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Woolgathering
This book is a collection of some of my short stories. Woolgathering is an old expression that essentially means daydreaming. I thought it suited these short stories since they do stray from what I generally write, which is horror, and they took me on little journeys away from my usual path. While there are some horror tales mixed into this book it does contain mainstream fiction in a few genres, and one story is a little sexy. In other words I had some fun wandering in my imagination and hope you’ll enjoy the trip as well.
- GenresHorror
267 pages, Paperback
Published October 21, 2017
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 1, 2018
“Woolgathering is a collection of short stories by R.E. Wood. Like most such collections, it’s up and down—but fortunately, mostly up. The book contains the following:
“Just a Shadow” is a tale told from the POVs of a ghost and the little girl he hopes to scare. It’s cute and creepy, sometimes at the same time. 5/5
“Perfect” is a tale of obsession and proof that there really is such a thing as loving someone too much. It’s one of the best stories in the book. 5/5
“The Handyman” is about a man who discovers he really can fix anything. But when he fails to give credit where it’s not due, his fate is sealed. The ending is very believable. 4/5
Nominally, “Manly Tears” has its heart in the right place. But the message is heavy-handed and the language is more pedestrian than the other stories in the book. 3/5
“Doggone Justice” is a slow burn of a story but with a nice little payoff. 4/5
“My Bubble” has a great opening line: “It was as if God farted and night was splattered across the eastern sky amid a miasma that spread slowly from the horizon, bringing ill tidings from a maniacal netherworld to blanket the Earth in the garbage of its misery from this day forward until forever and beyond.” The story itself isn’t bad, just a lot of build-up, followed by an ending that’s out of the blue. 4/5
“Love’s a Disease” is a powerful and very real story about infidelity or at least the suspicion of infidelity and its effect on one man. But wow, is the ending abrupt. The last two paragraphs need to be expanded into at least a page where we can really see and feel what’s going on. Should have been 5/5 but the skimmed-over ending makes it 3/5.
“The Road” is a good story and well-written, but it seems like I’ve seen it before. 4/5
“Gated Community” is a charming tale of an old man who goes for a walk and runs into an old pal. There’s a message, but the story doesn’t hit you over the head with it. 5/5
“Voodoo Love Spell” is a very well done story, gleefully humorous with a bite. But I would have just put the pictures out in the sunlight. 5/5
“Just a Note” is very good and took me by surprise. 5/5
“Dead Twice and For All” is the tale of a man’s one-night stand and the repercussions that follow. It’s well done, but some of the clues were overly obvious. 4/5
“Restored” is the longest story in the book, and the most personal. Two writers, a man and a woman, meet at a convention. Before the night is done there’s a revelation. It’s only the first of several revelations and this story affected me the most, as it made me ask myself a question. 5/5
“No Gratification” is a brief story, without the edge I was expecting, but it’s OK. 4/5
The final story, “My History Lesson”, is not a work of fiction at all. It’s the author’s personal experience of coming face-to-face with his past. 5/5
Wood’s language is serviceable and not flashy. Run-on sentences work themselves in ever so often and occasionally a comma is missing. These things don’t ruin the writing but they do take the sheen off some otherwise nice stories. Overall, it’s a good book and recommended.
4.5 stars overall.
“Just a Shadow” is a tale told from the POVs of a ghost and the little girl he hopes to scare. It’s cute and creepy, sometimes at the same time. 5/5
“Perfect” is a tale of obsession and proof that there really is such a thing as loving someone too much. It’s one of the best stories in the book. 5/5
“The Handyman” is about a man who discovers he really can fix anything. But when he fails to give credit where it’s not due, his fate is sealed. The ending is very believable. 4/5
Nominally, “Manly Tears” has its heart in the right place. But the message is heavy-handed and the language is more pedestrian than the other stories in the book. 3/5
“Doggone Justice” is a slow burn of a story but with a nice little payoff. 4/5
“My Bubble” has a great opening line: “It was as if God farted and night was splattered across the eastern sky amid a miasma that spread slowly from the horizon, bringing ill tidings from a maniacal netherworld to blanket the Earth in the garbage of its misery from this day forward until forever and beyond.” The story itself isn’t bad, just a lot of build-up, followed by an ending that’s out of the blue. 4/5
“Love’s a Disease” is a powerful and very real story about infidelity or at least the suspicion of infidelity and its effect on one man. But wow, is the ending abrupt. The last two paragraphs need to be expanded into at least a page where we can really see and feel what’s going on. Should have been 5/5 but the skimmed-over ending makes it 3/5.
“The Road” is a good story and well-written, but it seems like I’ve seen it before. 4/5
“Gated Community” is a charming tale of an old man who goes for a walk and runs into an old pal. There’s a message, but the story doesn’t hit you over the head with it. 5/5
“Voodoo Love Spell” is a very well done story, gleefully humorous with a bite. But I would have just put the pictures out in the sunlight. 5/5
“Just a Note” is very good and took me by surprise. 5/5
“Dead Twice and For All” is the tale of a man’s one-night stand and the repercussions that follow. It’s well done, but some of the clues were overly obvious. 4/5
“Restored” is the longest story in the book, and the most personal. Two writers, a man and a woman, meet at a convention. Before the night is done there’s a revelation. It’s only the first of several revelations and this story affected me the most, as it made me ask myself a question. 5/5
“No Gratification” is a brief story, without the edge I was expecting, but it’s OK. 4/5
The final story, “My History Lesson”, is not a work of fiction at all. It’s the author’s personal experience of coming face-to-face with his past. 5/5
Wood’s language is serviceable and not flashy. Run-on sentences work themselves in ever so often and occasionally a comma is missing. These things don’t ruin the writing but they do take the sheen off some otherwise nice stories. Overall, it’s a good book and recommended.
