Title: The Waterfowl Tree Author: William Kittredge In: The Mammoth Book of Westerns (Jon E. Lewis) Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one) My Bookshelves:Westerns Dates read: 15th November 2020 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Robinson Year: 1966 5th sentence, 74th page: “Just lay quiet.”
This is a slightly tragic and bittersweet Western short story.
This is yet another slightly tragic short story. I’m kind of getting used to that in most of the westerns that I’ve been reading…
Although I didn’t get super pulled into the storyline, it felt like a tale about missed chances and lost loves. Which is a wonderful kind of story. I love tales about missed chances and lost loves – they’re so bittersweet and lonely.
Like this short story. Cute, lonely and bittersweet.
Tim is on a farewell tour to remember his late wife. When he overhears people in the room next door to him, he realises how thin the walls truly are. And his wish to honour his wife is truly tested.
I figured that this short story would have something to do with succubus, or some paranormal element of that character. After all, it starts with a man alone in a hotel room, with a woody, listening to others have sex. And it’s in a collection of paranormal fantasy stories. It wasn’t exactly a big leap. But, it did end in a way that I wasn’t completely expecting. And I did appreciate quite a bit.
I really don’t love the idea of people ever being able to overhear me and my SO in a hotel room. It’s pretty ick. And I really don’t like the idea of overhearing somebody else. Luckily, at this point in life, it hasn’t actually happened to me. But this storyline… and what happens when Tim overhears certain things… yeah, it added an extra layer of ick to the whole storyline.
Aside from the many ick factors throughout this story, I did love that ultimately, the “vacation” is a farewell tour for a lost wife. It was incredibly sweet and cute. Something that I can imagine doing if I lost my SO… touring all of the places that were important to us and just… remembering.
Title: Another One in from the Cold Author: Marion Arnott In: The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Marie O’Regan) Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this) My Bookshelves:Ghosts, War Dates read: 15th November 2020 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Robinson Year: 2012 5th sentence, 74th page: But the smiling boy in the stiff new uniform was a composition in shades of shadow; even the tartan trews and diced cap, which she knew to be bright colours, were grey and greyish and darker grey.
It doesn’t matter how many generations go by, it’s important to bring in loved ones from the cold. Particularly in this short story that focuses on those lost in the period of the World Wars.
This story is very true to its title – bringing in loved ones from the cold. It’s about returning lost ones from the World Wars to family. Even if its almost 100 years after they were lost. It’s about loved ones and the people that we have lost and making sure that they return to the fold, eventually.
I know next to nothing about my ancestors, so having a story that has psychics focusing on ancestors and general returning of the loved and lost made me feel a little nostalgic. And honestly lonely. After all, I have very few ties to ancestors and can’t imagine the strength of these connections. It helped to add to the sense of tragedy that this story left in me.
Another One in from the Cold is a reminder that it is important to return, even if it is generations after death. After all, family is still family.
When you were a kid did you long to put on your cowboy boots, belt on your guns, saddle up, and ride off to find adventures? Did you sit glued to the TV watching The Lone Ranger, Marverick, bonanza, The Wild Wild West, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. and Firefly, to name just a few of the many series that have been popular over the last sixty years? And were you caught up in movies like Outlands, Time Bandits, Serenity, or Back to the Future Part III? If so, Westward Weird is the book for you.
The thirteen original stories included here ride a very broad range between science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal – and all of htem are told from a Wild West perspective. So get ready for some good old-fashioned adventure as:
The Old Gods cross paths in the Old West
Two thieves are given a job they can’t refuse, but no one told them they’d encounter aliens along the way
A mining family never expected their claim to be jumped from parallel universes
A Mars colony may be about to find out exactly how the West was won
Cowboys will be hard-pressed to ride herd on the living dead
This was a fantastic collection that introduced me to a genre that I never really knew existed – Weird westerns. I absolutely loved it. Whilst I haven’t really been getting into Westerns all that much, I most definitely love the science fiction and fantasy spin to the topic. Now I have a whole new genre to read and things to fill my shelves with… that wish list just keeps on growing.
Now that I’ve read this collection, I need to find a few weird western full-length novels. After all, it’s a genre that I’ve most definitely fallen in love with and want even more of. I can’t wait to read more and more weird westerns and fill my brain with all sorts of cyborg wild west stories. Tales of werewolves and vampires. And just…. Fun.
