3 out of 4 stars
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We are living in a shrinking era in which almost everything is bite-sized (learning, trainings, food, marketing, etc.), and stories aren’t the exception. We Like SHORT SHORTS is a collection of startling bite-sized stories and recollections, some of them incredibly nano-scale. This book was written by Kathy Lindsey and Dave Sharp.
Although the stories are short, the diversion obtained from them isn’t short at all. In fact, this collection encapsulates a broad spectrum of lifelike situations such as the hassle of moving out to a new home, the uncertainty when not knowing the whereabouts of a loved one, the shortcomings that come with age, the sudden gaiety of a childhood memory, the astute trap of a wife created to see her husband’s reaction, among others.
We Like SHORT SHORTS contains more than forty stories, each with a different topic. Some of the stories are built on the knowledge and experience of the authors or someone close to them as stated at Amazon. The stories were written cleverly realistic, and they’re easy to follow. Since most of them are very short, you won’t see characters’ development very often, but instead the thrill and lessons of the wonderful narrations compensate that.
Since there were so many stories, I will just mention three of my favorites. The first one is "Pygmalion’s Statue." It’s the story of a sculptor who was seeking to create the perfect statue, and he sculpts a perfect woman whom he falls in love with. As a romantic person, I sighed when I read his story. What a predicament! The second story is "The Greatest Sacrifice." One of the things I love the most in this story is the way it was written. It’s actually a poem that explains what a father is willing to do for his children and their future. It’s a tear-jerking story. And the third one is "Squirrels Anonymous." It narrates the story of how a half truth can make a person misunderstand the real situation and make wrong decisions.
Despite the praises mentioned above, I must admit I found a number of things I didn’t like when reading. First of all, the book doesn’t have a table of content to make easier for the reader to find a story fast. Second, the formatting was sometimes off. Some lines grew bigger while others smaller. Third, I found some errors as missing commas and quotation marks. Lastly, a few stories would benefit if they followed the technique “show, don’t tell.”
Regardless the flaws, I really enjoyed this collection of stories because they provided me with a remarkable getaway. If you like stories that invite you to ruminate about life, you will enjoy We Like SHORT SHORTS. Although these stories seem relatively simple, you can find a lot of insights into family, sacrifice, animal care, and others. Therefore, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.
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We Love Short Shorts
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