Irish Girls About Town

Title: Irish Girls About Town
Author: Various Female Irish Authors (Maeve Binchy, Cathy Kelly, Marian Keyes, et al..)
Paperback; 337 pages
Published February 2004

From Goodreads:

New York Times bestselling authors Maeve Binchy and Marian Keyes top an impressive roster of the Emerald Isle's most popular women writers and prove that when it comes to spinning a good yarn, the Irish are the best in the business. Showcasing dazzling wit and remarkable insight in short stories that run the gamut from provocative to poignant, these Irish women will tug at your heartstrings and have you crying with laughter in no time.

In Maeve Binchy's "Carissima," a longtime ex-pat and free spirit returns to Ireland from Sicily and shakes things up for her family, who finds her life utterly scandalous. In "Soulmates," by Marian Keyes, one woman's relationship is so bleedin' perfect in every way that it's driving her friends up the wall. In Cathy Kelly's "Thelma, Louise and the Lurve Gods," two women on a madcap, Stateside road trip have completely opposite reactions to a pair of insanely good-looking men. In these stories, and throughout this fabulous collection, Ireland's finest women authors celebrate the joys and perils of love, the adventure and constancy of female friendships, and their own irresistible brand of Irish charm.

This anthology of sorts is written by female Irish authors. It is a perfect read while getting sun-kissed on the beach or for a lazy afternoon nap. So far, I found most of the stories simple, cute and a little entertaining.

Well, there are some stories I liked quite a bit like De-Stress, The Twenty-Eighth Day, Thelma, Louise and the Lurve Gods, Carissima, and Girls' Weekend. The rest were either so-so or the main characters were hard to root for.

I really enjoy reading short stories as much as I do a novel with 250 pages or more. Eventhough I don't have enough time to really connect with the characters, I think the boundary being set on the story is enough to yearn for more. That way, I'll get interested with the authors' other pieces of work :)

So far, I'd rate this book - 4 bookmarks for entertainment purposes :)

Sucker Literary

Title: Sucker Literary
by Various Authors, compiled by Hannah Goodman
Kindle edition
Published March 2013

When Alex’s bandmates invite a girl to sing lead, a battle of the sexes becomes a battle over something unexpected. . .
A girl tells her friend about hooking up with longtime crush Fred, but his kisses are not what makes that night in his car memorable. . .
A therapy session with Doug might just make Jason go insane again. . .
Wallfower Aubrey hooks up with Gordon after the cast party, which would be fine if he weren’t the most forbidden fruit of them all…
Savannah certainly doesn’t sound like a convicts name, so maybe hanging out with her isn’t all that dangerous.
Miki is committed to getting over Dex, yet she can’t get him off her answering machine—or her doorstep.
In between puffs of cigarettes and attempts to smear lipstick on her face, Allie’s grandmother dishes out advice that maybe Allie should take. . .
And finally, what’s a girl to do with Satan as both her boss and father?
Nine short stories pose the questions we obsess over whether we’re growing up or all grown up: Who should I love? Am I doing the right thing? Is there ever an end to heartbreak? In its second volume, SUCKER continues to showcase the very best emerging talent in young adult literature and give (some of) the answers to Life’s Big Questions along the way.

A collection of YA stories that would make you cry, melt your heart and wish for more.

The different stories of love, acceptance, forgiveness, inspiration and redemption are masterfully written in this anthology that doesn't suck at all. Kudos to the writers who have finally found their niche and are slowly making waves in literature.

I particularly loved The Missing Ingredient, a love story of musical sorts. Alex thought his three-piece band was enough but when a girl decided to join the loop, his feelings had gone haywire. Will they find harmony along the way?

My next favorite is A Little Bit of Sunshine, or what I would love to call, When Allie Saw Henry. Two young teens found each other again when the girl cut classes to have her teeth checked, as ordered by her pesky grandmother, then ran into the boy of her dreams at a restaurant. I admit, I never liked her grandmother but in the end, she redeemed herself for helping her granddaughter realize that love was just around the corner.

