Sophia always felt aloof, including with her family; distant and troubled, her parents and relatives rarely made her feel cared for, both economically and emotionally. The deep traumas that scarred Sophia’s life, however, didn’t stop her – […]
Shirley’s Compilation of Short Stories by Shirley McLain is an engaging book of short fiction in which the inner lives of characters intertwine with the bigger picture of history, resulting in a thrilling roller coaster of emotion.
McLain offers the reader a wide range of stories, touching on genres that vary from noir to romantic fiction. The thread running through them is in their evocative atmosphere – the perpetual feeling of something hidden below the surface: a detail overlooked for too long, a well-kept secret, or an emotion that cannot be ignored.
From the tragic secrets behind the wealth of […]
Reminiscent of the pacing and subject matter of Charles Bukowski, at times, the poetry is gritty and raw, yet still polished. Reflecting on everything from laziness and responsibility to loyalty in relationships and the grind of work, these are everyman poems, shining an honest light on the exasperating business of being alive. “The Poem I Never Wrote” is a standout, capturing that unique tone of visceral human experience. Tired and begrudging as the […]
Richard Snodgrass seamlessly plunges readers back in time with his latest collection, Redding Up, unveiling more incredible stories from the fictional mill town of Furnass.
Rich characterizations and powerful (yet broken) figures populate these stories, particularly in “Remaindered,” one of the strongest in the collection. In this hard-edged snapshot of life, a local woman named Carla Brossick confronts a disgraced ex-minister about a horrific sin of his past, even as she tries to overcome her own demons, and keep her aging head above water.
“Her Father’s Daughter” starts readers off with a story of homecoming, of a prodigal daughter […]
Crafting myriad worlds in a tightly penned collection of stories, Stained Echoes: Tales of the Mysterious and the Macabre by Jon Ring is an enchanting work of old-fashioned horror for readers who love to be spooked. Presenting a wide and weird variety of disturbing yarns, from ancient battlefield hauntings to the demons held deepest in our hearts, this book exhibits a mastery of the style.
A unique and impressive homage to the macabre pacing of Poe, the collection hums with sinister tension, often delaying its twisted payoffs until the very end of the story. The opening piece especially, “The Secret […]
This collection is an acknowledgment of struggle, a tour de force of vulnerability, and a celebration of life’s arcing flow. There is a gritty, matter-of-fact feel to Bourne’s early pieces, but the tone matures along with the writer as she moves through her own scattered memoir. From her youthful thieving antics and teenage chambermaid duties to Mexican road trips and cigars on the Mag Mile, the first half of this collection sparks with energy and potential in every direction. The flash […]
Alyssa has just moved to a different New Jersey neighborhood when she meets Angie and decides to learn more about genetic disorders. While researching at the library, Alyssa uncovers important information about the history of Down syndrome, and concludes that Angie shouldn’t be defined by her condition alone. During the course of the story, Alyssa also explores her new surroundings, meeting an older woman who feeds pigeons, and other people in the local […]
Delicately skimming through two decades of life for one Tennessee family, Clouds Float South by Paul A. Broome is a subtly beautiful collection of interlinked stories about growing up and choosing who to become.
The broad time arc of this collection gives readers a piercing look into the Smith family as a whole, specifically via the experiences and dynamic youth of Alan, the narrator of these stories. His narrative voice also matures as the stories progress, from simplistic descriptions and observations to more lyrical, nuanced, and meaningful commentaries from his clever point of view. This seamless growth of the main […]