A review by jenhi
The Best American Short Stories 2014 by Heidi Pitlor, Jennifer Egan

3.0

My husband has been giving me a copy of this short story anthology for Christmas every year since 1990.(Wow! 25 years of the same gift...we are predictable and faithful to our traditions). It's the book that sits on my bedside table throughout the year. I pick it up and read a story or two when I've just finished a big, meaty novel, but don't feel ready to dive into another. I take it with me on vacations as my "back up read" in case whatever novel I've brought doesn't pan out, and finally I spend a little time towards the end of the year to finish it up. How much I enjoy the stories depends so much on the editor. I was really looking forward to Jennifer Egan's picks since I loved her "A Visit from the Goon Squad" so much, but I suppose just because I love her writing, doesn't mean we have the same taste in literature. There are stories from other years that will stay with me forever (I think it was "In the Gloaming" from one of the collections in the early 1990s that got me hooked on this series, and I go back and read it regularly), but honestly, I don't think I'll remember any of the stories from this edition past New Years Day. Oh well...the good news is that I have the 2015 edition under the Christmas tree with an untracked spine, ready for me to dig in and find new favourite writers and stories.