Chris Stuck
[isbn]
Chris Stuck consistently dazzles throughout this collection of very funny, occasionally brutal, and stylistically varied short stories. My favorites were the Jordan Peele-esque "Lake No Negro" (featuring a narrator who finds himself the fetishized target of suburban swingers), the surprisingly endearing witness protection story "And Then We Were the Norisses," and the hilarious dialogue-driven barroom scenes in "This Isn't Music."
A strong and... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Nate Lippens
[isbn]
Lippens's book is an evocative death shawl of a story that will stick with me for a long time to come. Though it says "a novel" on the cover, the writing is as intimate, gripping, and detail-heavy as the best memoir. But it feels so personal and nakedly moving, it transcends labels — autofiction, personal essay, diaristic queer nostalgia, fragments, whatever.
Lippens has written an amazing book of one man's survival, life, lusts, and loves, while... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Emme Lund
[isbn]
A fantastical story written with queer-punk, coming-of-age verve. Owen and his (literal) live-in bird companion are an unexpected power duo, navigating a world that baselessly fears them, and somehow still avoiding capture.
The emerging romance between Owen and one of his quiet Pixies-loving friends in the second half of the book was beautiful. It's encouraging to see a wild premise like this — it's part allegory, part underdog story, and would... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Chelsea Bieker
[isbn]
Proving that her excellent debut novel, Godshot, wasn't a fluke, Bieker comes back with a stunning follow-up. The short stories in Heartbroke explore some of her favorite themes (life in the Central Valley of California, working class characters, coming-of-age, religion versus sexual temptation) and examine them with detailed intensity. Bieker reveals how humans struggle and how they carry on. What a performance.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Sigrid Nunez
[isbn]
"What draws the reader to the novel is the hope of warming his shivering life with a death he reads about, said Benjamin." Page 210, What Are You Going Through.
Another stunning, pleasingly meandering dive into life (and dying) from the author of The Friend. The intimate close-up quality of the narration, as if the author is your vulnerable and spiky best friend, gives the novel a Rachel Cusk vibe. But really, it's a Sigrid... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Kristen Radtke
[isbn]
Radtke's amazing book examines loneliness from various angles — not just her own personal stories, but also the psychological studies of monkeys, television laugh tracks, her father's CB radio obsession, social media, cuddlers for hire, and much more. Radtke seamlessly splices interesting and stunning anecdotes about how humans live with solitude, sadness, and worse. Her art is consistently engaging, with intimate close-ups and haunting long... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Mark Leidner
[isbn]
Leidner's delightfully strange and playful poems constantly break new ground while somehow highlighting the despair of humanity. Employing everything from spoonerisms to haunted epigraphical images, Leidner puts us in his wheelhouse, where Robyn Hitchcock and the ghost of James Tate write the scripts for your next dreams.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Stephen Van Dyck
[isbn]
I'm blown away by how Van Dyck's unassuming diary-like vignettes can cover so much emotional and sexual terrain. It's like a memoir in list form and it beautifully/hilariously/awkwardly documents his early adulthood through the people he's met on the Internet. There's a lot of sweetness throughout, as if the author is still in love (or still boyfriends) with many of the men and women described. His descriptions of the early AOL chatrooms and... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Chelsea Bieker
[isbn]
A fantastic, assured, and beautifully written debut novel. Godshot will make you feel the stickiness of the baptismal soda, feel the oppressive dry heat of its setting, and fear the creepiness of the cultish cast of characters. The prose recalls Flannery O'Connor (as noted in the book's jacket description) but also the gothic freakishness of Harry Crews's best work. Bieker uses those authors' paint brushes to illustrate her story, but... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Gary Lutz, Garielle Lutz
[isbn]
Garielle Lutz (formerly Gary Lutz) is my favorite short story writer of all time. My favorite sentence writer too. A couple hundred pages of this book are home to stories that I was lucky to publish in two of Lutz's previous books. And their first book, Stories in the Worst Way, will always be considered a pivotal moment in my reading life. This collection includes an excellent introduction by Brian Evenson as well as 60 pages of new... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Santi Elijah Holley
[isbn]
Santi Holley takes each song from Nick Cave's infamous Murder Ballads album and delivers fantastic rabbit-hole histories of their lineage, characters, and mysteries. I don't think I've seen another book in the 33 1/3 series get so dang detailed and curious. Though sometimes the book feels less about Nick and his band and more about the history of murder ballads, it gave me a deeper understanding of an album I only recently listened to.... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Miriam Toews
[isbn]
Toews, one of my all-time favorite writers, often takes on real-life experiences of her own in her novels, but this time she fictions up a true story about women in a Mennonite colony who were being drugged and abused in the recent past. The limitations of these women's options are especially disturbing in this novel (the women can't read, don't have phones, or cars, or even a map) and Toews reveals these obstacles throughout these pages with... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Madeline Stevens
[isbn]
This book had a thriller vibe to it, but is more like a dark literary commentary about class, family, and the way lust's boundaries can be broken. Stevens writes with sharp descriptions, cutting emotion, and touches of dark humor. The last chunk of the book is especially charged and exciting.
