Those Extraordinary Twins - Saturday Short Review

Those Extraordinary Twins by Mark Twain Genre: Classic

     The twins were based on Siamese twins that Twain had seen in a side show. Two heads, four arms, one body, and two legs. It is hard to imagine how much of these characters were fiction vs. truth as one of the twins is dark complected with brown hair while the other is fair of hair and skin. It brings to question if Siamese twins must come from a single fertilized egg that doesn't split properly which would demand the twins be identical, or if two separate eggs could have been scrambled together somehow.

     At any rate, this is quite an interesting story, however I would recommend reading The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson first. It may have just been the copy that I had but instead of retelling certain scenes, Twain merely referred back to certain chapters/scenes located within the original novel.

A Christmas Miracle - Saturday Short Review

A Christmas Miracle by Willow Cross Non-Fiction

     A very short holiday feel good story that was based on a true story. A young single mother of four whose difficulty paying the bills is only surpassed by her inability to collect child support from her ex-husband.

     Author Willow Cross adds a nice touch by dedicating this book to all families that struggle to find a little wiggle room in the monthly budget to allow for children's Christmas presents. In today's economy we have probably all experienced this and if you have not then God bless you and I hope you never know such a predicament.

A Marriage Carol - Saturday Short Review

A Marriage Carol by Chris Fabry & Gary Chapman Genre: Romance

     This book was incredibly surprising for a short story. Written by a marriage counselor, its main plot was to show Marlee that her marriage was worthy of saving. This point is brought home in the classic Dickensian style of using visions of the past, present, and possible future so that the soon to be divorced woman thinks twice about her future ex-husband and remembers when times were good and their lives were filled with laughter and passion.

     The authors use a wonderful analogy which I found myself quoting to my daughter just the day after reading it: choices are like snowflakes. Snowflakes build one on top of each other to form a drift. Depending on the position of each snowflake the drift would vary. Sometimes choice A may have been seemingly inconsequential in the story of your life, but you never would have made it to point B without it.

     Very deep philosophical theories for a short Christmas romance. Not exactly light hearted holiday fare but definitely a must read.

Mistletoe Mischief - Saturday Short Review

Mistletoe Mischief by Stacey Joy Netzel Genre: Romance

     Doesn't matter if it is December or Christmas in July, one cannot ignore the tradition of mistletoe. Here Santa claims that it is a RULE that you have to kiss under the mistletoe, not just a tradition. Eric and Marissa were already feeling the spark of chemistry and weren't too hard to convince to imbibe in a holiday kiss and the relationship grows from there.

     This is a very cute and funny story that is sure to entertain any fan of romantic stories.

Holiday Rush - Saturday Short Review

Holiday Rush by Lisa Scott Genre: Romance

     On one hand, as a romance, this really wasn't very well developed. There is a physical attraction and *boom* they are kissing and dating and what not. I know, I know, I hate the whole "He loves me, he loves me not" scenario and I need to make up my mind right? While I do find that flip flopping back and forth annoying, I also realize that there needs to be some conflict to overcome to make a good romance. I just get tired of it always being the same conflict. This story, however, is not without merit.

     There is a wonderful subplot ... or maybe it is even the main plot since the romance plot is basically non-existant ... that really defines the meaning of the Christmas Spirit. It isn't about who got the best Black Friday deal or who gave the most expensive present - it is about making memories. Whether you are making your own family memories or helping someone else by giving them a little hope that there is Christmas magic and even when life gives you a bum steer there can still be joy and happiness in life.

Christmas in High Heels - Saturday Short Review

Christmas in High Heels by Gemma Halliday #3.5 in series Genre: Fiction

     I can only assume that this is a little side story to Halliday's High Heel stories. Fans of the series my enjoy this short peek at the romantic plans that Maddie and Ramiez have for a quiet Christmas Eve alone together at home. As I've never read any of the books of this series, I must admit that I found it a bit pointless.

     The excerpt following the story was longer than the story itself. There wasn't even enough to the plot to kick start my curiosity enough to want to read more - something that I'm horribly compulsive about.

Magic at Macy's - Saturday Short Review

Magic at Macy's by Liv Morris Genre: Romance

     A very short story about a woman away from her family for the first time during the holiday while attending Yale. She decides to spend a day window shopping in New York City and bumps into the super hot and sexy hunk she has admired from afar - mainly because she is too tongue tied to ever talk to him.

     There are actually two stories contained between the covers, one told from the woman's perspective, the other from the man's. It is quite interesting to literally have both sides of the story.

The Twelve Crimes of Christmas - Saturday Short Review

The Twelve Crimes of Christmas Edited by Waugh, Greenburg, and Asimov Genre: Mystery

     Christmas stories are not always romances and here is a prime example of a collection of holiday tales for mystery buffs. Twelve short stories from award winning writers such as Isaac Asimov, Ellery Queen, Dorothy L. Sayers, Rex Stout, and Alice Scanlan Reach.

