false 529172 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg 529172 16 17957 2003 Drinking Coffee Elsewhere total:1057|5:214|4:387|3:340|2:103|1:13| 1057 3857 1582 132 9991 3.64 1091 149 20953104 667059 529172 1573223786 9781573223782 110 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529172.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.67 910 2003 4 4 false Fri Apr 25 05:03:21 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 25 05:15:25 -0700 2008 more...]]> 12025578 755462 529172 1573223786 9781573223782 110 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529172.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 2003 3 5 false Sun Jun 08 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Jan 08 19:35:46 -0800 2008 Sun Jun 08 21:40:52 -0700 2008
Me: Oh man, that Gary Soto book of short s...more...]]> 1557943 107724 529172 1573223786 9781573223782 110 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529172.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 2003 2 2 false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Thu May 31 08:09:45 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 20:25:38 -0800 2009
This novel at first had me seriously questioning the validity of ever reading another today show recommended novel again. However, the second half of this book by amateur, yet elitist rich and well-educated Z.Z. Packer does in fact have some merit....more...]]> 13442574 719903 359411 1573222348 9781573222341 12 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174079583m/359411.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174079583s/359411.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359411.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.74 57 Drinking Coffee Elsewhere has attracted as much book-world buzz as a triple espresso. Yet, surprisingly, there are no gimmicks in these eight stories. Their combination of tenderness, humor, and apt, unexpected detail set them apart. In the title story (published in the New Yorker's summer 2000 Debut Fiction issue), a Yale freshman is sent to a psychotherapist who tries to get her--black, bright, motherless, possibly lesbian--to stop "pretending," when she is sure that "pretending" is what got her this far. "Speaking in Tongues" describes the adventures of an Alabama church girl of 14 who takes a bus to Atlanta to try to find the mother who gave her up. Looking around the Montgomery Greyhound station, she wonders if it has changed much since the Reverend King's days. She "tried to imagine where the 'Colored' and 'Whites Only' signs would have hung, then realized she didn't have to. All five blacks waited in one area, all three whites in another." Packer's prose is wielded like a kitchen knife, so familiar to her hand that she could use it with her eyes shut. This is a debut not to miss. --Regina Marler]]> 2003 2 3 false Wed Jan 30 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Jan 24 16:08:11 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 30 21:49:03 -0800 2008
This collection is not without its strengths: some careful writing, some witty characters. I downright enj...more...]]> 9738982 614360 529172 1573223786 9781573223782 110 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529172.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 2003 4 1 false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Thu Nov 29 19:07:03 -0800 2007 Wed Dec 19 12:33:26 -0800 2007
This author has a talent for articulating disappointment, awkwardness and a whole range of outsider feelings. Her...more...]]> 68229450 258790 529172 1573223786 9781573223782 110 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529172.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 2003 2 0 false Fri Aug 21 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 20 13:39:48 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 21 08:42:51 -0700 2009
This is one of those cases where the first story in the collection is so awesome, so perfect, so natural and funny and wise and honest that it's impossible not to expect some of that in the rest of the stories. "Brownies" is really fantastic, and should be (and ...more...]]> 478502 29087 359411 1573222348 9781573222341 12 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174079583m/359411.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174079583s/359411.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359411.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 Drinking Coffee Elsewhere has attracted as much book-world buzz as a triple espresso. Yet, surprisingly, there are no gimmicks in these eight stories. Their combination of tenderness, humor, and apt, unexpected detail set them apart. In the title story (published in the New Yorker's summer 2000 Debut Fiction issue), a Yale freshman is sent to a psychotherapist who tries to get her--black, bright, motherless, possibly lesbian--to stop "pretending," when she is sure that "pretending" is what got her this far. "Speaking in Tongues" describes the adventures of an Alabama church girl of 14 who takes a bus to Atlanta to try to find the mother who gave her up. Looking around the Montgomery Greyhound station, she wonders if it has changed much since the Reverend King's days. She "tried to imagine where the 'Colored' and 'Whites Only' signs would have hung, then realized she didn't have to. All five blacks waited in one area, all three whites in another." Packer's prose is wielded like a kitchen knife, so familiar to her hand that she could use it with her eyes shut. This is a debut not to miss. --Regina Marler]]> 2003 3 1 false Tue May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu Mar 29 07:14:02 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 17:14:59 -0800 2009 more...]]> 48724099 1888385 529172 1573223786 9781573223782 110 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529172.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 2003 0 0 false Mon Mar 09 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 09 14:03:17 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 14 14:31:03 -0700 2009 more...]]> 56835204 88295 529172 1573223786 9781573223782 110 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529172.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 2003 5 0 false Wed May 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu May 21 05:23:53 -0700 2009 Thu May 21 05:31:29 -0700 2009 more...]]> 62423948 548711 529172 1573223786 9781573223782 110 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529172.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 2003 3 0 false Mon Jul 06 20:10:47 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 06 23:42:27 -0700 2009
