This new series aims to reprint the best short stories published in the previous calendar year by British writers, whether based in the UK or elsewhere. The editor’s brief is wide ranging, covering anthologies, collections, magazines, newspapers and web sites, looking for the best of the bunch to reprint all in one volume. Neither genre nor Granta shall be overlooked in the search for the very best new short fiction.The first book of the series includes stories published in 2010 by the following authors: David Rose, Hilary Mantel, Lee Rourke, Leone Ross, Claire Massey, Christopher Burns, Adam Marek, SJ Butler, Heather Leach, Alan Beard, Kirsty Logan, Philip Langeskov, Bernie McGill, John Burnside, Robert Edric, Michèle Roberts, Dai Vaughan, Alison Moore and Salley Vickers.Table of Contents:Flora – David RoseWinter Break – Hilary MantelEmergency Exit – Lee RourkeLove Silk Food – Leone RossFeather Girls – Claire MasseyForeigner – Christopher BurnsDinner of the Dead Alumni – Adam MarekThe Swimmer – SJ ButlerSo Much Time in a Life – Heather LeachStaff Development – Alan BeardThe Rental Heart – Kirsty LoganNotes on a Love Story – Philip LangeskovNo Angel – Bernie McGillSlut’s Hair – John BurnsideComma – Hilary MantelMoving Day – Robert EdricTristram and Isolde – Michèle RobertsLooted – Dai VaughanWhen the Door Closed, It Was Dark – Alison MooreEpiphany – Salley Vickers

    

     The 12 tales contained within this bundle stretch the limits of imagination while blurring genre boundaries. What they all have in common is originality, and some of the most compelling voices in publishing today. Books may be read in any order. The professionally-formatted file includes all book covers and a clickable table of contents. Please note: some stories contain mature subject matter. INCLUDED IN THIS 12-BOOK BUNDLE: Lost in Winter - Viola Rivard A woman and her young niece are stranded in the mountains, in the deadly cold of a winter night. In their fight to stay alive, they team up with a rugged stranger to trek through the woods. Clutch - J.A. Huss A mysterious winged man interrupts a rogue sniper on a mission to figure out secrets that have been hidden from her since birth. But does she really want to know the truth? CLUTCH is a futuristic urban fantasy / sci-fi thriller about self-discovery, risk, and love. Bring on the Poltergeists - T. Paulin Former delivery driver Eli Carter has a new job hunting ghosts. His boss, smooth-talking Khan Hart, assures him their first official case is an easy one. A slam dunk. A home run. But the job doesn't go according to plan. This poltergeist doesn't play by the rules. History of Fire - Alexia Purdy Benton is human, but he walks the line between two worlds: the mundane and the supernatural. As a rare Fire Elemental Warlock, he finds himself in trouble more often than he cares to admit. A Curse of Wings - Kara Legend Most fear the terrifying fehin who’ve overrun the Earth, but Bliss Daluna has learned how to deal with these demonic shifters, and turn the situation to a profit. That is, until the night all hell breaks loose, the fehin turn on her, and a mysterious stranger saves her life. A Question of Will - Alex Albrinck A case of mistaken identity and murder leads a man to develop Energy powers which he uses in an effort reverse the past and make the world a better place. Taken & Pursuit - V.M. Black Harper Bailey's adventure begins when a werewolf biker hijacks her car. This dramatic meeting takes her on the run, across state lines, into a secret lair, and into conflict with a vampire mob boss. But the greatest ride of all is the one with roguish Levi Harris, the Alpha who takes her heart captive. Ted Saves the World - Bryan Cohen Ted Finley was a teenage nobody. Now he’s a celebrity superhero. When murderous undead thugs attack, Ted teams with a possessed cheerleader to save his friends, his town, and… well, the world. The Passion Cure - Deanna Roy Jet is a Nix, an outcast enchantress with zero power. To conjure a love spell to save her family, she seduces a handsome enchanter who is willing to break the rules, and possibly, her heart. Extraction - Kevin Hardman Everyone needs help occasionally - even supers with amazing powers - and Jim (aka Kid Sensation) is no exception. Having previously received aid from a young psychic named Rudi, Jim feels obligated to return to the favor and rescue her from the federal facility where she’s being held.

    With engaging notes from the poets, Wagoner's superb introductory essay, series editor David Lehman's astute foreword about the current state of poetry and criticism, and cover art from the beloved poet John Ashbery, The Best American Poetry 2009 is a memorable and delightful addition to a series dedicated to showcasing the work of poets at their best.

