Short stories audiobooks featuring contemporary female protagonists

July 5, 2017 7:30 PM

I enjoyed (most) of the stories in 'Difficult Women" and am looking for something similar. I prefer stories set in contemporary North America, female protagonists, featuring scrappy and interesting characters. Ethnicity (or lack thereof) is no concern either way. Not looking for historical fiction, romance, or erotica. Suspense is good. Read a bunch of horror lately so I'm bored with horror for now. Please recommend audiobooks for me!
posted by long haired child to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

Response by poster: I am also open to suggestions that meet all of the other guidelines with male protagonists, but female protagonists are my preference. Not interested in military/war stuff. thanks!
posted by long haired child at 7:32 PM on July 5, 2017

Response by poster: Last note- I am only interested in audiobook, and I am cheerfully but earnestly requesting that you please NOT recommend anything that would be perfect for me but is not available as an audiobook. I know these books exist and I am already sad I don't have time to sit down and read them.
posted by long haired child at 7:36 PM on July 5, 2017

Well, I apologize for recommending a book I have yet to read, but everyone I know who has read A Manual for Cleaning Women has strongly recommended it and it sounds like just the thing for you.
posted by janey47 at 11:39 PM on July 5, 2017

You might also like Olive Kittredge. It's connected stories, so something between short stories and a novel. Sorry about these audible links, I have a devil of a time linking the actual book on my phone, because I have the app. Be careful though -- one of these is in German.
posted by janey47 at 11:49 PM on July 5, 2017

Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies is beautiful (audiobook). It's female protagonists, and short stories, and most are set in North America (IIRC), though some are set in India. It's worth the investment. Also if you like Lahiri, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni also has some short story collections with great female protagonists. Here's one in audiobook format.

I missed that you said you weren't looking for romance, but I'd say that while relationships are the theme of many stories, they aren't romances. They're just beautifully written and meditations on the difficulty of crossing cultures and of the places, things and people in whom you find your identity.
posted by guster4lovers at 1:49 AM on July 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

Perhaps Mary Gaitskill? Bad Behavior is one of the best books of short stories I've ever read, and appears to be available at that link. I can't vouch for Don't Cry, but I'd guess it's very good.
posted by dizziest at 3:47 PM on July 6, 2017