Bite-Size Pleasures

Looking for books and streams that pack a big punch without a major time investment? We asked critics, authors, and other tastemakers for their favorite pop-culture briefs.

- BY LISA LOMBARDI

Three Great Short Story Collections and One Searing Novella

Selected by Julia Dahl, author of five novels, including the recent thriller I Dreamed of Falling.

Close Range: Wyoming Stories by Annie Proulx "Proulx is best known for the novel Brokeback Mountain, which became an Oscar-winning film. This collection is full of characters and places that embody the same themes: longing, loneliness, and the redemptive power of love."

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri "I was completely transported by this richly observed book of stories that spans the globe, touching on domesticity, the immigrant experience, and family ties."

Best American Mystery and Suspense Stories edited by Steph Cha "If you're a fan of the dark stuff like I am, the annual Best American Mystery and Suspense Stories series is essential reading—especially since series editor Steph Cha took over."

Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson "This novella is a brutal, beautiful classic about a young man struggling with drugs and work and love and death."

Five Underrated Sitcoms to Dip Into

Selected by Walt Hickey, author of You Are What You Watch.

The Comeback "Starring Lisa Kudrow as actress Valerie Cherish attempting to revitalize her career on a sitcom in an industry that has moved on from her entirely, the show is hysterical. Its main error was being released a decade ahead of its time, in 2005. With a similar found-footage style to shows that later came to dominate the genre and an eye toward the eventual ascent of reality television, the 13-episode show quickly developed a cult following, and a decade later, a second season was aired, in 2014." (AVAILABLE ON MAX)