Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: Drift: Stories by Victoria Patterson

First line: I met Annette when Jim hired us to work at Shark Island.

Initial thoughts: Lately I’ve been craving more short stories. Not just any short stories, either, but well-written ones that evoke raw emotions. And when I read the overview of Drift, and its reviews, it sounded like a winner. Plus, I really like the cover—the use of color and angle is spectacular.

Book description:

Deceptively powerful and refreshingly frank, Victoria Patterson’s stories–like those of ZZ Packer, Julie Orringer, and Nell Fruedenberger–plumb the depths of female friendship and what it means to be an outsider. Through the lives of waiters and waitresses, divorced and single parents, and alienated teens, Drift offers a rare and rewarding look inside the real life in Newport Beach, a community that isn’t always as glamorous as we imagine.

Book Details: 240 pages; Mariner Books; Pub. June 25, 2009