Book Review: Quick Fixes: Tales of Repairman Jack by F. Paul Wilson

Quick Fixes: Tales of Repairman Jack
by F. Paul Wilson (not in the libraries’ collection — but you can borrow it through InterLibrary Loan!)

This anthology contains every Repairman Jack short story ever written. These short stories originally were published in various other anthologies or horror magazines, but have finally been pulled together into this one edition.

 

Repairman Jack is a secretive individual who lives off the grid and battles supernatural beings and demons. He has no magical powers himself but is quick-witted, creative (see the story ‘Interlude at Duane’s’ where he battles potential robbers using only what’s available to him in the drug store), and deadly with his skills. Jack doesn’t go out of his way to encounter these creatures, but he doesn’t run from a fight either.

 

Each of the nine short stories includes an introduction by F. Paul Wilson.

 

For anyone not familiar with the Repairman Jack series, this would be a good introduction. Once you’re hooked, begin the full-length novels with “The Tomb.” Then move on to the Teen Trilogy with the first book “Secret Histories” and The Early Years Trilogy starting with “Cold City.” All of the novels are available at Lincoln City Libraries, “Quick Fixes” is available through Inter Library Loan for $2.50 to assist with postage.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the rest of the Repairman Jack series by F. Paul Wilson.)

 

( official F. Paul Wilson web site )

 

Recommended by Charlotte M..
Public Service — Bennett Martin Public Library

 

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Audiobook Review: The Man in the Black Suit by Stephen King

The Man in the Black Suit
by Stephen King (Downloadable Audio King)

This is a collection of short stories Stephen King has previously written, and they may or may not have been published elsewhere. However, they were all new to me. It’s hard to say if one was better than another, though I can definitely say with clarity that there were parts of ‘All That You Love Will Be Carried Away’ that really stood out to me and struck me in ways the other stories didn’t.

 

To be honest, they’re all great stories, and if you’re a fan of King’s, you’d enjoy each of these stories. Stephen King’s epic novels fill me with joy like few other things in the world can; but I am always happy to fill the time between big novels with a short story or two by my favorite author!

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Different Seasons by Stephen King.)

 

( official The Man in the Black Suit page on the official Stephen King web site )

 

Recommended by Tracy T.
Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries

 

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Book Review: An Amy Lane Christmas Bundle by Amy Lane

An Amy Lane Christmas Bundle

by Amy Lane (Hoopla eBook)

 

Five short and sweet gay holiday romance novellas by Amy Lane. I had encountered all of these short stories previously as ebooks (and they all are still available individually in that format from your bookstore) and was very pleased to learn they had been collected into this anthology (which is also available from bookstores in a hardcopy format).

 

“If I Must” follows two roommates. Ian is a genius mathematician who gets so caught up in his work that he essentially needs a caretaker to ensure he eats. Joel is an organized computer programmer who tries his best to keep Ian on track. Then Joel heads home for a short holiday visit with his family and everything falls apart for Ian.

 

“Christmas with Danny Fit” involves an unmarried accountant who cares for, and lives with, his widowed mother – who doesn’t appreciate what all he does for her. He decides it’s past time for him to make a change so he begins to diet and buys exercise videos by his favorite exercise guru Danny Fit, and makes plans to purchase a home and move in. Of course he meets a guy along the way. Let the holiday romance begin.

 

“Puppy, Car, and Snow” Ryan works as a soul-less corporate lawyer, but for the past three years his personal life has been everything he could ask for after he met Scott. They are traveling to Ryan’s parent’s cabin for Christmas with his family, but Ryan’s disapproving mother is sucking the joy out of the holidays, and unfortunately they get snowed-in. Will their relationship survive?

 

“Turkey in the Snow” Hank is a staid banker whose sister has dumped her 4-year-old daughter on him and left. He’s trying his best to provide what a little girl needs but is out of his element. Flamboyant Justin is the childcare worker at Hank’s gym and is able to assist with the care of a little girl anticipating the holidays. And of course they begin to notice each other.

