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Shelf Life: Fantastic Stories Celebrating Bookstores
Bookstores are the greatest places on earth, yet there's never been an anthology devoted just to them. Here are sixteen stories, fourteen original to this anthology, each of which includes a bookstore at its core. Science fiction, fantasy and horror. Introduction by Neil Gaiman. Cover art by John Picacio.
From the Cradle by Gene Wolfe
Book, by its Cover by P.D. Cacek
Hemingway Kittens by A.R. Morlan
Lost Books by John J. Miller
One Copy Only by Ramsey Campbell
Pixel Pixies by Charles de Lint
Blind Stamped by Lisa Morton
Shakespeare & Co. by Jack Williamson
Ballard's Books by Gerard Houarner
Books by David Bischoff
Escapes by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
"I am looking for a book ..." by Patrick Weekes
Glutton by Melanie Tem
In the Bookshadow by Marianne de Pierres
Non-returnable by Rick Hautala
Cheese Stands Alone by Harlan Ellison
From the Cradle by Gene Wolfe
Book, by its Cover by P.D. Cacek
Hemingway Kittens by A.R. Morlan
Lost Books by John J. Miller
One Copy Only by Ramsey Campbell
Pixel Pixies by Charles de Lint
Blind Stamped by Lisa Morton
Shakespeare & Co. by Jack Williamson
Ballard's Books by Gerard Houarner
Books by David Bischoff
Escapes by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
"I am looking for a book ..." by Patrick Weekes
Glutton by Melanie Tem
In the Bookshadow by Marianne de Pierres
Non-returnable by Rick Hautala
Cheese Stands Alone by Harlan Ellison
285 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2002
7 people are currently reading
1550 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
December 27, 2011
If you love books, this is one of the best anthologies ever! Imagine stories by Charles de Lint, Neil Gaiman, Harlan Ellison, Gene Wolfe, and Nina Kiriki Hoffman (and a dozen or so other authors) all in one book. Well worth finding...
November 20, 2014
I would imagine bookstores hold a special place in the hearts of readers everywhere. Whether it’s browsing in them hoping to find that unexpected treasure or just strolling through the aisles on the way to the coffee shop, there’s just something about a bookstore that affects us readers in unique ways. And so it was with great delight that I dived into this collection of 16 short stories all surrounding bookstore themes. Every one of them has some aspect of the supernatural involved: science fiction, horror, or fantasy.
Well-known authors abound: Charles de Lint, Jack Williamson, Gene Wolfe, and Harlan Ellison just to name a few. Some of these stories were fantastic while others were merely good, but all were intriguing reads. Perhaps my favorite entry here was not one of the actual stories, but rather the introduction by Neil Gaiman wherein he describes his own childhood fascination with the three bookstores that shaped his life-long love of reading. (His personal library pictured below):
If you like books about books and bookstores and people who love books, I suggest you give this collection a try.
Well-known authors abound: Charles de Lint, Jack Williamson, Gene Wolfe, and Harlan Ellison just to name a few. Some of these stories were fantastic while others were merely good, but all were intriguing reads. Perhaps my favorite entry here was not one of the actual stories, but rather the introduction by Neil Gaiman wherein he describes his own childhood fascination with the three bookstores that shaped his life-long love of reading. (His personal library pictured below):
If you like books about books and bookstores and people who love books, I suggest you give this collection a try.
December 28, 2012
A collection of short sf/f/horror stories about bookstores. There is already a glut of tales about magical bookstores with wise old booksellers who always know exactly what book to give each customer, and this collection has a bunch of those sorts of trite tales. But it also has a few interesting and weird takes on the subject.
"From the Cradle," Gene Wolfe: Michael is obsessed with an old and priceless book kept in his bookshop, which contains a new allegorical tale precisely tailored to him every time he opens it to a new page. I didn't liked the allegories, and I didn't much like Michael.
"A Book, By its Cover," PD Cacek: an old bookseller saves Jews in Germany in 1938 .
"The Hemingway Kittens" by AR Morlan: Two adorable kittens with hand-like paws start living in a bookstore. The bookseller begins to suspect that they're reading the books at night. I really hated this because it's far too long for such a simple idea, and because there is no possible way on earth that
"Lost Books" by John Miller: A fantasy author (who wrote just one book) suffered terrible tragedy, roams the US, and then starts working at a used book store. There, he falls in love once more, but also begins to suspect that the store's proprietor is more than what he seems. This story bothered me, both because every damn character tells the main character how much they luuuuuved his one book (a random example from small talk between two people who don't know each other: "'The prose is cool and evocative, the characters are great. And the story!'" Sounds totally natural and realistic!) and because the idea of
"One Copy Only" by Ramsay Campbell: A judge finds a used bookstore in which unwritten stories can be read. She finds a great book by an author who writes grimdark fantasy doorstoppers nowadays, but the author denies ever writing it. The dialog felt unnatural. And for all the narrator's supposed problem with cycnical characters and gloomy endings, she's really unpleasant about other people: describing one man as having "a senile pony-tail", decries her supposed fave author because he has a weak chin and isn't as tall as his characters, etc. The author who writes the grimdark fantasy doorstoppers also drives a brand new Jaguar, which I find rather unlikely.
