Birds of AmericaBirds of America
Score Modern
What it's about
Twelve stories by Lorrie Moore about people trying to connect and failing in very funny ways: a woman in a cheap rental after her career falls apart, a couple in Ireland whose marriage is breaking, and, in the most famous, a mother whose baby is diagnosed with cancer, and who channels her terror into wisecracks.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Moore is famous for her wit and the sadness under it.
You'll love it if you liked
Tenth of December
A Manual for Cleaning Women
RunawayGood to know
The story about the baby with cancer is very hard reading despite its humor.
By the numbers
- Readers59 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller6 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #978 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1810 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is Birds of America worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. It ranks #1,810 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Birds of America about?
Twelve stories by Lorrie Moore about people trying to connect and failing in very funny ways: a woman in a cheap rental after her career falls apart, a couple in Ireland whose marriage is breaking, and, in the most famous, a mother whose baby is diagnosed with cancer, and who channels her terror into wisecracks.
How long does it take to read Birds of America?
About 8 hours (308 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Birds of America?
If you liked it, try Tenth of December by George Saunders, A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin or Runaway by Alice Munro.