How likely is it that you will unearth a hidden treasure in an Egyptian Pyramid that would change the course of humanity? How about grow up with extraterrestrials on Jupiter? Travel to before the big bang occurred? Invent feminism in medieval times, attend Dracula's secret dinner party, experience Star Trek in real life, have dinner with Marlon Brando, take part in the signing of the Declaration of Independence...each in just five minutes?
These short stories will take you the same time to read as listening to a song. In a world where people only read summaries and headlines and get nothing out of them, here is a collection of forty stories that are short to tickles your intellects and arouse your emotions. From sci-fi to comedy, from romance to drama, from love to exploration to horror, enjoy these stories that promise to take you to different worlds, all in under five minutes.
Take a short coffee break and read a couple of stories. Average time, maybe five minutes each. Doable. The author creatively sandwiched together dozens of delectable mini tales that fell into my lap. No two storylines were the same. Without breaking a sweat, it was entertaining to jump from one plot to the next. Like playing hopscotch. If you're on the lookout for a break from a typical 80,000 word novel, this'll do the trick.
My thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
Thanks for Netgalley and respective publisher for sending copy for me.
Exquisite stories. Many of them comprises a keen and gratefulness of fiction and moral too. Some has deep Philosophy about few recommended virtues. It's highly recommended book, Any one can read 2,3 stories over their bedtime. You would find alot of variation including different ventures among stories.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Have you ever wanted to jump into a reading session but realized there aren't enough hours in the day to really get into a full on novel? That's where I. Ashmawey's Stories That Are Short Vol 1 comes in. This collection of 5-minute short stories is the perfect way to get a meaningful, fun and entertaining story with rich characters in without having to dedicate a lengthy amount of time to the art of reading. Here is the official synopsis:
How likely is it that you will unearth a hidden treasure in an Egyptian Pyramid that would change the course of humanity? How about grow up with extraterrestrials on Jupiter? Travel to before the big bang occurred? Invent feminism in medieval times, attend Dracula's secret dinner party, experience Star Trek in real life, have dinner with Marlon Brando, take part in the signing of the Declaration of Independence...each in just five minutes?
These short stories will take you the same time to read as listening to a song. In a world where people only read summaries and headlines and get nothing out of them, here is a collection of forty stories that are short to tickle your intellects and arouse your emotions. From sci-fi to comedy, from romance to drama, from love to exploration to horror, enjoy these stories that promise to take you to different worlds, all in under five minutes.
This collection of short stories was really engaging. Delving into a wide range of genres that will entertain everyone, the stories are not only fun and exciting, but are very thought provoking as well. Touching on themes such as advanced technology, socializing and individualism, this collection is meaningful and incredibly well written. It proves that genres like horror and sci-fi are not meant to be strictly entertaining or shocking. They can be equally powerful with their message and share a unique view of the world that other genres can't provide.
Overall this was a wonderful collection that everyone should wear. They are quick reads and doesn't require you to dedicate hours to read. However the stories are so engaging that you may just find yourself losing time as you become engrossed in author I. Ashmawey's incredibly original and creative writing style. It's an incredibly powerful read and has me excited to see where the author's career will take them next, so if you haven't yet be sure to pick up your copy of Stories That Are Short Vol. 1 today!
I requested this book from NetGalley. I can read one story during a commercial break of my favorite show, and I really like that. Take this book a look for appointments and not have to worry about being called in right in the middle of a paragraph. I don't think this book was meant to be read from cover to cover in on sitting, which is what I did, and found myself getting frustrated with starting on a new subject over and over so quickly. Some of these stories have lessons in them. Some are just stories, almost like fairytales or folktales. Some funny, some a bit spooky. I'd bet there's a short story for everyone on this book.
I was honestly looking forward to reading these. But then I read the introduction. I personally take that introduction as an insult, because there’s no other way I can understand it.
“People don’t read anymore. Some people say they do, but I differ with them on what classifies as reading. To read the headline of an article and say you’ve read it, that’s just not right. To watch a five-minute summary video online and claim to have read “The Art of War,” well that’s just even more not right. The most not right, however, is being truly oblivious to the benefits of reading. I’m particularly referring to fiction. To be able to imagine the unimaginable is a gift we humans possess, one that we take for granted. You see, the moment you imagine something, the moment your mushy brain is able to concoct such an absurdly ridiculous idea, the moment ink stains paper and the words are written, that ridiculously impossible idea becomes destined to come alive. This is a book of very, very short stories. They will each take you no longer than five minutes to read. Keep it next to your couch, lazy boy recliner, bed, or toilet. Before you watch TV, just read one short story and have your spirit fly to another land. For just five minutes.”
