About a month ago a coworker and I were talking about books and she said she really liked reading short stories, that she read more short stories than any other kind of fiction. I said I liked short stories but I hardly ever read them because I prefer long fiction.
As these things go I realized that since that conversation I have read a book of short stories (The Persimmon Tree), am now in the midst of another book of short stories (Fantastic Women), received three books of Asian short stories in the mail from Cheng & Tsui Company, and just received a review e-book of Jason Sanford’s Never Never Stories. For someone who doesn’t reads short stories often I am suddenly swimming in them. And you know what? They are great! They make great before bed reading as well as at moments when I want to read something but have only 20 minutes or a half hour and don’t feel like reading anything that I’m going to have to quit mid-chapter.
If my coworker knew I was reading all these short stories, she’d be calling me a liar about now. But really, I read two books of short stories last year, two the year before that, and two the year before that. So it appears I generally read two short story collections a year and that this is a banner year for them as I am already reading collection number two and have four more collections lined up.
Is it because I said I don’t read many short stories? If so, I wonder if it will work with other things? The lottery jackpot is up to $133 million. I don’t play the lottery very often because I never win anything. I am going to buy a ticket for Bookman’s birthday Saturday. It is sure to be the winning ticket, right?
It’s been a decent year for me so far with short stories, as I’ve read two collections, which is one more than I read last year. If I fit one more in, that would be awesome! I’m sure I have some good collections around here.
This has not been a good year for short stories for me so far. I’ve started one collection and am still in the middle of it. Good for you for enjoying more short stories lately and go buy that lottery ticket – you never know
Wow, look at your new theme! (Did I just embarrass myself that you’ve had it for a long time and I’ve only just noticed??) I like it!
That’s so funny that you immediately proved yourself wrong re: short stories. I find that I usually quite enjoy them but I seldom make time for them, much like poetry. Maybe now that I’ve told you this I will suddenly find myself awash in both!
I must say I’ve read more short stories this year than normal. I find I really like stories from earlier in the twentieth century – Scott Fitzgerald’s were fabulous, for instance. Oh but then, I’d not be accurate there as I really loved Michelle Latiolais’s and they were published this year. It’s hard to tell the exact truth about this sort of thing, isn’t it? There are always so many surprises and exceptions.
Good luck on that ticket. It only takes one to win!
I really like short stories but this year haven’t read as many as I’d like (sort of the same with NF–I always reach for a novel over anything else). I have read one collection and am working on those three Asian collections. I have two more collections on my pile, too….
Years ago a co-worker and I formed a two person reading group. Each week one of us would choose a short story and we’d have lunch together on Friday and talk about the story. Naturally we took turns choosing the stories. I really enjoyed it, though it lasted less then a year. He was admitted to medical school, so no more time even for short stories. It was interesting to compare our responses to the stories. I remember one Margaret Atwood story I chose that we argued about amiably. He couldn’t forgive the narrator for calling her husband stupid. The husband was a surgeon, so Frank couldn’t accept her description. I think the husband was stupid about many things, though not about medicine.
I read stories I never would have chosen for myself. I’m female and 20 years older than my reading companion. I still remember our reading sessions fondly though I’ve lost touch with him.