I'm on a run of great books at the moment, and I should have known that one of the Best British Short Stories anthologies would be a safe bet to keep that run going. I've never been disappointed with Salt.



I haven't actually read that many collections of short stories, but every time I do read one I wonder why I don't read more. I love the variation, getting a taste of different writers' styles, and knowing that even if there is one I'm not keen on, it won't last long and there will be plenty of stories to make up for it. I do think, however, that I need to get better at following up on my favourite authors from the anthologies I read.

Best British Short Stories 2019 is an excellent collection of imaginative short stories, shining a light on the darker side of everyday life. The stories which stand out as my favourites are 'Smack' by Julia Armfield, and 'Reality' by John Lanchester. While there were obviously some stories I enjoyed more than others (my least favourites being slightly too cryptic), there were none I didn't enjoy. I liked that there was only really one story written in an unconventional style, but that there were more than a few stories whose writing style I admired. This one comes highly recommended.

I also highly recommend that you check out the other books that Salt publish.