eileen_critchley's review
3.0
This is the first I have read in this series but I am going to read the 2013 version next. Some of these I really enjoyed, particularly the one about aging parents. Some of them were OK and some of them were horrifying.
rbrtsorrell's review
3.0
Per usual, this Best Of collection has some pieces that are very moving, some that are a bit more tepid, and a few that are drop dead amazing. All of them are well written. Even though I typically like John Jeremiah Sullivan's writing, I didn't make it through his introduction (which is about the appearance of the word "essayist" in english), but I did find a fair amount to enjoy in the rest of the collection. Here were my favorites:
Strange Beads by Wendy Brenner
Letter from Greenwich Village by Vivian Gornick
Slickheads by Lawerence Jackson
Thanksgiving in Mongolia by Ariel Levy
Dear Friend, From my Life I write to You in Your Life by Yiyun Li
Sliver of Sky by Barry Lopez
Joy by Zadie Smith
Strange Beads by Wendy Brenner
Letter from Greenwich Village by Vivian Gornick
Slickheads by Lawerence Jackson
Thanksgiving in Mongolia by Ariel Levy
Dear Friend, From my Life I write to You in Your Life by Yiyun Li
Sliver of Sky by Barry Lopez
Joy by Zadie Smith
ostrowk's review
The collection got off to a slow start for me but picked up major steam. Already /loved/ Jamison's "Devil's Bait" (humane to the max) and Jerald Walker's "How to Make a Slave" (hilaAArious and poignant) from their collections. Fell newly in love with Lawrence Jackson's "Slickheads" (the vuh-oyce!), Ariel Levy's "Thanksgiving in Mongolia" (heartbreaking), and Kristin Dombek's "Letter from Williamsburg" (she had me with threesomes + god). Lots of other good ones, too.
bibliokris's review
4.0
I buy a copy of this each year and complete it by the end of the next year. I didn't have as many favorites in this collection as I have had in previous years but still a stellar collection of essays and ideas that I wouldn't have found otherwise.
sskatierickard's review
5.0
It would be interesting to know what was going on in John Jeremiah Sullivan's life when he choose these essays. This collection is particularly introspective, personal and discussing the transitions of life and family.
Is this a reflection of the year in writing or of the editors own life?
Is this a reflection of the year in writing or of the editors own life?
mackenzievirginia's review
3.0
As tends to be the case with such collections, there were some essays I found amazing, some I found dull, some I found uncomfortable, and some I didn't even bother to read. The ones that were worthwhile will stick with me, however, (I hope) and I look forward to seeking out more by those writers.
More...