The Safety of Objects (1990) by American writer A.M. Homes is a collection of short stories that I really enjoyed. I have been reading quite a few short stories lately, but nothing like this. The way Homes deals with teenage and adult sexuality, relationships, and extraordinary experiences is straightforward and to the point. I often smiled at the way the stories ended and the shocking topics she writes about (the kidnapping of a boy, parents doing drugs, girls hiding in closets and writing letters to themselves, boy fantasizing with their sister’s Barbie, etc.) will make you want to read all the stories in one sitting, but at the same time, you feel like saving some of the stories for the next day.
Across the Nightingale Floor (2002) by Australian author Lian Hearn is a young adult novel set in an imaginary country resembling medieval Japan soon after the Battle of Sekigahara (1600). The novel follows the coming of age of Takeo, a 16 years old orphan. Adopted in the Otori Clan by Lord Shigeru, Takeo soon finds out that he possesses special powers that enable him to hear whispered conversation, to become invisible and even to put people to sleep. A series of power plays and intrigues bring Takeo inside the castle of the lord who killed his parents. A powerful female character, the 15 years old Kaede, promises that the two sequels which form the Tales of the Otori trilogy are also good reads. Across the Nightingale Floor has everything a teenager is looking for in a novel: action, violence, mystery, magic, and a bit of sex.
Night Shift (1978) by Stephen King is the author’s first collection of short stories. By the time of its publication, King had already become a big name in the horror genre. Two of my favourite short stories in the collection are “The Mangler” and “Trucks,” both dealing with inanimate objects that come to life and cause havoc among the humans. In “The Mangler,” an industrial laundry press machine gets a taste of human blood while in “Trucks” all cars are brought to life and proceed to killing humans. That’s unless the humans agree to become their slaves. Apart from the entertainment quality of these stories, King’s writing also plays with your mind and, if you’re a short story writer yourself, it tickles your creativity.
