The Best American Non-Required Reading (2003) - Dave Eggers (ed.)

http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9780618246960 : I received this as a gift from Ashley a long time ago and have picked it up every once in awhile to read a piece or two. It is a collection of essays, stories, commentary, articles and other types of writing edited by Dave Eggers ("A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius"). I really enjoyed this collection - it was fun to read all the different styles of writing from hilarious to heart-breaking. My favorite piece was Judy Budnitz's short story "Visiting Hours", from Harper's Magazine, which tells the story of a brother and sister from a not quite perfect suburban family. I also enjoyed James Pinkerton's "How to Write Suspense" from Modern Humorist, which satirically outlines the key factors to any successful suspense story (I actually laughed out loud while reading this in a dentist's waiting area). There are a wide-variety of "Best American" collections each year ranging from Short Stories to Sports Writing to Non-Fiction. I've found them to be generally fun to flip through - not necessarily reading the whole book in one shot. This one was no different, and most of the pieces were good finds by Eggers that were a nice change of pace from my usual reading.

Trash - Dorothy Allison

http://www.powells.com/biblio/17-9780452283510-1 : This is a collection of short stories by the author of the absolutely phenomenal Bastard Out of Carolina and the good, but not magnificient Cavedweller. Allison's style fits in the genre of "grit lit" - stories set in the "white trash" South, with families filled with unwed mothers, severe physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and general poverty. The majority of stories in "Trash" center around relationships among women - romantic, as well as familial. The writing is graphic and powerful, often times difficult to read - with images impossible to forget.

Blast from the Past*: The Monk - Matthew G. Lewis

http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9781592243280-1 : I read this book during a college seminar on The Gothic Novel, but was reminded of it when flipping through this 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die book. I LOVED this book - it is sinister and fascinating and I remember not being able to put it down. It's the story of Ambrosio, a hypocritical and evil Catholic monk who sinks further and further into depravity as the novel unfolds. For a book published in 1796, I thought it was absolutely tremendous (could be because I was taking 18th Century British novels at the same time and all of those were SO BORING). This is definitely an oldie but goodie.

(* - listed in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die)

Fascinating Factoid: Charlotte Bronte (Jane Eyre), Anne Bronte (Agnes Grey), and Emily Bronte (Wuthering Heights) all published their novels in the same year (1847). I find this to be an incredible coincidence - particularly since Anne died in 1849 and Emily in 1848. Either they saved up the writings and went full force for publication, or once they put their novels out for the public, they had no other reason to keep on living.

Life & Times of Michael K* - J.M. Coetzee

http://www.powells.com/biblio/2-9780140074482-3 : This was recommended to me by Daniel after I mentioned how much I'd loved Disgrace (discussed in Feb.). Daniel recommended it as a "character study" - but I think I related much more to the main character in Disgrace. Michael K is a non-white in South Africa during the country's civil war. He attempts to take his ailing mother back to her hometown, but when she dies along the way, he struggles for survival, ending up in a work camp and eventually as a vagrant. The book is told mostly in the third-person focusing on Michael K, but one section is in the first-person from the perspective of a guard in the work camp. Michael K lives life on his own strange terms (I was reminded of Melville's Bartleby the Scrivener - "I prefer not to"). This novel, like "Disgrace" is marvelously written, but I did not at any point identify or understand Michael K - I found him hopeless while still remaining hopeful.

(* - listed in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, Winner of the 1983 Man Booker Prize)

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men - David Foster Wallace

http://www.powells.com/biblio/2-9780316925198-3 : This is a book of short stories by the author of the War & Peace-like (in terms of length) Infinite Jest (which has been sitting on my shelves for YEARS). As the Powells' review states, "One either loves or hates David Foster Wallace," which I can see...but I think I'm somewhere in between. In general, he is much too "modern" for me. His writing is very stream-of-consciousness/internal monologue - and while I feel like he perfectly captures the inner-workings of the minds of actual people, I also feel like he's moving 10 million times too fast for me to keep up. I tried to do a little wikipedia research on Wallace to see if he's in a defined genre - he reminds me of Irving Welsh ("Trainspotting"), but only in the writing, not in the story-telling. I just can't quite place him - and I think people who like linear stories will not be fans, but if you like vignettes or snapshots of real life, then I would recommend checking him out - if only to read someone who is trying to do something new in literature for the 21st century. (Thanks to Sarah for letting me borrow it from the library on her SF library card!)

The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards

This is definitely and Oprah book club type book - Norah gives birth to twins - one of whom has Down's Syndrome. Before she realizes this, her doctor husband Daivd asks a nurse to take the girl to an institution. He then tells Norah that the daughter died. The nurse Caroline, however, takes the girl away and raises it as her own. The book follows the lives of Norah, David, and their son Paul - as well as Caroline and Phoebe. David struggles with his secret as it tears his relationships with his wife and son apart. I found myself getting annoyed with David and his never-ending dilemma of whether or not to tell his wife the truth about their daughter - but for the most part I truly enjoyed this book - and the ending was particularly heart-felt and satisfying.

Dress Your Family in Courduroy and Denim - David Sedaris

http://www.powells.com/biblio/17-9780316143462-0: Another collection of essays by David Sedaris, who I find absolutely hilarious. Most of the pieces have been previously published in Esquire, GQ, or The New Yorker - or read as part of NPR's "This American Life." I first became familiar with Sedaris when I read Me Talk Pretty One Day. I've since read Naked, Barrel Fever, and Holidays on Ice - all of which I'd recommend. The Rooster is back in this collection (read: http://www.youcantkilltherooster.com/stories.php?story=10&disp=f for a brief introduction to Sedaris's younger brother. Warning - there is a lot of cursing involved) - getting married and having the first Sedaris grandchild. I can see people finding Sedaris irritating, or not quite getting how he's funny, but assuming you like him, I definitely recommend this book.