The best part about January being so long and cold was that it was a great time to read. It was literally too cold to do anything else. February is starting off the same way. If you’re stuck inside this weekend and not sure what to read, here are some of the short stories I read last month. Try one or two or more.
“No Good” by Hala Alyan
“Freezer Burn” by Ron Austin
“Shine” by Ron Austin
“August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury
“The Ceiling” by Kevin Brockmeier
“Demonman” by Julialicia Case is an amazing story that appeared online this month at The Master’s Review. Here’s how it begins:
“I am eleven the spring Demonman comes, first to the alley behind the Kroger, where the dumpsters reek like fermented orange juice, then to the train tracks by the boarded-up video store, then to the Harding mansion, still for sale, then to a snot-colored van with flattened tires. He comes to our nightmares, our whispered worries, to newspapers and televisions and notices in the post office. He’s called something else, a different name, although, of course, he is still Demonman. Since the shootings upstate, the police struggle with the race riots, but they claim to be searching for him, following the leads.”
“Expensive Lessons” by Anton Chekhov
“These Certain Young People” by Dave Eggers
“First Night” by Kevin Fitton appeared online this month at Storgy. I loved reading this story that covers a large emotional range but still manages to impart some humor. Here’s how it begins:
“It was the morning of New Year’s Eve, and a dull light confessed the start of another winter day. In Vermont this time of year, the days were short. It was dark when Brian woke in the morning for work and dark when he drove home from the office. It was the time of year Vermonters did their best to survive by taking vacations to the Caribbean, talking to their therapist, and drinking. The night before it was snowing when he went to sleep, and Brian dreamt that the roof was covered with two feet of heavy snow. In his dream, he could feel the house sweating as it tried to hold the weight, could hear the rafters cracking under their burden—pop, pop, pop, like the last kernels of corn on the stove.”
“The Miniature Wife” by Manuel Gonzalez
“Mermaid in the Jar” by Sheila Heti
“Plan B” by Michele Johnson
“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
“My Name is Jean-Pierre and I am Still an End Table” by Dana Schwartz
“Saying Goodbye to Yang” by Alexander Weinstein
If you’ve read a great short story lately, please tell me about it in the comments.
Denton Loving 