DNF. this is the second book by Curtis Sittenfield that I didn't enjoy. I'm not sure what this genre is but I don't enjoy it. And this one seemed to be a collection of short stories. Sadly I couldn't get invested in the first story so I did not finish this one.

I love a good short story collection and Curtis Sittenfeld amazes in her latest publication. There are readers that hate short stories. But, I find, it’s where an author can truly showcase their talent. Can you reel me in with believable characters and plot development in just a few pages? I am gifted this and more with these 12 stories. The characters feel real, the dialogue believable, and the situations relatable.

I am not the typical audience for short stories but my love of Curtis Sittenfeld's writing led me this book. Her writing is so wise and thoughtful that each story managed to feel complete, even in shorter format. The characters she created in this work are varied and some were hard to like but that made the plots even more interesting. An update about Lee (from Sittenfeld's pervious novel Prep) was such a wonderful addition. I highly recommend this collection, even to those who may not gravitate to short stories, and all of this author's work. Thanks to Curtis Sittenfeld, Random House, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the author's previous novel, Romantic Comedy, so I was eager to dive into this collection of twelve short stories. Overall, the writing is sharp, the characters are well-developed, and while some stories are more compelling and relatable than others, the collection as a whole is engaging. This book marks a refreshing departure from the author’s signature rom-com style, showcasing her growth and versatility as a writer.

The first Curtis Sittenfeld novel I read was "Romantic Comedy", which admittedly put me off of the author's work. When I saw the opportunity to review short stories, I figured it would be a good chance to re-try a celebrated author. Show Don't Tell is an excellent collection that focuses on relationships, modern struggles, aging, and generally living life. I love her writing in this series. Not all characters are likeable (or even tolerable),and some descriptions may seem mundane, but in the end, that's life... isn't it? We all spend time analyzing our actions in our own slice of the world, repeating our traumas and mantras, trying to break free and be different. We all live life. This collection is a great connector, showing vulnerability in forms both recognizable and foreign to different reader demographics. Well done!

Standouts included:
Show don't tell
The richest babysitter in the world
White women LOL
The Hug


Some stories stood out to me more than others, so 4* review.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I always love Curtis Sittenfeld's writing. She has such a unique ability to capture perspective and emotion. At this point, I think I've read nearly all of her catalogue, so I was excited to scoop this up --thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

I'm not typically a reader of short stories, as I prefer more time with the characters. That being said, nearly all of these stories drew me in and made me think, although I connected with some more than others. I also appreciated that most of them were helmed by middle-aged women, whose inner lives aren't often explored in books. And a Prep update?!

I am not really a short story fan as I often feel like things aren't fully fleshed out and I'm left a bit unsatisfied - but that being said, I adore Curtis Sittenfeld and will read anything she writes. I do feel like I prefer her novels, but I did enjoy this short story collection and especially enjoyed the update from Lee (of Prep fame). Definitely recommend this as a quick read for anyone who enjoys this author!

Curtis Sittenfeld returns with Show Don't Tell, a collection of twelve short stories and my first time reading her shorter work. I prefer Sittenfeld's novels, which benefit from more time and depth, but still really enjoyed this thoughtful, character-driven collection. Her writing is always sharp, observant, and witty, and she manages to flesh out the worlds and characters of each story.

Loved this collection of 12 short stories- each one discussing different topics of relationships, friendships & community. such a quick and easy read. even though the stories were short each one was very thought provoking.

4/5 - I love Curtis Sittenfeld’s writing. She is a true storyteller, and that was abundantly clear in this series. Sittenfeld has an uncanny ability to transform the most mundane moments and internal musings into something meaningful, thought provoking and layered. Most of these stories weren’t happy, per se, but some were uplifting while others were left me feeling uneasy or melancholy. I don’t typically love short stories - or books for that matter - because I’m a detail gal and consuming always feels unfinished, but each of these stories left me intrigued, curious and contemplative. It’s been years since I read Prep, but I LOVE that the series ended with an update from Lee.

Thank you to @netgalley, Random House and Curtis Sittenfeld for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I will read anything Curtis Sittenfeld writes. Her ability to make the seemingly mundane layered and entertaining is unlike any other writers in this day and age. This is a great read for anyone who enjoys literary fiction or novels about life.

Although I love how the author writes, these did not do it for me. Some of the stories were interesting, however ultimately I was glad when one ended and another began.
Not all were bad, but more were ok than great.

