New Stories from the South 1999: The Year's Best

I have read probably, (literally) 100 anthologies of short stories and this is the best I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Admittedly, Best New Stories from the South is my favorite yearly anthology. It presents the most consistent quality of stories each year. This is the best that I have read. Each story is powerful and distinct from the others. To me, the mark of a good short story is when you must put down the book after finishing it and think. Every story in this collection is that good. This book, hopefully, will hook you on the series.