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katecutrer's review against another edition
5.0
A bit disappointed with this collection although there were some very strong stories like Laura van den Berg's Where We Must Be. The Pearls Before Breakfast experiment (for which virtuoso violinist Joshua Bell performs in a busy subway station where indifferent commuters pass him by) was fascinating.
Surprises are great but I still wish the editors would give us basic fiction/non-fiction info for each piece.
Surprises are great but I still wish the editors would give us basic fiction/non-fiction info for each piece.
bibliophagic's review against another edition
4.0
I find this collection to be hit or miss, but there were a lot of great stories in this by authors I hadn't read before. This collection is, as others have noted, rather hit-or-miss, but I found 2008 to be more"hit" than some others. J. Malcolm Garcia's "The White Train" and Emily Raboteau's "Searching for Zion" stand out in my mind, but the fiction and graphic portions were also pretty fantastic this year.
sarah_the_bold's review against another edition
5.0
I love the Non-Required Reading series. If you want to spend several hours learning about random things you have never heard of, but that are completely fascinating, this book is for you. The 2008 edition features lists of Kurt Vonnegut Quotes, Ron Paul Facts, and Things This Guy on the Internet Will Sell You, as well as fiction about birthday cakes, large sums of money, and Bigfoot, and non-fiction about modern-day pirates, Bill Clinton, and the relationships between black people and Jews. And the Introduction is written by Judy Blume, where she is asked to comment about a piece called, "Are You There, God? It's Me, and a Bunch of Zombies."
Another hidden gem in this collection is a story from the Washington Post called "Pearls Before Breakfast", which you may think you've never heard of but I bet you have. It's the original story of the people who convinced Joshua Bell to play in the DC subway to see if anyone would notice (spoiler alert: they didn't.) It's a compelling story no matter how you tell it, but this article is also an excellent piece of journalism.
There are also two excerpts from graphic novels, which break up the collection nicely, and a disconcerting little Stephen King piece about miracles, if that's more your speed. Basically, there's something in here for everyone, and even if it is non-required reading, I would recommend taking a look.
Another hidden gem in this collection is a story from the Washington Post called "Pearls Before Breakfast", which you may think you've never heard of but I bet you have. It's the original story of the people who convinced Joshua Bell to play in the DC subway to see if anyone would notice (spoiler alert: they didn't.) It's a compelling story no matter how you tell it, but this article is also an excellent piece of journalism.
There are also two excerpts from graphic novels, which break up the collection nicely, and a disconcerting little Stephen King piece about miracles, if that's more your speed. Basically, there's something in here for everyone, and even if it is non-required reading, I would recommend taking a look.
matthew_p's review against another edition
5.0
Never disappointing, I'd recommend checking out this volume of the annual anthology series solely for "Queen of the Scottish Fairies."
swhuber's review against another edition
3.0
I had always heard amazing things about Egger's Non-required series, but I felt most of the pieces in this anthology fell flat. Aside from the throw away section at the beginning of the book, a majority of the longer stories had uninteresting topics and even more uninspired prose. The only worthwhile stories were Saunders piece on Bill Clinton, Tobin's story "Cake" and Weingarten's piece of Joshua Bell and the recognition of beauty in public spaces.
Although this was my first non-required reading book, I am sure the rest of the series is better than this edition. I will continue to read them, but perhaps I will skim them in the future.
Although this was my first non-required reading book, I am sure the rest of the series is better than this edition. I will continue to read them, but perhaps I will skim them in the future.
kellylizbeth's review against another edition
3.0
Overall this was a 3-star collection, but the most notable entry by far is a short story called "Where We Must Be" by Laura van den Berg. It's a slightly bizarre take on the tragic love story archetype (there is a Bigfoot impersonator involved) that manages not to fall victim to that brand of forced quirkiness that irks people about Zooey Deschanel. The combination of quiet, unadorned prose and likable characters in situations that are simultaneously foreign and familiar prompted me to re-read it many times over. I honestly couldn't tell you anything about what was in the rest of the book, but that story's worth the price of admission if you buy it used.
rjeffy's review against another edition
3.0
It's so hard to put a rating on some of these anthologies, as the quality of the writing can vary quite a bit. I was surprised at how much fun it was to read, but as I look back over the table of contents, a few of the selections really stand out. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed a short story of Stephen King's. "Ayana", originally published in the Paris Review, was a captivating story about a man who witnesses what he feels was a miracle, and who becomes a miracle worker of sorts in a few other people's lives.
By far the most captivating piece, "Pearls Before Breakfast", by Washington Post writer Gene Weingarten, describes the reactions of Washington DC commuters to a remarkable performance by a "street musician". The musician in question is Joshua Bell, perhaps the best classical musician in America, and the article addresses our reaction to art "outside of the frame", whether or not we even recognize art if it is not presented where and how we expect to find it.
By far the most captivating piece, "Pearls Before Breakfast", by Washington Post writer Gene Weingarten, describes the reactions of Washington DC commuters to a remarkable performance by a "street musician". The musician in question is Joshua Bell, perhaps the best classical musician in America, and the article addresses our reaction to art "outside of the frame", whether or not we even recognize art if it is not presented where and how we expect to find it.
bleepbloop's review against another edition
3.0
Intro and front section were my favorite in any collection; the rest was disappointing.
nikim_burg's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this "The Best Non-Required Reading" more than 2007 but not quite as much as 2006. Still there were several great pieces in it that I really enjoyed!