What Books Has Eden Prairie’s City Manager Failed to Finish?

Eden Prairie City Manager Rick Getschow likes a good book, but his busy job means he can’t always make it through a full novel.

Good thing for Getschow that this year’s Eden Prarie Reads selection is a collection of ten short stories from The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Fiction.

“The timing for reading this book works out well for me because I have just finished reading a different collection of short stories (Tenth of December by George Saunders) that I really enjoyed,” Getschow wrote in a Friday blog post. “Additionally, I have a pile of full-length books at home that I have had a difficult time completing  (see list provided at the end of this blog)—and maybe short stories are what I need right now.”

The 2013 Eden Prairie Reads kicks off April 11 as author Brian Malloy discusses the five parts of the short story: exposition, rising action, crisis, falling action and conclusion. The talk takes place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Eden Prairie Library Meeting Room. The event is free, but attendees must register ahead of time at the Eden Prairie Reads website because space is limited.

A discussion about the 10 stories will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. May 7 at St. Andrew Lutheran Church. Moderated tables will be set up to discuss all the stories.

So what “pile of full-length books” does Getschow have unfinished at home?

• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern,
• The Medici Effect by Frans Johansson,
• Once a Runner by John Parker, 
• To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink and
• A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan