EXTREMITIES by David Lubar. Tor, 2013.

David Lubar can tell a story, and tell it FAST. These brief stories are sure to raise some gooseflesh for readers who have in the past enjoyed his collections of WEENIE tales. In this volume, for older readers, Lubar delights readers with tales of beautiful young women who feed on the fears of their boyfriends, criminals who have their comeuppance from someone with blood magic, and teens who dare to stay in a haunted house to earn some quick money. Blood, guts, shape shifters, ghosts, and more live between the covers of this riveting collection of stories. Tie this to SHORT CIRCUITS edited by Don Gallo.

short, short, short

THERE IS NO LONG DISTANCE NOW: VERY SHORT STORIES by Naomi Shihab Nye (Greenwillow 2011) is a collection of stories that are sometimes vignettes, sometimes a slice of a larger story (well, always that, I think), sometimes prose poems, and always thought-provoking. Master wordsmith Nye offers readers quick glimpses into character, motivation, dialogue, and other elements of writing. Perfect for reading aloud before asking students to do some free writing. Good for simply reading aloud and letting the story percolate in their minds as well. <14>

stuck in traffic with a good companion

Last Friday was a LONG day. I had breakfast with our newest faculty member at 8. The day progressed with meetings with the dean and the COE and then our own department meeting. After the meetings, I took newly minted College Girl to dinner and then on to buy some decent shoes for marching practice. I left campous about 10 hours after I arrived and headed home, a trip that should have taken 30-40 minutes. Nope, not Friday.

I hit thunderstorms about halfway home. Traffic crawled as water collected on the roads all of which are under construction. However, I did not curse the rain. We need it. It also dropped the temperature outside from 106 degrees (yes, at 7 pm) to a positively balmy 84 degrees. Finally, I was off the freeway and down the homestretch when traffic came to a complete halt. I could see emergency vehicles blocking both sides of the road home. And as I tried to figure out if there was a lane getting though, Life Flight helicopter ambulance landed in the middle of the road. No worries.

Anyone who knows me is probably thinking, why is she not ranting and raving? Simple: I was listening to the impeccable FULL CAST AUDIO's production of Bruce Coville's ODDLY ENOUGH.

Funny, scary, and poignant stories were brought to life by the skilled age-appropriate readers. I listened fondly to "Old Glory" a story I recalled reading in an anthology edited by Jane Yolen. Written 20 years ago and set in 2041, it is eerily too close to reality now. Music set the stage and mood for each story. I particularly liked the Hendrix-like riff that opens "Old Glory." An extra on this audio is Coville talking about coming to write short stories; there were some background facts about the genesis for some of the stories as well. By the time the traffic began moving, the audio was coming to an end. While I was anxious to get home, I did not mind the extra time spent with Bruce and the FCA crew. <413>