panI‘ll be honest, I have no idea what I read - I just know Woolf‘s style isn‘t for me. So much double speak and description of minutiae for no real reason. Only one of the stories in this collection was enjoyable to me…but even then its point felt confused. #AuthorAMonth
pickThis is Everett‘s collection of short stories about the West. I didn‘t particularly love the book, and none of to the stories are a must read, but I was entertained throughout. My faves included The Day Comes, which had a suspenseful ending, and Wrong Lead about a horse trainer and riding instructor who mistakenly becomes enmeshed with one of his student‘s romantic lives. I think Everett‘s novels seem more impactful than his shorts.
pickFinished the series! (Technically, there‘s still the Shrieking Skull, but it‘s a reread.)
Even Christmas in July can make it the most wonderful time of the year. I went into July upset, anxious, & weary. I‘m feeling more refreshed now. Still mad, but braver 😈
I know they‘re “just” stories, but they‘re really not. If I‘m going to remain hopeful, I need plants & books & coffee. I treated myself to a garden reading day & it was the best decision.
bailedI tried Virginia Woolf for the first time and she is definitely not for me. I hope other #AuthorAMonth readers have better luck!
pickThe ghost stories in this one are American, entirely collected from newspapers, & much more realistic. They have a level of grit; they have heft. I prefer the aesthetic of a British ghost. Give me fancy! Still, I recommend for the sheer number of glowing skeletons.
so-soAn ex library book I got it not knowing it was short stories. I‘m not a fan of short stories. I was in my younger days. Anyway I gave this a go. The best story was the last one which was titled Australia Day. So that made me glad I had persevered and made it to the end. A story I feel is probably close to the authors heart.
"It seems that somehow the hearts of human beings and trees are connected."
- The Princess and the Nutmeg Tree ??❤️?
#FirstLineFridays @shybookowl
"The ghost stories and strange tales that make up this book are set in the ancient Japanese province of Shinshu, or Shinano (now Nagano Prefecture), located in the center [sic] of Japan's main island of Honshu, a region intersected by three mountain ranges, mist-covered streams and a number of large and fast-flowing rivers."
At about ½ way through, the blurb descriptors of spine-chilling, spooky & terrifying ??
