Review of The Curiosities by Stiefvater, Gratton and Yovanoff

Title: The Curiosities

Authors: Maggie Steifvater

Tessa Gratton

Brenna Yovanoff

ISBN: 978-076-137-5272

Publisher: Carolrhoda (division of Lerner)

 

Attention IRS: I am keeping this one. The library can buy its own.

 

So. Much. Fun! The Curiosities is a collection of short stories from the above named authors. Of the three, I was only familiar with Maggie Stiefvater. She wrote The Scorpio Races, which I think has the single best final page of any book I have ever read - just thinking about it, months later, still tugs at my gut. For her name alone, then, I was happy to see this in my most recent pile of goodies from Lerner, but for some reason it took me a while to pick it up.

 

Well, it's a good thing I have the week off, because once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down! Just a collection of short stories, you are thinking? Not hardly! The stories themselves are great - like a box of chocolates with all caramels and toffees and none of those nasty pink cream-filled things they use as filler. What makes this collection extra special, though, are the scribbled notes in the margins.

 

You see, this is a collection of short stories the three women wrote as part of their joint blog, Merry Sisters of Fate. You know, the three sisters in Greek mythology who control the thread of each mortal's life? Just the blog name alone should tell you these are not going to be your fluffy chick lit pieces (even if there are some pretty swoon-worthy guys in them.) Notes at the beginning of each story, and throughout the margins, give insight into the hows and whys of each story's crafting, and what the other authors noticed/liked/envied about different bits. Both funny and fascinating, these notes can't help but inspire any would-be author*.

 

Grab it for your library, select it for your book club, gift it to your favorite writer, or just pick up a copy for yourself and snuggle into the sofa with it!

 

*yes, D.N., you can borrow it first.