Check Out These Short Story Collections

Have you ever found yourself hungry for something to read, but are unable or unwilling to commit to something formidable? Short stories are an excellent alternative, and can be read during breaks between summer projects. Books of short stories rarely turn up on lists of best sellers, but many of today’s most popular authors honed their craft on small gems such as these, often while completing their degrees. And although books of short stories are not usually winners of major prizes, Lydia Davis was recently awarded the Man Booker International Prize for her short story collections.

                                               

Karen Russell, a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for her debut novel Swamplandia!, is a master of the short story, and her St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves and Vampires in the Lemon Grove are both available at KDL. Also, those who have enjoyed Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory would also like his Complete Stories. Readers who want to take a quick trip to Latin America for the summer might enjoy Happy Families by Carlos Fuentes. Be warned, however, that those families are not all happy.

Many of these short story collections and more are available for download as eBooks.