The Seed and Other Fairy Tales by Joseph Hillenbrand ...100th book of the year :)

This is a writing debut, from what I gather, and when an author releases a book it's important not only to get exposure but also get the right audience. I'm big on short stories so I was ecstatic when I found out I was getting a free copy for review. Early this year, I took to reading adaptations of fairy tales (sleeping beauty and belle made into modern women and snow white and red riding hood in erotica) which I got bored of after a while. The Seed & Other Fairy Tales, however, is sort of a breath of fresh air.
Most reviews said this is a collection of quirky tales and after reading Unwished and Applebite, I had to agree. It would leave you thinking. These tales are dark. I was expecting some would be twisted too, although there is no promise of that in the blurb. Twisted just sometimes comes with dark lol. Broken down:

The Seed is a mix of traditional fairy tale and the modern world that won't be out of place in the original Grimm tales.

Unwished left me feeling too slow and unworthy haha. I'm really confused. SPOILER! Did the woman eat the rabbit (hasenpfeffer), the frog (cuisse de grenouille) and the fishes [smoothie - (yuck)]? Or did she bring them to the park because she knew the guy she fancies was going to be there and show off by granting the one wish he had (whatever that is)? 

The Girl in the Forest is one of my favorites. I liked how the man found out what the girl wants from each creature without being told what they were and the text don't say what those are (bluntly) too.

Two and One is pretty basic and funny. Of all the stories, this one might be most appropriate for children. I don't think the collection as a whole is suitable for kids. This is more of a fairy tale collection for older people.

Calimire is mostly a love story ... right? This is the more "traditional" fairy tale with evil step moms and love conquering all stuff.

My All ... talk about unpunished good deeds.

Hunger Pangs OMG I LOVE THIS. It's the shortest of the collection, I think. But the prose, the meaning behind each word, the literature ... gaaaah

Applebite ... when I dream the details are vivid. And random. And weird. Applebite reminds me of my subconscious. I don't know what to make of the ending, though.

Sand Castles is one of my favorites. I thought this would be a feel good kind of story, but alas. Lol. But I liked the ending.

In general, the prose is simple and ... fairy tale-ish. Lol. There are pretty good quotes in this book, that I highlighted on my Kindle and I was so sure that some would already be on Goodreads but looks like I have to add it myself. Speaking of quotes, it kind of reminds me of the first (and only) Paolo Coelho book (Mahktub) that I read ... but in a good way. Because, unlike the other one I actually enjoyed the seed. I would have finished this sooner if I wasn't so busy. It's a very easy and quick read.

So thanks for this, Mr. Hillenbrand. I think you just gained yourself a fan. Lol.

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In other news, this is my 100th book for 2013. :)