Singles

In Heart of the West, O. Henry presents a collection of vividly crafted stories set in the American frontier. Combining humor, pathos, and ironic twists, these tales explore themes of love, honor, and human resilience in the face of the harsh realities of Western life. This collection captures the spirit of the Old West with unforgettable characters and timeless storytelling.

"A funny, tender, poignant debut with a believable, sympathetic protagonist." - The Guardian "Tender, truthful and touching." - The Times"A really lovely book, so tender and truthful." - Jacqueline Wilson, bestselling author of The Story of Tracy Beaker"Fox writes with great warmth and humour: his triumph is to turn this story of modern domestic strife into an uplifting read, with plenty of surprises en route." - Daily Telegraph "An urgent, nuanced book...[James Fox writes a] deceptively breezy tale of austerity and mental illness with deft compassion; would that real kids in Solo's battered shoe should be so lucky" - Observer"Addressing complex real-world issues (the cost-of-living crisis, mental health, friendship problems...) with honesty, clarity and compassion." - Teach Primary"Expect to have your heart broken and mended in one reading of this must-read novel." - Belfast Telegraph"A tender, moving story beautifully capturing life in all its light and shade" - Hannah Gold, author of Waterstones Children's Book Prize Winner The Last Bear"It is a beautiful, heartfelt gem of a book, I loved it." - Tom Vaughan, author of Hercules"This story is full to the brim with heart" - Helen Rutter, author of The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh "Honest, funny and touching, Solo's story will stay with you long after the last page." - Lisa Williamson"A moving...and thought-provoking story" - Cath Howe, author of Ella on the Outside "Heart-wrenching and heart-warming." - Editor's choice, The School Librarian It's not easy to fit in when you're the boy in the suit... Ten-year-old Solo - embarrassingly, that isn't short for anything - just wants to be normal. He wants a name that doesn't stand out. He wishes he had a proper school uniform that fitted him. He dreams about a mum who doesn't get the Big Bad Reds, like his mum Morag. But most of all he longs to stop crashing funerals for the free food. But when Solo and Morag crash the funeral of a celebrity and get caught, the press are there to witness their humiliation. The next day it's splashed across the papers. Before Solo knows it, he becomes a viral sensation, and life may never be normal again. Solo's uphill pursuit of security, community and connection will break your heart and then mend it. - Page-turning, moving, but ultimately life-affirming, this story is perfect for fans of The Boy at the Back of the Class, The Goldfish Boy, Wonder and Jacqueline Wilson. - A sensitive, empathetic, timely portrayal of a family struggling during the cost of living crisis. - This extraordinary debut will make you laugh and cry.

Surreal, verstörend und von irrer Komik. David Schalkos Erzählband 'Wir lassen uns gehen' führt durch eine abgründige und doch schaurig vertraute Parallelwelt voller schräger Figuren und Verwicklungen.Egal ob bitterböse Satire, grelle Gesellschaftsstudie oder absurdes Alltagsdrama: Jede der in diesem Band versammelten Erzählungen hat ihren ganz eigenen Twist. Da ist der abgehalfterte Tennistrainer Horniczek, der nach einer Ohnmacht drei Sekunden in die Zukunft sehen kann und es schnell bereut; da ist der Mann, der nichts ein zweites Mal tun kann; das ist Hermann 'Jeff' Kanter, der letzte Cowboy Deutschlands; ein amerikanischer Spitzenkoch, der am Weihnachtstag plötzlich mit den zu bratenden Papageien diskutiert; oder die Sonne, die sich in den Weltenbummler Johnny Weissmüller verliebt und seine Nähe sucht, was an Johnnys Urlaubsort zu einem nie gesehenen Rekordsommer führt.Mit dem ihm eigenen Humor und Sound erzählt David Schalko in neunzehneinhalb Kurzgeschichten von den seltsamen Träumen, täglichen Krisen und bizarren Obsessionen dieser eigenartigen Spezies Mensch.

Summa Summarum, also alles zusammen, unter dem Strich, die Summe aller Dinge - genau das ist dieses Buch. Geschichten von früher, Geschichten von heute, Geschichten für morgen über den Alltag, das uns allen Bekannte und doch auch über das stets Sonderbare, welches uns alle begleitet.Dieses Buch ist die Summe aus sieben Jahren Schreiblust. Es ist eine Zwischenbilanz, eine Zusammenfassung der vier kleinen "Spitze Feder"-Bücher... und noch ein paar Geschichten obendrauf.

