THE BEST AMERICAN NONREQUIRED READING 2005 -- Dave Eggers, editor

Houghton Mifflin Company -- tpb
Boston -- ©2005 -- 325pp
ISBN-10: 0-618-57048-9
Introduction: Beck

Another book in "The Best American Series." This is a collection of material that doesn't smoothly fit into any of their other categories.

Foreward by Dave Eggers
Introduction by Beck
"Passing Periods" -- Joe Sayers
"The Mediocrity Principle" -- Anders Nilsen
"Florida" -- Daniel Alarcon
"The Death of Mustango Salvaje" -- Jessica Anthony
"Tiger Mending" -- Aimee Bender
"Free Burgers for Life" -- Ryan Boudinot
"Five Forgotten Instincts" -- Dan Chaon
"Lundon" -- Amber Dermont
"A Lynching in Stereoscope" -- Stephanie Dickinson
"Heavy Metal Mercenary" -- Tish Durkin
"My Little Brother Ruined My Life" -- Stephen Elliott
"Tearaway Burkas and Tinplate Menorahs" -- Al Franken
"The Lost Boys" -- Jeff Gordinier
"Roadkill" -- Kate Krautkramer
"Hell-Heaven" -- Jhumpa Lahiri
"At the Cafe Lovely" -- Rattawut Lapcharoensap
"Catalogue Sales" -- Molly McNett
"Bohemians" -- George Saunders
"Manifesto" -- George Saunders
"The Joke" -- J. David Stevens
"The Myth of the Frequent Flier" -- Jonathan Tel
"Girls I Know" -- Douglas Trevor
"They Came Out Like Ants!" -- William T. Vollmann
"Diary of a Journal Reader" -- Lauren Weedman
Contributors' Notes
Notable Nonrequired Reading of 2004

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I'm not likely to return to the series any time soon. Absolutely NONE of the stories stand out favorably as I look back at the titles. I do recall laughing aloud at the Al Franken piece, but I'm hard-pressed to recall any of the details (ah...yes...a USO tour, I believe).

"Free Burgers for Life" reminded me of something I might have written 20+ years ago ("The Girl in the Lime-Green Bikini Bathing Suit"), and look back upon wondering what the hell I was thinking to ever think it was worth publishing. But because I could "relate" it is one of the only pieces that I can recall fairly clearly.

Of course I recall those that I just finished reading, but I don't understand the purpose of "They Came Out Like Ants!" and I thought "Diary of a Journal Reader" was just plain horrible in every possible way.

Don't bother with this collection.