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All Together Now
From the internationally bestselling author of Those Faraday Girls comes All Together Now, a collection of Monica McInerney's short fiction gathered for the first time. Including several of her earliest magazine short stories, contributions to recent anthologies, her warm and witty novella Odd One Out, and two new stories, this is a book to inspire and delight fans of all ages.
288 pages, Paperback
First published November 24, 2008
33 people are currently reading
390 people want to read
About the author
Monica McInerney
46 books1,129 followerswww.monicamcinerney.com
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Monica McInerney is the internationally bestselling author of twelve novels including The Godmothers, The Trip of a Lifetime, Hello from the Gillespies, The House of Memories, Lola's Secret, At Home with the Templetons, Family Baggage, The Alphabet Sisters and Those Faraday Girls (named General Fiction Book of the Year in the 2008 Australian Book Industry Awards) and a short story collection, All Together Now. Her first children's book, Marcie Gill and the Caravan Park Cat, will be published in Australia/NZ in November 2021.
Monica, 56, grew up in a family of seven children in the Clare Valley wine region of South Australia, where her father was the railway stationmaster and her mother worked in the local library. Before becoming a full-time writer she worked in children’s television, tourism festivals, book publishing, arts marketing, the music industry and as a waitress, a hotel cleaner, a Kindergym instructor and a temp. For nearly thirty years she and her Irish husband have been moving back and forth between Australia and Ireland. They are currently in Australia.
Visit her website at www.monicamcinerney.com
facebook.com/monicamcinerneyauthor
instagram.com/monicamcinerneyauthor
Monica McInerney is the internationally bestselling author of twelve novels including The Godmothers, The Trip of a Lifetime, Hello from the Gillespies, The House of Memories, Lola's Secret, At Home with the Templetons, Family Baggage, The Alphabet Sisters and Those Faraday Girls (named General Fiction Book of the Year in the 2008 Australian Book Industry Awards) and a short story collection, All Together Now. Her first children's book, Marcie Gill and the Caravan Park Cat, will be published in Australia/NZ in November 2021.
Monica, 56, grew up in a family of seven children in the Clare Valley wine region of South Australia, where her father was the railway stationmaster and her mother worked in the local library. Before becoming a full-time writer she worked in children’s television, tourism festivals, book publishing, arts marketing, the music industry and as a waitress, a hotel cleaner, a Kindergym instructor and a temp. For nearly thirty years she and her Irish husband have been moving back and forth between Australia and Ireland. They are currently in Australia.
Visit her website at www.monicamcinerney.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
December 19, 2016
All Together Now is a delightful collection of short stories. Aussie author Monica McInerney is one of my favorite writers and I find her books are always enjoyable. She has a real gift for writing about family, love, friendship and so much more.
If you're looking for a light, fun and entertaining read, then I suggest you give this one a go.
If you're looking for a light, fun and entertaining read, then I suggest you give this one a go.
March 14, 2017
Reading anything my Monica McInerny is pleasure! I first came across her in Australia when I was living there for 5 months. All Together Now is a wonderful collection of stories that bring out several of the emotions that make us human!
November 16, 2020
A terrific, enjoyable and entertaining collection of short stories and novella by Monica Mcinerney. Light reading which on occasion is needed.
Six Monica McInerney novels are patiently waiting on my bookshelf to be read. Very excited to start reading them. Love this authors books.
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2020: A book that has a book on the cover
Six Monica McInerney novels are patiently waiting on my bookshelf to be read. Very excited to start reading them. Love this authors books.
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2020: A book that has a book on the cover
January 13, 2024
A witty collection of stories. Very well written without being overwrought, with plenty of irony. The characters are lively, vivacious and original. Recommended for a relaxing summer day.
