Willy Vlautin
[isbn]
I liked this one a lot. As a Portland local (and a fan of the Delines), Vlautin's Portland references made me giddy within the heaviness of the all-too-real story of gentrification and poverty in the area. It's a satisfying slap in the face to the "Keep Portland Weird" tourism steamrolling what's at the heart of the city. The sentences are tight, punchy. Hard to not compare them to Carver (for me at least, given that I'm a big Carver fan).... (read more)
Recommended by Jimbo C.