"Pixel Pixies" by Charles de Lint: A hobgoblin tries to save a bookstore from an infestation of pixies. Cute, though no substance to it.
"Blind Stampbed" by Lisa Morton: A bookseller finds out that his favorite customer has died and is now haunting the bookstore. A nice mix of creepy and sweet.
"Shakespeare & Co." by Jack Williamson: In the far future, the written word has been nearly stamped out. A boy's pawnbroker grandfather secretly supplies books to his family--and to the rebellion. I was pleased to find a sf story in here, but the revolution is summed up very rapidly and vaguely, which left me unsatisfied.
"Ballard's Books" by Gerard Houarner: Haunted by a conversation he overhears about a magical bookstore as a child, a man spends his entire life searching for it. When at last he finds it, . The main character is a selfish dimwit, and I had no patience with him. I liked finding a magical bookstore that, for once, was not good or evil.
"Books" by David Bischoff: An upleasant software developer kills some time in a bookstore that is clearly magical to the reader. He doesn't intend to read any of the books, but he does plan on selling the mint condition first editions he finds there.
"Escapes" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman: A young woman starts working in a magical bookstore. Its magic is her only protection against the creepy abusive boyfriend she's trying to leave. Good. I particularly liked that the other employees didn't immediately trust or like the main character--it made the story feel more natural, and the main character even more sympathetic.
"'I am looking for a book...'" by Patrick Weekes: Gorhok the Inmitigable searches for the book of power he needs to complete his dark and unholy ritual. But the magical bookstore has been bought out by a large chain store (with a coffee shop and all) and none of the employees know what Gorhok is talking about. Hilarious, and easily my favorite of the collection.
"The Glutton" by Melanie Tem: The other stand-out of the collection. Phoebe feeds on the stories of others, becoming their muse even as she sucks their essence dry.
"In the Bookshadow" by Marianne de Pierres. An employee at a bookstore begins to be haunted by terrible phantasms. I wish this had been written a little more clearly.
"Non-Returnable" by Rick Hautala: Manda has trouble getting rid of a book on psychic black holes, and each time she tries to return the book, she loses something else: a rug, a cat...a life.
"The Cheese Stands Alone" by Harlan Ellison. Cort is a disaffected dentist who finds himself in a strange town. All the shops are closed and dark except one: a bookstore in which every person stares fixedly at a single page in a book, never turning the page. I really liked the conceit here, in which people are trapped by their burning curiosity, but then the main character starts ranting in such a classic Ellison style that it broke the spell for me.
"From the Cradle," Gene Wolfe: Michael is obsessed with an old and priceless book kept in his bookshop, which contains a new allegorical tale precisely tailored to him every time he opens it to a new page. I didn't liked the allegories, and I didn't much like Michael.
"A Book, By its Cover," PD Cacek: an old bookseller saves Jews in Germany in 1938 .
"The Hemingway Kittens" by AR Morlan: Two adorable kittens with hand-like paws start living in a bookstore. The bookseller begins to suspect that they're reading the books at night. I really hated this because it's far too long for such a simple idea, and because there is no possible way on earth that
"Lost Books" by John Miller: A fantasy author (who wrote just one book) suffered terrible tragedy, roams the US, and then starts working at a used book store. There, he falls in love once more, but also begins to suspect that the store's proprietor is more than what he seems. This story bothered me, both because every damn character tells the main character how much they luuuuuved his one book (a random example from small talk between two people who don't know each other: "'The prose is cool and evocative, the characters are great. And the story!'" Sounds totally natural and realistic!) and because the idea of
"One Copy Only" by Ramsay Campbell: A judge finds a used bookstore in which unwritten stories can be read. She finds a great book by an author who writes grimdark fantasy doorstoppers nowadays, but the author denies ever writing it. The dialog felt unnatural. And for all the narrator's supposed problem with cycnical characters and gloomy endings, she's really unpleasant about other people: describing one man as having "a senile pony-tail", decries her supposed fave author because he has a weak chin and isn't as tall as his characters, etc. The author who writes the grimdark fantasy doorstoppers also drives a brand new Jaguar, which I find rather unlikely.
"Pixel Pixies" by Charles de Lint: A hobgoblin tries to save a bookstore from an infestation of pixies. Cute, though no substance to it.
"Blind Stampbed" by Lisa Morton: A bookseller finds out that his favorite customer has died and is now haunting the bookstore. A nice mix of creepy and sweet.
