Short Story Friday: The Hot Girl's Friend

The Hot Girl's Friend
by Lisa Scott

from Flirts Vol 1: 5 Romantic Short Stories

Review

It really hadn't occurred to me to find contemporary romance short stories. I've always thought of short stories as being about mystery or horror. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I found this collection. 

I like cliches sometimes. There are certain ones I like and I can't help myself. They are like the perfect brownie or a bowl of perfectly buttered popcorn. One of my favorite cliches is that of the "plain" girl, who is most likely brown-haired and described as somewhat chubby, and the awesome sweet guy, who chooses said brown-haired girl over her bombshell blonde friend. After some chasing and misunderstandings, there is a happily ever after. 

Is the story deep? No. Am I going to remember the story years from now? Probably not. Do I still enjoy them? Yes. Definitely. 

Verdict

If you like contemporary romance and want an even quicker fix - look no further! Don't like romance? Definitely skip.  

Short Story Fridays: Pest Control

Pest Control
by Augusten Burroughs

From Possible Side Effects: True Stories

Synopsis

From the million-copy bestselling author of Running with Scissors comes Augusten Burroughs's most provocative collection yet.

This book is approved for consumption by those seeking pleasure, escape, amusement, enlightenment, or general distraction. This book is not approved to treat disorders such as eBay addiction or incessant blind dating.

In studies, some people reported inappropriate, convulsive laughter, a tingling sensation in the limbs, and sudden gasping. Fewer than 1 percent reported narcolepsy.

 

Doll collectors may experience special sensitivity, as may discourteous drivers, candy-company brand managers, and nicotine-gum users.

 

This book has been shown to be especially helpful to those with parents, grandparents, life partners, and incontinent dogs. People with dry, cracked skin have responded well to this book, as have people with certain heart conditions.

 

Do not operate heavy machinery while reading this book, until you know what effects it may have on you.

 

This text is contraindicated in those suffering from certain psychiatric disorders, including---but not limited to---readers afflicted with anhedonia, which is the inability to experience pleasure.

 

Ask your doctor about Possible Side Effects.

Review

I'd forgotten how hilarious Burrough's writing is. You wouldn't guess it by the title, but this story is actually about the tooth fairy. The story stars a very young Augusten and the trip he takes to spend time with his grandmother in Georgia. It's there where he realizes a loose tooth and hilarity ensues when he learns the story of the tooth fairy.

The story is short (true?) and had me laughing out loud. I can't wait to read more stories in the future. If you liked Running with Scissors, you'll like this short story. 

Verdict

Read because it's funny. Do it. 

Short Story Friday: PCA

"PCA"
Midnight Paths
by Joe Hart

Book Synopsis

Enter a world where nothing is what it seems. Where darkness never abates, and your deepest fears are just a few steps away. 

Travel to an old house in the country where something hungry waits just beyond the treeline. 

Watch as a young woman, whose life hangs in the balance, receives a visitor from the afterlife. 

Or, journey across an ocean on a romantic voyage that ends in the deepest kind of horror. 

This dark collection of the macabre is sure to chill the bones of even the most stalwart horror aficionado.

Review

"Love does funny things to you, son."

And boy does it! In this story, the reader accompanies Eric, a caregiver, to a patient's home. He's there covering for a co-worker of his. What he finds, however, is something unique.

This is a short story that is able to provide enough suspense and dread within its short number of pages. There is plenty of great description and it's creepy as heck. I look forward to reading more creepy stories from this collection!

Verdict

Dear reader, this collection is not for the faint of heart. This story was so creepy that this collection is now a Short Story Friday favorite! you'll be seeing more from me about this author. 

Short Story Fridays: The Poison Eaters

Collection: The Poison Eaters
Author: Holly Black

Story: The Coldest Girl in Cold Town

Synopsis

Pick your poison: Vampires, devils, werewolves, faeries, or . . . ? Find them all here in Holly Black’s amazing first collection.

In her debut collection, New York Times best-selling author Holly Black returns to the world of Tithe in two darkly exquisite new tales. Then Black takes readers on a tour of a faerie market and introduces a girl poisonous to the touch and another who challenges the devil to a competitive eating match. Some of these stories have been published in anthologies such as 21 Proms, The Faery Reel, and The Restless Dead, and many have been reprinted in many “Best of ” anthologies.

The Poison Eaters is Holly Black’s much-anticipated first collection, and her ability to stare into the void—and to find humanity and humor there—will speak to young adult and adult readers alike.

Review

When I read this story, I didn't know much about the collection or Holly Black's other book, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. I still don't know too much about it, but the short story by the same name gave me a glimpse of what to expect - and I LIKED it. 

From what I could understand, the short story is a side story from the main one described in The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. The world portrayed in the story is very different than ours. In this world, vampires are no longer a myth, but pure reality. People either run away or towards the now-dead that want to either murder or turn them. 

Matilda is the protagonist of the story. She's looking for her boyfriend whom she lost track of since leaving home. Why did Matilda leave home? Well - this blog is no spoilers folks. 

This story was well-written and got me excited for (1) the rest of the stories and (2) The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. I've enjoyed Black's writing since Tithe and Ironside and I feel that her writing just gets better and better each time I read it. 

Short Story Fridays: Infernal Attractors

Infernal Attractors
by Cody Goodfellow

Collection: Cthulhurotica

Review 

This story was much shorter than I thought and I promise you, reader, I did not choose it because it was so short. I don't know if it should really be classified as a story since it feels that you're walking into the middle of a story already. But perhaps that's the point? 

The story is about a man who built a machine/contraption called a Tillinghast resonator for a beautiful woman he is apparently in a relationship with. The protagonist explains that the woman distracts him from his questions [about what he is building] by constantly having sex with him. The little bits and pieces he does seem to gather are from when she is half asleep.

*spoiler*

So, I had to look up what a "Tillinghast resonator" was in order to understand what the point of this story was. Wiki explains the creator of the resonator, Tillinghast, is a character in one of H.P. Lovecraft's stories and says it is the following: 

Tillinghast creates an electronic device that emits a resonance wave, which stimulates an affected person’s pineal gland, thereby allowing them to perceive planes of existence outside the scope of accepted reality.

So, do with that what you will...

Verdict

I don't really have an opinion. It was barely a story...