I’m a bit on the fence about Erase and Rewind, partially because it is very unfocused and all over the place— the majority of the short stories pieces are normal literary fiction but others seriously surreal— and partially because it is really hard to find a male character in any of these stories who doesn’t turn out to be a serious jerk-- yes, there are many jerks out there, but it is off-putting to have almost no decent male characters.

In terms of themes, Bell wrestles with the question of what makes a feminist a feminist in these stories-- which may explain why all men are monsters to some extent. That follows in a weirdly logical way.. The narrators in Bell’s stories are mostly written in the first-person singular and are grappling with what makes a woman a woman and how to navigate the rough terrain between the differences in the sexes, or sometimes the same sex. I really could not get into her actual style of writing which was very tedious at times and repetitious-- especially the title story. The entire collection comes off as feminist agitprop and is probably not appealing to the general public, who will be made quite discomfited by the stories..

I like listening to these stories and dipping in and out but I expected more “time travel” or time erasing.
It isn’t that clear to me where one story ends and the next begins as they feel sometimes unfinished.
I’ve got to about 30% through so I’ll keep going but it hasn’t hooked me yet.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my feedback.

In a Nutshell: An anthology with each story written in the style of literary fiction So what you get a slightly slow, character-oriented sketches with intense topics and no HEAs. I liked it!

This debut collection contains thirteen stories covering many dark themes such as closet homosexuality, unwanted pregnancies, sexual abuse, workplace sexism and so on. Many stories are in first person singular. All stories except one are from the point of view of female protagonists. Some tales are really depressing, while others end with a tinge of hope. None of the stories fall into your typical ‘happy ending’ style with all ends tied up. This is more of a thinker’s anthology than a beginner reader’s one.

The stories are set in Vancouver, but the location is not optimally used as the narrative style focusses more on the person than on the place. But you do get a glimpse of life in Vancouver, and the local passion for ice hockey.

Many of the thirteen stories fell in between the 3-4 star range for me. I think this might have been different had I read the book instead of hearing it and my rating could have been higher. (Literary fiction is best enjoyed when read, IMHO.) Some of my favourite stories from this collection (4+ stars) were:
• Erase and Rewind - About a girl who discovers that she can reverse time. (Or maybe I should say "erase and rewind" time) Written very interestingly as it begins on day 12 and goes backwards. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
• Most likely to break – “When you are older, you'll understand.” So says an elder sister to her younger sister. And the story reveal whether she does. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• From a High place – How a friendship between two film industry professionals evolves from a basic affability into a caring and concerned relationship. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• I Was Made To Love You (which is actually the script of a film developed by one of the characters in the previous story) – About how far things can go in sacrificing for love. This was brilliant, but way too complicated for audio. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Nostalgia – Two young friends volunteering at a local swimming pool and reminiscing over Disney movies. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Anhedonia – The BEST story of the book! So scary, but so well-written! Mentions how a viral pandemic brings the world to a standstill. The virus in this tale is so deadly that I started heaving a sigh of gratitude that we had only the covid-19 in reality. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


An audiobook for short stories is always a risky proposition. You really need to pay a lot of attention as the stories end quickly and there isn’t enough buffer time for daydreaming. 😉 This audiobook is quite brief, clocking at just 5 hrs 22 minutes. So within this short time, you hear thirteen stories with a variety of characters and situations. There is only one narrator for all the stories, and as I said, all have female protagonists. So if your concentration level for audiobooks is at a rudimentary level, things get a bit confusing, and I would recommend you not try this anthology through listening but through reading.

My experience with this audiobook was mixed. While I am a habituated audiobook reader, I still found myself confusing the end points for a couple of stories. Also, there is a LOT of cussing, way more than needed (if ever it is needed!); I hated the constant f-bombs pouring into my ears. However, no complaints about narrator Stefanie Nakamura. She does her job well and enunciates the stories properly.

Overall, I enjoyed this anthology quite a lot, but I am sure I would have enjoyed it even more had I read it. For a debut collection, the stories are outstanding. Definitely recommended to those who want to try lit-fic in a shorter version.

Can’t go without saying ‘Kudos!’ to the brilliant cover design. One of the best I’ve seen this year and perfect for this book.

My thanks to Book*hug Press, ECW Press Audio, and NetGalley for the ALC of “Erase and Rewind”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.

This book does live up to the blurb, in that it does explore the complexities of living as a woman in a skewed society and also does touch on sexism in the workplace, amongst other hot topics. Unfortunately, I found this contained in several mediocre short stories which really were not much to write home about.

Thank you to ECW Press Audio and NegGallery and apologies that I did not enjoy this one more.

One of the most depressing books I’ve read in 2021.

It’s not poorly written but I just don’t think I’d ever want to encourage anyone else to add to their angst by reading this. It’s been a hard enough year and a half.

As I was reading via an audiobook it was hard to follow when the stories switched. There was no clear delineation as a new story/perspective started up with a chapter title or voice change so I was lost for a few second each time this happened.

Erase and Rewind was released in book format by Book*hug Press back in May of this year. I was immediately attracted to the colourful cover and the fascinating analysis of how and why we make the decisions we do and reflection on what may have come had we acted differently. There is a presence of rumination in all of the stories in the collection.

I hadn't had a chance to read it yet, so I jumped at the opportunity to listen to the audiobook prior to its release on November 14th. Thank you NetGalley & Book*hug Press.

Meghan Bell and Stefanie Nakamura are a dream team. Bell has created an incredibly relatable series of stories that Nakamura has read perfectly in this audiobook. Nothing is lost in the transition between written and spoken word and, in fact, Nakamura reads the stories so naturally that it would be easy to believe that they were hers.

I'd definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in contemporary, contemplative fiction built around the experiences of real women.