Here I am again with another selection of stories. I wasn’t intending to do another set of five, but it just so happened to work out that way. We’ll see if this continues, or if I vary it up every now and then. Who knows.
Also, I wanted to explain the way I curate these posts really fast. I read the story, put it in a document, and write down my immediate thoughts. Every little snippet of commentary you read is my fresh thoughts on each one. Maybe I should go back and write more later, but I like the idea of giving that knee-jerk reaction to stories and sharing that with others.
Anyway, I say that because I can tell that, over these last two weeks, I’ve been seeking comfort. Because the state of the world is horrifying, and because I’ve had some personal struggles unrelated to that this month, I’ve found myself really holding onto stories that made me feel better.
Not all of these do that in the same way or reflect the same kinds of comforts, but I hope you can find something in this pile that makes you feel better too.
Thirty Heartbeats – Roxana Arama
This was sweet, and honestly almost soft. I didn’t know what to expect when I started it, but I’m glad I gave it a chance. Sometimes you need something small and kind and I feel like this story did that for me.
Karabasan – Leyla Hamedi
I’m really just a big fan of this. The language is beautiful and the way the story is structured is something I really loved. I’m also always a fan of breaking from the traditions that so often repress us and this story was no exception to that. Something very pretty and kind of freeing to spend a little time with.
Ways of Love for Three-Hearted Creatures – Rachel Sudbeck
Oh no, I loved this way more than I can articulate. It pulled me though a whole range of emotions until I was just left feeling small, but warm, and happy I read this. I guess that’s the thing, I was really happy I found this little story, even though I can’t really tell you why for sure.
The Hag of Beinn Nibheis – M. R. Robinson
I stumbled across this because someone else mentioned they enjoyed it and I’m so glad I did! I was a little uncertain if I would get along with it at first, but I really love seeing stories about older protagonists sometimes, and I wanted to give this a go. Definitely worth doing. It’s ultimately a sweet story, and one that I couldn’t help but smile at.
Story If I Have Defects, Am I Defective? – Ian Li
Okay look, it has been a hard couple of weeks for a variety of reason, and this? This made me feel better. It was comforting in a way I needed, and it was an unexpected hug. Sometimes that’s just what you need a story to be and I’m glad I ran into this one for that.
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