There Once Lived a Girl Who Seduced Her Sister's Husband, and He Hanged Himself

Calling these short stories "love stories," might be a bit of a stretch but that does not diminish their greatness. Raw, cruel, ironic, and playful these short stories won't leave your brain. Written by one of Russia's most acclaimed living writers; these stories are bleak, realistic, relatable, and compelling. From illicit trysts, divorce, children born out of wedlock, poverty, alcoholism, to horrible living conditions- readers are pulled along through a world of bleak (yet realistic) tales of woe and small triumphs. A fantastically quick read. I look forward to reading more of her short story collections!

If It Bleeds

Another stellar collection from Stephen King! Four short stories, each compelling, dark, but not super creepy. In Mr. Harrigan's Phone, a young boy starts to work for the introverted old billionaire down the street. What happens after his death defies belief - or does it? The Life of Chick is a multi-layered story told in three parts and in reverse. The world is slowly ending - internet and power are going out worldwide, California has fallen into the ocean, Asia is starving, and someone named Chuck is all over the bill boards. Who is Chuck? If It Bleeds is a short story featuring Holly and Jerome from the Bill Hodges trilogy. What if there is a new evil and the only who can stop it is Holly (my personal favorite in this collection)? Finally there is Rat, a story about a man willing to do anything to finish his novel. He goes out to his father's old cabin in the woods determined to get the story out of himself one way or another (very reminiscent of another Stephen King story that was turned into the movie Secret Window). Another stellar collection! I loved it! Give me more!

Legends of Lust

Hubba hubba! This is my second read by Autumn Bardot (I read Confessions of a Sheba Queen a few months ago) and I was NOT disappointed! I'm a relative newbie when it comes to erotica but I have always adored short stories and myths so this collection was gold for me! Bardot spins lusty tales out of many classic myths that readers know and love as well as introducing many tales that were new to me. From Africa to Japan to India to Egpyt to Ireland to America and more; there is something for everyone! Every tale is steamy, seductive, and deliciously naughty. In one story a faerie demands a toll from virgins passing through his woods; but what happens when he falls for one of the maidens? In another an Amazon goddess falls for a mortal man who knows how to do magical things to her body. In yet another one, the Native American trickster god, Kokopelli, seduces and impregnates young willing women while showing them a thing or two about pleasure. Each story is better than the next. A marvelous collection!

F*ckface

2020 has been a year of short story collections for me and I am not mad about it! This stellar collection didn't have one dud in it! Set in Appalachia, the stories touch on a myriad of subjects; roadkill, Dollyworld, high school reunions, corpses, forest fires, extra-marital affairs, and honey-bees to name a few. Each story is unique and packs a punch. This is a collection I will definitely return to. It's rough, uncouth, witty, and will stick in reader's minds like gum on a shoe.

Sansei and Sensibility

I liked the scope and uniqueness found in these short stories; from powerful grandmothers, to bathtubs, to dental hygienists who know too much, to interment camps this book has a bit of everything in it. The first half of the short stories aren't related to Jane Austen but are still profound and enjoyable. The second half of this collection turns each classic Jane Austen novel on it's head and gives it a Japanese American twist. I don't want to give anything away, but I will say they were very clever and were the most unique takes on Jane Austen that I've read in ages! Filled with beautiful prose; these unique short stories are worth a read!

Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger

Each short story was masterfully told with the characters leaping off the pages and into the readers mind. All stories centered on women: some teenagers, some seniors, some widowed, divorced, or mothers. All of them overcame some adversity or weathered some storm and got to a place where they could take it in stride and start the next chapter of their lives. Some are meek, some are vivacious, some are spunky; all are courageous in their own way. Each story was unique, wonderful, and hard to put down. A wonderful short story collection that I will definitely return to again!

Full Throttle

Everything short story in this collection is perfect. Literally. Every. One. As a librarian I ADORED Late Returns; a story about a bookmobile that happens to service ghosts intent on returning their overdue books. All I Care About is You didn't grab me at first, but two pages later I was sold and the ending threw me for a freaking loop. The world building in that short story is masterful and I read a whole novel set in that world! Faun was like Chronicles of Narnia meets Oz with a dark twist and characters who aren't very moral (karma bitch!). I could go on and on about how much I loved each story, but really, do yourself a freaking favor and read this book. The stories are dark, trippy, fantastical, amazingly well written, and impossible to put down or guess the ending to. I even loved the intro; Hill talks about all the influences he had while writing the book from Ray Bradbury to his father, Stephen King, to Lawrence Block and monster movies; Joe Hill credits a lot of amazing creators out there for helping inspire his unique style. It's a love letter written to the greats that us mere humans are lucky enough to get to read. An amazing collection and one I'll revisit again and again. Joe Hill's writing is only getting better and I can't wait to read what he writes next!!

