These two paranormal sisters are just trying to find out a little bit more about Halloween. They just want to be a part of their neighbourhood. But then they’re seen and all hell breaks loose.
I have a younger sister, so I’m all for sisterly bonding. And, honestly, I get really excited whenever there is a story which features some kind of sisterly bonding – I don’t think that there’s nearly enough of these types of stories out there. Or at least, in my shelves. Having said that, not so much into the sisterly bonding that occurs in this short story. There was just something a little too twisted. And as much as I love my baby sister… this is not on the cards for ways that we would bond. Sorry Tal!
Having said all of that, I loved the lore that was involved in creating this world. I feel like it could be incredibly fun and difficult to forget. I would love to know more about such a created reality. Even though this is a standalone and I won’t get the privilege to do so. I might just have to search out more of Brian Evenson’s writings instead…
When you think about some of our practices, they’re kind of odd. Especially if you look at it as though you had never heard of, seen or experienced them. Yes, I’m talking about Christmas, Halloween, those practices. And, coming up to Christmas, it was quite fun to have both of these celebrations explained by alien life forms in quite a dark and plain way. I frequently laughed out loud and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Definitely a fun, and quite dark story about sisters, family and Halloween.
Title: A Wish to Build a Dream On Author: Michelle Willingham In: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance (Trisha Telep) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Fae, Romance, Time travel Dates read: 14th December 2019 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Robinson Year: 2009 5th sentence, 74th page: She took a deep breath, knowing he needed to understand everything.
She’s getting over a bad breakup. And all she wants is to find a man who can love her for herself. Yet, a wish made in a faery circle might have the power to change her fate and give her the family she’s always longed for.
If I had one wish… I don’t know what it would be. It would depend on my mood, surroundings, the sun, the moon. I’m a pretty indecisive person. But, this story really did make me think about what that one wish actually would be. The title alone gets you into this mood… A Wish to Build a Dream On is kind of reminiscent of a wish upon a star from Disney… or at least, that’s how I felt about it. There is something beautiful and lingering in the feeling of this story.
Having said all of that, the lead woman in this story is damn sure of what her wish is. And I loved the simplicity of this. Her dream is simply to have a family – a man that loves her for who she is, and children to come along. It would be one of my top dreams (I already have half of it though) … but I love that this is about someone who just wants to be loved. Who just wants to find a happily ever after that she can be happy with.
The best thing about this story though is that it is incredibly sweet and easy. It isn’t an insanely, tragically complex tale. It isn’t about lust and sex. Rather, it is just about true love and finding a version of happily ever after that makes you happy. Not anyone else’s version. And that means finding someone who completely accepts you for what you are, not an idealised version.
Title: Black as Ink Author: Tanith Lee In: Red as Blood (Tanith Lee) Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Easy reading, Fairy tales Dates read: 14th December 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Wildside Year: 1983 5th sentence, 74th page: You hear me?
When Victor sees the woman of his dreams across the lake, he becomes infatuated. That is, until he meets the uncle. Years later, he runs across the same girl. And discovers that she has become black as ink.
Unlike the rest of the short stories in the Red as Blood collection, this is not a retelling of any fairy tale that I recognise. Yet, there was still that lilting, fairy tale feel to the tale that made me feel like almost, almost this could be a story which I’ve read before. If I could just remember it… that’s how it felt anyway.
As with many of the stories in this collection, the ending to this was a little tragic. Actually, something about the poetic sweetness of the ending made it all that much more unfortunate. Especially since at the beginning you kind of believe that this could be a love story… hint. It’s not. It’s something… darker about our hidden instincts and desires. The ones that are black as ink.
Like the rest of the short stories in this collection, Black as Ink is kind of dark. A little bit twisted. And a really, really enjoyable read. One that I will probably pick up again in the future when I don’t want / need all those happily ever afters that tend to fill my shelves.
Title: Sweetbitter Author: Stephanie Danler Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Food, Wine Dates read: 3rd – 14th December 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Oneworld Year: 2016 5th sentence, 74th page: No change in temperature arrived.
Tess is the 22-year-old narrator of this stunning first novel. Moving to New York, a place at the centre of the universe, from a place that feels like ‘nowhere to live’, she lands a job at a renowned Union Square restaurant and begins to navigate the chaotic and punihsing life of a waiter, on and off duty. As her appetites awaken – not just for food and wine but also for knowledge and friendship – Tess becomes helplessly drawn into a dark, alluring love triangle.
