(Non) Required Reading

Required Reading, a phrase that always seemed a little oxymoronic to me (who loved to read as a child) but dreaded to others (like my little brother) has come back in my life with a vengeance, as I try to plow through as many books as possible to maintain my lead in the 50 book race, and as I force my elementary school students (yes dear readers, i am entrusted daily with impressionable young minds) to write it down as homework. So a book of "Non-Required Reading" seemed only appropriate. More importantly, as anyone who knows my tatses is aware, I would probably read a roll of toilet paper if it had Dave Eggers' name on the label. So, two birds.

While I am not sure I can recommend the 2007 version of Non-Required Reading (Non-Required, as described by the book jacket, being "fiction, nonfiction, alternative comics, screenplays, blogs, and 'anything else that defies categorization'" that is chosen from various national magazines and liteary magazines and quarterly reviews by Dave Eggers and a bunch of bright SF-area high schoolers) over any of the other editions (all of which I feel compelled to run out and buy), I do feel great about reading this book. Starting with a Mcsweeney's-esque series of strange lists (police blotter incidents, things you can pay a guy to do on this one website), the book is mostly stories or journalism pieces, ranging from a Miranda July short story to an article on why Barry Bonds should be lauded and not villified, from an on the ground description of the atrocities in Darfur to a journalist embedded in Ramadi, Iraq and a Goth convention (two separate pieces) every piece is informative and enjoyable, and disparate enough to make you feel like you're getting the information and experience of many many books instead of one. Pick one up, you wont regret it.