A beautiful short story collection
586384
When I read Caitlin Hamilton Summies To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts, I was moved by the descriptions of the environments where the stories took place. They were so vivid, and I must say accurate, because I have lived in the Twin Cities where many are set.  Theres that quiet sense of isolation that lends even greater intensity to an event. Her descriptive talents made me feel the dark and the cold and see the snow once again. These images are as much a part of the appeal as the stories, themselves. I admit to loving short stories and there was not a one in this collection that didn't touch me in some way. The pull of family is strong, so is the sense of loss. I, as a reader, felt it deeply.
2931549
This is a wonderful collection of short stories. I'm almost halfway through and haven't found one that I don't like. The one with the 2 guys camping is just beautiful. Very moving.

I'm actually reading this as slowly as I can because I don't want it to end! I feel as though each tale should be savoured and thought about.

The writing style is excellent with such depth and intensity that the stories, although short, feel as though they are full length. The description invoved is fabulous. This is a really good read and the length of the tales make them perfect for lunch times or coffee breaks.

Highly reccommend!
123288
What a delicious collection of short stories! I was impressed by the variety of themes and the richness of the vocabulary.
4400360
This is a pleasantly rewarding anthology of short fiction minced with allegory, fable, parable, and dreamscape. Exploring commonalities, contrasts, and unique diversities and quirks within human nature, within multi-cultural settings.

The writing - which at first seems geared toward YA - is actually quite a complex build in crafting each story and at the same time provides an easy flow. Most had me engaged guessing where the story was heading and how it would be resolved - each with a plausible, satisfying conclusion.

The characters have substance and personality, peppered attributes, variance, and interest, more than ample to care about their contributions and fate.

The author, Mehreen Ahmed mentions in the description, ...the characters in each tale lose something precious, not always in the sense of material possessions, but the loss of human values such as trust, freedom, and happiness. Throughout, she adeptly captures the theme of loss from numerous perspectives conjoining the 7 works as a collection.

I most liked the originality of Black Coat and the depth of Of Note.
I found The Blotted Line a pleasing collection.
1501818
Arinn Dembo's collection of stories is one of the most beautiful I've read in some time. She writes with beauty, and grace, and passion. Her stories - violent, bloody, erotic, thoughtful - are the product of a truly singular voice; it's hard to pin her down. But any reader who appreciates quality short fiction will have fun trying.
1532325
This is a great collection of short fiction. I'm posting this 5* review now since I expect the movie Arrival to arouse interest in this retitled collection. Arrivals is based on Story of Your Life, one of the pieces in this collection. I have yet to see the movie, so this is all about the book.

Although Story of Your Life impresses me greatly, and impressed enough others to win a Nebula award, other pieces in this collection are just as impressive. For example, the Tower of Babylon was perhaps my favorite when I first read the collection, and also won a Nebula.

Every story is thought-provoking without being heavy going. Chiang's writing is graceful without being showy.

So: these eight stories earn five big bright stars from me.
3222464
Allegories by Yannis Karatsioris

A fantastic collections of short stories. Some are paranormal, romance, fantasy, fantasy/romance and philosophical. I loved the originality of each story, written in a narrative point of view. All the stories were gripping and compelling. My top three favorites, The Graveyard of ideas, Blind on Lilies and A mystics choice. I recommend Allegories to those who love short stories, that are unique and memorable. A great read!

*I received this book as a gift.
3417580
This collection of novellas is beautifully written and the accompanying artwork is stunning to say the least. (I call them novellas because they are technically longer than what is traditionally labeled a short story.) The prose is perfectly paced and expertly constructed. It's obvious a great deal of care and thought was put into the crafting of these stories, which is evident in the rich imagery, the lush metaphors and the aesthetically woven sentences. The stories were deliberate, engrossing and brilliantly written. Though some might disagree, I found the endings to be thought provoking and fitting - the haunting resonance I'd expect in the modern day literary short story.

