On New Year’s Day I decided to take the whole day out for a good, long read, and I gobbled up Zems’ debut poetry collection and debut short story collection in one sitting, so here we are with a double bill on the book review front. Continue reading “Waxing Lyrical & Tales in Teacups by Vivian Zems | Book Reviews”
Rosemary | Microfiction
“Delicious stew. What’s that lovely flavour?”
“Rosemary.”
“Nice. Fresh or dried?”
“She was pretty fresh. Got a lot left over though, so I might dry her out – make some jerky.” Continue reading “Rosemary | Microfiction”
Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel | Book Review
Waking Gods is the sequel to book one in the Themis Files, Sleeping Giants, which I read, loved and reviewed last year. Second books have a reputation for being not quite as good as the first; they can come off as fillers or as setups for book three, which can leave them a bit slow and dry and disappointing. Waking Gods was not that. I adored it. It was even better than the first. Continue reading “Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel | Book Review”
Pick a Post-it Out the Jar | Microfiction
The kids sit stiffly around the table, staring at the jar. Pretty thing, it is; embossed with stars. Mum’s reward system.
Behave like a little star,
Pick a Post-it out the jar!
Each Post-it would list a special treat – ice cream, dance party, movie night…
Now the treats are in the bin. Continue reading “Pick a Post-it Out the Jar | Microfiction”
Questions for Kids | Flash Fiction
“…so the pig offered a piece of his meat for the bloke to use as a muscle in his leg. That’s why they call it a hamstring.”
“Cool! Thanks, Dad.”
Kids are inquisitive. Too inquisitive, for Jez’s liking. They ask a lot of questions to which nobody really knows the answers, but if you try to fob them off with an “I don’t know, pet,” they’ll witter on and on and on until you’re about ready to lose your mind.
Jez came up with a solution to this problem. Just make shit up. Easy…
Oh, Chute | Microfiction
“Wait, wait, wait. There’s something wrong with this parachute.”
“Really? But I checked it myself.”
“Really. Look. Someone’s tampered with it.”
“Well, shit.”
“Fuck! Good thing I noticed now. But this is serious. Who would do this? Do you think someone has it in for him? Trying to kill him off?” Continue reading “Oh, Chute | Microfiction”
Apples and Oranges | Flash Fiction
“Ally is quieter than Annie, wouldn’t you say? Annie’s got a touch more confidence. She’s a smidge taller, too. Other than that, they’re exactly the same.”
Ally and Annie’s mother glowered at her friend. “They’re completely different. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. They’re each totally unique.”
Her friend laughed. “They’re identical twins.”
“And they have some similarities, of course. But they’re each unique in their own ways. I don’t want my daughters’ identities to be dismissed as one and the same.”
“Fair enough. Sorry I spoke.”
Ally and Annie pulled their ears away from the wall of the next room.
“That bitch,” Annie said.
Ally nodded. “Yeah. Absolute bitch.”
“We’re identical twins. Of course we’re identical in every way. How could she say we’re not?”
Ally’s eyebrows twitched. “Yeah. How could she?”
“And I’m not taller than you. We’re exactly the same height. You just have a habit of slouching. Stand up straight, raise your shoulders.”
Ally obeyed.
“I’m sick of that old cow always insisting we’re different. Being twins is our thing. It’s our novelty factor. It’s our… our…”
“Hook.”
“Right, exactly. But we’ll put a stop to it. Won’t we?”
Ally mimicked her sister’s vicious smile and crossed her fingers behind her back .“We’ll put a stop to it…”
Again | Microfiction
“Again… ouch. Again… ugh! Again… aargh. Again… ooo…”
“I don’t really feel comfortable with this.”
“Don’t back out now.”
“But it feels weird.”
“Why? We’re just two friends, helping each other out…” Continue reading “Again | Microfiction”
Magician by Raymond E. Feist | Book Review
Feist is one of my husband’s favourite writers. He loves classic high fantasy and he’s banged on to me about the Riftwar Cycle for our entire relationship. That’s five long years of “YOU SHOULD READ THIS,” and me all like “Eh, I dunno, sure, one day I’ll start it, I’ll get around to it soon, it’s on my list…”
High fantasy isn’t my favourite genre, and there are 30 – yes THIRTY – books in the complete Riftwar Cycle series. That’s far too much sword-wielding and arrow-shooting and century-long wars for my liking. I was convinced that I wouldn’t enjoy the books as much as he does, but I promised I’d give the first book a go and try to see what the fuss was all about. So, I cracked on with Magician in the middle of December and here I am now, still trying to figure out exactly how I feel about it. Continue reading “Magician by Raymond E. Feist | Book Review”
The Reckoning | Microfiction
The locals thought little of the rock; it had always been there and it probably always would be. But when a stranger came from out of town and took interest in the great boulder, their world turned upside down. Continue reading “The Reckoning | Microfiction”