Tenth of December, by George Saunders

This is my second book of Saunders' short stories (see previous entry on In Persuasion Nation). I particularly enjoy the first person narrative style in the opening and closing stories - centered on young men moved to action and wrapped (encumbered?) in the nuanced (not so nuanced?) baggage of childhood relationships with family. Unlike David Foster Wallace's short stories of doom, gloom and psychological terror, Saunders' writing is generous. While tragic and sometimes sad, they all left me with a sense of hope. If you are muscling your way through top shelf contemporary fiction, this guy needs to be on your reading list.