Wednesday, December 28, 2016

2016 Books

Best Books of 2016

It's been an excellent year for books at She Treads Softly and narrowing fiction down to a top ten has been a struggle, so I'm doing something a little different. I have a top ten and four exceptional authors/books for books I love but that were not published this year. The top books are followed by the date of my review on She Treads Softly.

Exceptional Author awards go to:
 
Fredrik Backman for the two books and novella I read and loved this year. (His novel My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry was in my top ten for 2015.) A Man Called Ove, 12/18/16; Britt-Marie Was Here, 5/7/16; And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer, 11/11/16, novella.

The second exceptional author award is to Greg Iles. I have read and loved the first two books of his trilogy. Since the final book, Mississippi Blood, will be released in March of 2017, I wanted to make a special mention of the first two books of what is sure to be an outstanding trilogy: Natchez Burning, 8/26/16; The Bone Tree, 9/20/16.

The third goes to John Scalzi for Redshirts, 11/21/16, a novel I loved (and was originally published in 2012). Miniatures, 12/25/16, is on the list for the top five short stories for 2016.

The final exceptional author award is to Kayla Rae Whitaker for The Animators 11/26/16. Since The Animators is due to be published in January 2017, I want to tell everyone to GO READ THIS BOOK. I'm saving a spot for it on my top ten in 2017.


Top Ten Fiction:
The Girls by Emma Cline,  6/14/16
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett, 9/7/16
Faithful by Alice Hoffman, 11/6/16  
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, 8/2/16  
The Wonder by Emma Donoghue, 9/24/16
The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson, 3/11/16
What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan, 1/17/16  
Hush, Little Bird by Nicole Trope, 3/27/16  
The Last One by Alexandra Oliva, 7/9/16  
Angels Burning by Tawni O'Dell,  1/1/16
 
Top Five Short Story Collections:
This Way to the End Times edited by Robert Silverberg, 10/30/16
American Housewife by Helen Ellis, 1/10/16  
Pawn's Gambit by Timothy Zahn,  1/4/16  
Miniatures by John Scalzi, 12/25/16  
The Unfinished World by Amber Sparks,  1/20/16


Top Ten Nonfiction:
The View from the Cheap Seats
by Neil Gaiman, 544 pages, 6/6/16
Truevine
by Beth Macy, 432 pages, 10/18/16,
We Are Not Such Things
by Justine van der Leun, 544 pages, 6/28/16
 
67 Shots by Howard Means, 288 pages, 4/8/16  
Patient H.M. by Luke Dittrich, 464 pages, 8/9/16  
Grunt by Mary Roach, 288 pages, 6/11/16
Bellevue by David Oshinsky, 400 pages, 11/15/16
Hot Sauce Nation
by Denver Nicks, 240 pages, 9/26/16,
50 Great American Places by Brent D. Glass, 3/12/16
 
Life Moves Pretty Fast by Hadley Freeman, 352 pages, 6/12/16


207 Books Read in 2016 (** or* denotes a book with my highest rating):


January – 18 books
**1. Angels Burning by Tawni O'Dell, 288 pages, 1/1/16, very highly recommended
**2. Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Ed Tarkington, 320 pages, 1/2/16, very highly recommended
**3. My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout, 208 pages, 1/3/16, very highly recommended
**4. Pawn's Gambit by Timothy Zahn, 342 pages, 1/4/16, very highly recommended, short stories
5. What She Left by T.R. Richmond, 336 pages, 1/5/16, recommended
6. Shame and Wonder by David Searcy, 240 pages, 1/6/16, highly recommended
*7. Where It Hurts by Reed Farrel Coleman, 368 pages, 1/7/16, very highly recommended
**8. American Housewife by Helen Ellis, 208 pages, 1/10/16, very highly recommended, short stories
9. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald, 400 pages, 1/11/16, highly recommended
10. The Winter Girl by Matt Marinovich, 224 pages, 1/13/16, recommended
11. Daughters of Divorce by Terry Gaspard, Tracy Clifford, 320 pages, 1/15/16, recommended, nonfiction
**12. What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan, 496 pages, 1/17/16, very highly recommended
**13. The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth Mckenzie, 448 pages, 1/17/16, very highly recommended
*14. The Poison Artist by Jonathan Moore. 288 pages, 1/19/16, very highly recommended
**15. The Unfinished World by Amber Sparks, 240 pages, 1/20/16, very highly recommended, short stories
*16. Beasts and Children by Amy Parker, 320 pages, 1/25/16, very highly recommended, short stories
17. After The Fog Clears by Lee Thompson, 220 pages (est), 1/27/16, so-so
18. Sweetgirl by Travis Mulhauser, 256 pages, 1/27/16, highly recommended

