The right sort of short stories can also be great for book clubs, particularly at busy times of the year. Rather than focus on a singular narrative, these unique options weave together the voices of several writers. From chicklit to historical fiction to nonfiction that reads like a novel, theres a book here for every book club. The takeaway from this is that i shouldnt bother to write about any other book related topics but should stick to lists of short book club books. An elderly lady is up to no good by helene tursten.
Having fun is a good source of relaxation and stimulation. By keith rice 12 months ago its no secret that were big fans of book clubs and the community and camaraderie they promote we have one after all. But if you actually want to read and discuss some literature, try a short story club. Ive relied on the norton anthology of short fiction, the best american short stories of the. The sense of an ending by julian barnes 163 pages winner of the 2011 man booker prize, this novel is much more accessible and plotdriven than the typical booker prize novel. The condemned man, incidentally, had an expression of such doglike resignation that it looked as if one could set him free to roam around the slopes and would only have to whistle at the start. The odyssey follows the story of hiram walker, a young man born as a slave on a plantation in virginia who has been gifted a mysterious, magical power that eventually saves his life when he nearly drowns in a river. For a little over a century, the annual best american short stories anthology has. Oprahs book club list all 83 books oprah has recommended. Read up on some older recommendations for bonus ideas. This could be a long book, or a very short book, depending on your reading speed and what title you choose.
In the shadow of the banyan is officially fiction, but ratner admits in the authors note that it is basically her storymaking it fiction just gave her freedom with some of the details. Set in the early 20th century and spans 30 years, the story is told in the main protagonists celies letters to god. Short stories for book clubs penguin random house library. Please browse through the stories and then share yours. An intricately crafted short story is a window into a fully developed world in a bitesized nugget. The real world is chockfull of great stories that are perfect for discussion with your book club. Book club for kids discussion questions, reading guide. Freshman year of college, my friend started a book club. You can read two or three short stories per meetup, and still end up with less homework than a book. The next category for the 2018 reading challenge is a book you can read in a day. When getting through an entire book feels a little too ambitious for your monthly book club theres no reason to skip a meeting.
Each chapter in this wonderful earlyreaders chapter book is an individual story and makes for a great introduction to the concept of short stories in general. A guy was in love with a girl but never had the guts to tell her. My favourite poetry anthology as a resource for poems for all occasions, moods and audiences of this age group is ted hughes. Yet, theyre incredibly meaty and will spark lively book club discussions despite their brevity. If youre looking for a place where youll find likeminded people who are fanatic about short stories, then youre in the right place. Short stories your book club will love knopf doubleday. Weve rounded up a list of 25 great short book club books that are perfect for discussion. If youve been struggling to find some good questions, we have ideas for that too. Bernheimer draws on folklore and fairy tales to vividly evoke the enchantment of a young womans inner. With a short story, they can read it in one lunch break.
The titles in this weeks list will get the conversation jumping again. The story opens with michael quinn almost meeting his untimely end on the pacific coast highway. From chicklit to historical fiction to nonfiction that reads like a. If you are starting a book club yourself, you may need some ideas for creating a fun group that people will come back to time after time. One evening, the devil, a sisters confession, the beggar, the drunkard, the adopted son, an artifice, my uncle sosthenes, father milon, the piece of string, and solitude. If a reader hasnt started reading by the morning of the clubs meetup, theyre screwed. We already have a stellar list of lifechanging nonfiction books you can read in a day, so today were focusing on fiction. The best book club books that will encourage discussion in your book. We have a great collection of short stories for students and childrens stories. Start a short story club instead of a book club lifehacker. Read jonathan papernicks defense of the short story for the prosenpeople where he declares.
Touching on those moments in life when you wish to act out but choose to stay in the shadows, this short collection of short stories is a perfect fit for any book club. Once, a middle aged man took his eighty years old father to the park. These short stories in english include vocabulary help and some have vocabulary and comprehension quizzes. For busier months, or even just for a change of pace, consider choosing a short story to discuss. This slim collection of comically dark short stories involving maud and her. For her first selection of the new chapter of oprahs book club with apple, oprah selected tanehisi coates first novel, the water dancer. Just about any of the pieces in ninetynine stories of god would do here, honestly, but i love the firm wink of aubade, only the third story in the book. Years ago we switched from reading books to reading short stories, wrote dot. Tightly plotted with an economical approach to language, a short story can. Some of these were published in late 2019, while some arent released yet, so theyre split into sections by publication date.
