A “short story” can be as brief as 800 words or stretch to 8,000. It will focus on a particular incident from the point of view of one character. A collection of short stories can be a very satisfying option for the avid reader. Each can be consumed on a train journey or during a lunch break. “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies” by Deesha Philyaw was a recent hit in this category, which deserves its bestseller status for its intriguing title alone! Anything by Ali Smith will also enthral you. And remember the classical authors of short stories such as Edgar Allen Poe, H.G. Wells, Anton Chekov, Franz Kafka, Virginal Woolf…
