Jamilti and Other Stories

by Rutu Modan, 174 pages

This collection of short graphical stories covers such topics as serial killers, theme-hotel management, family, adolescence, plastic surgery, obsession, suicide bombers, fandom, and creative identity.

These are odd, moving, darkly funny little stories that make you go hmmm and then look for more of Modan's work.

"Break Any Woman Down" by Dana Johnson

157 pages


In this collection of short stories, Dana Johnson explores race and gender identity with honesty and often humor. Most of the stories feature women who are trying to find their own place in a world that tries to identify them by their race. There's one about a black stripper whose white boyfriend, a porn actor, insists she stop stripping. In another, and eleven-year-old girl as a crush on a white boy from Oklahoma who, like her, is an outsider in their Los Angeles school. Another story features a woman who struggles to break free of the low expectations her mother has for her. Dana Johnson does a great job of bringing these characters to life, which is difficult to do in the limited space of short stories. As with any collection, there are some stories that I liked more than others. For the most part, though, I enjoyed them all. They offer short glimpses into these women's lives, but these glimpses show aspects of their lives as a whole. 

"Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obsure" by Larry Smith

225 pages

Legend has it that Earnest Hemingway, when asked to write a six-word story, came up with "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." His words proved that a powerful tale can be told in just a few words. Inspired by this idea, Smith challenged hundreds of people to write their memoir in six words. His collection contains the work of famous authors, including Joyce Carol Oats and Elizabeth Gilbert, as well as ordinary people. The six-word memoirs vary from hilarious to touching to heart-breaking. Some of the really special ones blew me away. Others, I thought, are just ho-hum. Overall, though, I enjoyed reading the collection, and it definitely got me thinking about what would me in my six-word memoir. Having so few words to work with really forces you to be creative and break your life down to its most essential parts. This is a good one for anyone who is at the point (one of the points, actually) where he or she is wondering what life is all about. 

"Zombies: The Recent Dead" edited by Paula Guran

473 pages

This massive volume contains zombie fiction by Neil Gaiman, Max Brooks, Joe R. Lansdale, Kit Reed, and many more. There's a ton of variety among the stories, with everything from classic terrifying zombies to humorous spoofs to social commentary. As is the case with almost every short story collection I've read (especially one with stories by different authors), I liked some stories more than others. For the most part, though, I enjoyed the collection. Zombie literature is popular right now, so authors are going to have to be creative to keep it fresh. This collection contains a lot of original ideas that indicate there are still plenty of ways for zombie stories to go before there's nothing left to write about.

Shirley

by Kaoru Mori, 195 pages

This is a collection of unrelated short stories about Victorian maids Shirley, Nellie, and Mary as they find comfortable homes, watch their young charges grow up, and deal with loveable aging pranksters.

Written before but collected and published after Mori's similarly-set, now classic series Emma, these are a nice glimpse into the author's developing interests and skill as much as they are a snapshot of an era. It's all a bit idealized, I'm sure, but I still love Mori's vision of the period and its society. Besides all the wonderful historical detail, she also has a habit of creating strong, independent women in charge of their own destinies in a time that was not always encouraging. Shirley's mistress is a perfect example of this. She lives on her own (with the new addition of young Shirley to help with the housework), runs a café frequented by flirtatious old men, and is frequently nagged by concerned relatives about her ever more likely spinsterhood. But she looks at her options, makes her own choices, and is happy. I don't know if Mori will ever return to any of these characters' stories, but I'd happily read them if she did.

"Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self" by Danielle Evans

229 pages

This collection os short stories offers a perspective on the experience of being young and African-American or mixed-race in modern-day America. Evans addresses the inequalities that these young people face, as well as more universal experiences such as family tension, broken hearts, and insecurity. I really enjoyed every single story! Some made me laugh and some made me sad. Some of them don't have conclusive endings, which usually bugs me, but it seems to fit for stories about young people whose futures are wide-open and uncertain. I like the way that the stories give me a perspective on the black/mixed-race experience but still offer something that I can personally relate to.

The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories by Dr. Seuss

2011/69pgs

I think this book is best enjoyed on audio with wonderful narrators!!

The Bippolo Seed: Narrated by Neil Patrick Harris-I loved this story and I really thought it was the strongest of the book. It had the classic Seuss feel to it of silliness and a lesson in the end. I also liked the rhymes and felt they all worked well in this story.

The Rabbit, The Bear, and the Zinniga-Zanniga-narrated by Angelica Houston-This one was just OK. I think part of it was the narration-it was good, but not great. I also felt the story was a bit weak. It's still fun, just not a stand out story.

Gustav the Goldfish-narrated by Jason Lee-Jason Lee, I like you, I really do! But I really disliked your narration of this story! Just because you're reading for kids doesn't mean you have to be overly excited all the time! I wasn't a fan of this story, mostly because I felt the ending fell flat and the narration was annoying.

Tadd and Todd narrated by Joan Cusak-I liked this story and the narration is good. I did feel a bit sad in the end though. I felt like Tadd and Todd wanted to be unique and instead resigned to the fact that they were twins and had to be like each other. I would have liked to see them be able to embrace their originality instead of accepting they are the same.

