Something Like Stories - Volume One Paperback – November 10, 2015

Jay Bell is a remarkable story teller. The author of the “Something Like…” stories, I picture his office with two laptops, one for the project at hand and one for keeping track of the many characters he explores through about twenty books. There are yellow post-its everywhere, a cup of room temperature coffee with current pop music playing and if I were he, an ashtray with at least one cigarette burning. But I suspect that Mr. Bell doesn’t smoke. None of his characters do. They’re young and fit and active. I’ve lived a fairly “straight” life- whatever that means- and never gave much thought to the differences between my family and the families of the LGBT people in my life. Me? I’m bisexual, somewhere in the middle of the Kinsey Scale, a measurement of sexuality that one of Mr. Bell’s characters taught me. What I was moved by is just how normal everyone is. Their lives are important and Mr. Bell writes character driven narrative, his dialogue is real, and any sex scenes (there are several) are comfortable, even hot, but always necessary to the story. Having read a lot of gay fiction lately I find Jay Bell to be the very best, chewing my way through all his “Something Like…” books over the summer. Sixteen of them, each book bringing us closer to his characters. Gay, straight, Bi, Thai, we meet and live with all these characters and we come to love them, like an extended family; not many writers have achieved this. Not that I have found. And fortunately for us, Jay Bell is another Agatha Christie. Or Stephen King. He writes quickly but carefully and during his relatively young life has produced an ample catalog of great fiction. It’s all worth your time, regardless of your sexuality. Begin with “Something Like Summer” and begin with Ben and Tim, the anchors of this series. You’ll know them from puberty to death, both of which are beautiful. The conflicts real, the characters flawed. But familiar. Start with Summer and I would easily bet that you will want to read more. Jay Bell is fantastic. And his husband is responsible for the art work which actually applies to the story. It causes me to sometimes consider Mr. Bell as the main character in all his books. He’s there, just below the surface and we begin to believe that we know him. And so I thank him for normalizing LGBTQ people. Ah, how the world has changed; Mr. Bell has done more than most. My grandfather always said, “It is our job to leave the world more beautiful than we found it.” Bravo, Mr. Bell.

Disclaimer: A separate review of Something Like Fall has been posted in Goodreads.Jay certainly knows how to break boundaries with Something Like Stories. This collection of short stories does not only bring into the limelight characters who had played secondary roles in the Something Like… saga. Characters like Eric, who was a significant figure in Tim’s rebirth, finally unravels his past in Something Like Yesterday. Allison, Ben’s best friend, accidentally meets Michelle, Jace’s sister, and both get to have one uninhibited night in Something Like Tonight. And mysterious Victor, who we knew to be an integral part in molding calm and collected Jace, gets to uncover the mystery of his afterlife calling in Something Like Eternity.Yes, while it was good to finally tap into their minds and get to know them a little more, Something Like Stories also unites worlds by bringing together characters from Jay’s other books like Dante from Hell's Pawn (which I haven’t read yet) and Connor from Kamikaze Boys (who I only remembered when I went through Allison’s files) – characters who crossed paths with one or two of our Something Like… characters and left an impression on these characters, albeit the brief encounter.I’ve always loved the “ordinariness” of Jay’s characters and stories, despite the heavy drama. And I say that with utmost affection. Ever since I started reading Something Like Summer, I am able to connect with all his characters easily. I always get the feeling that Ben and the gang are just around the corner, waiting for me to join them in an easy conversation about their day-to-day lives. And reading a new book in the series allows me to get to know them better. I’ve fallen in love with these characters that it just gets harder and harder to let go when I reach the end of a story.That is why I appreciate what Jay did in Something Like Stories. In the previous books, it’s like having one-on-one conversations with the main character. Here, it’s like being in an intimate gathering of friends and family where you get to enjoy the company of all the characters in the series. Simply put, Something Like Stories is like being wrapped up in a tight group hug that leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.And like every book in the series and what I consider as Jay’s trademark, these short stories are also laced with pain. I understand that some people do not like to see this in fictional books (even I despise it in some books), but I always think that the pain that Jay lets his characters go through is a welcomed one. Familiar. Relatable. That’s why I’ve cried lots of rivers with his books because I’ve been in these characters’ shoes, too many times to count. And the lessons that these characters take with them are also lessons I can take with me. This collection of short stories is no exception. And I loved every bit of it."We live in a world of give and take, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Give others your time and confidence, take away their concerns and loneliness when you can. Give them a piece of yourself when feeling brave, and take their love and cherish it when offered. Life is an exchange, an open market, so get out there and start living before the store closes permanently."And like I always say with each review that I write for Jay's books, I am excited for what's to come in the saga that's expanding as time goes by. Be it a new chapter for Jason and William, a new adventure for Ben and Tim, or a new character's story – I will always be looking forward to another visit into these characters' lives.

It was a nice change to hear about different versions of events that have happened; a time-line. Thanks Jay! Another fun read. I'm off to see some Rain lol.

I really really don't like short stories. I never have, and novellas aren't much better. However, I like Jay Bell enough to overcome that, and it was definitely worth it. That said, this volume is made up of four reasonably large novellas, plus bonus material in the form of character profiles and a timeline, both of which come in surprisingly useful when you're trying to work out events and dates across the other books.I have to say, I love the cover art on this book. All of them really, but particularly this one, even just looking at the cover makes me emotional. As for the novellas themselves, they are each fantastic in their own way, and three out of four of them made me cry buckets. Something Like Eternity may seem pretty weird at first, (especially if you haven't read Hell's Pawn, which I hadn't at the time I first read this) but stick with it. And stock up on tissues.

If, like me, you love these stories and characters and want to keep them all straight. Don't, like me, send a begging message to Jay Bell instead READ THIS BOOK. Oh it has such fantastic insights to the characters from the in-between and after moments but even better than this it has character profiles and a timeline. Perfect.

I do not usually buy short stories so this was an accident and l nearly did not read it. Big mistake. Despite some mixed reviews l have really enjoyed it with two exceptions. The first is the trip to the beach with Allison and Michelle. The second is the last section which l mostly skipped. Give it a go and read it.

A. Story of developing love & self discovery. A journey which is a joy to undertake.

This is an amazing book and I've loved reading about my most beloved characters