18 Best Short Stories Books
We analyzed 5+ expert sources, curated book lists, and recommendations from successful people to find the 18 best short stories books according to the internet — not just one person's opinion. Each book on this list was mentioned by at least two independent sources, and the ranking is based on how frequently each title appears across all sources studied. This consensus-based approach ensures you get recommendations backed by multiple experts, not a single reviewer's bias.
Goal: Find the best Short Stories books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).
Method:
- Search for "best short stories books" and study the top 5+ pages.
- Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
- Rank the results neatly here.
18 Best Short Stories Books
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Her Body and Other Parties
Stories
What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours
Stories of Your Life and Others / Arrival
Also recommended by
4 people
Naval Ravikant recommended this bookNaval Ravikant
"Drop everything and read [Understand]." - Naval Ravikant
Naval Ravikant's recommendation of this book 
Patrick Collison recommended this bookPatrick Collison
Patrick Collison labeled this book "substantially above average."
Patrick Collison's recommendation of this book 
Tim Ferriss recommended this bookTim Ferriss
"Incredible collection of short stories." - Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss's recommendation of this book 
Ezra Klein recommended this bookEzra Klein
Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.
Ezra Klein's recommendation of this book
Tenth of December
Stories
Also recommended by
2 people
Bob Iger recommended this bookBob Iger
Bob Iger told Variety this book was on his Reading List.
Bob Iger's recommendation of this book 
Dave Elitch recommended this bookDave Elitch
Dave Elitch mentioned this book on "The Tim Ferriss Show" podcast.
Dave Elitch's recommendation of this book
Homesick for Another World
Stories
Also recommended by
1 person
David Sedaris recommended this bookDavid Sedaris
"I cannot remember the last time I laughed that hard at a book." - David Sedaris
David Sedaris's recommendation of this book
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Men Without Women
Stories
Also recommended by
1 person
Barack Obama recommended this bookBarack Obama
Barack Obama's favorite books of 2019 list.
Barack Obama's recommendation of this book
What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky
Stories
Also recommended by
1 person
Levar Burton recommended this bookLevar Burton
One of Levar Burton's book recommendations.
Levar Burton's recommendation of this book
A Manual for Cleaning Women
Selected Stories
Dear Life
Stories
Man V. Nature
Stories
Objects of Desire
Stories
Sour Heart
Stories
The Complete Stories
The Dark Dark
Stories
The Office of Historical Corrections
A Novella and Stories
The Thing Around Your Neck
This Is How You Lose Her
You Will Never Be Forgotten
Stories
Sources
- 1
20 Must-Read Collections for Short Story Month | Penguin Random House
penguinrandomhouse.com
- 2
The best short story collections - Pan Macmillan
panmacmillan.com
- 3
The 10 Best Short Story Collections of the Decade ‹ Literary Hub
lithub.com
- 4
The Best Short Story Collections to Read in 2022 | Esquire
esquire.com
- 5
Short Stories To Read If You Can't Focus On Full-Length Novels
buzzfeednews.com
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.
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