emgusk's review
5.0
This was just great! Discovered new authors and read some short stories by well-known authors!
dessa's review
4.0
Ok it might be January but I am deeply proud just to have finished a SSAC for the first time in [mumbles number] years. Minus a star only for ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON. Otherwise: perfect.
manyfacets's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
kimlaramee's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
rovingsoul's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
savidgereads's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
julieh46's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
mrmuleman's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Awesome annual collection of short stories, stories are not for the most part holiday themed, covers a broad spectrum of top writers
poisonenvy's review
3.5
Rating taken from averaging out my rating of all short stories.
I read this short story collection in conjunction with the 2021 Advent Calendar, which I didn’t actually finish last year. But overall, starting each morning with a short story was the excellent way to spend the month, and I might keep it up in 2023!
I found this collection started off on the weak side, especially with the two separate additions of first chapters in novels, which, by definition are NOT short stories and were endlessly frustrating, but the collection only grew stronger as time passed!
“Bread of Lifers” by Caroline Kim The MC starts a little annoying and edgy, but what angry 15 year old isn’t? Overall, this was an excellent story, about second looks and double guessing who you trust. 3*
“Little Sanctuary” by Randy Boyagoda it’s hard to know what’s going on or where it’s going. Why is there the first chapter of a novel included in a short story collection? 1*
“Something Something Alice Munroe” by Robert McGill Just when I started to wonder if finishing every sentence with Alice Munroe was too much despite the weird poetic nature of it, the format changed and this became a really touching, thoughtful story. I love the skill and attentiveness that McGuill demonstrated in knowing exactly when was too much. Honestly, this is a masterclass in how to use the short story form. 5*
“Guided Tour” by Steven Millhauser This story was creative and once I realized where it was taking me< I was hooked. But it went on a page and a half too long. Trust your readers more, please! 4*
“The Hole” by Sofia Mastaghimi it doesn’t take you long to realize just how insufferable the main character in this is. This story was great, about forgiveness, redemption, and hypocrisy. I liked it a lot.
“Milk” by Clare Beams Some of us give so much of ourselves to others, until there’s nothing else, and others take and take and take. This book was a great look at that, and at how classism really personifies that. 4*
“Lexapro by Drew Duxton Moving forward with mental illness is hard, but progress can be made. This story captures that; unfortunately, it did not capture me. 3*
“Parnassus on Wheels” by Chroistopher Morely I liked the writing and the story, right up until I discovered that this, too, was the unresolved opening chapters to a novel. What the fuck. 1.5*
“Night Flight” by Diane Schoemperlen This tory started slow, and then morphed into something poignant and lovely, filled with metaphors and similes. 4*
“Masculine” by Mathilde Merouani A heartbreaking story about a girl’s relationship with her mother, herself, misogyny, and fitting in in a new place. I thought it was heartfelt and bitter. 3.5*
“Odam on Till” by Ruby Cowling Is this a metaphor for autism? Very likely, it seems like, to me. It was moving. I very nearly cried. 4*
“Le Cochon by Jasmine Dreame Wagner I read this twice, and while I understood it better the second time, I still failed to really see the point. This was remedied somewhat upon reading the author interview on the website, but I still wasn’t much of a fan. The prose was very nice though. 2*
“Not a Doughnut” by Venita Blackburn Honestly, I don’t know at all how I feel about this story, so I’m giving it exactly a middle-of-the-read rating. 2.5*
“I’ve Thought About Taking Up Another Life” by Ander Monson This story had ridiculously long sentences, but it seemed to work somehow, those sentences that would stretch and spiral for a page or two. It read rambling, but it worked. I enjoyed the mystery and the uncertainty of the ending. 3;5*
“Punchline by Rebecca Watson I really enjoyed this. It spoke to 20-year-old me, the me that was always falling hard for guys who enver cared or wanted to fall for me. The ending was less a punchline and more a gut punch. 4*
“Good Neighbours” by Erika Swyler Good, strong themes and a clever way of actualizing them. I loved the image of deer reclaiming their space, and the feeling of being pushed out 4*
“Clara” by Lori Hanhed this was an excellent romp into the past of classical music, and how the fate of a young woman depended entirely on the men in her life, despite being more talented and capable than all of them. It felt incomplete though. My understanding is that the author is working on a novel of the same subject, so maybe I’ll check that out instead. 3*
“The Skin of a Teenage Boy is Not Alive” by Senaa Ahmad Creative and well-realized, and an excellent story to show the pain of growing up and apart from your friends, of not quite fitting in in your teenage years. 4*
“Reindeer” by Cyan Jones This was kind of a fun Christmas wilderness horror story, where a man struggles against nature as much as against himself. Jones is excellent at building tension and atmosphere. 4*
“Moving Parts” by John Elizabet Stintz A metaphorical tale about finding and rebuilding yourself, and finding the people who can help you make yourself whole, told in only the way a non-binary author could. I could tell almost right away that the author must’ve fallen somewhere under the umbrella. 3.5*
“Markheim” by Robert Louis Stevenson Stevenson is excellent at setting a creepy atmosphere, and the setting of an old shopfront is excellent to building exactly that. This aws great from start to finish. 5*
“Family Weekend” by Jessica Francis Kane A middle-aged woman caught in the middle; both a daughter and a mother in a weekend. This was heartbreaking an poignant, and well-written. THe second person form is well-utilized. 4*
“Olive Oyl” by Lucy Ellmann I hate it when stories and novels just include endless lists about nothing, and this is how this story starts off. I had a brief moment of excitement when I realized it was about Popeye and Olive Oyl, but that excitement couldn’t survive the disappointment aI felt by the lack of cohesion or narrative flow. I’m actually pretty sure this was mostly just Popeye episode symopses. 2*
“An Exciting Christmas Eve; Or, My Lecture on Dynamite” by Arthur Conan Dyle this started slow and ended on a bang, pun intended. Doyle is truly excellent at writing clever and exciting short stories. 5*
“A Present of Big Saint Nick” by Kurt Vonnegut This was my first Vonnegut story! What a great mafia story to start my Christmas morning with. This was funny and exciting, and really captures the guilelessness of children. 4.5*
More...