November 13, 2011
All Together Now was the only Monica McInerney book I hadn’t read (excepting 2011’s new release, Lola’s Secret). I had purposefully left it until last because I’m not really that big a fan of short stories (exception: Haruki Murakami). But as short stories go, this is a fairly good collection. McInerney’s sparkle and wit shine through even in a short period. A lot of the stories (some only several pages) got me engrossed and then suddenly finished, which was disappointing. But you can’t win them all.
The majority of the book is taken up by the novella, Odd One Out, which was previously released as a giveaway with the Books Alive programme. Strangely, I didn’t read it back then. The novella is about Sylvie, who is a bit lost and is asked by an old aunt to be her companion at an inopportune moment at a wedding. Sylvie is wrested from this fate by her brother, who sets her up in Melbourne on a treasure hunt to find new things and empower herself. There are some unexpected twists and turns but the ending is fairly predictable, and a little up in the air. I’d like to see this fleshed out more as a novel – the mystery of Sylvie’s dad is solved in a couple of paragraphs and then barely mentioned. The treasure hunt was a very good idea.
Lola (the grandmother from The Alphabet Sisters and now star of Lola’s Secret) makes an appearance as a fairy godmother doing good in another short story. It was nice to see familiar characters from McInerney’s novels return and a plus for those who have read her other works.
This would be a good point for those at the midway point or the end of McInerney’s work. A lot of the stories in this book have appeared elsewhere, so it would be advisable to have a quick skim before you purchase. It’s ideal for a quick read.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
The majority of the book is taken up by the novella, Odd One Out, which was previously released as a giveaway with the Books Alive programme. Strangely, I didn’t read it back then. The novella is about Sylvie, who is a bit lost and is asked by an old aunt to be her companion at an inopportune moment at a wedding. Sylvie is wrested from this fate by her brother, who sets her up in Melbourne on a treasure hunt to find new things and empower herself. There are some unexpected twists and turns but the ending is fairly predictable, and a little up in the air. I’d like to see this fleshed out more as a novel – the mystery of Sylvie’s dad is solved in a couple of paragraphs and then barely mentioned. The treasure hunt was a very good idea.
Lola (the grandmother from The Alphabet Sisters and now star of Lola’s Secret) makes an appearance as a fairy godmother doing good in another short story. It was nice to see familiar characters from McInerney’s novels return and a plus for those who have read her other works.
This would be a good point for those at the midway point or the end of McInerney’s work. A lot of the stories in this book have appeared elsewhere, so it would be advisable to have a quick skim before you purchase. It’s ideal for a quick read.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
March 28, 2015
Every time I read something by Monica McInerney, I'm reminded of why I enjoy her novels so much: she has this amazing ability to really capture the emotions of family, friendships, and just plain life. This is a collection of her short stories and novellas, and while none of the stories featured in here were as deep or complex as her full novels typically are, I still really liked it all!
I'd read one of the selections in here before (Sweet Charity), but the rest of the stories were new to me. Some were better than others, but all were sweet and charming. There was a story about a caterer, one about a group of friends who decide to diet together, and a very short one about judging people's appearances, among others. They all left me wanting more without making me disappointed that the story itself was so short.
The best one in here was Odd One Out, which is also available as a novella on its own. That had the most character development and despite its short length (albeit much longer than any of the other selections!), I really felt for all the characters, getting swept away with their plights.
This was a great collection of stories overall but really just made me want to read more of her novels, since her novels always give me plenty of time in the fictional world, with all the characters. I wouldn't recommend this as the first book to read by this author, but if you've read and enjoyed her other novels, then this won't disappoint!
I'd read one of the selections in here before (Sweet Charity), but the rest of the stories were new to me. Some were better than others, but all were sweet and charming. There was a story about a caterer, one about a group of friends who decide to diet together, and a very short one about judging people's appearances, among others. They all left me wanting more without making me disappointed that the story itself was so short.
The best one in here was Odd One Out, which is also available as a novella on its own. That had the most character development and despite its short length (albeit much longer than any of the other selections!), I really felt for all the characters, getting swept away with their plights.
