My Favourite Short Story Collections - Sharing 30 Books!
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- čas přidán 23. 07. 2024
- Hello! In today's video, I'm sharing some of my favourite short story collections, from WW2 tales, to ghost stories, contemporary short story writers and Victorian classics. These are the stories that have sent chills down my spine, had me laughing out loud, or left me reflecting on the lives of others. Do you enjoy short stories?
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BOOK LINKS:
(affiliate links used for Blackwells)
Old Peter's Russian Tales by Arthur Ransome: tinyurl.com/34cpsjcv
Love short stories, chosen by Victoria Hislop: tinyurl.com/7wbu727x
Life short stories, chosen by Victoria Hislop: tinyurl.com/5b4jyfna
Loss short stories, chosen by Victoria Hislop: tinyurl.com/5eaps3dw
The Golden Age of British Short Stories, edited by Philip Hensher (already out of print!)
Tales from a Village School by Miss Read (out of print):
Murder at the Manor, edited by Martin Edwards: tinyurl.com/3b3e9myf
The First Rumpole Omnibus by John Mortimor: tinyurl.com/26xnz66p
The Teahouse Detective by Baroness Orczy: tinyurl.com/ub979pab
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (Rockport edition out of print, but here's another favourite): tinyurl.com/2bp4eayz
How to Love a Jamaican by Alexia Arthurs: tinyurl.com/bccdhuaz
Miss Marple Mysteries by Agatha Christie: tinyurl.com/3pszcde9
Golf Short Stories by P. G. Wodehouse: tinyurl.com/ta3xvk7e
Meet Mr Mulliner by P. G. Wodehouse: tinyurl.com/4avnatk4
Selected stories by Elizabeth Bowen: tinyurl.com/373pbv3n
Kiss, Kiss by Roald Dahl: tinyurl.com/y458c9dk
You Think It, I'll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld: tinyurl.com/87766nsx
Wave Me Goodbye, edited by Anne Boston (out of stock):
The Montana Stories by Katherine Mansfield: persephonebooks.co.uk/product...
The Closed Door and Other Stories by Dorothy Whipple: persephonebooks.co.uk/product...
Good Evening, Mrs Craven by Mollie Panter-Downes: tinyurl.com/ahefk7n5
English Climate: Wartime Stories by Sylvia Townsend Warner: persephonebooks.co.uk/product...
The Persephone Book of Short Stories: tinyurl.com/t34z3edb
Complete Short Stories of Elizabeth Taylor: tinyurl.com/yyc3j9yz
Cream Buns and Crime by Robin Stevens: tinyurl.com/wy75jb85
Don't Look Now by Daphne du Maurier: tinyurl.com/2xvytpjh
Nudibranch by Irenosen Okojie; tinyurl.com/ahpy4e3a
Mr Wrong by Elizabeth Jane Howard: tinyurl.com/4y232kp6
Classic Ghost Stories: tinyurl.com/45fydpvx
Sleep No More by P.D. James: tinyurl.com/6bamezpb - Zábava
I forgot to mention how much I like hearing about older books and authors. They sound wonderful. I'm an elderly lady who lives alone. Your program brings me joy.
Aren't her videos wonderful?! Always make me feel like I'm having a cozy chat with a friend 🐦💜
Thank you Miranda. I love Agatha Christie short stories, I was gifted Midwinter Murder last Christmas and I believe there is a Midsummer edition (that will have to go on my wish list for next year!). Also enjoy the Rumpole stories. After watching your recommendations, I managed to track down a copy of Tales from a Village School on Abe Books. Looking forward to reading that.
Loved your suggestions! I had Murder at the Manor on my TBR list already.
I'm reading the Miss Marple short stories right now! They are sooo delightful. I'm going to have to read PGW's golf short stories! I would never have thought to pick them up because I'm not a golfer at all either, but you have convinced me.
You show a great variety of books, there is certain at least one for each taste. Thank you !
I don't read short stories nearly enough but have just realised a short story when I have my lunch would be lovely! Saying that I do love Carol Ann Duffy's Faery Tales which are brilliant for this time of year.
I recently read a short story collection by Tove Jansson called The Summer Book, I really enjoyed it and recommend. She also has another collection I have just received called A Winter Book which is hopefully just as good! Tove Jansson has mainly written children’s books, but has several short story collections as well.
