Pick-a-Shelf discussion

Coralie & I are buddy reading this collection of short stories starting Jan 1. There are 9 stories & we're planning to read 1 story per day.

Jan 1 What We Know Now

This was an appropriate time to read this story. It reminded me of a different new year, twenty-one years ago. My daughter was in London, my son went to a party with his friends and my husband was at work (the joys of marrying a shift worker!). I spent the night home along playing a computer game that crashed at midnight. Not my best new year!

I was really disappointed because I was expecting the stories to be set in Australia, not America. I don't like it when Australian authors set their books in America. They have plenty of their own writers. (Actually, I even prefer American authors to set their books somewhere else. It could be why I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction.)

Coralie wrote: "Jan 1 What We Know Now

This was an appropriate time to read this story..."

Isn't it!? Pleasantly surprised with the timing of it all being NYE just hours ago.

I'm also a tad disappointed that it's not set in Australia. I don't mind that much about Australian author setting books outside as long as it somehow relates back but I don't think this book will? We'll see. Oh wait... I thought this was set in London? They mentioned London Bridge...?? Did I get that wrong? Where did you get the America setting reference. Oops! I may be more tired than I realised ha ha ha Actually I read this after I just woke up from a nap lol

This was published 2009 but I wonder when it was written noting the similarity to that Y2K fears... and how funny your game crashed at midnight! I don't actually remember what I was doing; was only 19 then so probably out with friends without a worry in the world ;p

Jan 2 The Theft That Got Me Here

Aw, this was a rather sad story, isn't it...

At first, I thought, oh no, it's getting onto magical realism sort of tale and my heart dipped. When the grandparents walked off together to their 'rock'; I thought they were going to (view spoiler)[commit suicide together (hide spoiler)] then I thought things were better until I was proven right all along :(

Not liking this story at all! However, I am looking forward to the protagonist's adventure onward. Also, I wonder where the father is when all his fears from the first story was proven right?

PS: references to London is on p7 (on my ed)

I found the reference to London (p9). If you read it carefully, you can see that they are in a later time zone. Now I think about it, their later time zone makes the father's reaction even more paranoid. (In Australia it would make sense as we didn't have the rest of the world getting through midnight all right - just New Zealand.)

Jan 2 The Theft That Got Me Here
After having spent months not allowed out of the city, I had some sympathy for the characters in this one. It was so depressing that they only had the one day.

Jan 3 Dry Land
Just the thing to read on a rainy day!
I am not sure that it is all the same protagonist, though they all seem to have the same sneaky nature. The disasters all seem to be different so far.

Coralie wrote: "I found the reference to London (p9). If you read it carefully, you can see that they are in a later time zone. Now I think about it, their later time zone makes the father's reaction even more par..."

ah, you're right. Wow, totally missed that!

Coralie wrote: "Jan 3 Dry Land"

I liked this one. It's a bit more straightforward than the first 2, I think, in terms of the disaster and what's happening. I can't tell if it's the same protag but you're right, he's just a opportunistic so could be.

Jan 4 Cake Walk

From wet to dry... plus some deathly disease that comes from birds.

Could be same guy from previous story with reference to when he used to evacuating people & being opportunistic in stealing. Though could be completely different, of course, there never seems to be any mentions of name. Do you think it could be the same protag as such but that author just placed him in different situations as it seems different disasters for each story so far.

Jan 4 Cake Walk

The protagonist seems to be a little older in each story so it could be the same person. The disasters are piling up. Do you think we'll have fires next?

Pandemics in literature have lost a bit of their credibility now we've seen what they are really like.

yea, where's the toilet paper crisis?! :p

and yes, he's older - 25 in this story.

Jan 5 Uses for Vinegar

Is it fire? Kinda sounds like it but there's that addition of some stinging bug as well? Same protags then with the pair being separated for a time & looks like about 5 years have passed since the last story. And more flood predicted to come...?

Jan 5 Uses for Vinegar

The fire was a bit glossed over, I thought. I think it had happened before the protag had come on the scene. We didn't have a c hance to feel a real dread of it. This story had too much romantic angst for my liking.

Perhaps we could have a cyclone or a blizzard next.

Coralie wrote: "This story had too much romantic angst for my liking."

argh, yes! and the protag doesn't seem like he has any backbone... I know he has panic / anxiety attacks but he's too clingy to that girl.

Jan 6 The Forest for the Trees

I don't get it...where are we going with this story?
More opportunistic scam by this pair... corrupt politicians; Gratuitous sex? And that last bit with the fire, what's happening?

I think it's settled that it's the same protag all along but we only get snapshots between years.

Jan 6 The Forest for the Trees

I think I preferred it when all he had to worry about was climate change and disease. I hope we can get back to some physical disasters soon.

Jan 7 Predisposed

of course there's a commune.
of course not everyone is happy.
of course there's an escape.
of course it didn't quite turn out the way it's supposed to.

Interesting that protag is very ill & that treatment is available. Good to see that he's kept his intelligence despite being on his 'own' (ie. without the 2 ladies).

Jan 7 Predisposed

I would have thought the protag was the last person you would want as a role model for a teenager. Obviously they didn't know him very well.

I think he always looks like a good person on the outside. We just have the benefit of hearing his thoughts...

I just had to finish it, Coralie... felt like it dragged enough already :/
Time to move on. Thanks for helping me with my lost book!

Jan 8 The Profit Motive

A bit boring but the ending was intriguing. I do wonder what kind of organisation he's just joined.

Best Medicine

I'm glad it's his dad for the last story; closes off rather well, I think, almost like a full circle. The dad still sounds like a nut but he survived and did quite well. Ironic, I think...

Overall, it's really only 2* for me. I didn't hate it but I didn't really like it either. I'm not one for short stories because I usually find that they can be rather strange and these were quite incomprehensible for the most part.

ETA: Reading all the positive reviews and wondering how... I just didn't get it, I guess.

There were quite a few questions about this story, which I agree was a bit boring.
What did he think the job was going to be?
Why was he the first to have an interview?
When did they acquire the clothes in his box and how long had they kept it for?
Did they want him because he was intrinsically dishonest?

Best Medicine

All that fixing up his health didn't last long, did it? The moral of the story seems to be - being paranoid and prepared pays off in the end.

Short stories aren't my favourite either.