 

And my favorite, “Going Up” (the entire reason I purchased this anthology): Zach lives in the penthouse apartment of his father’s building. One day the express elevator breaks so Zach walks down a couple of flights to catch the regular elevator and encounters a man in a costume. Sean is working as a substitute history teacher and routinely dresses up as a historical character to keep his students’ attention. Zach now decides he likes riding the regular elevator and ensures he rides at the same time to “accidentally” run into Sean each morning. Who among us has not done something similar? It was fun watching this one unfold.

 

Five short and sweet holiday romance stories, each one can be read in an afternoon. .

 

( official Amy Lane web site )

 

Recommended by Charlotte M.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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Book Review: Sabrina & Corina: Stories by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Sabrina & Corina: Stories

by Kali Fajardo-Anstine (Fajardo-Anstine)

 

The short stories here are tender and also impenetrable. Do not try to make friends with the women in these stories. These are the difficult women that Roxane Gay warned us about. Although we can read about the soft sides of the characters here, it is painful to do so as the vulnerability laid bare here could carve mountains. I cannot do this work justice, I can only say that the women here are women you know. Denver and the surrounding areas also play a major role in the stories here. This book gave me great appreciation for the region that I previously knew little about.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Difficult Women by Roxane Gay, Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado, There There by Tommy Orange, or Men We Reap by Jesmyn Ward.]

[ official Kali Fajardo-Anstine web site ]

 

Recommended by Naomi S.
Eiseley Branch Library

 

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Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hank (on CD)

Uncommon Type
by Tom Hanks [Compact Disc Hanks] 

I think I may hate Tom Hanks now. He truly is a renaissance man, with the golden touch — it seems that everything he tries, he’s successful at. I still remember him starring with Peter Scolari in the sitcom Bosom Buddies in 1980-1982, as an outrageous and desperate young advertising man who had to cross-dress in order to secure a room in a woman’s boarding house. Since then, he’s gone on to win multiple Oscars (Forrest Gump, Philadelphia) and Emmys (for producing mini-series and others), as well as dozens of other awards for his acting, voice work, producing and screenwriting. Now…he’s put out his first volume of fiction — a short story collection, including 17 stories, all featuring typewriters in one way or another (Hanks is enamored of these old-fashioned writing implements, and has an extensive collection of these classic machines). The typewriters may be integral to the plot of the story, such as in “These Are the Meditations of My Heart”, in which a young woman recovering from a break-up decides to buy a typewriter to put her thoughts down on paper but the shop owner has to match her up with the perfect machine just for her. But the typewriter element may also be very tangential to the plot of some stories. There are four stories told as folksy newspaper columns from a small town columnist who’s resisting the march of progress — these are perhaps the least successful entries in the collection. And there are three interlinked stories featuring the same group of young friends and their quirky adventures — these are perhaps the most fanciful of the stories included. The tone ranges from light and fluffy to dark and introspective, and the writing style runs the gamut from “newspaper column” to traditional prose fiction to press release to screenplay format.

Hanks does a good job of creating quirky characters, but none of them are particularly deep. In many cases, I felt like I was just scratching the surface of the character(s) in several of the stories, and they could easily have been expanded into novellas or novels. And other stories are just perfect at the length they are presented. Overall, this is a very enjoyable collection, and I particularly recommend it in the audiobook format, where Hanks reads his own stories. For the audiobook, Hanks convinced a bunch of his actor friends to help him read one of the longer pieces in the collection — the one written in screenplay format — which is an added treat.

[ publisher’s official Uncommon Type web page ] | [ official Tom Hanks Twitter account ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill

