Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
The Best American Non-Required Reading 2009 (Best American Non-Required Reading)
by
Dave Eggers ,
Marjane Satrapi , Rivka Galchen , Anne Gisleson , David Grann , Denis Johnson , Tom Kaczynski (Goodreads Author) , Yannick Murphy
,
more…
This "great volume" highlights the "very best of this year's fiction, nonfiction, alternative comics, screenplys, blogs and more" (OK!). Compiled by Dave Eggers and students from his San Francisco writing center, it is "both uproarious and illuminating" (Publishers Weekly).
Paperback, 414 pages
Published
October 8th 2009
by Mariner Books
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,354)
Oddly enough, this is probably the first short story collection I've read cover-to-cover. This is cause for celebration, or at least a new "shelf" on Goodreads. I think I'll call it "short-stories." (oooh!)
If you're going to read your first short story collection why not this one? It is part of an annual series that collects a few stories and non-fiction pieces published that year in some of the better magazines and websites. So it's a smörgåsbord -- or perhaps a "mixed bag" if you are a cynic,...more
If you're going to read your first short story collection why not this one? It is part of an annual series that collects a few stories and non-fiction pieces published that year in some of the better magazines and websites. So it's a smörgåsbord -- or perhaps a "mixed bag" if you are a cynic,...more
With any collection, some parts stood out more than others. The good:
Marjane Satrapi in a charming illustrated story entitled "Why my mother refused to buy me toys" she explains how, she assumed her mother thought she was ugly when she gave young Satrapi the advice to "never injest in your looks! Invest in your brains!" Jonathan Franzen gives a touching eulogy for David Foster Wallace. In "How to Work a Locker Room," Michelle Seaton manages to handle the difficult subjects of sexism, the sexual...more
Marjane Satrapi in a charming illustrated story entitled "Why my mother refused to buy me toys" she explains how, she assumed her mother thought she was ugly when she gave young Satrapi the advice to "never injest in your looks! Invest in your brains!" Jonathan Franzen gives a touching eulogy for David Foster Wallace. In "How to Work a Locker Room," Michelle Seaton manages to handle the difficult subjects of sexism, the sexual...more
This year's volume confirms the status of this collection as my perennial favorite in the whole "Best American" series of anthologies. Whatever you might think of Dave Eggers, he redeems himself on an annual basis with this collection (this year, IMO, he has doubly redeemed himself, with the publication of the extraordinary "Zeitoun", but that's material for a whole 'nother post).
This collection is hard to sum up in a single sentence - one might think of it as an edgier - and more entertaining -...more
This collection is hard to sum up in a single sentence - one might think of it as an edgier - and more entertaining -...more
This book was TOTALLY AWESOME. Deep yet fluffy, reminded me of "This American Life." There are stories about big American issues-- race, war, love, peace, nature-- Big stuff. But every story -- fiction, or non-fiction-- is deeply subjective-- a perspective coming from inside a specific person's head. So it's informative on a level that news can't be. What does it FEEL like to be in Iraq, with billionaires investing in strip malls and oil seeping out of the ground, getting patted down at checkpoi...more
It has become a yearly tradition to read The Best American Nonrequired Reading for the variety of comics, magazine pieces, and unheralded short stories. I recently finished the 2009 edition with a introduction by cartoonist Marjare Satrapi and found a lot to like. There were several good nonfiction pieces like “Boomtown, Iraq” by Denis Johnson, “A Product of This Town” (a story about the Jena 6) by J. Malcolm Garcia, Jonathan Franzen’s tribute to David Foster Wallace, “Relations” (a piece on rac...more
Again, as in years past, BANR delivers. The lists and short clips in Section 1 read well; my favorite being the letters to Obama. Section 2 started off a bit slow (admittedly, as much as I love this volume every year, some articles miss their mark with me), but ended in a whirlwind of powerful ideas and great writing. Amelia Kahaney's short story "The Temp" may be the funniest story ever contained in this collection, while David Grann's "The Chameleon" kept me glued to the page with rapt attenti...more
I'm always a fan of this collection. Best bits:
Best American Titles of Poems Published in 2008 (faves: "If My Life Were a Radio, Lately I Would Prefer Another Station," "A Plea for the Cessation of Fruit Metaphors" - and people say poetry doesn't have a purpose. Where else can we express our exasperation with the fruit metaphor?)
