The varieties of stories in this collection is a treat. There is something for everyone. I'm a big fan of the Best American [Whatever] series.

Immersive and captivating, 'The Best American Short Stories 2023' offers a diverse array of voices and themes that kept me engrossed from start to finish. Each tale showcased impeccable craftsmanship, evoking vivid imagery and deep emotions. The anthology strikes a perfect balance between established authors and emerging talents, making it a must-read for anyone seeking exceptional storytelling. It's a collection I'll enthusiastically recommend and one that left a lasting impression on me.

This was a particularly good anthology with a wonderful intro. Unfortunately, I only read the first story before the book was archived, so I'll have to actually buy it lol!

Wonderful range of stories here. "My best friend doesn't like me much" grabbed me from the first story, along with "in our part of Florida, no one knew how to deal with difference except to hate it." Whew. A beautifully tense, riveting, moving story--and that's only one of them.

I don’t do too many short stories, but every once in a while, I come across an anthology, and the yearly wrap ones are a good way to not completely lose touch with short fiction. From the publisher:

These twenty pieces of short fiction that reflect a world full of fractured relationships, but also wondrous hope. A lifelong friendship may become a casualty of the Russia-Ukraine war. Rejected by his lover, a man seeks to reconcile with his family. Twitter users miraculously muster enough empathy to help a lost cat find a forever home. Enlightening, poignant, and undeniably human, the stories in this anthology bravely confront societal darkness and offer, in Lee’s words, “our emotional truths, restoring our sanity and providing comfort for the days ahead.”

Authors include: Cherline Bazile • Maya Binyam • Tom Bissell • Taryn Bowe • Da-Lin • Benjamin Ehrlich• Sara Freeman • Lauren Groff • Nathan Harris • Jared Jackson • Sana Krasikov • Danica Li • Ling Ma • Manuel Muñoz • Joanna Pearson • Souvankham Thammavongsa • Kosiso Ugwueze • Corinna Vallianatos • Azareen Van Der Vliet Oloomi • Esther Yi.

I really enjoyed this collection. Since the only theme is the best of, these stories run the gamut of plot, characterization, theme, and genre. It was an excellent mix, and I definitely recommend to see what happened this year in the world of short stories.

The Best American Short Stories 2023, under Min Jin Lee's curation, offers a thought-provoking journey through surreal landscapes and temporal twists. While the focus on non-linear narratives may not resonate with every reader, the collection succeeds in presenting a mosaic of voices and perspectives, making it a valuable addition to the world of short fiction.

These short stories were incredible. I know this isn't the most in-depth review but the stories are intertwined and selected perfectly as they fit and make sense with each other. There is no one story that feels out of place.

Each year, a different author is asked to pick their favorite short stories based on a theme for the yearly Best American Short Stories. This year's author is Min Jin Lee whose book, Pachinko.,was a finalist for the National Book Award.

One has to enjoy short stories which, in many ways, are much harder to write than novels. She has picked stories revolving around relationships, their difficulties and their hopes. I found most of them very readable and did reflect Lee's sensitivities so beautifully evoked in Pachinko. I read the stories slowly over many week's time.

I recommend this collection of mostly less well-known authors.

I am so grateful to have access to an advanced copy of this collection. I read this collection very year and usually love many of the pieces. This year was no exception. The collection was no exception and I was delighted to learn about some new writers whose work touched my heart like Azareen Van Der Vliet Oloomi . This collection will take you on a wild ride through various places and situations but most of them, leave the reader wondering about the world and hopefully seeing it in a new light.

Most of these didn’t work for me. Slow and unstructured making for a tedious read. Not one of them would I want expanded into a longer story which says a bit I think. Maybe there were slim pickings this year? Or just not to my own taste.

Thanks very much to NetGalley and Mariner for the eARC of this year’s iteration of The Best American Short Stories. It has been a number of years since I seriously immersed myself in short stories, but as I start my MFA in fiction and begin to dip my toe into these waters again, what a great collection to encounter at the beginning of my journey. The selected stories cover diverse subjects, lengths, and perspectives; a couple of favorites of mine were the subtly heartbreaking stories Tender and Camp Emeline. I also adored Min Jin Lee’s introduction, in which she recounts her own journey to becoming a fiction writer (learning that she was once a practicing attorney warms the heart of this author-wannabe attorney) and discusses the state of fiction writing today. This is definitely a worthy addition to any fiction-lover’s collection, and I’m sure I will return to it again and again as I work on my own craft.

Pretty good overall. It seems like, if you like the editor's work, you're more likely to like the stories he/she chooses in this series.

I really appreciate the free copy for review!!

I did not care for most of these! In fact they read to me like a parody of what literary fiction by MFAs is considered to be like: self-consciously stark prose; a saturation of cultural markers; a surprising number of dead mothers?; and hardly a cathartic ending or even a plot in the bunch. Which is fine – you can obviously write a good story with any or all of these things – but it's interesting that these are apparently the hallmarks of the best short fiction in America, that in fact almost none of the best short fiction in America doesn't exhibit these qualities.

I did quite like "Supernova" by Kosiso Ugwueze, which had a main character with a fascinating emotional experience, and was the only one of these stories with any meaningful tension at all. I also really liked Lee's introduction.

I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Best American Short Stories 2023.

I'm always wary of short story collections since the stories are gathered by the guest editor and this person will select stories based on their personal preferences, biases, and interests.

Every reader has different tastes and likes and dislikes when it comes to what they read.

All of the stories in this collection were well written with diverse characters written by diverse authors but not one story really captured my interest.