2018 Short Story Advent Calendar Unveiling: December 17

The swelling is slowly abating in my mouth, plus, I enjoyed today’s story. Things are looking up for me!
I can’t remember ever reading a book or story by Alistair MacLeod before today, but I do know I should be ashamed of this fact because he’s one of Canada’s greatest writers. Although he died in 2014, his legacy still lives on in his writing, as well as through his son Alexander MacLeod (pictured below) who is…
Why, another book about cats? Yes please I say! I can’t get enough of them, and that is why I’ve just recently read The Lion in the Living Room by Abigail Tucker, a non-fiction guide to the evolution of domestic cats. Tucker charts the rise of cats in our life, from their early beginnings before…
I love reading short stories. I seem to flip through them faster than a novel, simply because it it forces you to reach the end of one story before you put your bookmark in. I also find (and I know I’ve said this before) that they’re typically better written than novels, because the writer has…
It’s been awhile since I’ve really LOVED a short story collection, but I can finally say that The Dead Husband Project by Sarah Meehan Sirk is definitely one of the best I’ve read in a long time. Each piece in this collection is strong and emotionally affecting, but there are a few that really stood…
It was only a year ago that I reviewed Stephen Graham Jones’ last book, The Only Good Indians, which I really enjoyed, so I jumped at the chance to read his latest release (just in time for the beginning of the spooky season) My Heart is a Chainsaw. Don’t like blood and guts? You’ll want…
Welcome to day 1 of my short story advent calendar unveiling! Like last year, I’ll be opening up one new short story each day from my Hingston and Olsen advent calendar PLUS opening up my Godiva chocolate calendar as well. That means I’ll be posting a new video every single day until December 25! Smokey…
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I remember a friend loving Rufus W. around 2000, so you’re likely not far off!
phew!
Agree to disagree about this story. This one wasn’t for me. I’m not really sure what the point of it was, but at least the female protagonist seemed to be in charge this time. There were some clever turns of phrases throughout, but I liked the writing at the beginning of the story better than the end. I loved his description of nature, and it was hard to tell from the way the first encounter was portrayed whether he was writing about an actual deer, e.g., page 5, “He got down on his haunches, laid a hand to his long, skinny knee…”. But no magic realism here…nothing magical at all, really.
I agree; it does leave the reader more in and of the moment when you don’t place the story in a specific time.
I wouldn’t say I LOVED this story, but I did like it more than others. The calendar seems to be quite polarizing this year, which is half the fun :)
Kevin Barry was recommended to me by another reviewer years ago as a newcomer to watch – needless to say, I never got around to reading any of his stuff! Apart from the swearing, this sounds good. I may even add one of his short story collections to my wishlist…