“Summertime and the Livin’ is Easy”

I’m on a quest to write a short story (as I seem to prefer novel writing) and know that the best way to really understand the form is to study short stories. So, part of my summer reading will be to read a number of collections/anthologies of short stories. The YA ones on my list are:

Matter of soulsA Matter of Souls by Denise Lewis Patrick
Published by Carolrhoda Books
From the shores of Africa to the bowels of a transatlantic ship to a voting booth in Mississippi to the jungles of Vietnam, all human connection is a matter of souls. In this stirring collection of short stories, Denise Lewis Patrick considers the souls of black men and women across centuries and continents. In each, she takes the measure of their dignity, describes their dreams, and catalogs their fears. Brutality, beauty, laughter, rage, and love all take their turns in each story, but the final impression is of indomitable, luminous, and connected souls.

 

 

shermanBlasphemy by Sherman Alexie
Published by Grove Press
A bold and irreverent observer of life among Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest, the daring, versatile, funny, and outrageous Alexie showcases all his talents in his newest collection, Blasphemy, where he unites fifteen beloved classics with fifteen new stories in one sweeping anthology for devoted fans and first-time readers.

An indispensable collection of new and classic stories, Blasphemy reminds us, on every thrilling page, why Sherman Alexie is one of our greatest contemporary writers and a true master of the short story.

 

defy darkDefy the Dark
Published by HarperTeen

The seventeen original stories in Defy the Dark, an eerie, mind-bending YA anthology, could only take place in darkness.

Open the pages and discover: A creepy guy who stares too long. The secrets of the core of the earth. Dreams of other people’s lives. A girl who goes mad in the darkness. Monsters in Bavaria. A generational spaceship where night doesn’t exist. And other mysteries and oddities.

The contributors to the enthralling collection are: Sarah Rees Brennan, Tessa Gratton, Rachel Hawkins, Christine Johnson, Valerie Kemp, Malinda Lo, Myra McEntire, Saundra Mitchell, Sarah Ockler, Jackson Pearce, Aprilynne Pike, Dia Reeves, Beth Revis, Carrie Ryan, Jon Skovron, Courtney Summers, and Kate Espy, winner of the Defy the Dark new author contest.

afterAfter: Nineteen Stories of Apocalypse and Dystopia
Published by Hyperion Book

If the melt-down, flood, plague, the third World War, new Ice Age, Rapture, alien invasion, clamp-down, meteor, or something else entirely hit today, what would tomorrow look like? Some of the biggest names in YA and adult literature answer that very question in this short story anthology, each story exploring the lives of teen protagonists raised in catastrophe’s wake—whether set in the days after the change, or decades far in the future.

Features stories by N.K. Jeminsin and Nalo Hopkinson. Two writers whose books I’ve loved. Cecil Castellucci and Sarah Rees Brennan, authors whose books we’ve shared here are also in this anthology.

While We Runthreeproxy

Since a number of my favorite series ended this past spring, I’m on the lookout for a new series to get lost in, or read all the books in one go. Of course I have to buy “While We Run” as I read the first book over spring break and loved it. I also think I’ll check out Kristen Simmon’s Article 5 trilogy since I know it just recently completed. And lastly, I’ve heard too much of the hype about Proxy and it’s sequel Guardian to not be in the know any longer. I have to read and understand what everyone is talking about.

Lastly, I’m also influenced by the reviews my fellow Rich In Color bloggers post, so adding these books to the list. Check in our archives for our blogger reviews to learn more.

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This list may seem like a lot of books, but trust me, I allow myself to indulge in my book reading addiction during the summer. I’ll read all of them, no problem! My vacation starts in two weeks; I can’t wait.

2 Replies to ““Summertime and the Livin’ is Easy”

  1. Oooh, this is a fab compilation! I hardly know of any YA short-story compilations (never mind diverse ones!), so this post is super-useful. Good luck on your own short stories! (:

  2. great list! can I recommend one that bleeds into YA enough that it may be enough of an interest? The collection is titled Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self by Danielle Evans. she is masterful in the craft of short story… thinking about the first three stories and the last in particular.

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