Book Blogger Appreciation Week Begins with Short Story Mondays and a Giveaway!

As hosted by The Book Mine Set, the first meme I'm participating in for Book Blogger Appreciation Week is Short Story Mondays (and yes, it's barely Monday anymore, but there's still some Monday left on the West coast!). This was a hard meme for me to pass up, since at Harper Perennial where I work, we just spent the summer, and are now heading into the fall, celebrating the short story and since one of my favorite books of all time is Tim O'Brien's collection of stories, The Things They Carried. Part of the short story celebration included the launch of the website Fifty-Two Stories, where a new short story is presented every week of the year.

This summer saw the publication of short story collections by writers both classic and contemporary. These six classic short story collections from by Tolstoy, Cather, Dostoyevsky, Crane, Melville and Wilde feature fantastic new cover designs, and each includes a story by a new writer in the back. Read a classic--learn about a classic-in-the-making.

Among the contemporary collections published, there are two I believe are perfect for book clubs -- Lydia Peele's Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing and Simon van Booy's Love Begins in Winter.

In Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing, Lydia Peelle brings together eight brilliant stories—two of which won Pushcart Prizes and one of which won an O. Henry Prize—that peer straight into the human heart. In startling and original prose, she examines lives derailed by the loss of a vital connection to the natural world.

"Lydia Peelle has given us a collection of stories so artfully constructed and deeply imagined they read like classics. It marks the beginning of what will surely be a long and beautiful career," said Ann Patchett. Browse inside the book to see for yourself and check out the reading group guide.

On the verge of giving up—anchored to dreams that never came true and to people who have long since disappeared from their lives—Van Booy's characters in Love Begins in Winter walk the streets of these stark and beautiful stories until chance meetings with strangers force them to face responsibility for lives they thought had continued on without them.

"The stories of Love Begins in Winter are stylistically brilliant and emotionally beautiful. I found myself gasping, literally gasping, at surprises so perfectly attuned as to be inevitable. Simon Van Booy is an extraordinary writer, and this is a book to be read and reread again and again," said Binnie Kirshenbaum, author of The Scenic Route. Browse inside Love Begins in Winter and check out the reading group guide.

I have a complete set of all these books to give away. Simply post a comment about your favorite book of short stories. I'll choose one random winner from all the comments received (US and Can only) by midnight Wednesday September 16th!

 

Comments

[Martina]

I haven't read many books of short stories - the Chicken Soup books are the first to come to mind.

Thanks for the giveaway!

[Jessica]

Lorrie Moore's Self Help - something about those stories resonated with me, even though I hadn't been in any of those types of situations. However, "A Kid's Guide to Divorce" did hit home since I read it right after my own parents divorced.

[Melissa C]

I don't read many short stories, but I love them when I do find an interesting one! I would love to be entered to win! Thanks for the giveaway!

[Nancye Davis]

I also love the Chicken Soup for the Soul books and I have a ton of them. I also like a book called "Coming of Age" a book of short stories written by young people I used this book teaching middle school Lnguage Arts.

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

[Ann Wallace]

My favorite book of short stories is "A Thurber Carnival" by James Thurber, followed closely by "In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash" by Jean Shepard (which found me laughing out loud on the bus while reading it). James Thurber is one of the few short story authors whose pieces read aloud as well as they do silently. (A product of being a New Yorker writer during its golden age.) Both books provide the best medicine: laughter.

[Alexa]

My favourite is How to breathe under water by Julia Orringer

[Kelly]

My favorite collection of short stories is: Homeland by Kingsolver

kmanfredini AT gmail DOT com

[Rebecca Cox]

Aesop's Fables has always been my favorite book of short stories. Even now I will pick up the book and read them again. My book, that my aunt bought me for Christmas when I was 4, is now falling apart.

[Carolina Gal's Literary Cafe]

I don't read short stories but I would like to try a collection sometime. Unless you consider Aesops fairy tales part of short stories. Which is probably a stretch.

[annie]

I enjoy short stories and my favorite collection is The Mark Twain collection of short stories. Enjoyable and unique.

[Erica]

I've just started reading Lorrie Moore and her short stories (and novels) are wonderful.

[sherry]

I loved "Interpreter of Maladies" and "The Dog of Marriage."

[Wanda]

Right now my favourite is the one I just finished reading:
The Penguin Book of Canadian Short Stories by Jane Urquhart

I would love to be entered in your draw. Thanks.

[Colin Matthew]

I think my favorite short story book is Portland Noir which I just finished reading.

[Sarah]

My favorite book of short stories is a tie between Collected Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges or Life After God by Douglas Coupland. I love short fiction and I'll probably end up getting these great collections anyway... but to win them would be better for my wallet.

Thanks for the giveaway.

[Ti]

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri would be my favorite.

This is a FANtastic giveaway!!

thereedfamilyATsbcglobalDOTnet

[Carrie]

I Am Arachne by Elizabeth Spires

[Melissa]

I've read some of Stephen King's books that were short stories - its still cool to me that Shawshank Redemption the MOVIE was based on a short story of King's!

Also have to mention The Things They Carried is the One Book One Community read for NMU in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (I vacation there often and my fave bookstore is in Marquette.)
Love Begins in Winter looks awesome - thanks for the entry!

[Amanda]

So I am definitely a newbie when it comes to short stories. I used to think I wouldn't like them but I read a book of short stories by Checkov and loved them. I've been dying to check out Love Begins in Winter.

You like The Things They Carried? I'll have to check it out. Thanks!

[Susanna]

My favorite book of short stories is Olive Kitteridge....even though the stories connect, it is considered a novel in stories. I love that book!