Book Review: We Love Anderson Cooper

WE LOVE ANDERSON COOPER | R.L. Maizes
07.23.2019 | Celadon Books
Rating: 4/5 stars

WE LOVE ANDERSON COOPER is a short story collection bringing together tales about characters that have experienced being treated as outsiders for a variety of reasons, such as sexual orientation, religious identity, socioeconomic status, and their appearance. Each story focuses on a unique situation with a mixture of humor and heavy topics. Maizes debut collection drops the reader into stories that make they question what they would do in someone else’s shoes, while at the same time evaluating how we treat those around us.

I don’t read a lot of short story collections, but I’m always intrigued by them and think they make a great compliment to a chunky TBR. I always envision them as short stories to sprinkle in between reads to break up the bigger books. That being said, I’ve mostly read collections by various authors or with a focus on horror/thriller stories. When I received WE LOVE ANDERSON COOPER I had no idea what to expect. By the time I finished, I was in love!

R.L. Maizes has put together a collection of eleven stories that range in topic, but always fit the same formula. The stories all focus on an individual dealing with a situation where they are made to feel like an outsider. There are some heavy topics to digest, but Maizes always finds a way to balance that with humor. I was very pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of a magical realism aspect to several stories. If I had to pick my favorite stories from this collection, I would choose: A Cat Called Grievous, We Love Anderson Cooper, Tattoo, and Collections. There were a few stories I think missed the mark for me personally, but I can see them working for others. If you’re looking to add a short story collection that will make you think to your TBR, I would definitely giving this one a go!

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

Disclosure: Thank you Celadon Books for sending me a free copy of this book!

Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.