"Shakespeare & Co." by Jack Williamson: In the far future, the written word has been nearly stamped out. A boy's pawnbroker grandfather secretly supplies books to his family--and to the rebellion. I was pleased to find a sf story in here, but the revolution is summed up very rapidly and vaguely, which left me unsatisfied.
"Ballard's Books" by Gerard Houarner: Haunted by a conversation he overhears about a magical bookstore as a child, a man spends his entire life searching for it. When at last he finds it, . The main character is a selfish dimwit, and I had no patience with him. I liked finding a magical bookstore that, for once, was not good or evil.
"Books" by David Bischoff: An upleasant software developer kills some time in a bookstore that is clearly magical to the reader. He doesn't intend to read any of the books, but he does plan on selling the mint condition first editions he finds there.
"Escapes" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman: A young woman starts working in a magical bookstore. Its magic is her only protection against the creepy abusive boyfriend she's trying to leave. Good. I particularly liked that the other employees didn't immediately trust or like the main character--it made the story feel more natural, and the main character even more sympathetic.
"'I am looking for a book...'" by Patrick Weekes: Gorhok the Inmitigable searches for the book of power he needs to complete his dark and unholy ritual. But the magical bookstore has been bought out by a large chain store (with a coffee shop and all) and none of the employees know what Gorhok is talking about. Hilarious, and easily my favorite of the collection.
"The Glutton" by Melanie Tem: The other stand-out of the collection. Phoebe feeds on the stories of others, becoming their muse even as she sucks their essence dry.
"In the Bookshadow" by Marianne de Pierres. An employee at a bookstore begins to be haunted by terrible phantasms. I wish this had been written a little more clearly.
"Non-Returnable" by Rick Hautala: Manda has trouble getting rid of a book on psychic black holes, and each time she tries to return the book, she loses something else: a rug, a cat...a life.
"The Cheese Stands Alone" by Harlan Ellison. Cort is a disaffected dentist who finds himself in a strange town. All the shops are closed and dark except one: a bookstore in which every person stares fixedly at a single page in a book, never turning the page. I really liked the conceit here, in which people are trapped by their burning curiosity, but then the main character starts ranting in such a classic Ellison style that it broke the spell for me.
November 9, 2019
Bookstores were always where the magic was-at least for me. First job? Bookstore. Met future spouse? Bookstore. So I really delighted in Shelf Life, an anthology celebrating-you guessed it-bookstores. Not every story here is a perfect gem, but I can say I enjoyed all of the stories I read. The introduction penned by Neil Gaiman was noteworthy as well, something one can rarely say. There is an incredible amount of talent crammed between two covers here-there are stories by David Bischoff, Ramsey Campbell, Jack Williamson, Charles de Lint, Rick Hautala, John J Miller, Gene Wolfe, Lisa Morton, and AR Morlan. Best story honors have to go to Harlan Ellison, however-The Cheese Stands Alone appears to have been written circa 1981, but it is rendered so much more poignant due to Ellison's recent passing. Ellison was an author who meant a lot to me-with this story it was almost as if he was speaking to me from the grave.
March 30, 2020
A great collection of stories that are actually about books and bookstores!
October 16, 2012
I was a little worried when I started reading Shelf Life. I couldn't get into the first story, “From the Cradle” by Gene Wolfe; but then I've never been a Gene Wolfe fan.
The second story, “A Book, By Its Cover” by P.D. Cacek, started slow and I was beginning to fear that I was wasting my time. But the story ended well, and I was somewhat encouraged.
The third story (“The Hemingway Kittens” by A.R. Morlan) was better; again it took a little while to get into it (I'm not a fan of cats and books together), but the story was pretty good.
After that the collection just took off for me. The remaining thirteen stories were all enjoyable (well, parts of “Escapes” by Nina Kiriki Hoffman may not have been enjoyable exactly, but it pretty good all the same).
My favorite stories were probably “Lost Books” by John J. Miller; “One Copy Only” by Ramsey Campbell; and “Ballard’s Books” by Gerard Houarner.
When I buy a multiple author anthology, I tend to scan the table of contents for names I recognize; and unless the theme is really interesting, I generally don't buy it unless I see at least a couple of familiar names.
Shelf Life meets that criteria and then some: half the names in the TOC were familiar. However, as it frequently happens, my favorite stories aren't necessarily by the authors I'd heard of. Ramsey Campbell's name was certainly familiar, but the names John J. Miller and Gerard Houarner were not.
Maybe I need to be less choosy about the anthologies I buy.
The second story, “A Book, By Its Cover” by P.D. Cacek, started slow and I was beginning to fear that I was wasting my time. But the story ended well, and I was somewhat encouraged.
The third story (“The Hemingway Kittens” by A.R. Morlan) was better; again it took a little while to get into it (I'm not a fan of cats and books together), but the story was pretty good.
