Play Book Tag discussion
December 2016: Short Story
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Announcing the December Tag
Well, I am a participant in order to push the boundaries of my reading. Here goes! I am looking forward to suggestions. My recommendations are The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra, and Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.
I think I will try some Alice Munro as I read one of her stories and really enjoyed it.
So, I'm really torn about what to read, but not about what to recommend!For my recommendation, I suggest Tenth of December. I thought this short story collection was very thought provoking. The first story was probably my least favorite, so even if you don't like that one (which I did like, just not best), keep going.
Also, you can't really go wrong with Jhumpa Lahiri.
In terms of what to read, I have three possibilities:
Revenge by Yoko Ogawa
Runaway by Alice Munro
Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger
Any thoughts on these?
I'm not a fan of short stories, so really unsure what I will read. A possibility is Adam Johnson's Fortune Smiles which was I think a National Book Award winner.Top suggestion is The Tsar of Love and Techno
There are some short story books out there that I would LOVE to get to. But, law school finals are looming on the horizon and I think we all know that I rarely stray far from contemporary Christmas romance in December.So, how convenient that Debbie Macomber has a new book of short stories with each one being written by a different romance author! Coincidence? I say fate.
All I Want For Christmas by Debbie Macomber et al.
Susie wrote: "My recommendations are The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra, and Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout...."I must get to The Tsar of Love and Techno one of these days.
I have read a couple of Strout's books and I am not a fan. At all.
Booknblues wrote: "I'm not a fan of short stories, so really unsure what I will read. A possibility is Adam Johnson's Fortune Smiles which was I think a National Book Award winner..."Fortune Smiles caught my eye when it first came out because I really enjoyed The Orphan Master's Son, but I did not dive right in because, like you, I am not a huge fan of short stories. I am interested to see what you think.
Nicole R wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "I'm not a fan of short stories, so really unsure what I will read. A possibility is Adam Johnson's Fortune Smiles which was I think a National Book Award winner....."I've been thinking about reading it for awhile because I Loved OMS, so I guess this provides the perfect opportunity to read something I normally wouldn't.
Interesting... I don't normally read short stories so this took me awhile to decide on. I am going to read One Week With Her Rival, as I really enjoyed Noelle Adams's book One Night in the Ice Storm. I just read this in November, so it is fresh in my mind. It was hot, steamy, & pretty good!
My Number ONE recommendation: A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote. I read it every year. I'm going to be reading: The Wedding Dress: Stories From The Dakota Plains by Carrie Young
And I might take a page from Nicole R's notebook and try that new Debbie Macomber (et al) Christmas collection ....
A Christmas Memory ties is perfectly with the Fall Flurry too!
Considering...-Nine Stories- been meaning to read it for ages.
-Might join the All I Want For Christmas train. I still haven't read a Debbie Macomber.
-Also the Holiday themed My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories
-JK Rowlings short stories- The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists, Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies.
If you're planning on seeing the movie, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them would be an excellent choice!
I'll have to take some time to see if I even have a recommendation. I'm not always a fan of short stories, but short stories is also the December theme for my Horror group over at LT, so I think I'd already decided on a Neil Gaiman, probably:
- M is for Murder
Looks like I'm sitting out another month. *sigh* Guess it's a good time to pick up the new Picoult book.
You'll love the Piccoult book! Hey, we all know I have been the hugest PBT supporter, as I've been exposed to things I never would have picked up, so even though this was my choice three, I already ordered a ton of stuff from the library that I am excited about. Plus another group's December book was my first choice so I'm pumped and glad it will be an easier month. I managed to knock off three animal books, a thanksgiving book and am reading a book called seven animal stories for children with my 6 year old. Which could also be classified as short story, so I'm in good shape to have a theme that feels a bit of a breather. Finished and watched Harry Potter 5 with my 13 year old and now we're starting the Lightning Theif, so short story turns out to be a blessing.
Amy, you and I are I sync with our read aloud books! We are starting The Lightning Thief when we finish the Harry Potter series.