So first of all the author is discarding the fact that there are a lot of people who read. So many that there’s a HUGE AND COMPETITIVE market for it, so the first paragraph is just bullshit. Then they say that the reader also has a mushy brain? Wow.
Usually I’m not the one to be easily offended, but starting your book with an introduction that is stating that no one reads anymore, and then right out promoting your work by saying that it’ll take me five minutes to read one story, which APPARENTLY is all I can handle? I’m sorry, but I’d rather read a 700 paged book in one sitting rather than spend 5 minutes on this.
This is a collection of short stories that come with the concept of picking it up and reading one before you turn on the TV. While I completely agree with that concept and often practice it myself, I wasn't particularly impressed with this collection of stories.
The one glaring issue with this collection is that close to ninety percent of the stories are in the speculative fiction genre, though this isn't known until you dive in (it would be beneficial to those who enjoy this genre to know about it in the synopsis). The rest range from historical and fable types to even a few middle grade selections. Not all of the stories are bad, but they do leave something to be desired. The stories don't necessarily give you that visceral reaction at the end like some of the best short stories do. None of the work gives you a last-sentence plot twist that leaves you burning to turn the page, begging to see a chapter 2. While it would cure boredom to read it, it's not something that I would be excited to keep picking up over and over again.
I felt this collection was very hit or miss. There were a few that stood out for me but even the short length of about 2/3rds of them did not keep my attention. I wish i had enjoyed more of them but it was something about the source behind the writing which made it difficult to want to finish them.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I like reading very much, but I often push this activity to the end of the day or weekends because if the book is good, I just find it very difficult to put it down. This book is great because I love the idea of reading the beginning and end of a story during a break at work or while riding the bus home. As for the stories, readers will find a wide selection to choose from; some stories make you think about one’s place in this world like For the Infinitesimal Affair; others are more edgy and a bit scary like The Unconditional Soldier. This is an excellent book for book clubs as readers will find something relatable in most of the stories. I received a free copy via NetGalley.
I have so much admiration for authors who can write short stories. Somehow they manage to bring together engaging characters, good plots, and vivid settings all with a limited number of words. Every word in every sentence has to either develop a character or the setting or move the plot forward. No time for a reader to say they didn't really “ get into the story” until the 30th or 100th page. If you can't grab my attention in the first paragraph, the story is often unsuccessful to me. I was therefore quite intrigued when I saw Stories That Are Short Vol 1 since it contained 40 stories to read, each in 5 minutes or less. Wow, an author would need to be very talented to write that many good short, short stories and Ibrahim Ashmawey delivered. Each story was unique and I found myself reading one or two at a time while waiting on line, waiting on hold, on my lunch break, and on the train. A perfect way to enjoy some otherwise boring time without risking having to cease reading at a critical what happens next moment. I've been reading a lot of can't put down books lately, and this was a nice change of pace. Like having breakfast for dinner or just ordering appetizers instead of entrees, it was a great way to shake up my reading routine, enjoy terrific stories, and discover a new author. If super short stories appeal to you, I would recommend this book. Thank you Ibrahim Ashmawey, Books Go Social and NetGalley for the digital edition to read and review.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The author introduces this book as something to be picked up when you have a few minutes, and savor a story. Take time to disconnect! I love that idea, and this is a book chockfull of different stories to help you do just that. Overall this is an enjoyable book to pick up now and then when you have a few minutes to spare and need a quick break.
I adore short stories, their format allows me to drop into a different world quickly, and in today busy world, for me to consume a world other than my own and experience life from a different point of view. The first story in the collection of "5 Minute" reads encourages the reader to do precisely this, to put yourself in the place of a mouse and have your curiosity peeked by that small hole in the roof of your box, a story told by Dr, Casswell but viewed from an everyday person's viewpoint these three characters are only ever leading in one direction. And once you've read it, you also will be, and that journey is further on in this imagination filling thought-provoking short stories.
Short on time? Want something to read that only takes a few moments per story? This is your book! It's certainly one of mine! I love these little works of art, such genius! From the first thought provoking story (Star Bright) to the last (The Signing), this was one fabulous book. Ashmawey is a very talented wordsmith I look forward to reading more of his stories in the future. I received a Kindle ARC in exchange for a fair review from Netgalley.