If clothes can get a second chance, why can’t we? Brimming with life, love, and the stories bound up in even the most everyday items, The Second Chance Store is a tale of friendship, loss, and dusting yourself off and starting over—a novel filled with humor and a testament to the enduring power and joy of charity shops.City dweller Gwen feels like she’s living a secondhand life. She’s thirty-eight, perpetually single, and in dire need of a dentist’s appointment. Her friends are busy procreating in the country, and conversations with her parents seem to revolve entirely around hedge borders and the trash pickup schedule. Above all she’s lonely. But then, isn’t everyone?Then she’s let go from a job she drifted into a decade ago and never left, and Gwen realizes it’s time to make a change, starting with cleaning out her apartment. In the charity shop where she literally and metaphorically unloads her baggage, she discovers a group of weird and wonderful people devoted to finding a new home for donated items that have lost their use elsewhere. Gwen volunteers there—and finds a new home for herself among her fellow workers while discovering joy in the untold stories of secondhand things.Now it’s time for Gwen to get out of her life in pause, and to find a way to move forward with bravery and humanity—and more regular dental care.

Like Jazz, any attempt to arrive at a precise, all-encompassing definition of the stories in Automatically Hip is probably futile. However, within these artfully-crafted, often-irreverent, and darkly humorous pieces are characters who share one consistent trait: you'll recognize them. These are folks who face struggle with a smile, and fortune with a frown. They are complicated and shallow, reactive and reflective, joyful and joyless. In short, they are human.

Time Wasters are short adventures based on true stories. They're all titled Super Short Preludes because they are just that: super short stories that lead up to big life concepts or events.Designed to help pass short spouts of time, most of the Time Wasters stories range from 8 to 15 pages. Each mini-book in the series actually contains an entire story that will draw you in, make you laugh, and then allow you to move on with your life.If you want to read, but don't have the time or are in no mood to commit to a novel, then a Time Waster is just what you need.Love or Low Places: Dana is young, wild and free - until her entire world is turned upside down by a man she meets at karaoke night. Is there really such thing as love at first sight? You be the judge.Sabotage by Hook and Dog: Dani convinces her husband, brother-in-law and friend to go on a fishing adventure, only to have a disastrous turn of events completely take over.Trampling Beast: While spending time on her cousin's farm, Diedra finds herself making an effort to help guide an escaping animal back to its rightful place... until things take a turn for the worse.

One thing connects all cultures and people-we all want great stories that entertain.<BR>In Something Went Cold, you'll read five such stories. Short stories that will seduce and entertain while taking you on a jolting journey of surprise and enchantment. In "#MeToo," you'll relish how an abused young woman gets her revenge. When you read "On the Serengeti, Nothing is Wasted," your heart will beat faster as you accompany our heroes in a survival tale unlike any other. In "The Afterlife of Adolf Hitler," you'll find death is just the beginning for Der Fuhrer.<BR>In Glenn Reschke's Something Went Cold, you'll read stories that will transport you to another world where you will be changed. And moved.<BR>

Thotty needs no introduction because we all know or have at least one Thotty in our circle. Thotty can be a friend, sister, cousin, foe or even a brother. Thotty is basically the neighborhood's all-around female, who does it all for a good time, not worrying about anyone but self. I hope you all enjoy these entertaining stories of "Thotty Tales" for adults, fiction short stories, adult rhymes. "Believe the Reality that you live in" and most definitely know your position in people's lives".