Where he finds falsehood or social injustice he exposes it with satire or humour. The best part about being in a book club is getting to spend an afternoon drinking coffee and talking for hours about your new favorite book. The goal of readaloud activities is for clients to enjoy themselves. In all the stories the author seeks to portray the good in human beings. Rather, like the rest of us, theyre struggling to cope with the losses and disappointments, the shocks and surprises, the dramatic turning points that leave their.
From bookthemed activities to printable discussion questions to interviews with the authors, youll find plenty of inspiration for a great conversation. Nprs book concierge our guide to 2015s great reads. The tales are imaginative, fun and a great depiction of a loving family in everyday situations. This is the story of a girl in cambodia during the period of the khmer rouge and the killing fields. The complete tales of lucy gold by kate bernheimer. The inspirational, feel good stories posted in this section are from everyday visitors, like you, through our post a story page.
Pick multiple stories by one author, or in one genre, or. Pick a story, maybe two or three, and youve got an easy month of reading, capped by an engaging discussion. Brodeurs story of her role as facilitator of her mothers affair with her stepfathers best friend starting at the age of fourteen. Short story collections, short stories, books barnes. When wills mother is dying, he and his mother decide to punctuate his hospital visits with an unusual book club with a membership of two. What we talk about when we talk about love by raymond carver.
When youre crunched for time theyre also a quick escape and a great introduction to a writers work. While the old man stepped out from the car, his stick. And about a winepress, the machine used to press the grapes from which wine is made. Click a button to find the best short stories from the authors below. Whether youre picking your book club suggestions as a group or looking for the best book club books to choose from for an individual choice, these 29 options will have you covered. Eleven classic short stories by the great french master of the form. But, the books on this list are especially shortaround 300 pages or less. Lets start off 2020 right with a selection of the best book club books. One of the greatest pieces of african american literature and one of my favorite books. A caregivers book of more readaloud stories for the elderly 1st first edition paperback types of reading activities for elders. This book of short stories is insanely inventive, is sometimes a bit. If you or your book club is new to short story collections, try starting out with one of the most. Our aim is to create a community of readers where they can connect with other fans, authors, and publishers to foster an ongoing relationship with reading.
Complaints about a lack of excitement in the books any particular book group chooses are common. Reviewed by amy gruzesky author kevin scott olson packs a lot into this short story a holocaust survivor, a navy seal, terrorism, and an unexpected, but not unwelcome, flirtation at an outoftheway motel in the middle of nowhere. Coates s debut novel mixes magical realism with historical fiction as it tells the story of hiram walker, who joins the underground railroad and then discovers he has a supernatural power called conduction that allows him to basically use water as a transporter. Five winning books for an activitybased book club geronimo stilton series, by geronimo stilton scholastic, grades. Great literature is a life raft especially under trying circumstances. For most people, that requires multiple reading sessions. Successful groups select good books, have interesting discussions, and foster community. Here are our recommendations for short story collections, with a reading guide for each, for when you crave that perfect treat. There are so many great short stories that i was unable to trim the list to 100 titles. Geronimo the italian journalist rodent has penned dozens of highly illustrated earlyreader chapter books. A story about an unusual school dealing with a rather mundane subject. His stories are meant to make the reader think of the deeper meaning in life. The new york times describes the sense of an ending as a short book, but not a slight one, which actually characterizes all these books.
Amy hempel, housewife this is the shortest story on this lista few words shorter than lydia daviss, evenbut packs a lot of drama into that single sentence. What story or poem would make a good book club icebreaker. Read aloud activities for the elderly golden carers. Launching your book club with a short story or poem sounds excellent. Welcome to brightlys book club for kids, where we encourage young readers to discover great books, share new stories, explore important topics, and have some bookish fun. Knopf too much happiness is the title of alice munros collection, but the characters in these ten powerful short stories hardly seem to be suffering from an excess of joy. Roger, a seemingly bland divorced middleaged guy, and bethany, a cynical goth girl in her early 20s, are. It is a heavy book, but the writing is beautiful and the story is important. The most popular post on books on the table in 2017 was 8 short novels your book club will actually finish, which was viewed and shared approximately one gazillion times more than any other post.