Prize Stories, 2008, the O'Henry Prize

If you like your fiction in sweet dollops, rather than devoured whole, this cornucopia of short stories fills the bill. There's a lovely story about a musician who takes care of his girlfriend's parakeet, growing more and more attached to it; a bizarre tale of strange mating practices in Africa; a tale of a woman with possible breast cancer who distracts herself with graveyard research; and a young woman who tries to save her life in an Internet cafe. A great way to sample both famous authors--Alice Munro, Ha Jin, William Trevor--and emerging ones--Alexi Zentner and Tony Tulathimutte. Great bedtime reading, one story each night before shut-eye.