Miranda, Brilliant video - thank you! I too am a huge fan of the Persephone compilations of short stories, and you highlighted several that I would love to add to my collection. The Golden Age...edited by Philip Hensher is gorgeous and has been on my wish list since it came out. One of my favorite short story writers is the Canadian Nobel Prize winner Alice Munro, who, like Rumer Godden in China Court, handles the passage of time in unique and creative ways. As always following your lovely videos, my TBR list has again expanded! Lisa xx
Alice Munro is one of my favorites, too. It's been a while since I've read her. I need to dip back in!
Hi Miranda, thank you for a great selection of short stories and especially for the P G Wodehouse suggestion - I think I know exactly who might be getting that as a present at Christmas. Happy reading, Teresa ⛳️📚
Thank you for talking about the golf and Mr. Mulliner short stories. I absolutely love all of them, and keep them in my audio rotation. They’re so underrated! I need to reread some of the Rumpole stories, as it’s been years and I really enjoyed them. I do like the idea of keeping a collection by the bedside. I have several of the British Library Crime Classics ones, and that would be a great way to read them. I’ve also enjoyed the Bodies From the Library collections. I think the 4th one is due out soon. I ordered the Elizabeth Taylor ones years ago and for some reason never read them. You’re inspiring me to pick up those, as well as my Persephone Book of Short Stories. Thank you!!!!!
Once again, thank you for bringing so many new titles to my attention. I am a fan of Alexander McCall Smith and very fond of his short story collections, "Trains and Lovers" being my favorite. Good luck with your bumble bee! :-)
There are so many titles here vying for my attention. I'm not sure where to start, but the Persephone collection and Elizabeth Taylor are working their way toward the top of the list. My most recent short-story read was Mollie Panter-Downes's Good Evening, Mrs. Craven. I enjoyed One Fine Day so much that I couldn't wait to dip into her shorter pieces. They didn't disappoint! Her characters are just so memorable. I'm a big fan of short stories. I enjoy how they share with poetry the power of what is left unsaid, every word and every sentence mattering that much more. When I read short stories by writers I admire, I fall in love with their writing on a sentence level in a way I can overlook when lost in the larger scope of a novel. If I'm uncertain about an unfamiliar writer, I will often sample their short stories before committing to longer works. The novelist and short story writer Alistair MacLeod is responsible for putting Nova Scotia on my "to visit" wish list. He's a sentence wizard. Other favorites from Canada are Alice Munro and Carol Shields. If I start ticking off the writers I enjoy by country, I'll be writing a short story of my own here. I enjoyed this very much--thank you!
Hi Miranda😊. Love the video but my wallet doesn’t 😆😆. Great short story collection👍🏽
Hi Miranda. Thank you for the great short stories compilations recommendations. I haven't read anything for a long time and I think short stories is a good way to start reading again. Have a nice week!
I love ❤️ this. I’m a big fan of short stories. Thank you Miranda for the book recommendations.
I love your take on the books. You have a really great channel.
Another interesting vlog full of intriguing ideas. I particularly appreciate discovering beautiful editions which make such special gifts. I agree that Second World War stories give so many fascinating glimpses of daily life on the home front, and enjoyed the Mollie Panter-Downes. I have fallen behind with a stack of short story collections, I must set aside time to read one during my lunch break each day. The best collection I've read in recent years in Tenth December by George Saunders, and I also have his most recent book drawn, A Swim in the Pond in the Rain, from his academic life, teaching the classic Russian short stories.
Thanks for the great recommendations, Miranda. You might also like Edith Wharton's ghost stories; they are amazing. O Henry is another favorite.
Thanks! Yes, I have the lovely Virago edition of Edith Wharton’s stories - it’s one I regularly recommend at Halloween. Very chilling! 💜
I was never really much of a short story reader until I saw you recommend Georgette Heyer's 'Snowdrift' on one of your previous videos- I loved it! They are great to be able to pick up and put down when life is a bit busy. Also, you have reminded me that I must finally get around to reading some of Agatha Christie's short stories. Thank you for another bunch of wonderful recommendations, Miranda.
