Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion
2017 Read Harder Challenge
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Task #22: Read a collection of stories by a woman
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Marie wrote: "If you pick it up, avoid the introduction. The introduction author does that bizarre thing where he spoils every single story, and then concludes with "enjoy these stories [that I just ruined for you]!"..."Well that's strange!
While Twelfth Planet Press may be too big for "micropress", they do publish collections of short stories specifically by women, so I'm using Rosaleen Love's "The Secret Lives of Books" for this category. Very odd and quirky stories, but all felt relevant now.
I'm curious if Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman would work for this. I just finished it. If not I may re-read Blueprints for Building Better Girls: Fiction since I'm also trying to do 12 re-reads in 12 months this year.
I read ''Tongues of Flame'' by Mary Ward Brown for this challenge. The stories are set amid changing times in the 'Deep South'.
Will Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling work for this? As this is a collection of stories by Mindy Kaling but yes a kind of autobiography. So I was curious.
Simant wrote: "Will Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling work for this? As this is a collection of stories by Mindy Kaling but yes a kind of autobiography. So I was curious."I don't think it counts.
Elyse wrote: "Simant wrote: "Will Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling work for this? As this is a collection of stories by Mindy Kaling but yes a kind of autobiography. So I was curious."..."Thanks!
Simant wrote: "Will Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling work for this? As this is a collection of stories by Mindy Kaling but yes a kind of autobiography. So I was curious."None of the pieces are not short stories, all are essays. It is fun though!
I read Almost Famous Women by Megan Mayhew Bergman. I liked many of the the stories in this collection. Each story was different, but I found an underlying thread that bound them all together. For me that thread was do what you need to do and carry on with life. I would read some of her other collections.
I chose What is Not Yours is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi and I didn't like it. The writing was too weird for me and I never quite knew what was going on. Full review here, but does anyone who's read this have an opinion on her novels? They sound so interesting, but I don't want to invest more time in an author whose writing style I dislike.
Becki wrote: "For anyone that liked Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier has a couple books that would fit this category."So much yes to this recommendation. Daphne Du Maurier is amazing.
I ended up reading The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson. They're all what I would call psychological thriller stories, it's been a couple months and I'm still a bit shaken up by them! I would definitely recommend it for anyone doing this category. When the title story came out in the New Yorker, it caused quite a stir!
She also wrote We Have Always Lived in the Castle (coming out as a movie soon) and The Haunting of Hill House
Jocelyn wrote: "Becki wrote: "For anyone that liked Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier has a couple books that would fit this category."So much yes to this recommendation. Daphne Du Maurier is amazing.
I ended up read..."
Yes to Shirley Jackson!
I read sisters of the revolution. It's a collection of stories by women instead of one woman, but close enough to me.
Veronica wrote: "I chose What is Not Yours is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi and I didn't like it. The writing was too weird for me and I never quite knew what was going on. Full review here, but does a..."I couldn't get into that book at all. Haven't read her other books but have no real interest after that one.
Tart wrote: "I'm curious if Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman would work for this. I just finished it. If not I may re-read Blueprints for Building Better Girls: Fiction since I'm a..."I don't think Shrill counts as short stories, but it's a great book regardless!
Zara wrote: "Tart wrote: "I'm curious if Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman would work for this. I just finished it. If not I may re-read [book:Blueprints for Building Better Girls: Fiction|8711905..."It's more a book of essays.
Zara wrote: "Tart wrote: "I'm curious if Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman would work for this. I just finished it. If not I may re-read [book:Blueprints for Building Better Girls: Fiction|8711905..."The prompt doesn't specify short stories, or non-fiction, so I'd say Shrill counts! I listened to Carrie Fisher's new book, because a collection of true stories is still a collection of stories in my book.
I had so many options that I was excited about for this prompt and I ended up reading The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories by Perkins. I have no idea how it took me this many years to finally read it.
Chinook wrote: "I had so many options that I was excited about for this prompt and I ended up reading The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories by Perkins. I have no idea how it took me this many years to finally rea..."The Yellow Wallpaper is one of my all-time favorite short stories!
