Tom Hanks shows in this versatile short story collection that he is a many of many artistic talents. Form the first story about a veteran and his friend from war to the end, he gives a reader exactly what a short story collection should have: variety, perfect length and satisfying conclusions.

Like many short story collections, this one left me wanting longer and more of some and way less of others, but this was an overall decent collection.

Reading these stories by Tom Hanks was fun and interesting. The stories in this collection were all different. I wondered if could Tom Hanks actually write as well as he could act? I was not disappointed and the answer to that question is a resounding yes. He has written an extremely enjoyable group of short stories. I was sad to get to the end of the book.

Using a common theme of a typewriter to tie them together, Hanks has created a book of interesting and heart-warming stories set in various time periods and places. I was a little slow on recognizing the typewriter mention and had to go back and look it up in the first couple of stories. Unique method of linking the stories. This was a good read and Hanks' subjects reflected some of the movies in which he has starred. Recommended for fans of Tom Hanks and those who enjoy short stories, good clean reads, and positive endings.

I am not a short story reader; I inevitably want more from the stories. There’s always hits and misses for me. But it’s Tom Hanks whom I love as an actor and so I thought i needed to try it. I’m still not a short story reader, but I was surprised to find that there were a few of the stories that I thought about after I read them. I was far more impressed than I thought I would be.

Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors and I always want to love everything he does, and I was a bit nervous that I wouldn't love his writing, but I was wrong! This book of short stories is funny and put a smile on my face.

This was a really interesting set of short stories, all tied together by mentioning a typewriter. As delighted as I was to see how well Tom Hanks could write, the stories didn't seem completely cohesive to me, with some travelling back in time and some seemingly sci fi in nature.

This is an interesting combination of short stories all having something to do with type. My favorite is the young lady who goes to a second hand shop and buys an old typewriter. Why because she had a story to tell and wanted it to come forward in the old school way a typewiter.

I absolutely adored this book, which was both a bit of a delightful surprise and the first step in laying a foundation of affection for everything that comes after this!

I tend to be wary of books, particularly fiction, by people who have achieved fame in some other form. I am particularly wary of books by actors - I've read too many that seems to have been sold on the actor's name and not the quality of the work. And I really didn't want this one to be bad because, well, it's Tom Hanks and I <em>like</em> Tom Hanks! But I also really wanted to read this because, well, it's Tom Hanks!

Fortunately, this shows that Tom Hanks CAN write and deserves to be published.

This is a collection of short stories (and I've written before how much I enjoy the short story form). The thinking in the publishing industry, however, is that short stories don't sell books. That may be true, but celebrities do!

Hanks' work here is a throwback to the days when all writers wrote either in long-hand or on a typewriter. The stories themselves have a sense of long ago, as if Hanks is recalling days when he first really enjoyed reading. The settings, the style, even the tone of the stories remind me of literature of the 1970's.

One of my favorites here was "Alan Bean Plus Four." This features a group of friends - Anna, Steve, MDash, and a narrator who is hard not to picture as Tom Hanks - that remind me so much of my own group of friends from this period ... though we did not go into space in our own, homemade rocket ship (but if we had, we just might have named it the <em>Alan Bean</em>).

"Who's Who" was another favorite. Here it is 1978 and a young actress who was having a successful-if-not-quite-satisfying career in Arizona has moved to the Big Apple to make it big. But she's still sleeping on the couch of a friend and pushing the limits of the kind offer to stay until she gets settled. But finding work, finding affordable housing ... it's a lot harder than Sue Gliebe anticipated. One can't help feeling as though Hanks writes from experience here, possibly remembering his early days as an actor.

"These Are the Meditations of My Heart" might be the very best of these stories, in which a young lady buys a typewriter. But the typewriter repair man/dealer makes her promise that she will use the machine...
<blockquote>"Well, not to be impolite," she said, "but <em>duh</em>!"
"Make the machine a part of your life. A part of your day. Do not use it a few times, then need room on the table and close it back up into its case to sit on a shelf in the back of a closet. Do that and you may never write with it again."</blockquote>
Once again we get the impression that this is personal - a memory that Hanks has. If it is, Hanks does a masterful job recalling the memory and sharing it. If not, it's even more impressive.

Most short story collections show a range of work - some that really reach a reader and some that just don't click. That holds true here, but even at his worst, Tom Hanks is a really fine writer. At his best, you will be drawn in and left wanting to read more.

Looking for a good book? You'll want to read <em>Uncommon Type</em> because it's a collection of short stories by the actor Tom Hanks, but you'll enjoy them because Tom Hanks the writer is very, very good.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Some truly excellent stories. I particularly liked the first one with Mr. Hanks reading it. I don't really get the fascination with typewriters, but that was incidental to my enjoyment of the book.

(3.5) Seriously, is there anything that Tom Hanks can't do? I was not surprised to discover that he wrote a book. 'Uncommon Type' is a compilation of 13 short stories. Each one had variety... but honestly, they were all slightly bland. What makes these stories amazing is that everything connects to a typewriter. I see that after I received this ARC, an audiobook was released with Tom Hanks narrating it. I'm eager to hear Uncommon Type with his voice. I definitely believe that would take a 3 star book to a 4.5 or 5.

I thought, hey, I love short stories, and I'm a fan of Hanks' acting, so why not.

However, it just wasn't true love. Not even really much of a polite affection. Hanks' writing is clean enough, and his stories had some decent structure...but they were lacking. The biggest issue I had was they seemed to lack resolution of any sort...they just petered out. I had a hard time investing because the stories didn't go anywhere. Sure, there was a theme (loose) of typewriters, and maybe a theme of storytelling, but none of the stories ended up anywhere interesting or unexpected. And for me, a good short story (like a good long story, like a good poem, like a good song), leads me to somewhere I didn't anticipate being. And not a single one of these stories did.

Not a bad read if you want to waste some time, but not one that was in any way stellar.

Wonderful! Each story was completely different, yet drew me in. I loved how they each had some reference to typewriters, some centered around them while others merely moved them aside in a closet. Nice common thread.

A collection of 17 short stories. They cover a plenitude of different avenues and subjects. They also all include a typewriter in the story. Tom Hanks collects old typewriters and it shows his creativity including one in each story. He has a brilliant mind and a heart of gold. His stories are entertaining as well as compelling. There are many hits and a few misses but, all in all, Hanks is definitely engaging.

This collection of short stories by actor Tom Hanks was an enjoyable read. I felt like Mr. Hanks was reading to me personally even though I was reading the book myself.

The stories are funny, charming and at times endearing. I like how a typewriter is present either significantly or just mentioned in every story.

What a great surprise. Hanks' book is very readable and enjoyable.

As a huge fan of Mr. Hanks, I was very excited to read this collection. I decided to read it from cover to cover and started with the dedication and almost didn't continue. "Because of Nora". Who knew three words would tear at me so hard? I sobbed and mourned and then realized I had to continue. I would say for the overall collection, I was at about 50/50 for liking and not really caring for certain stories. The first story has characters that we see again multiple times and I believe these characters and their stories were Hanks' strengths. He seemed very invested in telling us about their lives and building their world. I think my least favorite was the writer/journalist that kept getting brought in. He was eccentric and manic, but not very interesting. Overall, I would be interesting in reading more in the future and feel Hanks' has a very strong voice worth being read.

A pleasant collection of short stories, though not particularly special, the collection is tied together by Hank's love of typewriters. Some of the stories are whimsical, some clever, but not all of them winners. The book was great at showcasing Hank's love of type, and I admit I requested the book based on the author.

This book is amazing!! He is an amazing actor and now an amazing author!! So excited!! I hope that he writes more!!