Top 10: Short-Story Books

Updated: Jan 23, 2021

On short stories:

A short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage. A short story is a photograph; a novel is a film. ~Lorrie Moore

A short story is a different thing all together – a short story is like a kiss in the dark from a stranger. ~Stephen King

A good [short story] would take me out of myself and then stuff me back in, outsized, now, and uneasy with the fit. ~David Sedaris

An author's true skills for story writing are only unmasked with their proficiency in composing short stories. It's like magic! Something that's short and sweet yet charms the reader with its eloquence and articulate structure. Notable stories leave an everlasting impression on the reader's mind, heart and soul.

Personally, I believe that short stories are like gems, waiting to be discovered. It wasn't long that I had developed a better sense of the concept of short stories and how to perceive them. I might blame it on naivety and young age...

Here I've listed my favourite short stories, which I had the pleasure to find, somewhat hidden and unnoticed by the better-known publications. These literary treasures make perfect gifts to oneself or loved ones!

1. The Wandering Goose by Heather Earnhardt

A beautifully illustrated story on an unconventional love, friendship and loss. It all starts with the meeting of Bug and Goose and the start of an unlikely friendship.

Recommended for:

Everyone! (All ages)

Available on BookDepository | Amazon UK | Amazon US

2. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The story begins when the pilot's plane crashes in the middle of the Saharan Desert. That's where he meets the Little Prince who is visiting Earth from a different planet. They talk about universal truths and learn what it means to be human from a child who is not.

Recommended for:

Everyone! (All ages)

Available at Kinokuniya | BookDepository | Amazon UK | Amazon US |

3. The Khalil Gibran Collection by Khalil Gibran

An astounding collection of Khalil Gibran's poetry and fables including The Prophet and The Prophet's Garden.

Recommended for:

Perfect for those who enjoy Rumi's and Hafez's poetry and writings

Available on BookDepository | Amazon UK | Amazon US

4. The Complete Fairy Tales by Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde's storytelling skills are like no other. This volume collects exquisite and poignant tales of true beauty, selfless love, generosity, loyalty, brilliant wit, and moral aestheticism.

Recommended for:

All ages!

Available on BookDepository

5. Short Stories from Hogwarts by J. K. Rowling (3-book Collection)

A collection of short stories and sources of inspiration for J. K. Rowling's infamous Harry Potter series originally featured on Pottermore.com

Recommended for:

All ages

Available at Barnes & Noble | Amazon UK | Amazon US

6. Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm

Derived from folk tales that had been part of the oral storytelling tradition for centuries, these stories are acknowledged as literary landmarks that transcend their time and culture. Grimm's Fairy Tales contains more than 200 stories, with gorgeous illustrations. All short and sweet!

Recommended for:

All ages! Although old English is used here, the stories still appropriate for all age groups

Available at Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | Amazon UK | Amazon US

7. Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Notes from Underground is perhaps one of the first existential novels to ever be written. Exploring the true nature of a human in all its ridiculousness. I believe it's Dostoyevsky's literary masterpiece!

Recommended for:

This one is not everyone's cup of tea... I'm still working on whom I'd recommend this book to...

Available at Kinokuniya | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | Amazon UK | Amazon US