Short Stories (Katherine Anne Porter)

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall

By Katherine Anne Porter

“She flicked her wrist neatly out of Doctor Harry’s pudgy careful fingers and pulled the sheet up to her chin.  The brat ought to be in knee breeches.  Doctoring around the country with spectacles on his nose! “Get along now, take your school books and go.  There’s nothing wrong with me.”

Granny Weatherall is 80 years old.  She sure wishes her daughter and Doctor Harry would quit treating her like she was deaf.  She can hear just fine since she can hear all of their whispering.

Tomorrow she wants to get those letters out of the attic, letters written to George and John.  She doesn’t want anyone to know just how silly she used to be.

“Well, she could just hear Cornelia telling her husband that Mother was getting a little childish and they’d have to humor her.  The thing that most annoyed her was Cornelia thought she was deaf, dumb and blind.”

Oh how she wished for the old days back again, when the children were young again.  There was no changing the fact they were hers.

Even though there is still much to do Granny begins to realize this is what her death is like.  All her children have come to watch her die.  Granny doesn’t want to go yet, she still has things to do.

Pain Killer Poisoning in Dogs and Cats

Please take this very seriously. Stewie our youngest cat is now suffering the effects of getting a hold of an aspirin. We really have no ideal on how he got it except for the fact he may have found one that was accidentally dropped to the floor. Please be aware and check to make sure no medications have dropped to the floor after taking your meds.

Free e-book Friday

For one week you can download From the Ashes by Jeremy Burns for free!

Nook Spotlight

For a limited time you can download

Child 44 [NOOK Book] 

by

Tom Rob Smith for 99cents. 

Short Stories (Grimms Fairy Tales)

The Frog Prince

“In the older time, when wishing was having, there lived a King, whose daughters were all beautiful; but the youngest was so exceedly beautiful that the Sun himself, although he saw her very often, was surprised whenever she came out into the sunshine.”

One day while the Kings youngest daughter was setting by a brook, playing catch with her golden ball, her ball rolls into the water.  Thinking her ball was lost forever the Kings daughter began to cry.  A frog setting nearby hears her cries and asks her what will she give him if he fetches her ball?   When she asks what he wants in return the frog answers:

“Dresses, or jewels, or golden crowns, are not for me; but if thou wilt love me, and let me be thy companion and playfellow, and sit at thy table, and eat from thy little golden plate, and drink out of thy cup, and sleep in thy little bed, if thou promise me all these, then will I dive down and fetch up thy golden ball.”

Of course she promises him everything but thinking at the same time that he should remain in the water with his own kind.  As soon as the frog fetches the ball for her, she grabs it up and runs off to the castle with no more thought of the frog.

When the frog shows up the next day and demands the daughter let him in, she must explain to the King why the frog is there.  The King orders his youngest daughter to live up to her promises she made to the frog.  Finally after being forced to carry the frog up to her bed chamber she becomes angry with him and throws him against the wall.  The second he hits the floor he changes back into a handsome Prince.  He explains that a witch had cursed him and only the Kings daughter could break the spell.  The two marry and live happily ever after.

Short Stories (Mark Twain)

The Signet Classic Book of Mark Twain's Short Stories

The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

by Mark Twain

“In compliance with the request of a friend of mine, who wrote me from the east, I called on good-natured, garrulous old Simon Wheeler, and inquired after my friends friend, Leonidas W. Smiley, as requested to do, and I hereunto append the results.”

Simon Wheeler was asked if he knew a Rev. Leonidas W. Smiley.  Simon never smiles nor frowns when he answers back that there used to be a Jim Smiley who lived there back in ’49 or ’50.  He then proceeds to tell the story of Jim Smiley who would make a bet on anything.  He would bet on a horse race, dog-fight, cat fight, or a chicken fight.  He had even been to known to bet on how far a bug would travel.  If something could be bet on, he bet on it.

One day Jim Smiley be this man that his frog could out jump any other frog in Calaveras County.  While Jim is out searching for the man a frog to use, the man does something that ensures this is one bet that Jim Smiley won’t be winning.

The Story of the Bad Little Boy

“Once there was a bad little boy whose name was Jim-though, if you will notice, you will find that bad little boys are nearly always called James in your Sunday school books.  It was strange, but still it was true, that this one was called Jim.”

