This was a really wonderful collection that completely got away from me at the time. I read it and then 100% blanked on leaving a review. In particular, the William Vollmann piece sticks with me however many years later. I love Vollmann and could read absolutely anything by him over and over.

The Best American series is something I look forward to every year. The collection selects two picks from each volume, Essays, Mystery, Nonrequired Reading, Science and Nature, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Short Stories, Sports Writing and Travel Writing. I particularly love the mystery stories collection and was thrilled to see one of my favourite authors, Megan Abbott, included here. Her short story, The Little Men was both taut and thrilling. There's much to pick over here, I can't claim to fully understand Maddie Oatman's essay, Attack Of The Killer Beetles, but it made for a fascinating read and a change of pace from what I normally read. My only grumble is that the Best American Crime Reporting collection seems to have dropped over the past few years. With the resurgence in true crime writing, surely there is ample material to fill a volume. A very enjoyable read though, nonetheless.

I love short stories and I loved this book! What a great way to learn about new-to-me authors!

As always I enjoy reading the Best American series - it gives me a taste of what is being published in fiction, essays and travel writing (my interests).