The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2008 (Paperback)

by Dave Eggers (Editor), Judy Blume (Introduction)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A bouillabaisse of nonrequired reading that should be required." (Publishers Weekly )

Product Description

"This great volume highlights the very best of this year’s fiction, nonfiction, alternative comics, screenplays, blogs, and more” (OK!). Compiled by Dave Eggers and students of his San Francisco writing center, it is thoroughly “entertaining and thought-provoking reading” (Library Journal).

The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2008 includes MARJORIE CELONA • DAVID GESSNER • ANDREW SEAN GREER • RAFFI KHATCHADOURIAN • STEPHEN KING • EMILY RABOTEAU • GEORGE SAUNDERS • PATRICK TOBIN • LAURA VAN DEN BERG • MALERIE WILLENS • and others

See all Editorial Reviews

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Product Details Paperback: 400 pages Publisher: Mariner Books (October 8, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 061890283X ISBN-13: 978-0618902835 Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #30,365 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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	76% buy the item featured on this page: The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2008 4.0 out of 5 stars (5) $10.98
	10% buy The Best American Short Stories 2008 3.6 out of 5 stars (12) $5.60
	5% buy The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2006 (The Best American Series) 4.3 out of 5 stars (13) $11.20
	5% buy The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2007 3.9 out of 5 stars (10) $11.20

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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:  (2) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.0 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 24 of 24 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Sheer pleasure, November 1, 2008 By  David M. Giltinan (San Francisco) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Once again this series, always the star of the "Best American" anthologies, delivers the goods. Here is just a selection of the delights it offers this year: A hilarious introduction by Judy Blume Best American police blotter items from Kensington, California Best American facebook groups Best American NY Times headlines from 1907 ("Man pours molten lead into own ear - believed to have been reading Hamlet"; "President's quiet Sunday: He goes to church, Greets neighbors, Has shot only rabbits"; "Have you a fetich? Most of us have") Best American: last sentences of books, Ron Paul facts, champion showdog names, Kurt Vonnegut writings, diary of a young girl, diary of the living dead. Pieces by Marjorie Celona, J. Malcolm Garcia, Andrew Sean Greer, Helon Habila, Raffi Khatchadourian, Stephen King, Emily Raboteau, George Saunders, Jake Swearingen, Patrick Tobin, Laura van den Berg, Gene Weingarten, Laurie Weeks, and Malerie Willens an excerpt from Paul Hornschemeier's graphic novel, "The Three Paradoxes" an illustrated story by Rutu Modan: "Queen of the Scottish Fairies" When I say that this anthology "delivers the goods", what I mean is - of the seven pieces I've read thus far, each has been fascinating, well-written, and not something I would otherwise have come across. (Other than one piece from each of The New Yorker, The new York Times, and The Washington Post, the selection is deliberately weighted to represent non-mainstream publications, such as The Paris Review, The Kenyon Review, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Zoetrope). J. Malcolm Garcia's "The White Train", about the cartoneros of Buenos Aires (people who, following the economic collapse of 2001, have been forced to make a living from recycling cardboard and paper) and George Saunder's portrait, "Bill Clinton, Public Citizen" (a fascinating account of the Clinton Foundation's work throughout the developing world) -- these two pieces alone are so good, they make it worth the price of admission. What this series manages to do, reliably, is to track down material that may be a little off the beaten path, but that is compulsively readable, and that expands the reader's horizons in the most enjoyable way possible. Starting each piece is like biting into an exotically flavored Dove bar - unfamiliar at first, but totally delicious. This anthology rocks! 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, February 10, 2009 By  Tezby "Tezby" (Pearl Beach) - See all my reviews Having purchased the last few editions of TBANRR I was looking forward to the 2008 edition. Unfortunately this collection is uneven and disappointing. The selection of non-fiction isn't particularly imaginative - a long article from The New Yorker is hardly their best - and the selection of amusing Facebook groups is fun if utterly disposable. Compared to previous years this is a lacklustre addition to an otherwise excellent series. Here's hoping 2009 edition will be better. 2 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Meh., January 14, 2009 By  Sherry L. Pyle "freefloatingsoul" (Rockville, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I just don't think it's that good. The only things that have struck me so far have been the essay about Argentina's White Train and Paul Watson's mission to save marine life. The fiction is forgettable because it doesn't provoke dialogue or even thought like the two previously-mentioned pieces do. My recommendation if you are looking for serials similar to The Best American is Pushcart. The work they showcase is original and cerebral in a way that this never seems to achieve. Section I of Nonrequired Reading is a cheap hodge-podge ranging from Best Facebook Groups to Best American Things for Sale. It even features a bulleted list of "Best" excerpts from Kurt Vonnegut's novels!		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Best Edition of The Best American Non-Required Reading Series I have been following this collection of the "Best American" series since it's inception. Though I have enjoyed every edition of the "Best American Non-Required Reading" series,... Read more Published 16 days ago by Marny Daniels 4.0 out of 5 stars Another great year of non-required reading I have been reading this particular series for the past four years. This year like every other is a great success. Published 5 months ago by Noah J. Ullmann Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (October 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 061890283X
• ISBN-13: 978-0618902835
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #30,365 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sheer pleasure, November 1, 2008