I've been noticing and enjoying that! Actually for Light Ing Thief I'm going to tag team read with him. Meaning I pre - read chapters and then ask him questions and make sure he is understanding and thinking through it. Like we read the same book at the same time, and if his reading comp sucks I make him go back and re-read it with me. This is how I train them to learn how to deepen reading comp. But Harry we have to finish out together. We've come this far. I haven't wanted them to 'miss' any of it. My 13 year old is horrified that I still make him read with me, so don't tell. I sort of hope he secretly likes it that we share this together. I get the feeling that none of my reading friends have kids who abhor reading and who kind of suck at it. But I am doing what I can....
Some short story collections that I rated 5 stars are:Interpreter of Maladies
Jagannath (this one contains stories that are based on or inspired by Swedish folklore)
Books on my TBR that I might try:
Tales of the Hidden World - Simon R. Green
The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: 14 Amazing Authors Tell the Tales - Chris Van Allsburg
Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders - Neil Gaiman
The Woman Who Married a Cloud: The Collected Short Stories - Jonathan Carroll
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven - Sherman Alexie
Unfettered - Shawn Speakman
St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves - Karen Russell
I am also a great fan of O. Henry .... his The Gift of the Magi is a wonderful Christmas story. He was quite prolific and some of the collections of his stories are quite large, but there are also some that are smaller.
is only 96 pages (sixteen stories).Close Range by Annie Proulx is also quite good. It includes Brokeback Mountain
Outside my comfort zone too, but that's what this is all about. I have some Neil Gaiman short stories that I keep meaning to read (we can compare notes, LibraryCin!). And a couple of volumes of Barbara Anderson: I Think We Should Go Into The Jungle and a collected stories tome. A good chance to catch up on some Kiwi reading.
I probably won't read all of the stories in each book so I doubt I'll get a whole review done, but it's still a good impetus to read something that I usually wouldn't.
Booknblues wrote: "Top suggestion is The Tsar of Love and Techno ..."That does sound like a cool book. Interwoven short stories. Almost like a novel, huh?!
Booknblues wrote: "Top suggestion is The Tsar of Love and Techno ..."Every single rating by a member of this group I recognize is five stars. That is quite an endorsement - never seen the like.
I don't read much short stories. The one collection I read and loved recently is not available in English, even though she writes in English: Laurie PennyI've looked through my shelves and found the following to choose from:
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Unnatural Creatures by Neil Gaiman
Pump Six and Other Stories by Paolo Bacigalupi
The Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories by Jeff Vandermeer
Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr.
and one I've been wanting to pick up:
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu
Digging a bit deeper I found some non-science-fiction:
The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices by Xinran
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami
Like Life by Lorrie Moore
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
I've read a few recently, I recommend The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. This one is great. For Christmas I recommend:
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle - Arthur Conan Doyle
or A Christmas Carol, The Chimes and The Cricket on the Hearth. Charles Dickens
My possibilities;
The Book of Unknown Americans, Christina Henríques
Ninety-Nine Stories of God Joy Williams
Survival in Auschwitz Primo Levi
After the Quake Murakami
Welcome to the Monkey House Vonnegut
Birds of America Lorrie Moore
Dubliners James Joyce.
So excited for December!
The Tsar of Love and Techo is for the reader who doesn't like short stories (and also everyone else). I wish I could read it again for the first time.
Jennifer P. wrote: "The Tsar of Love and Techo is for the reader who doesn't like short stories (and also everyone else). I wish I could read it again for the first time."I totally agree; it's a beautiful book and my top recommendation. I think Lahiri's Unaccustomed Earth was quite good. I also really enjoyed Bradbury's The Illustrated Man for readers looking for something more sci fi.
I had just started Olive Kitteridge so put it aside last night and started the book next in my queue. I'll read Kitteridge after that. I also own a Harlan Ellison I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream and may pick it up if I feel like trying a second book.
Lots of great suggestions so far. I need the impetus of this month's tag to try more short stories, which I usually avoid.The only collection that has been 5 stars for me was The Persistence of Vision, a sci fi collection from a master, John Varley.
