The Dog of the Marriage

It took me a while to get all the way through this - not out of quality - mostly because I've been trying to use my free time to write and also give notes to my fellow writers on their works-in-progress - and the problem with reading a book of short stories is that it's easy to put down and not get back around to because you don't feel like you've abandoned it the way you would with a novel.
The more I read short stories the more I realize that I'm a man who likes a solid structure.  I can appreciate the works of Hempel because they are beautifully crafted and written - she uses words like weapons and leaves you humbled, but in my anal way I'd label them more "moments" than "stories".  But that's just me.
I'm proud of myself to finally get through Amy's works - knowing how long she takes to craft them I imagine I'm a few years away still from whatever she's got up her sleeve next. 
All of Amy's books are easy to recommend, especially to those who don't mind having to spend a bit of time reflecting on what exactly is going on in the story past the face value.  Amy is a writer who started off strong and continues to grow through her work - and it's no small feat that her work is made up entirely of short fiction.
Read her - you won't regret it.
The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel  The Dog of the Marriage: Stories