Short Story February
Last year I tried focusing on short stories during the month of February, and I read a lot of stories. I picked a dozen collections and anthologies and cycled from one to the other throughout the month. I didn’t finish all those books, but I had a good time reading the stories I did get to.
It worked so well, I’m doing it again this year.
Starting February 1, I’ll be reading (almost) exclusively short stories. Of course, something else may come along that demands my reading attention, but I’m going to try to spend as much of the month as possible reading short stories.
I have lots of collections and anthologies here, with stories ranging from literary through science fiction, fantasy, pulp and, of course, mystery. My Monday Current Reading posts will include lists of stories I read and the book they were in.
How about you?
I hope you’ll be joining me this “short story February”
by reading some short stories.
If you do, post them on your blog, (if you have one) and
add a comment below to let us know!
As the month gets underway, here are some of the things I’ll be dipping into:
Tip the Wink 
I like it! Of course, for me every month is short story month. I’ve already read the Lovesey tribute volume, the Scalzi, and the Hemingway. I don’t have that many collections on hand, but I always have something.
I know you read short stories all the time, Jeff, but for me a month focused on them is a real motivator. I have a book with 20 pages left, plus two library books left to read by Feb 01, then I’m going to make it 28 straight days of short stories. I have dozens of other collections and anthologies in addition to those I show in the post.
Like Hemingway better as a short story writer than a novelist.
I always tip into a few short story collections every week-right now it’s Anno Dracula 1889 by Kim Newman, The resurrection Man’s Legacy by Dale Bailey and Dead On the Bones by Joe Lansdale.
Steve, see my comment to Jeff, above. A focused month helps me get a lot of stories read.
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There are a lot of free stories you can read online too. I read the original group of stories in CARNACKI, THE GHOST FINDER by William Hope Hodgson last year, but there were additional Carnacki stories published later, and I’m reading them now on Forgotten Futures.
I have more than enough right here at hand. I’m sure there are a lot on line, but unless they’re in a format I can import into Kindle for the Mac on my iPad, they are unwieldy to read on screen.
Working on the O’Hara stories. Yes, lots of good stories online.
I have the Gibbsville stories in my “line-up” of collections, but it’s such a fat book I doubt I’ll get far in it.
Patti, I found a site with 200 Chekhov stories online a couple of years ago and worked my way through all of them.
I might take up your FEBRUARY SHORT STORY Challenge in 2018. Right now, I’m chipping away at the stack of Library books that are coming due (I’m down to 17 from 26!).
It never hurts to slip a few short stories into the mix, George!
I still read quite a few short stories every year. I love the form.
Short story February sounds great!
I think you’ll really like the Scalzi, his short fiction is very different from his novels, and most of these stories are humorous, which is nice. I can’t wait to hear what you think of The Starlit Wood, my faves in that anthology were the Max Gladstone and Daryl Gregory stories.
I read Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles, but won’t be able to get the review up until Feb, and I have a few other anthologies and single author short story collections I’ve been dipping into recently. so huge YAY for February and short stories!
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I will definitely join you on this. I will probably read one or two novels but I have plenty of short story books I have been wanting to read from. I also have the John Scalzi book, Miniatures, and I have already read the first two or three in the book.
Great! Post your short story reading your fine blog, and then make a comment here with a link. Thanks!
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I will surely be joining you with this. I have decided to start with ‘The Best Crime Stories.’ https://randomzb.wordpress.com/2017/01/31/short-story-february/
Glad to have you join us, Bernadette. Looking forward to your posts and comments.
Love these man! I’m in too. I would love for you to check a story I am writing. It would be of great help if you could just put in your opinion. Thanks man!
These are great! And true!!