Richard Scarsbrook

I don't think I have read a book* quite like Rockets versus Gravity by Richard Scarsbrook, but it was such a fun ride that I would do it all over again.

Normally, I would give a small plot summary in this section, but the book is a bit different so I cannot do that. It does open with a story about Stan and Sheila. Stan has a habit of losing his wedding band; in fact he has lost it four times, although Sheila thinks it is only 3 times. Each band has the engraving "Forever More." Stan has lost the ring while working, in a poker game, and in a few other ways and Sheila yells at him each time.

From this point on, the book will follow all sorts of people and different objects will show up in each story, such as Stan's missing wedding rings. Background characters in one story will show up as a main character in another story. A book will show up on several people's coffee tables and we will hear a bit about the author of said book. Each story is a short story, but tied together with common elements from the previous short story. Some characters we will follow for quite a bit of time and will get several of their stories, such as James Yeo, but others will stay a side character even though they may appear in other people's stories, such as Rhymin' Simon.

This was such a fun read for the reasons stated above. The stories all work with one another, even though they appear to be completely random. Actions taken in one narrative will change another person's story in a later chapter. The rings that Stan lose will have different meanings to different characters- to one it is a lucky ring and to another it is a bad luck ring. Each story weaves from one to another and it is fun putting them all together.

I will write in one review, someone mentioned this is a YA novel, and I will warn that it is not that at all. The cover is playful, but there is a lot of sex and a lot of swearing in this book as well as a few mature subjects. It is not a YA book at all.

I really enjoyed this one and gave it 4 stars.

*I want to thank NetGalley and Dundurn for the opportunity to read this book. I received it for free in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)

Great and wonderful! I can't think of any other words for this collection of short stories. Although to tell you the truth, I can't quite call them short stories - it's more like they're pieces in a whole, a puzzle that makes up the world the author is telling about.
I got Rockets versus gravity at NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest review, and I have to tell you, it was one hell of a bargain. This is one of those instances where it really pays off to dig through the lists of indie books, this is the book that makes you feel you finally found that gem among the pile of fluff you had to review, cause there's no way to tell if they're good before you actually read them.
The stories are all about life events, events that happen to ordinary people like us - some poor, some rich, some just simple folks like most of us. Most of the people the stories center on are sort of like underdogs, but you will sympathise with most. It's funny how the stories don't just center on one person - they're all interconnected and they weave into each other. For example, a story will begin with one character and end with someone you've been done with for a while, summarizing their adventures in the meantime. Almost all the stories have a certain eerie quality to them, like a promise of a storm in the air on a hot but gloomy day. Almost all will feel like the world is justified and karma does indeed exist. And most of them are nostalgic and painfully gripping, I think most readers will find something to emotionally connect with. At least for me, this was a wild ride of emotions and I stayed up half the night to finish it. Delightful indeed. And I normally don't even read short story collections.… (meer)