Tacoma Stories

Tacoma Stories is a short story collection that spans sixty years and follows the lives of sixteen people who once all frequented the same dive bar in sleepy Tacoma, Washington. The characters are vivid and as varied as you can get; the stories highlighting different parts of their lives and their secrets; often times the characters will pop up in each others stories, never content to be alone. From love affairs to goat murder to Ted Bundy's house; this collection is all over the place, yet somehow so cohesive; the characters weaving in and out of each other's lives; often times in the most dramatic ways. Amusing, chilling, and sometimes downright bizarre, readers of short story collections with a unified theme will enjoy this.

Collision

I thought this collection of macabre short stories would be very fitting for Halloween so I was very pumped to try this author out. I'll admit I wasn't a fan of every story in the collection and I thought some were much stronger than others. I was however a huge fan of the afterword following each short story, which outlined the author's inspiration for each tale. It made me appreciate the stories a little more, even if I didn't love them all. From amputees to aliens to ghostly dogs and vile, monstrous acts; this collection really is all over the place. The writing is unique, lush, and dark; very fitting for all the stories. These aren't tales with happy endings where everything gets wrapped up neatly with a bow at the end. The final and longest story, was definitely my favorite. It felt the most complete and visceral for me; and I could absolutely see it being a movie or season of American Horror Story. It was very chilling and very well written. J.S. Breukelaar is definitely an author to watch out for!

Florida

This was an excellent short story collection, there wasn't a dud in the bunch! I thoroughly enjoyed all eleven stories, each of which had ties to Florida in one way or another; whether it was a setting, a hometown, a memory, etc. Florida loomed in the background of these taut tales. From surviving a hurricane while drunk and hallucinating to overcoming a childhood surrounded by snakes and an abusive father to a mother forgetting to prepare for Halloween, these stories are expertly crafted and executed. Each story is a little dark, has some seedy elements, and some very real characters, all in all very Florida-eqsue. A wonderful collection, I would love to read more short stories by Lauren Groff. It takes extreme talent to build characters, setting and plot in a few short pages but she does it exceedingly well!

You Think It, I'll Say It

Sittenfeld, Curtis. You Think It, I'll Say It. 6 CDs. unabridged. Books on Tape. 2018. ISBN 9780525527794. 

New York Times bestselling novelist, Curtis Sittenfeld (Prep, American Wife), switches gears with her first short story collection. Comprised of ten compelling and unique stories, this audiobook will draw readers in with its deeply flawed and deeply human characters that aren't soon forgotten. From a newlyweds on their honeymoon, to an unhappy housewife, to a young volunteer, to married acquaintances; each short story explores the reader's assumptions and initial reactions and then flips the script. Sittenfeld humanizes the seemingly mundane every day lives of her characters, making them fallible and relate-able. Exquisitely narrated by Emily Rankin and Mark Deacon; their strong engaging voices perfectly capture the many different characters. Rankin especially inserts charm, cadence, and vulnerability into her characters; making them even more real and accessible. A superbly narrated, standout collection of short stories with mass appeal. - Erin Cataldi, Johnson Co. Public Library, Franklin, IN

Blockade Billy

Not my favorite Stephen King short story collection, but still masterfully written. Unlike the title suggests there is more than one story included in this book. "Blockade Billy," the gruesome and surprising baseball story is up first, followed by "Morality" which is a chilling tale about how far people will go for money. Both were well written, but neither appealed to me. "Blockade Billy" is definitely geared for the sports fanatic, it contains a lot of heavy duty baseball writing and terminology while "Morality," focuses on money, relationships, and you guessed it... morality. A quick read with good suspenseful build up and witty dialogue.

Canto Bight

This was a quick and fun read that takes place in the Star Wars Universe. Canto Bight is the Casino planet featured in The Last Jedi and it's basically a higher stakes version of Las Vegas. It's a prosperous city with a dark underbelly that will always thrive on greed and war. This book features four short stories by notable sci-fi authors that take place on the casino planet. None of them feature any major characters from the Star Wars series, but there are a few mentions of the impending war and the First Order. The stories feature thugs, gamblers, wine sommeliers, tourists, masseuses, and more. The stories are all vastly different and contain a great number of different species, plot lines, and adventure. They were all fun and entertaining and I would definitely read another compilation like this.

