This book’s a sort of surreal, absurdist collection of very short stories — A mother, bitten by a mosquito, slowly swells up and floats to the ceiling. Pirates break into a boy’s house — to steal his fathers’ vacation slides. My favorite is “Traitors”: A guy’s about to get hung for treason, and his mom couldn’t be more proud:

“I recognize my mother’s large, festive sun hat in the throng of bloodthirsty early-risers. A manicured hand waves enthusiastically to me. I acknowledge it in miserable embarrassment, wiggling my fingers in front of my thighs…. A bouquet of flowers arcs into the air and plops at my feet. “For Christ’s sake, mom!” I sputter.”