Armchair BEA Day Three: Novellas/Short Stories

Good morning/afternoon fellow bookworms! Today is Day Three of Armchair BEA as well as being my birthday (it's a big one....35! When did that happen??? Sorry, back on topic!). Today's topic is Novellas and Short Stories. I have always been a bigger fan of epic chunksters that give you a good 400+ pages to really delve into the life and settings of the characters. However, over the years I have found some very entertaining short stories that have both captured my attention and led me to seek out the longer novels by the author. These short stories are also often very inexpensive if purchased as an ebook, which is always a plus for people like me who tend to buy more books than they can ever possibly read. Here are some examples of noteworthy novellas that have come to my attention:

Novellas Introducing Readers To Or Further Developing Characters Found In Full Length Novels

Have you ever become completely enamored by characters in a novel? I know I have! Something I have noticed lately is that some of my favorite authors have begun coming out with novellas dealing with the same characters or settings they have discussed in their full length novels. Some of these are precursors to the longer stories and allow you to get some backstory on why our favorite characters do what they do. Some continue the story or give the reader a different angle from which to view events. No matter what the novellas are discussing they all deepen the experience and entertainment of reading the full novels. Here are some examples of novellas linked to full length novels that sound wonderful:

 

The First Lie by Diane Chamberlain: this short story gives a first glimpse at Ivy Hart, one of the characters in the author's novel Necessary Lies.

 

 

Various novellas by Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series (A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows, The Custom of the Army, A Plague of Zombies to name a few):  these appear to give further depth to characters of this much loved series.

 

 

 

Stand Alone Short Stories That Give  You A Taste Of An Author's Talent

Sometimes the best way to discover an author's writing style and see if they would be someone you would enjoy reading (without spending a lot of money and committing to reading 300+ pages) is reading one of their short stories first. Here are some examples:

 

Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion: This is a collection of original short stories by 10 bestselling authors, all taking place on the same day soon after the end of World War II. I've read or bought books based on recommendations for most of these authors and they are phenomenal! This book will give a little sampling of what each author has to offer and help new readers find which ones speak to them most.

 

 

All Is Bright, Love, Accidentally and Beginning Again by Sarah Pekkanen: these are eShort Stories and, having read them all, I cannot recommend them enough! All three introduce new characters but also twist back around to connect to each other. These are quick, emotionally satisfying reads and a great introduction to a wonderful author.

 

So what about you? Do you enjoy reading short stories? Which ones have you enjoyed?