Best American Censorship Blunder, wherein a conservative website's filters replaced runner Tyson Gay's last name with the word homosexual, resulting in completely uninte...more
Best American Titles of Poems Published in 2008 (faves: "If My Life Were a Radio, Lately I Would Prefer Another Station," "A Plea for the Cessation of Fruit Metaphors" - and people say poetry doesn't have a purpose. Where else can we express our exasperation with the fruit metaphor?)
Best American Censorship Blunder, wherein a conservative website's filters replaced runner Tyson Gay's last name with the word homosexual, resulting in completely uninte...more
Just can't get into these. It's fairly obvious, from where I'm standing, that these stories were chosen by a particularly precocious group of youngsters (no, I'm not 70). I mean, in the long run that's actually a good thing; if any little percentage of new readers start reading because of these books, that's well and good. But, from the constant inhibition to resort to recent world headlines, i.e., Iraq, Katrina, economic recession, rinse and repeat, this collection is accustomed to hopping righ...more
"The Outlaw Bride" is by K.G. Schneider, who is my workshop-mate! I have to plug this for her.... such a HUGE honor to have your work chosen for this! Also, thus far, Jonathan Franzen's eulogy for David Foster Wallace has already made me bawl, and the first half of the pieces in the collection have been wholly entertaining and well-written (duh). And of course, the opening "quirky" section (no surprise here, as Dave Eggers is the editor...) is hilarious and borderline hard to believe that it's a...more
This is somewhat of a cheat since the only material I read from this was that by J Malcolm Garcia at the recommendation of Dave Eggars. He told me that this was a writer he'd "follow anywhere," and the story obtained herein is testament to that opinion. Another story available on kindle only is also 5 star worthy === also about post-Katrina New Orleans but also about coming of age is Riding out Katrina with the Red Baron. I cannot say enough about this story. It covers Garcia's first hand experi...more
I accidentally stumbled upon this book during my search for the 2010 addition but the 2009 edition proved to be just as good as the next. My favorite section would definitely be the Best American Kids' Letters to Obama. It reminded me of when I was younger and I wanted to write letters to Bill Clinton. The innocence of these children and the level of how heartfelt these letters are, will bring a smile to anyone's face. Though this was one of my favorite sections, I do have another that I thoroug...more
I'm not usually one to moan about half stars, but if 3 1/2 were an option on this one I would take it. I adore this series, and always buy it the second it appears at the bookstore, but this was not my favorite edition.
I enjoyed the short and fun stuff at the beginning, and Marjane Satrapi's introduction. There were a couple of outstanding pieces in the main body of the book, particularly "The Chameleon", a New Yorker piece about a modern day changeling, and K.G. Schneider's "The Outlaw Bride"....more
I enjoyed the short and fun stuff at the beginning, and Marjane Satrapi's introduction. There were a couple of outstanding pieces in the main body of the book, particularly "The Chameleon", a New Yorker piece about a modern day changeling, and K.G. Schneider's "The Outlaw Bride"....more
I know... I really haven't been reading much lately. I've been crocheting a freakin' ton (look me up on Ravelry! Same username) but yeah, my reading has been a bit limited, mainly keeping up with New York and the New Yorker. But sometime this fall, in a former Borders location, I discovered ... a new Crown Books location! Yes, as of this writing, it's already having its going out of business sale, but oh, it was good while it lasted. Amazing deadstock of weird 80s YA (a bunch of the Cheerleaders...more
Dec 19, 2010
Tinea
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Tinea by:
"yo does anyone have a book that's easy on the braint that they never want returned?"
Shelves:
brain-candy
Essays and fiction from the magazines and journals I never had time to read all year. Perfect bus book. Handed off to someone else on the road.
