Journal Entry 1 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, October 04, 2005

On my way home from gym, I stopped by a Blockbuster store near me to drop off some DVDs and guess what I found? A bookstore selling 2nd-hand books! I must be pretty blind, I go there quite often but NEVER noticed it before. I was soooooo happy, I have been trying to find one near me and was planning to go investigate on Yellow Pages and I found one by pure accident. I could only browse through the store for a very short while as the guy was about to close up, but I managed to grab this book before I left. I can't wait to "visit" again!

From Amazon.com:
This anthology of short stories, and the occasional story poem, is vintage Neil Gaiman: quirky, sometimes very funny, often dark and disturbing. Most have been published before, but are hard to find elsewhere and cover all of Gaiman's writing life. As Gaiman says in his introduction, "most of the stories in this book are about love in some form or another," but not requited love. The stories in Smoke and Mirrors touch on all of Gaiman's themes: sex, death, dreams, and the end of the world. From "Chivalry," about the Holy Grail and where it finally ended up, to "Troll Bridge," a very adult version of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff"; from "Bay Wolf," a story poem that melds Beowulf and Baywatch, with interesting results, to "Murder Mysteries," which is about a murder, but also about angels, God's will, and Evil, these stories leave lasting impressions. Fans of Ray Bradbury's short stories and of Gaiman's other works will enjoy this collection. 

Journal Entry 2 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, October 04, 2005

This bookring is now closed.




BookRing Instructions:
1. When you receive the book, please make a journal entry so everyone knows it has safely arrived.
2. When you finish the book, please make another journal entry to share some of your thoughts - enjoyed the book, or absolutely hated it?
3. Continue the BookRing by checking this journal entry for the latest list, and sending a PM to the person after you on the list requesting their postal address.
4. Please try to send on the book as soon as you can, preferably within a month. If you need more time, that's not a problem at all. Either send me a PM or write a journal entry to let me know that the book is safe with you. Thanks! :)
5. Most importantly, ENJOY!

Participants:
1. Fleebo
2. miss-jo
3. dolphin-au
4. Entropical
5. catsalive

Back home with me now, thanks everyone!  

Journal Entry 3 by leeny37 at Post office: Mailed to another bookcrosser in Australia, Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Friday, October 07, 2005

Released 6 yrs ago (10/7/2005 UTC) at Post office: Mailed to another bookcrosser in Australia, Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Popped into a prepaid satchel and all ready to go. Will be dropped off in the morning to make its way to Fleebo. Enjoy! :) 

Journal Entry 4 by Fleebo from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Received today, thanks very much! 

Journal Entry 5 by Fleebo from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, October 19, 2005

There are some remarkable stories in here. Vampires (lots), Lovecraftian stories, some spine-prickling otherworldly ones and a very interesting Snow White story - much better than Maguire's "Mirror Mirror". I raised an eyebrow as I discovered Gaiman's pro-lifer views (who would have guessed? Not due to religious beliefs, surely). And overall, I felt admiration bound very tightly with discomfort.
Great book. Scary author. Handed to miss-jo. 

Journal Entry 6 by miss-jo from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, October 27, 2005

I love Gaiman's mind, but I've never been a real fan of short stories (if they're good I want to know more, if bad they're even less satisfying). The best thing about this collection was the incredible variety of styles, subjects and inspiration. 

Journal Entry 7 by dolphin-au from Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia on Monday, November 07, 2005

Received today. Will read soon, but there are a few other bookrings jumping up and down to be read as well. 

Journal Entry 8 by dolphin-au from Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Some good stories, some not so good and some great stories. I must say I am not much into vampires and such, so the stories around that theme did not grab me that much. Some stories reminded me a bit of stories by Bordewijk (a Dutch author, probably not translated much into English), as they are equally other-worldly sometimes. I liked the more humerous stories best (Wholesale, miss Finch, Quen of knives and the goldfish pool). The mouse story came as a bit of a surprise to me as well.
I quite like to read short stories (if they are not too short). You can easily read them in between other things, but they can make as much of an impression as a complete novel sometimes.
I'll get this out to entropical today. 

Journal Entry 9 by Entropical from Ryde, New South Wales Australia on Monday, November 28, 2005

Picked up today. It sat at the post office for a while as I've been busy with my wife and newly born son :)

Will read it quickly so I don't hold up the ring much longer.

Brock 

Journal Entry 10 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, January 12, 2006

Book received, thanks, Entropical. 