February – 15 books
19. The Flood Girls by Richard Fifield, 336 pages, 2/2/16, highly recommended
20. Breaking Wild by Diane Les Becquets, 320 pages, 2/2/16, highly recommended
21. The Bigness of the World by Lori Ostlund, 232 pages, 2/7/16, highly recommended, short stories
*22. Find Her by Lisa Gardner, 416 pages, 2/7/16, very highly recommended
*23. Midnight Sun by Jo Nesbø, 288 pages, 2/10/16, very highly recommended
*24. Girl in the Dark by Marion Pauw, 336 pages, 2/10/16, very highly recommended
25. Northwoods by Bill Schweigart, 277 pages, 2/11/16, highly recommended
26. The Widow by Fiona Barton, 336 pages, 2/14/16, highly recommended
27. The Profiteers by Sally Denton, 448 pages, 2/15/16, highly recommended, nonfiction
28. We've Already Gone This Far by Patrick Dacey, 224 pages, 2/21/16, highly recommended, short stories
*29. Under the Influence by Joyce Maynard, 334 pages, 2/21/16, very highly recommended
30. Work Like Any Other by Virginia Reeves, 272 pages, 2/23/16, highly recommended
31. The Good Liar by Nicholas Searle, 352 pages, 2/24/16, highly recommended
*32. The Passenger by Lisa Lutz, 320 pages, 2/24/16, very highly recommended
33. Quantum Night by Robert J. Sawyer, 368 pages, 2/29/16, highly recommended

March – 17 books
34. The Knack of Doing by Jeremy Davies, 170 pages, 3/6/16, highly recommended, short stories
35. The Travelers by Chris Pavone, 448 pages, 3/6/16, highly recommended
36. Two If by Sea by Jacquelyn Mitchard, 416 pages, 3/9/16, highly recommended
**37. The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson, 304 pages, 3/11/16, very highly recommended
38. The Remnants by Robert Hill, 272 pages, 3/12/16, recommended
**39. 50 Great American Places by Brent Glass. 320 pages, 3/12/16, very highly recommended, nonfiction
40. No One Knows by J. T. Ellison, 368 pages, 3/16/16, recommended
41. Perfectly Broken by Robert Burke Warren, 270 pages, 3/17/16, highly recommended
*42. Newspaper Boys Always Deliver by Joseph Gulesserian, 346 pages, 3/18/16, very highly recommended, nonfiction
43. The Last Girl by Joe Hart, 386 pages, 3/19/16, recommended
44. Just Fall by Nina Sadowsky, 304 pages, 3/19/16, so-so
45. The Worthing Chronicle by Orson Scott Card, 272 pages. 3/21/16, recommended
*46. The Crooked Heart of Mercy by Billie Livingston, 272 pages, 3/24/16, very highly recommended
**47. Hush, Little Bird by Nicole Trope, 384 pages, 3/27/16, very highly recommended
48. Miller's Valley by Anna Quindlen, 272 pages, 3/28/16, highly recommended
49. The History of Great Things by Elizabeth Crane, 288 pages, 3/30/16, recommended
50. Armadillos by P. K. Lynch, 288 pages, 3/31/16, highly recommended

