Other books that might interest you

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  The Ransom of Red Chief

  O. Henry

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  The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry is a hilarious and ironic short story that flips the classic kidnapping plot on its head. First published in 1907, this timeless tale follows two small-time crooks who plan to kidnap the son of a wealthy man and hold him for ransom… only to discover that the boy is far more trouble than they bargained for. 
  As chaos unfolds, the would-be kidnappers find themselves at the mercy of their wildly imaginative and hyperactive captive, “Red Chief,” who sees their criminal scheme as the perfect opportunity to live out his frontier fantasies. Full of O. Henry’s trademark wit, irony, and clever dialogue, this story delivers laugh-out-loud moments while skewering human folly and assumptions. 
  Brought to life with vibrant narration and comic timing, this audiobook is a must-listen for fans of classic American short stories, lighthearted crime fiction, and literary humor.

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  Maps of Imaginary Towns

  SJ Bradley

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  From a futuristic colony where a woman dreams of rockets, to a drab estate where a girl finds magic, SJ Bradley\'s inventive and experimental stories showcase remarkable range. Vividly rendered, they illuminate quiet despairs and heroisms pulsing through seemingly ordinary lives - councilmen, dance moms, dreaming teenagers.With empathy and lyrical prose, Bradley transports readers into psychologically rich neighborhoods where reinvention flickers amid life's constricting boundaries. Gritty yet tender, Maps of Imaginary Towns interrogates grief, ambition, belonging, and traces the hard-won solace of small acts of courage.

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  Animal Behaviour

  Amanda McLeod

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  ***Highly Commended in the Ellipsis Zine Flash Collection Contest*** 
  A mother watches her son grow from a sweet child into a troubled adult... 
  A jilted lover finds hope one magical evening... 
  A cobbler breathes life back into a pair of lucky shoes... 
  Animal Behaviour titles each of its short stories with animal facts, but the experiences they describe are very much human. The cast of characters is diverse but the world they inhabit is universal: one in which all of us will recognise fragments of our own lives in some form, an echo of our shared humanity. 
  This second edition contains six new stories, unpublished anywhere else. 
  “Bold in voice, rich in metaphor, daring in approach, Animal Behaviour is a startling debut. In these very short tales, Amanda McLeod demonstrates an uncanny understanding of life and the living. By turns strange, beautiful, aching and transcendent, these stories and the humans how inhabit them will leave their mark on your mind and heart long past the final page. Highly recommended.” 
  —Kathy Fish, author of Wild Life: Collected Works from 2003-2018

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  God's Children Are Little Broken...

  Arinze Ifeakandu

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  In this stunning debut from one of Nigeria's most exciting young writers, the stakes of love meet a society in flux. These nine stories of queer male intimacy brim with simmering secrecy, ecstasy, loneliness, and love in their depictions of what it means to be gay in contemporary Nigeria. A man revisits the university campus where he lost his first love, aware now of what he couldn't understand then. A daughter returns home to Lagos after the death of her father, where she must face her past—and future—relationship with his longtime partner. A young musician rises to fame at the price of pieces of himself, and the man who loves him. The audiobook edition of God's Children Are Little Broken Things includes an exclusive introduction voiced by the author."Surprisingly hopeful…[Arinze's Ifeakandu's] understated style encourages close reading and elicits a strong sense of what it is like for the characters to endure the perils of being gay in Nigeria. The author leaves readers with a painful and powerful group portrait."—Publishers WeeklyContemporary love stories with moments of real surprise and revelation. —Brandon Taylor, author of Filthy AnimalsGenerations collide, families break and are remade, languages and cultures intertwine, and lovers find their ways to futures. From childhood through adulthood, on university campuses, city centers, and neighborhoods where church bells mingle with the morning call to prayer, love is consistent even in the presence of loss. God's Children Are Little Broken Things from Caine Prize finalist Arinze Ifeakandu is a debut of emotional charge, with the touch of grace and the compassionate signature of an important new voice."The nine stories are best enjoyed at a slow and savored pace as they are often presented like scenes from a play with little to no context at the beginning. Nevertheless, the vague beginnings and endings of each story enhance the overall haunting and evocative effect of the lush writing. " - BooklistIn these gorgeous stories, Ifeakandu takes on big, untidy emotions—love, loneliness, yearning, grief—and writes about them with extraordinary deftness and grace. This is a hugely impressive collection, full of subtlety, wisdom and heart.—Sarah Waters, author of The Paying Guests

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  Sentiment Inc

  Poul Anderson

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  In Sentiment, Inc., Poul Anderson masterfully blends science fiction and psychological intrigue. The story follows a young physicist who stumbles upon a mysterious company claiming to control human emotions. As he investigates, he uncovers a web of manipulation, ethical dilemmas, and unforeseen consequences. What starts as a scientific curiosity soon becomes a fight for free will. Anderson's sharp storytelling and thought-provoking themes explore the boundaries of science and morality. This gripping tale challenges the reader to consider: if emotions could be controlled, who would truly be in charge? A must-listen for fans of classic sci-fi and speculative fiction.

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  Ground Rules

  Lorhainne Eckhart

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  With their wedding less than a week away, Jeremy and Tiffy discover they’re not on the same page when it comes to raising their son and dealing with the challenges that come their way. In true Friessen fashion, when Jeremy tries to establish ground rules, he soon learns that Tiffy isn’t the kind of woman anyone can tell what to do, and his strong personality could have her calling off the wedding and walking the other way.

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