Journal Entry 11 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, January 22, 2006

My favourite of these stories was 'The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories', about the old black man, Pious Dundas, the star of the silent screen, June Lincoln, the frustration of getting a screenplay written and accepted, John Belushi's death, and the goldfish. Some others were very good and some I didn't like at all. While I wasn't all that happy with the story of 'Dawnie Morningside' I did like her dad's recipe for potato salad: 'My dads potato salad is made with tiny new potatoes, which he boils, then while their warm he pours his secret mix over them which is mayonnaise and sour cream and little onion things called chives which he sotays in bacon fat, and crunchy bacon bits. When it gets cool its the best potato salad in the world, and better than the potato salad we get at school which tastes like white sick.

Thanks, leeny37.

Posted back to leeny37 on 25/1/6. 

Journal Entry 12 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Wednesday, February 01, 2006

I was offsite for the last 2 days and found this book waiting for me when I returned to the office today. A big thank you to all who participated in my bookring and for making it a roaring success! :) I will share my own thoughts when I get the chance to read it. 

Journal Entry 13 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Saturday, September 30, 2006

Wow, scary author indeed. As others have mentioned, there is an incredible collection of stories here with such different writing styles, and there sure is some dark and twisty (as Meredith Grey would say; GA fans will understand!) stuff in here. I thought the very first story he shared - about the wedding gift - was very depressing. While I appreciate a good tale, I hope I don't receive that kind of gift ever! Some I just didn't get and others weren't that interesting to me (like the poems), but there were some great tales that were very creepy. I liked the one with the Black Cat, discounted murder services and his versions of The Three Billy Goats and Snow White. Oh boy, never to be seen in the same light again. Like miss-jo, I'm not usually a fan of short stories either, but I did enjoy reading through this collection, although it probably won't remain as part of my permanent bookshelf. To be passed on within the BC community! 

Journal Entry 14 by leeny37 at Brunch venue: Kaleidoscope Cafe in Brunswick, Meet-up -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, September 30, 2006

Released 5 yrs ago (9/30/2006 UTC) at Brunch venue: Kaleidoscope Cafe in Brunswick, Meet-up -- Controlled Releases

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It's too good to wild-release at this stage, so I'm bringing this with me to brunch meet-up! I reckon there should be interest in this so hopefully it goes to a good home! :) 

Journal Entry 15 by Mistlerose from Frankston, Victoria Australia on Sunday, October 01, 2006

Picked this up at the brunch meet up today.

 

Journal Entry 16 by Mistlerose from Frankston, Victoria Australia on Sunday, October 08, 2006

to be sent to another bookcrosser as part of the holiday wishlist. I hope she enjoys it.
 

Journal Entry 17 by Mistlerose at mail release in RABCK, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, October 08, 2006

Released 5 yrs ago (10/8/2006 UTC) at mail release in RABCK, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases

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Journal Entry 18 by cosminx from Hackham, South Australia Australia on Friday, October 13, 2006

thanks so much for sending this book, mistlerose! it arrived this morning, and made my day :) i'm a big neil gaiman fan, and while i prefer his novels, this book of short fiction is a great read. my favourite is "murder mysteries". 

Journal Entry 19 by cosminx from Hackham, South Australia Australia on Friday, October 27, 2006

it's so hard for me to write about neil gaiman without gushing - i love his imagination, the magic he works with words, the worlds and characters he creates... in fact, i can't think of anything i DISLIKE about him :)

rather than leaving this precious book to make its way in an uncertain world, i'm sending it to someone who might appreciate it - microsquid, in ireland. i'll be sending it off in the near future, but depending on postage costs, it might take up to 3 months to arrive. i hope it doesn't get seasick... 

Journal Entry 20 by cosminx from Hackham, South Australia Australia on Wednesday, November 01, 2006

i put "smoke and mirrors" in the post yesterday, and it is indeed going to take up to 3 months. i hope microsquid thinks it was worth the wait! 

Journal Entry 21 by microsquid from Cobh, Co. Cork Ireland on Thursday, April 12, 2007

Arrived in off of the slooooow boat... Thanks so much for sending it cosminx! 

Journal Entry 22 by microsquid from Cobh, Co. Cork Ireland on Monday, July 23, 2007

I love short stories as you can dip in and out of them without having to put your life on hold (as will shortly happen to me with Potter7). Accordingly this languished as TBR even though I'd read half of it.
I love the way Neil Gaiman views the world through a dark glass.
I enjoyed the vampire stories, but my favourites were the wedding present (have recently married, so found this a bit chilling) the black cat, the Christmas poem and Murder Mysteries.
I will be ringing this around the Northern Hemisphere - thanks for sharing Cosminx! 

Journal Entry 23 by microsquid from Cobh, Co. Cork Ireland on Monday, July 23, 2007

Journal Entry 24 by Arkenthell from Dublin, Co. Dublin Ireland on Monday, November 19, 2007

Gaimens greatest works all in one book.
Nicolas's wonderful peom.