4.5 stars overall.
November 12, 2018
generally do not read collections, as novels always draw me in more. There is, however, those rare exceptions that prove their worth and present you with just as satisfying a reading experience as any novel out there. Woolgathering by R.E. Wood is one of those experiences. Although I will say this collection is not strictly horror as some of the stories are more suspense and paranormal. Each tale is a page-turner, daring you to walk away. The prose is spot on and is penned with us readers in mind. I personally enjoyed how the majority of the stories deal with a touch of karma. Or that is how I see it. Woolgathering is an excellent read that I recommend to anyone.
May 9, 2018
I loved the mixture of short stories in this book. Even though most of them were horror (which is what I, myself, write), there were some elements that, at times, made me chuckle (especially in the first story). There were even some elements that brought tears to my eyes (the romance story, in particular). It was a wonderful mix, and they were all well written. I liked the book so much, I decided to follow Mr. Wood on Amazon, and will be reading more of his books in the future. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes horror (without gore and scream your head off stuff), or anyone who just likes well written, entertaining short stories. Bravo, Mr. Wood, this book deserves a standing ovation.
March 16, 2018
Having never heard of the author before, I stumbled upon this book through Goodreads in a roundabout sort of way, and I will say I'm glad I did.
There are some charming stories in the mix, some I enjoyed more than others and of course had my favorites yet overall this is a wonderful collection of short stories, quite obvious to me- written from mostly personal experiences. The author only admits this once if I remember correctly yet, is not all writing related to our own personal lives in some way shape or form?
I think my favorite would have to be 'The Road'. Something in the story just resonated with me more than the others even though the 'charm' for me was that all of the stories were in some way familiar.
Except of course for the vampire, I have yet to meet a vampire, or vampire-ess in this particular case.
Duly recommended...
There are some charming stories in the mix, some I enjoyed more than others and of course had my favorites yet overall this is a wonderful collection of short stories, quite obvious to me- written from mostly personal experiences. The author only admits this once if I remember correctly yet, is not all writing related to our own personal lives in some way shape or form?
I think my favorite would have to be 'The Road'. Something in the story just resonated with me more than the others even though the 'charm' for me was that all of the stories were in some way familiar.
Except of course for the vampire, I have yet to meet a vampire, or vampire-ess in this particular case.
Duly recommended...
April 8, 2018
Excellent!!!
I have always stayed away from short story collections. I tend to enjoy longer books, because I feel that they allow more time for character development. But I really really enjoyed these stories! I felt like I was sitting around the camp fire listening to a friend tell stories. I loved the characters, and didn't miss not having a long book to read. All the stories in this book painted very vivid pictures of the characters and their lives.
I will definitely be reading more of R.E Wood!!!!
I have always stayed away from short story collections. I tend to enjoy longer books, because I feel that they allow more time for character development. But I really really enjoyed these stories! I felt like I was sitting around the camp fire listening to a friend tell stories. I loved the characters, and didn't miss not having a long book to read. All the stories in this book painted very vivid pictures of the characters and their lives.
I will definitely be reading more of R.E Wood!!!!
November 10, 2018
generally do not read collections, as novels always draw me in more. There is, however, those rare exceptions that prove their worth and present you with just as satisfying a reading experience as any novel out there. Woolgathering by R.E. Wood is one of those experiences. Although I will say this collection is strictly horror as some of the stories are more suspense and paranormal. Each tale is a page-turner, daring you to walk away. The prose is spot on and is penned with us readers in mind. I personally enjoyed how the majority of the stories deal with a touch of karma. or that is how I see it. Woolgathering is an excellent read that I recommend to anyone.
November 21, 2018
Short Stories That Will Appeal to Both Men & Women!
Woolgathering by RE Wood is an intriguing mix of short stories. Wood's skill of thinking outside the box when contemplating everyday situations ensures the reader will be surprised and laughing one minute, be sad the next or left totally shocked and horrified.
Woolgathering is the perfect book for anyone who loves reading, but only has a few minutes each day to indulge in their favourite pastime.
Woolgathering by RE Wood is an intriguing mix of short stories. Wood's skill of thinking outside the box when contemplating everyday situations ensures the reader will be surprised and laughing one minute, be sad the next or left totally shocked and horrified.
Woolgathering is the perfect book for anyone who loves reading, but only has a few minutes each day to indulge in their favourite pastime.
September 14, 2019
R. E. Wood is one of my favorite authors. His main focus is on Sci-fi (which you will love) but this book is full of short stories that will surprise you. How? By writing about romance, love, death and heartache - enough to break your heart and want to read more. Though I should not have been, I was surprised some of these stories came out of Wood, himself. They are sensitive, thoughtful and emotional. He has a wonderful ability to write from a woman's point of view. Not easy for a man, as we all know. All in all, just another book from him that I loved.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews