Rating anthologies like this seems a bit arbitrary to me because in any group there are going to be stories you like and stories you don't. However, as a whole I really enjoyed reading this collection, and there are some notable stories that definitely made it worthwhile. Only one story (the last one, funnily enough) was too cumbersome to finish—though it's absolutely a personal preference situation in that I didn't like the writing style whatsoever.Highlights from the anthology:• Andrea Barrett...

Two great stories here, The Flower by Louise Erdrich - what a fabulous style, must get more of her - and Cold Little Bird by Ben Marcus - he nearly makes up for the horrible Flame Alphabet novel I tried to read and failed. Here he takes the idea of the weird unloveable kid - we have met them before in The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing (very bad) and of course We Need to Talk About The Weirdo by Lionel Shriver (not so good) - but this time it's done right and wow, I needed another 50 pages of that...

Even BASS, as much as I love it, can't rehabilitate 2016, but Junot Díaz succeeds in giving us a much-needed bright spot. This marks my tenth year of buying Best American Short Stories (yes, if you do the math on that, you can figure out what compelled geeky college-me to pick it up that first year), so I was feeling appropriately sentimental, but I can say with confidence that this would be a great place to pick the series up for the first time. Díaz provides a volume with a great global sensib...

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Highlights:-"Apollo" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie-"Garments" by Tahima Anam-"The Letician Age" by Yalitza Ferreras-"The Suitcase" by Meron Hadero-"Pat + Sam" by Lisa Ko-"Cold Little Bird" by Ben Marcus-"The Prospectors" by Karen Russell-"On This Side" by Yuko Sakata

God but did I loathe some of these stories. I had the distinct feeling that many of the authors felt nothing but contempt for their readers.Top 5:Apollo by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - The way love can so easily turn to vengeance.The Great Silence by Ted Chiang - A reflection on the irony of humankind seeking life in the stars while destroying the rich life we have on earth.The Flower by Louise Erdrich - How actions to escape terrible situations can haunt us for years to come. Magical realism?Trea...

I always look forward to the publication of the year's "Best American Short Stories." The diversity exposes me to writers I might not ordinarily read, updates me on current work by long time favorites, and introduces me to beginning writers. If I don't love all the collection's stories, equally, or as this year, read some stories that left me unsatisfied or disappointed, well that's a small price to pay for such a wonderful reading experience. My favorites from this year's collection. "Gifted" i...

The title best describes the intent of this series, presented in its current format with a "name" guest editor, since 1978. Book review: The Best American Short Stories 2016, that ambitious claim assumes a significant responsibility. When Junot Diaz, author of the beyond brilliant The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, was announced as the editor for 2016 my hopes were raised, but this installment was disappointing. There are some notable names: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Louise Erdrich, Lauren Gr...

Where to begin? There were so many good short stories in this volume. The short biographical blurbs with information about the authors' books, short bio and how each story came to be is really helpful.My favorites? They didn't match Junot Diaz' favorites but here they are:Wonders of the Shore by Andrea BarrettFor the God of Love, for the Love of God by Lauren GroffTreasure State by Smith HendersonThe Prospectors by Karen Russell

Some superb stories here. Three of which deserve even more recognition than just being printed on here. Lauren Groff's story was superb. One of the best things I've ever read. The last page of her story was the work of a genius.

Short stories have been a difficult format for me as a reader to consistently enjoy. I've often felt rushed, shortchanged or merely distracted but unsatisfied. Diaz, the editor here, however, described the beauty of short stories and it then finally dawned on me when I do like short stories. And this year, I read and absolutely loved "Swimmer Among the Stars: Stories" by Kanishk Tharoor; this work is beautiful and completely creative and mind-expanding. Diaz writes in the Introduction, "I am as

It's great collection, with legit and distinct voices. I wish less came from The New Yorker, which I read anyway. I also wish more were genre-- and by genre, I mean: I wish more had actual plots, characters with agency who changed as a result of action/decision, and satisfying resolutions. But the good ones are really, really good:"Garments" by Tahmima Anam, about a women who enters into a polygamous marriage in the hopes her life will improve-- always an ominous decision."The Letician Age" by Y...

Junot Diaz is a great author and has done a fine job collecting the story for The Best American Short Stories 2016. Here's what I can recall from memory.Yalitza Ferreras's "The Letician Age" is a story about a woman who falls in love and who has an interest in volcanic rock. There's the threat of an accident, and a heartbreaking move toward the end.Meron Hadero's "The Suitcase" is a wholesome story about a character who is trying to bring back some gifts from the native land.Yuko Sakato's "On Th...

This is a collection where I'd read a story every once in a while and then forget about it while I read other work, which is a good way to approach an anthology of stories connected only by the favor of the editors. There are some standouts that include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Apollo; The Bears by Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum; Smith Henderson's Treasure State; Lisa Ko's Pat+Sam (pushing The Leavers, Ko's new novel higher up on my tbr); Ben Marcus's Cold Little Bird (what a menacing kid; how callow;

While I understand that a reader doesn't have to love every short story in an anthology in order to respect the craft, I had an overwhelming impression that this year's guest editor was using the role to send a message about race and diversity rather than choosing the absolute best written pieces out of thousands. I started with "Apollo" and "The Politics of the Quotidian" which made me go on to research the guest editor Junot Diaz. The Boston Globe writes that Diaz has criticized the"unbearable...

As always with these anthologies, it was a mixed bag. There are some standouts, like Ben Marcus' "Cold Little Bird", the story of parents coming to terms with their seemingly psychotic child. There are some resounding thuds, such as Lauren Groff's "The Love of God, the God of Love", which is as pretentious and overwritten as her novel "Fates and Furies". The rest fall somewhere in between. The opening essays by the editor Junot Diaz are nothing special. Not a stellar year for this collection, bu...