I loved this author's prior book, 'Romanic Comedy', so was excited when I saw this collection of short stories. As with any collection, you like some more than others, and of this selection of 12, there are a few that stand out for me. 'White Women LOL', 'The Richest Babysitter in the world', and 'The Marriage Clock', particularly stand out. Many deal with 'what ifs'-I took the other path, regarding decisions made and not made, many deal with mid-life crisis, and several discuss the trials and tribulations of every day life. In 'The Richest Babysitter in the World', Kit starts working for Diane and Bryan during college, planning to move to AZ after graduation to go to law school. Bryan is starting up a fledgling online shopping website (a la Amazon), and offers her a job. She still pursues her original path (with some changes), and he ends up becoming a billionaire. In 'White Women LOL', Jill is accused of racism due to some comments to a group of black friends that were party crashers at her friends' party. The incident gets recorded and put online and the rest of the story she is trying to redeem herself. Many of the stories focus on chances not taken, or wondering if you made a different decision, things we all do on a day to day basis. The writing is crisp, the characters well developed, and some of the stories are more interesting and relatable than others. A nice departure from the authors' usual trope of rom coms, and you can see her growth in this body of work.

In this collection of short stories we meet some engaging friends, young adults working towards careers, and interesting married people. We learn how tentative ideas can be as experiences change the character’s lives. Intentions are often misconstrued leaving characters exhibiting the wrong idea. I liked that we meet some of the characters as teens and see changes in later life that have changed them. Characters are well developed with a lot to share with the reader.

Curtis Sittenfeld can weave stories about people like no one else. She does a great job of developing quirky characters and exploring connections between people. In her latest short story collection, Show Don't Tell, Sittenfeld explores a variety of situations, mostly involving middle-aged women. I laughed out loud at some of the situations. Some of the stories have been published elsewhere but I hadn't read them before and enjoyed all the stories in this book. I'm not usually a short story fan, but these were great. Highly recommended!

Having only read Romantic Comedy before this, I was already a fan of Curtis Sittenfeld’s writing—especially her ability to weave humor into sharp, observant storytelling.

These short stories dive deep into the complexities of relationships and the search for personal truth, introducing us to characters at vulnerable moments in their lives. Sittenfeld explores themes of marriage, fame, privilege, and the passage of time, often through the lens of middle-aged characters reflecting on the choices that have shaped them. Many of the stories center on family, reunions, and friendships from college, frequently flashing back to younger years.

Regret, and the ever-present “what if” linger in the background of many narratives. While the themes at times felt repetitive—some of the stories started to blend together for me—the collection as a whole is an insightful, deeply human exploration of how we define success, love, and personal fulfillment.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

If you love Curtis Sittenfeld's writing, you will love this short story collection! While it remains jarring to be thrown back to 2020/early pandemic days in some of these stories, I loved the overall themes of reflection, earned perspective, and relationship norms. Not every story landed for me (typical of a collection) but for most I thought they struck the right balance of throwing me in a character's world but not leaving me wanting at the end. As a fan, I really enjoyed it and recommend!

I devoured this. The only disappointment was that these are short stories. I wanted all of them to be novels. But they are excellent, modern case studies of the short story. They all ended somewhere in the middle of a plot line, but complete enough that you had the suggestion of a continuing arc. Most of the stories involved mid-life characters, which I also appreciated and related to. This is such a satisfying deviation from the last book, which did not hit right for me. Glad to have Sittenfeld back. Thank you, Random House and NetGalley, for the Arc.

Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld
4.5/5
An absolutely brilliant and almost perfect collection of short stories!! In 2024, I discovered my love for short story collections and this has only added to it!

I still have only read Romantic Comedy (which I love), but in Show Don’t Tell, I was reminded why I love her writing. First, she writes each character in a way that I immediately feel connected to them. Second, the stories are sometimes complicated with feelings that aren’t always positive. And finally, the characters always feel vivid.

My favorite story was probably White Women LOL and The Patron Saints of Middle Age

Thank you so much to Random House and NetGalley for an advance copy!

Curtis Sittenfeld books are pretty much guaranteed to be 4+ stars for me. Her writing is so observant.

Show Don't Tell is a solid short story collection. I particularly liked "Show Don't Tell," "The Richest Babysitter in the World," "Giraffe and Flamingo," and "Lost but Not Forgotten." Sittenfeld's ability to craft an interesting short story is very impressive to me, but I still think I prefer her novels since we get more time with the characters.