Short Stories

Ana has perfected the art of the Irish goodbye—especially when it comes to holiday office parties that send her anxiety spiraling. When she escapes the company festivities and takes refuge in her favorite bookstore, she expects to find her usual hidden reading nook empty and waiting. Instead, she discovers Kael—the store's new owner with silver-streaked hair, warm golden eyes, and a pair of very real reindeer antlers that catch the light when she smiles.

In the bizarre world of Franz Kafka, salesmen turn into giant bugs, apes give lectures at college academies, and nightmares probe the mysteries of modern humanity’s unhappiness. More than any other modern writer in world literature, Kafka captures the loneliness and misery that fill the lives of 20th-century humanity.

This audiobook contains 17 short stories inspired from famous classic fairy tales. In addition to 17 classic tales, you’ll get another three bonus stories from Aesop’s Fables book.

Claire Keegan continues her outstanding work with this new collection of quietly wrenching stories of despair and desire in modern-day Ireland. A writer awarded a stay to work in Heinrich Böll's old cottage has her peace interrupted by an unwelcome intruder whose ulterior motives emerge as the night progresses. A priest waits at the altar to perform a marriage—and battles his memories of a love affair that led him to question all to which he has dedicated his life. And a man seeks solace at the bottom of a bottle as he mourns both his empty life and his lost love.

From Brad Thor, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Code of Conduct, comes a lightning-paced short story, pitting Scot Harvath against a threat unlike any he’s faced before… A deadly betrayal is at the center of The Athens Solution. When a game-changing weapon falls into the wrong...

An unmissable collection of eight unconventional and captivating short stories for young adult and adult intermediate learners of Italian. Short Stories in Italian for Beginners, Volume 2 has been written specifically for students from a high-beginner to intermediate level, designed to give a sense of achievement, and most importantly - enjoyment! Mapped to A2-B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference, these eight captivating stories will both entertain you, and give you a feeling of progress when listening.

A young man caught in a time loop has to figure out how to convince his crush—a barista at his favorite coffee ship—to go out with him so he can escape the loop. After a series of mortifying and hilarious attempts, he finally realizes the only approach he hasn’t tried is to simply be himself.

A collection of the year’s best short stories, selected by celebrated bestselling author Lauren Groff, author of Matrix and The Vaster Wilds, and series editor Heidi Pitlor. “There have never been as many exquisitely built stories in existence than there are now,” proclaims guest editor...

Sky Lacroux has finally realized her dream and opened her own tattoo shop in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The only thing missing is the one thing she longs for, and has no control over - love. Sawyer Bass, a professional boxer, plays his guitar at a local bar to escape the painful realities of his life. But when he spots a stunning brunette across the room, escaping reality goes out the window. When Sawyer walks into Sky's tattoo shop and sees the woman from the bar - Sky - the chemistry between them is instant.

Are you ready to embark on an unforgettable sexual journey? Delve into a world of passion, dominance, and sizzling intrigue with our handpicked selection of the finest short stories. If you crave tales featuring alluring characters willing to explore uncharted territory, then look no further—you've found your destination.

The Taboo Sex Mix is here! Thirty stories of naughty erotic fun, featuring EVERYTHING! This mammoth collection has it all.

Erin tends bar at the last dive left in gentrified Red Hook, Brooklyn, where old-timers spin tales of the bar’s legacy and the waterfront’s crime-ridden past. Her boss, Jimmy, a real estate magnate responsible for much of the neighborhood’s shiny transformation, also has a story to share. Back when he was a struggling beat cop, two neglected boys introduced him to an ancient creature that made Jimmy’s dreams come true. Nightmares too. Erin doesn’t believe a word. The bar is her life. But this bar at the end of the world is also home to a deadly stowaway. And it’s looking for a new host.

This is a series of five erotic stories that take place in New York. Included are "Girls' Night Out", "The Party", "Domination", "Exploring My Lover" and "Farewell Threesome".

In the gentle hush of twilight, as stars twinkle in the velvety sky, the enchanting world of our “Ultimate Bedtime Sleep Meditation Stories for Kids” awaits! A compilation of 14 unique tales by Calm Horizons Publishing, this children’s book is designed to be a helpful companion, introducing children aged 4-8 to mindfulness and meditation. This meditation book is a complete nightly ritual where your little one is gently guided into a land of dreams, armed with positive affirmations to carry into the night. It nurtures emotional balance and sets the stage for a relaxing sleep.

Arranged marriages are so three centuries ago. But that doesn't stop Afton Lennox from being bound by one. All her life she's been pledged to wed Connor MacKean. It's the only way to save both their families' estates, and they're friends after all so it won't be that bad. Right? Hamish Colquhoun has spent his entire adult life trying to find a way to liberate his best friend from a marriage he doesn't want. If it also spares the woman he's secretly loved for years, it's of no mind to him. He's already got a wife and family of his own. Freeing them both is just the right thing to do.

Two estranged sisters, Lillian and Adelia, struggle to come to terms after the mother they've believed to be dead for the past 15 years actually passes away. Confused and in shock, they travel together to the isolated village of their childhood to claim the farm that was passed on to them. There’s comfort in returning to this place of their birth, where a simpler, rustic life feels possible - but the sisters quickly realize that something is very wrong with the village and that their mother was hiding more than they could have ever imagined.

Jane Austen wrote Love and Friendship (originally spelled Love and Freindship [ sic]) when she was just 14 years old. The three notebooks that contain her early works, including this story, are currently on display at the Bodleian Library and the British Museum. Taking the form as letters written by the heroine to the daughter of her friend, this story resembles a fairy tale that lampoons the conventions of romantic stories at the time.

The Complete Short Stories is a collection to be loved and cherished, from one of the finest short-story writers of the twentieth century. From the cruel irony of A member of the Family to the fateful echoes of The Go-Away Bird and the unexpectedly sinister The Girl I Left Behind Me, in settings that range from South Africa to the Portobello Road, Muriel Spark coolly probes the idiosyncrasies that lurk beneath the veneer of human respectability, displaying the acerbic wit and wisdom that are the hallmarks of her unique talent.

This drive through the dark streets of the Motor City “is one of the best in Akashic Books’ noir series. You cannot go wrong with this anthology.”—Reviewing the Evidence From cri….

In Honor Harrington’s day, the Star Kingdom of Manticore is the wealthiest star nation on a per capita basis in the entire galaxy. It is home to magnificent cities. Its planets’ oceans and seas—and skies—are open to its people, yet they have maintained the beauty and the magnificence of their natural habitats. But that was not always true. Pioneers, especially interstellar pioneers, must be tough, smart, and self-reliant, and the people who built the Star Kingdom knew that.