Monday, 26 January 2015

THE BEST OF CAFE LIT 3 REVIEWED BY ALLISON SYMES






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.

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