Reading for pleasure is a luxury most college students simply can’t afford. With dense textbook readings, it’s easy to forget why many of us love to read in the first place. Short story collections offer an easier way to keep up with reading. These snappy vignettes will grab your attention whenever you have time to pick the book up.
Nine Stories by JD Salinger If you read and loved Catcher in the Rye, enjoy more of Salinger’s blunt and truthful voice in his collection of short stories, including two of his most famous works, “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” and “For Esmé — with Love and Squalor.” His short stories were published first in The New Yorker, where he was a valued contributor after wowing the literary world with “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” in 1948.
I, Robot by Issac Asimov First published in 1950, this collection of nine stories has become sci-fi royalty. Some of the stories have become the basis for blockbuster Hollywood movies and others have sparked the inspiration of other sci-fi writers. The stories are separate but woven together with their similar themes of morality and humans versus robots. This collection is a must–read for any sci-fi fan.
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout This collection of 13 stories is about a woman, Olive, who lives in a small town in Maine, chronicling the relationships among her family and friends. Expert writer, Strout develops the characters with such vividness. This collection is not an altogether happy one, however it is strong, quality writing that earned the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2009.
When the Nines Roll Over by David Benioff In eight stories, Benioff is masterfully able to capture the psyche of the American male. These stories center on characters as diverse as a hip punk musician, army soldiers, and a devoted boyfriend. Benioff is known for writing screenplays, including adaptations of Troy, The Kite Runner and Wolverine. In this collection he delivers with the same talent he’s known for on the big screen.
