Amor Towles is easily one of my favorite authors writing today. I wondered if he would be able to spin the same kinds of magical, absolutely engrossing stories in a shorter format than his regular books, and HE DID. Fans will absolutely love this book, though you don't have to have read his previous works to pick this up and enjoy it.
I can't wait to buy my own copy!

I LOVED the short stories - each one was dazzling and vivid and, a week later, still delightfully memorable. I liked the novella fine - I didn't love Rules of Civility (though A Gentleman in Moscow is a longtime favorite), and I'm not a big fan of multi-POVs, so maybe that's why it didn't resonate with me as much. I feel like Amor Towles packs such a punch into his short stories and character studies, so I wish the collection would have gotten rid of the novella in favor of more of them, but I have a feeling I'm in the minority there, and I'll be recommending this to anyone looking for an engaging, vibrant, and immersive collection. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Amor Towles gives us glimpses into the interesting and sometimes complex lives of his characters in such a way that you’re neither wrong footed nor left wanting more, Towles uses his signature writing style to craft these lyrical, witty, and entertaining examinations of different lives lived and imagined in New York City. Then he treats us to an expansion of Evelyn Ross’ second act in a noir influenced look at 1930s Hollywood- both the glittering flash of celebrity as well as the contrasting seedy underworld operating right alongside. The whole book is Amor Towles at his stylistic best- magical little slices of all these different characters worlds, loved and lived. A very satisfying read!

I don't usually read short stories. I tend to find them disappointing, lacking the depth of novels. In this case, however, I loved every one! Towles is a master of the language and even his short stories suck you into the story and the lives of his characters. The stories are only tangentially connected, sharing the NYC setting and a character or two with a passing acquaintance between stories. They are filled with humor and emotion, but I admit I kept looking for the thread that pulled them together. SIGH! I just can't find as much satisfaction in short stories that I do in a novel. But Towles is close to winning me over.

The second half of the book is a novella that follows a character from Towles' novel Rules of Civility. Set in the 1930s, Evelyn Ross leaves NY on a train bound for Chicago, but decides along the way to continue her journey to Los Angeles. In LA, she starts a new life filled with characters she meets in her hotel. It's a mystery and a story of friendship and renewal and some movie stars even drop in, A great story!

Towles continues to write engaging stories that pull readers into the lives of wonderful characters. Short stories or novellas or lengthy novels, no matter. They are wonderful!

As someone who usually avoids short stories, I couldn't get enough of the ones in this masterful collection. The first half of this volume is short stories set in New York City, dealing with contemporary relationships and the impact individual actions can have on others. Whether unthinking or deliberate, unintended consequences may lead to altered lives in a most detrimental way. The second half of this book is a novella comprised of intertwined vignettes, each with the character Eve, sometimes on the periphery, who has a remarkable influence on the people she encounters. Towles's understated prose has a way of seeming effortless in drawing in readers to care about the characters and get the message about interconnectedness.

I am not the biggest fan of Amor Towles but have read a few of his books. And when I saw there was a new one I jumped at the chance to read it because maybe this will be the five star winner. I started it and soon enough I put it down. And then realized it was short stories.... the first story did not work for me after about 15 pages or so. But the rest were amazing.

In one, A guy looking for a meaningful experience to be a great writer stumbles into a job working at a second hand book shop. His doodling Fitzgerald’s name leads him into all the experience a writer could want.

In another, two strangers meet in an airport sort of like planes trains and automobiles style and one becomes fully responsible for the other. A pretty sweet depiction of humanity at its best and worst.

And there was one about a character named Nell who receives a phone call from her mother Peggy. Her mother thinks her husband (Nell’s stepfather, John) is having an affair after finding out the squash club that he has habitually gone to for lever has closed temporarily and yet John still acts as if he is going. Nell is sent to spy.

If you enjoy his books you'll definitely enjoy his various stories.

The stories in this book could stand alone, but together they weave larger themes of relationships, surprises, and the meaning of a life. As always, Towles' writing is strong and his characters vivid.

In his book, Towles presents a collection of short stories that are placed in New York, and a novella that takes a character from his first novel Rules of Civility and writes about her adventures in 1930's Hollywood. Every short story catches your interest immediately and leaves you wanting more until you begin the next story, which immediately does the same. While the city is the location for each tale, they all have different plots. A Russian immigrant whose familiarity with standing in lines in the Motherland comes in handy in his new homeland. A young rare bookseller's assistant has a proclivity for imitating the signatures of dead authors. Two strangers stuck at the airport find out who is responsible for whom. A steadfast pillar of society has a secret life. A would-be art dealer gets the tables turned. And then when we get in the rhythm of the short story format, the novella switches to Los Angeles where we are immersed in a blackmail scheme that could cost actresses their reputations and cause the takedown of the big movie studios.
Towles's writing style is absolutely fantastic...he is sophisticated, witty, and thought-provoking. He has a knack for quickly sketching in characters and making you really care about how they think or what they will do. I used to say that I was not really a fan of the short story format but my mind has now been changed-hopefully this won't be the last of his short fiction collections.

