Every Year

by Cecelia Ahern

A wonderful collection of Cecelia’s short stories
As the smell of pinecones and cinnamon fill the air and the plump turkey roasts in the oven, the final preparations for Christmas day have begun just as they do every year.

The tree lights are twinkling and the mince pies are cooked and there is just one final tradition to carry out before the Christmas magic can begin. This year though, something is different and it’s time for life-long traditions to change.

For years the family has followed the same pattern, not changing their routine through the generations; babies have grown into teens and then adults, and then eventually have had children of their own, but one thing always remained constant throughout…

Time has finally caught up with the family and this year the new traditions must be formed.

Genres: Short Stories, Chick Lit, Ebooks, Romance, Contemporary, Christmas, Fiction

ebook

First published October 14, 2010

About the author

Cecelia Ahern was born and grew up in Dublin. She is now published in nearly fifty countries, and has sold over twenty-five million copies of her novels worldwide. Two of her books have been adapted as films and she has created several TV series.

Reviews

[Suz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sincere and reflective book with light Christmas themes, where all characters tell a shirt story of love, or loss, or acceptance. My favourite was a depressed man looking forward to a promotion, who makes a rash decision, to eventually change this, learning something life changing and important along the way. The finale showed the other side of the toxic seeking of happiness. We don’t always need to be making new memories, sometimes it’s simply ok to remember. I listened to this on a rainy summer day. The perfect ambiance.

I listened to this via the BorrowBox app and my public library. Recommended.

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you train yourself not to care, the heart listens.

Every Year is a collection of nine short stories. Each story is different to each other and whilst I quite liked some of the stories, others not so much. Cecelia Ahern's writing is very detailed and for some reason her writing never works for me like it works for others. I keep getting distracted whenever I read her books.

Every Year - 4 stars

Twenty-four Minutes - 2 stars

Next Stop: Table for Two - 4 stars

The Calling - 3 stars

The End - 1 star

The Production Line - 1 star

Celebrating Mum - 2.5 stars

Mallard and May - 2 stars

The Things That I Remember - 2 stars

Overall 3 stars

[Mridu aka Storypals · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love <3

I remember how at first I picked up Cecilia Ahern's book, I remember loving reading since then.
Be it, family, be it, love, be it just passion she writes so beautifully that you want more.
These short stories were just a reminder and words on paper that prove that magic exists in this world.

[Učitaj se! | Martina Štivičić · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zbog naslovnice, samog naslova - Svake godine - i činjenice da je izašla u vrijeme Božića, očekivala sam da će ovo biti knjižica bajkovitih božićnih priča, onakvih kakve zna napisati samo Cecelia Ahern. No božićna je priča samo jedna, ona naslovna, ali to ne znači da sve 3 priče nisu zaista dobre.

Svake godine prva je, i naslovna, priča ove zbirke i govori o ukrasu anđela koji stoji navrh božićnog drvca svake godine u jednoj obitelji, u kojoj se, kako se to već s obiteljima događa, s godinama njeni članovi sve više udaljavaju jedni od drugih, ali svejedno se okupljaju svake godine na proslavi Božića. To je priča koja šalje važnu poruku o zajedništvu i obitelji, i tome da to zajedništvo treba cijeniti, "svake godine", jer sljedeće godine ga možda neće biti.

Druga priča, Djevojka u zrcalu, pomalo je horor priča, onakva kakvu biste prije očekivali od Neila Gaimana nego Ahernice. Ta mi se ujedno i najviše svidjela, iako nije njena tipična bajkovita priča i nema bajkovitog sretnog završetka, barem ne onakvog kakvog biste očekivali.

Tvorac uspomena, treća priča, najtužnija je od sve 3 priče u ovoj zbirci, a govori o gubitku i čovjekovom trudu da misleći o sretnim uspomenama nekako umanji taj gubitak ili ga barem učini podnošljivijim. I ova je priča malo mračnija od onih na kakve smo kod Ahern navikli, a moram priznati da me se ta njena mračna crta izrazito dojmila, i voljela bih da napiše i neko malo duže takvo djelo.

Mračne ili ne, sve tri priče su bajkovite, nose važne poruke i zaista su divno napisane. Svaka od njih me se dojmila, svaka na drugačiji način i svaku bih svrstala među najdraža djela ove spisateljice, koju i inače jako volim, a koja mi je sada otkrila i jednu svoju drugu stranu, o kojoj bih u njenim budućim djelima voljela više otkriti.

