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Give me some help about a list of short story books


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Hi everyone. Friends, I recently became a member of this forum and I want help with short stories. I have a very little time to read a book because of my job and a long working time, and this is a very annoying thing for me, because I love reading books, so I bought some of the best audiobooks from an online e-books store so that I can listen to them in the way. But as I like to read the book, I'm looking for short stories that I can read and finish them very quickly in one or two days, and the problem of not reading books can be solved for me. I would appreciate if you can introduce me a list of nice and interesting short stories to read.

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I don't read short stories as such, but I've read 'essay collections' by one of my favorite authors, Augusten Burroughs. They are not really essays, I don't think, they are more like writings on specific things. 

 

But I know Augusten Burroughs is not for everyone. He might curse, he might talk about taboos, etc. 

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Not entirely sure what to go for if you haven't got a go-to genre. Are you looking for short stories specifically or also novellas? Either can be quick to read and easy to fit into a long day of work. 

 

Try the short stories by Saki if you're looking for something easy to read and (mostly) light-hearted.

 

I've recently read Cassandra Parkins' New World Fairy Tales which is a collection of re-imagined fairy tales though not quite as rosy as the originals, I had fun trying to figure out which fairy tale was the basis of each story.

 

Simon Kinch's Two Sketches of Disjointed Happiness not a short story, more of a novella, it's a quick read and easy to fit in between work.

Guy Ware's The Fat of Fed Beasts is, well, very different. Avoid if not a fan of cursing. I loved its weirdness. 

 

O and because I think everyone should read James Joyce, read Dubliners. 

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I always recommend Lydia Davis for short stories.

 

She is one of the most original writers out there and the winner of the 2013 Man Booker International Prize. Shes' been described as 'the master of a literary form largely of her own invention.'

 

Some of her stories are only a sentence or paragraph long - I have always been fascinated by Davis's ability to play with words. I don't think I've ever read a writer like her.

 

You can find some of her short stories online if you want to get an idea of her style before diving in.

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On 3/10/2019 at 2:26 AM, Polly Parrot said:

Not entirely sure what to go for if you haven't got a go-to genre. Are you looking for short stories specifically or also novellas? Either can be quick to read and easy to fit into a long day of work. 

 

Try the short stories by Saki if you're looking for something easy to read and (mostly) light-hearted.

 

I've recently read Cassandra Parkins' New World Fairy Tales which is a collection of re-imagined fairy tales though not quite as rosy as the originals, I had fun trying to figure out which fairy tale was the basis of each story.

 

Simon Kinch's Two Sketches of Disjointed Happiness not a short story, more of a novella, it's a quick read and easy to fit in between work.

Guy Ware's The Fat of Fed Beasts is, well, very different. Avoid if not a fan of cursing. I loved its weirdness. 

 

O and because I think everyone should read James Joyce, read Dubliners. 

I'm not hard-hitting about the book, but if I want to further specify exactly what style of books I like, I can refer to Science Fiction & Fantasy Books, Philosophy, and Poetry

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On 3/9/2019 at 10:14 PM, frankie said:

I don't read short stories as such, but I've read 'essay collections' by one of my favorite authors, Augusten Burroughs. They are not really essays, I don't think, they are more like writings on specific things. 

 

But I know Augusten Burroughs is not for everyone. He might curse, he might talk about taboos, etc. 

This book is amazing, I read it two years ago, and now I can read it again. This is the perfect book for people who thought they hated short stories. This book is a collection of uninteresting, unrelated, self-indulgent, rambling stories about alcoholism, over eating, voyeurism and the authors dysfunctional family and I like it. 

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I just read a book from this author [Lydia Davis] whose name was "The End of the Story" Although I read the book until the end of the book, I could not communicate with her.
I hope other books you suggested by this author have worth reading and I can add to my reading list.

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