April – 14 books
51. Among the Dead and Dreaming by Samuel Ligon, 240 pages, 4/1/16, highly recommended
52. Summerland by Michael Chabon, 528 pages, 4/4/16, rerelease, highly recommended
*53. Be Frank with Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson, 304 pages, 4/6/16, very highly recommended
**54. 67 Shots by Howard Means, 288 pages, 4/8/16, very highly recommended, nonfiction
*55. War Hawk by James Rollins, Grant Blackwood, 384 pages, 4/11/16, very highly recommended
56. The Decent Proposal by Kemper Donovan, 320 pages, 4/13/16, highly recommended
57. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel, 320 pages, 4/15/16, highly recommended
*58. The Alaskan Laundry by Brendan Jones, 384 pages, 4/18/16, very highly recommended
*59. The Art of Calm by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh, 215 pages, 4/21/16, very highly recommended, nonfiction
**60. City of Secrets by Stewart O'Nan, 208 pages, 4/22/16, very highly recommended
61. The Girl Who Stayed by Tanya Anne Crosby, 292 pages, 4/25/16, recommended
62. The Revelation Code by Andy McDermott, 480 pages, 4/26/16, highly recommended
*63. Everyone Brave Is Forgiven by Chris Cleave, 432 pages, 4/29/16, very highly recommended
*64. The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick, 336 pages, 4/30/16, very highly recommended

May – 19 books
65. The Doll-Master by Joyce Carol Oates, 304 pages, 5/1/16, highly recommended, short stories
*66. Wilde Lake by Laura Lippman, 368 pages, 5/4/16, very highly recommended
*67. Father's Day by Simon Van Booy, 304 pages, 5/5/16, very highly recommended
68. Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman, 336 pages, 5/7/16, highly recommended
69. I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh, 384 pages, 5/7/16, highly recommended
70. The Last Good Girl by Allison Leotta, 304 pages, 5/7/16, highly recommended
*71. The Pier Falls by Mark Haddon, 320 pages, 5/8/16, very highly recommended,  short stories
72. Kathryn Kelly by Barbara Casey, 196 pages, 5/11/16, recommended
73. X Child Stars by Kathy Garver, Fred Ascher, 240 pages, 5/12/16, highly recommended, nonfiction
74. The Raft by Fred Strydom, 432 pages, 5/15/16, highly recommended
75. Relativity by Antonia Hayes, 368 pages, 5/15/16, highly recommended
*76. Are You Here For What I'm Here For? by Brian Booker, 256 pages, 5/15/16, very highly recommended; short stories
77. Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica, 320 pages, 5/17/16, highly recommended
78. In the Clearing by Robert Dugoni, 355 pages, 5/18/16, highly recommended
*79. Beyond the Ice Limit by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, 384 pages, 5/22/16, very highly recommended
80. A Game for All the Family by Sophie Hannah, 464 pages, 5/23/16, recommended
*81. Last Ride to Graceland by Kim Wright, 352 pages, 5/24/15, very highly recommended
82. A World Between by Robert Herzog, 324 pages, 5/26/16, recommended
*83. Lost at Sea: The story of the USS Indianapolis by David Boyle, 128 pages, 5/26/16, very highly recommended, nonfiction

June – 24 books
84. The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin, 624 pages, 6/2/16, highly recommended
*85. Before the Fall by Noah Hawley, 400 pages, 6/3/16, very highly recommended
*86. The Passage by Michael Hurley, 362 pages, 6/3/16, very highly recommended
87. Devour by Kurt Anderson, 400 pages, 6/4/16, highly recommended
88. The Fallout by Tamar Cohen, 352 pages, 6/5/16, highly recommended
89. Goodnight, Beautiful Women by Anna Noyes, 224 pages, 6/5/16, recommended, short stories
**90. The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman, 544 pages, 6/6/16, very highly recommended, nonfiction
91. I Like You Just Fine When You're Not Around by Ann Garvin, 288 pages, 6/8/16, highly recommended
*92. Grunt by Mary Roach, 288 pages, 6/11/16, very highly recommended, nonfiction
*93. Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger, 352 pages, 6/11/16, very highly recommended
94. Dead End Fix by T. E. Woods, 300 pages, 6/12/16, highly recommended
*95. Life Moves Pretty Fast by Hadley Freeman, 352 pages, 6/12/16, very highly recommended, nonfiction
**96. The Girls by Emma Cline, 368 pages, 6/14/16, very highly recommended
97. I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid, 224 pages, 6/15/16, recommended
98. Follow the River Home by Corran Harrington, 220 pages, 6/16/16, highly recommended
99. The Joy of Less by Francine Jay, 288 pages, 6/18/16, recommended, nonfiction
*100. The Mandibles by Lionel Shriver, 416 pages, 6/18/16, very highly recommended
101. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler, 240 pages, 6/19/16, highly recommended
102. All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda, 384 pages, 6/21/16, highly recommended
103. Atlantis: And Other Lost Worlds by Frank Joseph, 384 pages, 6/24/16, recommended, nonfiction
104. Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner, 368 pages, 6/26/16, highly recommended
*105. We Are Not Such Things by Justine van der Leun, 544 pages, 6/28/16, very highly recommended, nonfiction
*106. Grace by Randy Alcorn, 224 pages, 6/28/16, very highly recommended, nonfiction
107. The Harrows of Spring by James Howard Kunstler, 384 pages, 6/29/16, highly recommended