Uncommon Type

A gem of a collection, short stories varying from war stories to surfing to housewives to bowling, acting and friendships; prove that Tom Hanks is a very talented writer as well as actor. Some stories were very short and some were more moderate in length, but all were amazing and witty. I was very impressed, he's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve! Tom Hanks also narrates the audiobook version which is just the icing on the cake, listening to him do voices and expressions really adds to the stories. I wouldn't say these stories are "literary" per se, but they are plenty good and I look forward to seeing what Tom Hanks is up to next.

Flying Lessons & Other Stories

A collection of young adult short stories by diverse authors. Edited by Ellen Oh, the co-founder of the we need diverse books movement, this collection contains short stories from diverse young adult authors such as: Walter Dean Myers, Kwame Alexander, Matt de la Pena, Tim Tingle and more. Touching on a variety of topics from Bigfoot, basketball, racism, girl pirates, and difficult family situations, this collection is sure to have something for everyone. An essential addition for diverse young adult literature and easy enough reading to attract even middle grade readers.

Mexico

I've been on a short story kick and was definitely in the mood for this. Some of the short stories in here were slam dunks and others were odd ducks, with rushed endings and bizarre plots. For example, the opening story is beyond bizarre and flirts with cannibalism, drug lords, and ancient Aztec gods. All of the stories revolve around Mexico City and many of the characters are Americans or whites living in the city, viewing it through their lenses. Most, if not all, are crime stories as they apply to every day people; teachers, painters, journalists, students, mimes, etc. A lot of gang violence, drugs, rival Narco leaders and more. Dark, gritty, unexpected, this was an interesting read.

I received this book for free from Librarything in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

Things We Lost in the Fire

A fascinating, dark, and intriguing glimpse into the modern day lives of Argentinians. Told in short stories, Mariana Enriquez, brings the mundane, the dark, the unimaginable, and the supernatural to the forefront. Each story is unique; the characters flawed, questioning, and wholly real. From a haunted house, jealous friends, river monsters, to burning women. This collection is not for the faint of heart, but it is so very rewarding and beautifully written and translated. In the same vein as Stephen King and Joe Hill, these haunting short stories will have readers hooked and questioning. Definitely looking forward to reading more by this author.

My True Love Gave to Me

I LOVED this short story collection! I just want to wrap up this book and give it to all my friends for Christmas. It's freaking adorable! The collection of authors who have stories in here is impressive, they're all kings and queens of the YA market. There is Holly Black, Rainbow Rowell, David Levithan, Gayle Forman, Laini Taylor and several more. Each short story is holiday themed romance, but beyond that, they vary wildly! There is Hannakuh, New Years, Krampus Day; Kelly Link throws some fantasy in her London Christmas story, David Levithan throws ho ho homosexuals in (adorable and sad story, as always), Holly Black gets wild in "Krampuslauf," and there is much much more. I read this book in a span of one day, and I was not disappointed in a single story! I think my two favorites were by Holly Black and Stephanie Perkins. This is a must read for teens and adults this holiday season. You seriously won't be disappointed. Best holiday book I've read in a long time, perhaps... ever?!

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven

I don't know how I made it through life not having read this book. It had a profound impact on me, the lyrical prose, beauty, heartbreak, and cultural awareness that this book brings is beyond impressive. A collection of short stories about growing up on the Spokane reservation and dealing with alcohol, corrupt government agencies, tradition, love, basketball, culture, and more. Some stories make you laugh but many more make you depressed. It's a book that demands to be felt and is wonderful in getting people to understand at least a little bit of the struggle that Native Americans deal with on a daily basis. Alexie is a gifted storyteller and weaves his words to create dozens of poetic and moving stories that readers will think about long after they finish the book. I can't wait to watch the movie adaptation, Smoke Signals. I hope it does the book justice!

Summer Days and Summer Nights

I read the first collection, "My True Love Gave to Me" and I LOVED IT! I was a little scared that I had set the bar too high on this follow up, but no worries. I loved this one just as much. There is an amazing slew of teen authors who contributed to this: Francesca Lia Block (although her contribution was my least favorite, it's a darker depressing one - so basically her style), Libba Bray, Veronica Roth, Cassandra Clare, Leigh Bardugo, and more. Each story is a summer romance, but other than that they are all unique. There is a sci-fi one, a gay one, a fantasy one, a futuristic one, and more. My favorite one may have been  "Last Stand at the Cinegore" because everything about that short story was hilarious and memorable. Overall, a wonderful collection that you will want to come back to time and again. I certainly plan on buying it for my personal collection!