This was a great collection of stories overall but really just made me want to read more of her novels, since her novels always give me plenty of time in the fictional world, with all the characters. I wouldn't recommend this as the first book to read by this author, but if you've read and enjoyed her other novels, then this won't disappoint!
November 28, 2014
Normally I detest short stories and was disappointed when I got this home and discovered it was a collection of them. Blah but actually they were nice and uplifting. The last one was really a novella and delightful.
I think Monica McInereny is a good go to when a little bit of light sweetening is required.
I think Monica McInereny is a good go to when a little bit of light sweetening is required.
March 27, 2018
I have never been a fan of short stories but I read this book because a) I enjoy Monica McInerney as an author and b) I bought the book unaware it was short stories. It was a very quick and easy read, some of the stories were only a few pages long and more than half the book was a novella that Ive read before. I continue to not be a fan of short stories.
August 4, 2011
A book at I've picked up by accident, but it's great!
Easy to read and very pleasant stories on topics that are important to me; family, friends, love, travel.
It's a real breath of fresh air in the urban city!!!
Easy to read and very pleasant stories on topics that are important to me; family, friends, love, travel.
It's a real breath of fresh air in the urban city!!!
December 10, 2012
A nice, quick read of short stories by Monica McInerney told in her usual easy, engaging style. A large part of the book is the novella 'Odd One Out', so if you've already read it, the rest of the stories are quite brief.(less)
January 28, 2015
I enjoyed this collection of short stories, though I like most of Monica McInerney's books. Some of these short stories didn't capture my interest as much as others. Odd One Out was definitely my favorite, though I own that story as a stand alone book, and have read it multiple times.
June 10, 2016
A likeable collection of short stories set in modern Australia. The stories deal with families and relationships. I prefer the longer stories, but nonetheless this was an enjoyable and easy read, though nothing startling.
December 28, 2008
Monica McInerney appeals to me probably because of her Irish/Australian/Catholic characters which are very familiar to me.
June 4, 2010
Her collection of short stories. Alas there is now nothing she has written that I haven't read. Will just have to wait for more.
September 19, 2011
Good collection of short stories.
February 21, 2012
Loved the last one, the novella 'Odd One Out' and the one with Lola - the elderly lady from "the Alphabet Sisters" and "Lola's Secret". This littly short story is mentioned in "Lola's Secret"
April 20, 2012
Really wish we could have half star ratings, I'd say more a 3.5 star. Writes well, nice light chick lit read
April 5, 2013
I love McInerney's writing - light, funny, gentle, with close families, awkward but kindhearted girls and sweet boys. Some lovely little stories about family and love.
December 13, 2014
I have never read a book of short stories before, and thoroughly enjoyed Monica's book. Very easy to read.
July 24, 2015
Another gem from Monica
August 1, 2016
I'm not normally a fan of short stories but I really enjoyed these. Each of them was sweet, funny and contained a lovely little hidden message.
July 5, 2017
Enjoyed the short stories - not so much the longer one at the end.
July 30, 2017
Very easy read, great writing style and loved the collection of short stories.
March 8, 2018
I wish these had been actual novels instead of short stories! I would have read all or most of them :(
July 16, 2019
Collection of stories that got progressively longer as I listened on audiobook. Enjoyed the reader and the stories all set in Australia and about families and modern society. I will read more by this author.
October 11, 2014
I've had this sitting in the to-read pile for quite some time - I've always liked McInerney's work and I like to support her, as she comes from my home state of South Australia.
This is a collection of her short stories (including the novella "Odd One Out") which marked the beginning of her writing career. Having read her more recent work, it's interesting to see where she has started from, and where she has progressed since then. I can see a lot of the same themes (the large family of brilliant people with the seemingly under-achieving unremarkable main character) that come up in her other work, and the beginnings of her best known characters (such as Lola.)
