The Big Day (and other stories)


Book Description

What do invisible rats, aspiring rapists, axe-wielding gorillas, coffee shop ninjas and clown-faced kidnappers all have in common? They’re just some of the shady miscreants and dubious heroes who populate the pages of the twisted tales making up Dave Lauby’s rollicking short fiction collection The Big Day (and other stories). From the wimpy 13-year-old boy spurred on to criminal acts by his best friend from a Bizarro universe to the arctic survivalist whose sense of day and night (and pain and pleasure) become snow blinded and indistinguishable, the characters of Lauby’s nine exuberant narratives pinball-collide themselves against tragedy and comedy and all the emotional bumpers in-between. Weaving in and out through a maze of twisting turns, unexpected jolts and surprise endings, TBD(aos) provides the reader with a well-balanced and intellectually nutritious nine-course story meal while tasting every bit like dessert with every bite. It’s a guarantee that you’ll want to come back for seconds.




Lilly's Big Day


Book Description

Mr. Slinger has big news. He's getting married. Married! Lilly has big plans. She's going to be the flower girl. (Lilly has always wanted to be a flower girl. Even more than a surgeon or a diva or a hairdresser.) But what's the biggest, the best, the most perfect thing of all? You're invited to the wedding -- so start reading!







Mukoma's Marriage and other Stories


Book Description

The stories in Mukoma's Marriage and Other Stories capture the lives of Zimbabwean men and the women they marry, and the lives of women and the men they fall in love with, each revealing the complexities of cultural and gender expectations against the backdrop of a changing country (war in the 1970s, political uncertainty in the 1980s and economic structural adjustment in the 1990s). Fati sets out to tell Mukoma's story, but ends up also telling his wives' stories. By telling his brother's story, and that of his women, he ends up telling his own story. Fati is a new and interesting protagonist in Zimbabwean literature with a voice at times innocent, yet increasingly incisive, humorous and engaging. These stories are deeply personal yet universal in their treatment of human relationships, ambitions, and misplaced cultural and gender expectations. Whether he is telling the story of his brother's first marriage, or remembers his brother's fights at a Parents Day event at Mhototi School, whether he recalls the night Mukoma took him to see a new baby in the alleyways of Glen View, Fati renders these stories with a measured, composed voice which doesn`t fail to delight with its unusual humour.




The Big Jump and Other Stories


Book Description

Three short stories, with limited vocabulary and told in folk-tale style. Only the King could have a dog for a pet, but Ben and the pup change that rule.




The Best Valentine's Day Ever and other stories


Book Description

Previously published as Short and Sweet. A heartwarming collection of short stories from the beloved author. Romance can be found in every corner of the world and has changed the lives of people in every period of history. In this collection of sixteen stand-alone short stories including a brand new tale, Anna Jacobs encapsulates the spark of first love and the glow of second chances in her inimitable style which fans new and old will take to their hearts. This collection includes: The Best Valentine's Day Ever: Heartbreak prompts Chrissie to seek comfort with her gran, Nancy. But unhappiness and misunderstandings turn into a double celebration across generations. The Group Settler's Wife: Western Australia, 1924. Maggie is forging a new life for her family, the chance for a fresh start for them all after the lingering effects of war. In an unfamiliar setting and unaccustomed to the rough and ready conditions of pioneer life, Maggie discovers a stronger side to herself and will find happiness where she did not expect it. Previously published as Short and Sweet, The Best Valentine's Day Ever and other stories includes a new short story.




The Stranger and Other Stories


Book Description

The Stranger and Other Stories’ is a compilation of 16 exciting, action-packed, short stories. Each having a surprise turn of events at the end. ’The Stranger’ is hilarious with a witty conclusion. ‘An Errand for Thelma’ is touching, revolving around a lass and an old lady. ‘Fifty-Fifty’ is a laugh-riot about a botched burglary. And ‘Hide and Seek’, set in the ad world, is a romance with dashes of tragedy. ‘Shuddering Sky’ is scary. ‘Bangles for Prema’ too, is scary. ’The Watch’ is a soulful story about a watch which belongs to a ghost. ‘The Sportsman’, ’The Horse Cart’, and ‘The Dry Land’, are quite engaging in their content and narrative, while ‘Donor’ is a story about a beleaguered widow mustering the gall to do the square thing by her benefactor. ‘Lalitha’ is about being possessed, and it is sure to send a shiver down your spine. Reading ‘The Sage’ will be an experience in itself. ‘Portrait for Sale’ is about romance in a college, while ‘Haven for Crooks’ and ‘The Cook’s Leg’ are, respectively, witty stories of the stupidity of life in a military school, and a blunder which can never be set right. The stories are diverse in their plots and presentation, and make for a thrilling Sunday afternoon’s edge-of-the-seat adventure.




Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby And Other Stories


Book Description

"Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby" by means of Kathleen Thompson Norris is a compelling tale that delves into the complexities of human relationships and societal expectancies. The story unfolds round Margaret Kirby; a female whose lifestyles becomes intertwined with the lives of those round her. As Margaret navigates the challenges of love, sacrifice, and personal boom, the radical explores the impact of societal norms on person picks. Set towards the backdrop of the early twentieth century, the narrative weaves collectively issue of family dynamics, societal expectations, and the pursuit of personal achievement. Margaret's journey is marked with the aid of resilience and self-discovery as she confronts the constraints imposed by way of societal norms and seeks a direction genuine to her personal aspirations. Kathleen Thompson Norris crafts a nuanced and emotionally resonant story that captures the zeitgeist of the generation at the same time as addressing timeless subject matters. Through Margaret's reviews, the novel displays on the iconic human quest for identification, reason, and the pursuit of a meaningful existence inside the face of societal pressures.




The Big Front Yard


Book Description

Tales of the unknown in which a fix-it man crosses into another dimension—and more Hiram Taine is a handyman who can fix anything. When he isn’t fiddling with his tools, he is roaming through the woods with his dog, Towser, as he has done for as long as he can remember. He likes things that he can understand. But when a new ceiling appears in his basement—a ceiling that appears to have the ability to repair television sets so they’re better than before—he knows he has come up against a mystery that no man can solve. Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novelette, “The Big Front Yard” is a powerful story about what happens when an ordinary man finds reality coming apart around him. Along with the other stories in this collection, it is some of the most lyrical science fiction ever published. Each story includes an introduction by David W. Wixon, literary executor of the Clifford D. Simak estate and editor of this ebook.




The Big Book of King Cake


Book Description

"I once ate more than eighty king cakes in a single Carnival," author Matt Haines proudly remembers, demonstrating his dedication to this delicious Mardi Gras tradition. "So you can imagine how amazed I was to learn there has never been a coffee table book dedicated to king cakes!" The Big Book of King Cake changes that, telling the thousands-year-old story through lush photography of more than one hundred and fifty unique king cakes, as well as stories from the diverse and talented bakers who make them. While king cakes are typically only available during Carnival season, readers can enjoy this book year-round. From the traditional cakes generations of New Orleanians have loved, to the unconventional creations that break all the rules, this book is your guide to the Crescent City's favorite baked good. The Big Book of King Cake is for anyone who loves food, history, sweets, culture, and of course, New Orleans.