“The Elephant Vanishes: Stories” (1993)
Author: Haruki Murakami
Plot: A short-story collection that combines the unbelievable with the everyday.
Importance: This is an accessible introduction to Murakami’s work. The opening tale, “The Wind-Up Bird and Tuesday’s Women,” lays the groundwork for the sprawling novel that came four years later, “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles.”

“Love in the Time of Cholera” (1988)
Author: Gabriel García Márquez
Plot: Florentino Ariza sets out to win Fermina Daza’s heart for the second time, nearly 50 years after first vowing his love and losing her to another man.
Importance: Forgo the recent movie adaptation. This novel is García Márquez at his best – lush and rewarding, a story of devotion that stretches out for decades.

“The Heart is a Lonely Hunter” (1940)
Author: Carson McCullers
Plot: This novel tells the story of a deaf man, John Singer, who moves in with heroine Mick Kelly and her family after his roommate is committed to an asylum.
Importance: This is for anyone who wishes Harper Lee had written another book. “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter” does an excellent job of tackling issues of race and belonging in the 1930s South.

“The Cat’s Pajamas: Stories” (2004)
Author: Ray Bradbury
Plot: A collection that stretches from Bradbury’s beginning work to his recent tales. Some stories are serious (“Chrysalis”), others are fun (“Hail to the Chief”), and all are worth reading.
Importance: This collection shows Bradbury’s flexibility much better than any of his novels. Bradbury’s short stories are just the right length, comic, startling and strange.

“Ordinary People” (1976)
Author: Judith Guest
Plot: The Jarrett family responds to the death of Buck, the eldest son, and the subsequent attempted suicide of Conrad, the younger son.
Importance: Guest handles the story of an “all-American” family reeling from tragedy with grace. This novel is painful and honest, and the characters will stay with you.

All comments are moderated before being published. We will not edit your comments, but we also will not approve those that are abusive, off-topic, attack another poster or contain information we know to be libelous or false.

During peak weekday viewing times, most comments will be reviewed within six hours. For more detailed information, click here.

After submitting your comment, check below for a confirmation message.

• Your name:
• Enter text from image:
  

• Your comment:

* 300-character count. HTML formatting will not display.