FionnaGuillaume

Refreshingly real, unapologetic fun!

Wow, am I glad I picked this one up! I wasn't sure at first, but three chapters in I am totally hooked. A note to the new reader: you need to be ready to dive in head first, flounder around for a while,and swallow some water, before you find your groove. But the groove is so good, it's totally worth it!

Written like a journal or blog, in a series of moderately-interconnected vignettes, A Year in Shorts is a vivid collection of experiences. Our hero, a British expat living in Bangkok, is the perfect character to reveal all sorts of wisdom about life, romance, and sex. This window into Bangkok's gay culture - and Thai culture in general - is addicting. Clearly, this has been written by someone who knows and has deep affection for Thailand's capital city, with all its dirty secrets, quirks, and beauty. I feel like I'm visiting the city in a whole new way.

Excellent writing, vivid characters, and the pure joy of discovery. Plus lots of fun gay sex! Does it get better than that?

Historical Humor!

If you've ever read a good nonfiction historical book - the serious kind, with footnotes - then you'll get a kick out of this! It's a hilarious, tongue-in-cheek play on stuffy old history texts, written with all the flair of an academic treatise and the flowery, old-fashioned language of a previous century. Yet it's all about sex with a guy who has a huge cock.

I especially enjoyed the first several chapters (more footnotes, please!), and the fun, sexy little scenes as our young Cobbler discovers his new talents. But I found the last chapter somewhat abrupt. Although the ending did resolve all remaining questions. Yet the Cobbler's descent into madness wasn't clear, nor was I able to visualize exactly what he was making. More detail here would make the story even better. (And, yes, more footnotes! That's the funniest part!)

Odd, unique, and surprising

I did enjoy the plot of this story - something I've never read before, to say the least! And it truly surprised me, from one paragraph to the next. I certainly didn't see the ending coming. (Very Judith & Holfernes!) The most sympathetic character, for sure, is the Rabbi, although his wife ends up being the hero in her own right. For a short story, it gave enough detail to understand the characters, but I wish I knew them better - especially her, before she makes her dramatic decision.
Also, as an erotica fan, I need to get some really good description, a slow burn, and enough heat to get me going. (At least, that's the stated goal of most erotica!) The sex scene here felt... weird. I was uncomfortable, and that's not hot.
If the author decides to cut the sex scene, or make it smoother and more literary, it might work. Or, he might choose to really spice it up and give us readers some more panting, tense, soul-rending emotion (and sex) that would elevate it into the realm of the believable. Perhaps that would involve some more planning and reflection on the lady's part, though.... good erotica needs heavy build-up.