Kinna

On Completing 100 ‘Shots of Short’

This year, I signed up to do robaroundbooks’ 100 Shots of Short challenge with a goal to read 100 short stories.   This was an easy and an enjoyable task given that I love reading short stories.  I read a combination of single stories, anthologies and collections:

Single Stories

Anthologies:

Collections:

The best anthology: well, I only read one 😮 .  But I cannot recommend African Love Stories enough. It comprises a wonderful and a comprehensive set of stories dealing with all manner and types of love by some of the best African women writers around.

The best collection: It’s hard to choose just one so it’s a tie between Tropical Fish and The Laws of Evening.

Additional thoughts and comments: I want to read more works by Patrica Grace and Quim Monzò. The short story by Roberto Bolaño was really odd and I’m unsure whether Iwill read his longer works. Of course, Saroyan and Gogol are masters of short fiction.

Beyond 100 Shots of Short: For the rest of this year I will read more individual stories from online sources and try some speculative and fantasy shorts. The general plan is to have fun with shorts and flashes.

Advertisement

12 comments

  1. […] challenge.  I love short stories and really a target of 100/year is achievable.  In 2010  I completed the challenge in September, three months ahead of schedule. It was such fun that I decided to read at least 100 short stories […]

    Like

  2. Well done Kinna. I love short stories too…have only read a couple of those authors though. My first Ngozie was a short story in an O Henry Prize collection. It was called The American Embassy and explored beautifully the “will I leave my country or won’t I” movingly. I’ve also read a Bolano short story – from The New Yorker – but can’t recollect its title right now. I don’t think I’ve read a Gogol short story and really should. One of my first favourite short story writers was Guy de Maupassant. He was my read-before-bed author during some of my intense uni student days. I still have my cheap little paperback of his stories that I had back then.

    Like

    • I think I read the same Bolano short story. It was rather weird. I love de Maupasssant as well. For the next round of the challenge, I want to read Katherine Mansfield and Alice Munro among others. I’m also looking to add a collection or two from Australia.

      Like

  3. well done Kinna ,hope riob ,hint hint runs it again ,I like short stories but maybe don’t read enough and have a fair few collections lying around waiting to be read ,all the best stu

    Like

  5. As challenge host, can I be the 2nd (there couldn’t be a better person than Amy to beat me at the post) to congratulate you on your wonderful achievement.

    The 100 Shots of Short Challenge is long overdue for a revamp, and a relaunch thank you for reminding me in the most wonderful of ways.
    With warmest regards and much affection
    Rob

    Like

    • Oh, did I miss that part out? yes, totals exactly 100. I will probably surpass 100 by the end of the year. I love short stories, do you read any? Can;t recommend them enough.

      Like

  7. Congratulations on finishing the challenge! That is a lot of short stories but it seems you really enjoyed them. I have got to start reading more 🙂

    Like

Comments are closed.