The 10 best short story collections you've never read

Mia Alvar's debut story collection is In the Country. One entry on her list of the ten best short story collections you've never read:

Cowboys Are My Weakness by Pam Houston

I’m not sure this bestseller qualifies as “under-read,” but it’s been a few years and I wanted to include it here for the boldness and enduring charm of its heroines, who are strong and watchful, wild and cerebral, all at the same time. Too smart to buy into the mystique of the strong silent Marlboro man, but too human to be altogether above a good romantic ride into the sunset, these women speak to anyone who’s felt an inner tug-of-war between wanting to be free and needing to be close.

Read about another title on the list.

Coffee with a Canine: Pam Houston and Fenton Johnson.

Writers Read: Pam Houston (February 2012).

--Marshal Zeringue