This is a book of short stories surrounding the theme of little rituals people have. I found the shortness of each story a bit frustrating as they end just as soon as I’m getting into them. It’s not an unpleasant read as such but it wasn’t for me.

This was a charming collection of eleven stories told from a range of perspectives all looking at love but in a number of different forms.

Each one is hilariously observant, insightful and poignant. I'm usually not the biggest fan if short stories as I often find they lack depth, however, these cleverly crafted snapshots of life were incredibly satisfying to read.

If you want a thought provoking collection of short stories about love and the different forms that it takes, then this is for you. Some are a bit melancholy, many are funny, others will make you wish for more time with the characters. There are eleven stories here and I read it one a day to spread it out and that worked rather nicely.

A delightful selection of short stories by one of my favourite American authors. I enjoyed every one of the brightly observed tales, that allows the reader brief glimpses into the characters lives. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Katherine Heiny is a good observer of everyday interactions and rituals that people create, which is reflected in "Games and Rituals" collection. Some stories are funny, some tragic and heartbreaking, and at the same time varied, showcasing a whole spectrum of characters.

The stories are original and captivating, which makes for an enjoyable read.

I love the way Katherine Heiny writes and this was no different. She feels in her element in these short stories, which are clever and compact. And so genuinely funny.

A lovely selection of chuckle worthy short stories. Wonderful to dip in and out of for a pick me up.

This collection of short stories was completely charming. Sharply observant, viciously funny, and well structured, the stories were all excellent and in many cases I wanted them to continue. Heiny gives us delightful portraits of eleven very different women and I loved all of them.

I don't normally read short stories because I feel like you barely get to know the character and the whole thing is over. However, I shall happily make an exception for Kartherine Heiny's 'Games and Rituals,' which is a masterclass in how to give a snapshot into fully developed character.

The stories are told from a range of perspectives, young and old, as well as men and women. The stories manage to be funny, sad, and poignant. I really enjoyed them and would highly recommend.

Not the biggest fan of short stories - but these hit the mark every time.

Having absolutely loved the author's two previous books I felt sure her short stories wouldn't let me down - and they didn't. Just as witty, funny and observant as her previous writing these stories might be short but they pack a lot in and don't leave you hanging.

One of my favourite stories is one where the wife begins to reorganise using the Marie Kondo book and her husbands reactions are sublime. It was just genius, as all the stories are. So many smart one liners that I wish I could remember, but I am sure I will be re reading this book.

Each of the stories are totally different, but written with the fantastic observant prose I've come to expect from this author. I'm just disappointed there are none left to read!

Happy Publication day to this delightful short story collection.

I have been dipping in and out of this over the last week or so in between books and allowing myself to savour each one, like a daily treat.. I love Heiny's writing and this collection is gorgeous. Bubbling with warmth, kindness, joy and celebration of the extraordinary ordinary. Each story was perfectly formed and left me satisfied and while I had favourites none of them disappoint.
Stories of friendship, regret, affairs, family, marriage, love and loss all written with humour and wisdom.
Loved this one. Recommend and one I will buy as gifts.

I sometimes struggle with short stories but I found Games and Rituals a really enjoyable read. Brief snapshots in to the lives of very different people, all facing different dilemmas / situations. The stories are current and the characters relateble.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read Games and Rituals

In a Nutshell: Enjoyed this anthology that peppers various human emotions into one tidy package. Slice-of-life–styled writing. Humour and seriousness blended perfectly in each story. Atypical endings, so that will be the decider for your experience.

This collection of eleven stories comes with a very interesting introductory note in the blurb:
Eleven glittering stories of love—friendships formed at the airport bar, ex-husbands with benefits, mothers of suspiciously sweet teenagers, ill-advised trysts—in all its forms, both ridiculous and sublime.
And for a change, the book lives up to the tall claim! Hallelujah!

Each of the eleven stories features characters ranging from quirky to despicable. The stories are all in slice-of-life format, which means you don’t necessarily have a start-middle-end progression, the tales jump around in their timelines, and the ending is not perfectly sealed. If you are highly particular about the endings of short stories being a traditional curtain-down, this may not work for you. To be honest, it doesn’t always work for me too. But in this anthology, the writing is so impeccable that I was able to let go of my need for the typical climax. (Also, the endings work excellently for most of the stories; that helps.)

All the stories focus on dysfunctional relationships, with one central character leading you on a merry journey of discovery. Many of the tales have a subtle undertone of humour—the snarky kind, which I enjoy best!

The only thing that would have made the anthology even better for me would have been an author’s note, explaining the motivation behind the stories or some insight into how this collection was put together. Even that wonderful line about the tales being glittering stories of love ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime is found only in the blurb. Knowing the central theme through an introductory note always makes an anthology more enjoyable.

As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the eleven tales, six reached/crossed the four star mark, and the remaining five hovered between 3-3.5 stars. In other words, no bad story at all – I either liked them or loved them! These were my top favourites with 4.5 stars and above:
🌹 Turn Back, Turn Back – A striking story of a couple who have always synced their lives around each other’s requirements, until now. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🌹 Games and Rituals – Deservedly the title story. Written in an unusual format, highlighting the various ‘games and rituals’ that are a part of friendships and romantic relationships. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🌹 CobRa – The funniest story in the book, and yet so poignant! You will never guess what CobRa stands for. I sure am glad it wasn’t the snake! 😁 - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🌹 Bridesmaid, Revisited – A woman decides to wear an old bridesmaid dress to work. This sets off varied memories from the past and that affects the moments in the present. Quite in-depth character sketching in this one. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

Definitely recommended to every short story lover who wishes to encounter some truly interesting characters and how the quandaries they face make them what they are. I can see myself rereading this collection some day. Katherine Heiny was a new name to me, but now, I want to explore more works by this talented author.