Sweetbitter is a novel of the senses. Of taste and hunger, of love and desire, and the wisdom that comes from our experiences, both sweet and bitter.
From the cover, the title and the blurb on this book, I was expecting something that was kind of sweet and easy. Sure, a little bit lustful. But overall? A nice, easy, sweet read. Man was I wrong. This was kind of dark, didn’t really have that hopeful feeling I was expecting. And really lent more towards the bitter end of the spectrum than sweet. But it was also brilliant and next to impossible to put down.
As someone who has worked on and off in hospitality for the past 13 years, there was a lot about this story that was completely relatable. I may not have ever worked in such a nice establishment (country pubs, tiny cafes and small wineries being my area of expertise), but the requirements and draining aspects of service… yup. I get that. And it made me very, very, very glad that I recently left the industry. I’m hoping this time forever… but I said that last time too…
One thing that I really didn’t have in common with Tess in this story was the sex, drugs and alcohol. It was one of the most relatable insights into this world and excess that I have ever read. I may push the boundaries a little, but I don’t have anything to do with drugs and even that level of alcohol consumption is off my charts. So it was intriguing to read a story that didn’t make it seem cool or great, but also didn’t completely condemn the practice either. Very intriguing. Which is probably why, even when I wanted to reach through the pages and tell her to get out of the whole she was digging, I couldn’t stop being fascinated by Tess’s choices.
I thought that Sweetbitter was an incredibly interesting title when I grabbed this up. I only got it because it had a wine glass on the cover, and I needed that for a reading challenge… but, regardless. After reading this, I completely understand where the title comes from. Although I mostly felt seriously uncomfortable about this story, and understood the bitter aspect… there were moments of incredible sweetness of self and a great sense of understanding of self at the end of the journey. It wasn’t hopeful, it wasn’t a great journey of self-discovery, but it had this idea of sweetness at the very conclusion.
I’ve always struggled with the fact that people think I’m pretty before they bother with my personality. I’m pretty sure that like Tess, I’ve probably been offered jobs based on this. But I’ve never wanted to trade on my physicality. It was intriguing to read a story with a heroine, not much younger than me went completely the opposite direction. She actually chose to trade on her looks, and ignore her own mind. That is, until she realised that she could have both. Something I’m still trying to figure out…
Title: She Has Her Mother’s Laugh Author: Carl Zimmer Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Biology, Non-fiction, Science Dates read: 1st – 13th December 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Non-fictional text, Novel Publisher: Picador Year: 2018 5th sentence, 74th page: He wasn’t any fonder of that school either, considering it nothing but “a convenient way to keep the sons of rich Philadelphia Quakers out of mischief.”
Carl Zimmer presents a history of our understanding of heredity in this sweeping, resonating overview of a force that shaped human society–a force set to shape our future even more radically.
She Has Her Mother’s Laugh presents a profoundly original perspective on what we pass along from generation to generation. Charles Darwin played a crucial part in turning heredity into a scientific question, and yet he failed spectacularly to answer it. The birth of genetics in the early 1900s seemed to do precisely that. Gradually, people translated their old notions about heredity into a language of genes. As the technology for studying genes became cheaper, millions of people ordered genetic tests to link themselves to missing parents, to distant ancestors, to ethnic identities. . . .
But, Zimmer writes, “Each of us carries an amalgam of fragments of DNA, stitched together from some of our many ancestors. Each piece has its own ancestry, traveling a different path back through human history. A particular fragment may sometimes be cause for worry, but most of our DNA influences who we are–our appearance, our height, our penchants–in inconceivably subtle ways.” Heredity isn’t just about genes that pass from parent to child. Heredity continues within our own bodies, as a single cell gives rise to trillions of cells that make up our bodies. We say we inherit genes from our ancestors–using a word that once referred to kingdoms and estates–but we inherit other things that matter as much or more to our lives, from microbes to technologies we use to make life more comfortable. We need a new definition of what heredity is and, through Carl Zimmer’s lucid exposition and storytelling, this resounding tour de force delivers it.
Weaving historical and current scientific research, his own experience with his two daughters, and the kind of original reporting expected of one of the world’s best science journalists, Zimmer ultimately unpacks urgent bioethical quandaries arising from new biomedical technologies, but also long-standing presumptions about who we really are and what we can pass on to future generations.
