This volume offers a survey of American short fiction in 59 tales that combine classic works with 'different, unexpected gems', which invite readers to explore a wealth of important pieces by women and minority writers. Authors include: Amy Tan, Alice Adams, David Leavitt and Tim O'Brien.

Shortlisted for the National Book Award: "Joan Silber writes with wisdom, humor, grace, and wry intelligence. Her characters bear welcome news of how we will survive."—Andrea Barrett Intense in subject yet restrained in tone, these stories are about longings—often held for years—and the ways in which sex and religion can become parallel forms of dedication and comfort. Though the stories stand alone, a minor element in one becomes major in the next. In "My Shape", a woman is taunted by her dance coach, who later suffers his own heartache. A Venetian poet of the 1500s, another storyteller, is introduced to a modern traveler reading Rilke. His story precedes a mesmerizing narrative of missionaries in China. In the final story, Giles, born to a priesthood family, leans toward Buddhism after a grievous loss, and in time falls in love with the dancer of the first story. So deft and subtle is Joan Silber with these various perspectives that we come full circle surprised and enchanted by her myriad worlds. National Book Award finalist. Reading group guide included.

The "original, first-rate, serious, and beautiful" short fiction (New York Times Book Review) that introduced J. D. Salinger to American readers in the years after World War II, including "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" and the first appearance of Salinger's fictional Glass family. Nine exceptional stories from one of the great literary voices of the twentieth century. Witty, urbane, and frequently affecting, Nine Stories sits alongside Salinger's very best work--a treasure that will passed down for many generations to come. The stories: A Perfect Day for Bananafish Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut Just Before the War with the Eskimos The Laughing Man Down at the Dinghy For Esmé--with Love and Squalor Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period Teddy

Jesus' Son is a visionary chronicle of dreamers, addicts, and lost souls. These stories tell of spiraling grief and transcendence, of rock bottom and redemption, of getting lost and found and lost again. The raw beauty and careening energy of Denis Johnson's prose has earned this book a place among the classics of twentieth-century American literature.

Marvelous Tales features an eclectic mix of short-stories, each with its own set of relatable characters, that inspires a range of emotions just as diverse as the protagonists and their respective worlds. From suburban America to a mystical winter wonderland, the reader is taken on a journey through a number of intriguing landscapes. Whether it’s the optimistic humor of “Dancing to Sunday” or the youthful perseverance of “Jars Full of Angels”, Marvelous Tales offers something for everyone.

Return to the world of Rivers of London in this first short story collection from bestselling author, Ben Aaronovitch. Tales from the Folly is a carefully curated collection that gathers together previously published stories and brand new tales in the same place for the first time. Each tale features a new introduction from the author, filled with insight and anecdote offering the reader a deeper into this absorbing fictional world. This is a must read for any Rivers of London fan. Join Peter, Nightingale, Abigail, Agent Reynolds and Tobias Winter for a series of perfectly portioned tales. Discover what’s haunting a lonely motorway service station, who still wanders the shelves of a popular London bookshop, and what exactly happened to the River Lugg... With an introduction from internationally bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series, Charlaine Harris. This collection includes: The Home Crowd Advantage The Domestic The Cockpit The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Granny King of The Rats A Rare Book of Cunning Device A Dedicated Follower of Fashion Favourite Uncle Vanessa Sommer’s Other Christmas List Three Rivers, Two Husbands and a Baby Moments One-Three Praise for the Rivers of London series: “Ben Aaronovitch has created a wonderful world full of mystery, magic and fantastic characters. I love being there more than the real London” –Nick Frost “A superlative blend of whimsy and grit...Jim Butcher meets Douglas Adams” —Publishers Weekly “...my favorite current series... delightful, compulsive and fresh—with a love of multicultural London evident on every page, wonderfully diverse characters, magic, mystery, and mayhem. Once you start, you will literally not be able to put them down.” —Lavie Tidhar in Washington Post “...recounted with deadpan British wit and irony...packed with fascinating historical detail... Lively and amusing and different.” —Kirkus

What happens in-between the chapters in Fairest?In a world filled with dwarves and giants, mermaids and dragons, witches and fairies, and much more, there lives a beautiful princess named Snow White, the Fairest of them all. In all her adventures, Snow White has encountered many friends and allies, and many enemies...Here is a collection of some of the untold tales of the many heroes and villains of the Enchanted Forest, set before and after they first meet Snow White in the 'Fairest Trilogy'.The Frog Prince reveals the events that led to him finding the magical Well of the World's End and transforming into a frog. Cinderella discovers a mysterious family secret that changes her life completely. Jack retells his first adventure slaying a giant as "Jack the Giant Killer". And Talia, the Sleeping Beauty, learns why the Dark Fairy first cursed her with the hundred-year-long sleeping curse.Written by Fabian De Sousa, and featuring previews of some of the beautiful illustrations by drachenmagier for the 'Fairest Trilogy', this book is a must-have addition to any Fairest collection.