It has been a while since I have read a short story collection. And I'm not sure if I've read a collection of stories by the same author since high school. Most of these stories were pretty solid, but very few of them included anything too dramatic. The majority have their strength in the observational humor that runs below the surface of the story arcs. I also liked the three-dimensional characters that Straub puts into her stories.

The most successful stories are ones that focus primarily on two characters with differing attitudes to whether they are growing together or growing apart. Straub has a knack for presenting complicated emotions that run up against each other as the characters interact.

Still, I prefer anthologies with a range of voices or an author who tries a range of styles and genres within a collection ...