[Michelle Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a massive celia fan, but her short stories are always quite odd and in the nicest possible way a bit pointless...I never seem to get where she's coming from. Always enjoy her big stories more :)

[Amina Hujdur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solidne priče.

[Ainur · Rating 3 out of 5]

I miss reading Cecelia’s writing. I read two of her short stories before, Girl in the Mirror and The Memory Maker and I love both. So, this will be another short stories from her and I must say I enjoyed reading some of them, while I felt indifferent for some.

Every Year
A story about Christmas preparations. A story from one ornament’s? (I’m not sure about this) POV. It’s okay, I guess. The detailed descriptions of the moments, really showes that this is Cecelia’s writing.

Twenty-four minutes
About a guy wanted to commit suicide. Depressing? Can’t help but feeling sorry for the guy. I guess at some point in our life, we can’t stop but think to just escape all the madness, thinking that it’s the best solution when it’s not.

Next Stop: Table for Two
About a woman, who has never been in love. Serving as a waitress at a french restaurant on Valentine’s day. Trying to put myself in her shoes, and believe that what she did, what she felt was reasonable. Again, this was okay for a short story.

The Calling
A girl, Mags, ran away from home, trying to find a new life. You see, her mother is being sort of like Lizzie’s mother from Pride and Prejudice, kind of worried about her not finding a husband soon. But her mother is stricter. Mags one day just had enough and she doesn’t even want to be with someone from around there, anyway. It’s interesting because this was told when she’s like 78 years old and was playing bingo. She kept reminiscing her memories, relating with the numbers. And, gosh, at the end, it was expected, but still managed to make me cry. Better, I think that the previous three. My favorite from the whole book.

The End
Basically this is a story of a couple, how the relationship goes from the beginning, changes at the middle and just broke apart at the end. I don’t see the point of telling the ending first. So, nope. Totally indifferent with this one.

The Production Line
I don’t get this one.

Celebrating Mum
Well, the title says it all. The family celebrating the mother’s 73th birthday. Reminiscing, telling all the good sides of the mother. Made me miss my mom. T_T Good writing, funny and enjoyable to read.

Mallard and May
LOL so much on this one. I can’t believe it took me till almost the end to grasp the situation. I can’t describe much on this or else I’ll be giving out the twisted part.

The Things that I remember
We don’t always have to do something, we don’t always have to create memories; sometimes it’s just enough to simply remember.

[Martina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 nepovezane priče, svaka za sebe posebna po sadržaju.
Moram priznati da ne znam zašto je većina opčinjena ovom knjižicom, no mene nije podigla na noge. Nekoliko dana nakon što sam knjigu pročitala, od tri spomenute priče, sjećam se samo jedne. Rekla bih da to govori sasvim dovoljno o knjizi. Ili meni. :)

[Geeky Bookers - Ilaria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. I’ve always had a soft spot for Cecilia Ahern, but Every Year ended up being a disappointment—especially considering how it was marketed as a festive collection of short stories.

I picked it up over Christmas, hoping for something light, warm, and reflective: stories that might be bittersweet at times but still comforting, whimsical, or emotionally uplifting. While a few stories do reference holidays like Christmas or Valentine’s Day, the overall tone felt surprisingly heavy and often quite depressing. Instead of festive, it often felt like a mood killer.

The opening story with the Christmas ornament was gentle but slight, and many of the following stories left me feeling confused about their direction or purpose. Some were undeniably sad, others bleak, and very few gave me that sense of joy, nostalgia, or emotional warmth I associate with festive reading. I don’t mind sad or introspective stories—but the balance here just didn’t work for me.

I’m also aware that short stories aren’t my favourite format, but I went into this with an open mind, especially because it seemed perfect for a busy holiday period. Unfortunately, it didn’t deliver what I was hoping for, and the mismatch between expectation and reality made the experience frustrating.

This isn’t a bad collection, but it felt tonally off and emotionally draining rather than comforting. As someone who enjoys Ahern’s novels—Where Rainbows End being my favourite—this one really missed the mark for me. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve realised that two stars feels fair.

[Marija · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.33/5

Svake godine 3/5
Djevojka u zrcalu 4/5
Tvorac uspomena 3/5

[Anuja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what I feel about this book. I think I'm confused but I'm not even sure if that's it. 😅

[Elma Vuran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Možda je moj problem s kratkim pričama zapravo problem sa *(hrvatskim) sf/fantasy* kratkim pričama, who would have thought?

