Forget the sweater

A few weeks ago, I met with a friend of mine at a business luncheon. When the subject of Christmas and buying presents came up, she told me that each year, her whole family buys each other books. It's been a tradition since her childhood. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, considering she's a literary agent, but I was impressed. It's not easy to find the right sweater for someone, finding the right book could be even more difficult.

Anyway, with that in mind, I'd like to share my own list of books to buy this Christmas. Since many of my friends say they never have time to read, except for magazines, I think short story collections, make a great gift. Your cousin, boyfriend, aunt, or father can tear through one on the subway or while waiting in those long lines for returning the sweater you might have bought them instead.

This list is a blend of commercial and literary fiction. Since I don't really believe in pigeonholing literature. I'm not going to segregate. None of these books are brand new, but they're still my favorites.

Brad Watson's stories are exquisite and deeply felt. In a style that's lyrical yet subtle, Watson's "Last Days of the Dog-Men," introduces the readers to salt of the earth folk in rural towns and the deep mid-west, teaching them about trust, companionship, and the wonders of our imagination. You don't have to be a dog-lover to love these stories.

Circus folk and their descendents, former clowns, dwarves, and tightrope walkers populate Peru, Indiana, Cathy Day 's hometown. As an author, she didn't recognize the legends and rumors of her neighbors and ancestors as storybook material until a professor at University of Alabama's MFA program pointed it out to her. Nearly ten years later, she completed her collection. "The Circus in Winter" is a blend of fiction and history. Day's passion for the magical town where she grew up, and its delightful but also believable characters is contagious.

"A Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing" by Melissa Bank is witty and insightful. It's a good book for the best friend, who is bored of the overly serious books her book club assigns and wants something shamefully accessible and wholly satisfying.

"Dogfight and Other Stories" by Michael Knight is funny. Your male friends will like it, because even though it isn't set in Iraq or Pakistan or mention war in the title, the protagonist isn't a wuss. Your girl friends will appreciate it, because it's a window to the male psyche.

"Cures for Heartbreak" by Margo Rabb is both hilarious and deeply sensitive. It's a book marketed for young adults but loved by adult women. It's about recovering from all kinds of loss and learning to distract yourself from hurt.

If you're still not convinced that the short-story form is as worthwhile as those larger tomes, read Rachel Balik's article She'll tell you where to down-load stories for free. She'll also introduce you two three other phenomenal writers: Anne Enright, Alice Munro, and Peter Selgin. If you haven't ever heard of Alice Munro, here's an old post explaining what it's like to meet a legend.