories in this excellent (and lengthy) compilation, I suspect the stories I read as a child were shortened and modified to be more appropriate for children.  As such, this book seems to be written for inclusion in higher education curriculums (and a mention along those lines is made in the introduction), but I still found the stories to be fascinating and fun to read.  They have been taken from a number of different translations, based on which ones the editors thought were best.  The book itself is nicely made - hardcover, with several nice illustrations, and a place-keeping ribbon in the binding.  It's not a children's collection, but is certainly fun and interesting to read.
844018
This is another collection in the Sword and Sorcerers series of anthologies.  For those who like fantasy, Diana L. Paxson has put together a collection of 22 short stories and one poem.  These all involve women in various settings.  Like most collections, you will find some that you favor over others.  The last one in the collection ("Love Potion No. 8 1/2," by Marilyn A. Racette) reminds me of stories written by the late Dr. Asimov about a helpful demon that tried to please people (be careful what you wish for).  A couple of the stories are a little surreal, and plots vary considerably although they are in the realm of fantasy.  I particularly liked "Necessity and the Mother," by Lee Martindale, as it illustrates how politicians pass some ill conceived laws.  I also especially liked "Child's Play", by Esther M. Freisner.  It would be difficult to rate the others in order of preference.

Other short stories in the collection are "Dawn and Dusk," by Dana Kramer-Rolls; "Spell of the Sparrow," by Jim C. Hines; "The Woman's Place," by Susan Urbanek Linville; "Kin," by Naomi Kritzer; "Ursa," by Jenn Reese; "Red Caramae," by Kit Wesler; "Parri's Blade," by Cynthia McQuillin, "Sun Thief," by K. A. Laity, "Lostland," by Rosemary Edghill; "Plowshares," by Rebecca Maines, "Step by Step," by Catherine Soto; "Favor of the Goddess," by Lynn Morgan Rosser, "Rose in Winter," by Marie M. Longhin, "Kazhe's Blade," Terry McGarry, "The Skin Trade," by Heather Rose Jones, "Multiple Choice," by Leslie Fish, "Oulu," by Aimee Kratts, "A Kind of Redemption," by John P. Buentello, and "Journey's End," by Dorothy J. Heydt.  The one two-page poem, "Sword and Sorceress," is by Jennifer G. Tifft.

The editor should be commended for putting together the anthology.  She is correct that authors need outlets for their short stories, as most magazines only take about one or two percent of what is submitted, if that much, and it can be difficult finding a magazine to match a particular story.
4009273
Overall, these were good stories that I enjoyed reading. There were a few typos, which was distracting, but I enjoyed reading these stories.

FAIRY CHRISTMAS - This story was hard for me to get into. The exposition felt long and drawn out. And I got confused a bit in the story by quick changes between different characters points of view. But the characters themselves did draw me into the story, and in the end I enjoyed it.
Rating: 3 stars
Content: Clean - mention of scandalous behavior

A CHRISTMAS PROMISE - This was a cute story. I loved the humor and wit in it. It was very well written with great characters. The frame story added a nice element. I would have liked the story to be longer, but I understand that it is just a novella.
Rating: 4 stars
Content: Clean

TWELVE MONTHS - I really enjoyed reading this story. The characters in the novella had great depth, and I liked seeing the development of Lucien and Cora's relationship.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Content: Clean - mentions of infidelity, etc.

A FEZZIWIG CHRISTMAS - This novella takes place is Scrooge's past when he was an apprentice and courting Belle. While the story is mostly about the other apprentice, Dick (I'm not sure if he shows up in A Christmas Carol since it has been awhile since I read it), knowing the outcome of Scrooge and Belle's relationship put a damper on the story for me. I did enjoy the story, but I guess in some ways it felt contrived.
Rating: 3 stars
Content: Clean - one swear word, drinking of alcoholic beverages

A TASTE OF HOME - I really enjoyed this story. The story while short felt complete. The characters endeared themselves to me, especially Will. And the descriptions drew me in as well. This is a story that brought a smile to my face.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Content: Clean

MY MODERN GIRL - This was a cute coming of age story. Margie is all into what is modern, and Henry, a boy back at home, is not what she would consider modern. In moving to New York City she is able to experience new things and grow in ways she expects and ways she doesn't expect. At the end of the story there was a slight twist that I didn't expect but that made the story all the better.
Rating: 4 stars
Content: Clean - mention of some inappropriate behavior

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
2932059
This is an interesting collection of short stories and a good read - A couple of these stories gave me a good laugh.
4339021
This is comprised of 13 short stories that are somewhat like the "Twilight Zone." They start out like normal stories and then they turn for a surprise twist in the end. Just to name a few characters amongst the colorful stories are: a wife and brother-in-law who are dedicated to their family, a little girl who's father is being threatened, a priest, and a harassed tenant of an apartment complex and many more. I like these stories because they were not too graphic, but are surprising.
1718249
Twisted fairy tales is a collection of stories that are not all fairy tales.
Half of the stories has the fairy taste, the other half is just stories with a moral at the end.
Even if all the stories are good, I was disapointed by the lack of "fairiness" in those stories.
Nevertheless, I really liked the book: The stories are good and the variety is amazing from the Disney princesses story to the Chinese tale, it's transporting.
Good anthology.
4846550
Ah, the memories came flooding back of reading these stories in school, probably 50 years ago or more.