[Petra Miocic Mandic · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://procitajto.com/2014/12/24/gork...

Djetinjstva su rezervirana za bajke. Pa ih, kad odrastemo, kao više ne trebamo. Ili u njih ne vjerujemo. Osobito radi li se o pričama čija se čarolija proteže na tek nekoliko stranica. U djetinstvu se također, mnogo više no u odrasloj dobi, oslanjamo na svoju obitelj, u njoj tražimo podršku, zaklon i sigurnost. Odrastajući i ta potreba postaje sve manja i slabija. Ili mi bar tako mislimo. Zajedništvo i zaklon nam prestaju biti potrebni ili i u njih prestajemo vjerovati?


Odgovor se možda krije u uobičajenom modernodopskom izgovoru „Nemam vremena za to“ ili u onom, tako odraslo zvučećem „Prestar(a) sam za to“. Ali onda se približi božićno vrijeme i shvatimo kako nismo prestari i kako bismo vremena za obitelj ipak trebali pronaći. Možda to i ne shvaćamo u onim idealnim uvjetima kad se za blagdanskim stolom na okupu nađu svi (pa i oni manje nam dragi članovi obitelji) smatrajući te susrete tek obiteljskom obavezom, „tlakom“, nečime što se „odrađuje“ jednom godišnje. No, kad na vrata zakucaju promjene, kad božićnu čaroliju ne možemo podijeliti s najdražima jer su oni daleko ili smo mi daleko ili tih najdražih više nema, tada se zapitamo. I tek tada uistinu shvatimo kako nikad ne možemo biti prestari za bajke, obitelj i toplu božićnu čaroliju.

Zna to i božićni anđeo koji Svake godine krasi vrh božićnog drvca jedne irske obitelji. Prema našem je shvaćanju jaaakooo star, potječe još iz dvadesetih godina prošlog stoljeća i, kako sam priznaje, nije više tako mlad. Godine se vide, boja je na mjestima popucala, a hrđa tu i tamo probija. Ali on je i dalje isti kao nekad. I premda je prašnjava kutija na mračnu tavanu većinu godine njegov dom, a ostali božićni ukrasi čine njegovo jedino društvo, on se ipak, uvijek s jednakom radošću, veseli trenutku kada će ga tako dobro poznate ruke iznijeti iz mraka i postaviti na njegovo mjesto na vrhu božićne jelke odakle može promatrati sva događanja oko sebe. I čini to iz godine u godinu. Primjećuje kako ruke koje ga nose više nisu mlade, a ni pretjerano sigurne i snažne, ali te ruke poznaje otkad su bile dječji bucmaste, svake je godine pratio njihov razvoj do muževno snažnih, a sad s tugom primjećuje kako i te ruke gube snagu. Ali ne i ljubav. Ruke pripadaju starcu, ocu i djedu čija dnevna soba postaje božićna pozornica za njegovu mnogobrojnu obitelj. Za najmlađe je to vesela pozornica kojom veselo skakuću, igraju se i vesele, a za odrasle prava pozornica na kojoj usavršavaju i prezentiraju uvježbane glumačke vještine, tretirajući i ovogodišnji susret kao još jednu obavezu, nešto gotovo nametnuto, bez imalo radosti. Ne razmišljaju ti odrasli, vjerojatno prezauzeti sobom samima, kako će i tim druženjima jednom doći kraj i kako će to jednom biti oni divni dani o kojima će s nostalgijom razmišljati.

Upravo tu istinu, o gorko-slatkoj čaroliji Božića koju dijelimo s bliskim nam ljudima, otkriva nam Cecelia Ahern na svega desetak stranica priče koja otvara zbirku kratkih priča Svake godine. Kao i ostale Cecelijine priče, i ova je ispričana iz prvog lica, no umjesto tradicionalno ženskih pripovjedača na kakve su Cecelijini čitatelji navikli, ovaj smo put vođeni glasom božićnog anđela čime uobičajena crtica iz blagdanskog života mnogo malih obitelji objedinjenih u jednu veliku dobiva bajkovitu dimenziju. Samo njoj svojstvenom uvjerljivošću autorica će navesti čitatelja da povjeruje u još jednu od njenih modernih bajki za odrasle. A kao i sve prije nje, i ova nosi poruku o ljubavi. No, umjesto romantične, ovog puta radi se o ljubavi prema obitelji i o uvažavanju malih stvari koje obitelj za nas čini. A za ljubav, ni u kojem njenom obliku, nikad nismo prestari.