After that the collection just took off for me. The remaining thirteen stories were all enjoyable (well, parts of “Escapes” by Nina Kiriki Hoffman may not have been enjoyable exactly, but it pretty good all the same).
My favorite stories were probably “Lost Books” by John J. Miller; “One Copy Only” by Ramsey Campbell; and “Ballard’s Books” by Gerard Houarner.
When I buy a multiple author anthology, I tend to scan the table of contents for names I recognize; and unless the theme is really interesting, I generally don't buy it unless I see at least a couple of familiar names.
Shelf Life meets that criteria and then some: half the names in the TOC were familiar. However, as it frequently happens, my favorite stories aren't necessarily by the authors I'd heard of. Ramsey Campbell's name was certainly familiar, but the names John J. Miller and Gerard Houarner were not.
Maybe I need to be less choosy about the anthologies I buy.
September 14, 2021
Well kiddos, we are starting out with a bold claim with this book report. This has got to be the worst collection of short stories I have ever read. Well at least the worse in memory.
Every single book in this collection is either unreadable, mediocre or just plain rubbish. And there are a lot of stories, so for all of them to be tripe is a feat in itself.
Well done, well done indeed.
This should have been lovely, a book full of stories about books and book shops. It is basically my happy place in paperback form. But my word the editor got it wrong. Very wrong. Apparently, he was sent 400 odd stories to be added to this collection and these where the ones he chose?!? I can only assume they came with money/sexual favours/offers he couldn’t refuse.
All the stories are of a weird bent, and I don’t mean weird in a good way, I mean weird in a ‘huh, what did I just read’ way. The only redeeming feature throughout was the fact all the stories revolved around books.
I’m not going to mark each book in my usual star fashion, as each story was either a –
🖤 – unreadable, so I gave up
🖤🖤 – barely entertaining
So, it is not worth my time.
Do yourself a favour if you want to read a book about books, read either The Starless Sea or The Shadow of the Wind.
Every single book in this collection is either unreadable, mediocre or just plain rubbish. And there are a lot of stories, so for all of them to be tripe is a feat in itself.
Well done, well done indeed.
This should have been lovely, a book full of stories about books and book shops. It is basically my happy place in paperback form. But my word the editor got it wrong. Very wrong. Apparently, he was sent 400 odd stories to be added to this collection and these where the ones he chose?!? I can only assume they came with money/sexual favours/offers he couldn’t refuse.
All the stories are of a weird bent, and I don’t mean weird in a good way, I mean weird in a ‘huh, what did I just read’ way. The only redeeming feature throughout was the fact all the stories revolved around books.
I’m not going to mark each book in my usual star fashion, as each story was either a –
🖤 – unreadable, so I gave up
🖤🖤 – barely entertaining
So, it is not worth my time.
Do yourself a favour if you want to read a book about books, read either The Starless Sea or The Shadow of the Wind.
May 8, 2019
I found this book by accident, or luck, one day in a used bookstore. A book about bookstores, how great is that. I enjoed all the stories. Starting with an introduction by Neil Gaiman and sories from Gene Wolfe to Harlan Ellison, fantastic stories involving books and bookstores and the people and creatures who work there and shop there, a terrific concept. Some of the authors I did not recognize by name. I enjoyed them all. My favorite was by John J Miller. If you can find this book, it is well worth the read. This was extra special for me because after I graduated from college and did not know what i wanted to do with my life, I opened a used bookstore. After 50 years of working, it was rthe best thing I did.
October 13, 2013
Short stories are frustrating at best!
If it's a good story you wish it had continued, if it's a poor story you feel you've wasted time reading it.
This collection of 15 tales has only about four or five worth bothering about.
Mind you the idea was a good one, building a collection around bookstores.
But some of them are simply pointless and so aggravatingly silly that it takes considerable control not to throw the book across the room.
I've yet to come across a short story collection that ticks all the boxes.
Ditto this one.
If it's a good story you wish it had continued, if it's a poor story you feel you've wasted time reading it.
This collection of 15 tales has only about four or five worth bothering about.
Mind you the idea was a good one, building a collection around bookstores.
But some of them are simply pointless and so aggravatingly silly that it takes considerable control not to throw the book across the room.
I've yet to come across a short story collection that ticks all the boxes.
Ditto this one.
October 21, 2017
It was a struggle to get through this book as it seems all the short stories were written by kids.
most were difficult to read and even the couple decent stories...well, sucked!
most were difficult to read and even the couple decent stories...well, sucked!
April 27, 2019
The stories were wonderful but the copy editing... not so much.
December 19, 2016
Read this for the second time recently. Overall, nearly everything in it is enjoyable, though some stories are better than others. Probably not quite worth the full price, but I got it on sale, and got my money's worth. It's badly in need of a proofread and reprint, as it has many typos and obvious grammatical errors. And this is the second printing... All the stories herein are from 2002, except Pixel Pixies by Charles de Lint from 2001, and The Cheese Stands Alone by Harlan Ellison from 1981.