Choice quote: "Beauty is pain because it is not eternal."
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Richard Chiem
[isbn]
I love the strange, subtly cinematic arc of the story. The way it unfolds and comes together was clever, sometimes disorienting. Reminded me of Dennis Cooper at times — that sort of calm, out-of-body terror. Sometimes when I take a book on the bus, I ignore it for easier distractions, like looking at my phone or out the window. But I couldn't wait to open up King of Joy every day before and after work.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Lisa Carver
[isbn]
Lisa Carver is a person and writer who doesn't give a sh*t about your book criticism, art criticism, TV/movie criticism, etc. Your low art is her biggest thrill. High art is probably sort of blah to her. She recounts her experiences watching random bad TV or admiring popular celebrities just as thoughtfully as she describes her experiences in the art world. This book of brief, irreverent, unpretentious, and sometimes startling essays (like the... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Catherine Lacey
[isbn]
Wow. This collection is so sharp, odd, sad, and morally flawed (in a funny haha way). It somehow perfectly executes a style that is messy but also displays a Gary Lutz-ian precision of surprising words and flow.
I'm the kind of reader who LOVES short stories but often can't tell you what certain stories are "about" when I'm finished. Stories can be super entertaining for me as a reader but also fleeting. Lacey's stories seem to have a solid... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Rebeka Elizegi
[isbn]
An excellent survey of contemporary female collage artists from around the world. The short summaries of each artist are illuminating and give a glimpse into the various techniques and ambitions of all 50 women. My favorite new discoveries from this tome include: Riikka Fransila, Flore Kunst, and Olivia Descampe. The collection also includes longtime faves Anna Bu Kliewer, Rozenn Le Gall, and Sarah Eisenlohr.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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James Baldwin
[isbn]
A brightly burning story of a love triangle in 1950s Paris. Wonderfully written and poetically absorbing, this classic novel features great dialogue too. Must have been amazing for gay and bisexual readers to find this book in bookstores in 1956.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Caren Beilin
[isbn]
The language in this book reminds me of those restaurants that offer the weirdest concoctions of food that make your taste buds question the normalcy of every other traditionally delicious food in the world. Most of the time, my brain (operating as taste buds to what I read) was delighted, sparked, spanked, and refreshed by the sting of fresh, new air. But yes, there were times I was challenged and had to question my idea of sentence structure,... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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David Sedaris and Jeffrey Jenkins
[isbn]
I'm a sucker for writers, actors, or musicians who are also artists. I really enjoyed all the elements of this book — the collage-ish layering of Sedaris's art, the funny journal entries and anecdotes, the running timeline of his life, the quotes, the colors, the randomness, the found artifacts, and the overall design. Jeffrey Jenkins's introduction and his photography of Sedaris's immense diary/journal-keeping collection is sharp and insightful.... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Damon Krukowski
[isbn]
An interesting, fun, and thoughtful look at sound, both ambient and musical, by a member of one of my favorite bands ever (Galaxie 500). A great companion to the podcast.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Sigrid Nunez
[isbn]
A book about the unexpected love of a woman and the dog she's adopted from her dead friend and mentor. But wait. It's really a book about grief and the long tail of love. Oh, and about literary reputation. No, no, no — it's a vast reference to movies, books, quotes, and philosophies. The Friend is highly enjoyable, daringly flippant at times, and quite moving. One of my favorite novels of recent memory.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Susan Steinberg
[isbn]
Steinberg ventures into a novel for the first time in her brilliant writing career and delivers a strange, fiery, and obliterated story of a broken family, teen drama, and a mysterious drowning. Like her freaking awesome short fiction, this is a reading experience that will make your brain pop.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Heather Christle
[isbn]
A fascinating and deeply moving nonfiction debut by an award-winning poet. This fragmentary examination of tears expertly mixes poetic thought, science, and the author's own relationship to sadness, joy, and crying. Everyone who has ever cried should read this book.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Kimberly King Parsons
[isbn]
