Bibliophile Support Group

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions is a YA anthology of stories by numerous best-selling authors and edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong. Pulling together short stories together regarding journeys – whether physical or not – these authors provide plots featuring vampires, faeries, angels and more. Authors include such bigwigs as Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Carrie Ryan and more. One of the main reasons I wanted to read Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions was for the short story by Kelley Armstrong. I’m a huge fan of her Darkest Powers trilogy and Facing Facts was a great little reunion with my favorite characters of hers – Chloe and Derek! Facing Facts did not disappoint! Generally, however, Enthralled was a mixed bag. Giovanni’s Farewell was a good, sweet story by Claudia Gray. Let’s Get This Undead Show on the Road by Sarah Rees Brennan and At the Late Night, Double Feature Picture Show by Jessica Verday were interesting diversions, both cre...

Henry’s Stories: Volume 2 is a YA anthology of sci-fi short stories by Henry Melton. Here we have 13 stories from the imagination of Henry Melton. One story speculates what a casual teenage couple might do if suddenly faced with realization of nuclear catastrophe. Another with the age old idea of three wishes, and how we all feel we’d do a better job. Still yet another that focuses on an alien planet, or an alternate reality. In other words, all kinds of sci-fi. Henry Melton’s intelligent, mature offerings make for insight into various different ideas and forays into imagination. Some of them I found quite compelling, others not so much. That’s what often happens with anthologies. Also I can have a hard time because I don’t find as much interest in the deeply technical stories, which he sometimes provides. But for those of you who do like those, Henry’s Stories: Volume 2 should be a treat! At times the hormonal and romantic aspects of Melton’s stories comes off as odd o...

Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales is a YA fantasy/speculative fiction anthology edited by Melissa Marr and Tim Pratt. In this novel we have a collection of retold fairy tales, science fiction, dystopia, etc. written by a mass of modern day, award winning, best-selling authors such as Kelley Armstrong, Neil Gaiman, Kami Garcia, Holly Black, Carrie Ryan and more! As always in an anthology there are the stories you find stronger than others, but overall I found Rags & Bones to be a solid, impressive collection. By taking familiar (sometimes not so familiar) tales and boiling them down to their rags and bones (an apt description from the inside jacket cover) we are presented with something new. It’s an eccentric, varied group. Below I’ll go over some highlights. Carrie Ryan’s story, given first, That the Machine May Progress Eternally was creepy and thought-provoking. A dystopian world made more real by man’s own weakness. I have yet to encounter a short story...

Foretold: 14 Stories of Prophecy and Prediction is a YA anthology edited by Carrie Ryan and featuring authors like Meg Cabot, Laini Taylor, Diana Peterfreund, and Margaret Stohl – among others! Assembled here are fourteen short stories that feature a prediction or prophecy of some sort. It’s a cool premise because it can be interpreted so many ways, that though there is a common thread to each story each one is so unique from the other. Starting off we get a tale from Laini Taylor that is evocative, interesting and intriguing. It felt enjoyable – and complete! That’s one of the main pet peeves I have with short stories – I don’t want to feel like it’s the start of the story instead of a satisfying, completed one. With Foretold I didn’t have that problem. Next, Diana Peterfreund’s story had a chilling and excellent vibe. Truly great! In fact, each story in Foretold has something creepy, funny, or thought-provoking to offer. There’s a Hitchcock flavor to one, dark disturbing a...