4,5

This is an outstanding short story collection, especially the first 7 or 8 stories were of a consistenly high level: well-crafted, funny, moving, great dialogue, tension and sometimes a twist at the end. They are usually ´slice of life´ stories about normal people - although sometimes a little bit eccentric - that struggling with very normal problems: family, relationships, work.

I had never read anything by Katherine Heiny before, but she is clearly extremely talented and has a great sense of humour. The style reminded me of Elizabeth Strout. I will add all her previous works to my TBR!

I really liked this book and i enjoyed the writing style however, a few of the short stories were uninteresting to me and I found a few of them to be too short.

Oh my, how good was this book!!!

"Games and Rituals" by Katherine Heiny consists of 11 short stories
that made me resonate so well with every character that I wish I could climb into each of the stories and watch as everything unfolded. I also can't recall the last time literature made me feel the way this did.
The book was built up with elements of humour with a sense of quick wit I find incredibly rare in literature. At the same time as being hilarious, Heiny wrote a book about human behaviour and our flaws and how funny life can be sometimes. I sometimes had to take small breaks from reading to stop myself from bursting into tears.
I am incredibly impressed at how Heiny made every character have so much depth and feel so personal despite each story stretching up to roughly 20 pages. It felt like I knew each character better than I do in most of the 300-word novels that I read.

Overall, Katherine Heiny is a word god, and I will not rest until I have another of her books in my hands. One of my best reads of 2023!
Thank you to NetGalley for this e-arc (seriously, thank you so much)

5/5

Heiny never fails to provide everything I want from books. She is dazzlingly astute in capturing what it’s like to be a human and I will read everything she publishes. Her ability to portray both nuanced and believable characters is just incredible.

Thank you for my eARC of this book. I loved early morning riser so was very excited for this. Unfortunately I didn’t finish the book, I just didn’t connect to it the same way and found myself not wanting to pick it up. I may try it on audio at another point!

For fans of Katherine Heiny this collection of short stories takes a quirky look at love, sex, friendship and relationships. The stories draw the reader into intimate snapshots of life, some hilarious, some poignant.

I think having a book of short stories is a good idea as you can read a new story each time. I did not however find them interesting.

Big fan of Katherine Heiny over here 🙋🏼‍♀️ I love the way she writes about every day stuff. I don’t know how she does it in such a witty and poignant way. Some people are so bloody talented 😂

Games & Rituals is a collection of short stories about love in all it’s forms. Ideal for those who want to dip in and out of a book or have a short attention span…that would be me right now 👈

It’s the way Heiny writes her characters. Everyday people in everyday situations with all the emotions. You have some likeable characters and some absolute knobs. Just like real life 😆 In just a few pages, you feel so invested in the characters lives and want the stories to go longer. I loved the first story ‘Chicken-Flavoured and Lemon-Scented’ which is about a driving test examiner Colette and the colleagues she works with - 100% want this to be a whole book please. Oh and ‘Twist and Shout’ where Ericka’s elderly father mistakes his four-thousand-dollar hearing aid for a cashew and eats it. Of course 😂 Gosh that was a moving one 🥹

Highly recommend this gorgeous book and all of the authors books as they are brilliant.

Are you in need of a good laugh? Look no further than Katherine Heiny's book, Games and Rituals. With its eleven glittering stories of love, there's no shortage of ridiculous and sublime moments. Heiny's characters play games and perform rituals that range from mischievous to tender, and each story will leave you feeling entertained and uplifted. As a reader, you can't help but be drawn in with Heiny's hilarious and heartwarming writing style. This book review will give you a sneak peek of what to expect in Games and Rituals.

The first story in the book, Bridesmaid, Revisited, is a hilarious portrayal of a woman, Marilee, who is going through a life crisis. She wears her massive bridesmaid's dress to work to make her day fun. The outcome? An unexpected twist that will leave you laughing out loud. In this story, Heiny's use of humour is just one example of her ability to write with wit and charm, making us love her characters even more.

In 561, a humorous and tragic story, Charlene pays the price of infidelity as she helps her husband's ex-wife move out of their family home. Heiny portrays the emotionally charged moments of this story with a deft hand, making it an excellent example of how humour can also be used to tackle the harder topics in life.

