Journal Entry 1 by WistfulDragon from Streatham, Greater London United Kingdom on Friday, March 17, 2006

"A runaway gets more than she bargained for...a walk in the woods takes a sinister turn...a mistress finds that being a wife isn't all that it promised to be...Writing with incisive wit and dry humour, Tracey Sinclair probes the dark heart of everyday life in a collection of stories that strips bare the lies we tell one another and ourselves. Sometimes shocking, sometimes uplifting, always recognisable, these are tales that will stay with you long after you have read them." 

Journal Entry 2 by WistfulDragon from Streatham, Greater London United Kingdom on Friday, March 24, 2006

This book is simply superb, packed with little gems. Each story is short - the longest is just ten pages - but packed full of insight and an exploration of some of the usually unseen emotional lives of people. Much of it is dark, and yet after reading each one I felt somehow stonger and more alive, rather than pulled down by the darkness in us. Some of it is, simply, uplifting; yet not simply, as to be lifted up you must first be down.
I can't explain the effect this book had on me very well; unlike Tracey Sinclair, I'm not that good at finding the words to describe emotions. All I can say is that it is powerful and profoundly moving, feels absolutely 'true', and should be a 'must read' for everyone other than children.
To help it on it's way I've started a ring. If you want to join in, just let me know! Current participants are:

Neverbelilith
Notingnothing
Sunflowergirl
Mastulela
Herrgirl
IoJima
lulubookish

I hope to post it off tomorrow, if I can find Neverbelilith's address! 

Journal Entry 3 by perditaxknit from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Thursday, March 30, 2006

Received today, thank you very much :)

I've just finished a book ring book, so it's up next :D 

Journal Entry 4 by perditaxknit from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, April 03, 2006

Just finished reading this (actually just finished reading it twice to get the bits I missed the first time) and I thought it was really good.

There are a huge variety of themes in here and Tracey Sinclair is a very good and varied writer.

My favourite story is 'The Indiscretion' - sadly I am not able to make that kind of technological mistake at work, but I wish I could!

Thank you WistfulDragon for sending this :) x 

Journal Entry 5 by perditaxknit from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, April 10, 2006

Sending to notingnothing today - sorry it's taken me so long to post, I've been helping run a national roleplaying event this weekend and I've been soooo busy... 

Journal Entry 6 by notingnothing from Eastbourne, East Sussex United Kingdom on Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Arrived today. Thank you :) 

Journal Entry 7 by notingnothing from Eastbourne, East Sussex United Kingdom on Saturday, April 22, 2006

This is a wonderful book. Collection of short stories - exploring the darker side of human behaviour and emotion. Beautifully open and honest.

Similar to Wistful Dragon, I am struggling to find the words to explain its effect on me. Several of the stories have (and will) stayed with me.

My (so far) best read of 2006 :) I have since bought my own copy.

Will send to sunflowergirl this week. 

Journal Entry 8 by sunflowergirl from Carlisle, Cumbria United Kingdom on Thursday, April 27, 2006

This book has just arrived here, thank you.

I've been really good in recent months and only signed up to books that were on my wishlist. So how come 7 books have arrived through my letter box in the last three days?! I'm now drowning in rings and rays! I promise I'll get to this book as soon as I can and I'll journal it again once I've read it. 

Journal Entry 9 by sunflowergirl from Carlisle, Cumbria United Kingdom on Sunday, May 07, 2006

I've just finished reading this book and wanted to journal it right away. I'm not usually a fan of short stories, I think that because I am such a fast reader I prefer longer stories. However, this book was just amazing. I was hooked from the first story and enjoyed reading all of them. The stories were so beautifully written and I found them all to be utterly engrossing.

Many of these stories will stay with me, but the most memorable story for me was "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Self-Mutilation (But Were Afraid to Ask)". I read this one a couple of times, it seemed so real. I loved how honest the persona was in this story, so matter of fact about what she was doing. It was absolutely real to me and explained self harm in a way that I've never seen it explained before. I was also really affected by "More Than What is Written". Tracey Sinclair has such a wonderful talent. I can't even describe how brilliant these stories are.

I am now going to buy my own copy of this book as it is a book that I would like to read again, and more than once.

Thanks wistfuldragon for letting me join this ring.

*** I've already PM'd mastulela and received her address back so I'll get the book in the post as soon as I can. *** 

Journal Entry 10 by sunflowergirl from Carlisle, Cumbria United Kingdom on Tuesday, May 09, 2006

I'll be posting this book on to the next reader tomorrow afternoon. 

Journal Entry 11 by Mastulela from Nuneaton, Warwickshire United Kingdom on Saturday, May 13, 2006

Arrived safely today, thank you :) Looking forward to reading it. 

Journal Entry 12 by Mastulela from Nuneaton, Warwickshire United Kingdom on Saturday, June 03, 2006

I read the first three stories and put the book aside, as I thought the subject matter was too black, depressive.

But before sending it off after an interval, I gave it another try and really enjoyed the stories. The writing is so good - a figurative prose style which at times verges on the poetic. One extended metaphor which appealed was Men may be another country to me now, one for which my visa expired so long ago that I no longer remember the travel routes, but here at least I felt I was being shown the holiday snaps (p.109). Loveletter from the Devil, is almost a biblical parody with each paragraph ending No love is this, the first four qualified by merciful, humble, tender, comforting, the final one stark. It is a very powerful 'sermon'.

Family Valued I recognised as the embryonic Doll.

Thank you for letting me read this, and sorry for holding on to it for so long. But I am glad I did.
 

Journal Entry 13 by Mastulela from Nuneaton, Warwickshire United Kingdom on Saturday, June 10, 2006

Postal release yesterday. Once again, my apologies for holding on to it for so long. 

Journal Entry 14 by herrgirl from Wantage, Oxfordshire United Kingdom on Saturday, June 10, 2006

Arrived this morning. Thanks, mastuela, for sending it on. 

Journal Entry 15 by herrgirl from Wantage, Oxfordshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, June 13, 2006

I'm not really a fan of short stories, as they don't give a writer much scope to develop a theme. One or two of these really depressed me, for the things they told me about some humans and their inner thoughts. I liked "The Indiscretion" very much, probably because it had a gutsy and positive heroine!

I was glad to have the opportunity to read an author previously unknown to me.

I'll send it on to IoJima as soon as I can get to the post office.

 

Journal Entry 16 by Iojima from Nyons, Rhône-Alpes France on Monday, July 03, 2006

Arrived today 3/7 -- the post office must be on holiday. Looking forward to it as I love good short stories. (Nice try with the postcard. :-) ) 

Journal Entry 17 by Iojima from Nyons, Rhône-Alpes France on Monday, July 17, 2006

I almost put it aside without even giving it as much a chance as Mastulela. The themes seemed creepy. But I started it, again, and it's a wonderful collection. The stories are superb and beautifully constructed. There is hope for the short story, yet.

I give it a 9 instead of a 10 only because of 2 egregious errors of grammar and one of usage that rocked me back in my chair. What ever happened to editors? 

Journal Entry 18 by AnonymousFinder on Monday, October 23, 2006

A most enjoyable series of short stories. "Love" from just about every viewpoint and every meaning of the word, from the romantic to the bizarre. Recommended to me by Wistfuldragon I thoroughly enjoyed reading these. My only comment perhaps would be that because they are all written by one author it helps to leave a small gap between reading each story.

Excellent anyway.