Its. Nice. Outside. by Jim Kokoris

Its. Nice. Outside. by Jim Kokoris originally caught my attention because one of our American Studies classes was reading another of his books, The Rich Part of Life. I wasn’t familiar with Kokoris’ writing and decided to start with his brand new book, being released next Tuesday: Its. Nice. Outside.

What a treat for adults!  All parents who have had to deal with children – both at a young age and as adults -- will find themselves laughing and crying as they read this novel.  The main character, John Nichols, is a 50-something with two grown daughters and a 19 year-old son, Ethan, with a genetic abnormality and resulting special needs.

After just a few pages of the interaction between John and Ethan, I felt that Jim Kokoris was so authentic in his portrayal of the everyday events.  I quickly went to his website and learned that he is a local Chicago writer and indeed, that his own son, Andrew, is "the real-life Ethan."

Its. Nice. Outside. keeps getting better as John Nichols and Ethan set out on a long car ride from Chicago to Charleston for a family (daughter Karen’s) wedding. Only able to travel a few hours a day, their first stop is at the University of Illinois where Jim once played basketball and met his now ex-wife, Mary.  The adventure continues – following a Rand McNally Atlas through Indiana, Tennessee, and the Carolinas with more than a few hilarious, embarrassing and often stressful stops at Marriott Hotels and Cracker Barrel restaurants.

Kokoris cleverly repeats many phrases and traditions in a way that will have readers soon feeling like one of the family! Be prepared for a wide swing in emotions, but do look for Its. Nice. Outside. which received a starred review from Booklist.  Jim Kokoris will be at The Book Stall in Winnetka next Tuesday, December 8^th at 7:00pm and I am already looking forward to hearing his stories about writing Its. Nice. Outside. Who knows? Maybe we’ll even meet Stinky Bear, Red Bear and Grandpa Bear, three talking stuffed animals beloved by Ethan and treasured by his family. 

New Short Story Collections

Several new short story collections with starred reviews appeal to a variety of interests and feature writing by award-winning authors:

The State We’re In by Ann Beattie presents interrelated stories about Maine and also about one’s mental/emotional state.  Unfortunately, I felt that these selections from an acknowledged master of the short story genre contained too much description, with little dialogue and would not be particularly compelling for students even though several of the linked pieces featured a teenager, Jocelyn.  Our students will be much more interested in the forthcoming Ghostly – which will be released in time for Halloween.  Compiled and illustrated by another well-known author, Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler’s Wife), that collection will feature stories from Ray Bradbury, Edgar Allen Poe, A.S. Byatt and many more.  All of those stories will center on a theme of haunting and cover a range of times from the eighteenth century to modern day.

Press Start to Play will be released next Tuesday (8/18) and that, too, promises to be high interest and entertaining for students.  These 26 stories have to do with video games and the attraction for their participants. The editors (Daniel Wilson – Robopocalypse and Hugo winner John Joseph Adams) plus other contributors will be instantly recognizable to students and teachers, especially sci-fi fans.  Examples include: Andy Weir (The Martian), Holly Black (Tithe, Coldest Girl in Coldtown), Cory Doctorow (Little Brother), T.C. Boyle (Tortilla Curtain), Hugh Howey (Wool), plus writers from the gaming industry. And there is a foreword by Ernest Cline (Ready Player One and the recent Armada). I am looking forward to having teachers share some of these stories and discuss the idea of video games as narrative. This collection should be fun to explore and provide hours of entertainment.

Award-winning author Neil Gaiman whose work will be included in the forthcoming Ghostly also gave us Trigger Warning earlier this year. Subtitled “Short Fiction and Disturbances,” some of the stories and poems are rather bleak, dealing as Gaiman says, with “things that wait for us in the dark corridors of our lives.” Gaiman has such a huge, creative imagination and it is on full display in his recent collection.

If you are looking for more classic mystery stories, you may like Resorting to Murder.   Edited by Martin Edwards, this set contains fourteen stories from the golden age of British crime fiction, including ones by Chesterton and Conan Doyle. Several selections are relatively rare and Resorting to Murder joins numerous recent re-issues from Poisoned Pen Press.

Finally, be sure to look for a collection which has received almost universal praise this summer:  Music for Wartime.  Written by local author Rebecca Makkai (The Borrower and The Hundred-Year House), these stories show why her short fiction has appeared in four consecutive additions of The Best American Short Stories. Recommended on NPR, pbs and in local press, Makkai’s seventeen stories deal with family, with artists, and with the human condition both during WWII and today.

If you have other short story collections to suggest, please let us know.  I am already planning additional reviews for Sept/Oct titles including O. Henry Prize Stories and Anatomy of Curiosity.