I received this book for free from the Goodreads first reads program.
I have been enjoying reading this collection of short stories. I don't read many story collections, but I am realizing how much I like them. A short story doesn't take much time commitment and can be finished in one sitting. It is perfect if you have a busy life and don't have much time to sit and read. You can finish a short story quickly and get all the emotional payoff of reading a longer novel. Here are my thoughts on some of the stories.

Loose Ends - an interesting concept. The story was very short but also a little poignant.
To Read or Not To Read - a fun story to read. The ending was funny, in a dark humor sort of way. I like stories about people who like to read. This also seemed like a cool and unique story.
Phases of Normal - an interesting tale of a future where everyone tries to be the same.
King of the Jungle - the ending was a little predictable.
A Night in Polidoria - I just wondered why anyone would stay in that town.
Thanksgiving - I love stories about the reporter finding out that what is happening is way bigger than previously thought.
The Best BBQ on the Interstate - this one was fun to read. But a little too easy for me to guess the ending.
Glass Prison - I think my favorite of all the stories. I got a real sense of character.

I did read the entire book. I enjoy this genre and read quite a bit. Maybe I have read too many books, because it was easy to predict where most of the stories were going. I think that cut down on the "shock" factor of many of the endings. This would be a great book for someone who hasn't read a lot of horror stories, and who's mind doesn't automatically jump to what would make for a scary ending. Many of the stories were well written and it would be enjoyable to read more from the authors. ( )

It is always refreshing to read something from new authors, or authors I've never read before. This book of short stories was a true delight and exciting to read from beginning to end.
Of course, as with any short stories collections, there are high points and there are low points. This collection has very few low points, although if they were written in a bit greater detail, I think they would've worked themselves into a very good story. The story "Flying Fish" is one among these stories. Written beautifully, but unfortunately, there was just not enough. There to really interest me.
Some of my favorites in this collection were "Room 422", "Glass Prison", "They", and "Thanksgiving". Out of all of the stories, I really would have loved to see more detail and structure to "Room 422". Although not terribly original, this had an interesting concept and plot, and with some more meat to the story, I really think this could have been the best in this collection.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I look forward to getting my hands on volume 2! ( )

This is a great collection of short stories with just about everything you can imagine represented and represented well. I really enjoyed sitting for short intervals and absorbing the scenes portrayed. ( )

This is an anthology containing 17 horror stories. 17 stories to creep you out, raise the hair on the back of your neck and/or make your skin crawl.

Remind me again why I read this stuff? Horror isn’t my usual pick of genre because it leads me to think of Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Saw and Friday the 13th, all movies that, to me, are just gorefests with no real plot or spine chilling creep out factor. The same old tripe over and over again, ad nauseum. Give me Silence of the Lambs though and I’ll watch and never eat fava beans without thinking of Hannibal Lecter. *shudder*

The stories in this anthology are not like the same-ol’-same-ol’ movies I mentioned. These are the kinds of stories that give you the creeps. And better yet, there are 17 of them all reminding me of something I could have easily watched on the old Twilight Zone series. They just don’t make shows like that anymore. *sigh* All-in-all a great anthology.

Room 442 ~ Patrick Greene
4 bites out of 5 ~ Build up was good then…creeped out.

A Night in Polidoria ~ Cristan Martin
3 bites out of 5 ~ Paranormal, not bad.

Flying Fish ~ David Stubblefield
2 bites out of 5 ~ This one didn’t do it for me.

Limbo, Population 458 ~ Vincent Hobbes
5 bites out of 5 ~ Twilight Zone worthy

Finders Keepers ~ Janelle Garcia
4 bites out of 5 ~ Creepy and reminded of Edgar Allen Poe

Loose Ends ~ Craig Wessel
5 bites out of 5 ~ Twilight Zone worthy

To Read or Not to Read ~ Vincent Hobbes
5 bites out of 5 ~ Love, love, love this!

Phases of Normal ~ Tamara Wilhite
5 bites out of 5 ~ High creep factor.

Propaganda ~ Nathan Palmer
2 bites out of 5 ~ This one didn’t do it for me.

King of the Jungle ~ Jordan Benoit
3.5 bites out of 5 ~ Not bad, but I’m not big on hunting.

The Hour of the Time ~ Vincent Hobbes
4 bites out of 5 ~ This reminded me of Logan’s Run.

Thanksgiving ~ Jairus Reddy
4 bites out of 5 ~ Don’t show this to a government conspirathist.

Into the Small Hours ~ Patrick Greene
5 bites out of 5 ~ Oh shit! No more hotel rooms for me!

The Dragon of Delinar ~ Vincent Hobbes
4 bites out of 5 ~ Reminds me of Lost.

The Best BBQ on the Interstate ~ Jennifer Chapman
4 bites out of 5 ~ Omg, ewwwww! And I was going to make BBQ this week.

Glass Prison ~ Christina Estabrook
5 bites out of 5 ~ High creep out factor and now I can’t look at mirrors.

THEY ~ Vincent Hobbes
3 bites out of 5 ~ Creepy, but not enough to give me the willies.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to the author for providing a review copy. Please see disclaimer page on my blog. ( )

Imagine a place just a little removed from reality, a place where nothing is as it seems, and where anything could be just around the corner. Imagine no more: The Endlands is here.

The birth of a baby in the average hospital becomes distinctly un-average when the woman gives birth to a baby with large, black eyes, bat-like ears and a form of telepathy. Thousands of such births are happening all over the world at the same time, as if God is introducing the newest species of mankind.

A trucker picks up a hitchhiker who takes him to an out-of-the-way place with the best barbeque ever. Waking up after being drugged, the trucker finds himself in a barrel of barbeque sauce. A sign on the wall says that all meat must marinate for 24 hours, before being cooked and served to the public.

A soldier has been taught, nearly from birth, that his homeland has been overrun with demons and vampires, who engage in all kinds of unholy rituals. Most of them have been liquidated, but not all. The soldier is going to a certain house to investigate a report of such activities. He bursts in, and kills the family inside, including children and a baby. Only then does he realize that they were human all along, and the only thing they had going against them was being Jewish.

In a seacoast town, whales suddenly start rising out of the water, like giant zeppelins. At first, it is very cool, attracting the world's media. It becomes un-cool when the whales swoop down on people and feed on them.

Charlie is one of those who is chronically early for everything. He has received his summons from the government, one with severe penalties for non-compliance. It seems as if the world is conspiring to make him late; the traffic is heavier than usual, he has a hard time finding a parking space and he must wait at the front desk to be checked in. Finally, he gets to the right room, and sits there alone, when the gas is turned on.

These are not specifically science fiction, or fantasy, or horror stories, but the sort of stories that could easily be made into episodes of "The Twilight Zone" TV show. In fact, the book is dedicated to Rod Serling. These stories will give the reader a kick in the psyche, and they are very good. ( )