Tales to Count On

By: S.R. Mallery

Narrated by: Diane Lehman

Curl up and enter the eclectic world of S. R. Mallery, where sad meets bizarre and deception meets humor; where history meets revenge and magic meets gothic. Whether it’s 500 words or 5,000, these Tales to Count On, which include a battered women’s shelter, childhood memories, Venetian love, magic photographs, PTSD, sisters’ tricks, WWII spies, the French Revolution, evil vaudevillians, and celebrity woes, will remind you that in the end, nothing is ever what it seems.

©2015 S. R. Mallery (P)2018 S. R. Mallery

Better than other short story compilations

This is the second book I’ve read/listened to by this author and I would listen to another. Each story was unique, entertaining and thought provoking . She is very talented and seems to have a knack for short stories.

I’ve previously listened to Sewing Can be Dangerous and Other Small Threads. This is also a collection of short stories, however they are longer than the ones in this book. They were well thought out, historical, and had a common thread of “sewing”. Very enjoyable!

This is the first book I’ve listened to by this narrator and I would listen to another. She did well narrating each story.

There are no explicit sex scenes, or excessive violence. I don’t recall any swearing.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.

Short Stories Collection at Its Best

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

These are stories out of the ordinary for sure. Some shorter than others, but all pretty intriguing. Because of the way they differ you'll never know what to expect. As I was listening to them, I kept comparing to appetizers before the big meal: you get a little taste of what is to come. The word counting also added another dimension to each story as you knew from the beginning how short a tale was going to be so there was no disappointment when you reached the end of a story. I would definitely enjoy listening to more of these short collections.
The interpretation was fine, but some of the recording's quality wasn't perfect. However it got better after a few of the shorter tales.

Great collection of short stories

If you like short stories, this is for you. A great collection of shorts, with interesting twists.

I listened to this book on audio and I was particularly impressed by the narrator.

This series of stories can be read and enjoyed by anyone.

Tales to count on

I really enjoyed these tales which were nicely narrated by Diane Lehman.Very interesting stories and characters.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.

Variety of thought provoking short stories

Here you will find a variety of short stories that leave you thinking. Some are a little more complicated than others with plenty of twist and turns and unexpected endings. I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.

A great collection of stories!

What a great collection of short stories! What I liked most of all was that each and every one of them was so different, and all of them ended in a way that I would never expect! I love stories with meaning, and each of these stories certainly carries an important message for the reader, some telling about paradoxes and twists of fate, like in the story with a tenant, who didn’t want his old building renovated; some stories showing something that doesn’t seem what it is, like in the story with the twin sisters or a girl and her ex-boyfriend and why he acted the way he did.
I really appreciated how historical fiction was masterfully interwoven with the present time tales, which will certainly make this collection even more appealing to a wide audience of readers. The writing is sharp and clever, and the characters are complex and very well-developed, despite the fact that normally character development is very hard to show in a short story just because of its length, but Ms. Mallery met the task admirably. Also, special thanks to the narrator, Diane Lehman, for doing such a good job with bringing these stories to life - it was a real pleasure listening to her voice! And her dialogues were wonderfully presented as well! Beautiful work!

Creative & Whimsical

This collection of short stories by S.R. Mallery surprises, entices, and enthralls the listener. I recommend this collection without any hesitation as each story is interesting, intriguing, and variable. Diane Lehman's narration is outstanding. Her style and voice change with each story that she related in this collection. I was given a free copy of the audiobook and I have voluntarily left this review.

Short Stories with a slightly dark twist

The subtitle for this book is true, nothing is ever what it seems. Short stories, in order according to word length, that make you think, pause or maybe even shudder. My favorite story was about the twins who enjoyed changing places...even after they were adults. The narration was just right for the stories and characters. Thoroughly enjoyed this listen and look forward to more from this author.

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.

Count on variety

The work of Sarah Mallery is a result of her prolific skills: a classical/pop singer/composer, she moved on to the professional world of production art and calligraphy, led a long career as an award winning quilt artist/teacher and an ESL/Reading instructor—all of which enrich her lwriting. She is a great storyteller, and so is her narrator, Diane Lehman. Both of them have singing experience, and the rhythm in these stories is evident, the result of their creative collaboration.

I love the title, which suggests a dual meaning to me: First, you can have confidence—Count On—in this work. And second, the selection of stories is based on an ascending word count. I have always believed that a story should have as many words as it takes to tell it. There is never a story ‘too short’ or ‘too long’ if it’s woven with skill. Engaging the reader with flash fiction is a great art, similar to capturing the imagination with minimal brushstrokes.

Ordering stories by word count allows you to pick a story for the amount of time you have to spend with it, yet it also offers the element of surprise, of variety. You never know where the next story is going to take you—into a battered women's shelter, back to childhood memories, the intrigue of WWII spies, or into the pages of history with the French Revolution.

Count on variety. Five stars.

Disclosure: This book was given to me as a gift in exchange for an honest review.