Ah! Links to two essays I recommend:
The Chameleon: Gripping! Suspenseful! True life crime mystery!
and
Mississippi Drift: Cynical hipster writer joins an anarchopunk travelerkid on a raft ride down the Mississippi River for an article in Harpers... wtf amirite?? If you know of the indignant "you got me allll wronggg" drama that must have come from this stor...more
Ah! Links to two essays I recommend:
The Chameleon: Gripping! Suspenseful! True life crime mystery!
and
Mississippi Drift: Cynical hipster writer joins an anarchopunk travelerkid on a raft ride down the Mississippi River for an article in Harpers... wtf amirite?? If you know of the indignant "you got me allll wronggg" drama that must have come from this stor...more
A decent collection blending comics, non-fiction, short stories, and, oh yeah... craigslist posts, Eggers and his team of teenaged editors (from his reading advocacy volunteer corps 826 National) seemed a bit preoccupied with the sensational. Most of the non-fiction had a political bent, and the hot topics seemed to be race, identity, Iraq, Katrina (still?), gay rights, and anarchy. While some of these themes got to be a bit repetitive, it made some of the writing itself a little easier to compa...more
Marjane Satrapi's introduction didn't exactly fit with the volume as well as I was expecting - it read like an addendum to Persepolis, which it is fortunate I have seen (though not read), or I would have been really, really lost. That's pretty much my only criticism, however.
I'll have to go and check out the previous volumes of this one of the series - as ridiculous as it is that the crazy Craigslist authors get to be republished to further fame(ish) and infamy, it's still hilarious.
I'll have to go and check out the previous volumes of this one of the series - as ridiculous as it is that the crazy Craigslist authors get to be republished to further fame(ish) and infamy, it's still hilarious.
this one was disappointing. i read every year's edition and have liked the selections a lot more in the past. the front section is getting out of control with its "best american" lists - dave eggers is nothing if not overly precious, and it gets annoying. i only liked 8 of the 21 selections. i was actually blown away by "relations" by eula bliss and "the chameleon" by david grann (which i had actually already read in the new yorker, but it is amazing in how fucked up it is). the cover illustrati...more
Some humorous lists in the front section, then a mix of essays, short stories, and comics. If I had to pick a theme, I would say that a lot of this volume seems to be about issues of identity. Like most anthologies, it varies in tone and quality and I skipped some. Unlike most, I thought the latter half of the book was better than the first half. Jonathan Franzen's essay about David Foster Wallace was great.
Apr 20, 2010
Levi
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who want to read stuff just for fun
Another solid volume from the Nonrequired Reading series. Highlights from the "front section": Best American Censorship Blunder, Best American Craigslist Items and Offers to Barter, Best American Kids' Letters to Obama. Then you have the mix of quality fiction (Rivka Galchen's "Wild Berry Blue") and comics (Nick St. John's "Further Notes on My Unfortunate Condition"). Best of all in this collection is the wide non-fiction selection, with many great contributions: a comment on race from Eula Biss...more
David Eggers is never going to top the 2007 edition of this collection. I don't know why I bother reading any others. This one, in particular, was way too depressing -- perhaps it's the economy. All of these were well-written stories, indeed, but they left no impression on me once I moved on to the next story. I can still remember stories from the 2007 edition to this day, though.
I always love this collection. My favorite part is always the front section which "comes before the next section [and], is the first section in the book."
Among the gems not to be missed this year are:
Best American Letter to the Editor - concerning, ahem, "logs" in a lake.
Best American Anonymous Postcards
Best American Kids' Letters to Obama
Can't wait for the 2010 edition (
Among the gems not to be missed this year are:
Best American Letter to the Editor - concerning, ahem, "logs" in a lake.
Best American Anonymous Postcards
Best American Kids' Letters to Obama
Can't wait for the 2010 edition (
It's always hard to review short story collections, as you can really only comment on the overall "feel" of the book. I found this collection to be immensely satisfying, especially since I can actually remember a number of the stories (the wildfire watcher, the river floaters, the temp). Too many collections just seem like a blur of a theme, but most of the stories here stand on their own. I carried this around with me on a number of trips and I'm sad to finally put it permanently back on the sh...more
This is actually one of the better collections I've read. The pieces on gay marriage, the Abu-Ghraib prisoners (which I think is more about poetry and potential than anything political), drifting down the Mississippi River, and working a locker room (more about humanity than journalism) are amazing. They're the kind of pieces that stop you in your tracks and make you grab a pen to highlight something that you want to be able to find again when the world doesn't make sense anymore.