     Plots include the ghost of a Christmas past, a body hung by the chimney with care, a locked room murder, and a theft seemingly perpetrated under the watchful eyes of many guards. While several stories were fairly easy to figure out, others have more intricate plot twists that keep the reader's mind churning.

Christmas Crimes at Puzzel Manor - Saturday Short Review

Christmas Crimes at Puzzel Manor by Simon Brett Genres: Mystery, Holiday

     If you enjoy mysteries and solving puzzles then this is an excellent Christmas selection for you. While the story in itself was enjoyable, I found the plot easier to figure out than the puzzles. In fact one of the puzzles was only easy to solve because I had already guessed what was going to happen so knew what solution to look for. However, I DID read this book five or six years ago and while I couldn't actually remember the plot, there may have been some subconscious intuition at play where I just thought I had figured things out early and I was actually remembering it.

     The puzzles are fairly difficult but if you enjoy the challenge of a tough puzzle you will find them up to par. If you find the puzzles are too hard, fear not, the answer is at the end of the chapter and the solution is given in a way that if you just want a bit of a hint to try to proceed on your own, you can do that too.

The Dread Dimensions - Saturday Shorts Review

The Dread Dimensions by Tom Morris Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction

     This short story took less than an hour to read but was intriguing none the less. The main character seems to share my same attitude towards the occult, neither believing nor disbelieving. He posseses a curiosity that leads to further in-depth research.

     He stumbles across an ancient book that with the help of his friend's translations they discover a new way to travel. But there is an ominous lesson to be wary of experimenting with knowledge that you do not entirely understand and to take heed to warnings issued by those with more experience in such matters.

     You can download this story for free on smashwords.

The Monkey's Paw - Saturday Shorts Review

The Monkey's Paw by W. W. Jacobs Genres: Classic, Horror

     This short story originally appeared in 1902 in Harper's Monthly magazine. A classic tale of a mummified monkey's paw with a spell on it that grants the owner three wishes. This story teaches the lesson "be careful what you wish for". Often these words warn that it is common that the things we often want comes with circumstances we haven't considered. Such as how paparazzi are the price of fame as well as never having any privacy. In stories such as The Monkey's Paw however it is fate that delivers unexpected circumstances turning a seemingly innocuous wish into a sinister deed with horrid consequences. In its own quirk of fate, Jacobs most commonly wrote humorous pieces but it is this morbid tale of horror that has withstood the test of time.

Horror at Halloween - Saturday Shorts Book Review

Horror at Halloween Part 1 First book in series by John Gordon Genre: Horror

     Bizarre things happen in the small town of Oxrun Station. No one can explain why. Mysterious things happen that nightmares are made of. This series of 5 stories tell of the strange things that occur on Halloween night to five different people that live in Oxrun Station.

The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe - Saturday Short Review

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Genres: Classics, Poetry

     Poe had written this while his wife was terminally ill and it tells the tale of a sad and lonely man, a specter in the form of the memory of a lost love, and a creepy raven who repeats the same word "nevermore" which echoes the man's thoughts that he will see his love nevermore.

     While The Raven is often associated with felings of creepiness, I honestly found it more sad than eerie. Though I will share something a little creepy about this poem. As I sat down to read it this morning there was a tapping, tapping on my door. But it was a woodpecker and nothing more. I'm serious! It was quite bizarre and more than a little eerie!

     Even if you are not a fan of poetry you cannot help but to admire the rhythm and the cadence of this almost musical poem. I would have to admit that the Kindle version of this book is probably a bit disappointing. While there is a list of the illustrations that accompany the original text, the drawings are not included in he file. From the introduction before the poem, which is actually longer than the work itself, the illustrations are quite noteworthy on their own.

Dead(ish) - Review

Dead(ish) by Naomi Kramer genres: humor, horror, paranormal

     This short book has been free since I downloaded it a year ago. It is the first installment in a series of 3 short unrelated novellas that are connected with the common theme that one of the main characters is dead(ish). The story begins not long after Linda is murdered by her boyfriend Mike. She can't move on without some closure and feels the need to find where Mike has hidden her body. Linda uses some very clever haunting tactics to try to terrorize Mike into revealing the whereabouts of her corpse.

     The language in this book might make a trucker blush as well as some of the more lewd sexual innuendos and situations, so this is definitely not for kids or young adults. Regardless of the subject matter it is surprisingly funny and light hearted as Kramer describes the ultimate payback from beyond the grave. Jilted women who are too demure to turn psychotic, no matter how much they may dream about it or feel their ex may deserve it, can live vicariously through Linda's acts of revenge.