I didn’t realize this was a set of short stories and a novella but I’m glad I still read it. The stories were all engaging and although I didn’t remember Eve from Rules of Civility (read it years ago), I still really enjoyed the story.

Such a great story teller I relished every one by this master! I was given an advanced reader copy of this title by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

If you like short stories, you will love this book. Amor Towles writing is crisp and compassionate. His observations on people and relationships are so relatable and true to life. I finished this book weeks ago but I am still thinking about the characters and stories. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a great short story collection.

Every one of these stories is completely engrossing and remarkably surprising. Nobody is as good as Amor Towles at putting you inside the heads and hearts of characters!

The master storyteller has pulled a collection of gems together that differ from one another as does a diamond and turquoise but each is character heavy and told in his unmistakable style. Full of flawed characters, immediately human, whether it is a man caught in a Ukrainian revolution trying to survive or a woman testing her independence in the Golden Age of Hollywood. I truly enjoyed jumping from one life to another but the cherry on top of the cupcake was the continuing story of a character from RULES OF CIVILITY. Haven't we all wanted a trip to not end and wondered what would happen if you just stayed on the train, plane or missed the stop on the highway? The destination is Hollywood in 1938 where the shiny glamour meets the tarnished underbelly with both good and bad people caught in the middle. A true gem of short stories and novella that will appeal to his many fans and the perfect way to get a taste of his genius. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

The wry affection for humanity that makes Amor Towles stand out as a writer is back in this collection of short stories based in New York and the novella set in golden-age Hollywood. The New York stories are only very loosely connected, and follow various characters as they deal with marriage, immigrating to New York, and how to handle problems successfully or not. And what happens when your efforts are not successful. The Hollywood story follows Evelyn Ross from The Rules of Civility as she decides to go beyond her original goal of heading home to Indiana, and instead extends her train ticket to Los Angeles. There she becomes involved with a noirish mystery including famous stars, behind-the-scenes people who make the movie industry run, retired homicide detectives, all described with Towles incandescent capture of messy, but relatable, humanity. I loved every minute of it and can't wait to read more of this standout author.

I loved each of the short stories in this book although a couple were a little hard to follow at first. All except one were set in New York City. Th lastw@set in Los Angeles.. A couple left me wondering what would happen next, but I thought it would all be tied together in the end. It wasn’t. Still, an enjoyable read.

I have to admit I wasn’t exactly thrilled to hear that the new Amor Towles book, Table For Two, was a collection of short stories. I am a huge fan of Amor Towles but I just don’t really enjoy short stories. I always felt short stories left you a little short changed in development for both characters and story line. This collection was definitely the exception.

Made up of six short stories and a novella, this book most assuredly lives up to what you expect from Towles. From a Russian farmer to a forger to an aging roller skater, each story was an absolute delight and left me eagerly anticipating the next. Then the novella picks up where Ruled of Civility left off, reintroduces us to Eve and takes us on more adventures with her as she arrives in Hollywood.

For a book I was not sure I was going to enjoy, I can’t say enough good things. Well written with such beautifully flawed and human characters, each story just draws you in. For all fans of Amor Towles or short stories, this is a must read. For those who have not yet read any Amor Towles books or are not big fans of short stories, give this one a try. You will not be disappointed.

In 'Table for Two', Amor Towles has written six historical fiction short stories set in New York City at the turn of the century. A novella is also included that tells the story of Evelyn Ross, a character in his novel 'Rules of Civility', from the perspective of seven POV's when she decides to continue on to Los Angles when she leaves NYC rather than return home to Indiana.

Lovers of short stories and historical fiction will no doubt devour this book. The dilemma a reader may face is whether to parcel out the stories to savor Towles writing longer or enjoy the entire meal at one sitting.

In this extraordinary book, Amor Towles treats us to some engaging short stories and a thriller of a novella set in golden age of Hollywood. All of the stories have a connection to New York City, but they are as varied as the unique characters he creates. The variety is engaging- the first short story reads like a Russian folktale, and the novella at the end pairs a hard boiled young woman with a retired cop to solve a mystery behind a Hollywood scandal. Towles' characters are so believable and you are drawn immediately into his settings as if they are familiar to you. He infuses his signature wit and humor into the stories, and you feel the triumphs and tragedies that his characters endure as if you knew them personally. This was a very special book, and I will most definitely recommend it enthusiastically.

Some beautifully written short stories, set in Russia and New York. I couldn't get into the Hollywood novella, but I really liked the short stories. Thank you #netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Amor Towles’ Table for Two is a beautiful collection of short stories with curious characters and beautiful history. This is perfect for readers looking to explore different places and backgrounds.