Other recommendations:
Vampires in the Lemon Grove--Karen Russell
Too Much Happiness-- Alice Munro
Fine Just the Way it Is--Annie Proulx
The Woman Lit By Fireflies--Jim Harrison
A Good Man Is Hard To Find--Flannery O'Conner
A River Runs Through It and Other Stories
My ambition is for:
The Piazza Tales--Herman Melville
Go Down, Moses--Faulkner
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love--Raymond Carver
Book Concierge wrote: "Close Range by Annie Proulx is also quite good. It includes Brokeback Mountain..."You just blew my mind with the fact that Proulx wrote Brokeback Mountain! I had no idea.
IMPORTANT UPDATE:One of our members had a great suggestion, and because it is the holiday season, we are going to go with it! For this tag, you may read a single short story from a collection, review it, and earn one participation point for doing so. If you read an entire collection, you will handle it in the usual way, but if you aren't a short story fan, this will give you an opportunity to try some out without a big commitment. It's also a good way to rack up some additional participation points if you are running low!
We will ask that you indicate in the header whether you are reviewing a standalone short story or a collection. If you are reviewing a short story, the review must still be substantive - - meaning at least five lines and some indication of why you did or did not like it. It would also be helpful if you indicated the book that contained the short story so others can find it.
~*Kim*~ wrote: "Looks like I'm sitting out another month. *sigh* Guess it's a good time to pick up the new Picoult book."Don't sit it out! See our newly announced "Important Update".
Anita wrote: "IMPORTANT UPDATE:One of our members had a great suggestion, and because it is the holiday season, we are going to go with it! For this tag, you may read a single short story from a collection, re..."
Wonderful! People can then read O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi and still get credit!
The way I would take the tag short story, I assumed it was just one from the time it was voted on. I would think there is also a tag that is short stories.
Kristel wrote: "The way I would take the tag short story, I assumed it was just one from the time it was voted on. I would think there is also a tag that is short stories."There is, but the books that are tagged are short story collections in both cases.
I'm going to recommend Dubliners. If you've ever wanted to read Joyce but find Ulysses daunting this is an EXCELLENT choice. I just read it. Now, I bummed I didn't wait because I'm not big on short stories. I have no idea what I will read!I certainly also agree with those who have already suggested The Tsar of Love and Techno
Nicole R wrote: "There are some short story books out there that I would LOVE to get to. But, law school finals are looming on the horizon and I think we all know that I rarely stray far from contemporary Christmas..."Ha!
My one recommendation: Ship Fever: Stories - Andrea Barrett - weaves together history, science and fictionOther recommendations:
English Country House Murders: Classic Crime Fiction of Britain's Upper Crust - 22 stories by classic authors back thru the 19th century - great introduction
The Turning - Tim Winton - set in Western Australia
Nothing to Do But Stay and The Wedding Dress - Carrie Young - set on the Dakota plains
A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain - Robert Olen Butler - Vietnamese immigrants
Black-Eyed Susans and Midnight Birds: Stories by and about Black Women - Mary Helen Washington, ed.
The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories - Charlotte Perkins Gilman - classic intro to her work
The House on Mango Street - Sandra Cisneros - Mexican immigrant girl in Chicago
My possibles:
The Elephant Vanishes - Haruki Murakami
Franny and Zooey and Nine Stories - J. D. Salinger
Bluebeard's Egg - Margaret Atwood
Little Black Book of Stories - A. S. Byatt
The Stories of Eva Luna - Isobel Allende
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler - Italo Calvino
Space Opera - Anne McCaffrey, ed. - science fiction
Huntress - Christine Warren, et al - paranormal romance - will read, needed for a challenge
I like short stories and I seem to have read quite few this year. I'm about halfway through The Shell Collector. The first three stories were very good. I'm unlikely to finish it before the end of the month so it will count for next month. Some others I can recommend, that I haven't seen mentioned yet:
Memory Wall - a five star read from earlier this year. I'm beginning to think that I will love anything that Doerr writes.
Einstein's Dreams
Eve in Hollywood
Just So Stories - could work for this month as well
Tales of the South Pacific
I, Robot
The Illustrated Man
Anita wrote: "Again, this month was pretty overwhelmingly in favor of the winner. A plurality of people selected this tag, but what struck me was the number of participation points it's proponents threw at it. T..."
