Great book. Good characters ( )

Enjoyed this read and the cover is pretty. ( )

[b:Einstein's Beach House|22925326|Einstein's Beach House|Jacob M. Appel|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1415581797s/22925326.jpg|42494069]
Author: [a:Jacob M. Appel|6884139|Jacob M. Appel|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1378487265p2/6884139.jpg]
Publisher: Pressgang
179 pages
*This review based on .pdf version provided free in exchange for honest review*

I'm not often left without words (as my husband would attest with a grin on his face). I've read, discussed, and reviewed a lot of books in my time. It's not often I read one, especially a collection of short stories, that leaves me grasping for the right words. I've been pondering what to say in this review for days after finishing this book of 8 short stories by Jacob Appel. The best I can come up with is this:

Ecclectic. Witty. Brilliant.

I don't give praise lightly. Although I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, the free book doesn't have any effect on my opinion. I receive many free books to review. But this one is special. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every story. Nothing about these stories is old hat, or reworked dusty plotlines. I found myself finishing a story and wondering what interesting adventure the next one held in store for me. A childless couple who adopts a depressed hedgehog, a real estate lie that takes on a life of its own, a custody battle over a tortoise. Each story was something new and different, providing an interesting, unusual peek into the lives of the characters. The stories deal with the dark life struggles we all share -- divorce, mental illness, death, growing old, forgiveness, disillusion, lost love, revenge -- but in an ecclectic, magical blend of tragedy, comedy and the absurd.

Appel has a true gift for story telling. I'm not going to give a synopsis of each story. other than the small snippets I've given above. To me, telling more is akin to spoilers. For this collection, a reader should experience each story cold, without any knowledge of what is to come, until they read it for themselves. Not knowing makes it more fresh and surprising. These stories are amazing! Enjoy!

My rating: 9/10
Adult themes. Minor profanity. Ages16 & up.
Excellent short story collection!
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Einstein’s Beach House is a collection of eight short stories; each with a different voice however is constantly switching between the present and the future of characters . The book starts off with Hue and Cry which tells of a girl whom is interested in a neighbor with a past. This story is difficult to read as the character tries to find ways to get a neighbor back in trouble and how the story is written has a clear biased towards him. Story two tells of a couple and a pet hedgehog. This story has the reader only liking the main character with all of the other ones coming off as selfish. Strings begins interesting telling of an ex asking for a favor. This main character is the most unrelatable in the book with her behavior not being justified and the ending not making sense. Limernce tells of a boy and his crush as they age. This story leaves the reader wanting more as well as the next story (the most interesting of them all) about a misprint and how it affects a family. Story 6 is interesting yet definitely needs more to it with more explanations. Sharing the hostage tells of a pet and divorce which is an ok story. The book ends with issues of imagination which presents a hard to put down storyline yet ends with the reader needing more. ( )

Einstein's Beach House is a wonderful collection of short stories, each begins with a deceptively simple set up. One story begins in a beach college that has been in the family for generations. The parents are financially stressed and the father starts to give tours based on a mistaken travel guide statement that Einstein once lived there. After this modest con job has been going on for a short while when we are suddenly pushed through the looking glass and everything changes. What is truth? What is imaginary? What happens when the imaginary upends reality? Appel is an interesting writer. I look forward to reading his other books. ( )