3.9 stars, based on the average of my ratings for the eleven stories.

My thanks to 4th Estate and NetGalley for the DRC of “Games and Rituals”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

A sublime collection of short stories from Katherine Heiny, comprising:

Chicken-Flavored and Lemon-Scented
Damascus
Twist and Shout
Turn Back, Turn Back
Games and Rituals
CobRa
561
Pandemic Behavior
Bridesmaid, Revisited
King Midas
Sky Bar

I have to admit to having feelings of apprehension in favourite author Heiny's foray into the short story format, but I need not have worried, I was immersed and engaged in every skilfully told and astute tale. You cannot mistake her trademark wit, to be found in the titles too, her ability to create a wide range of distinct and offbeat characters, her warmth, poignancy, humour, compassion, and style. She has a remarkable ability to get under the skin of her all too human, often flawed characters, painting a picture of everyday lives, scenarios and emotions, the ordinary and mundane blending with the extraordinary in a manner that resonates.

To give you a flavour, there is a driver's examiners office where 36 year old Colette works, her life brightening considerably when Alejandro joins them, Mia's concerns over her 17 year old son, Gordey, turn out to be unfounded, whilst Erica's frustrating elderly Fox News loving father, Edgar, mistakenly eats his hearing aid, believing it to be a cashew nut. Lindy, married to actor Rob, with 2 young daughters, Georgia and Maud, finds her marriage is on more shaky ground than she thought, William's wife, Rachel's japanese nickname, CobRa, is becoming apt, as she ferociously Maria Kondo's their home, decluttering without consultation, and Charlene helps her husband's ex-wife move home in the harsh and bitter cold.

A migraine suffering woman endures the pandemic with a new flatmate, Lohania, a laundry crisis sees Marlee put on a not much liked black bridesmaid dress for work, married Oscar has a photographer girlfriend, Tessa, and Fawn finds herself drinking at the airport bar as her flight keeps getting delayed. This is entertaining and joyous, a delight of a short story collection which I think many readers will adore, and which I highly recommend, my favourites stories were Damascus, Twist and Shout, CobRa, 561, and King Midas. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Honestly, I'd be excited to read a Katherine Heiny title if it was an instruction manual in how to clean your teeth. Her writing is just an absolute joy - and this new collection of short stories is no exception. How she writes with such a light touch, yet in a way that can really floor you, is a mystery to me and defies all textual analysis. All of these eleven stories are themed around love - and it is of course relationships and the inner lives of those within them that she is so good at. Deserves to be a far, far better known writer than she is.

Games and Rituals
by Katherine Heiny

Eleven short stories about relationships, each one a fully formed thing, told with humour and warmth. A driving instructor who fancies one of her colleagues, a middle aged woman who fears she is turning into her mother, a dutiful daughter who drives 6 hours to take care of her grouchy old father, a woman who suspects her husband is having an affair, a twenty something woman who catagorises every facet of her life into a game or a ritual, a woman who has to help her husband's ex-wife to pack up her home for a move, a woman who is struggling through the pandemic, a woman who has a complicated relationship with the friend she was a bridesmaid for.

I can't pick a favourite, there isn't a bad one in the batch. I quickly became invested in each story, I found so much to relate to with each character. I often remark at the end of a short story that I could have read the novel, as though the author was only giving a taster, but for each of these stories I felt like I had already read the novel. They were each enough, they were each complete.

They made me smile, they made me snigger and I laughed out loud more than a few times. They are full of truth and snark. I would highly recommend this collection for anyone who loves a good character and doesn't necessarily require a fast paced plot. This is the second time I have read Katherine Heiny, the previous one was "Standard Deviation". She is a writer who can put me in a good mood so I will definitely pick up more of her work.

Publication Date: 18th April 2023
Thanks to #netgalley and #4thestatebooks and #wmcollinsbooks for the eGalley

I don’t usually like short stories much, but I loved Heiny’s novels and so gave these a go. They are all like perfect mini novels and I love them too! These small gems centre on love, family, friends and how life’s little twists affect them, and all feature the author’s trademark humour and eye for the quirks in the everyday. She writes with compassion (and often fond exasperation) about people and situations that we can all recognize. Highly recommended.

I’ve never read a book of short stories before, but as these were written by an author I really like, I was excited to try this genre!

With great characters and relatable topics, I really enjoyed these short stories. Heiny’s humour, sensitivity and attention to detail shone throughout and I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rituals is a collection of short stories which is so far my favourite short stories book I've read. Each story sure packs a lot in - I am in awe of the details, characters and plot in such a short amount of page which I have found different to others.

In a lot of the stories they are from a female based perspective which I loved. I found the characters to be relatable. There was humour but also a lot of sensitive and important topics were touched on too. My favourites stories were ' Games and Rituals', 'Bridesmaid, revisited' and 'Sky Bar'.

I will be looking out for more from Katherine and recommending to others.

A collection of short stories all dealing with relationships in one form or another.

First time author for me so I have nothing to compare this offering with from her. A bit of a curate’s egg for me, but still a quick, easy read. I like the writing style, and the humour was spot on. Stories ok, but didn’t love them.

2.5*

Thank you NetGalley.