By	David M. Giltinan (San Francisco) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Once again this series, always the star of the "Best American" anthologies, delivers the goods. Here is just a selection of the delights it offers this year:

A hilarious introduction by Judy Blume
Best American police blotter items from Kensington, California
Best American facebook groups
Best American NY Times headlines from 1907 ("Man pours molten lead into own ear - believed to have been reading Hamlet"; "President's quiet Sunday: He goes to church, Greets neighbors, Has shot only rabbits"; "Have you a fetich? Most of us have")
Best American: last sentences of books, Ron Paul facts, champion showdog names, Kurt Vonnegut writings, diary of a young girl, diary of the living dead.

Pieces by Marjorie Celona, J. Malcolm Garcia, Andrew Sean Greer, Helon Habila, Raffi Khatchadourian, Stephen King, Emily Raboteau, George Saunders, Jake Swearingen, Patrick Tobin, Laura van den Berg, Gene Weingarten, Laurie Weeks, and Malerie Willens

an excerpt from Paul Hornschemeier's graphic novel, "The Three Paradoxes"
an illustrated story by Rutu Modan: "Queen of the Scottish Fairies"

When I say that this anthology "delivers the goods", what I mean is - of the seven pieces I've read thus far, each has been fascinating, well-written, and not something I would otherwise have come across. (Other than one piece from each of The New Yorker, The new York Times, and The Washington Post, the selection is deliberately weighted to represent non-mainstream publications, such as The Paris Review, The Kenyon Review, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Zoetrope).

J. Malcolm Garcia's "The White Train", about the cartoneros of Buenos Aires (people who, following the economic collapse of 2001, have been forced to make a living from recycling cardboard and paper) and George Saunder's portrait, "Bill Clinton, Public Citizen" (a fascinating account of the Clinton Foundation's work throughout the developing world) -- these two pieces alone are so good, they make it worth the price of admission.

What this series manages to do, reliably, is to track down material that may be a little off the beaten path, but that is compulsively readable, and that expands the reader's horizons in the most enjoyable way possible. Starting each piece is like biting into an exotically flavored Dove bar - unfamiliar at first, but totally delicious.

This anthology rocks!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, February 10, 2009

By	Tezby "Tezby" (Pearl Beach) - See all my reviews

Having purchased the last few editions of TBANRR I was looking forward to the 2008 edition. Unfortunately this collection is uneven and disappointing. The selection of non-fiction isn't particularly imaginative - a long article from The New Yorker is hardly their best - and the selection of amusing Facebook groups is fun if utterly disposable. Compared to previous years this is a lacklustre addition to an otherwise excellent series. Here's hoping 2009 edition will be better.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Meh., January 14, 2009

By	Sherry L. Pyle "freefloatingsoul" (Rockville, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I just don't think it's that good. The only things that have struck me so far have been the essay about Argentina's White Train and Paul Watson's mission to save marine life. The fiction is forgettable because it doesn't provoke dialogue or even thought like the two previously-mentioned pieces do.

My recommendation if you are looking for serials similar to The Best American is Pushcart. The work they showcase is original and cerebral in a way that this never seems to achieve. Section I of Nonrequired Reading is a cheap hodge-podge ranging from Best Facebook Groups to Best American Things for Sale. It even features a bulleted list of "Best" excerpts from Kurt Vonnegut's novels!