The Secret Lives of People in Love
By Simon Van Booy
Short Stories (single author)
(Harper Perennial, Paperback, 9780061766121, March 2010, 208pp.)

The Short of It:

Lovely and quiet.

The Rest of It:

This collection of short stories was sent to me some time ago. I can remember the day clearly. It arrived, I plunked myself down to read the first story, sighed and then placed the book on my nightstand. You might think it odd,  but for me, it was the perfect reaction. The writing in that first story blew me away. I think I was a little bit awestruck and needed to take some time to process the beauty of the words themselves.

What happened next was odd, though.

I did the exact same thing every time I picked it up. There are nineteen stories and over the course of the year, I’d choose one to enjoy. Not every night (obviously) and not even every week, but whenever I felt like it. I just finished the book last month and it was such a pleasure to take the time to really enjoy this one.

These stories deal with people in love… or various stages of love and sometimes (often) loss. They are simply told, yet with beautiful, flowery prose. Here are some examples of the writing:

This morning I woke up and I was fifteen years old. Each year is like putting a new coat over all the old ones. Sometimes, I reach into the pockets of my childhood and pull things out.  (Little Birds)

…her life, like a cloud, split open, and she lay motionless in a rain of moments. (French Artist Killed in Sunday’s Earthquake)

Words fell from their minds like a rain of hard stones, snapping branches of blind desire, trapping the fresh blooms of feeling within the darkness of meaning. (The Mute Ventriloquist)

I really enjoyed peeling away the layers and enjoying this one in small bits. Although it wasn’t my intention to take an entire year to read it, reading it this way seemed proper. These are not stories to rush through. This was my first experience with Van Booy’s writing but it definitely won’t be my last.

Source: Sent to me by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

After the Quake  - Short Stories (single author)
By Haruki Murakami
(Vintage, Paperback, 9780375713279, May 2003, 160pp.)

The Short of It:

Simple prose yet so complex. The stories in this collection are thought-provoking and dreamy in a surreal, fantastical way.

The Rest of It:

This is a very brief collection of stories. Six stories, all set at the time of the 1995 Kobe earthquake. None of the stories are really about the earthquake. Instead, the earthquake itself serves as a reminder of how delicate life is, how fragile Japan is and how a tiny shift in thinking can affect our daily existence.

Murakami is a powerful writer. The novels I’ve read so far took me to a place I’ve never been before. A far, out-there place where cats can talk and pimps are named Colonel Sanders. But, this collection of stories is the total opposite of his novels.

There are a few fantastical elements contained within this collection, but they are the sort of nightmarish, creepy hallucinations anyone could experience while sleeping. This collection of stories feels more accessible to me, if that makes sense. I’m thinking that those who found Murakami’s work too extreme in the past, might enjoy these stories. Actually, I’m sure of it.

I read this collection in one sitting. I was mesmerized, charmed and in one case totally weirded out yet I could not put the book down once I started reading it. To me, Murakami is this awesome, Japanese Cowboy who rides into town and sweeps me off my feet with his lyrical prose and knack for dialogue.

I’m a bit smitten with his writing. Can you tell?

Source: Borrowed (but now I want to buy my own copy)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Miss Hildreth Wore Brown
By Olivia deBelle Byrd
(Morgan James Publishing, Paperback, 9781600377488, May, 2010, 176pp.)

The Short of It:

If you don’t have any Southern friends, you’ll want some after reading this.

The Rest of It:

Is it possible to be a Southern Belle without having ever stepped foot in the South? No, I didn’t think so, but as I was reading, I saw so much of myself in what Ms. Byrd shared. Each story is short…sometimes VERY short, as in one or two pages long, but no matter how short, she injects humor and charm into each one. Anyone who loves all things Southern, will enjoy it and it’s short enough to pick up and enjoy at your leisure.

Some of the topics you’ll find in this collection:

• The whole debate over wearing white after Labor Day (anyone in their right mind knows that it’s not done, ever!).
• The importance of Chanel No 5, its cost and why you should never tell your husband how much you spend for it.
• How having coffee at a coffee gathering is an absolute necessity and not up for discussion.
• How Thank You cards have gone to the wayside and why they should make a comeback.

