Complete Stories of O Henry

O Henry (1862-1910)

I get the feeling that some literary snobs might look down on O Henry. To them I bite my thumb. O Henry is just super fun to read. His stories focus on a time, place, and class of people that might not be found in the history books too often, but working class people in New York or in the west make for some great characters. Generally you get a great setting, mostly New York, a colloquial talking character and a twist at the end. The narration is also playful and creative. This guy's the master. Start with "The Last Leaf" and go from there.

Rating 9.5/10: Nothing will cheer you up or bring a tear to your eye in 15 minutes better than an O Henry story.