[Jade · Rating 2 out of 5]

Otherwise known as The Cheesy or Depressing Collection!

After quite a long and heavy read previously, and having stress-filled work days with small snippets of breaks ahead, I really looked forward to some light, easy-going Ahern short stories. I was all ready to feel good about the world, enjoy some comical bites giving me great, small bursts of escapism.

Sorry Cecelia, but this collection is pretty bad. It ranged from cringe-worthy cheesiness to down right depressing. Before the end I started to play a game with myself at how quickly I could guess the 'you'd never have thought it' twist at the end of each one. My own game gave me enough joy to give this a 2.

I'll still read Cecelia's big stuff, as she is a great author, but apart from being a quick tick off my reading list for 2014, I didn't get much else out of these.

[Ena u zemlji knjiga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roman sadrži 3 priče bajkovitog karaktera i svaka ima neke crteže vezane uz radnju. Prigodna je za ovo vrijeme jer prva priča govori o Božiću, vremenu darivanja, porodici...osim toga preporučujem je za sve uzraste, a posebno za tinejdžere koji obično imaju problem sa nedostatkom ovakvih knjiga ali i za starije jer svaka priča sadrži određenu poruku.

Moja preporuka za roman jer se brzo čita i sigurna sam da vas samo 100 strana neće smoriti. Ocjena 3 jer sam u obzir uzela žanr i dužinu romana.

[Juliet · Rating 4 out of 5]

While some people might find these short stories depressing and weird, I like how the feeling for love, family and friendship were depicted through these weird scenarios.

My favorites were 24minutes & Table for Two. Both were very thought provoking. It shows how time and tiny gestures could changed your life forever.

This is a great book for those who are emotional and loves to think over a subject. Not for those who dislike fantasy and stories out of the box.

[Original Doll (Lea Martinuš) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magical, sad but inspirative stories about love, time and relationships.
I think "Girl in a mirror" would make awesome book.

[Obožavatelj Knjiga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magical

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast and easy read. Surprisingly touching and interesting. Each chapter is not your regular story - I enjoyed the representation and presentation.

