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hellasmella's review against another edition
5.0
Not life changing but exactly what I want out of an anthology: broad range of genre, form, emotions, taught me a thing or two about the world, and introduced me to some new writers.
hereisenough's review against another edition
4.0
i get this every year for christmas, and i love it. it’s a perfect time capsule, including essays, fiction, tweets, sheet music, comics, and poetry from 2016.
bookish_sue's review against another edition
4.0
This project, for me, provides an on-ramp to discover writers. I trust and have patience with the collection because I know some of the pieces or have opinions about some of the writers included in the anthology.
This collection includes a couple of essays I'll re-read (Ta-Nehisi Coates, "My President was Black;" George Saunders, "Who are All These Trump Supporters?"); a writer I first read in such a collection who I admire a ton (Sheila Heti, "A Correspondence with Elena Ferrante"); and writers I'll seek more from (Meagan Day, "Excerpt from 'Maximum Sunlight;'" Melissa Ragsly, "Tattoo").
Goodreads criticisms that resonate with me: this anthology suffers from a singular world view (which aligns to mine).
This collection includes a couple of essays I'll re-read (Ta-Nehisi Coates, "My President was Black;" George Saunders, "Who are All These Trump Supporters?"); a writer I first read in such a collection who I admire a ton (Sheila Heti, "A Correspondence with Elena Ferrante"); and writers I'll seek more from (Meagan Day, "Excerpt from 'Maximum Sunlight;'" Melissa Ragsly, "Tattoo").
Goodreads criticisms that resonate with me: this anthology suffers from a singular world view (which aligns to mine).
nikogatts's review against another edition
4.0
Great collection, as always. My favorite pieces this year:
-"Fable" by Teju Cole -- As the title says, a fable. One which is very relevant to America right now.
-"Peace Shall Destroy Many" by Miriam Toews -- An essay on the conflict-averse customs of North American Mennonites, and how avoiding public conflicts can lead to internal conflicts and barely suppressed unrest.
-"I am reminded via email to submit my preferences for the schedule" by Chen Chen -- A poem that reflects how I often feel when I'm asked to choose a preference for work.
-"My President Was Black" by Ta-Nehisi Coates -- A longform essay about Barack Obama's presidency. I also just finished a collection of Coates' essays. He's one of the most gifted writers of our time, and while I sometimes disagree with him, I always learn something while reading his work.
-"Tattoo" by Melissa Ragsly -- A short story about a young girl in (I think) a cult, and what happens when she gets close enough to truly see her god.
-"The Most Terrible Time of My Life" by Sonny Liew -- An excerpt from The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, a graphic novel about a comic book artist in Singapore. Looking into getting the whole book, as it looks interesting both as a fictionalized biography and a period piece about Singapore's political turmoil.
-"Fable" by Teju Cole -- As the title says, a fable. One which is very relevant to America right now.
-"Peace Shall Destroy Many" by Miriam Toews -- An essay on the conflict-averse customs of North American Mennonites, and how avoiding public conflicts can lead to internal conflicts and barely suppressed unrest.
-"I am reminded via email to submit my preferences for the schedule" by Chen Chen -- A poem that reflects how I often feel when I'm asked to choose a preference for work.
-"My President Was Black" by Ta-Nehisi Coates -- A longform essay about Barack Obama's presidency. I also just finished a collection of Coates' essays. He's one of the most gifted writers of our time, and while I sometimes disagree with him, I always learn something while reading his work.
-"Tattoo" by Melissa Ragsly -- A short story about a young girl in (I think) a cult, and what happens when she gets close enough to truly see her god.
-"The Most Terrible Time of My Life" by Sonny Liew -- An excerpt from The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, a graphic novel about a comic book artist in Singapore. Looking into getting the whole book, as it looks interesting both as a fictionalized biography and a period piece about Singapore's political turmoil.
lonesomelovee's review against another edition
2.0
not gonna lie, I didn't really like most of these. not exactly the 'best' among non required readings...
miss_tricia's review
2.0
Not my favorite BANR. It skewed pretty political, and I'm already feeling exhausted by and unhappy about politics.
madgerdes's review
5.0
I usually struggle with anthologies but I couldn't put this one down. A relevant and poignant ode to 2017, this book wasn't blatantly political but was gently so. What struck me the most was an excerpt from an interview with Ella Ferrante where she explains how she is a reader who forgets: "I forget especially the books I've loved very much. I have an impression of them, I have a feeling for them, but to discuss them I would have to reread them." I relate to this as a reader and as someone who is developing her sense of morality and self within the confines of the 2017 climate. I may forget the specifics of this book and this year, but I will remember the way that made me feel. Disheartened yet optimistic, eager to learn, and aware of my responsibilities.
bibliocyclist's review
3.0
"There's stuff out there that isn't there, if you know what I mean."
"This day is meaningless, like all measures on the human scale, to those of us who have gazed into the abyss of time."
"It is too late in the winter to die, and too early in the spring to be happy."
"This day is meaningless, like all measures on the human scale, to those of us who have gazed into the abyss of time."
"It is too late in the winter to die, and too early in the spring to be happy."
debz57a52's review
I like to read little snippets out of these Non-Required Reading collections, but they're a mixed bag. I started this one in 2017, but haven't read more than a story or two since summer 2018. It's time to call it done.
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