The first story is Noodle, a little dachshund, who meets a dog fairy and visits the zoo. Other stories include Home with the Mumps, Snipp and His Brothers, The Seven White Cats, The Hurdy Gurdy Man, Room Enough, Oswald Makes Magic, Bob's Elephant, The Story of a Clown, The Queer Apron, The Magic Glasses. Sprinkled in among the stories are a few poems and some one-page grammar explanations.

The color illustrations are not great art, but have lots of action and playfulness in them to appeal to the young reader.
3594709
This book is a short collection of four short stories. I enjoyed each of them.

The Smallest Dragonboy I had read before. I enjoyed reading about the boy who wouldn't give up.

The Girl Who Heard Dragons is fascinating as background for how the Holdless were adapting to threadfall on Pern. And of course the title character is interesting. This story also had a tie to the first one.

Runner of Pern also advanced my knowledge of one of Pern's communication systems. No Pony Express for Pern -- they have human runners.

Ever the Twain answers what could happen when a twin is chosen on Search. Where does the other one stand?

It has been years since I read a book based in Pern and this is pushing me to read more.
1779201
At the age of nine, I found this book in my brother's room. I started to read it, and liked it very much. The stories resemble a fairy-tale act, pieced together like stained-glass. The stories are short and simple, and offer an unclear explanation of unanswered questions that linger amidst the world today. I read it to my little sister as a bed time story, and she thought it was amusing. I would save this book for younger readers, but still very good.
1629946
These are sweet, well-written short stories.  Personally, I have a hard time getting truly invested in short stories and novellas, so I am only giving it three stars.  Aside from my personal preferences in that regard, I would definitely recommend them for someone wishing to enjoy a clean and romantic quick read.
170302
Kendra E. Ardnek, author of the delightfully witty Bookania Quests and the powerful and inspiring The Ankulen, offers a collection of fun short stories that imaginative youngsters and their families are sure to enjoy:

In Saffrons Big Plan, Princess Saffron lives in the Wild Lands, a country between the lands of the Horse-Lovers and the Eagle-Lovers. The two countries, while not exactly enemies, seem to take pleasure in feuding with each other over which is the best steedthe Horse or the Eagle. Saffron once tried something to help stop the feuding, but it didn't work, so now, with the help of a magnolia tree, a dandelion plant and the cheerful King Quacksley, Saffron prepares to put her Big Plan into action and bring peace to her neighbors.

Tears, Frogs and Laughter tells the story of Princess Orianna, who is under a curse that causes her to sob uncontrollably by day and laugh hysterically by night. Meanwhile, the youngest son of a tailorDaniel by namecomes upon the weeping princess and instantly falls in love with her. While following her through the woods to discover why she changes suddenly from sorrow to raucous laughter, Daniel suddenly finds himself changed into a frog, and his pet frog into a little boy, by a blundering fairy named Frellenwho has also turned herself an her friend Rinola into frogs while trying to make parsley.
Caveats: The pet frog, when turned into a boy, is described as being rather bare at firstalthough Orianna quickly throws her cloak over himand is depicted eating bugs (non-graphic). Also, Princess Orianna is described as having mucus running down her face while she is crying.

The Derao centers on Matthew 6:14-15, For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.
Princess Tabitha is angry with Lukas, the keeper of her pet lizards cage, who has been accused of letting the lizard out into the wild, where it will quickly grow into a dragon-like beast known as the Derao. Lukas is bitter because he is innocent of the crime, yet forced to take a punishment that someone else deserves: Sit atop the Mountain of Highwhere the Derao now livesand become its first victim.
Both need to obey the Scripture and lay aside their angerand to implement a daring plan in order to save the Kingdom of Prosperous from destruction by the Derao.

The fourth and final tale in this collection, The Prior Quest, gives us a bit of backstory for a character introduced in Miss Ardneks Sew, its a QuestPush au Kim by name. When Push, as a youth, receives kind treatment from a miller, he vows to return the favor somedayonly by the time he finds out the millers whereabouts years later, the miller is dead. So Push offers to help one of the millers three sons instead, if they will pay to have the bundle of exotic skins he carries made into clothes for him. The older two scoff at this, but the youngest readily agreesand soon finds himself on an excitingand at times bewilderingadventure involving Pushs taking wild game to the king of the next country, dealing with the evil Duke OGair and stealing the lads clothes while he (the millers son) bathes in a nearby lake!

The writing style of these four short stories is simple and easy to readperfect for younger readers aged 8-12or for older to adult readers with a love of fairytalesin search of clean light reading.