I read Otherworld Chills. It's short stories about characters in the Otherworld world. I enjoy getting more back story and life details on beloved characters.
Teresa wrote: "I read Otherworld Chills. It's short stories about characters in the Otherworld world. I enjoy getting more back story and life details on beloved characters."I agree!!! Any chance I get to spend with beloved characters is wonderful!!
Teresa wrote: "I read Otherworld Chills. It's short stories about characters in the Otherworld world. I enjoy getting more back story and life details on beloved characters."Love these books!
Just finished The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for this task...decent, though I'm still not much of a short story person. I am going to have to try out Adichie's longer fiction, though.
I read Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood. it's one of her newer releases and I really like to the themes of aging throughout her stories. I've been reading her for about 24 years now so it was kind of nice to see where her journey as an author and a woman have taken her. It was a great read
Diane Rehm interviewed her in 2014 about this book. You can listen to it here: https://dianerehm.org/shows/2014-11-1...
I'm reading The Poison Eaters and Other Stories by Holly Black! I've loved her work since I was a young teen.
Emily wrote: "I'm reading The Poison Eaters and Other Stories by Holly Black! I've loved her work since I was a young teen."Love her! I loved Darkest Part of the Forest!!
I read The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I didn't hate it, but I think it confirmed for me I'm not really a short story person. I think I might've been better off with a collected works type selection; maybe I just don't get it, but I don't really understand "the point" of specifically writing a short story collection. Why not just write a novella or novel? I did really like some of the stories in this collection, however, and I did learn a lot about Nigeria. I just wish the endings had been less abrupt in 75% of the stories.
I'm thinking The Things We Lost in the Fire and The Doll's Alphabet.
I was able to use this task to make a dent into my personal library and read Skin Folk by Nalo Hopkinson. A great collection of stories off the beaten path.
I just finished reading Housebroken by Laurie Notaro, who makes me laugh so much I cry.Also, the definition of "story" includes non-fiction for entertainment purposes. So, while collections of short fiction are the obvious choice, I don't think that essays should necessarily be excluded.
In high school, I fell in love with a story by Margaret Atwood, but didn't realize it was her until I came across my photocopy in an old notebook. Other than that story, I had only read The Handmaid's Tale, so I used this prompt as motivation to track down a collection of her stories with "Happy Endings" included. So I read Good Bones and Simple Murders, which I loved and recommend.
Madge wrote: "In high school, I fell in love with a story by Margaret Atwood, but didn't realize it was her until I came across my photocopy in an old notebook. Other than that story, I had only read The Handmai..."Happy Endings is trippy! I read it here: http://occonline.occ.cccd.edu/online/...
I read a collection of stories by the prolific Joyce Carol Oates called Black Dahlia & White Rose. While not quite horror stories, there's something macabre, spooky, or "Twilight Zone" about all of them.
This prompt might be my kryptonite. So far I've read the first three stories from:Dear Life: Stories
Stranger Things Happen
What is Not Yours is Not Yours
And didn't enjoy any of them. I always feel like I'm missing a piece of the story - like whole pages were removed to meet some limit. Any suggestions? I know I'd don't want anything macabre, spooky, or even vaguely ominous. Maybe Difficult Women?
Rachel wrote: "I'm reading Ghostly: A Collection of Ghost Stories, just in time for Halloween!"I just finished this today! Some of the stories gave me nightmares, but it was worth it!
Natalie wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I'm reading Ghostly: A Collection of Ghost Stories, just in time for Halloween!"I just finished this today! Some of the stories gave me nightmares, but it was worth..."
Really? I haven't found any of it scary so far, and I'm usually a coward when it comes to ghosts.
Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Ghostly: A Collection of Ghost Stories (other topics)Ghostly: A Collection of Ghost Stories (other topics)
Ghostly: A Collection of Ghost Stories (other topics)
What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours (other topics)
Stranger Things Happen (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Nalo Hopkinson (other topics)Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (other topics)
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (other topics)
Margaret Atwood (other topics)
Roshi Fernando (other topics)
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If you pick it up, avoid the introduction. The introduction author does that bizarre thing where he spoils every single story, and then concludes with "enjoy these stories [that I just ruined for you]!"