In Twist and Shout, Ericka's elderly father mistakes his hearing aid for a cashew and eats it. While this story seems funny on its own, Heiny's ability to show the relationships between her characters makes it truly heartwarming. Ericka's loving and patient relationship with her father is the emotional centre of this story and leaves you feeling grateful for your own loved ones.

One of the most endearing tales in the book is The Dive Bar. It's a playful look at how relationships can form in unexpected places. While deceptively simple in its premise, Heiny infuses this story with great sensitivity and insight. It's one of those stories where you will find yourself laughing and nodding in agreement as you read the words on the page.

The final story in Games and Rituals is simply unforgettable. Turn Back is a poignant tale of a struggling actor who attempts to deceive his son with bedtime stories and the receipt for a Starbucks babyccino. The story is heartwarming and heartbreaking, and Heiny's prose is evocative and touching. It's a story that readers will recall long after putting the book down.

In Games and Rituals, Katherine Heiny delivers a hilarious and touching book. Her storytelling is nothing short of brilliant, and her characters are both relatable and lovable. Each story has its unique charm and wit, making the book feel like a collection of literary gems. Whether you need a pick-me-up or just a good laugh, Games and Rituals is a highly recommended read that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

These short story collection from one of my favourite authors is just what I needed this week. There is a story for everyone in this collection. Simply perfect.

Just such a great writer, these stories are a delight and to savour. I love Katherine Heiny's books, Standard Deviation will forever resonate with me and her perception, wit and daftness with words can clearly be felt in this collection. She can read people and get it down in words, it just works. A book to devour or dip in and out of, wonderful stuff, highly recommend.

I don’t normally go for short stories but for this I made an exception and I am so pleased I did so.

I have read Heiny’s novels and found them to be witty, astute and impossible to put down and these stories were just the same but in microcosm.

I read them at one sitting and laughed and cried in equal measures but mostly I was simply totally entertained by the quality of the story telling and how perceptive she is.

A collection of short stories which are totally relatable. She manages to make each story feel like a novel. Not all of them are about success and happy endings which enhanced my enjoyment. I preferred the stories in the first half of the book.

I’m not a huge fan of short stories but loved this book. It’s so brilliantly written with both savagely funny and sad observations about human beings. I must admit that the first three stories were my favourites and I did want to keep reading about these characters. Really thought provoking and warm, some of the sentences are so beautifully constructed- I will buy this book for my best friends.

Sorry, I couldn't get into this story. I think it is for a younger audience.. I am notreally into teenage sex and drug taking.

Joy of joys - another collection of Heiny’s short stories, each one meticulously crafted with this author’s finesse in the use of ‘ show not tell’ and honed to perfection.. As always, I find myself wanting to highlight some gem of memorable situation comedy on every page - and my only quibble is that I become so immersed in each narrative’s scenario and characters that I am reluctant to move on to the next one,

A collection of short stories. A collection of people as different from each other as they can be. And a collection of circumstances ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. All exquisitely observed.

Friendships formed in airport bars, pandemic conversations with neurologists, helping the ex-wife of your husband to pack up her house, Katherine Heiny's latest book, a short story collection, Games and Rituals, is a witty yet insightful look into the way we live in 11 brilliant stories.

Just like her previous short story collection, Single, Carefree, Mellow, Heiny expertly explores the slice of life with her characters. In 'Bridesmaid, Revisited', Marlee wears her old bridesmaid dress from a friend's wedding who she no longer speaks to. As both the day and Marlee unravel, we start to see both the present and the past, from the wedding, both collide. While in 116561, Charlene is left looking in at the tenderness between her husband and his ex-wife as they pack up her house.

The characters within this collection are on the cusp of change and self realisation, and only they can take the leap. This is a great short story collection where I wanted each story to be a novel in its own right. This has been a great reminder for me to read Katherine Heiny's novel, Early Morning Riser.

Thank you @netgalley for the ebook galley of this book.

I'd already read one of the stories from this collection, 'Chicken-Flavored and Lemon-Scented', in Electric Literature so I knew I was in for a treat. The rest of the stories were just as good and I can't think of a recent collection that I've enjoyed as much. I'd definitely recommend 'Games and Rituals' to short story lovers and agnostics alike, and will be looking out for more books by Katherine Heiny.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for sending an advanced copy of Games and Rituals.

This is a really fun collection of short stories, giving an insight into people's lives. Each one is a slice of life story with an atypical ending. It definitely was food for thought.

If you want quick, easy, reads this is the book for you.