There seems to be an endless sea of people like us: SHOW DON'T TELL.

Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

From a literary standpoint, these stories are excellent, as is basically all of Sittenfeld's fiction.

This is a collection of nearly all female-focused stories, featuring moms and daughters, often in the Midwest, and touching on the mundane while offering deeper lessons.

Still, I'll admit that I found this collection long, and I rarely wanted to pick it up, even though the stories were interesting enough when I did. I know they all had more meaning than on the surface, but sometimes I did not feel like thinking so much. That's not the stories' fault--just mine.

This is a strong collection of tales focused on daily moments, but they'll appeal most to those who love looking into the nuance and interpretation of each story they read.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House in return for an unbiased review. Look for SHOW DON'T TELL on 02/25/2025!

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But I found a place where I can erase my past: THE MAN IN BLACK - STORIES.

The Man in Black: Stories by Elly Griffiths
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's funny, I just read a set of short stories recently and concluded that short stories are not really for me. But this set proves that is not true. I love all these stories from Elly Griffiths, one of my favorite writers.

All of these stories are interesting and do not feel unfinished. They seem just right, which is rare for short stories. What I love most is that they do not come across as pretentious or force you to grasp for meaning.

The stories in THE MAN IN BLACK often center around Griffiths' series -- so we see Ruth Galloway, Max Mephisto, Justice Jones, and Harbinder Kaur. I believe they all stand alone if you don't know these folks, but will mean more if you know their backstories. For instance, we see Ruth and Nelson on a cruise in the nearly present day, allowing us to know what they are up to post the most recent book. We even hear from Ruth's beloved cat, Flint.

But there are plenty of other "regular" tales, too, featuring bits of crime or archaeology or little snippets of everyday life. Many are centered around various holidays. They cover parts of mysteries or daily life, are easy to read, and keep your interest.

I loved reading about Harbinder's first day as detective and meeting Neil! I also very much enjoyed a story with a brief Nelson/Ruth and Harbinder crossover!

As always, Griffiths is a wonderful writer who brings you into her character's lives, whether for two pages or an entire novel. This is an excellent collection for devout fans and a great introduction for new ones.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Mariner Books in return for an unbiased review.

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We all have sorrow: OUR MONTICELLO.

My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you buy one book in October, it should be this one. MY MONTICELLO is a collection of short stories and a novella that explore race, identity, and more. Beautifully written, nuanced, and insightful, they each make you think. My introverted self found myself wishing for a book club so I could discuss these stories with others.

The eponymous novella is set in Virginia, where I live, and features a group of townspeople who must flee to Monticello after racial attacks and climate change. I wish I could describe how unsettling and good it is, but you just need to read it. It’s already been optioned for Netflix, which is awesome.

I cannot stop thinking about this book, and I also cannot recommend it enough.

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway -- thank you to Goodreads and Henry Holt for my copy.

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No diamonds in our bathtub rings: YOU THINK IT, I'LL SAY IT.

You Think It, I'll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld

My rating: 4+ of 5 stars


This short story collection features ten short stories from author Sittenfeld, featuring a cast of diverse, real characters. Told from a variety of point of views--a bored housewife, a wealthy bachelor, a new mom, and more--they offer pointed and humorous insight into current society.

I typically am not a huge fan of short stories because they don't give me enough information about the characters, and I'm a very character-driven person. But when I saw that Curtis Sittenfeld had a short story collection coming out, I knew I wouldn't be able to resist. She gets a lot of press for Prep, but I feel like American Wife and Eligible are both still so fully ingrained in my brain. I loved them both so much, and they are go-to recommendations when I get the standard, "oh you like to read, what should I read?" question.

But, I digress. Sittenfeld. Short stories. I shouldn't have been surprised, honestly, that her collection would be above the typical fare. I probably enjoyed this set of short stories more than any other I've read in ages. It's so well-written and engaging. As with Sittenfeld's other work, the stories are so wonderfully descriptive, so you can immediately picture the characters and their situations. I felt like I was quickly transported to the setting of each story as soon as it began.

The stories are similar but not repetitive, which was also refreshing, and seem to be real, instead of striving to reach some sort of literary bar that makes them tedious and therefore unreadable. They are about real, relatable characters struggling with misinformed impressions, lingering resentments, and different types of relationships. But - oh hooray - even better, the majority of the stories didn't leave me with that unfinished feeling. They are honestly fascinating, and I enjoyed how they all start (I enjoyed them all the way through too, of course, but it seemed like each had a bit of a common thread in its beginning). I could have read more about each story's characters, sure, but I didn't feel frustrated when they ended, which was so amazing and different for me.

