Guys Write for Guys Read -- edited by Jon Scieszka

I'm a huge fan of Guys Read.

Each piece was short -- the longest being about three pages long -- most were under two.  Guys Write for Guys Read is a book that doesn't involve much commitment -- you can pick it up, read a few segments, and wander away again. 

I have a new list of authors I want to try out -- I was horrified to realize that I've only read (maybe) two books by Laurence Yep.  I've been procrastinating about reading John Marsden's Tomorrow series -- after reading his bit, I have vowed to procrastinate no longer.  I'll grab the first book today.  I've been a Will Weaver fan for a long time, but I haven't read him in ages -- his piece made me want to go back and read him again.  Kenneth Oppel's short story about a semi-cool guy's experience with D&D made me determined to finally (finally!) read Airborn. 

It was fun to re-visit bits from Gary Paulsen and Chris Crutcher's memoirs, though I kind of wished they had written new bits -- or that I hadn't already read the segments included.  But they're busy guys, so I guess it's a forgivable offense.  M.T. Anderson's "My Maturity, in Flames" tied for personal favorite with Daniel Adel's re-creation of a childhood drawing.  I keep turning back to those two and re-reading them.

That being said, I'm curious about how this collection has been received by actual guys.  I do think there's something for everyone in here, but at the same time (for that very reason, really), I think it'll be hit-or-miss for everyone, too.  The suggested age on the inner flap is 11-up, but it struck me as a collection that adults might enjoy more than teens.  Obviously, I could be wrong.  But that's how it struck me.