Lots of Short Stories
33. After Twenty Years, by O. Henry. I think I've read this one before but it's been a while. A man returns to New York after being out west for 20 years to make his fortune. He's there to fulfill a promise made to his best friend. They do meet but not in a way he expects. Not as funny as many of O. Henry's stories but has the dry humor and unexpected twist that he's known for.
34. A Newspaper Story, by O. Henry. This story follows the path of a daily newspaper as it changes hands, and its articles change several local events. Reminded me a bit of the Tale of the Tainted Tenner.
35. According to their Lights, by O. Henry. A rather unusual story, one highlighting how fortunes can change and the importance of loyalty. Here, two men from different backgrounds but are now down on their luck form a friendship. Then, both are offered opportunities that could restore them to their former status.
36. Springtime a la Carte, by O. Henry. A re-read, and one of my favorites. It's so sweet and funny, especially that last sentence. Our heroine has landed a job typing out menus for a restaurant, but she's yearning for word from her fiancé, whom she has not heard from. There's a happy ending, and how that comes about is hilarious.
37. The Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry. If I have to pick a favorite O. Henry story, this is it. It's probably his best-known, with several adaptations and its theme of sacrifice replayed in other ways. In this story, Dora is struggling to find a way to get her husband Jim a nice Christmas gift. She succeeds but finds later that her husband made an equally big sacrifice for her.
38. A Call Loan, by O. Henry. When a prosperous man's bank accounting is audited, he faces trouble for making a large loan to a friend based on a "gentleman's agreement." The man who took out the loan is left scrambling to find a way to quickly repay the loan before the auditor comes back. Fun story that ends well.
39. Bertie's Christmas Eve, by Saki. One of the funniest if most irreverent Christmas stories I've ever read. Bertie, a bit of a directionless young man, is sulking during his family's Christmas party because he's being sent off in an effort to introduce him to real work. He gets his revenge on his family when they decide to go out to the barn to see if a legend they've heard - that animals talk at midnight on Christmas Day - is true.
40. Merry Christmas, by Stephen Leacock. Wow. This is an interesting blend of comedy - and there are some laugh-out-loud moments - and tragedy. The story takes place shortly after World War I. An author struggles to write a Christmas story, just not feeling that spirit. He gets a visit from Father Time, with a request for help. Saint Nick, too, has been impacted by the war and needs a hand to restore him to his former happy self. Reading about a Saint Nick with PTSD might be one of the saddest concepts I've ever heard of. But it works as a reminder that tragedy can really hit how we feel about the holidays, especially after something as horrific as war.
41. Christmas at Red Butte, by L.M. Montgomery. A teen is struggling to help keep the belief in the spirit of Christmas and Santa alive for her two young cousins, but it's tough. The family recently lost her uncle, their father and husband, the crops have been poor and debts are climbing. She sacrifices her most precious possession to help the children's dreams come true, and gets something far more precious in return.
Currently reading: Social Media and the Public Interest, by Philip M. Napoli; The Future of the Mind, by Michio Kaku; and Love Me More Than Anything in the World, by Mira Furlan. Almost done with the first two, about half through the third.