I really liked each and every story. For instance, there's "Vox Clamantis in Deserto" which begins with a woman (girl?) who idolizes a fellow college student from afar in line at the post office. Two of the stories, "Plausible Deniability" and "The Prairie Wife," had actual twists and surprises, which was so much fun. And some of the longing that came across in these characters was very touching and heartfelt. I have a soft spot for slightly nerdy high school/college kids, even once they're all grown up, and for slightly fatigued moms, so these stories were my cup of tea.

Overall, this was a great set of short stories. They are filled with real people set in complicated yet enjoyable and interesting situations. They are easy-to-read and don't leave you wanting for more--except maybe more stories. This only cements my feeling that I'll continue to read (and adore) anything Ms. Sittenfeld writes.

I received a copy of this story collection from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 04/24/2018.

You can read my review of ELIGIBLE here (spoiler: it's awesome).

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Friends say he's trying too hard: FRESH COMPLAINT.

Fresh Complaint by Jeffrey Eugenides

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


Jeffrey Eugenides' short story collection features a variety of stories written across the course of his career, many featured earlier in various publications in previous forms. From the sperm switching antics of "Baster" to the complications of nationality and marriage in "Fresh Complaint" to money and morality in "Great Experiment," we're treated to Eugenides' usual excellent writing and perspective on characters and life.

I often skip story collections, as I tend to feel a loss with them, as if the tale is unfinished, and I just want more details about each character and their motivations and end-state. I picked up FRESH COMPLAINT based solely on my love for Eugenides (Middlesex is an all-time favorite). I won't lie: I still felt that same unfinished feeling at the end of most of the stories. Clearly I just am meant more for long-form fiction. I also hadn't realized when I picked up the book that most of the stories were previously published, but luckily I am not usually reading The New Yorker and such, so I hadn't come across any of these previously.

One of the most exciting discoveries for me was, upon completing "Baster," confirming that it was indeed the premise for the silly film "The Switch" with Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston that is an incredibly guilty pleasure of mine. The story differs from the film, but you can clearly see how it's the base, and it's quite enjoyable.

Another favorite of mine was "Fresh Complaint," the final story in the collection, and clearly where it gets its title. We meet a young woman, Prakrtri, who is struggling with the fact that her family is trying to arrange a marriage for her, and a college professor who is traveling for work. How their paths cross is quite interesting. It's detailed, touching, and yet disturbing.

My other favorite was "Great Experiment" featuring an editor, Kendall, in his mid-thirties. He's comparing himself (unfavorably) to his peers, as he struggles financially in his job and resentfully watches his wealthy boss live well while not even providing Kendall health insurance. The story takes an interesting turn, and, as with much of Eugenides work, seems to have a greater message for us.

Overall, I didn't enjoy this as much as an Eugenides novel, because there just isn't the time to fall for his nuanced characters. I still enjoyed many of the stories and realize I probably gravitated toward "Fresh Complaint" and "Great Experiment" because they were some of the longer tales in the collection. If you like Eugenides, you may want to pick up this collection (provided you haven't already read the stories elsewhere). If you haven't read him in any form, go find Middlesex instead. 3.5 stars.

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Caught up in our little lives, there's not a lot left over.

Single, Carefree, Mellow: Stories by Katherine Heiny

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This collection of short stories started off strongly, and I found myself drawn into the web Heiny creates for her characters. The majority of her stories feature women and after the first couple ended, I found myself disappointed that we wouldn't get to know more about the characters. (There is one group of characters that she re-visits throughout a couple of stories in the collection, which does help sate your curiosity a bit.)

Because I devoured this book so quickly - over less than two days - I was a bit fatigued by the end. Most of the stories feature adultery in some form or another, and frankly, that got a bit old in the end. That would really be my only issue with the story set. By the end, you're thinking "really? again!" and wondering if these women have anything else to do to occupy their time.

Otherwise, this collection of stories is vibrant and poignant and at times, made me laugh out loud. I found myself tagging pages where lines were just so hilarious, I wanted to jot them down for safe-keeping: it's rare when that happens. And again, even though the stories were brilliant little nuggets, so many of the characters were so intriguing, I found myself wishing I could read more about them. I just wish they had a little more to do than cheat on each other all the time.



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