1. If you’re reading this blog, chances are you have at least a few minutes to kill. Now you’ll feel like you’ve done at least one productive thing today. This kind of makes Mary Miller your hero.
2. It costs less than ten dollars, which I cannot say for the following:
– This canned unicorn meat ($11.99):
– A tiny remote control bug robot ($20.23):
– Some other books that cost more than ten dollars:
3. It has intensely beautiful but matter-of-fact writing with a quiet power that sneaks up on you and then sucker punches you right in the gut with lines like this: “My father was grilling hot dogs. I sat at the table and watched as he took them off the grill with his fingers, one at a time, furious. We had tongs but he looked for ways to suffer over and above all of the ways already in place” (Leak).
4. The writing is both poignant and funny—a double threat.
5. There is a story in this book called Aunt Jemima’s Old-Fashioned Pancakes. I offer this fact to you without comment.
6. I found it to be honest, refreshing, and immensely enjoyable. Would I ever steer your wrong? Exactly.
7. It’s published by Hobart, and we love them. You should love them too. They have a kick-ass journal and they make good books. Hobart, for the win!
8. Sean Lovelace wrote a really freakin’ sweet review about it. So did The Believer. That’s like two fab reasons in one!
Mary Miller
9. In the author photo in the back of the book, Mary Miller just looks like a cool person to hang out with. Plus, you know, she writes incredible stories.
10. The characters Miller creates in this collection are so instantly familiar and relatable they could be our cousins or our neighbors or our sisters, the women who stand behind us in line at the grocery store or the post office, who wait with us at the same corner for the bus. Because of this, because they very well could be you, they will stay with you for a long time after you’ve put down this outstanding book. Mary Miller will break your heart. Trust me on this enough to buy the book, then read it and find out for yourself.