I remember studying genetics and heredity in my first year of Biology at University. It’s not the most engaging of subjects. Actually, it can be downright tedious at times. I was a little bit hesitant at reading this book. I really only got it to try and complete the Pick Your Poison reading challenge. Which meant I was pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed this so much.
This is one of the best approaches to genetic and heredity explanations that I have ever come across. Instead of just reporting the facts (as most classes and textbooks have to do), it’s full of stories. Anecdotal tales of heredity across the ages which are then used to explain how genes are passed on from mother to daughter, father to son, so on and so forth. And it all starts with a personal story, pulling you into Zimmer’s journey from the beginning – because it actually affects him.
This is definitely a book that I’ll reread in the future. It’s one that has so much information in it that you can’t possibly absorb it all the first time. And, unlike some of the non-fiction books I’ve read, I’m actually looking forward to rereading this. After all, it relates directly to my own field of obsession (ecology), and, if I want children in the future… it will affect them too.
She Has Her Mother’s Laugh is not only a great read, it is also incredibly informative. The mix of personal and informative is perfectly balanced and seriously enjoyable. Not the kind of book that I’m likely to forget at any point in the future.
Title: Arousal Author: Richard Christian Matheson In: Alien Sex (Ellen Datlow) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Lust, Twisted romance Dates read: 13th December 2019 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: ROC Year: 1990 5th sentence, 74th page: He tied her to the bedposts with silk scarves and blew softly onto her salty mouth, gently kissed her eyelids.
All she wanted was one night of passion. Something that made her feel things that her husband just can’t… but sometimes such things come at a price… a very expensive one.
Everything in life has a cost. Sometimes the cost is worth it, sometimes you discover afterwards, not so much… and this short story highlights that even arousal comes at a cost. Most of the time it’s one we’re willing to pay, but in the case of this story… she really isn’t willing to pay for what she gets. And it becomes quite tragic quickly after this.
As with all of the short stories in the Alien Sex collection, this is horrifying. At first I was like, okay, being seduced by a demonic force. Been there, read that. And then you get to the conclusion. And you realise that the price is WAY more intense than anything I’ve ever read. Intense, terrifying and a great reminder that sometimes you just need to keep it in your pants and be faithful to the one you love.
Great sex is important. But, sometimes you should settle for good sex and a great relationship. At least, that’s what I got from this story – she’s on the prowl because her husband isn’t able to take her to the super high happy place. The price that she pays to get there… seriously not worth it. Like ick, ew, they did not live happily ever after.
She’s banished him to purgatory for the past three and a half years. But now she brings him back to protect her from a greater evil. Will they survive or will he turn on this powerful witch?
So far in the collection of Urban Enemies, this is the most coherent story. All the other stories, you definitely have to read the rest of the series, or at least some of it, to understand the characters. To the point that I’ve almost given up… almost. And then you get a story like this… which makes sense completely on its own. I still feel like I need to read the series attached to this. But because it was such a great story, not because I finished it and sat there wondering “huh”?
You can tell that this short story takes place at a critical turning point in the series timeline. It is the turning of the world – from our current reality, to one in which magic is commonplace and there are greater battles going on. See how much I can get out of a well written short story? Actually, the entire turning of reality seriously intrigued me and now I want to know how that happened, why and what’s going to happen next… pity there’s such a thing as a budget, hey?
I like that this seems to be an enemies to friends kind of story. I don’t really read many of them, but the consensus I got was that the Big Bad Wolf (or angel, whatever) is starting to question his reality and motives. And, in doing so, understanding that of the “good witch”. It’ll be interesting to see how this change in perspectives changes the rest of the series narrative.
Title: The Princess and the Peas Author: Alyssa Day In: The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance (Trisha Telep) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Fae, Paranormal romance Dates read: 13th December 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Robinson Year: 2009 5th sentence, 74th page: Rhys’ niece gasped.
A spoilt princess is about to run a test on the visiting fae… one that could potentially cost her life and the existence of a treaty.
I absolutely adored this take on The Princess and the Pea. I have no idea where the original story is from, but I might actually prefer this version of the fairy tale. It’s a little bit more gutsy, and considering the fact that I tend to find princesses in fairy tales mostly tedious, I loved that the spoilt princess in this completely got her comeuppance in the end.
