This book was provided to me as part of a series of giveaways. This is an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I found that some of the characters were relatable while others represented some rather extreme views. All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. ( )

I received this book for free and mostly loved all the stories.
The following are the reviews for the stories:

1. The Current Occupant - Story about a house that gets moved to another location. I loved this story about the poor husband who's summer home got delivered another spot in the woods where he ex is now living. I couldn't stand the wife and was hoping for a different ending.

2. The Topless Widow of Herkimer Street - Story about a widow who likes to sunbathe without a top on. Story was interesting how it kept getting worse for the son and the ending was classic with the judge.

3. Lessons in Platygaeanism - Story about a crazy uncle telling his nephews that the world is flat. The family is mostly arguing regarding this information. It was an ok story. I liked the surprise towards the end and the end was ok.

4. Bioethics for Dunces - Story about a father who's daughter tries to commit suicide but fails and winds up in a coma. The irony is that the father's career is to prolong someone's life that is in a coma however, he has a hard time to do that with his comatose daughter. Good story and loved the ending.

5. One Wish - Story about a vet finding a bottle with a genie in it and being granted one wish. Good story and interesting how much time he chose to try to figure out the best wish and in the end he gave it away. Loved it.

6. Toward Uncharted Waters - Story about a husband whose wife is disabled and they live on a boat. He is enticed by the parties the neighbors have and slowly starts spending more time with them instead of his wife. Really good story and excellent ending.

7. Rendezvous in Wikiternity - Very cute story about an actress trying to figure out weird stuff popping about her on Wikipedia. Loved this love story and happy ending.

8. Long Term - Meh. DNF. It was about iron lungs and was boring. Couldn't get into it.

All in all the 7 stories were great reads and I had to take a star off for the 8th story. ( )

Jacob Appel has quickly become my favorite short story author. Just by his titles alone, he piques my interest and desire to read his collections. Each of his stories is unquestionably unique. His tales stand out from other authors because of his distinctive writing qualities which include his uncanny ability to create characters that we feel like we know and understand. I think Mr. Appel’s experience as a psychiatrist enables him not only to craft his characters, but facilitates his thought-provoking, entertaining, and believable written works. This is my second collection of short stories by Jacob Appel, which I have read. I don’t just read his short stories, I devour them! Every twist, every turn, every revelation, every shock, every amazing detail…I devour them. I am not going to give away any details of his short stories; it would be unkind. I will tell you that the stories in this grouping are not as twisted as the stories in “Einstein’s Beach House”, but they are just as captivating!

I was given a copy by the author for me to review. ( )

Second Guessing
The short stories narrate the impact unexpected changes in relationships make individuals focus on the minuscule details. A solitary thread of loneliness is woven through out as emotions change, venues change, and people change. There is a price to pay for those who hesitate and those on fast forward. Overall, it is an interesting examination of the human condition for ordinary people.

I was randomly chosen through a LibraryThing Giveaway to receive this book free from the author. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. ( )

Man, oh man- this gentleman is brilliant! I might have guessed an “American author, bioethicist, physician, lawyer and social critic” according to Wikipedia, would produce some stellar writing, but still wasn’t prepared for how fully invested I’d be in each story in Jacob M. Appel’s The Topless Widow of Herkimer Street! The characters are so very developed and the dialogue is beyond reproach, something I fully appreciate since I struggle with it so much in my own writing. Tied together by the thread of hard-earned wisdom from the passage of time, Appel’s collection reminds readers that there is so very much more to a person–their trials and tribulations, their passions, their earth-shattering losses– than what meets the eye.

I’ve read short stories that go for the jugular. Kill off a baby, blow up an entire town. Effective, perhaps, but cheap, in most cases. Appel’s stories could not be further from that. Profound in his accuracy of portraying the human condition, Appel delves into ethical, moral, and spiritual arguments in this collection. Whether in the form of a comatose teenager or an elderly exhibitionist, he asks readers to consider a schema outside of their own. Things aren’t always as black and white, right and wrong, as they at first appear.

If you are looking for a smart read, pick up The Topless Widow of Herkimer Street from Howling Bird Press, “the publishing house of Augsburg College’s MFA in Creative Writing, which offers an annual prize that results in book publication, ” per its site. (Current submissions are open for poetry manuscripts and close June 30th!) The stories will certainly inspire much elevated dialogue at your summer barbecue or pool party! Speaking of, I can’t wait to dive into Coulrophobia and Fata Morgana, another of Appel’s superb short story collections.

*- I received a copy of this collection in exchange for an honest review.

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