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Firstly, thanks for getting on board. I have recently discovered good short-stories and I have been surprised at how good they can be.

Until now I had always read either sci-fi short-stories or the odd short-story in a magazine which were always predictable. Those kind of stories often seemed to relish in disappointing the reader (in the name of art I imagine), so it came as a pleasant shock to realise a lot of short stories existed they didn't take the cheap ending (IMO).

This is the place for off-topic chat or chat that isn't related to a specific story.

Just to say thanks for the invite to what promises to be a very interesting group! It's great to see some familiar faces here too :-)

You are welcome. It has been on my mind for a bit (to start a regular short-story group).

Any preferences for what day we start the weekly read on? Monday, Sunday?

I'm glad to be here, but I won't be much of a presence for a while. Complications elsewhere. A story a week whizzes by pretty fast. But if the discussions go on for a while, however desultory, I might catch hold of the end of the train.

Is this the place for introductions? I'm a book artist and novelist. I haven't written a genuine short story in thirty years -- I stopped publishing them about the time when I began to think of using my writing instead for my own books. It's taken a long time to learn how to make books by hand. Now it will be good to think about the story form again.

Welcome to the group. You are write a book a week does go pretty fast. I am only getting to know the genre too.

What's the next story? I have some ideas.

Aldous Huxley, The Gioconda Smile
Something by Poe or Balzac
John Mortimer, Rumpole and the Bubble Reputation
Something by Donald Barthelme
Richard Brautigan's Trout Fishing In America (rather long for a story)
one of Salinger's Glass family stories
something by Nathaniel Hawthorne
one of the early Danzig stories by Gunter Grass

Do we have a new story coming up?

Our group has been very quiet ... I hope all have had a wonderful holiday. We celebrate Christmas and enjoyed being with all the kids and grandkids. I'm looking forward to the new year for more fun times with family and more good books.

Just read The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier. Interesting stories. The title story was used by Hitchcock for his movie of the same name. He changed it quite a bit as was his pattern. Has anyone else read these stories?

Martha wrote: "Our group has been very quiet ... I hope all have had a wonderful holiday. We celebrate Christmas and enjoyed being with all the kids and grandkids. I'm looking forward to the new year for more fun..."

I've got Don't Look Now: and Other Stories on my to-read shelf. The film is terrifying, and I'd like to give the book a go to compare. I was really put off reading Daphne du Maurier by Rebecca but was persuaded into a group read of Jamaica Inn a year or so ago, and really enjoyed it.

Wishing you all the best for the last few days of 2014 and very happy New Year!

I loved Rebecca as a teenager, but when I reread it a few years ago, I found myself so annoyed with the narrator. Just wanted to shake her and tell her to stand up for herself. :-) Jamaica Inn is a wonderfully creepy story. My Cousin Rachel is also good.