That being said, this collection is not really for young girls and teens, unless they are of a an unusually high maturity for their age. There are three stories contained in this collection that are ordered progressively in length, complexity and morbidity. It is important to note that these stories are very dark and unsettling. This is particularly true for the last story, which depicts a rape. The girl and the boy involved are not in control of their own bodies, making them both victims, and they are conscious while the rape is occurring. It is later told that the rape recurs almost daily until the victimized girl is impregnated. This is a rape despite its unusual nature and young people ought to understand that while reading this story. Despite its inherent tragedies toward humanity, which is central to the plot, the last story is undoubtedly the most interesting of the three in that its premise is wildly creative and it delivers a more meaningful punch to the reader. But, in my opinion, it is geared toward adults, not teenagers.

These days, it seems that stories involving young women in supernatural circumstances are automatically given the Young Adult stamp, even when it doesn't necessarily fit. This collection is a case in point. I understand that young people are probably subjected to worse on TV, but I think parents ought to be forewarned and that adults ought to know that these stories are enjoyable works of fiction and not of the cliched teenage-girl-pop variety. So, adults, enjoy without fear!

I will definitely be checking out more works by this author. I can't say it enough. She really is that good.
3208144
Small Doses, is a collection of short stories that are unforgettable and non-traditional. The book is a unique comedy and horror anthology The images leap off the pages. All of the stories have the thread of life and death running through them as well as some magical or fantastical elements. Along with the darkness and the critique of human behavior, there is a wicked sense of humor rumbling throughout these stories that made me laugh out loud. The story "Unforeseen" caught me off guard. I didn't see it coming and neither will you. There are twenty-four beautiful, unsettling, unique and strange stories in this collection. Sometimes the stories are disturbing yet for every story I was intrigued and wanted to find out where the author was leading me and how the story would end. I definitely recommend the collection not only to readers who enjoy a bit of an odd twist in reading, but also to readers who like to mull over and ponder the deeper meanings in stories that obviously deal with loss, fear, and death.
2578648
I don't know that I can do this review justice, so I'll just say that I found this collection to be a wonderful collage of stories in an anthology that manages to be thought-provoking and heart-wrenching in the midst of science fiction and fantasy stories that seem vividly real. I'm so very glad that I was able to swim through Lake's prose again like this. Despite enjoying several of his novels, I've always felt that short stories were where his voice was strongest -- and this anthology shows that in spades.

This should be an obvious read for those who've read and enjoyed his fiction before -- but it is also a great choice for those who have never read a Jay Lake story or novel. Although some of the stories are tied in one way or another to some of his previous work, there's nothing here that requires previous experience with earlier writing or that doesn't hang well on it's own. Definitely a worthwhile buy.

Someone asked for a list of the stories included -- after all, in buying an anthology, it can be useful sometimes to see if there are new morsels to savor or old favorites to love on. Here's the stories listed as they are in the table of contents, albeit not as nicely formatted as the one in the book:

Last Plane to Heaven: A Love Story
Angels i: The Houses of the Favored

SCIENCE AND OTHER FICTIONS
The Starship Mechanic
Permanent Fatal Errors
"Hello," Said the Gun
The Speed of Time
West to East
The Women Who Ate Stone Squid
Looking for Truth in a Wild Blue Yonder

Angels ii: Scent of the Green Cathedral

STEAM, PUNKS, AND FAIRIES
Spendthrift
Jefferson's West
They Are Forgotten Until They Come Again
The Woman Who Shattered the Moon
The Blade of His Plow
Grindstone
The Temptation of Eustace Prudence McAllen
That Which Rises Ever Upward

Angels iii: A Feast of Angels

PHANTASIES OF STYLE AND PLACE
Promises: A Tale of the City Imperishable
Testaments
The Fall of the Moon
A Critical Examination of Stigmata's Print "Taking the Rats to Riga"
From the Countries of Her Dreams
Unchambered Heart

Angels iv: Novus Ordo Angelorum

DESCENT INTO DARKNESS
The Tentacled Sky
Such Bright and Risen Madness in Our Names
Her Fingers Like Whips, Her Eyes Like Razors
Mother Urban's Booke of Dayes

Angels v: Going Bad

THE END
The Cancer Catechism
1264371
These stories are so insightful and well-crafted I can hardly wait for Deborah Willis' next collection. A treat for readers and writers of short fiction.
1804428
A wonderful little collection of stories ranging from wistful to stark and brutal. But they are all beautiful in their own way. I only wish it included a map of the geographical areas being described and some photos of the storytellers.
3662306
Overall, a great collection of stories and I really like the author's note at the end. I think it provides a better understanding of each individual story and the collection as a whole. The characters in the stories, as well as the stories themselves were often very relatable, especially if you've loved and lost, or recently had a child.

