Mae Murphy

As the days get longer under the summer sun, there’s no better time to dive into a collection of captivating short stories.

Whether you’re sunbathing in the garden or lounging on the beach, these books will delight, entertain, and maybe even give you a bit of a thrill.

Girlfriends by Emily Zhou

First up, Girlfriends (2023) is a stunningly intimate and tender look into the lives of Gen Z trans women. If you’re a fan of Mary McCarthy’s work, Girlfriends shows Zhou as her natural successor. The story Means to an End is a stand-out, with the protagonist Leonora finding her place through being the ‘fourth tenant of the lesbian love triangle apartment’.

“Girlfriends becomes a time capsule of what it means to be queer right now”

Zhou’s protagonists are fleshed out with great care, allowing the collection to become something more than just short stories. In this way, Girlfriends becomes a time capsule of what it means to be queer right now. Her prose is witty and lucid and perfectly encapsulates the messiness of coming of age. As Zhou’s literary debut, this collection marks her as an upcoming writer to watch and a must-read collection of stories this summer.

Sluts by Michelle Tea

Are you having a hot girl summer? Sluts (2024) explores what it means to be sexually promiscuous in our culture. Edited by Tea, this anthology has something for everyone as it spans the genres of non-fiction to fiction and sex to a lack thereof.

Slut eras, attachment styles, porn, and Viagra are all explored to understand the sex we have. Chloé Caldwell and Amanda Montell’s writings are both personal highlights. Tea curates a collection of stories and essays to give a nuanced view of sex, covering both the pros and cons of hook-up culture. Any book-slut will love this.

Send Nudes by Saba Sams

From clubs at closing time to beach holidays, Sams’ Send Nudes (2023) explores the treacherous terrain of girlhood. Her short stories all focus on coming-of-age in a complex and contradictory world. My favourite story – Tinderloin – sees our protagonist lose her virginity to an older man while finding a deeper relationship with his dog.

Send Nudes celebrates the small victories in a world built to destroy young women. Sams’ stories are incredibly intimate character studies, and as yet another debut collection on this list, Sams is a writer to watch.

Mr Salary by Sally Rooney

Rooney is the IT Girl of literature. We all know Normal People (2019), so why not dive into her lesser-known debut? Mr Salary (2019) packs a punch in 48 pages. From her very first work, she demonstrates the ability to depict the smallest nuances of where a relationship goes wrong.

“Despite being the shortest recommendation on the list, Mr Salary is well worth a read”

It’s a profound exploration of grief, loss, and love behind a deceptively simple plot. The protagonist, Sukie, returns home as her father dies, and reunites with an old crush. Despite being the shortest recommendation, Mr Salary is well worth a read.

Slugs and Other Stories by Megan Milks

If you want to feel connected to nature’s absurdities this summer, Slugs and Other Stories (2021) is for you. Milks is a truly inventive writer who pushes the boundaries of sex and pop culture.

“This one’s for the reader who feels like they’ve read everything”

From fan fiction to choose-your-own-adventure, this collection is a whirlwind. You will never look at slugs (or tomatoes) the same way again. But you’ll be so impressed by Milks’ insane creativity that you can’t help but love every story. This one’s for the reader who feels like they’ve read everything.

Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata

Life Ceremony (2022) will feel like home for those who’ve always felt a bit alien. Murata is well-known as the queen of weird literature after Convenience Store Woman (2016) and Earthlings (2018) became bestsellers. In these strange and wonderful stories, she uses horror and humour to highlight the oddities behind friendships, relationships, and family.

All her stories explore what it means to be normal. The titular story, Life Ceremony, focuses on a new ritual where mourners begin to consume the dead in miso soup. It’s a strange collection that veers away from Convenience Store Woman completely. Instead, these stories are seemingly set within the same strange universe as Earthlings. Murata pushes on the ordinary until it bends out of shape, making her stories the perfect break from the sometimes monotonous summer reads.

Sylvia Plath Watches Us Sleep… but We Don’t Mind by Victoria Richards

Finally, Sylvia Plath Watches Us Sleep… but We Don’t Mind (2023) is an atmospheric look into the inner lives of women yearning for freedom. Richards writes in an intoxicating and immersive way. In one story, an online celebrity feminist confronts her troll.

“The highest praise I can give is simple: I believe Plath herself would devour this like air”

It is an inherently feminist collection, with her glimpses into female desire feeling like something you can only read on a cool summer’s evening. She crafts eerie short stories covering mental health, grief, and dysfunctional relationships. The highest praise I can give is simple: I believe Plath herself would devour this like air.

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Featured image courtesy of Christin Hulme on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image licence found here.

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