Top Ten Tuesday: Short Story Collections by Women Writers

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme created by The Broke and the Bookish blog, and now hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week’s topic is: Short Story Collections

In creating this list, I realized that while I’ve read many short stories over the years, I haven’t read very many complete collections. I’ve decided to include five short story collections I’ve read and loved by women writers, and five I want to read.

Read and Loved:

The Garden Party and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield

The Garden Party and Other Stories was my first introduction to the remarkable Katherine Mansfield, and I cannot wait to read more of her writing. I was blown away by her prose and succinct story-telling. This may just be the best short story collection I’ve ever read. I highly recommend giving her work a try.

The Persephone Book of Short Stories

This may be cheating a bit since I’ve only read a little over half of the collection, but I know this is going to go down as one of my favorites. I’ve really enjoyed dipping in and out of this book, and have enjoyed every single short story so far. I think it’s safe to say there isn’t a dud in the entire collection, and I’ve already discovered so many women writers I want to read more from.

Snowdrift and Other Stories by Georgette Heyer

As a Heyer lover, this was a delight to curl up with. There may not be anything surprising in Snowdrift and Other Stories, and several of the stories did feel a bit repetitive, but this collection was a lot of fun. Everything you know and enjoy about Georgette Heyer’s novels can be found here in bite-size form. I’m sure this will be a collection I return to when I need a regency romance fix but don’t want to invest in a full-length novel.

The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson

I still have vivid memories of reading The Lottery for the first time. It’s probably one of the most unforgettable short stories ever written, and Shirley Jackson was a master of her craft. I don’t remember very many of the other stories in this collection, so it sounds like the perfect excuse for a re-read.

Love and Friendship: And Other Youthful Writings by Jane Austen

Once I had devoured all six of Austen’s finished novels, I desperately sought out her other works. I remember really enjoying this collection of her juvenilia, and loved seeing the progression of her writing. I’m way overdue for a re-read of these early stories.

Want to Read:

 

The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor

I’ve heard nothing but wonderful praise for Flannery O’Connor’s writing. I’m very interested in discovering these Southern Gothic stories for myself.

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter

Angela Carter seems to have been a strong influence on the works of so many of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read her dark and gothic fairy tale retellings.

The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier

Considering she’s one of my favorite writers, it’s hard to believe I still haven’t read any of du Maurier’s short stories. That needs to change soon, and this collection seems like a great place to start. I’m especially curious to see the ways in which The Birds differs from its famous film adaptation.

Good Evening Mrs. Craven: The Wartime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes

I’ve heard great things about Mollie Panter-Downes and this short story collection in particular. I don’t think it’s possible to go wrong with a Persephone, and the wartime setting is right up my alley.

Moral Disorder and Other Stories by Margaret Atwood

I’m always ready to read more of Atwood’s writing, and Moral Disorder and Other Stories happens to be one of her works that is waiting on my shelves. I’m curious to see if I’ll enjoy her short stories as much as I have her novels.

 

Have you read any of these short story collections?