Minimal spoilage follows:
Minimal spoilage follows:
February 15, 2024
Missing a star only because of the two slightly off stories in an otherwise pitch perfect collection!
Man am I sad the book got over :( Time to head to a bookstore, I guess :)
Man am I sad the book got over :( Time to head to a bookstore, I guess :)
April 13, 2020
I've recently started getting into short story collections, and therefore started running into the problem that almost everyone who reviews them run into: the quality varies. I ended up bumping this collection up a star for the niche content it provides--my favorite anthologies are either author's writing essays about books or short story collections with a very narrow prompt. In this case, the prompt for the collection was "sf short stories that take place in a bookstore".
I'll try to give a "snippet" review for each story, in case anyone is purchasing this book for one particular author. ***=standout story, makes me want to check out the author.
From the Cradle by Gene Wolfe: Nothing memorable, writing style fairy reminiscent of an artsy Iain Pears
A Book By Its Cover by P.D. Cacek: First standout of the collection. Highly original.***
Lost Books by John Miller: Predictable, but it was the story I felt probably had the most potential to be a full novella if given room to breathe.
One Copy Only by Ramsey Campbell: Full of wish fulfillment, this story felt fully realized and didn't veer off into the schmaltz the concept would have allowed.
Pixel Pixies by Charles De Lint: This particular story shows up in at least three collections, s I'd already read it before this one. That said, I've always enjoyed it***
Blind Stamped by Lisa Morton: Bit depressing, but it felt fully fleshed out.
The Hemingway Kittens by A.R. Morlan: Bit unusual, but the writing style was very pleasing.***
Shakespeare and Co by Jack Williamson: Probably the only true sci-fi story in the series. It was probably the most removed from the prompt than any other story, but it was decent.
Ballard's Books by Gerard Houarner: This one was placed close the other "depressing" story in the collection, so there is a possibility that my view towards it was tainted. The writing was fine, it just struck a very disagreeable note with me.
Books, by David Bischoff: Despite the fact that this story didn't feature as young of a protagonist as many of the other stories in the collection, this author's voice felt the most like YA to me. That isn't a bad thing at all--a reasonable amount of what I read is YA. It just seemed to have a different feel to it than the rest.
Escapes by Nina Hoffman: A few other stories in this particular collection try to hit some horror notes, and I really feel that Hoffman did it the best.***
I am looking for a book by Patrick Weekes: Easily the cutest/funniest story in the collection. It could easily be developed into a great forensics skit.***
The Glutton by Melanie Tem: Much denser and "literary" than the rest. It took be a bit to chug through it.
In the Bookshadow by Marianne de Pierres: I think I'm just too dumb to fully grasp the implications here, and I wish more of an explanation was present. That said, a lot of the one-liers did a good job establishing the sanity slippage in a short period of time.***
Non-Returnable by Rick Hautlata: It's horror was a little less streamlined than the other stories that went down that road, but the author did a good job at making the reader feel as muddled as the POV character. Weirdly, I liked it a lot more after I was finished with it.
The Cheese Stands Alone by Harlan Ellison: I feel awful for saying this about a legendary author, but this one just didn't work for me.
I'll try to give a "snippet" review for each story, in case anyone is purchasing this book for one particular author. ***=standout story, makes me want to check out the author.
From the Cradle by Gene Wolfe: Nothing memorable, writing style fairy reminiscent of an artsy Iain Pears
A Book By Its Cover by P.D. Cacek: First standout of the collection. Highly original.***
Lost Books by John Miller: Predictable, but it was the story I felt probably had the most potential to be a full novella if given room to breathe.
One Copy Only by Ramsey Campbell: Full of wish fulfillment, this story felt fully realized and didn't veer off into the schmaltz the concept would have allowed.
Pixel Pixies by Charles De Lint: This particular story shows up in at least three collections, s I'd already read it before this one. That said, I've always enjoyed it***
Blind Stamped by Lisa Morton: Bit depressing, but it felt fully fleshed out.
The Hemingway Kittens by A.R. Morlan: Bit unusual, but the writing style was very pleasing.***
Shakespeare and Co by Jack Williamson: Probably the only true sci-fi story in the series. It was probably the most removed from the prompt than any other story, but it was decent.
Ballard's Books by Gerard Houarner: This one was placed close the other "depressing" story in the collection, so there is a possibility that my view towards it was tainted. The writing was fine, it just struck a very disagreeable note with me.
Books, by David Bischoff: Despite the fact that this story didn't feature as young of a protagonist as many of the other stories in the collection, this author's voice felt the most like YA to me. That isn't a bad thing at all--a reasonable amount of what I read is YA. It just seemed to have a different feel to it than the rest.
