I came across this book in a totally aimless browsing session on the internet—its cover caught my eyes. Voted one of the most anticipated books of 2016 by TheMillion.com, The Unfinished World: and other stories is a highly readable short story collection. Unfolding in Amber Sparks’ skillfully constructed worlds—some apocalyptic, some illogical, and some intertwine between the past and the present. While artfully engaging the themes of love, mysteries, fantasies, and dystopia, these stories share a common aspect of loneliness and solitude that taps into the reader’s heart. One of my favorite stories is “And the World Was Crowded with Things That Meant Love”. This piece evolves around two lovers who are never really together; the sense of longing and connection is represented through the exchange of things.

Without any more spoilers, The Unfinished World is weirdly wonderful.