Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Summer is Short - Read a Story



Harper Collins Canada is running a great summer reading challenge. Hmm, can you guess what it is? Yes -it's short story reading!

Short story reading is great for when you only have a few minutes and NEED to read. My favourite choices are authors that I've already read. Short stories often let them step outside their 'normal' parameters and we get to see a completely different side of their writing. But it's a great way to sample a writer new to you as well.

The Savvy Reader has a great list of suggestions to get you started. I think I'm going to start with Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things. Let Deanna know what you've read/blogged/tweeted and be entered to win a fall book of your choice! Bloggers from the US are welcome to enter as well.

Over at the Harper Perennial Canada site you can read shorts by some of your favourite authors such as Bolero by Frances Itani or Damaged Goods by Tim Winton. New stories will be posted throughout the summer. There's a contest going on as well - leave a comment to be entered for a copy of Classic Shorts.

Anyone have some favourite collections to recommend?

9 comments:

Stephanie said...

Uhh....was going to suggest Fragile Things (my favorite short stories!) or Smoke and Mirrors by Gaiman. Both are fantastic!! I also read 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill which had some excellent scary stories.

I'm just getting ready to start Runaway, a collection by Alice Munroe. Hopefully it will be good too!

Suzanne Yester said...

Wow, I love the title of your post!! Summer is short and I never read short stories! I actually picked up 20th Century Ghosts (last summer!) and I like Neil Gaiman- where have I been?!:D Thanks for reminding me that short stories are a perfect summer read! I'm going to pick up Fragile Things!

Great Post!
Suzanne

gautami tripathy said...

I read a lot of short stories. I got lots of short story links too on my blog.


You can visit my blog for some great choices. On top of the left sidebar and also all the links on the right side bar.

My blog:

everything distils into reading

Alyce said...

I have several short story collections that I have purchased this year but not cracked open yet. This would be the perfect incentive.

Alyce said...

Is the Harper Collins Canada Short Story reading event limited to Canadians? I was thinking it probably would be (not that it would stop me from reading short stories, just curious). Also, I read on The Savvy Reader that the idea originated in the US, but I don't see a link. Do you know if there is a short story challenge in the US too?

Luanne said...

Hi Alyce:

Great question! I just checked in with The Savvy Reader and yes, if you're a blogger and based in the US, you can enter! I checked into the HarperPerennial US site and can see the badge, but it links to a video, not to a challenge. Hope that answers your question. I'll change the post.

Alyce said...

Thanks Luanne!

Pissenlit said...

My favourite anthology is Mythspring edited by Julie E. Czerneda and Genevieve Kierans. The stories are inspired by lyrics and legends of Canada.

http://www.czerneda.com/mythspring.htm

If you pick it up, make sure you're not eating or drinking anything while reading James Alan Gardner's contribution. Don't say I didn't warn you. :)

Luanne said...

Oh Pissenlit - You just know I have to find this and read it now!!