20th Century Ghosts
by Joe Hill

Joe Hill presents himself with this collection as both a wonderful writer and as a story teller that possess that special touch. His works are sly and subtle, while some also manage to be so incredibly creepy and even touching. The stories vary in tone and subject manner, sometimes making it difficult to ascertain exactly what Hill is trying to accomplish in each of the tales presented. However, I give the author a great amount of credit for allowing a mode of thinking on the reader's part, making the stories all the more reader driven while allowing a sense of camaraderie with the author and his characters. It would be impossible not to compare Joe Hill's work with that of his father, Stephen King. When I say that they both write with a similar style and imagination, I mean to take nothing away from Hill. His stories and prose are all his own and while being similar to those of his father, Hill's books have a flavor of their own. Now in every collection there are stories that stand out to certain readers and those that just don't work. I believe that every reader will find "their story" in this collection and many may differ from those I liked the most. The opening story "Best New Horror" is an absolutely wonderful play on the cliched horror stories that are so often presented and the almost satirical nature made this one of my favorites. The title story, "20th Century Ghost" has a much more subdued approach and has the smoother and almost poetical writing that showcases Hill's skill at maintaining both creepy and beautiful. "Pop Art" was another favorite of mine. Highlighting not scares or darkness but the friendship between two boys. Initially in the story I thought it was unbelievable but the honesty and touching nature made a believer out of me. "Voluntarily Committed" was fantastic and I hold it as not only my favorite story in the collection, but as what I think a good short story should be. It is exper tly told and is both heartfelt and by far the biggest scare I had while reading this collection. By the end of the book Hill had proven himself as an exceptional writer and one that I am sure to follow. He is right up there on my list of favorites, right between Stephen King and Neil Gaiman. There are many other stories in this book that I did not reference above and I encourage everyone to read this excellent collection and find their favorites. -- recommended by Wyatt P. - Gere Branch Library

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Fragile things: Short fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman, Night Shift by Stephen King, or Stories : all-new tales edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio.]

[Also available in book-on-cd format.]

[ Wikipedia page for 20th Century Ghosts ] | [ official Joe Hill web site ]

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New Customer Review - Invasion of the Road Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales

Invasion of the Road Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales
by David Lubar [j Lubar]

This is a perfect book for someone who would rather listen to a bunch of different, smaller stories than one big one. Also if you are a fan of weird, creepy, or just plain strange. Prepare to feel bad for the antagonist as these short stories will change your point of view of the world forever. -- review submitted by Jonas S. - a customer of the Gere Branch Library

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Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories

Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories
by Agatha Christie

This is a wonderful collection of short mystery stories. The stories are gathered into four groups. The first set, The Tuesday Club Murders, share the same group of characters who tell stories to one another to see if anyone can guess the correct ending to their mystery. Each character takes a turn telling a story. This was my favorite set because even though each story stands on it?s own, you feel as if you?re sitting in on their evening of mysteries. The later stories are just as enjoyable, and are told as the mystery unravels rather than in hindsight. This is the first Agatha Christie I have read, but will certainly be reading more. If you haven't tried these classic mysteries, I suggest you do. -- recommended by Kristen A. - Gere Branch Library
 
[ official Agatha Christie web site ]
 
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A Different Plain: Contemporary Nebraska Fiction Writers

A Different Plain: Contemporary Nebraska Fiction Writers
edited by Ladette Randolph [813.08 Ran]

Nebraska has long been known for its strong literary heritage; today's writers continue that excellence as shown in the 25 short stories and books excerpts chosen for this anthology. There is something for everyone. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the companion volume, The Big Empty: Contemporary Nebraska Non-Fiction Writers.] -- recommended by Meredith M. - curator of the Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors
 
[ official A Different Plain page on the official Ladette Randolph web site ]
 
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Nine Stories

Nine Stories
by J.D. Salinger

A great book of nine, complex, short stories! All having strange endings, which are not tied up with a nice "happy ending" bow when the story is over. Many characters live upscale lives, but are dealing with hardships and many with the pain of World War II in some way or another. The selfishness and narcissism of the characters is what is so intriguing. Salinger leaves many loose ends giving the reader leeway for imagination and consideration. If you enjoy short fiction without the fluff of a "happily ever after" ending, I highly recommend Nine Stories. -- recommended by Jessica H. - Walt Branch Library

[ Wikipedia page for J.D. Salinger ] 

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Bradbury Stories: 100 of his Most Celebrated Tales