A debut that entertains, stuns, and dazzles at every risk-taking turn. This is short story as art and it's mind-boggling that the two best stories, “Glow Hunter” (a sensory trip) and “Starlite” (a seedy hotel masterpiece), were not published before this book's release, making your purchase of this collection mandatory. Parsons is a force and her perfect blend of humor, longing, propulsive style, and humid southern atmospherics makes Black... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Ben Marcus
[isbn]
There is no one writing like Ben Marcus and this book of devastating stories is so darkly weird, so sentence-drivenly spectacular, and so otherworldly while still being recognizably in our world. Notes From the Fog is funny, perverse, and maybe Marcus's best book in an influential writing career.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Chelsea Hodson
[isbn]
Chelsea Hodson is somewhere between poet and magician. Her sleight of hand is dazzling, weaving dark themes and just the right amount of vulnerable heart into these essays, whether they be meaty and full or broken into sharp, diamond-like shards of prose. I'm not sure I know another writer who can be so hard and soft at the same time. And don't overlook the humor herein — it's the kind of sharp wit that reminds me of Fran Lebowitz or the songs of... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Kevin Canty
[isbn]
Another great gut punch from Kevin Canty. Focusing on people from a small Idaho town in the aftermath of a mining accident that kills 91 people, Canty shows deep empathy for his surviving characters and how people cope after such an event. Canty knows how to build a moving novel with authentic dialogue and that specific kind of small-town depression and loneliness. He's one of my favorite writers.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Sam Lipsyte
[isbn]
Sam does it again. This novel takes an unassuming (and seemingly unfunny) premise about a dude who wrangles large financial donations for a school and turns it into an outright laugh riot. Not only is this just as funny as the amazing Home Land, but it also showcases Lipsyte's ramped-up, amped-up ability to deliver killer sentence after killer sentence.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Kait Heacock
[isbn]
The close-up character studies in Kait Heacock’s stories are full of real-life pain, sadness, and desire. Although there are a lot of heartbreaking goodbyes throughout Siblings and Other Disappointments, the encouraging thing is that this book is one hearty "hello" to an impressive new storyteller. Put on some country music, get in that rocking chair, and soak it in.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Bill Callahan
[isbn]
I really enjoyed this weird little book. Sort of reminded me of Letters to Wendy's in its correspondence-style, back-and-forth with itself and this "Emma." I love Callahan's music, so the goofiness of this book was a little bit of a surprise, but a really welcome one. Highly recommended for people who love voice-driven quick reads. Please write and sing more, Mr. Callahan.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Siel Ju
[isbn]
Really strong debut collection of stories dealing with relationships and one woman's evolution from a teen in trouble to a woman taking her own lead in life and love. Siel's wit reminded me of Michelle Tea, and her blunt treatment of sexuality was refreshingly candid and fun. Can't wait to read more books by her.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Deb Olin Unferth
[isbn]
It's hard to describe Deb's unique style of story writing. It's kind of brittle and sad at times, and weird and silly at other times. There's a worldly quality as well, but it seems delivered with a shy shrug. This book combines some of her cool flash fictions with some longer tales. I was especially blown away by "My Daughter Debbie" (is she writing about herself in her mom's voice here? LOL), "Voltaire Night" (holy shit, this one's good!), and... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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John Jodzio
[isbn]
Jodzio once again delivers a stellar set of hilarious dark comedies and surprise twists in his latest book. Jodzio's stories are quintessentially American: fucked up, funny, a little sad, but with just enough humor and hope for his hapless characters. I'll read anything he writes.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Sarah Gerard
[isbn]
Sunshine State is further proof that Sarah Gerard has a fearless heart. These evocative and quietly powerful essays have the intellectual authority of a good old-fashioned reporter, but also the vulnerability of a tough and warm Florida woman.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Mary Ruefle
[isbn]
I've read bits and pieces of Ruefle before, but this is my first whole book experience and I was quickly won over. These are tightly-crafted, wise, and funny poem-essays on various subjects, ranging from Christmas trees to menopause (sadness, salted milkshakes, and shrunken heads are also brought to light). My fave piece, though, was "The Woman Who Couldn't Describe a Thing If She Could" which boils down her observational style to its stunning,... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Rachel B. Glaser
[isbn]
