Marrying Damian | William Trevor #Begorrathon23

"I'm going to marry Damian." Joanna said. Claire wasn't paying attention. She smiled and nodded, intent on unravelling a ball of garden twine that had become tangled. I said: "Well, that's nice, or course. But Damian's married already." It didn't matter, Joanna said, and repeated her resolve. Joanne was five at the time. It is … Continue reading Marrying Damian | William Trevor #Begorrathon23

Dead-end Memories | Banana Yoshimoto #JPNshortstories

Cover Design: Gingko leaves by Dana Li Five years ago I read Banana Yoshimoto's (1988) debut story Kitchen (which also contained the short story Moonlight Shadow). I enjoyed the two stories with some reservation about how deceptively simple they appeared. I think what I was trying to articulate back then is how it is possible for a … Continue reading Dead-end Memories | Banana Yoshimoto #JPNshortstories

Everything Feels Like the End of the World | Else Fitzgerald #AWWshortstories

We drove home along the forest road, the trees like exposed bones in the headlights, trunks bending in over the gravel track. From the first story in the collection, 'River' Everything Feels Like the End of the World is a speculative fiction short story collection 'exploring possible futures in an Australia not so different from … Continue reading Everything Feels Like the End of the World | Else Fitzgerald #AWWshortstories

Before He Left the Family | Carrie Tiffany #AUSshortstory

Before he left the family, my father worked as a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company. He travelled from chemist to chemist with samples of pills and lotions and pastes in the back of his Valiant station wagon. The best sales representatives visited modern chemists in the city and suburbs. My father had to drive … Continue reading Before He Left the Family | Carrie Tiffany #AUSshortstory

Another Christmas | William Trevor #ALiteraryChristmas

You always looked back, she thought. You looked back at other years, other Christmas cards arriving, the children younger. I'm sneaking my first William Trevor story in a few days early to coincide with my one and only A Literary Christmas entry for 2022. Those who have followed my previous A Literary Christmas stories, will … Continue reading Another Christmas | William Trevor #ALiteraryChristmas

She and Her Cat | Makoto Shinkai & Naruki Nagakawa #JPNshortstories

One of the online sites that came up when I duck, duck, go'd this title, suggested She and Her Cat was one of the five translated books this season that could soothe a battered soul. My soul was not feeling particularly battered (except for this seemingly endless La Niña rain!) but I definitely felt soothed … Continue reading She and Her Cat | Makoto Shinkai & Naruki Nagakawa #JPNshortstories

The Birds and Short Stories | Daphne Du Maurier #DDMreadingweek

Last year, for DDM reading week with Heavenali, I only had time for one short story. I chose The Birds, the first story in one of my beautiful Virago Designer Classic editions. This year I was more organised and finally finished the rest of the collection. The other stories include: Monte Verità (pp. 44-113) "They … Continue reading The Birds and Short Stories | Daphne Du Maurier #DDMreadingweek