The other love story I liked was about Miki and Dex, who seemed to have a cat-and-dog love affair. Miki was intent on breaking up with Dex, but the man was bent on getting her back.

The other stories, Day Pass and Dark Angel deserved to become full-length novels. I'd really love to read more! Savannah the prisoner intrigued me a lot, while the twin fallen angels made their way to my heart after saving a little boy. I wonder how their Father would react.

Angels and Serendipity tore my heart. A woman who lost her mom to cancer, managed to save a life from the attack on the World Trade Center. It was truly a heart-melting scene; I cried during and after reading it.

I'd love to go on and on and on, but I think it is already suffice to say that all the stories here in Sucker Literary are brilliant! To sum it up, I'm giving this anthology genius five stars!

5***** Highly recommended!

The Sin Collector

Title: The Sin Collector

Author: Jessica Fortunato

147 pages, Kindle edition

Published February 2012

“The Sin Collector” follows the life of Liliana, a born Sin Collector. She has spent over 100 years absorbing people’s sins so they may rest in peace come death. However when she meets another Collector, one who insists everything she has been taught is a lie, Liliana must make her way from Sunny L.A. all the way to the streets of Madrid. Searching for answers to a question we all share. Why are we here? The friends and enemies she makes along the way only seem to blur the line between right and wrong. Can Liliana fight the Castus, an organization bent on killing off every Sin-Eater? Should she trust her head or her heart when the two most important men in her life are fighting alongside her?
Then there is the worst question of all, who will be left when the dust settles."

This book has been sitting on my To-B-Read shelf for sometime now. During the Holy Week (Lent), I decided to read and contemplate. I thought, at first, Liliana was an angel who absorbs the sins of mankind. But as the story progressed, I was incredibly mistaken.

The truth is: I haven’t read any book that tells me about Sin Eaters or sin collectors. SO I went on researching for it through Wikipedia and this is what I got: The term sin-eater refers to a person who, through ritual means, would take on by means of food and drink the sins of a household, often because of a recent death, thus absolving the soul and allowing that person to rest in peace.

So, within 24 hours, I immersed myself in this Jessica Fortunato book and I exclaimed in the end: “The Sin Collector is Groundbreaking!”

The story follows Liliana, a sin collector who is already a hundred years old. Back when she was a child, she was mentored by Olexander and thought her how she wad going to be a sin collector.  Collectors, as they were called, stop aging when they reach 20. Soon her mentor left her, as it is impossible for Collectors to be near each other. They would feel excruciating pain when this happens. So Liliana had been on her own since then.

Her life as a librarian may not have been as exciting nor fulfilling, added to the fact that her boss is kind of jerk, but she enjoyed her solitary life. She gained friends like Sophie and George. One day, an old friend (really old, as in a century old)  showed up and then her boss was murdered. Coincidence? Not really. To unravel the mystery, she had to accompany her friend, Billy all the way to Ireland. Soon she went on a journey that led her to the knowledge that her fellow Collectors were being murdered by an organization called The Castus. There she also saw her former mentor and was shocked when there was no more pain felt while they were together.

Jessica Fortunato did a fantastic job with The Sin Collector.  The prologue immediately got my attention and it made me want to read more. Although the book was fairly short, I was not disappointed at all. The story itself was action-packed, fast-paced, and brilliantly executed. The characters were easy to relate with. They”re really not as complicated as you think. The twist revolving one Collector was a welcomed surprise. Truly, in this world full of sinners, you can never trust anyone, even your own kind.

I would love to read more about the future that was waiting for Liliana and her companions. The little girl, Julia proved to be a special innocent child who could turn into an amazing woman when her time comes. I can’t wait to get my hands on Book 2!

I’m pleased to rate The Sin Collector with 4 stars. Looking forward to reading Thomas, soon. Truly a tour de force!