July – 15 books
108. Millennium by Ben Bova, 295 pages, 7/2/16, highly recommended
109. Listen to Me by Hannah Pittard, 208 pages, 7/2/16, highly recommended
110. I Am No One by Patrick Flanery, 352 pages, 7/3/16, recommended
*111. The Hummingbird by Stephen P. Kiernan, 336 pages, 7/6/16, very highly recommended
112. Neon Green by Margaret Wappler, 246 pages, 7/7/16, highly recommended
**113. The Last One by Alexandra Oliva, 304 pages, 7/9/16, very highly recommended
114. The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon, 368 pages, 7/12/16, highly recommended
**115. All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker, 320 pages, 7/14/16, very highly recommended
116. Stranger, Father, Beloved by Taylor Larsen, 272 pages, 7/15/16, recommended
117. The Sunlight Pilgrims by Jenni Fagan, 310 pages, 7/17/16, highly recommended
118. The Night Parade by Ronald Malfi, 384 pages, 7/20/16, highly recommended
119. The Lost Girls by Heather Young, 352 pages, 7/26/16, highly recommended
120. The Unseen World by Liz Moore, 464 pages, 7/26/16, highly recommended
121. The Beauty of the End by Debbie Howells, 320 pages, 7/27/16, recommended
122. Carousel Court by Joe McGinniss Jr., 368 pages, 7/31/16, so-so

August -16 books
123. The Girl from the Sea by Shalini Boland, 306 pages, 8/1/16, so-so
124. The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell, 320 pages, 8/1/16, highly recommended
**125. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, 352 pages, 8/2/16, very highly recommended
**126. Harmony by Carolyn Parkhurst, 288 pages, 8/4/16, very highly recommended
127. The Girl Before by Rena Olsen, 320 pages, 8/9/16, highly recommended
**128. Patient H.M. by Luke Dittrich, 464 pages, 8/9/16, very highly recommended, nonfiction
129. Navigating Life by Margaux Bergen, 256 pages, 8/13/16, recommended, nonfiction
130. How to Party With an Infant by Kaui Hart Hemmings, 240 pages, 8/13/16, highly recommended
131. Liberty Street by Dianne Warren, 384 pages, 8/14/16, recommended
**132. Cold, Cold Heart by Karin Slaughter, 40 pages, 8/16/16, very highly recommended, short story
133. Walking with Plato by Gary Hayden, 240 pages, 8/16/16, highly recommended, nonfiction
134. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena, 320 pages, 8/19/16, recommended
**135. Natchez Burning by Greg Iles, 816 pages, 8/26/16, very highly recommended
136. End Point by Peter Breakspear, 212 pages, 8/28/16, so-so
137. Wolves by D. J. Molles, 528 pages, 8/28/16, highly recommended
138. We Are Unprepared by Meg Little Reilly, 368 pages, 8/29/16, so-so

