In July 2013 I finally published the first volume of Minigrooves, a collection of short stories I had been ‘broadcasting’ online in 2012 (More details). Both sales and feedback have been disappointing, but recently I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised by a spontaneous initiative from a distinguished reader. A few weeks ago, Jonathon Duerig (I mentioned him previously, among the people to follow) started reading my book, and after finishing each story he would publish a ‘mini review’ of it on App.Net.
I really appreciate this: firstly because what Jonathon is doing is completely in tune with the Minigrooves project, and secondly because his mini reviews manage to keep a great balance — they don’t give away spoilers and are written in a way that invites you to read the stories. It’s something that beautifully complements the stories themselves and the whole project.
If you’re on App.Net, just look for the hastag #minigrooves. If you’re on Twitter, start following @minigrooves (if you’re not following it already). Starting today, every time Jonathon publishes one of his Mini Reviews, I’ll tweet the relevant link. To date, he has read 10 of the 42 stories. Here are the links to the first ten Mini Reviews:
- Invisible tracks
- Waiting for news
- The four Polaroids
- Edgar Clarke’s paintings
- A useless compass
- The object SR 1003
- “Wrong number, perhaps”
- The outstation
- As dreams are made on
- Interior designs
I’ll update this post every time Jonathon finishes ten stories, until all 42 stories are read and reviewed. But if you want to keep up with each review as it’s published, the best thing to do is follow Jonathon Duerig and the hashtag #minigrooves on App.Net, or the @minigrooves account on Twitter.
Don’t miss out on the fun — purchase Minigrooves today!
In other Minigrooves news, I’ll be launching a dedicated website soon, and I shall integrate Jonathon’s reviews in an appropriate section. I’m really thankful to him for this spontaneous undertaking, and to all the people who have been kind enough to purchase a copy of my ebook, thus supporting my writing.