As with any book of short stories, I certainly had my favorites among these nine stories. 'The Pink Flowers,' a story of a woman's recently loss of her husband was, in many ways, both a beautiful love story and a story about grieving. I loved learning about what the husband left behind for her and his forethought to prepare little surprises. The story also had a happy ending (sort of)! 'Tell Me A Story' was another favorite from the collection, this time with a sad ending. I enjoyed hearing about the couple reminisce on both happy and sad memories, and the banter back and forth made them seem like a much younger couple. Another highlight for me was 'Leaving Rotterdam'. This story acted like a teaser for me and I want more! I'd love to read what made Lodewijk and his family have to flea Rotterdam, and I'd like to know what happens when (if?) they finally reach New York. When I first read 'Locked Up Lovers', I liked the story, but since moving on from it, I've been thinking about it constantly. I wonder about what happens to the main characters in the end, and am curious if what I think happened in the end actually happened.

This collection of nine stories has relatable characters and situations (many of them at least), and is an enjoyable, quick read. I'd highly suggest it. As with Thompson's other work, there are always little (or big) surprises in the stories, which make them a pleasure to read. I also find that many of the characters stay with you long after you've read the story.
1347450
I could write a book about why "Beautiful Sorrows" by Mercedes M. Yardley is one of the most stunning, poetic, dark, and memorable short fiction collections of the past few years. It's something that every dark fiction and horror fan should have on their shelves. Her work is reminiscent and evocative of Neil Gaiman, and although it may seem an easy comparison to make, the last time I was so taken aback by beautiful writing is when I read Neil Gaiman, and Mercedes' work will give the reader the same goosebumps as one reads her tales.

As I mentioned in my original book review on my blog, another beauty of this collection is that not every single story is pitch black. There are shades of darkness, some stories being lighter than others, some stories using full black ink, but it's a wonderful mixture that produces one of the best horror collections in recent memory. If you haven't bought your copy already, I urge you to do so and support this delightful and twisted author.
2658976
I really enjoyed this collection of short stories and thought this author has an amazing ability to give readers a sense of the story. A short story is a different type of writing and in this collection I found supernatural, spiritual, paranormal and a wonderful journey. I am a fan of short stories and was a bit leery when I first grabbed this book, needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised and couldn't put the book down. I won't go into the story lines as they are varied, but I have to say this a a book lovers of quite a few genres will find interesting. Great job to an author I wait to read more of.
2181955
A Box of Dreams is a striking and attractive package of Denis Bells imaginings. These 26 short fictions are in turn reality-bending, strange, disturbing, hilarious, enigmatic, and a few need to be read more than once to grasp the meaning of the ending; others are left for the reader to surmise. Each story is a gem in its own right, but together with Louise Freshman Browns extraordinary illustrations, the collection is a rich collaboration of art and language.
 Of the 26 stories, I found the first story in the collection, Time Lapse, smart and sassy. Its about a philosophy professor who, after being shown a best-selling book of short stories by his daughter, decides he can be a creative writer too; he sends his story to numerous publications and is rejected over and over again by the editors, the rejection letters filled with clichs most writers are familiar with. One in particular he finds particularly galling. He decides to get even by fashioning a new piece that satirizes the pretentious claptrap of the editors reply. He waits for a replythen discovers that the publication has gone under following the editors deathrevenge denied. Another story which caught my attention is the slightly more than one page, Turkey, about roasting a turkey from the turkeys perspective. And of course, there are many others to tickle the imaginations of flash and short fiction readers.  Sandy Raschke, Calliope Fiction Editor
2745218
I very much enjoyed this collection of short stories that all have an unexpected twist. I usually am not a huge fan of short stories as I have a hard time getting into them, but Daniela's style hooked me into each and every story. Living in Switzerland, I especially enjoyed the fact that a few stories take place here. I was especially touched by the first story - I could feel the man's despair and suffering and actually had tears in my eyes when I reached the end of the story and the synchronicity it reveals. I loved that all the stories are so different, yet they all share an element of asking you to suspend belief and to step into a world where anything is possible. A beautiful collection of short stories I will certainly come back to.