Steak for Supper narrated by Edward Hermann-This story made me laugh and it was another strong classic Dr. Seuss. Filled with a menagerie of Seuss creatures, this one has lots of humor and silliness. It also has a nice twist to add to the humor. The narration helped make this one of the stand out stories of the book for me.

The Strange Shirt Spot narrated by William H. Macy-A great story with great narration! This is somewhat of an adventure story as a young boy can't get a spot off anything! The trials of cleaning make for some laugh out loud fun and the end is sure to have parents and kids giggling with it's "oh so true" statement. This was another favorite story.

The Great Henry McBride narrated by Peter Dinklage-I enjoyed this story of a dreamer. The narration is fantastic and makes it a likable story. I also liked the idea of the story-that you can dream anything and no goal is too lofty. One of my stand out stories and favorites.

If you do listen to the audio, make sure you listen to the commentary at the end (which is the introduction in the book). It adds a lot to the book to examine each story and learn where they came from. The whole audio is about an hour long and worth every minute!!

Flight Explorer: Volume 1

edited by Kazu Kibuishi, 109 pages

Mice, goldfish, cats, purple not-Barney monsters, and a host of other anthropomorphized critters and their human companions fill the pages of this graphic short story collection for kids.

As with the Flight collections put out for older readers, some of these stories work better than others, but the idea of pooling a bunch of creative and artistic talent like this just for the fun of expression and exposure is a great idea and I hope they do more. Besides, there's Jellaby. And Copper. And Zita. And Tarzan caught in traffic on the way home from getting bagels. :)

R.I.P: Best of 1985-2004

by Thomas Ott, 191 pages

From the publisher ('cause they seem to sum up this dark mélange quite nicely): "An omnibus hardcover compiling 3 of Ott's previous albums along with 8 previously uncollected stories. Twenty twisted tales of murder, suicide, oppression, terror, mutilation, crime, marital strife, and nuclear annihilation."

Swiss artist and musician Ott employs nearly wordless scratchboard art to shock and disturb as he sporadically shines a faltering flashlight into the darkest corners of the human mind. Garish, ghoulish, and seasonally appropriate for those who like their Halloween entertainment to lean towards the slasher end of the macabre.

"The Living Dead" edited by John Joseph Adams

487 pages

This collection of zombie tales includes short stories from Neil Gaiman, Laurell K. Hamilton, Stephen King, Clive Barker, and many more. Each story is unique and there's incredible variety in the collection as a whole. Some of the tales made me laugh, some made me cringe, and many made me think. There's everything from the traditional make-you-jump gory horror story to tales with political and sociological slants. With the exception of a few, I enjoyed each of these stories. Many of them look at the living dead from an unusual perspective. There's something for everyone here--everyone who likes zombie stuff, that is!

What I Did.

by Jason, 268 pages

This melancholic Norwegian graphic short story collection features three tales that share themes of death, guilt, and time. "Hey, Wait..." recalls a childhood friendship and the shock of growing up. "Sshhhh!" wordlessly follows a bird man's life through its ups and downs. And "The Iron Wagon" adapts a 1909 Norwegian psychological mystery's tale of murder and its toll.

Although it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the various dog, bird, and rabbit men and women from one another, these stories succeed in conveying a sense of the inevitable nature of death, the ephemeral nature of life, and the weight of what we do with it for the brief time it is in our hands.

While Mortals Sleep

Kurt Vonnegut, 253 pages

Smart and imaginative short stories about how love, fame, and values can take a extradordiary turn in ordianary lives. A successful business owner of a road construction company spends all of his time working or playing with is train set instead of spending time with his wife - until his mother destroys it all. A young nurse recieves a gift that everyone would dream to have, but will it stop her from having the life she wants to have? Two young man decide to start spread rumors and convince a co-worker it is true, but when the joke is on them how will they react?

I thought Kurt Vonnegut short stories were witty and creative. Each story ends with the character usually learning something as well as the reader. Whether or not you want moral advice I would recommended that you read this book.

"Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk" by David Sedaris

159 pages

I’ve read all of David Sedaris’ other books and loved them, so I had high expectations for “Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk.” Here he writes something different from his usual essays—this is a collection of satirical short stories about animals that behave like humans. Each little story demonstrates some aspect of human nature. Some of them are pretty gruesome and make a point about how awful people can be to each other. There are a few funny moments, but the stories aren’t nearly as hilarious as Sedaris’ writing usually is. There are a couple of really clever conclusions, but most of them end on a bleak note. When I finished the entire collection, I felt kind of depressed. I think the stories were worth reading because they made me think, but they definitely didn’t live up to my expectations.

"Let the Great World Spin" by Collum McCann

Let the Great World Spin takes place in New York City during a couple days during 1974, and it consists of several short stories told through the eyes of several interweaving characters. The writing was enchanting, and McCann’s words embodied everyone from a tightrope walker (modeled after Philippe Petit who walked across the Twin Towers) to a young Irish monk to a prostitute to a grieving mother. Part of the fun of reading this book is figuring out how every story and all of the characters are ultimately connected. McCann ultimately pulls together all of the stories and lives in a cohesive, understandable fashion to reveal a colorful tapestry of pain, promise, and hope that was New York City in 1974. Let the Great World Spin truly feels like New York City, and it draws the reader in like a large, cacophonous city does – through mystery, disparity, discovery, and human connection.

Let the Great World Spin won the 2009 National Book Award for Fiction.