I hope I can find some of these short stores.......I've enjoyed the short stories of Eudora Welty and Dorothy Parker.
Thank you so much, Miranda! I really enjoyed this video and will get quite a few from this list! I am a huge fan of short stories and have been enjoying some of Daphne Du Maurier's that I have not read before (what a treat!), as well as Robert Aickman's eerie short stories that I re-read every autumn 👻 I also find that reading a short story sometimes is a good introduction to an author that I have not read before in order to know if I would enjoy reading a longer novel by this writer.
Thank you so much for sharing, Miranda. I have been on the hunt for more short story collections recently, so this video has come at the perfect time. I have been so enjoying your videos and always look forward to seeing your channel pop up in my notifications. Sending warmth and best wishes to both you and the lovely Donna x
That’s great! Hope you enjoy browsing my recommendations 📚💫
I have not read short stories. I'm not sure why. They seem like a perfect read for busy days when the thought of starting a novel seems daunting! Also, I love the suggestion of placing a few books in a guest bedroom! Perfect and cozy!
So pleased to find a fellow fan of Sy!via Townsend Warner's short stories.
This video was so enjoyable, Miranda! I had heard of many of these authors, but you have given me plenty of new reading suggestions. I love P.G. Wodehouse, but had never really thought to read his golf stories, as I thought you might have to be a bit of a golfing expert!
What a fantastic video Miranda! I love short stories, you mentioned many favourites of mine but also lots of lovely new-to-me ones I’ll be adding to my list. I find short stories great to keep on the bedside table, as you say, to dip into, and they are also great for a short read during busier times. The Sherlock Holmes short stories are among my favourites, I actually prefer them to the long novels (although love those too!), and I adore PG Wodehouse’s golfing stories, even though, like you, I know nothing about golf! I’ve recently been listening to the Just William stories, another old favourite which make me laugh aloud!
Excellent recs, Miranda! I am a fan of short stories and there's actually a collection coming out mid October that I'm very excited for called The Haunting Season. It's 8 short stories by modern gothic writers such as Imogen Hermes Gowar, Laura Purcell, Bridget Collins and Jess Kidd. Victorian gothic is among my fav sub genres so this one will be a must have for me! Hope you're having a wonderful week 🐦💜
Thanks, Shawna! I looked it up and it looks really interesting. While looking I stumbled upon another interesting collection called British Library Tales of the Weird that appears to be theme based (haunted houses, botanical gothic, railway stories, etc) there is another volume coming up next month. They are such beautiful little editions 😍 I would love to collect them all 💸😄
@@kristinebenoitdebykhovetz6160 ohh I'd not seen those before! Had to a few to my ever growing wishlist haha 😅 Chill Tidings, Spirits of the Season, Queens of the Abyss and Weird Woods all sound great. Yes, those covers are very cool!
Great minds think alike! I’ve read so many of your choices and loved them all.
I think you might like the Faber Book of Contemporary Stories about Childhood... it’s a wonderful collection.
I absolutely love short stories too; just today I bought the debut collection by Louise Kennedy from N. Ireland called The End of the World is a Cul de Sac and can’t wait to get stuck in!
I would add to your list collections by Somerset Maugham, Edna O’Brien, Alice Munro, Mavis Gallant, Kevin Barry, Lorrie Moore, Lucy Caldwell, William Trevor, Rose Tremain, Jackie Kay etc etc etc!!!!
Hello! Thank you very much for the very interesting recommendations! Intrigued to read the Baroness Orczy one. She is the author of The scarlet pimpernel a favourite of mine when a teenager.
Thank u so much Miranda. Short stories are a “new” genre for me, but really enjoy reading them (why did it take me so long to found the genre???) Perfect when I am on vacation. Lates read was “The Tsar of Love and Techno” by Anthony Marra.
I agree - a short story collection is great for when you’re traveling/ on holiday. It’s always fun to discover a new genre or form of fiction to enjoy 😊📚
So many of these books on my tbr 🙈 I really want to get round to some Roald Dahl short stories, I loved his children's books when I was little! I think you would like a collection of short stories called Dimanche by Irene Nemirovsky. I found a beautiful Persephone collection in a charity shop a few years ago and fell in love. If you like Daphne du Maurier short stories I'm sure you will love them!
