Duck for Cover & Other Tales

A Collection of Short Stories

By: Barbara Venkataraman

Narrated by: Emily M. Wilson

Length: 1 hr and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Fourteen short stories with a twist, Duck for Cover & Other Tales is filled with surprises.

"The Yes Man" is about a woman who looks after her elderly father with dementia, only to discover he still has life lessons to teach her. "Living My Best Life" tells the story of an aging rock star who finds his legacy lives on in a way he hadn't imagined. "Thicker Than Blood" is about the dilemmas caused by modern technology when a trio of siblings is asked to make the hardest decision of their lives. "The Devil's Workshop" is the story of a young man being scared straight from a life of delinquency by a clever probation officer and an ex-con.

Topical, relatable, and just plain fun, these and many other stories in this collection deal with friendship, kinship, and the complexities of the modern world, and are sure to leave you with a smile.

©2022 Barbara Venkataraman (P)2022 Barbara Venkataraman

Loved the voices

I appreciated the energy and the expressive voices. They made the stories feel more real.

Fantastic Listen

OMG!!! This audiobook was fantastic. Each story in it made me smile. It’s a quick listen. But each story will make you think. But not too hard! I found myself chuckling at the end of them.

Very fun short book of very short stories

I was given a copy of this audio book for free in exchange for an honest review.

I generally listen to audio books while I am doing other things (usually walking my dog). Since I was asked to write a review I wanted to make sure my mind did not wander and I missed something . . . so I listened to this twice. At a little under 2 hours this was easy to accomplish. Honestly due to the nature of these very short stories that probably wasn’t necessary. But I enjoyed them the second time as much as if not more than the first.

I generally don’t like shorter stories and essays but these were the exception to that rule. These were often very ironic stories/essays/whatever you want to call them. Some were more poignant than others but most were still funny.

There is little overlap between the stories (nothing at all obvious) but sometimes you get the feeling that the stories are somehow related in a way you just can’t put your finger on. I don’t know if that is because I’ve recently read through a few novels set in Florida that had a few vaguely similar stories in them or it was just my overactive imagination. The bottom line is that these were very enjoyable very short stories.

As far as the audio production value this was very good. Far better than I expected to be honest. I’ve absolutely listened to novels on the best sellers list that had worse readers/performances.

If you are looking for a quick read/listen give this a shot it’s quite enjoyable and it’s absolutely worth reading or listening to more than once.

Duck for cover

Fast fun read. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Earns 5/5 Emotional Journeys…Engaging Fun!

Duck for Cover & Other Tales Earns 5/5 Emotional Journeys…Engaging Fun!

Snippets, bits and pieces, vignettes that need to be shared, and the audiobook is one perfect way to enjoy them all! Emily M. Wilson’s voice artistry enriched Barbara’s writing with her entertaining performance using a change in tone to illustrate age, gender, and the various emotional predicaments. Barbara Venkataraman compiled fourteen shorts with a wide range of themes, characters, and karmic consequences. She explores revenge and comeuppance, pay back and pay forward, and the dynamics of a myriad of relationships. Each tale is a well-written narrative with engaging dialogue to illustrate the multi-generational personalities and a multitude of emotions. I, too, had various reactions from a fist pump “Yeah!” to a gasp of relief, from a poignant tear to an audible giggle, from thanks karma to a “I want more” wish. All in all this set was an enjoyable experience, short in length, but not short on entertainment, and exactly what I expected from Barbara Venkataraman!

hilarious and relatable

These are super short stories but they are chock full of entertainment! Despite the stories being short, these are full of wit and excellent characters that are fully relatable and fun. They may be short, but they have a lot of heart. Each story feels like it is told in a distinct voice and the narration matches the energy of the stories perfectly.