Fifteen of the 20 stories in this anthology were outstanding, taking the reader deeply into a vivid world where people’s relationships cause them to come close to catastrophe but elements of those same relationships guide them out again. What makes these stories great are the writing, which takes the reader quickly into the scene and deeply into minds and hearts of the characters. One story was about a gay woman, raising a girl child and struggling with her alcoholic and demented mother who fort...

I look forward every year to the new volume of The Best American Short Sires, a fact which my family is well aware of so the current year is always under the Christmas tree. The 2011 collection, chosen by guest editor Geraldine Brooks, was one of the best ones, I think.But the 2012 version was a big disappointment. Guest editor Tom Perotta's choices are full of bling and video games, which reflects a desire to be on the edge of the next big thing, I think.To be sure, many of the point of view ch...

I always enjoy the author's notes at the end of the collection, but it especially enhanced my understanding of my two favorite stories in the collection"Anything Goes" is a first account by an alcoholic panhandler who while battling his demons, still saves enough from his panhandling to buy a hardback Harry Potter book for his son in foster care. Jesse Walter later explains that the story was inspired after he gave $10 to a woman who said she needed money to buy groceries for her kids. Walter as...

Most of the Best American Short Story collections involve authors who grew up before I did, or authors who grew up after I did, and so share different entertainment media touchpoints than I do. Which is natural, because of course most people are either older or younger than I am.It was, therefore, a little weird seeing a reference smack in the middle of my own college years, Tom Petty’s “Don’t Come Around Here No More”. If you weren’t familiar with it, you wouldn’t recognize it. In fact, 80s mus...

This editions guest editor is Tom Perrotta. In his introduction, Perrotta compares how peoples' opinions of good writing and stories are a matter of individual opinion, just as how people judge their best pizza places. The box tells you it’s the best but lots of pizza places use the same box with the same logo. His personal criteria for judging the stories is the plain language that will be understood by the “average man”, which is the demographic he is in. He turns out to be a pretty good conno...

These collections are always hit and miss for me. I love reading them because you know that you will find one or two amazing stories, maybe a new voice or two, and run into some surprises. Sometimes you see the "big names" like Saunders and Munro and think, "Oh, they'll be great," and they are. Other years, they disappoint. This year, it was the lesser known authors that blew me away.I can't stand reading stories about white, upper-class, educated authors or entitled elitists. Please, no more. A...

Thank you Corinne for pointing out that the GRL did it again and smushed my review for a story into the anthology where the story is found. Since I didn’t read the story from this anthology, I have no idea what the below review is for. 3 stars for the story, 1 star for the GRL. Which IRL is like -50,000,000 stars. Thanks GRL!Review for ? below.Listened to this while alone at work, waiting for the snow and catching up on paperwork. Interesting parallels between the game and the kid's life. Quite

I didn't read the George Saunders short story. "The Last Speaker of the Language" by Carol Anshaw was beautiful. It was a little story about a single lesbian mom and her family life. The details about every life made the novel shine. It was a bittersweet story. Four stars and it reminded me to read her novel, Carry the One.I started "Pilgrim Life" by Taylor Antrim, but I couldn't stand to read about self-involved, dot-com new money brats. One star."What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Fran...

My favorites:Carol Anshaw, "The Last Speaker of the Language" was dark, funny and overall, a story that stays with you.Mary Gaitskill, "The Other Place" is just an amazing story about the darkness that lurks in us all. Loved it, I was not disappointed.Roxane Gay, "North Country" is possibly my favorite story in here. I first read this story in Hobart, and I'm a big fan of her work, but re-reading it here I was just floored by the raw emotion and honesty.Mike Meginnins, "Navigators," from the sam...

Some very good short stories- because I am reading these so long after they are published, I can see the early successes of later well-known authors- like George Saunders, whose story the 10th of December was later part of a well-received short story collection. I will read his firs full length book next- Lincoln in the Bardo!

3.5 - some really nice ones in here but the first half got off to a shallow start

More good stories than bad. Navigators, Diem Perdido, and Anything Helps we're particularly appealing. Definitely check out the author's notes at the end of the book - very intriguing.

I can't believe this is the best of the year. A few did stand out. Jess Walter's Anything Helps, and Miracle Polish by Steven Millhauser. Seriously, though, I had to push myself to finish this collection. It did not make me feel good about the world of letters in 2012.

You never know exactly where Munro is going to go with a story, and yet you trust that all the pieces will somehow connect or enhance the story, straight down to the “Axis”.“Axis” is a story that begins about 50 years ago when two girls are attending college. The entire story spans the many years to old age. Grace and Avie are two history majors. They’re carrying books home for vacation, although they will never read them. One, because that is the nature of a vacation; two, because an education

I have this five stars because I really liked the premise of the fictional RPG father and son play in this short story. The themes that come out of it are unique and thought-provoking. It reminded me of my childhood gaming experiences with my father and brother, and even my mother on occasion. Found this through the Levar Reads podcast.