Don’t let a shortage of time get in the way of reading a good story. Look for the following collections of short stories the next time you’re in need of concise fiction that still packs a punch:

We’ve Already Gone This Far by Patrick Dacey – Presents a collection of short stories about characters in a small Massachusetts town struggling with loss and disappointment in their respective quests for the American Dream.

Always Happy Hour: Stories by Mary Miller – Combining hard-edged prose and savage Southern charm, the author showcases a collection of lusty, lazy, hard-drinking characters in a series of stories.

The Djinn Falls in Love & Other Stories edited by Mahvesh Murad & Jared Shurin – A fascinating collection of new and classic tales of the fearsome Djinn, from bestselling, award-winning and breakthrough international writers.

Fen: Stories by Daisy Johnson – Offers short stories set in The Fens of England, including a story featuring a house that falls in love with a girl and becomes jealous of her friend.

Dis Mem Ber: And Other Stories of Mystery & Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates – A latest collection of stories focuses on the inner lives of vulnerable female protagonists struggling through victimization, provocation or deep emotional unrest to commit violent retaliatory acts.

MatchUp edited by Lee Child – A follow-up to “FaceOff” collects stories written by best-selling thriller authors, 11 women and 11 men partnered in male-female literary pairings, in an anthology that includes contributions by such favorites as Sandra Brown, John Sandford and Eric Van Lustbader.

Trajectory: Stories by Richard Russo – A collection of short fiction includes the stories of a professor who confronts a plagiarist during a Thanksgiving holiday, a realtor who faces an ominous medical prognosis that places him in his father’s shadow, and a lapsed novelist who struggles with a spouse’s illness while rekindling his career.

The Best American Short Stories 2017 edited by Meg Wolitzer & Heidi Pitlor – An annual anthology of top-selected short fiction includes pieces by a diverse group of writers and stands as a collective reflection of today’s literary world.