Jim really had no excuse for the way he acted.  His mother wasn’t sick like a lot of bad little boy’s mothers were.  In fact Jim was so bad that his mother didn’t care if he broke his neck.  She never kissed him goodnight but instead she spanked him and boxed his ears.

Jim could steal apples from the neighbors orchard and never get hurt by falling out of the trees like other bad little boys.  In fact nothing bad ever happened to Jim.  Where other bad little boys would go fishing or boating on Sunday would either drown or get hit by lightning,  Jim on the other hand would enjoy a nice day of fishing or boating.

Jim would finally grow up, marry and have a very large family.  Jim murdered his whole family.  Still he was respected by everyone.  This Jim lived a charmed life.

Free E-book Friday

This weeks free e-book Friday is

Don't Know Much About Mythology: Everything You Need to Know About the Greatest Stories in Human History but Never Learned [NOOK Book]

• by
• Kenneth C. Davis

Nook Daily Find

Today only you can download Fearless:  Imagine Your Life Without Fear by Max Lucado  for $4.99.

Nook Daily Find

Today only you can download

Living Violet: The Cambion Chronicles#1 by Jamie Reed for $1.99.

The Stephen King Project

This is a year long project of Reading and yes even watching Stephen King movies.  Anyone who has ever read this blog knows I am a big, big fan of Mr. King.  Currently I have 11/22/63 setting on my desk to read.
You can check out http://thestephenkingproject.blogspot.com/  for the complete instructions on how to join this fun year long project.  Make sure you link your reviews each month in the appropriate place.

Autumn Purification

Autumn-Purification

By David Moody

eISBN:  978-1-4299-8540-6

“Forty-seven days ago, more than ninety-nine percent of the population had been killed within an impossibly short period of time.  Right across the world, without any warning or explanation, the pattern was repeated as billions of lives were inexplicably ended-snuffed out and switched off with neither dignity nor malice, unimaginable numbers of innocent people discarded and abandoned and left to rot where they’d fallen.”

37 survivors huddle together in an underground military bunker.  The soldiers stay well away fron the survivors, they have protective suits and air masks on anytime they are above ground or near the survivors.  Above ground thousands and thousands of the dead converge on the area where the bunker is.  Problems start to arise as the dead start to block off the air vents.  The military is forced to go above round and get rid of the dead.  At first it looks like the soldiers may be gaining the upper hand as the hit the dead with flame throwers and bullets until the dead break through the line and start to over-run the bunker.  The survivors and two of the soldiers are forced to flee in a hurry.

The survivors drive in their small convoy for some time before stopping  on the outskirts of a small town.  They take refuge in a pub.  Not long after the survivors settle down to rest they get some unexpected visitors.  A helicopter lands and a man and woman climb out of the helicopter.  Karen and Richard explains that there are other survivors hiding out at an airfield.  They tell them that they know of a small island not far off shore that they are in the process of clearing the dead off of.  They invite the group to go with them. 

The survivors know they can’t stay where they are but can they trust the two strangers?  Eventually they realize they have no choice and follow the two strangers back to the airfield.  The tip to the airfield is fraught with danger as the dead continue to follow.  Getting everyone to the island is not going to be as easy as they  first hoped.  The dead start amassing by the thousands outside the airfield.

This is the third book in the Autumn series.  Another edge of you seat nail biter that keeps the reader turning pages.  Great series.

Rating 5/5

Nook Daily Find

Today only you can download

The Skin Map (Bright Empires Series #1) by Stephen Lawhead for $3.40.  Normal price is $16.99?! (shocking isn't it)

Free ebook Friday

Today's free ebook is I Used to Know That:  Stuff You Forgot From School by Caroline Taggart

Mile 81

Mile 81

By Stephen King

eISBN:  978-1-4516-6560-4

Rating: 4/5

Pete Simmons was bored.  His older brother George had left with his homies  to go play “paratroopers from Hell” at the sandpit behind the bowling alley.  With nothing else to do, Pete heads off to explore the abandoned rest area across town.

On the way to the rest area Pete finds a half bottle of vodka, which he promptly adds to his saddlebag on his bike.  Pete hangs out for awhile at the abandoned Burger King.  He throws darts at a Justin Beiber poster, looks at some dirty pictures drinks 3 swallows of the vodka and passes out. 