What if an animal could resemble a human, sometimes even more than a real human?Duck Light is the story of Lulu and Rosie: two ducks in love. And, quite frankly, they are bored with life as ducks. The pair are recently engaged and live their lives together in a way similar to what they observe in humans: cooking from a cookbook, watching television, sleeping in a bed, smoking, vaping, drinking, swearing . . . you get the idea. Each chapter is a complete short story, with the stories linked by the pair's relationship, their impending migration, and their pesky next door neighbours: the scary and mean man on the right, and to the left, Margaret the crazed squirrel. The book opens with Lulu in the bathtub, savouring a cigarette to the sounds of Offenbach. As the chapters progress, winter is on its way, so all the ducks, including Lulu and Rosie, will have to fly south for the cold season. 'Down South' is their eventual winter destination, and also the setting for the couple's upcoming nuptials. The book ends with the zany pair being wed in a virtually perfect beach ceremony attended by their migratory pals. It seems as though Lulu and Rosie are basically humans, and not ducks at all! Does their near-human lifestyle exist only in their imaginations, or are they truly as sophisticated as they believe? Through the two feathered protagonists endowed with human characteristics, such as Lulu's tendency to be a people-pleaser, and Rosie's mean streak, this humorous work contemplates a serious question: How can one break free of societal expectations?

Back To Basics And Other Stories is an eclectic mix of 20 stories from Giles Ekins, author of Sinistrari and Gallows Walk.This anthology includes the whimsical, award-winning 'Back to Basics,' the comedic 'Call me Ruby' and 'A Long, Long, Finish.' Historical tales in the collection include the acclaimed 'Shadows of a Dream,' 'The Lemonade Stall' and 'Portents,' while 'As it was, as it is,' is a tongue-in-cheek satire on student life in the 1980's.Rounding up the collection is 'In the Shimmering Light of Dawn', a heartbreaking love story. This anthology will delight readers of all reading tastes.This is the large print edition of Back To Basics And Other Stories, with a larger font / typeface for easier reading.¿

A video call that ends before it starts. A dancer trips and falls to the floor. A letter gets lost in the mail.<BR>Fourteen short comics by Andrew White, all material that has been out of print for years or is available for the first time in this collection.

In his second short, short story collection, Greg Roensch takes us to the raw and nervy edges of life. We might find ourselves running from a heist gone wrong, preparing for a championship fight, or having our guts ripped out by something from our nightmares. In settings both familiar and fantastic - from a café writing group to an experimental military lab, from the jungles of the Philippines during WWII to a cave after the apocalypse - these stories depict outsiders and misfits, losers and dreamers, all trying to get ahead ... or just fighting for survival.<BR>These are tales of bad luck, bad decisions, tragedies, and betrayals, set in different times and locales, and even different realities. Yet through humor and pathos, Roensch's stories explore our shared humanity and remind us what it means to struggle, strive, aspire, and live.

Named One of Vulture's Top 5 Humor Books of the Year!The novelization to the 1992 Gen X movie "Slouchers"It is the early 1990s in Seattle ... and the MTV video for Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" has just premiered the previous week. Lethargy is in the air. Grunge fashion is all the logy rage. Something is brewing beneath these moist, overcast Seattle skies.Twenty-two-year-old Willow Montgomery has freshly arrived in town, having just graduated from an elite liberal arts college back east.Willow soon befriends a motley crew of twenty-somethings who live in the parking lot next to the alternative record store where she works for $5 an hour, a store run by a cantankerous, irritable, grouchy older man (he's 29) named Skip.Willow wants to desperately capture the brilliance of her generation on her Fuji DS-100 digicam with 3-power zoom (10-byte, digital flash-memory card, first of its kind), and to have her documentary ultimately broadcast on MTV. What a dream!In the meantime, she's dating Toody, part-time bike messenger, part-time lead singer of the grunge band That's Your Problem.But there's a new man in town, "Mr. Straight," an important businessman who works downtown and who also has eyes for Willow, after having met her while buying a Best Of Aerosmith CD at Skip's store.Whom will Willow choose? The Grunger or the Straight? The man who digs this new music called "grunge" or the one who still listens to classic rock? Will she achieve any semblance of happiness? Will she continue to work a minimum McJob for the rest of her life, or can she somehow achieve her artistic goals, as lofty as they might be?Will the Lost Boys and Girls, as they call themselves, ever leave the parking lot to achieve their own dreams?Moreover, will the famous inventor of the hacky sack ever arrive at the parking lot in a stretch limousine like he's promised?Lastly: Is it true that the world's most famous MTV VJ, Tabitha, is coming to Seattle to host the first Great MTV Grunge Off competition, to be filmed for live TV, for all the world to see?!It's 1992 in Seattle and the world is about to change forever. Or maybe not.Regardless:It's all about the look ... it's all about the collective alienation ... it's all about the deep-seated, delicious apathy ...It's all about ... Slouchers.