Quick question - Does anyone have any favorite short story books, as i'm looking for some inspiration at the moment?

On the subject of my favorite books, it's really hard. So many good books, never enough time to read even half of them. These are just a few that came to mind.

The Wind up Bird Chronicals - Haruki Murakami
Jack Faust - Michael Swanick
How Proust can Change your Life - Alain de Botton
Three to See the King - Magnus Mills
James & the Giant Peach (The first proper book i ever read - and still one of my favorites)
The Lord of The Rings (soooo much better than the films)

Dear Sam

You're right - "The Wind up Bird Chronicle" has to be one of the best books EVER - I was blown away by it and taken to a place books rarely go - it's a wonderful thing indeed. The man is a true genius!

As for short stories, there's a good choice - just off my own shelves now and well worth a read are:

Toby Litt - Exhibitionism (raunchy but one of our best British short story writers)
Erika Krouse - Come up and see me sometime (witty, smart, American)
Ali Smith - The Whole story and other stories (excellent writer and nice links in the tales)
Kate Atkinson - Not the end of the world (surreal and truly wonderful, I prefer these to her novels)
David Ebershoff - The Rose City (fantastic detail, growing up stories)
RJ Price - A boy in summer (not stories, exactly, but interesting - stray towards the realm of prose poetry, and there's no harm in that. Writes like a dream)
Mark Wagstaff - Blue Sunday Stories (gritty, realistic, much undervalued writer)
Matthew Klam - Sam the Cat (funny and cruel, fast-paced)

Also there's the stories of the big American writer, Richard Ford, who everyone raves about, but I have to say I struggled.

Hope this helps!

Lots of love

Anne B

Jackie Kay- Why Don't You Just Stop Talking
Helen Dunmore- Ice Cream
Jane Gardam- any of her collections
Julia Darling- ditto
Edith Wharton- The Reckoning and other stories
James Joyce- Dubliners
Raymond Carver- any!

oh, could go on and on! I have to confess I don't read as many male short story writers, so any suggestions?

Oops, got a little carried away on the old submit button there. Thanks for all the great suggestions. I'm certainly a little more prepared when someone asks me what i want for christmas. Thanks again.

Sorry to join in late in the day, but I’ve just come across this thread. Love Kotzwinkle; the Fan Man and Dr. Rat helped me survive my youth. Anyone read Swimmer In the Secret Sea? I loved it way back when, but don’t know what I’d think of it now. I used to like the work of Richard Brautigan too, another tragic suicide. Ah, those days of Terry Southern and Kurt Vonnegut, when he was a ‘Jr’ and Kesey and…kids today, they don’t know they’re born, why, when I were a lad, a ha’porth of tar cost a farthing….

Julia Cameron was recommended to me. Not sure whether to start with the artist's way or right to write. Any thoughts?
Sue

Definitely start with 'The Artist's Way'. The original and best and the core of Cameron's method! The other stuff just builds on/supplements it, I'd say.

Yeah, I agree. Vein Of Gold - which may be out of print, although library copies seem to be available - is a great second after one's digested Artist's Way. Inspirational!
Pete

Noodles, so you're a Cameron fan too! I understand why you agreed with my comments about writing being about enjoying the process and not just the end product or being read!

Cath

OK got Artists Way. Looks very promising and have even written my first morning pages. Not sure about the artist date though... Do you do that as well?
Sue

Eh?
Have I missed something? Bugger. Means I'll have to dig the dusty old thing out of the pile... again...
Thanks Sue... pal...

I've been pretty slack when it comes to artist dates. Life always seems to get in the way! Maybe that can be my new year's resolution....



<Added>

(Sorry, I'm getting confused with threads here! We've also been discussing Julia Cameron elsewhere ('When In Doubt' Writing exercises forum) and Dee said maybe her NY resolution could be to start morning pages again.)

I'm only on chapter one but looks good! I like the idea of morning pages. Writing three pages of absolutely anything is actually very rewarding. Makes you feel like you're achieving something - as long as you don't read it afterwards!
Sue

NY resolution? Where did I say that? Bugger! Let my guard down there. Only ever made one NY resolution that I've managed to keep and that was to not make any more NY resolutions...

Bums!

Dee.
)

Didn't realise that this thread would get so long when I started it. Just wanted to add another of my favourite books.

Just finished "Everything is Illuminated." Went from irritated, to confused, to heartbroken to amazed. Anyone else read this?

Ben