One of the parts of this story that I enjoyed the most was the fact that it incorporated the fae into the storyline. I’m always a fan of any story involving the fae. Especially when it sticks to the more traditional ideas of them being incredibly dangerous and quite difficult to deal with. Partner this with a Lady’s Maid who has independence, strength and a moral compass of her own… well, of course I fell in love. This does tend to be a fairly typical trend with Day’s writings though.
The main message in this story – karma’s a bitch. And if you’re a bitch, karma is definitely going to get you. If you’re good, then you’ll get a good ending. Especially if you somehow have a tie to the fae courts…
Title: Committed: A Love Story Author: Elizabeth Gilbert Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Marriage, Memoirs, Non-fiction Dates read: 10th – 12th December 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Novel Publisher: Bloomsbury Year: xx 5th sentence, 74th page: Anyhow, to be perfectly honest, I find it a bit crazy that social conservatives are fighting so hard against this at all, considering that it’s quite a positive thing for society in general when as many intact families as possible live under the estate of matrimony.
At the end of Eat, Pray, Love Elizabeth Gilbert fell in love with Felipe, a Brazilian-born Australian citizen. Resettling in America, they swore eternal fidelity, but also (each a survivor of a divorce. Enough said) swore never, ever, to get married. But when providence intervened in the form of the US government, they faced a stark choice: either marry, or Felipe could never return to the US. Effectively sentenced to wed, Gilbert delves into the subject of marriage and, debunking myths, unthreading fears, celebrating love, suggests that sometimes even the most romantic of souls must trade in amorous fantasies for the humbling responsibility of adulthood.
This is one of the best memoirs I’ve read in a long time! It’s realistic, honest, and most of the flaws that Gilbert highlights in herself are the ones that I see in myself. And this is the most realistic approach to marriage, love and happily ever afters that I have ever read. There isn’t this party line that just because you love you should get married and everything will work out perfectly… rather, it’s a commitment that you make and a discussion that you constantly have.
I love that rather than wanting to be married, Gilbert spends the entire time within this story finding her reason to tie the knot for the second time. Rather than just trying to fit her ideals into the more traditional outlook of marriage. I’m at a point in my life myself that I’m not sure what I want out of it. How I want to fit in with the ideas surrounding family, career and womanhood. And reading a novel with a woman who is juggling similar issues (although coming at it from a different point of view) actually helped to make me feel far more settled than I have been in a long time.
For someone like me who is in a forever relationship, but not actually married, I loved how Gilbert was able to make the distinction between this. That just because you want to be with someone for the rest of your life, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are married – or that you have to get married. At least, that’s what I get out of this – marriage is a pathway you can choose to take, but if you don’t, that’s also okay.
I would suggest this book for anyone who wants to get married. It is the most realistic and insightful take I have ever read on the institution. It is filled completely with love, but also a great dose of realism. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll love that it’s not about the sugar-coated sweet, happily ever after version. But more so about finding a way to have a marriage that will last.
Title: Signed Confession Author: Martin Feekins In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Crime, Gender, Historical fiction Dates read: 12th December 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Robinson Year: 2015 5th sentence, 74th page: In the interests of equal rights, I am going home and you can finish the work here, work that can be done equally well by a man as by a woman.
Twenty-two years have passed since the last Jack the Ripper murder and change is in the air. But when one woman’s walk home quickly turns sinister, she discovers that the darkness might not have completely left her city.
This short story takes place twenty-two years after the final canon Ripper murder. Unlike all of the other stories in this collection which take place in either modern-day society or at the time of the murders. It was nice to have a story that not only left you with an idea of some of the scars left on the city, but also with a bit of an ending to the Ripper tale.
Jack the Ripper is the most famous of serial killers. He’s the one that is known across the world in almost every household. Even if you don’t even know what he did, you know the name. Which meant that it was kind of beautifully poetic that throughout this story… it’s kind of about him not having that immortality. There is a chance that his true identity will be revealed. But rather than allowing that, the lead female decides that it’s better if some things are kept secret.
This story also highlights that turning of women’s rights. The beginning stirrings of fighting for a right to vote, a right to exist, and a right to be. It’s only touched upon, but it’s enough of a story line that you don’t want to forget about it.
Earth and Skye 