September – 22 books
139. The World in Flames by Jerald Walker, 208 pages, 9/1/16, highly recommended, nonfiction
140. Frontier Grit by Marianne Monson, 208 pages, 9/2/16, recommended, nonfiction
141. Mammoth by Douglas Perry, 266 pages, 9/5/16, so-so
142. The Risen by Ron Rash, 272 pages, 9/5/16, highly recommended
143. Star Struck by David Hart Bradstreet and Steve Rabey, 320 pages, 9/5/16, highly recommended, nonfiction
144. Substitute by Nicholson Baker, 736 pages, 9/6/16, so-so, nonfiction
145. The 37th Parallel by Ben Mezrich, 272 pages, 9/6/16, recommended, nonfiction
**146. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett, 336 pages, 9/7/16, very highly recommended
147. After James by Michael Helm, 368 pages, 9/8/16, so-so
148. The Empress of Tempera by Alex Dolan, 282 pages, 9/8/16, highly recommended
149. In Such Good Company by Carol Burnett, 320 pages, 9/9/16, highly recommended, nonfiction
150. Ninth City Burning by J. Patrick Black, 544 pages, 9/15/16, recommended, YA
151. The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan, 464 pages, 9/19/16, highly recommended
*152. The Bone Tree by Greg Iles, 832 pages, 9/20/16, very highly recommended
*153. The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter, 480 pages, 9/21/16, very highly recommended
154. Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra, 288 pages, 9/21/16, highly recommended
155. Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley, 352 pages, 9/22/16, highly recommended
156. The Other Side of the World by Stephanie Bishop, 256 pages, 9/24/16, recommended
**157. The Wonder by Emma Donoghue, 304 pages, 9/24/16, very highly recommended
*158. Hot Sauce Nation by Denver Nicks, 240 pages, 9/26/16, very highly recommended, nonfiction
159. Shining Sea by Anne Korkeakivi, 288 pages, 9/27/16, highly recommended
160. Live To Tell by Bianca Sloane, 302 pages, 9/28/16, recommended

October – 19 books
161. You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott, 352 pages, 10/1/16, highly recommended
162. The Heart of Henry Quantum by Pepper Harding, 288 pages, 10/1/16, so-so
163. Feedback by Mira Grant, 496 pages, 10/2/16, highly recommended
164. The Ramblers by Aidan Donnelley Rowley, 385 pages, 10/4/16, recommended
165. Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch, 400 pages, 10/5/16, highly recommended
166. Napoleon's Last Island by Thomas Keneally, 432 pages, 10/5/16, recommended, nonfiction
*167. Venom Doc by Bryan Grieg Fry, 316 pages, 10/5/16, very highly recommended, nonfiction
**168. Crosstalk by Connie Willis, 512 pages, 10/9/16, very highly recommended
169. A Desolate Splendor by John Jantunen, 312 pages, 10/10/16, so-so
**170. Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood, 320 pages, 10/10/16, very highly recommended
*171. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult, 480 pages, 10/15/16, very highly recommended
**172. The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison, 300 pages, 10/15/16, very highly recommended
173. Beautiful Maids All in a Row by Jennifer Harlow, 325 pages, 10/17/16, highly recommended
**174. Truevine by Beth Macy, 432 pages, 10/18/16, very highly recommended, nonfiction
175. Stars at Night by Paula D'Arcy, 192 pages, 10/21/16, so-so, nonfiction
176. This Was Not the Plan by Cristina Alger, 368 pages, 10/22/16, recommended
177. The Terranauts by T. C. Boyle, 528 pages, 10/29/16, highly recommended
178. The Best Is Yet to Come by Anne Bryan Smollin, 192 pages, 10/30/16, highly recommended, nonfiction
**179. This Way to the End Times edited by Robert Silverberg, 468 pages, 10/30/16, very highly recommended, short stories

November – 17 books
180. Cataclysm by Tim Washburn, 488 pages, 11/1/16, recommended
181. Unlikely Companions by Laurie Hess, 272 pages, 11/1/16, highly recommended, nonfiction
182. The Clancys of Queens by Tara Clancy, 256 pages, 11/2/16, recommended, nonfiction
183. Wasps in June by Brad Prentice, 182 pages, 11/6/16, so-so, short stories
**184. Faithful by Alice Hoffman, 272 pages, 11/6/16, very highly recommended
185. Inheriting Edith by Zoe Fishman, 320 pages, 11/9/16, highly recommended
186. In the Country of the Blind by Edward Hoagland, 204 pages, 11/11/16, so-so
**187. And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman, 96 pages, 11/11/16, very highly recommended, novella/short story
188. Niagara Motel by Ashley Little, 296 pages, 11/15/16, highly recommended
*189. Bellevue by David Oshinsky, 400 pages, 11/15/16, very highly recommended, nonfiction
**190. Redshirts by John Scalzi, 317 pages, 11/21/16, very highly recommended
191. Moonglow by Michael Chabon, 448 pages, 11/22/16, highly recommended
192. Slipping by Lauren Beukes, 288 pages, 11/23/16, highly recommended, short stories
193. Ice and Bone by Monte Francis, 390 pages, 11/26/16, highly recommended, nonfiction
**194. The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker, 384 pages, 11/26/16, very highly recommended
195. The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flagg, 432 pages, 11/28/16, highly recommended
196. Lucifer's Banker by Bradley C. Birkenfeld, 344 pages, 11/30/16, recommended, nonfiction

