FINAL VINYL DAYS AND OTHER STORIES

FINAL VINYL DAYS AND OTHER STORIES Jill McCorkle (Algonquin, $18.95) Southern eccentrics and nostalgic baby boomers mingle in this offbeat but sometimes cutesy story collection. From ''Your Husband Is Cheating on Us'' (in which a murderous mistress confronts her lover's wife) to ''It's a Funeral! RSVP'' (in which a woman explains that she ''throws funerals'' for a living), the irreverence doled out in these pages seems a bit forced. McCorkle is more convincing when she tackles subtler scenarios, like that of a pregnant woman trying desperately to quit smoking, or a daughter who suddenly frees herself from her controlling mother's negative influence. If you date your final vinyl days by the demise of Jackson Browne, the Eagles, and Billy Joel, this platter's for you. B