Overflowing with fun weirdness, even the titles bulge with a hot fever (examples: "While I Was a Tremendous Teenager, You Were Still Reading the Unauthorized Biography of Bowser," "Teenage Girls Hot for the Eiffel Tower," "When Boys See Movies Alone"). I think I like this collection even more than Moods. Also, the poem, "He's Got a Huge Soho Loft, but no Dick," is amazing.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Nicole J Georges
[isbn]
Nicole and Beija costar in this sweet and funny graphic novel/memoir. The story, weaving youthful memories and adult follies, is heartfelt and accountable. The artwork is the best I've seen from Georges, one of my favorite comic storytellers.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Joanna Ruocco
[isbn]
This weird collection of micro-stories pulled me in and engulfed me with its strangeness and humor. The narrative voice is searching, often grappling with what it's trying to say, but it also feels concise and assured in a nice way. I started to think of Diane Williams toward the end, but it's actually more satisfying than Williams's last few books. It also has some traces of contemporary poets like Dorothea Lasky or Mary Ruefle. A couple of... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Chrys Tobey
[isbn]
Chrys Tobey walks a daring tightrope of feminist poetry themes and heartbreaking slices of life. Some of my favorite poems in here ("For the Men Who Inquire," "My Mother's Latest Theory," "I Am Pretending There Was No Restaurant") use shorter lines to directly slice into the heart of the reader, but some of the more sprawling poems ("Taking Care," "Happy Poem") also do a potent job of taking your breath away. Oh — and making you laugh too. There... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Morgan Parker
[isbn]
Just as good as a Beyoncé album with bonus tracks. These poems are as hard-hitting as they are funny. You're going to be hearing from Morgan Parker for a long time, I bet. And thank God, because we need her.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Ryan Doyle, Mark Edwards
[isbn]
Cut That Out features a lively mix of collage work that is powered mostly by a graphic design style, and presents interesting work from 50 different artists, along with interviews. I sometimes don't like collage work that's been altered by too many digital tricks, but most of the work here still retains the rebellious quality of analogue collage, even when it's been nudged by computer technology. I liked discovering the colorful work of... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Sarah Sentilles
[isbn]
An amazement, Sentilles's fractured meditation on art, war, and the deep pangs of suffering that reverberate from them is my favorite nonfiction book of the year. With a style that seems to be illuminated by the art theory of Susan Sontag, Walter Benjamin, and John Berger, Sentilles goes in many deep directions at once throughout this dazzler. Her personal stories about her friendships with a dying WWII-era pacifist and a former soldier who... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Gabe Habash
[isbn]
Stephen Florida is one of those books I casually opened to get a taste of and was pulled into by the unusual narrator. And then what was merely unusual (maybe even quirky) became crazier and crazier, as it became evident that Mr. Florida (not his real name) is delusional at best. The middle part, where the narration becomes more fractured, sort of reminded me of Letters to Wendy's (one of my favorite crazy books ever). This is a... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Rebecca Schiff
[isbn]
One of my favorite story collections ever. It pretty much caters to everything I like: short short stories, funny-as-hell descriptions of people, dazzling sentences, dark humor, unashamed sex, and an attitude that doesn't really give a fuck. These stories have velocity to spare and plunge you into these characters' weird and uncomfortable worlds. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes to laugh, and especially to fans of Sam Lipsyte.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Rob Roberge
[isbn]
Liar is all the things a great memoir should be — revealing, funny, and nakedly self-critical. Told in non-linear memories (sometimes admittedly cloudy due to Roberge's concussions and hard living), Liar's small-but-frank moments all add up into something many readers will be surprised to find themselves relating to.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Patty Yumi Cottrell
[isbn]
Add Patty Yumi Cottrell to my list of favorite writers right now. Sorry to Disrupt the Peace is so engrossing and well-balanced, the way it blends the dark world of private depression and alarming humor reminds me of Miriam Toews or the films of Noah Baumbach. I'm sort of at a loss for words on how much I love this book and the narrator's prickly investigation of her brother's suicide. I don't know if I'll read a better book this year.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Melissa Broder
[isbn]
Broder's essay collection is shockingly candid, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, and surprisingly moving. She communicates her modern sadnesses in today's world of sexting, Twitter, and anxiety unlike anyone else.
Recommended by Kevin S.
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