Another book that has been in my TBR for a long long time.

Each of the short stories is 20-30 pages long and so easily read at a sitting.
Although some of the writers specialise in crime fiction, only a couple of the stories could be labelled crime fiction. Most of the stories challenge the reader to build the background scenario from the clues given.

1. A View of Mount Warning, Robert Drew
2. Hate at First Sight, Kathy Lette
3. Life in a Hotel Room, William McInnes
4. Elizabeth's News. Monica McInerney
5. Ithaca in Mind, Peter Temple
6. Blackberries, Tom Keneally
7. Twelve Minutes, Melina Marchetta
8. Manhattan Dreaming, Anita Heiss
9. You Can Change Your Life, Toni Jordan
10. Letter from a Drunk to a Long Gone Wife, Jack Marx.

I loved the irony of A View of Mount Warning, the comedy of Elizabeth's News and the sadness of
Letter from a Drunk to a Long Gone Wife. ( )

Some of these stories were unexpectedly good, some funny, some revealing all definitely readable. I've just recently discovered the pleasure of Short Stories. They can be picked up and put down with hardly a care in the world, great for commuter travel. ( )

I received this copy of this as a giveaway as part of the 2010 Books Alive campaign. I had heard of all the authors, and even read one or two of them; but was a good way to test the waters, so to speak, with those I hadn’t read.

A view of MountWarning by Robert Drewe – is a brooding story of lust for another man’s wife and self-sacrifice.

Hate at first site by Kathy Lette – An enjoyable read about two sisters – one of which heads for the bush to find a husband much to the horror of the older sister who has captured herself a successful city man.

Blackberries by Tom Keneally – didn’t really get it. It was, to put it politely, boring, although the subject matter had so much potential – a male high school teacher intellectually lusting after a female Sudanese refugee who is placed in his class.

You Can Change Your Life by Toni Jordan – Another enjoyable read, this time about a woman who goes to a self help seminar and as she leaves gets dragged onto the stage by the self-help guru.

Twelve minutes by Melina Marchetta – not a favourite at all.

Life in a Hotel Room by William McInnes – no! no! no! so wrong on so many levels – a business man reflects on his life and meets a Filipina woman.

Manhattan Dreaming by Anita Heiss has another single woman as the main character who is offered the chance of a lifetime to leave Australia and work in New York. Such is her lack of confidence she has to be just about forced to go.

Ithaca on my Mind by Peter Temple – I actually enjoyed this piece of work although the main character is an obnoxious, self-centred pig of a man.

Elizabeth’s news by Monica McInerney – what can I say, I am a huge fan. This wonderful short story looks at a woman who sends a Christmas Card each year with a family news letter enclosed – what she writes may not be 100% truthful, but it is the life she would live if she could.

Letter from a Drunk to a Long Gone Wife by Jack Marx – Another story in which I appreciated the great writing, but not the topic. It is a story of love. loss, addiction, possession and madness. Was horrible and yet riveting to read. ( )

I received this copy of this as a giveaway as part of the 2010 Books Alive campaign. I had heard of all the authors, and even read one or two of them; but was a good way to test the waters, so to speak, with those I hadn’t read.

A view of MountWarning by Robert Drewe – is a brooding story of lust for another man’s wife and self-sacrifice.

Hate at first site by Kathy Lette – An enjoyable read about two sisters – one of which heads for the bush to find a husband much to the horror of the older sister who has captured herself a successful city man.

Blackberries by Tom Keneally – didn’t really get it. It was, to put it politely, boring, although the subject matter had so much potential – a male high school teacher intellectually lusting after a female Sudanese refugee who is placed in his class.

You Can Change Your Life by Toni Jordan – Another enjoyable read, this time about a woman who goes to a self help seminar and as she leaves gets dragged onto the stage by the self-help guru.

Twelve minutes by Melina Marchetta – not a favourite at all.

Life in a Hotel Room by William McInnes – no! no! no! so wrong on so many levels – a business man reflects on his life and meets a Filipina woman.

Manhattan Dreaming by Anita Heiss has another single woman as the main character who is offered the chance of a lifetime to leave Australia and work in New York. Such is her lack of confidence she has to be just about forced to go.

Ithaca on my Mind by Peter Temple – I actually enjoyed this piece of work although the main character is an obnoxious, self-centred pig of a man.

Elizabeth’s news by Monica McInerney – what can I say, I am a huge fan. This wonderful short story looks at a woman who sends a Christmas Card each year with a family news letter enclosed – what she writes may not be 100% truthful, but it is the life she would live if she could.

Letter from a Drunk to a Long Gone Wife by Jack Marx – Another story in which I appreciated the great writing, but not the topic. It is a story of love. loss, addiction, possession and madness. Was horrible and yet riveting to read. ( )

A mixed bag of stories from mostly well known Australian authors. I particularly liked Robert Drewe's 'A View of Mount Warning' and Peter Temple's contribution, 'Ithaca In My Mind'. The only story I felt let the book down was Kathy Lette's 'Hate At First Sight' which was full of stereotypes and cliches, with a totally predictable ending and trying for humour with puns that made me cringe. Most disturbing story was Jack Marx's "Letter from a Drunk to a Long Gone Wife'. ( )