The Book Chat: Short Stories

Photo via Contains Moderate Peril

When I first saw the Book Chat topic from Sweet Green Tangerine last week, I didn't know if I would have enough to post about. I don't typically read short stories, but there were actually a few stories that jumped out in my memory right away. I was also able to find the full text for all the stories online, so you can enjoy them yourself (just click the title links)! First: "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell. I read it in high school, and it has stuck with me ever since. When I was searching for an image for this post, I saw the story has also been turned into a film, so I might check that out. Another high school assignment that really stands out to me was "The Necklace." Finally, my mom read us "The Gift of the Magi" when I was young, and it's definitely a classic. Have you read any of these?

Note: This Book Chat topic (combined with a great $1.99 Best American Kindle sale last week) inspired me to buy The Best American Short Stories 2012. Maybe I'll find a few more short stories to add to my favorites! I'll also definitely be checking out the other link-ups to get some new ideas:

I'd also like to add two new reading resolutions for 2013 to my list:

5. Read one magazine per month.
I have this cool app on my iPad called Next (pictured above), which I got suckered into buying because there was a one-month free trial followed by a discounted rate for two months. The rate goes up to full price ($14.99/month) in March, so I really need to decide if it's worth it. As a magazine major, I really miss reading magazines, so I am going to try to get my money's worth this year! (I realize I would need to read at least three or four magazines per month to be worth the $14.99, but even if I cancel my Next subscription, I want to read at least one magazine per month on the road.)

6. Read a book in Spanish.
I took Spanish for three years in high school (that was as much as my school offered), and I always thought I'd want to minor in Spanish. Unfortunately, I didn't skip as many classes as I should have in college, so after two very boring semesters of getting 99 percent on every exam, I was burnt out and didn't want to take any more classes. Boo. I really don't want to lose the little Spanish I do know, however, so I think I want to read a book (maybe a children's or young adult book) in Spanish this year.

I'm also planning to review my progress on my reading resolutions thus far with next week's Book Chat post (topic: rereading books), so check back for that on Thursday!