Skip to main content

Attention Span - Pauline Wiles



Description

Revenge, rejection, resilience and revival: they’re all represented in this collection of fourteen short stories from author Pauline Wiles.
Ranging in length from just 99 words to long-enough-for-a-second-cup-of-tea, these stories feature locations from Switzerland to Seattle and the popular fictional English village of Saffron Sweeting in between. Some are light, several are quirky and one or two a little on the darker side. They explore the meaning of family, the search for true love, and the overwhelming importance of home.

Review

What a fabulous selection of short stories this is. I love Pauline's writing as she is able to capture the most mundane and everyday occurrences that has you thinking - yes! that's exactly what happens. Such as when Becky has the thin plastic handles cut into her fingers from the groceries she's carrying. 

Some stories are very short - just a page. Unlike some short stories where you turn that last page and are left wondering - "what just happened" or "is that it!" These stories have a satisfying ending and feel complete, with more depth than short stories usually have.

Two quirky stories are "On the Shelf" - the lives of items on a charity shop shelf and "Attention Span - the Facebook feed that comes to life. I just loved both of these for the unusual subject matter. Then there is the "Checking In" story another absolute gem. 

Do you know what an IFB is? You really need to find out by reading "Seating for Singles"!

I usually reserve short stories for reading in between other books. However I got so hooked on these that I read the last half all at once.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars and my thanks to Pauline for my copy to review.

The last story is actually the beginning of  a full length novel by Pauline called "Saving Saffron Sweeting". You can read my review here for that book. This is also the first novel in a series the others being Sweet Pursuits and Secrets in the Sky. If you click the links you will go to my reviews of those books.


Books by Pauline Wiles

Comments

  1. Pauline Wiles15 February 2018 at 16:51

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Those leaving a comment on any post on this blog do so in the knowledge that their name and blog link are visible to all who visit this blog and by providing their comment they have published their own personal details on this blog and also consented to our use of that personal information for that specific purpose.

Popular posts from this blog

The Invisible Women's Club - Helen Paris

  Description Readers have fallen in love with this beautiful, heart-warming and uplifting story about one woman's journey from invisibility to being seen once more... 'A  heart-lifting  and  thoughtful  read, that gives a huge shout out to the  power and strength of women ' 'This book is  all heart and soul  ... and just the right amount of  humour ' 'A story of  courage  and  strength  that's  witty ,  warm  and filled with  wisdom ' 'Helen writes so sympathetically about characters who may not fit into the 'normal' bracket but are so  likeable and instantly relatable ' ------------------------------------------------- Ignored. Seventy-something Janet Pimm is invisible. Spending most of her days alone, she tends her beloved allotment with the care and love she doesn't receive from people. Plants, Janet thinks, are more important than friends. Overlooked. Janet's neighbour, Bev, has reached the age when a cloak of invisibility th
Post a Comment
Read more

Clues to You - Claire Huston

  Description One murder mystery weekend. Two rival sleuths. They’re looking for answers. But will they find love? Kate Brannon is delighted to be attending her first murder mystery weekend in a movie-worthy Victorian manor house. Still getting over being dumped, cracking the case would be a welcome boost to her flagging confidence. And the prize money wouldn’t hurt either. But Kate’s dreams of victory become a nightmare with the arrival of Max Ravenscroft. Smart, enigmatic and annoyingly handsome, Max is Kate’s sleuthing nemesis. When she and Max are forced to work together, Kate despairs. But, as the investigation brings them closer, she finds being his partner in solving crime isn’t all bad. With growing suspicions that the game is rigged against them, can Kate and Max beat the odds to find the killer? And, as their partnership deepens, can they find romance too? A sweet romantic comedy with a cosy mystery at its heart. Perfect for fans of Kathryn Freeman, Laura Jane Williams and Ka
1 comment
Read more

Wednesday's Child - Yiyun Li

Description ‘One of our major novelists’ Salman Rushdie‘One of our finest living authors’  New York Times A dazzling new collection of short stories, spanning 15 years of writing, from Yiyun Li, the prize-winning author of  The Book of Goose  and  Where Reasons End A dazzling new collection of short stories written over a decade, spanning loss, alienation, aging and the strangeness of contemporary life – from Yiyun Li, the prize-winning author of  The Book of Goose A grieving mother makes a spreadsheet of everyone she’s lost. A professor develops a troubled intimacy with her hairdresser. And every year, a restless woman receives an email from a strange man twice her age and several states away. In Yiyun Li’s stories, people strive for an ordinary existence until doing so becomes unsustainable, until the surface cracks and grand mysterious forces – death, violence, estrangement – come to light. And even everyday life is laden with meaning, studded with indelible details: a filched jar o
Post a Comment
Read more