Fiction
Someone who will love you in all your damaged glory : stories
Raphael Bob-Waksberg
FICTION Bob-Waksberg, Raphael
Fiction, Short Story
From the creator and executive producer of the beloved and universally acclaimed television series BoJack Horseman , a fabulously off-beat collection of short stories about love--the best and worst thing in the universe Written with all the scathing dark humor that is a hallmark of BoJack Horseman , Raphael Bob-Waksberg's stories will make readers laugh, weep, and shiver in uncomfortably delicious recognition. In "A Most Blessed and Auspicious Occasion," a young couple planning a wedding is forced to deal with interfering relatives dictating the appropriate number of ritual goat sacrifices. "Missed Connection--m4w" is the tragicomic tale of a pair of lonely commuters eternally failing to make that longed-for contact. The members of a rock band in "Up-and-Comers" discover they suddenly have superpowers--but only when they're drunk. And in "The Serial Monogamist's Guide to Important New York City Landmarks," a woman maps her history of romantic failures based on the places she and her significant others visited together. Equally at home with the surreal and the painfully relatable (or both at once), Bob-Waksberg delivers a killer combination of humor, romance, whimsy, cultural commentary, and crushing emotional vulnerability. The resulting collection is a punchy, perfect bloody valentine.
After the quake : stories
Haruki Murakami
FICTION Murakami, Haruki
Fiction, Short Story
An electronics salesman who has been deserted by his wife agrees to deliver an enigmatic package— and is rewarded with a glimpse of his true nature. A man who views himself as the son of God pursues a stranger who may be his human father. A mild-mannered collection agent receives a visit from a giant talking frog who enlists his help in saving Tokyo from destruction. The six stories in this collection come from the deep and mysterious place where the human meets the inhuman—and are further proof that Murakami is one of the most visionary writers at work today.
Added by Beth
The jungle books
Rudyard Kipling
FICTION Kipling, Rudyard
Fiction, Short Story
The story of the man-cub Mowgli, who is raised by wolves in the Indian jungle, guided by his mentors Baloo the bear, Bagheera the black panther and the ancient python Kaa, and who confronts his archenemy Shere Khan the tiger, is one of the greatest literary myths ever created. Mowgli's adventures are juxtaposed with other animal stories set in the British Empire, ranging from the heroic battle of "Rikki-tikki-tavi" and the Himalayan pastoral "Purun Bhagat" to the drama of survival in "The White Seal". With The Jungle Books, Rudyard Kipling drew on ancient beast fables, Buddhist philosophy and memories of his Anglo-Indian upbringing to create a rich, symbolic portrait of man and nature, and an eternal classic of childhood that has had a lasting impact on our imaginations.
Added by Beth
The bazaar of bad dreams : stories
Stephen King
FICTION King Stephen
Fiction, Short Story
From a master of the short story, a collection that includes stories never before in print, never published in America, never collected and brand new- with the magnificent bones of interstitial autobiographical comments on when, why and how Stephen King came to write each story. Mile 81 -- Premium harmony -- Batman and Robin have an altercation -- The dune -- Bad little kid -- A death -- The bone church -- Morality -- Afterlife -- Ur -- Herman Wouk is still alive -- Under the weather -- Blockade Billy -- Mister Yummy -- Tommy -- The little green god of agony -- That bus is another world -- Obits -- Drunken fireworks -- Summer thunder.
Added by Beth
Bezoar : and other unsettling stories
Guadalupe Nettel
FICTION Nettel Guadalup
Fiction, Short Story
"Intricately woven masterpieces of craft, mournful for their human cries in defiance of our sometimes less than human surroundings, Nettel's stories and novels are dazzlingly enjoyable to read for their deep interest in human foibles. Following on the critical successes of her previous books, here are six stories that capture her unsettling, obsessive universe. "Ptosis" is told from the point of view of the son of a photographer whose work involves before and after pictures of patients undergoing cosmetic eye surgeries. In "Through Shades," a woman studies a man interacting with a woman through the windows of the apartment across the street. In one of the longer stories, "Bonsai," a man visits a garden, and comes to know a gardener, during the period of dissolution of his marriage. "The Other Side of the Dock" describes a young girl in search of what she terms "True Solitude," who finds a fellow soul mate only to see the thing they share lose its meaning. In "Petals," a woman's odor drives a man to search for her, and even to find her, without quenching the thirst that is his undoing. And the title story, "Bezoar," is an intimate journal of a patient writing to a doctor. Each narrative veers towards unknown and dark corridors, and the pleasures of these accounts lie partly in the great surprise of the familiarity together with the strangeness"--
Added by Beth
Unaccustomed earth
Jhumpa Lahiri
FICTION Lahiri Jhumpa
Fiction, Short Story
These eight stories by beloved and bestselling author Jhumpa Lahiri take us from Cambridge and Seattle to India and Thailand, as they explore the secrets at the heart of family life. Here they enter the worlds of sisters and brothers, fathers and mothers, daughters and sons, friends and lovers. Rich with the signature gifts that have established Jhumpa Lahiri as one of our most essential writers. Unaccustomed earth -- Hell - heaven -- A choice of accommodations -- Only goodness -- Nobody's business -- Hema and Kaushik. Once in a lifetime -- Year's end -- Going ashore.
