Superb Short Stories

It's sometimes easy to overlook short stories because they often do not get as much attention as novels. Yet, every now and then I come across collections that blow me away and get me excited about short stories all over again.

The eight stories in One More Year focus on the lives of immigrants in the United States. The universal struggles and compassion of the characters resonate throughout the stories, and the descriptive language brings the characters to life.

One More Year is available in other formats.

The News From Spain: Seven Variations on a Love Story, simply stated, captures the ups and downs of love. While the characters range from different centuries and continents, a thread weaves the stories together and makes the collection feel complete.

Jhumpa Lahiri's stories from Interpreter of Maladies examine the internal struggle of respecting cultural traditions while embracing a new country and its ways. These heartfelt and down to earth stories bring a new perspective to the immigrant experience.

Interpreter of Maladies is available in other formats.

Fans of HBO's The Leftovers will enjoy Tom Perrotta's short story collection Nine Inches where he examines the contemporary lives of people in suburbia. The secrets, humor and sometimes even disturbing incidents will satisfy readers who enjoy reading about everyday problems between families and neighbors.

Nine Inches is available in other formats.

What are some of your favorite short story collections?