This Too Can Be Yours (by Beth Lisick)

I am not usually into collected short stories, for some reason. I don't like stories ending right when I am getting into them; it seems like as soon as I get invested in a character or a situation, it's over. But Lisick's characters and stories are engaging right away, and the stories are connected subtly, if you look closely enough. (I love the way readers assign meaning to small details. As a writer, you probably don't have to work very hard to connect your stories, because your reader will grasp at anything to create connection. Is that profound or obvious? I can't tell.) Anyway, I loved this book. It really whetted my appetite to read Everybody Into The Pool, which for some reason I have not yet read. It's next on my list.