This is a fantastic collection that not only fits great into my shelf of books that I already own, but it also introduced me to a great new sub-genre, authors and just… fun. Now I need to save up some money to get some of the books that this has left on my wishlist…
Presenting… the sixth annual More Than Words anthology
Five bestselling authors Five real-life heroines
Little by little, one person at a time, we can make our world a better place. The five dedicated women selected as this year’s recipients of Harlequin’s More Than Words award have done just that, by discovering a seed of compassion, and nurturing it to effect real change in their communities. To celebrate their accomplishments, five bestselling authors have honored the winners by writing short stories inspired by these real-life heroines.
We hope More Than Words inspires you to look into your heart and find the heroine who lives within.
I bought this anthology with no idea what to expect. I only knew that there was a Virgin River novella in it somewhere. And now I want to get my hands on all of the More Than Words books that I can find. I love that not only are they gorgeous little romances. But they also incorporate charities and amazing activities which are run by some incredibly awe-inspiring women. What a fantastic collection!
I found the idea of creating an anthology around five charities and women who have created them to be seriously unique. And brilliant. Hence, the fact that I want to buy the rest of these books. I mean, how cool is it that this book not only is an amazingly fun and beautiful read, but also a way to promote some great causes. It also manages to place a face to those who would most benefit from funding going to such charities.
This was a fantastic collection that not only had me feeling happy and all dopey and lovey (which is honestly why I read romances), but also hopeful about the world. After all, every one of these stories had a happily ever after. And the horrible things in the world aren’t necessarily always horrible. Or at least, in these hopeful stories, there are still happily ever afters…
Title: Oona Underground Author: Lili Wilkinson In: Begin, End, Begin (Danielle Binks) Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Contemporary, LGBTQI Dates read: 14th November 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Year: 2017 5th sentence, 74th page: I desperately want to know what Oona is thinking, how she feels about what happened.
She’ll follow Oona anywhere. Including underground to the Witch’s Ball and the answers that they may or may not find there.
What a cute, adorable and beautiful love story. Two girls who are best friends and both want something more, journeying to a Witch to find out their fate. It’s a little teenager-y and in some moments, frustrating. But it’s also really well written and interesting. Plus, it’s incredibly sweet and left me with a happy, content smile on my lips after I turned the final page.
I honestly don’t know if I could love like the girl who follows Oona in this story. I mean, I feel like I would follow my SO anywhere, but I really can’t guarantee that that would be the case. And it’s a depth of faith and commitment that just seems unfathomable. A terrifying depth of faith and commitment that I just can’t quite fathom…
This whole short story felt very fae and dreamlike. It had this incredibly ethereal quality that left me drifting along with the words. Content and happy to experience Oona Underground.
Title: Temptation in a Kilt Author: Victoria Roberts Series: Bad Boys of the Highlands #1 Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Historical romance, Scottish romance Dates read: 9th – 14th November 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca Year: 2012 5th sentence, 74th page: “Aye.”
SHE’S ON HER WAY TO SAFETY It’s a sign of Lady Rosalia Armstrong’s desperation that she’s seeking refuge in a place as rugged and challenging as the Scottish Highlands. She doesn’t care about hardship and discomfort, if only she can become master of her own life. Laird Ciaran MacGregor, however, is completely beyond her control…
HE REDEFINES DANGEROUS… Ciaran MacGregor knows it’s perilous to get embroiled with a fiery Lowland lass, especially one as headstrong as Rosalia. Having made a rash promise to escort her all the way to Glengarry, now he’s stuck with her, even though she challenges his legendary prowess at every opportunity. When temptation reaches its peak, he’ll be ready to show her who he really is… on and off the battlefield.
This novel was easy, fun and seriously enjoyable. Like most of the historical romances in my shelves, it was enough to make me feel like I was transported in time. But not so much that I got annoyed with women’s rights. Although, this did touch well upon the issues that women would have faced at this point in time… particularly Rosalia’s history and experiences.
