Infectious Collections: Stories And Poems To Convert Any Reader
This post is for everyone who passes right by the poetry section; all the bookish types who haven't read a short story since graduation. We know you're out there — and you're not alone.
I'm talking to you, folks who love literature — novel-devourers, nonfiction lovers, proud wearers-out of library cards — but just not collections. To all of you who never pick up stories or poems for vacation reading.
And to you I say, gently, lovingly, without judgment: You're missing out! The pleasures of a great story or an exquisite poem are their own sort of bliss — at least as intense, as delightful or as heart-wrenching as any sprawling plotline. Forget school connotations. This ain't nutritious lit; it's fun.
But if you're not used to a genre, it's hard to know where to start. So when the NPR Books team created the Books Concierge, we wanted to encourage serendipitous discoveries. Looking for a comic novel might lead you to funny science fiction; memoir lovers could get hooked by a book shelved with the comics; lovers of long form might stumble across a shorter must-read.
And in that spirit, here, pulled straight from our Concierge, are a few suggestions for folks who don't normally read stories or poetry. We think you'll love these books. And after you're done, maybe — just maybe — you might find yourself browsing those shelves a little more often.