December - 11 Books
197. Road to Paradise by Paullina Simons, 544 pages, 12/1/16, not recommended
198. Ocean of Storms by Christopher Mari, Jeremy K. Brown, 400 pages, 12/4/16, so-so
199. Of All That Ends by GĂĽnter Grass, 176 pages, 12/6/16, highly recommended, nonfiction
200. Kill the Next One by Federico Axat, 416 pages, 12/7/16, highly recommended
*201. The Seventh Plague by James Rollins, 448 pages, 12/11/16, very highly recommended
*202. Searching for John Hughes by Jason Diamond, 304 pages, 12/15/16, very highly recommended, nonfiction
203. All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai, 384 pages, 12/18/16, highly recommended
**204. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, 352 pages, 12/18/16, very highly recommended
205. Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner, 400 pages, 12/21/16, highly recommended
206.The 4th Man by Lisa Gardner, 76 pages, 12/25/16, highly recommended, short story
*207. Miniatures by John Scalzi, 144 pages, 12/25/16, very highly recommended, short stories

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Miniatures

Miniatures by John Scalzi
Subterranean Press: 12/31/16
eBook review copy; 144 pages
ASIN: B01NCF8YH6

Miniatures: The Very Short Fiction of John Scalzi by John Scalzi is entertaining, hilarious, and a very highly recommended collection of 18 stories and one poem. All the pieces were written from 1991 to the present. Four have never been in print before this collection.
 "There are 18 pieces in the collection, the longest of which is a whopping 2,296 words long, including the title; the shortest, just 427 words. The average piece length is 1,310 words. The forms of the stories -  interviews, memos, even Twitter posts and search results - have brevity in mind. Nearly all of them are meant to be funny (one’s not. You’ll know it when you see it). Four of the pieces are original to this collection; they’ve never been printed elsewhere."

I enjoyed every piece included in this well-written, clever collection (with the exception of the last one, which is a poem).  A couple of my favorites that had me laughing out loud to the point of tears are marked with an asterisk, or two.

CONTENTS:
Introduction
*Alien Animal Encounters - Various people answer the question: "What is the most interesting encounter you've ever had with an alien animal species?"
Missives from Possible Futures #1: Alternate History Search Results - Various scenarios featuring ways Hitler died and the resulting changes in the historical record.
Pluto Tells All - The dwarf planet shares a few thoughts about his demotion
*Denise Jones, Superbooker -  interview with the Super Hero Booking Coordinator for the International Society of Super Beings.
*When the Yogurt Took Over - Intelligent yogurt takes over.
The Other Large Thing - the master of the house meets a new accolade.
The State of Super Villainy - An interview with a super villain analyst for a management company
**New Directives for Employee - Manxtse Interactions - Memo from FoodMaster Supermarkets to employees regarding Employee - Manxtse Interactions.
*To Sue the World - A lawyer sues an interplanetary union for dangerous working conditions.
How I Keep Myself Amused on Long Flights: A Twitter Tale - self-explanatory
How I Keep Myself Amused on Long Flights, Part II: The Gremlining - self-explanatory
*Life On Earth: Human-Alien Relations -  An advice column answers questions on human-alien interaction in the office
*Morning Announcements at the Lucas Interspecies School for Troubled Youth - self-explanatory
**Your Smart Appliances Talk About You Behind Your Back - self-explanatory
The AI are Absolutely Positively Without a Doubt Not Here to End Humanity, Honest  - an open discussion on what to do with humans.
**Important Holidays on Gronghu - An office memo on important Gronghu holidays to the staff of the Diplomatic Mission to Gronghu.
Cute Adorable Extortionists - the tale of a lemonade stand
Penelope- the poem is written to Penelope, wife of Odysseus; non-humorous

Disclosure: My advanced reading copy was courtesy of Subterranean Press.