Great stuff!
Great stuff!
I'm addicted to this series of eclectic works, from fiction and nonfiction to comics and graphic novels. Like the other two editions I have read, the 2009 version offers different perspective from a wide-range of people, from tramps on the Mississippi to a fire lookout in New Mexico. Another truly great version in a truly terrific series.
I read the 2008 volume last year and really loved it and after reading the 2009, I have a good feeling about 2010. I can't think of any stories or sections that weren't a pleasure to read. it covers a broad spectrum of short fiction and literary non-fiction and even graphic novels. a good sampler plate of whats new and what to look forward to.
A mostly solid collection of fiction, nonfiction, lists, comics, and ephemera, not unlike a really good issue of McSweeney's (not surprising, really). My favorite bits were: Jonathan Franzen's eulogy for his lost friend, David Foster Wallace; investigative journalism pieces by Denis Johnson, J. Malcolm Garcia, and David Grann; the story of a post-Katrina bar in New Orleans trying to stay in business after the owner's death; Nathan Englander on family and memory; and the kids' letters to Obama. T...more
The front section, as always, contains some hilarious gems. Favorites were the Best Letter to the Editor and the Best Craigslist bartering ads. The longer form selections on the whole were not as touching or moving or funny or eye-opening as in previous years, but nonetheless excellent reading material. Highlights for me include Jonathan Franzen's article about his friend and colleague David Foster Wallace, the story about a child that interacts with a pen pal and a monster, the piece about a pa...more
Such a good collection. The Best American Front section is especially hilarious. Rebecca Makkai's short story is beautiful - after reading only two of her short stories (the other from BASS 2008), she's probably one of my favorite living short story writers. Some really interesting and moving nonfiction and a comic strip at the end that made me tear up. Also, Jonathan Franzen's paean for David Foster Wallace is heartbreaking. Such a good edition of such a good series!
I like this series lots. Perfect for skipping around to whatever you are in the mood for that lunch hour. Although be warned: do not read the DFW eulogy by Franzen while eating a bunch of gross chinese food. You will be super bummed for the rest of the day. No amount of warm and fuzzy indie comics can unbum that bum.
Amusing, as always. I love the front section. Of the stories, I especially liked the essay about floating the Mississippi River. I'd never heard an insider's perspective on the homeless/drifter community. There's also a non-fiction piece written by a fire lookout in the Gila National Forest (he lives by himself for months in a small lookout that's a five mile hike from any road) that was just fascinating to read. I think my favorite piece in here was "How to Work a Locker Room." The second-perso...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Dave Eggers is the author of six previous books, including his most recent, A Hologram for the King, about a struggling businessman pursuing a last-ditch attempt to stave off foreclosure, pay his daughter's college tuition, and finally do something great. In this novel the author takes us around the world to show how one man fights to hold himself and his splintering family together in the face of...more
More about Dave Eggers...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“Here's a secret: Everyone, if they live long enough, will lose their way at some point. You will lose your way, you will wake up one morning and find yourself lost. This is a hard, simple truth. If it hasn't happened to you yet, consider yourself lucky. When it does, when one day you look around and nothing is recognizable, when you find yourself alone in a dark wood having lost the way, you may find it easier to blame it on someone else -- an errant lover, a missing father, a bad childhood -- or it may be easier to blame the map you were given -- folded too many times, out-of-date, tiny print -- but mostly, if you are honest, you will only be able to blame yourself.
One day I'll tell my daughter a story about a dark time, the dark days before she was born, and how her coming was a ray of light. We got lost for a while, the story will begin, but then we found our way.”
—
145 people liked it
One day I'll tell my daughter a story about a dark time, the dark days before she was born, and how her coming was a ray of light. We got lost for a while, the story will begin, but then we found our way.”
“The greatest gift of life on the mountain is time. Time to think or not think, read or not read, scribble or not scribble -- to sleep and cook and walk in the woods, to sit and stare at the shapes of the hills. I produce nothing but words; I consumer nothing but food, a little propane, a little firewood. By being utterly useless in the calculations of the culture at large I become useful, at last, to myself.”
—
11 people liked it
More quotes…
Have you...more
updated Oct 30, 2009 02:05pm