Bradbury Stories: 100 of his Most Celebrated Tales
by Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury was one of the true giants of 20th century literature, with close to fifty books published, including classics such as Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, Something Wicked This Way Comes, etc. He also wrote poems, essays, operas, plays, teleplays and screenplays -- he was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay to John Huston's version of Moby Dick. But one of the things he'll be best remembered for is the hundreds, yes, hundreds of short stories he wrote over the course of his career. I grew up reading his classic collections, such as R is for Rocket and S is for Space in my school library as a kid, growing into The Martian Chronicles and others as I got older. For me, Bradbury has become one of my top five favorite authors off all time. He's had so many stories published in his lifetime, that it is sometimes difficult to track them all down. This collection, Bradbury Stories, assembles 100 of his absolute best short works, and is a perfect way to pay tribute to the master, now that he has passed away, just this month. It's impossible to single out which of Ray's stories have most affected me over the years -- he's such a lyrical, stylized writer, with a gift for capturing a "sense of place" and nailing characters in just a few phrases. But, if you've never read Bradbury (shame on you), I would definitely start with "There Will Come Soft Rains" and "A Sound of Thunder" (perhaps one of the two or three best "time travel" stories ever written!). Though those two stories are not in this particular 2003 volume (from which I'd recommend "The Burning Man" and "The Toynbee Convector"), this collection is still to be savored -- don't try to read it all in one short period of time -- instead, read a few stories at a time and spread out the pleasure. You've got a treasure chest waiting to be opened! [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try any of Bradbury's other short story collections or novels, including Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Illustrated Man, The Halloween Tree, and many more. Another excellent story collection is The Stories of Ray Bradbury, released in 1980.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [subscribe to Scott's monthly "It's All Geek to Me!" booklist newsletter or any of the 35+ other newsletters available through the libraries Books, Movies & More email newsletter service!]

[ Ray Bradbury entry on Wikipedia with numerous off-site links ] | [ official Ray Bradbury web site ] | [ Ray Bradbury entry on the Internet Speculative Fiction Database ]

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Nightmare at 20,000 Feet

Nightmare at 20,000 Feet: Horror Stories by Richard Matheson
by Richard Matheson

This is a marvelous collection of 20 short horror stories by a master of the form. Fans of this genre will recognize the title piece as the story about an airline passenger having a psychotic breakdown as he sees a bizarre creature ripping apart the wing of plane he's flying on. That was turned into a 1963 episode of the classic Twilight Zone TV series, starring William Shatner, and was later included in the Twilight Zone: The Movie, which starred John Lithgow in the same role. For me, that story is arguably the best in the collection, but there are many others here worth recommending. Matheson does a great job of finding horror in the ordinary. His protagonists are typical "everymen". The settings are not gothic and spooky, but rather are the house next door, or your typical office complex. Of the stories in this collection, I would highly recommend "Mad House", "Legion of Plotters", "The Children of Noah", and "First Anniversary". The final story, "Prey" will also be recognizable to long-time TV and horror fans -- it was the basis one of the tales included in 1975's Trilogy of Terror, in which a Zuni doll comes to life and terrorizes Karen Black in her apartment. Note: Oddly, although the back cover of this book says the collection includes the story "Duel", which was turned into a creepy TV-movie starring Dennis Weaver and a semi, and ws the first feature film directed by Steven Spielberg, that story does NOT actually appear in the collection! [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try pretty much anything else by Richard Matheson, including: I Am Legend, Richard Matheson's Off-Beat Uncollected Stories, Hell House, and Hunted Past Reason.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Wikipedia page for Rickard Matheson ]

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Staff Recommendation - The Green Hills of Earth

The Green Hills of Earth

by Robert A. Heinlein

The Green Hills of Earth is a collection of short stories from one of the masters of science fiction who has held readers spellbound for over thirty years. First published in 1951, this collection includes "Delilah and the Space-Rigger," "Space-Jockey," "The Long Watch," "Gentlemen Be Seated," "The Black Pits of Luna," "It's Great to Be Back," "We Also Walk Dogs," "Ordeal in Space," "The Green Hills of Earth" and "Logic of Empire." I read it years and years ago, and loved it! I just love Heinlein!! -- recommended by Bob B. - Bennett Martin Public Library/Reference

[ www.heinleinsociety.org/ web site ] [ Wikipedia page for Robert A. Heinlein ]

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