Kristen Roupenian’s New Yorker short story that went viral, “Cat Person,” has sparked long arguments on social media, think pieces, declarations that Roupenian is genius for shedding light on something hard to characterize and critiques that her story is too commonplace and not worth the attention. A major draw to the story for many readers is Roupenian’s ability to sink into the mind of a twenty-year-old woman and tell the story of a potential budding relationship with a thirty-four year old man from her perspective. If that close narration was something you enjoyed about “Cat Person,” one of these female-focused story collections is bound to strike your fancy.

Her Body and Other Parties
by Carmen Maria Machado
An eclectic range of stories exploring womanhood, power, and more.

Single, Carefree, Mellow
Katherine Heiny
Most of the women in these stories are not single, carefree, or mellow, resulting in a fascinating look at how complex the mind can be.

No One Belongs Here More Than You
Miranda July
July draws close to the inner workings of her characters in this quirky collection.

Barbara the Slut and Other People
Lauren Holmes
Taking slices out of life, Holmes mixes humor with the unexpected for a spread of wildly different personalities and situations.