From the stylish simple cover
depicting a cafe scene to the very last story in the book, you are in for a
treat with this volume of short stories from Cafe Lit.
There is something in this book to suit every
taste and mood. The stories range from
100 word pieces to the more usual 1500-2000 word magazine type short
story. Each story has a drink assigned
to it, literally to give “flavour” of what the story is about.
There are stories that made me laugh and
some wonderful twist endings, especially in the 100 word pieces. One in particular, Prayers by Roger Noons, has a twist at the end of it which turns
the mood of the whole story, made me
shudder and he manages this in the last six words. That is some achievement.
The stories include those told in the style
of diary entries, letters (I like the use of a “handwriting” font for Letters to Albertine by Angela South)
and some take us back in time while others are set in the present day.
It is also a great book for dipping into
when you’re not sure just how much you want to read, you haven’t got a lot of
time to read or for those times when perhaps you’re just not in the mood for
full length novels. The book is a great
size for slipping into bags etc so ideal for the daily bus or train
commute. Each story contains its own
world beautifully and every word counts towards making that story work. I can’t see how anything in this book
could’ve been left out which is probably the best compliment to each author
whose work is included in The Best of
Cafe Lit 3.
