The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories 3 by Hit Record and Fiona Friday

When I briefly quit blogging and then came back, I was determined not to accept any books for review because it was partly the pressure of feeling like I had to read specific books rather than choosing to read whatever struck my fancy at any given moment that drove me away from blogging. That sensation of pressure was my own fault, of course.  You choose to take on the burden when you say, "Sure, I'll review your book." But, of course, I'm a book fanatic and I have a broad range of interests so it's really not all that surprising that there are so many books that tempt me.  Still, I was doing a terrific job of ignoring requests for review till The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories 3.  

I love this series.  Somewhere around here, I have a book of "micro-fiction" (ah, yes, here's a link to the book at Amazon: MicroFiction).  I bought MicroFiction back when it was a new release in the 90s and I've occasionally joined in on challenges to write single-sentence, single-paragraph or six-word stories. Point being, I've been interested in the concept and execution of micro-fiction for a very long time.

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories 3 is the third book in this adorable micro-fiction series. I loved the first Tiny Book of Tiny Stories so much it was hard to choose favorite stories to feature on the blog.  The second, The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories 2, was thicker but had kind of a sad tone so there weren't quite as many stories that I fell completely in love with but I still enjoyed it immensely. The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories 3 returns us to the witty tone of the first book.  

Highly recommended - Stories as short as a single sentence, illustrations that make you stop and think . . . a wicked fun combination.  And, as usual, a great stocking stuffer idea.  I think they put these books out just before the month of stocking-stuffing deliberately.

A few favorites:

Seems to me the less she knows, 

the louder she knows it.

If I had a nickel for every

time I had a nickel and threw 

it away because it was only a 

nickel, I'd have thrown away 

twice as many nickels.*

*Actually, this would result in an infinite number of nickels, as your nickels' nickels would also result in nickels of their own, and so forth.  Please don't do this.  You'd be throwing away a fortune.

Somewhere in this vast 

universe, there grows a boy.

And somewhere in this boy, 

there grows a universe.

Let's call our confusion and panic "self-preservation."

It has a better mouth feel.

Also, it's Friday so here's a cat . . . an irritable cat who dislikes having her picture taken, inside a cat carrier into which she has placed a feathered toy (this is known as "Hunting: indoor version"):

©2013 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Minis - The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories 2 by HitRecord, Aesop's Fables (illus. by Santore) & Underground by Murakami

These three mini reviews are the last book reviews I'll be doing for the year.  I may post once or twice more and then I'm going on holiday for a few weeks.  I'm already a little late walking away for Christmas season, as I usually do.  

I was extremely excited when I heard the second Tiny Book of Tiny Stories had been released, since the first version was so fun I read it repeatedly and foisted my favorite pages on the spouse.  

And, then I read the book and felt a little let-down. But, that was only my first impression.  There was so much wit and humor in the first Tiny Book of Tiny Stories that I expected the same.  The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories 2 is not quite as witty and a lot of the combined stories and illustrations are a little on the "bummer, this makes me a little sad" side.

However, on the second reading I started to discover my favorites and . . . you've got it . . . foisted them on the spouse.  I only share things I really love with Huzzybuns -- stories or illustrations that make me laugh, smile, or ponder.  And, there were plenty of stories and illustrations that made me smile, although they seemed fewer and farther between.

The difference between Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 of The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories?  Well, there are a couple differences.  In the first release, there was a great deal of work by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, aka "Regular Joe", and he's an extremely clever guy with a terrific sense of humor.  This time, he edited with "wirrow" but didn't contribute, otherwise.  I think wirrow simply has a different way of looking at things, a little more pensive and even sorrowful.  But, The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories 2 is about twice as thick as The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories (the original).  So . . . there's plenty for everyone and I think it's another stocking-worthy book.  I love the mix of art and thought-provoking stories in both books and can't wait for the third and final release.  In fact, I hope they go beyond three publications. Highly recommended (although at first I was hesitant).

Aesop's Fables is illustrated by Charles Santore. Let's just stop right there because the words "illustrated by Charles Santore" are enough to make this gal put on the proverbial brakes.  Have you heard of Charles Santore or picked up a book he's illustrated?  If not, you are missing out on one heck of an eyeball feast.  Santore's illustrations are rendered with enviable skill and beauty, in this case with delightful expressions on the faces of various animals.

There are no humans in Santore's version of Aesop's Fables. Instead, Santore chose a selection of stories, rewrote them in his own words and illustrated with only animals as subjects.

I've always loved Aesop's Fables and have particular favorites.  My personal favorites are still the same, although one is not in Charles Santore's Aesop's Fables and Santore may have either introduced me to a few fables I missed or merely reminded me of their existence.  At any rate, there's not much you can do to screw up Aesop, apart from poorly rewriting the stories and I think he did a decent job, although a "moral" or two was worded differently from the way I learned them.