[Martina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knjiga je podijeljena na tri priče: Svake godine, Djevojka u zrcalu i Tvorac uspomena. Prva priča je o anđelu, figurici koju svake godine otac obitelji stavlja na vrh bora i anđeo provodi Božić s njima i tako iz godine u godinu. No, ove godine je osjetio da je to očeva zadnja godina i zna i osjeća da iako obitelj tijekom godine nije bliska, za Božić ipak vole biti okupljeni oko stola. Druga priča je o baki Elli i djevojčici Lili. Lila je u posjet baki dovela prijateljicu Saru kojoj je bilo neugodno u toj kući koja je ogromna, ima hladne prostorije i sva ogledala u kući su prekrivena crnom tkaninom. Lila je obožovala provoditi vrijeme kod bake i igrati se po sobama, osim jedne, koja joj je bila zabranjena, ali Lila je i u nju znala proviriti. Saru je bilo strah pa je baka Ella, koju je Lila zvala Nonela, pozvala njezinu majku. Tako je Sara majci ispričala o neobičnoj kući s crnim tkaninama preko ogledala, a sve ju je to čudilo jer je baka Ella bila slijepa, nije imala oči. Lila nije previše ispitivala baku o tome zašto ne voli zrcala, a godine su jednostavno prošle. Lila je na svoj dan vjenčanja s Jeremyem došla po baku koja 50 godina nije napustila kuću. Lili su roditelji poginuli u nesreći i imala je samo baku. Kad je Lila obukla vjenčanicu, željela se pogledati u ogledalo i ušla je u zabranjenu sobu jer je u njoj bilo najveće. Bila je prelijepa i htjela je popraviti šminku, ali joj se učinilo da vidi još nešto na sebi zbog čega je dodirnula zrcalo i našla se u njemu sa djevojkom koja je izgledala isto kao ona. Djevojka ju je tražila njene oči u zamjenu za slobodu, no Lila nije popustila, pa je djevojka uzela njezino tijelo i tako je Lila ostala zatočena u zrcalu. Nonela je shvatila što se dogodilo kad nije mogla dozvati Lilu i kad ju je napokon dozvala ova je odgovorila bako, a ne Nonela. Nonela je otišla s drugom Lilom na njezino vjenčanje i pokušala je uvjeriti Jeremyja da to nije njegova Lila. No djevojka iz zrcala je uspjela prevariti Jeremya. Nonela je tražila načine kako da Lilu izbavi iz zrcala i tako je odlučila bojiti sobu i zaposliti ličioca. Našla je mladog Poljaka bez obitelji i kad je oličio, rekla mu je da obriše ogledalo jer ga je malo uprljao. To je bila Lilina prilika da se izvuče što je i učinila. Uzela je mladićevo tijelo i živjela s Nonelom dok ona nije umrla. Treća priča je o Starcu koji je načinio spravu za sjećanja. Sprava je u glavama stvarala sjećanja koja su ljudi željeli imati, ali ih nisu proživjeli. Dosta ljudi je bilo zainteresirano za njegovu spravu i morao je odlučivati kome će dopustiti da koristi spravu, a kome ne. Sprava je bila namijenjena ljudima koji su nešto propustili, a ne onima koji bi je htjeli iskoristi za zle stvari. Starac je zaposlio djevojku za koju je mislio da se zove Judith jer mu se učinila dragom i podsjećala ga je na bivšu djevojku Judith. Ona mu je razvrstavala poštu i odlučivala kome će rezervirati termin a kome ne. Starac se čudio što nije i sama poželjela upotrijebiti stroj. No, kad je vidio modrice po njoj i kad je jednu noć pretučena došla prespavati i okupati se kod njega, i ona si je rezervirala termin na stroju za sjećanja. Kao sjećanje je navela prvi dolazak na rad kod Starca i da ju je lijepo primio i da su lijepo jeli i da se s njim lijepo osjećala i da su se na rastanku zagrlili i da joj je to pružilo utjehu i hrabrost. Starac je znao da je od toga dana više neće vidjeti. A on je stroj stvorio jer je žalio što se nije okrenuo pozdraviti i nasmiješiti se svojoj djevojci koja ga je pozdravljala kad je sreo kolegu i na koju je naletila konjska zaprega i usmrtila je. Zamislio je da se okrenuo na njezin pozdrav i da ju je pozdravio i osmjehnuo se, umjesto što ju je ignorirao jer je mislio da će se navečer naći s njom.

[Gail Sacharski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of nine short stories that cover several subjects. Each has its own little twist of surprise at the end which adds to the enjoyment. From the funny reminiscing during a bingo game beside a friend who is hard of hearing that has a tender ending to the adventures of Mallard and May returning to their home after being away for several months which has a heartbreaking ending, from the musings of a grumpy fellow at Christmas to the musings of an elderly woman at a last gathering with her family, Ahern has that talent to touch the heart, to tell the stories with which we can all relate--those of the every day events in our lives that have so much meaning. Very good.

[Sweta Giri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely moving set of short stories.

Two of my absolute favourite quotes from the book are:
1. "I wear a gold slide in my silver hair with an emerald stone. Brings my eyes out, makes them sparkle, people always complimented. It’s not the slide that does it, I’d always say, it’s the man that gave it to me."

2. "Failed at a few things, me and him, but got through it all together, stronger at the end of it all."

[Gabriellaa Stark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really expect something great from this, but at least I should've got readable book, but no. The plot and everything was confusing, I don't know if it's supposed to be like that or am I just not smart enough to understand the complicated story(?).

I didn't understand what was happening at all and they were so slow and confusing. The writing was weird, and overall not worth the time out of your life.

[Michelle Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from one of my favourite authors. 9 short stories each with a great bit of heart and soul in them. Each story with its unique characters. Only a few pages but you feel like you know each of them longer.
2020 Reading Challenge Authors :A

[Angelo Lorenzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cecila Ahern's beautiful prose matches with the authentic voices of the characters in this collection of short stories. From weaving Santa Claus' sentiments to empathizing with ducks and underscoring the importance of love, these stories render the genuine human experience.

[Teija · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think short stories aren't Ahern's best work. Her stories work so much better in novel form, when they develop and unravel slowly.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cecelia has the gift of making me cry reading about ducks. I love her.

[Everlark101199]

girl in the mirror
every year 5/5
the memory maker 4/5

[Augustine Onyechi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading this book! A collection of stories with themes of love, family, friendship and loneliness.

[Simone Mcfadden · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Cecelia Ahern but I found some of the stories in this book pretty confusing