Bark by Lorrie Moore

Knopf, 208 pages, $24.95

I hoped against hope that one of Lorrie Moore’s eight shining short stories would have a murder in it so I could award it an MBTB star, but alas, no such luck. Thus, here’s my alert: No fictional characters were murdered in the making of this book.

Lorrie Moore captures her eccentric characters and wraps them in humor and regret. The paired people in most of her stories whiz by each other instead of connecting. This is love — and not just romantic love — on a different plane.

If you have a chance to read these eight short stories, do so. You won’t regret it.