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The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales
The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales
Kate Mosse | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am not going to ramble on and on giving you a synopsis for all the stories but I will let you know some of the ones that I enjoyed the most out of this collection. I really wanted to start reading some more short stories so I have continuously made an effort in reading a collection per month. With each book there are obviously going to be some better than others. I think the hardest thing for the authors is to create a really good and atmospheric story that will truly grip you and Kate Mosse has certainly done that in some of these stories. Others were a bit weak and easily forgettable.

The stories included are:

The Mistletoe Bride – 4/5 stars

Duet – 3.5/5 stars

Red Letter day – 2.5/5 stars

The drowned village – 3/5 stars

The house on the hill – 3/5 stars

Why the yew tree lives so long -1.5/5stars

Sainte-Therese – 3/5 stars

The ship of the dead -4/5 stars

La Fille de Melisande -2/5 stars

The revenant -5/5 star – FAVOURITE

On Harting hill -3.5/5 stars

The princess Alice -3/5 stars

In the Theatre at night 2.5/5 stars

The yellow scarf -3.5/5 stars

Syrinx 1/5 stars

Each of these stories comes with an authors note as what inspired her to write them. There are also some black and white gothic illustrations before each of the stories drawn by Rohan Daniel Eason which sets the tone. The stories are set in Sussex, Brittany and Languedoc that are based on Folk tales ranging from the 1800’s to the present day.

I will admit as writing this review I had to check the stories again to see which ones were which as they are somewhat forgettable. The ones that have clearly stuck with me is ‘The Mistletoe Bride’, ‘Duet’ and ‘The Revenant’.

The revenant was the best story by far in the book, it was eerie and creepy and had me on the edge of my seat with my pulse racing as I was actually scared but couldn’t stop reading. It is probably one of the scariest short stories that I have read! Mosse manages to create an intense atmosphere and completely grips the reader. The writing style is very easy to read and flows beautifully.

I would recommend this to people who are looking to read some short-stories that have historical fiction with supernatural elements and a bit of horror.

Overall I rated this 3.5/5 stars
  
DW
Doctor Who: Circular Time
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
4 short stories make up Big Finish's first foray into anthology storytelling, and there isn't a bad one in the bunch. Outstanding storytelling, great acting (especially by my favorite guest star, David Warner) a deepening of the special relationship that five and Nyssa share, and a finale to die for. This might be my favorite Fifth Doctor story of the line thus far. Great audio!
  
Difficult Women
Difficult Women
Roxane Gay | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Slightly disappointed, slightly repetitive
I was absolutely gearing up for Roxane Gay's latest book which turned out to be a mish mash of interesting short stories, intersecting racism, classism and sexism. The only issue was about 75% of the book seemed to repeat itself. It seemed to be missing a trick - there are more to women's lives than men, which was the main focus.
  
CD
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The collection of the first three Chocoholic mysteries plus the short story that was set and released before the series started. If you haven't started the series, this might be the place to start. The stories are light but fun and the characters are great.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/02/book-review-crime-de-cocoa-by-joanna.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
The Stories of John Cheever
The Stories of John Cheever
(0 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"Any collection of John Cheever’s short stories. I’m not a big fan of much of what passes itself off as literary fiction, finding it to be insipid, self-indulgent, plotless, and pointless. However, Cheever could write about everyday life and make it fascinating. His psychological insights are deft, never heavy-handed, and sometimes, as in his story “The Enormous Radio,” he veers into some really strange territory."

Source
  
Vintage Munro
Vintage Munro
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Alice Munro made history when she won a Nobel Prize for Literature, and became the first author of short stories to receive this prestigious award. After reading this collection, while I cannot fault the Swedish Academy for their choice, I can't say this collection should be your introduction to her work. Find out why in my review here https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2016/01/05/a-nobel-introduction/