:) I cast 10 votes for gothic . It's been many years since I enjoyed reading short stories, but I will find at least one book of short stories and read it.
I am not sure what to recommend for short stories. However, I will be reading Nine Tomorrows for a reading challenge somewhere else, so that will be my choice of read for this one.
On looking again, I have no short stories in my Favourites, so I will not be recommending anything. I do have more possibilities in addition to M is for Murder by Gaiman (though that one takes priority... except I just discovered that the audio at my library is checked out and there is one other person ahead of me for it!!! Shoot!).
Other options:
- Leaping Beauty / Gregory Maguire
- Swim / Jennifer Wiener
- Unstrung / Neal Shusterman
- Wool / Hugh Howey
- Lost and Found: Dogs, Cats, and Everyday Heroes at a Country Animal Shelter / Elizabeth Hess
LibraryCin, I liked Wool. I forgot it was originally individual short stories or novellas kind of. I thought they were good.
Connie Willis has some wonderful short stories. I'm probably going to reread two of my favourites from her Best Of collection, All Seated on the Ground and The Soul Selects Her Own Society: Invasion and Repulsion: A Chronological Reinterpretation of Two of Emily Dickinson's Poems: A Wellsian Perspective (yes, you read that title correctly :D)And the JKR short stories about Hogwarts are a great idea! I'm going on a cruise in early December so those will be perfect!
Jennifer P. wrote: "LibraryCin, I liked Wool. I forgot it was originally individual short stories or novellas kind of. I thought they were good."Thanks! I haven't yet checked what's available at my library, but it's a possibility!
Anita wrote: "So, I'm really torn about what to read, but not about what to recommend!For my recommendation, I suggest Tenth of December. I thought this short story collection was very thought ..."
Nine Stories!
I loved Karin's gif --- that's exactly the way I felt when I saw it was the tag. Oh well, I'm not a huge fan, but truthfully, I'm still in a reading rut so I can probably knock out at least one story.I did enjoy The Tsar of Love and Techno.
I did pick of Shotgun Lovesongs on a sale table...I think that might be short stories. If not, I'm pretty sure I have a paranormal anthology with some authors like Charlaine Harris.
Shotgun Lovesongs is not short stories but it is wonderful so read it anyway!!! ;)
My favorite individual short stories are as follows:Heat by Joyce Carol Oates
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce
Love of Life by Jack London
The Last Rung On the Ladder by Stephen King
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
The Big Two Hearted River by Ernest Hemingway
I am going to try to read as many stories in The Bazaar of Bad Dreams as I can.
Charlie wrote: "My favorite individual short stories are as follows:Heat by Joyce Carol Oates
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce
Love of Life by Jack London
The Last Rung On the Ladder by Stephe..."
Thanks for reminding me about Jack London; I used to like his stories (not sure how I'll do if I try again).
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
After the Quake (other topics)The Machine Stops (other topics)
Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea (other topics)
And the Mountains Echoed (other topics)
The Tsar of Love and Techno (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
E.M. Forster (other topics)Kyra Davis (other topics)
Charlaine Harris (other topics)
Connie Willis (other topics)
Laurie Penny (other topics)
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short story
Please share your reading plans and recommendations below!
Remember, for the regular monthly reads, the book can be shelved as short story on Goodreads, or be a book that is not yet shelved that way but you feel should be.
To find books to read for this tag, please visit:
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
And here's a timely article from Book Riot highlighting some recent short story collections:
http://bookriot.com/2016/11/01/only-h...
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
One of our members had a great suggestion, and because it is the holiday season, we are going to go with it! For this tag, you may read a single short story from a collection, review it, and earn one participation point for doing so. If you read an entire collection, you will handle it in the usual way, but if you aren't a short story fan, this will give you an opportunity to try some out without a big commitment.
We will ask that you indicate in the header whether you are reviewing a standalone short story or a collection. If you are reviewing a short story, the review must still be substantive - - meaning at least five lines and some indication of why you did or did not like it. It would also be helpful if you indicated the book that contained the short story so others can find it.