The Best American Short Stories series perfectly highlights the amazing diversity and skill of today’s writers. The book is set up in a way that each short story is like a chapter – maybe ten pages – but each story is so completely different that within an hour you can feel elated, terrified, uncomfortable and content. Topics range from road trips to Jewish women to love lost to the trouble of children. Within one book – and there are at least seven within the SMCM library, each denoting a year – you are bound to find at least one story that will appeal to you. This is the perfect thing to read when you don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to a whole novel, but you want a thought-provoking way to get lost for a few hours. Even as a person new to short stories, I consider these books a must-read for anyone who needs a little pick-me-up.

Availability: SMCM Library
Review Submitted by: Jennifer Walker
Rating: Highly Recommended