It's the illustrations that make Charles Santore's books shine and Aesop's Fables is no exception.  Highly recommended, especially for mothers or children who love to stare at the details of gorgeous illustrations.

Underground by Haruki Murakami is the one book I wouldn't advise you to rush out and buy for last-minute Christmas gifting, although Underground is a fascinating read.  It's just that reading about people gasping for breath and going blind is not particularly cheerful reading material.

Underground is Murakami's attempt to understand the Tokyo sarin attack that took place in 1995 by interviewing both people who were poisoned or close to a victim and some of the Aum cult members, none of whom were directly involved in the poisoning.  He also spends a little time evaluating what went wrong and how to avoid such disastrous results if they were to recur.

I knew very little about the sarin attack -- or, coordinated attacks, I should say.  The puncturing of bags full of sarin took place in a number of different trains.  Death and injury in the subway trains and various stations were due to a combination of ignorance (no knowledge of sarin's effects, in spite of a previous attack), very poor communication, the lack of preparation for large-scale disaster and the Japanese tendency to stick to routine in spite of some pretty dramatic signs of danger or illness.

Underground started out a little slowly for me.  I'm not sure what I expected, but in many cases the personal accounts were rather bland.  Relatively few of the victims were even willing to speak to Murakami because they didn't want to think about their experience, much less discuss it.  However, there are a few accounts that are incredibly moving, particular those of the brother of a woman who was still barely able to move or communicate when the book went to press (but remained stunningly cheerful), the young widow of a man who died and the young man's parents.  The section with interviews of people who belonged to Aum is fascinating for the look into the personalities and why people join such a group, as much as the machinations of cult life and the attack.

I thought it was particularly interesting to hear the thoughts of one woman who had lived in the U.S. for a year  She said if the same thing happened in America, people would have reacted with urgency and noise, speaking up about feeling ill and insisting on immediate action.  I can't argue with that.  I spent a lot of time imagining what the response would be like elsewhere before I got to her comment.

Highly recommended - An interesting view inside both the lives of people who were affected by the sarin attack and those who were involved in Aum (which I think the government of Japan eventually gave religious status and which apparently still exists under a new name and leader, although it has all the hallmarks of a cult).

©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

When It Happens to You by Molly Ringwald

When It Happens to You: A Novel in Stories by Molly Ringwald
Copyright 2012
Harper It Books - Fiction
237 pp.

His turn as Trigorin in The Seagull had been hailed as "superlative" (according to the college newspaper), matched only by his interpretation of Richard Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross, in which local reviewers found in Peter that intangible fusion of intensity and irresistible insouciance--in short, the elusive charisma that is the golden ticket for any young actor. 

In When It Happens to You, Molly Ringwald explores modern relationships -- love (including that between parent and child), attraction, betrayal, heartbreak and healing in a series of interconnected short stories.

I chose the excerpt above because "that intangible fusion of intensity and irresistible insouciance"struck me as representative of the author's grasp of language.  When It Happens to You is surprisingly well-written.  Apart from a few minor grammatical errors, there was absolutely nothing that jumped out at me as worthy of criticism.  I'd heard early comments to that effect and decided I had to see for myself. I love the way the stories in When It Happens to You are interconnected without always being immediately obvious in their connection.  Ringwald really has a way of dragging readers into her stories, immersing them in characterization and setting and then yanking out the emotional rug without totally removing hope from the equation.

The bottom line:  Highly recommended, no-holds-barred writing (there are R-rated moments).  I'm impressed.

Cover thoughts:  Love the pretty, graphic cover.  It's appealing and strong, very eye-catching in my humble opinion.  I always try to match my bookmarks to the covers of the books that I'm reading and because of that little flash of tomato red wording, "a novel in stories", I used a bookmark with a photo I took of rows of tomatoes.  They looked terrific together and made me think, "Hmm, I need to incorporate teal and tomato red in my decorating, somewhere."  Weird but true.

I'm writing my review of When It Happens to You late on a Saturday night because both sons, my daughter-in-law, my grand-dog and Kiddo's girlfriend are all here.  My daughter-in-law said she'd love to read Molly Ringwald's latest book, so I figured I'd better whip out a review before the book walks out the door.

Meanwhile, we finally have a carved jack-o'-lantern, thanks to Kiddo's girlfriend.  Isn't it cute?

This has been a truly fun weekend.  Fiona has handled the influx of visitors well (including the canine) but poor Isabel has retreated to the closet to have a nervous breakdown.  I considered it a major victory when I peeked into the closet and saw that she's eaten some of the food I set out for her, even if it wasn't much.  She is such a sensitive girl.

