Book Review 4 of 52: Livability by Jon Raymond

I'd like to start off by saying I have no idea who Jon Raymond is. The only reason I got the book was because Stassney and I were at Barnes and Noble to get her one of the Twilight books and while she went back to pick it up I browsed the New Fiction section, not really hoping to find anything but just to pass the time. I had no clue who Jon Raymond was and as I held the book in my hand I had the urge to put it back, but I didn't want to go to the counter buying a Twilight book alone so I took it with me out of necessity.

Jon Raymond's stories are simple. Two friends reconnecting on a road trip to the woods. A conflicted widower starting a relationship with an old friend. Two kids getting into a fight. Two kids getting trapped in a mall clothing store. A father taking his daughter to buy new shoes while he waits for an important business call.

There are nine stories in all and it's one of the few story collections I've read where I wasn't satisfied at the end because I wanted more. The characters are never perfect, but always in a way you sort of sympathize with. We've all had friends we have tried to reconnect with and realized that spark is no longer there. We've gone along with things, especially as kids, only to realize you're being played for a fool. They're all universal themes which have been written about over and over again but these stories are written in such a way that it never seems old, like it's the first time realizing these parts of humanity.

I highly suggest picking up this book. It seems Jon Raymond has also written a novel or two so I'm going to put them pretty high on my list of books to read. I can only hope his talent for storytelling can translate even better from short fiction into long form.