Escapes by Nina Hoffman: A few other stories in this particular collection try to hit some horror notes, and I really feel that Hoffman did it the best.***
I am looking for a book by Patrick Weekes: Easily the cutest/funniest story in the collection. It could easily be developed into a great forensics skit.***
The Glutton by Melanie Tem: Much denser and "literary" than the rest. It took be a bit to chug through it.
In the Bookshadow by Marianne de Pierres: I think I'm just too dumb to fully grasp the implications here, and I wish more of an explanation was present. That said, a lot of the one-liers did a good job establishing the sanity slippage in a short period of time.***
Non-Returnable by Rick Hautlata: It's horror was a little less streamlined than the other stories that went down that road, but the author did a good job at making the reader feel as muddled as the POV character. Weirdly, I liked it a lot more after I was finished with it.
The Cheese Stands Alone by Harlan Ellison: I feel awful for saying this about a legendary author, but this one just didn't work for me.
September 17, 2012
As you can obviously see, I'm a huge huge bibliophile. So when I saw this anthology about stories that feature a bookstore, I had to read it. However, I have fairly mixed feelings about the book. To me, the book had rather weak stories as it's starting and ending, but the middle stories were wonderful! I really really loved them. My favourite stories were:
The Hemingway Kittens: Successfully mixing kittens in a bookstore with science-fiction elements, this makes me want to grow up and start a bookstore with kittens in it! Well, almost. I don't relish the idea of having to clean up and feed kittens everyday. A really adorable story.
Lost Books: It's a ghost story (I mean, there's literally a ghost/undead person in it). But it wasn't scary and was really rather sweet. I enjoyed the idea of loving books through time and space.
Pixel Pixes: A tale with the fey in it! Well, it makes sense that such a story is here, because really, we're all introduced to fairies from books right? This was an entertaining story, and struck the right balance between the traditional fairies and the modern world.
Blind Stamped: Again, this story looks at loving books beyond the physical constraints. It appears that a lot of stories featuring ghosts like to do this. Still, I'm not complaining, I thought it was really well-written, a bit spooky at first but with a really cool ending.
Ballard's Books: Featuring a mysterious shop and a not-so-likable protagonist, this story looks at the idea of changing fate. Personally, I thought the protagonist deserved what was coming to him.
Books: Ahh, something about the addictive-ness of books. One of the creepiest stories, but very well-done. As a tip, don't read this as the last story before you go to bed. Especially if you bed faces a shelf of books. If you're anything like me, your imagination may get the better of you (;
Escapes: Another one of the books-literally-change-lives stories. But I thought it was really interesting. Plus, the author has created an engaging and sympathetic heroine, with a very distinct bookstore. I was really impressed with how the conflict-resolution plot was tightly written into a few pages. One of my favourite stories (along with the kittens)
I Am Looking for a Book.....: A parody of the 'book of power' and it has a protagonist that wouldn't feel out of place in Discworld. I laughed a lot while reading this book, and I thought it was very clever.
The rest of the stories (around 6 in total), I didn't quite understand. That, and I didn't really like the protagonists, made it a bit disappointed with the book. I think, if you're interested in this book, you should borrow it from the library first before deciding if you want to buy it. It's definitely one of those books you can read over and over again, but first, you have to decide if you want to re-read these stories.
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
First posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
The Hemingway Kittens: Successfully mixing kittens in a bookstore with science-fiction elements, this makes me want to grow up and start a bookstore with kittens in it! Well, almost. I don't relish the idea of having to clean up and feed kittens everyday. A really adorable story.
Lost Books: It's a ghost story (I mean, there's literally a ghost/undead person in it). But it wasn't scary and was really rather sweet. I enjoyed the idea of loving books through time and space.
Pixel Pixes: A tale with the fey in it! Well, it makes sense that such a story is here, because really, we're all introduced to fairies from books right? This was an entertaining story, and struck the right balance between the traditional fairies and the modern world.
Blind Stamped: Again, this story looks at loving books beyond the physical constraints. It appears that a lot of stories featuring ghosts like to do this. Still, I'm not complaining, I thought it was really well-written, a bit spooky at first but with a really cool ending.
Ballard's Books: Featuring a mysterious shop and a not-so-likable protagonist, this story looks at the idea of changing fate. Personally, I thought the protagonist deserved what was coming to him.
Books: Ahh, something about the addictive-ness of books. One of the creepiest stories, but very well-done. As a tip, don't read this as the last story before you go to bed. Especially if you bed faces a shelf of books. If you're anything like me, your imagination may get the better of you (;
Escapes: Another one of the books-literally-change-lives stories. But I thought it was really interesting. Plus, the author has created an engaging and sympathetic heroine, with a very distinct bookstore. I was really impressed with how the conflict-resolution plot was tightly written into a few pages. One of my favourite stories (along with the kittens)
I Am Looking for a Book.....: A parody of the 'book of power' and it has a protagonist that wouldn't feel out of place in Discworld. I laughed a lot while reading this book, and I thought it was very clever.
