Library Staff Directory
Posted Nov 14, 2014
What's the best way to celebrate short stories? The answer is simple: read them. Whether you’re looking for a quick read, are in between novels, or want something a little less dense, we’ve picked four new books off our fiction and non-fiction shelves that provide a taste of today’s best short stories.
The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher: Stories by Hilary Mantel
Set in contemporary England, critically acclaimed author Hilary Mantel (Bring Up the Bodies and Wolf Hall) presents ten short stories ranging from gothic to quirky. For example, “Sorry to Disturb” scrutinizes the awkward interaction between the narrator and a Saudi Arabian gentleman asking to use her telephone while “How Shall I Know You” follows a young writer traveling to a small town book club. With carefully constructed plot twists, memorable characterizations, and powerful themes, Mantel brings out the best (or worst) in gender, marriage, class, family, and sex.
The UnAmericans by Molly Antopol
Featuring eight thought-provoking stories that span the globe, Antopol’s The UnAmericans seeks the meaning of humanity found in character. Travel into the hearts of immigrants, widowers, soldiers, and teenagers in cities like Kiev, Tel Aviv, Prague, and Brooklyn. For example, in “Duck and Cover,” a man attempts to hide his communistic leanings during the McCarthy-era while an elderly woman recounts the horrors of Jewish youth during World War II in “My Grandmother Tells Me This Story.” Full of intimacy and loneliness, this collection illustrates powerful and beautiful voices in the midst of family, history, and politics.
The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by Marina Keegan
Published posthumously, The Opposite of Loneliness features eighteen short stories and essays that capture the hopes, possibilities, and uncertainties of today’s young adult population. Just twenty-two years old when she died in a tragic car accident five days after graduating from Yale, Keegan was a gifted and prolific writer of fiction and non-fiction. This collection includes stories like “Why We Care About Whales” that exhibits deep character and insight whereas the collection’s namesake “The Opposite of Loneliness” explores the optimism and beauty of found in humanity. Full of energy, this collection is truly bittersweet.
Something Rich and Strange: Selected Stories by Ron Rash
Set in the heart of Appalachia and the American South, Something Rich and Strange features thirty-four short stories vying the traditional versus the modern. Rash, who is well-recognized for his literary expertise, includes stories published in previous collections as well as new stories sure to inspire. For example, in “Waiting for the End of the World,” readers encounter Devon, a man that has had everything go wrong and is just trying to get by whereas in “The Ascent” ten-year old Jared chooses to escape reality through daydreams. Despite the struggles characters endure, Rash’s collection is sure to evoke the heart and soul of both the land and its people.
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