This one is dead quirky, but in a fascinating way. It deserves a place in the Top Five on the strength of the first story alone, written by a dead grandmother. Unforgettable.
Short stories
Different Seasons by Stephen King
I know I know it’s Stephen King, but when he stays away from the horror, he’s actually a bloody good writer. This volume contains two classic short stories that have subsequently been made into movies: Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (filmed as The Shawshank Redemption) and The Body (filmed as Stand By Me). King’s writing is spare and […]
Both Ways Is The Only Way I Want it by Maile Meloy
Meloy is such a talented writer I’d happily read anything she’d written, even her shopping list. This collection defies categorisation; you just kind of have to read it to appreciate it. So good.
A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor
Just read the first story in this collection and you’ll get it. The power and horror and the beauty of the short story, perfectly encapsulated.
You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld
The only problem with Curtis Sittenfeld is that she doesn’t produce a new book every fortnight. She’s the American Helen Garner, intelligent, perceptive and so full of compassion for all us frail humans. Eligible and American Wife were both astonishingly good books, and so is You Think It, I’ll Say it. It’s a book about grown […]