Not far from where young Pete is passed out a dirty station wagon pulls off the highway and coasts to a stop on the entrance ramp to the rest area.  The driver’s side door comes open but no one gets out of the car.

Doug Clayton is the first unlucky person to stop and see if someone in the muddy station wagon needs help.  It’s a gesture he regrets instantly.  Several others will also stop to help and all of them wishing they had not. 

This was a fun short story to read.  As far as I know I believe this is only available on ebook.


This is my first book for The Stephen King Project.

Nook Daily Find

Today only you can download To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick for only $1.99.

Autumn The City

Autumn The City

by David Moody

e-isbn 978-1-4299-9524-5

Book 2 in the Autumn series

"There were no warnings and no explanations."

When the alarm sounded the soldiers did what they had trained many times for, they loaded up their gear and moved out in large transports. No one knew exactly what was going on but everyone feared the world as they knew it would never be the same.

Donna Yorke was already at work that Tuesday morning when the nightmare began. She watched 4 of her co-workers suddenly start choking and falls dead within minutes. As she looks out of her 10Th floor office window at the city below she sees hundreds falling dead on the street. Donna at first goes out to look for survivors. Not finding any she returns to the office building and locks herself in and waits. It was on the third day that she discovered that some of the dead were now on their feet moving about the office.

Jack Baxter was on his way home from work that Tuesday morning when it all happened. His bus ride home was normal until each of the passengers including he bus driver suddenly die. As Jack stumbles home and seeing total devastation around him, fears that he may be the only one to survive. After a few days Jack heads into the city to look around. After hollering for someone to answer him one lone young school girl comes out of the shadow.

Paul Castle had also been at work when customers and co-workers died. After a few days he was running out of food so he is also forced deeper into the city. Finally after finding some food and taking a rest he happens to look up and sees light on the 10th floor of a tall office building.

"And where there was light, he quickly decided, there had to be people."

Donna, Paul, Jack and Clare will eventually converge on the college campus in the center of the city. Thinking that finally they have found safety, all the survivors soon realize that they may not be safe anywhere.

The reader is kept on the edge of their seat. I found myself holding my breath through much of the novel. The story is creepy and yet heartbreaking when everyone has lost everything but their will to survive is strong. You have to wonder is surviving really worth it in the end?

Rating 5/5

Nook Daily Find

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley is $1.99 today only.

Spotlight Author of the Month

James Patterson

You can download Witch and Wizard this month for $0.99. This is the first book in the series.

Nook Daily Find

Storm Born by Richelle Mead is being offered today only for $1.99.

Autumn

Autumn

by David Moody

ISBN 9780312569983

"Billions died in less than twenty-four hours. William Price was one of the first."

William Price and his wife die in 4 minutes after becoming infected with an unknown virus. One minute after that the whole street is dead.

Carl Henshawe was on his way home from work when he realized something was horribly wrong. One moment he was listening to music on the radio and then total silence. Cars start running off the road right in front of him. He tries to call the police but no one answers. In fact he is unable to call anyone. Fearing the worst for his family he hurries home. On the way he watches as people just suddenly fall over dead. As he arrives home his worst fears are confirmed when he finds his wife and daughter dead.

Michael Collins watches a classroom of 16 year olds suddenly fall over dead. Before he can even get out of the school everyone is dead.

Emma Mitchell is at the drugstore when the virus hits. Everyone in the store suddenly falls ill and dies in less than a minute. Scared and not knowing what else to do she returns to her apartment.

"She went into her room, drew the curtains on the nightmare outside, got back into her bed and pulled the covers over her head."

As the day draws on, the few remaining survivors are all huddled together at the Whitchurch Community Center. At first no one speaks, they are still shell-shocked. Gradually as the hours pass the small group realize that the worse is still to come as some of the dead start to rise.

Three of the survivors decide they need to leave the safety of the community center. They believe it will be safer if they are outside of the city.

The small group spends the day traveling as far away from the city as they can get. They take refuge at a farm where the owners are now dead. The trio realize too late that they may have been better off staying in the city.

This is a great story. This is the first book in a series of 5. Mr. Moody does an excellent job of creating horror and fear without the usual "gross out and gore" you find in most novels such as this.

Rating 5/5

Format: e-book