Overall, beautiful stories, at times funny, at times sad, stories, and especially characters, that come to life. Great dialogue. Anyone else read this? Thought...more...]]> 77038648 1677559 529172 1573223786 9781573223782 110 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529172.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 2003 3 0 false Sat Nov 28 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Nov 07 15:18:20 -0800 2009 Sat Nov 28 00:23:32 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4344698 179318 529172 1573223786 9781573223782 110 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529172.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 2003 2 1 false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Thu Aug 09 20:19:58 -0700 2007 Thu Aug 09 20:21:41 -0700 2007 9880081 644731 529172 1573223786 9781573223782 110 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529172.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 2003 4 1 false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Mon Dec 03 09:08:40 -0800 2007 Mon Dec 03 09:19:18 -0800 2007 39524170 1782645 529172 1573223786 9781573223782 110 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529172.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 2003 0 0 false Sun Dec 07 12:02:01 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 07 12:02:30 -0800 2008 more...]]> 72849412 83319 529172 1573223786 9781573223782 110 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529172.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 2003 3 0 false Mon Oct 05 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 28 21:02:13 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 05 19:47:05 -0700 2009 For me, as with many short story collections this one had the ups and downs. I frankly loathed both of the Dina stories, but that was probably a matter of taste more than anything el...more...]]> 34640361 144579 529172 1573223786 9781573223782 110 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529172.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 2003 4 0 false Sun Nov 16 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Oct 06 06:36:14 -0700 2008 Thu Apr 09 01:58:39 -0700 2009
www.theshortreview.com

There are only eight stories in ZZ Packer’s debut collection, every one of which has previously appeared or reappeared in esteemed literary publications like The New Yorker, Ploughshares, Harper’s, and Zoetrope All-...more...]]> 16366883 607994 529172 1573223786 9781573223782 110 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529172.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 2003 3 0 false Mon Feb 25 19:03:45 -0800 2008 Mon Feb 25 19:10:20 -0800 2008 more...]]> 15729558 186853 359411 1573222348 9781573222341 12 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174079583m/359411.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174079583s/359411.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359411.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 Drinking Coffee Elsewhere has attracted as much book-world buzz as a triple espresso. Yet, surprisingly, there are no gimmicks in these eight stories. Their combination of tenderness, humor, and apt, unexpected detail set them apart. In the title story (published in the New Yorker's summer 2000 Debut Fiction issue), a Yale freshman is sent to a psychotherapist who tries to get her--black, bright, motherless, possibly lesbian--to stop "pretending," when she is sure that "pretending" is what got her this far. "Speaking in Tongues" describes the adventures of an Alabama church girl of 14 who takes a bus to Atlanta to try to find the mother who gave her up. Looking around the Montgomery Greyhound station, she wonders if it has changed much since the Reverend King's days. She "tried to imagine where the 'Colored' and 'Whites Only' signs would have hung, then realized she didn't have to. All five blacks waited in one area, all three whites in another." Packer's prose is wielded like a kitchen knife, so familiar to her hand that she could use it with her eyes shut. This is a debut not to miss. --Regina Marler]]> 2003 3 0 false Fri Mar 21 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Feb 18 15:39:17 -0800 2008 Fri Mar 21 12:09:54 -0700 2008
”By the time Tia wove through the clusters of church members, Sister Gwendolyn and ...more...]]> 9559475 632671 359411 1573222348 9781573222341 12 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174079583m/359411.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174079583s/359411.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359411.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 Drinking Coffee Elsewhere has attracted as much book-world buzz as a triple espresso. Yet, surprisingly, there are no gimmicks in these eight stories. Their combination of tenderness, humor, and apt, unexpected detail set them apart. In the title story (published in the New Yorker's summer 2000 Debut Fiction issue), a Yale freshman is sent to a psychotherapist who tries to get her--black, bright, motherless, possibly lesbian--to stop "pretending," when she is sure that "pretending" is what got her this far. "Speaking in Tongues" describes the adventures of an Alabama church girl of 14 who takes a bus to Atlanta to try to find the mother who gave her up. Looking around the Montgomery Greyhound station, she wonders if it has changed much since the Reverend King's days. She "tried to imagine where the 'Colored' and 'Whites Only' signs would have hung, then realized she didn't have to. All five blacks waited in one area, all three whites in another." Packer's prose is wielded like a kitchen knife, so familiar to her hand that she could use it with her eyes shut. This is a debut not to miss. --Regina Marler]]> 2003 3 0 false Mon Nov 26 10:56:58 -0800 2007 Mon Nov 26 10:57:30 -0800 2007 more...]]> 30609477 1000623 529172 1573223786 9781573223782 110 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222m/529172.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175559222s/529172.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/529172.Drinking_Coffee_Elsewhere 3.65 1057 2003 5 0 false Tue Aug 19 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 19 19:45:32 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 19 19:47:16 -0700 2008 more...]]> 8 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=529172