The rest of the stories (around 6 in total), I didn't quite understand. That, and I didn't really like the protagonists, made it a bit disappointed with the book. I think, if you're interested in this book, you should borrow it from the library first before deciding if you want to buy it. It's definitely one of those books you can read over and over again, but first, you have to decide if you want to re-read these stories.
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
First posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
April 22, 2014
Shelf Life was a solid way to start the new year for me. It was nothing excessively joyous, horrific, mesmerizing, or life-changing. It was comforting and strange, historical and whimsical, and not nearly so full of cats as I would have expected. One store owner even had a yappy little dog. At the end of an anthology, I find it hard to review every single story from the book because not all of the stories spoke personally to *me* as I went along. Some did stand out, though, and those are the ones that I want to remember.
One story that I particularly enjoyed was set in the early days of Hitler's Germany. "A Book, by Its Cover" gave a beautiful rescue and redemption to a boy who had lost everything and a bookseller with no books. "Lost Books" was also a redemption tale, and gave me a new perspective on the burning of the Library of Alexandria. "I Am Looking for a Book" gave me the giggles and reminded me of the Freisner and other deliberately tail-twisting authors I read twenty years ago. And so on.
I don't think I will keep this book, because in the spirit of its contents I think that I need to pass it to the next person who might want or need it. I got what I wanted or needed or sought from it, and I am content.
I picked it up because I saw a recommendation for it somewhere (Unshelved? GoodReads?) and thought it might be a nice comfort read. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys bookstores - especially used and private ones - and the flights of fancies those unique places bring.
One story that I particularly enjoyed was set in the early days of Hitler's Germany. "A Book, by Its Cover" gave a beautiful rescue and redemption to a boy who had lost everything and a bookseller with no books. "Lost Books" was also a redemption tale, and gave me a new perspective on the burning of the Library of Alexandria. "I Am Looking for a Book" gave me the giggles and reminded me of the Freisner and other deliberately tail-twisting authors I read twenty years ago. And so on.
I don't think I will keep this book, because in the spirit of its contents I think that I need to pass it to the next person who might want or need it. I got what I wanted or needed or sought from it, and I am content.
I picked it up because I saw a recommendation for it somewhere (Unshelved? GoodReads?) and thought it might be a nice comfort read. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys bookstores - especially used and private ones - and the flights of fancies those unique places bring.
December 29, 2012
I don't read anthologies very often, and in fact I don't read collections very frequently either, though I prefer single-author collections in which I can steep myself in a single person's visions. Shelf Life is a perfectly fine anthology, with some recognizable names mixed with (to me) new ones, but as is usually the case with an anthology, I finished it feeling as though it could have been better. I suppose it's down to the fact that any editor is going to have different opinions than I would -- obviously -- and thus no anthology can ever be as ideal, for me, as I can imagine. Nonetheless, there are some enjoyable stories in here. The anthology is subtitled "Fantastic Stories Celebrating Bookstores", so there's the theme, which is certainly a noble one. For me the clear highlight was Charles de Lint's charming faerie stor, and "Lost Books" by John J. Miller was also noteworthy, as was Nina Kiriki Hoffman's "Escapes". Many of the others were perfectly fine, but not stories I would have gone out of my way to read; though only one or two were what I'd call negative reading experiences, which isn't bad for a large collection. With authors like P.D. Cacek, Ramsey Campbell, Lisa Morton, Gene Wolfe, and Melanie Tem (among others), it's a strong set of writers. The book closes with Harlan Ellison's brief, memorable "The Cheese Stands Alone", which feels like the right closing statement.
April 28, 2014
Bookstores as central features of a collection of stories from masters of science fiction, fantasy, and horror - there is little else that would persuade me to select a short story collection to read. I seldom like short stories at all. When I do, the story I appreciate is buried in a collection that requires gritting my teeth to wade through. The 16 stories that Greg Ketter selected from the 400+ which were submitted to him are among the very best I have read. They are wonderfully imaginative, unerringly evocative of the very best bookstore experiences. The bookstore as Golem and protector. The bookstore as nurturing home. The bookstore as incubator of ideals and movements. The bookstore as arbiter of justice and recompense. If you love bookstores and are not averse to fantasy, do not miss this one.
March 26, 2013
Greg Ketter, owner of Minneapolis' DreamHaven books describes this volume as a labor of love, and that's evident. But its thematic focus is so narrow that it's probably better dipped into than read straight-through: it's a bit too easy to play spot-the-trope (haunted bookstore, haunted books, store-of-books-never-written, store-of-books-that-warp-reality), and I found the quality uneven.