His adult stories are very different from his children’s books, although saying that I did find The Witches pretty terrifying!! I do know Dimanche & other stories too - I think Persephone have a very impressive selection of short story books! 📚💫
@@MirandaMills They definitely do!
I remember when my grandad gave me a copy of The Witches to read, I couldn't sleep that night. I wasn't even to finish the film.
Hi Miranda…I have never read short stories before so I really appreciate this introduction. I’m excited to be able to locate some of these collections at our library. My first one will be Wave Me Goodbye, since it is already on my shelf. I hope your lavender still has a lovely scent.💜 thank you.
This was so interesting. I was surprised how many of these I've read. Absolutely loved Miss Marples short stories. Did you ever watch Don't Look Now movie with Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie? Creepy. 😂 Shirley Jackson has a lot of really good short stories too. Well, more books to look for. It's becoming almost a full time job without the pay. Lol. Enjoyed!! See you next time. 📚🐝💕
Oh yes, you’re right about Shirley Jackson! I have seen the film & found it very creep too!! Xxx
I loved reading the Daphne du Maurier story 'Don't Look Now ', and I think I enjoyed the film even more. I went to see it with my husband and a friend many years ago; I was terrified and so was our friend - it's the first and only time I have ever seen someone turn green with fear! He actually came out of the theatre a pale whitish green! My husband didn't really think the film was all that scary!
Enjoyed this so much! I love sitting on my front porch in autumn and reading spooky short stories. Thank you for more recommendations! Vintage ones are my favorite! 📚 ❤️
P. S. I love that you are going to let the bumblebee outside. I love working alongside the bumblebees in my flower beds! 🐝
So glad you enjoyed my recommendations- thank you! Fortunately I was able to persuade the bumblebee outside in the end!! 🐝 ❤️
Don't Look Now terrified me too, I read it many years ago and have never forgotten it!
Perfect timing! I just became the moderator of the short story club at our school and need to search out some titles. I rarely read short stories but now I can't wait to see if some of the ones that intrigued me from your video will be of interest to our students, especially the spooky ones!
I have loved short stories since I discovered O Henry’s at the age of 8. Thank you for pointing out some new ones to us. Every video my list gets longer and longer and that’s a great thing!😂
Glad there were some new ones for you! xxx
I have struggled to enjoy short stories. I often want to know more & have also found many of them don't amount to much.
After this podcast I may have to try again !
Hello Miranda, I love all of these recommendations and I have “Sleep No More” by P.D. James (another author I discovered watching your channel 🥰) my copy has chocolates on the cover and then You Pulled out the Gorgeous Autumnal Cover 🤷🏾♀️...Your Background is BEAUTIFUL!!! I mean a WALL of 📚 books and the Beyond beautiful picture of lavender that I’m guessing that bee 🐝 is trying to get to and the tablecloth/and table. It’s like a seek and find book..I’m sorry this sounds like flattery but it’s not..I”m a first Decan Taurus so I can’t help noticing😊 🥰
Could you please give me author of the three Love Loss Life. I missed it when I started your blog. I'm in US. Enjoy your talks on books so much. And your Mom also. Don't know where to find some of the books but just love hearing about them.Have a good day.
Linda, the stories been chosen by Victoria Hislop
Great recommendations, going to treat myself to Mr Wrong.
I enjoyed these recommendations and look forward to seeking them out! Have you or anyone else suggestions for turn of the century holiday short story collections or Irish short stories from that era?
I love short stories, I have the complete short stories of Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, two volumes of Sherlock Holmes, I have a book F Scott Fitzgerald short stories He is one of my favorite non- crime authors,) I'm reading Blood on the Tracks, about crimes on trains edited by Martin Edwards, I have a book Miss Fisher short stories, and several others. It's so easy to just pick up and read a short story when you're busy. I love them. Thank you for your suggestions, there are several that sound very wonderful.
Have you come across The Bread and Butter Stories by Mary Norton (who wrote The Borrowers)? I think Virago collected and pub!ishedthem.Well worth tracking down.but
Great video Nice books👌🏾
Thank you!
Thanks for the recommendations! I'm not sure how you kept filming with a bee in the room! 😳