Kipris by Michelle Christophorou

My rating: 4/5

This novella-in-flash spans forty years and takes place mostly in Cyprus, mostly in the 1950s. Christophorou conjures time and place so well, so that I can almost taste the fried aubergines. Sun-baked and full of emotion, this NiF covers everything from the burgeoning independence of a teenager to the pride of a family who lives their country, to the everyday tragedies and hardships of island life. Christophorou has mastered encapsulating whole stories, including multi-generational struggles, in a minuscule word count, whilst each flash does, remarkably, stand alone well, but also adds to the tapestry of the novella.

Hairy on the Inside by Tracy Fells

My rating: 4/5 stars

This novella-in-flash was so much fun! Set during the 2020 lockdown, the protagonist is a sassy werewolf looking for love, living in a houseshare with various outcast monsters. From the humour of when and when not to wear a face mask, the confusion of household mixing, to the blatant disregard for the rules that seemed to settle over certain privileaged families, Fells explores the highs and lows of lockdown life that we all remember, but adding an original fantasy twist. This book would be easy to gobble down in one sitting, and it left me desperate to know what would happen to these housemates next.

Birds of America by Lorrie Moore

My rating: 4/5 stars

Some of these are short stories I wish I’d written. Moore is a keen observer of people and in this collection she presents an array of individuals in ’90s America, complete with quirks and heartbreaks of varying degrees. Strained relationships and dark humour combine to give a feel of what it is to reach adulthood at the turn of the century. The collection has aged well — landlines may have morphed into mobiles, but the elements of human nature that Moore picks up on doesn’t change.