The stories are for everyone, especially for the person forced to wait for the plane to load, the Novocain to numb the nerves, the baby's arrival or while waiting for the Governor to call and pardon the condemned. Some stories you can begin to read and finish as your elevator goes from ground level to the third floor, others while your loved one shops for shoes.

Short, Shorter and Shorter Stories: For People Who
Have to Wait
By Chuck McCann
Nightengale Press (2005)
Reviewed by Beverly Pechin for Reader Views (4/06)

“Short, Shorter and Shorter Stories: For People Who Have to Wait” is a
wonderful book that is meant for exactly what the title implies...anyone
waiting around in a line, sitting at the doctor's office and hair salons, or
even at the morning subway.

If you can't stand waiting and being bored, this is a wonderful way to
spend those daunting minutes.  This is a book packed full of, again as the
title implies, some short, some shorter and some even shorter stories.  Not
any particular style or genre of fiction, this book is loaded with great little
stories and antics of fictional characters.

The stories range from a take on “Jack the Ripper” to a little romantic type
tryst and a lot of mystery/thriller tossed in between.  You can leaf through
the book and choose a title that just simply seems appealing or one that
seems just long enough to take up the couple minutes you have to wait.  
There are one-pagers and six-pagers, and everything in between.  

One of my favorites was “You Can't Go Back,” a four page story about a
boy and his father who have carried on their lives, quite happily after the
'mother' decided she didn't want to be bothered being a wife or mother,
and took off.  It quickly covers how the life of the mother and father
began, so desperately wanting a baby but unable to have one.  They
adopted their beautiful son, Dom, whom the mother later so easily decides
she no longer wants and chooses her own freedom over the original path
of motherhood.  The end result is a father who realizes that his life really
is quite wonderful, and he is truly blessed to still have this wonderful
young man.  It was a story, well told and somewhat deep, yet quickly
read and finished well before I heard the waiting room announcement
"The doctor is ready to see you now.”  

I loved having the book handy in my purse, although I will admit it is fairly
large for a carry along paperback book, but I never minded as it gave me
such an array of great stories to read at any time and any place.  I joked
with my own kids that this was a great way for a reading addict like
mommy to get her fix, even when it seemed impossible!

Often interesting, sometimes strange, this book is packed full of all types
of short stories to keep you entertained.  I'd highly recommend it to any
true reading addict as a great 'fix' at any time!