I give top honors to Gene Wolfe's "From the Cradle," which plays with one of his favorite themes in a surprising and pleasantly multi-layered context, P.D. Cacek's grim but not hopeless story set shortly after Kristallnacht, Nina Kiriki Hoffman's unsettling "Escapes," and Patrick Weekes' wry "'I Am Looking for a Book...'"
I give top honors to Gene Wolfe's "From the Cradle," which plays with one of his favorite themes in a surprising and pleasantly multi-layered context, P.D. Cacek's grim but not hopeless story set shortly after Kristallnacht, Nina Kiriki Hoffman's unsettling "Escapes," and Patrick Weekes' wry "'I Am Looking for a Book...'"
September 3, 2017
How could I resist an anthology full of stories about bookstores? These are all solid, satisfying tales, but the narrow theme is made narrower by the fact they all feel very similar: set in our world with the fantastic creeping in slowly. I would have loved to see more variety in tone and content. One tale does depart dramatically from the overall vibe: Patrick Weekes' "I Am Looking For A Book ..." which is exactly and wonderfully what you would expect from the author of The Palace Job. This one and the story immediately following, "The Glutton" (Melanie Tem) were the standout tales in the anthology. "The Glutton" got to me on a deep level.
To recap: good quality, but not a lot of variety.
To recap: good quality, but not a lot of variety.
May 24, 2024
It makes me uncomfortable when my enjoyment-rating does not match the quality-rating. In this case, I mostly loved this book! But weirdly, none of the individual stories were outstanding. Some of them had copious copy errors, some of them took the easy way out, some of them lacked subtlety.
Although this collection of stories is set up to be about book stores, most of the stores didn't act like stores-- they acted like libraries: upper rooms that held books that disintegrated if they crossed the threshold, research collections with incredible finds, places where people would sit and read all day.
eARC from NetGalley.
Although this collection of stories is set up to be about book stores, most of the stores didn't act like stores-- they acted like libraries: upper rooms that held books that disintegrated if they crossed the threshold, research collections with incredible finds, places where people would sit and read all day.
eARC from NetGalley.
March 9, 2020
Every short story book has a mix, as it should. You’ll like some, not others, so on the whole I find them incredibly hard to rate. I enjoyed quite a few of the stories here, my favourite being Pixel Pixies by Charles de Lint, but then I’m partial to the type of story he wrote. Others were interesting, but not my personal cup of tea, but still worth a read. I think overall I enjoyed the theme of fantastical bookstores for sure and the mix presented was a good smorgasbord of weird fiction, sci fi and fantasy. If you enjoy any of those genres, you’ll likely find something you enjoy and the others will expand your reading horizons a bit.
June 5, 2015
I don't tend to read a lot of short stories. I typically like to spend more time with an author and/or characters than is allowed. I know that people can do great things with short stories, but most of them just don't appeal to me. I was given this book, otherwise I probably wouldn't own it. Still, I did enjoy it. A few of the stories were quite good, a few others were clever without being wholly statisfying, and some of them were just fine. For me, the standout of the book was "'I am looking for a book...'" by Patrick Weekes. Fantastic, and humorous.
September 5, 2024
The sort of book I wanted to like, but uneven writing quality, poor copy editing, and a high percentage of nastily unlikeable narrators/protagonists made it tough going. I like many of the tropes in these tales, but the execution was lacking throughout and about half of the stories feel dated due to complaints about computer technology and "the youth" that are no longer relevant. "The Glutton" and "The Cheese Stands Alone" aren't bad, though.
October 5, 2012
This new collection of short stories celebrates the magic inside of all bookstores, literally as well as figuratively. It includes fantasy, science fiction, and horror, and is edited by Greg Ketter with an Introduction by Neil Gaiman. I think there’s something in it for every age. Read the rest of my review at http://popcornreads.com/?p=4706.
March 19, 2013
Other than the first story (which caused me to put the book down for WEEKS), I really enjoyed these stories.
Often, I find short stories particularly unsatisfying. That was not the case with this collection. My favorite -- "I'm looking for a book." Although I was partially frustrated on behalf of Gorhok the Inimitible.
Often, I find short stories particularly unsatisfying. That was not the case with this collection. My favorite -- "I'm looking for a book." Although I was partially frustrated on behalf of Gorhok the Inimitible.
April 13, 2014
While not all the stories are fantastic, none are duds. And the really good ones more than make up for the ones that fall somewhat short.
January 8, 2013
A mix of very good and just good, tilting towards very good. My favorite was the one where a bookstore helps save a young woman from her abusive husband. Yay for books as weapons!
February 20, 2015
I love short story anthologies. This one was just okay, yet I did like the bookstore aspect. A light read, which is all I want sometimes.
December 22, 2019
There are a few decent stories in here but also several that are subpar or just haven't aged well. Which is too bad, because I absolutely love the topic.
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