Although this is not typically a book I would have sought out on my own, I must say that I enjoyed it quite a bit. The Girl read some of it over my shoulder and although she’s only seven, she laughed at some of the sayings. Especially when I said them with  my version of a Southern accent! I had to fix myself some sweet tea after reading it. It was good too!

So if you love everything Southern or know someone who does, this would be a great little book to pick up.

Source: Sent to me by the author.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Right now, we are discussing several short stories from More Stories We Tell, which is an absolutely fabulous collection of short fiction written by women. Some of the stories are only a few pages long but so powerful and thought-provoking. I just finished a story titled Love, Forever by Joyce Carol Oates and I am speechless over it.

I’ve always loved reading, but this class has reminded me how much I love the written word. I am sucking it all up like a sponge, reading and writing up a storm. It’s work, but fun work.

In between homework assignments I am reading five other books! All of them good too. I don’t know how bloggers who are also full-time students manage it.

What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us
By Laura van den Berg
Dzanc Books
October 2009
194pp

Here’s the blurb from the publisher:

Containing work reprinted in Best Non-Required Reading 2008, Best New American Voices 2010, and The Pushcart Prizes 2010, the stories in Laura van den Berg’s rich and inventive debut illuminate the intersection of the mythic and the mundane.

A failed actress takes a job as a Bigfoot impersonator.  A botanist seeking a rare flower crosses path with a group of men hunting the Loch Ness Monster.  A disillusioned missionary in Africa grapples with grief and a growing obsession with a creature rumored to live in the forest of the Congo.  And in the title story, a young woman traveling with her scientist mother in Madagascar confronts her burgeoning sexuality and her dream of becoming a long-distance swimmer.

Rendered with precision and longing, the women who narrate these starkly beautiful stories are consumed with searching — for absolution, for solace, for the flash of extraordinary in the ordinary that will forever alter their lives.

The Short of It:

What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us is a gem of a little book. Filled with stories about women who don’t settle, yet struggle to find their place in society. Honest and thoughtful in her delivery, van den Berg creates a world where beauty exists in everyday things.

The Rest of It:

How do I share the feeling that I am feeling right at this moment? Well, let’s give it a shot.

There are many wonderful stories in this collection and although each story contains its own set of memorable characters, they are all tied together by a common thread, people who are searching for that special “something” that sets them apart from the rest. The world is filled with people yet if you take a moment to really reflect on people in general, you’ll see how different and unique each person can be. This is what I noticed with this collection.

The author takes normal people, puts them in unusual situations or locales and then we see what they do with the cards that are dealt them. To me, this is an incredibly personal journey. A journey of discovery, yes, but it almost felt as I was lurking in a corner somewhere within these people’s lives. Listening to their conversations, anticipating their next move, etc. It’s a wonderful feeling to escape life for a minute and to just observe someone else.

My intent was to finish this book in one day. You can surely do that as it’s very short, but why would you? After reading the first story, you’ll figure out ways to make it last, as you won’t want it to end. I’ve been reading it for several weeks now and although I’ve finished it, I still find myself flipping through its pages.

What I especially appreciate, is that these stories are so different from what I’ve read before. Many of the stories center around monsters. Yes, Bigfoot and Loch Ness to name a few. Imaginary beings and things such as a tunnel  leading to the other side of the world. Reading this book is almost like being a kid again. For a brief while, you can immerse yourself in the story and not think about what is real and what isn’t.

I can’t pick a favorite story as they were all wonderful in different ways. There’s science and art and the beauty of language and foreign places. Oh, and the writing is wonderful too. I caught myself re-reading sections just because they were so well-written. You’ll just have to take my word for it. The book is great and it deserves a spot on your shelf.

This book was a Barnes and Noble Discover pick and I have to say that I’ve never been disappointed with one of their picks and this is her first book!

If you’d like to read more about Laura van den Berg, click here to visit her website.

Source: This copy was sent to me by the author, Laura van den Berg.