I've never read "Monsters at Templeton," apparently Groff's masterpiece with rave reviews posted everywhere by some mighty minds. But I picked up "Delicate, Edible Birds" at the library during a bird phase, where I blindly gathered only books with nature-driven artwork. I returned home to find three bird covers, one butterfly cover and one tree with a bird cover. Odd but true.

Anyway, I hadn't realized the book was a compilation of stories, something normally unappealing to me, and didn't begin reading it until I was finished with the others. But the first few pages in I was already gripped with intrigue, flipping pages like a madwoman. I'm jealous of Groff's prose, how she wrangles words across the page. It's commanding yet subtle. Her stories are devastating, beautiful, cold, heartfelt, all, depending on the page.

I'll pick up "Monsters" on my next library trip and read anything else Groff writes.

More reviews online at http://reviewsbychristine.blogspot.co... ( )

Groff feels more successful as a short story writer than as a novelist -- as with "The Monsters of Templeton" (and many short story collections in general), some of the writing is much more successful, and "Delicate Edible Birds" features a a couple of utterly transcendent pieces ("Watershed" and "L. DeBard and Aliette" in particular). Skim or skip the ones that don't pull you in, and instead spend time savoring the perfect packages of the stories that do. ( )

In her first book since The Monsters of Templeton, Lauren Groff proves that she is a true and inspiring talent. Delicate Edible Birds is that rare short story collection that manages to maintain a theme without being repetitive, that contains true gems without a single dud. Each of Groff's stories stands strong and elegant alone, but as a collection they are truly dazzling. A new favorite. I recommed it without reservation. ( )

The first thing I noticed in this story collection when I received it was the beautiful cover. The color of my graphic to the left is more of a sky blue but the cover I have has more of a pale green mixed in with it. "My gosh!" I thought. "This book was made to sit on my coffee table." (Let's just forget that I don't have a coffee table for the moment, shall we?) My living room is currently being redone in shades of pale blues, greens and very dark browns and blacks, with a bird theme. And I love black metal scroll work with all its whirlygigs. So this book got a high mark from the get go for matching my decor.

Then I read it.

Wow! I have a serious crush on Lauren Groff and her magic pen or laptop or whatever. Her descriptions are imaginative and unique. She is most certainly not cliché. She is original and dynamic. Her words have force and depth. She can give you a fully developed story with history and dimension in just a few pages. Most writers would take 300 pages to develop a story to equal what Groff writes in just 30 pages. I can say with all sincerity that this is my favorite short story collection. Here's the rundown of stories:

Lucky Chow Fun - Groff has revisited the small town of Templeton to share how a teenage girl experiences the uncovering of a terrible town secret.

L. DeBard and Aliette - My favorite story in the collection, I believe it to be a love story to rival Romeo and Juliet. It's that good.

Majorette - The unfolding of a girl's life and the influences that shape the woman she becomes.

Blythe - This woman has a serious case of Manic Depressiveness going on. People are held captive as Blythe spirals into creative catastrophe.

The Wife of the Dictator - the woman whose quiet agonies inspire a man of war.

Watershed - a woman tells the story of how she wins and loses the love of her life. Very heartbreaking.

Sir Fleeting - a frumpy farm girl attracts the notice of a gorgeous playboy but neither of them can fulfill each others deepest needs.

Fugue - a teenager is sent to live with a family in the country and learns a little about the messiness of life.

Delicate Edible Birds - Can a woman of no morals give up on her principles?

Every time I started a story I knew I had to read to the end. And each ending brought a flood of emotions, whether good or bad, confusion or clarity. It's a short story collection for the true lover of character but it has enough story for everyone. I very highly recommend this book, and not just because it's beautiful to behold. More because it contains so much beauty. ( )

Lauren Groff's "Delicate Edible Birds" is a collection of nine short stories that deal with the intimate details of women's lives in the face of adversity. Unlike many story collections, each of Groff's stories is unique--they are all told by women of different ages, perspectives, and stations in life--so you don't feel like you are reading the same short story retold multiple times in a single volume. Groff gives each of her women a strong narrative voice, rich with the emotions attached to their situations.

My favorite stories in this volume included Lucky Chow Fun, in which a small town ripped apart by a sex scandal is chronicled by a high school girl; Majorette, which traces the life of an under-appreciated young woman as she uses baton twirling to aid her growth into a capable woman who raises a confident daughter; and Watershed, the story of a reckless love affair that ends in tragedy. All of the stories in this volume are as different and rich as these three, and they each leave you wishing for just a little bit longer glimpse into these women's lives.

I would recommend this volume of short stories to anyone who enjoys reading stories about strong women in the face of adversity. These stories are rich and memorable. I can't wait to see what is next from the obviously talented Groff. ( )