Short story collections to make you feel….
Sad: Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies is truly one of the most heart-wrenching collections I have ever read. Telling about a variety of Indian people in a variety of places, it opens a window into the painful aspects of everyday life, highlighting Indian culture without exoticizing it.
Weird: The Shell Collector by Anthony Doer might make you want to crawl out of your skin. But despite the fact that some parts are genuinely disturbing, something about the descriptive storytelling kept me hooked. Most of these stories feature relationships with nature, making us question not just our place in the world, but the world in and of itself.
Hopeful: While it’s technically a novel, Blackout is written as a series of intertwined stories by the authors, Nicola Yoon and Angie Thomas. Each of them imbues the stories with a different tone as we watch the sometimes surprising effects of a city-wide blackout on the bustling city of New York. Focusing on a central storyline of Black joy and connection, this book will make you think that maybe things aren’t so bad after all.
Goosebump-y: Melissa Albert wrote two novels based in a world of twisted fairytales – and finally, she’s given us those fairytales. Tales from the Hinterland is amazing, creepy and full of evil, doors and creatures that lure you out in the night. Sadistic and beautiful, this book will scare you in the best way possible.