Rosalia and Ciaran are an amazing couple. They’re so alike, yet a great balance for one another in their differences. They’re also both annoyingly stubborn – a good match which I, myself can attest to, and fiercely independent. Although, considering Rosalia’s past, it’s somewhat surprising. And Ciaran’s stubbornness almost brings them both undone…
As Rosalia’s backstory is revealed, my heart broke a little more each time. It was seriously tragic and painful. But, it also made her ten thousand times more loveable as the story unfolded. I love when characters’ backstories are slowly reeled out and you get to enjoy learning about them in bits and pieces. Kind of like when you meet somebody in real life…
Although I loved this romance, I did find Beathag a bit of a terrifying villain. She’s pure evil and definitely not the kind of woman that I would want to mess with. At the beginning, I felt like the mentions of her were just a bit annoying and a way to show that Ciaran was no virgin. But, as the story developed, it became much more obvious that she was a key character and so not somebody that you wanted in the story. It was wonderfully done.
I seriously enjoyed this novel. But Aisling and Declan both stole the show a little bit. Partly that’s a good thing since X Marks the Scot is about Declan. But Aisling is definitely a character that I wish had her own story… doubtful considering she’s already married in this novel, and this is a historical romance series…
Madison doesn’t like that she had to move to a small town to spend time with her Dad. She doesn’t like her school. And she doesn’t like that she was forced to go to a lame, pirate themed prom. But she’s going to like what happens next even less…
Well, this story certainly features the worst birthday and prom ever. Yet, it was also the best kind of prom to read about. After all, it involved death and reapers and all sorts of mysteries that I can’t wait to stop and unravel. There’s most definitely a reason for my current obsession / love of Kim Harrison…
There is something about world building that always draws me in completely. Particularly when it is done so beautifully and succinctly in a novella. I’m already drawn into the world of Madison Avery and all of its law. And, even though the lead character is a girl that would usually just frustrate the heck out of me (she’s so against being a part of anything that she’s coming off as snobbish), it somehow all works together brilliantly.
I love that there is a whole heap of reaper lore in this story. There’s good reapers and bad reapers. And then all sorts of mystery and backstory that I really, really want to dig into! I can’t wait to find more stories which feature this lore and world building.
It sucks to die on your birthday, but the greater mystery in this story is one that fascinates me….
Title: Let Loose Author: Mary Cholmondeley In: The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Marie O’Regan) Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one) My Bookshelves:Ghosts, Horror, Vampires Dates read: 14th November 2020 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Robinson Year: 1902 5th sentence, 74th page: The moon in its various quarterings has always exerted a marked influence on what I may call the sub-dominant, namely, the poetic side of my nature.
He always wears unexpectedly high collars, but the reason behind his decision making all has to do with an open crypt. And a series of mistakes.
In the incredibly intense journey that The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women has so far taken me on, this is less terrifying. Not to say that it wasn’t still a little bit spine-tingling. But it just wasn’t as can’t sleep at night as many of the other stories.
I liked the interesting setup within this story – after all, it was a tale within a tale. I didn’t really like the guy who told either tale. After all, one married the sister, and the whole thing was just… icky feeling. But I did like the format of the story. And the writing style. I just didn’t love the actual storyline.
I’m pretty sure that this story was about vampires. Or at least, releasing the evil beings from the tomb. It’s a reminder to maybe just let the dead sleep and leave them in peace.
Title: Lone Wolf Author: Jody Lynn Nye In: Westward Weird (Martin H. Greenberg & Kerrie Hughes) Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Weird western, Werewolves Dates read: 14th November 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Daw Books Year: 2012 5th sentence, 74th page: I never want to hear that woman’s name again!
His little sister was taken in the middle of the night by a werewolf. So, along with his best friend (and her beau), they plan to take matters into their own hands and find themselves some revenge…
I did guess the ending of this and the whole werewolf thing about halfway through this story. Which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I did enjoy the fact that it was such a nice, easy story though. After all, sometimes reading short stories is all about having a nice, easy read.
I loved the ending of this short story. Namely the fact that Jo is just going to get into SO much damn trouble. After all, she’s kind of a dick in this… so I relish the idea that she’s going to get into trouble for her actions. Although, it was also nice to see her stand up for herself.
This story ended with a kind of happily ever after… yes, Jo is going to get in trouble. But, ultimately, almost everyone gets what they wanted.
Earth and Skye 