The stories are okay, however I find a lot of "chick lit" has at its centre the concept of problem solving (woman has a problem, sorts problem or solution to the problem comes her way) - so in this shorter form I found some of the solutions came a little quickly or easily. I am also not really a fan of the use of male characters - I just find they only exist for the convenience of plot, and so it makes possible romance directions about as subtle as a shovel to the face, especially when they are really only described in terms of their appearance.
This is a nice collection - and I wish I'd begun here with McInerney's stories, however I'm now eager to read further into what she's done.
This is a collection of her short stories (including the novella "Odd One Out") which marked the beginning of her writing career. Having read her more recent work, it's interesting to see where she has started from, and where she has progressed since then. I can see a lot of the same themes (the large family of brilliant people with the seemingly under-achieving unremarkable main character) that come up in her other work, and the beginnings of her best known characters (such as Lola.)
The stories are okay, however I find a lot of "chick lit" has at its centre the concept of problem solving (woman has a problem, sorts problem or solution to the problem comes her way) - so in this shorter form I found some of the solutions came a little quickly or easily. I am also not really a fan of the use of male characters - I just find they only exist for the convenience of plot, and so it makes possible romance directions about as subtle as a shovel to the face, especially when they are really only described in terms of their appearance.
This is a nice collection - and I wish I'd begun here with McInerney's stories, however I'm now eager to read further into what she's done.
May 30, 2011
Review for the unabridged audio version.
I listened to this book, narrated by Catherine Milte, through Audible. It was enjoyable enough, well read, but mediocre. Fine for listening to while doing mundane tasks like the laundry, but sadly, it really didn't do anything more to grab my attention.
It comprised a number of short stories and one novella, two of which were original to the book but the remainder of which had been previously published elsewhere.
Of these, my favourite was the first, Hippy Hippy Shake, a short comment on radical clothing fads, with a clever twist at the end. The other one that stuck with me was Sweet Charity, centring around another dressing disaster, Lola, the outrageously clad granny who runs a charity shop, and her sense of justice.
Unfortunately, not a collection to get excited about.
I listened to this book, narrated by Catherine Milte, through Audible. It was enjoyable enough, well read, but mediocre. Fine for listening to while doing mundane tasks like the laundry, but sadly, it really didn't do anything more to grab my attention.
It comprised a number of short stories and one novella, two of which were original to the book but the remainder of which had been previously published elsewhere.
Of these, my favourite was the first, Hippy Hippy Shake, a short comment on radical clothing fads, with a clever twist at the end. The other one that stuck with me was Sweet Charity, centring around another dressing disaster, Lola, the outrageously clad granny who runs a charity shop, and her sense of justice.
Unfortunately, not a collection to get excited about.
October 30, 2012
I was in the mood for something light and entertaining, and this collection of short stories and novella were well suited to my mood. The short stories were a little too predictable,(2.5 stars), but the novella was really enjoyable (3.5 stars). I liked the fact that it was actually unpredictable and nothing turned out as I expected it to. Surprisingly this is the first Monica McInerney book I've read. I think I've had her confused with an author I don't like much, but I will definitely check out more of her books now that I've had a taste of her writing.
July 8, 2016
Like most short story collections, this is a mixed bag of great and not so. The wedding story was a bit ho hum, really enjoyed the novella, others I would have liked to read more of. The one thing they all have in common, however, is the author's ability to create warm characters and interesting situations. I am really enjoying reading through her titles. Not too fast, mind, so I can savour each one, with other reads in between.
November 28, 2008
I had already read the short novella 'Odd One Out' which compromises most of the text.
I enjoyed the stories - very sweet. The longer stories were much better with greater plot/character development. Nothing life-changing or even memorable but entertaining none the less.
If you have read the novella, borrow this from the library or give it a miss.
I enjoyed the stories - very sweet. The longer stories were much better with greater plot/character development. Nothing life-changing or even memorable but entertaining none the less.
If you have read the novella, borrow this from the library or give it a miss.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews