Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman

source: free review copy via Harper Collins
title: Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances
author: Neil Gaiman
genre: short story/fantasy
pages: 368
published: October 27, 2015
rated: 4 out of 5 stars

blurb:
In this new anthology, Neil Gaiman pierces the veil of reality to reveal the enigmatic, shadowy world that lies beneath. Trigger Warning includes previously published pieces of short fiction—stories, verse, and a very special Doctor Who story that was written for the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved series in 2013—as well “Black Dog,” a new tale that revisits the world of American Gods, exclusive to this collection.

Trigger Warning explores the masks we all wear and the people we are beneath them to reveal our vulnerabilities and our truest selves. Here is a rich cornucopia of horror and ghosts stories, science fiction and fairy tales, fabulism and poetry that explore the realm of experience and emotion…

my thoughts:
The folks over at Harper Collins kindly sent me an ARC of Neil Gaiman’s Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances back in January of 2015 and look how long it has taken me to read it.

I liked the introduction by the author and after reading each story, I’d go back and read his comments on each which was a nice touch. I savored each of these stories with a few poems thrown in. What I like about short stories is that there is not too much commitment. You can read one or two a day and feel a little sense of accomplishment at the end of each one.

Sunday Post 9/17/17 Stephen King, Jane Austen, crochet etc.

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog…

Good morning everyone. It’s a warm, cloudy Sunday here today.
I had a busy week but I finished reading Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman. My review will be up soon.

I have a bit of a King and Jane Austen themed post today. I pre-ordered my copy of Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and his son Owen King this week.

Also, I received an ARC of Strange Weather: Four Short Novels by Stephen King’s other son, Joe Hill from Library Thing.

The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

source: purchased
title: The Silver Linings Playbook
author: Matthew Quick {Twitter}
pages: 289
published: 2012
genre: fiction
first line:  I don’t have to look up now to know mom is making another surprise visit.
rated: 5 out of 5 stars

blurb:
Meet Pat Peoples. Pat has a theory: his life is a movie produced by God. And his God-given mission is to become physically fit and emotionally literate, whereupon God will ensure him a happy ending―the return of his estranged wife, Nikki. (It might not come as a surprise to learn that Pat has spent several years in a mental health facility.) The problem is, Pat’s now home, and everything feels off. No one will talk to him about Nikki; his beloved Philadelphia Eagles keep losing; he’s being pursued by the deeply odd Tiffany; his new therapist seems to recommend adultery as a form of therapy. Plus, he’s being haunted by Kenny G!

David O. Russell’s adaptation of The Silver Linings Playbook features Bradley Cooper (People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive) in the role of Pat, alongside Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Julia Stiles, Chris Tucker, and Jacki Weaver. As the award-winning novelist Justin Cronin put it: “Tender, soulful, hilarious, and true, The Silver Linings Playbook is a wonderful debut.”-quoted from amazon.com

my thoughts:
Matthew Quick tugged at my heartstrings with The Silver Linings Playbook. We get the story through the eyes of thirty-something Patrick Peoples who as the story begins is finally going home after a few years stay in a mental hospital. Pat’s mom fought hard to get him out and as part of his release agreement he has to continue seeing a therapist and continue taking medications. When Pat gets home to New Jersey you see the dysfunction in his family. His father, his brother and himself are all die-hard Eagles fans. Football is a constant in Pat’s life and it is one of the few things that makes him happy and feel normal again. It is also the main thing that allows bonding time with him and his Dad.

Teaser Tuesday: 9/5/17 Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

This week’s teaser is from Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman which is really good so far.  This teaser is a actually a snippet from the introduction by the author.

And I think of us, all the people, and the masks we wear, the masks we hide behind and the masks that reveal. I imagine people pretending to be what they truly are, and discovering that other people are so much more and so much less than they imagined themselves to be or present themselves as. And then, I think about the need to help others, and how we mask ourselves to do it, and how unmasking makes us vulnerable…

We are all wearing masks. That is what makes us interesting.

-Neil Gaiman

He’s right about us all wearing masks and how letting down those walls and taking off those masks makes us vulnerable. What do you think?

Speaking of Neil Gaiman, I found this site via his, All Hallow’s Read and I really like the idea of giving someone a scary book on Halloween. And on another note I had no idea Gaiman was from the U.K. I was surprised to hear the accent on the clip on the Hallow’s Read site. I like it!

Enjoy your week!

Sunday Post: 9/3/17 the beach, crochet and books

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog…

Happy Sunday everyone, September is here and I am ready for Autumn. It’s a rainy one in Jersey and I plan on reading and crocheting in between a few household chores today.

On a sad note, I can’t even look at the news anymore concerning the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey . Not that it should take a natural disaster to do it, but it really makes you stop and appreciate what you have and remember to live in the moment, because it can all be gone in an instant.

Crochet-wise, I went to the craft store last night and picked up two skeins of yarn for a hat and infinity scarf set. This sign says it all.