From the Haiku book I just purchased, yesterday, and promptly read:

Best to those who are expecting bad weather or bracing for a tsunami.

©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Menagerie by Sharon Montrose , some bargains and a little about Lights Out Liverpool

I've probably seen Sharon Montrose's photographs, before, but if so I certainly didn't realize I had when Menagerie was offered to me for review. Where have I been? Sharon Montrose is a prize-winning animal photographer who already has 11 books under her belt and her photography is divine.

Menagerie is a book of Sharon Montrose's animal photography and it is an total eyeball feast, simply but beautifully designed. The photographs are framed in ways that make you think of how you could jazz up your own walls with a few zingy frames and tasteful photographs. It's a zen kind of book, relaxing to flip through, too small to call a "coffee table" book but definitely the type of book I'd leave out if I had a coffee table. Someday, I will get a coffee table like a normal American.

Bright and airy and almost (but not quite) devoid of text Menagerie's few words are painted in a way that compliments the photography. You can see some inside and out views in this post at Montrose's blog.

There are only two small problems with Menagerie. One is that it's small enough (Amazon says the dimensions are about 8.6" x 6.6") that some of the photos will require a little squinting or a magnifying glass for older eyes.

The other problem is that some rocking fine photos are badly-placed as 2-page spreads. One photo of a flamingo with intriguing wing movement is frustratingly placed on the center fold. And, since the flamingo is the only animal on that particular spread, you have to wonder if it was placed that way merely so purchasers would be unable to slice out a page and avoid paying for a print. However, neither of those problems would have stopped me from buying the book if I'd happened across it in a store . . . if we had a store that displayed design books like Menagerie (insert mournful cry for the loss of Borders).

Highly recommended for design buffs, animal lovers, and lovers of art or photography books. If you're a fan of Sharon Montrose, you might be a little disappointed by the size of the photos but Menagerie turned me into a fan. I am not disappointed. I love it.

In other news:

Sourcebooks has a squillion "first title" and stand-alone e-books on sale for $1.99. Included are some personal favorites by Elizabeth Chadwick, Jill Mansell and R. F. Delderfield. This is a whopping fine batch of books.

Scholastic is offering a free virtual field trip to the American Museum of Natural History by Brian Selznick.

Harper Collins has 10 YA e-books on sale for 99 cents each.

I'm not going to bother writing a separate post about Lights Out Liverpool by Maureen Lee. Lights Out Liverpool is a WWII novel set on a single street in the Bootle district of Liverpool, England. Totally engrossing, Lights Out Liverpool is one of those nice, chunky books that's really as much about relationships as it is about life during a major war.

Lights Out Liverpool is tremendously realistic and believable to the war experience and the ups and downs of lives. I didn't like the ending, but I loved the book enough to rewrite the ending in my head. Lights Out Liverpool is the first book I've read by Maureen Lee. Published in 1995, I got my copy from my very generous friend Paula and I know exactly who I'm going to pass it on to. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy novels set during WWII or realistic, character-driven stories with exceptional character development.

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, Vol. 1, ed. by Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Stocking Stuffer Alert!

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, Vol. 1 is just the perfect size for a stocking at 4" x 6". Now that you know that, I can tell you more . . .

First of all, The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories is the cutest book I've seen all year, not just the stories, but the combination of tiny stories with creative illustrations. I love it so much I have read it and reread it and flipped back to my favorite stories too many times to count, already (and I just got it under a week ago). Each story is only a line or two -- more micro than micro-fiction -- and they're written and illustrated by a variety of authors and artists.

Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer, Inception, Angels in the Outfield) founded and directs the group that created the book, hitRECord, a collaborative production company that's open to anyone. You can read about the project, enjoy their creations or join in at the hitRECord site if you are creatively inclined.

Here are two of my favorite stories from The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories (you should be able to click to enlarge):

To be honest, I have a lot of favorites. The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories is only about 84 pages long, so you can read it in nothing flat, but it's the kind of book that is so fascinating you'll want to revisit it hundreds of times. And, it's only the first in a series. At least two more are forthcoming! I'm going to collect all three and I won't have to feel guilty, since they hardly take up any space at all. Not that you need to tell my husband.

Here's another story I love (no image available, unfortunately):

His hands were weak and shaking

from carrying far too many

books from the bookshop.

It was the best feeling.

~p. 68

Wait! One more!!!!

The element of surprise wasn't

allowed near the Periodic Table.

~p. 38

I wish you could see the illustration for that one.

Clever stories, great illustrations and wide variety in a small package make The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, Vol. 1 a winner. Highly recommended, especially for the lover of ingenious wording and/or inventive design.

The next book I review is also a bit of an eyeball feast. December has been such a fun reading month, I think perhaps I might explode.

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.