Added by Beth
Interpreter of maladies : stories
Jhumpa Lahiri
FICTION Lahiri, Jhumpa
Fiction, Short Story
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, this stunning debut collection unerring charts the emotional journeys of characters seeking love beyond the barriers of nations and generations. In stories that travel from India to America and back again, Lahiri speaks with universal eloquence to everyone who has ever felt like a foreigner. Content: A temporary matter -- When Mr. Pirzada came to dine -- Interpreter of maladies -- A real durwan -- Sexy -- Mrs. Sen's -- This blessed house -- The treatment of Bibi Haldar -- The third and final continent.
Added by Beth
Uncommon type : some stories
Tom Hanks
FICTION Hanks Tom
Fiction, Short Story
"A gentle Eastern European immigrant arrives in New York City after his family and his life have been torn apart by his country's civil war. A man who loves to bowl rolls a perfect game--and then another and then another and then many more in a row until he winds up ESPN's newest celebrity, and he must decide if the combination of perfection and celebrity has ruined the thing he loves. An eccentric billionaire and his faithful executive assistant venture into America looking for acquisitions and discover a down and out motel, romance, and a bit of real life. These are just some of the tales Tom Hanks tells in this first collection of his short stories. They are surprising, intelligent, heartwarming, and, for the millions and millions of Tom Hanks fans, an absolute must-have!"--Publisher annotation.
Added by Beth
The age of grief
Jane Smiley
FICTION Smiley, Jane
Fiction, Short Story
The luminous novella and stories in The Age of Grief explore the vicissitudes of love, friendship, and marriage with all the compassion and insight that have come to be expected from Jane Smiley, the Pulitzer Prize—winning author of A Thousand Acres. In “The Pleasure of Her Company,” a lonely, single woman befriends the married couple next door, hoping to learn the secret of their happiness. In “Long Distance,” a man finds himself relieved of the obligation to continue an affair that is no longer compelling to him, only to be waylaid by the guilt he feels at his easy escape. And in the incandescently wise and moving title novella, a dentist, aware that his wife has fallen in love with someone else, must comfort her when she is spurned, while maintaining the secret of his own complicated sorrow. Beautifully written, with a wry intelligence and a lively comic touch, The Age of Grief captures moments of great intimacy with grace, clarity, and indelible emotional power.
Added by Beth
The complete stories
Flannery O'Connor
FICTION O'Connor, Flannery
Fiction, Short Story
O'Connor published her first story, "The Geranium," in 1946, while she was working on her master's degree at the University of Iowa. Arranged chronologically, this collection shows that her last story, "Judgement Day"--sent to her publisher shortly before her death―is a brilliantly rewritten and transfigured version of "The Geranium." Taken together, these stories reveal a lively, penetrating talent that has given us some of the most powerful and disturbing fiction of the twentieth century. Introduction / by Robert Giroux -The geranium - The barber - Wildcat - The crop - The turkey - The train - The peeler - The heart of the park - A stroke of good fortune - Enoch and the gorilla - A good man is hard to find - A late encounter with the enemy - The life you save may be your own - The river - A circle in the fire - The displaced person - A temple of the Holy Ghost - The artificial nigger - Good country people - You can't be any poorer than dead - Greenleaf - A view of the woods - The enduring chill - The comforts of home - Everything that rises must converge - The partridge festival - The lame shall enter first - Why do the heathen rage? - Revelation - Parker's back - Judgment Day.
Added by Beth
Added by Beth