    The girl detective must go to the underworld to solve the case of the tap-dancing bank robbers. A librarian falls in love with a girl whose father collects artificial noses. A dead man posts letters home to his estranged wife. Two women named Louise begin a series of consecutive love affairs with a string of cellists. A newly married couple become participants in an apocalyptic beauty pageant. Sexy blond aliens invade New York City. A young girl learns how to make herself disappear.These eleven extraordinary stories are quirky, spooky, and smart. They all have happy endings. Every story contains a secret prize. Each story was written especially for you.Stories from Stranger Things Happen have won the Nebula, Tiptree, and World Fantasy Award. Stranger Things Happen was a Salon Book of the Year, one of the Village Voice's 25 Favorite Books of 2001, and was nominated for the Firecracker Alternative Book Award.Contents:- Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose (1998)- Water Off a Black Dog's Back (1995)- The Specialist's Hat (1998)- Flying Lessons (1995)- Travels with the Snow Queen (1996/1997)- Vanishing Act (1996)- Survivor's Ball, or, The Donner Party (1998)- Shoe and Marriage (2000)- Most of My Friends Are Two-Thirds Water (2001)- Louise's Ghost (2001)- The Girl Detective (1999)Cover painting by Shelley Jackson

    With its showcase homes, elegant lawns, and other trappings of wealth, Linden Hills is not unlike other affluent black communities. But residence in this community is indisputable evidence of "making it." Although no one knows what the precise qualifications are, everyone knows that only certain people get to live there—and that they want to be among them.Once people get to Linden Hills, the quest continues, more subtle, but equally fierce: the goal is a house on Tupelo Drive, the epitome of achievement and visible success. No one notices that the property on Tupelo Drive goes back on sale quickly; no one questions why there are always vacancies at Linden Hills.In a resonant novel that takes as its model Dante's Inferno, Gloria Naylor reveals the truth about the American dream—that the price of success may very well be a journey down to the lowest circle of hell.

    Charles Bernstein here proves them alive and well in poems elegiac, defiant, and resilient to the point of approaching song. Heir to the democratic and poetic sensibilities of Walt Whitman and Allen Ginsberg, Bernstein has always crafted verse that responds to its historical moment, but no previous collection of his poems so specifically addresses the events of its time as Girly Man, whichfeatures works written on the evening of September 11, 2001, and in response to the war in Iraq. Here, Bernstein speaks out, combining self-deprecating humor with incisive philosophical and political thinking. Composed of works of very different forms and moods—etchings from moments of acute crisis, comic excursions, formal excavations, confrontations with the cultural illogics of contemporary political consciousness—the poems work as an ensemble, each part contributing something necessary to an unrealizable and unrepresentable whole. Indeed, representation—and related claims to truth and moral certainty—is an active concern throughout the book. The poems of Girly Man may be oblique, satiric, or elusive, but their sense is emphatic. Indeed, Bernstein’s poetry performsits ideas so that they can be experienced as well as understood. A passionate defense of contingency, resistance, and multiplicity, Girly Man is a provocative and aesthetically challenging collection of radical verse from one of America’s most controversial poets.

    BUNDLED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. HALF MY HEART BOOK 1: THE CLOVER SERIES At nineteen, Devin Sutton lost his first love, his freedom, and his hope. Years later, the only thing he has on his mind this holiday season is finally settling the score back in Clover, North Carolina. That is, until the girl he thought he’d lost forever crosses his path. Rebecca Farrus is supposed to be off living the life of her dreams, not tending bar in some dive. When faced with the choice, will Devin decide to celebrate what he’s finally found or keep seeking retribution for everything he lost? CHANGE MY HEART BOOK 2: THE CLOVER SERIES You really can't have it all, or so Devin Sutton is finding out fast. Returning to Clover was all part of his plan to exact revenge on the town that robbed him of nearly a decade of his life. Unfortunately, things quickly begin to crumble when he's forced to choose between rekindling an old love or destroying the town. Walking the fine line between both might just end up leaving him with nothing. With his heart full of vengeance is there any room for love?

    After all, the serial gambler and womaniser has made plenty of enemies.As events come to light however, the finger of suspicion points to three women in particular – and the men they’re married to.Ellie Scott, the beautiful socialite with a dubious past; Loretta Fiorentino, the fame-seeking gold-digger and Victoria Mayfield, the glamorous successful author.Full of intrigue, revenge and decadence, this is a tale you’ll want to revisit again and again.

    Don't miss this prelude to the biggest comic event of the year! This special story recaps the key moments leading up to the start of BLACKEST NIGHT and will give readers everything they need to know about the Green Lantern universe, their ongoing War of Light, and their dark days ahead.

    Le Guin is one of the greatest science fiction writers and many times the winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards. Her career as a novelist was launched by the three novels contained in Worlds Of Exile And Illusion. These novels, Rocannon's World, Planet Of Exile, and City Of Illusions, are set in the same universe as Le Guin's ground-breaking classic, The Left Hand Of Darkness.Tor is pleased to return these previously unavailable works to print in this attractive new edition.

    An enthralling read!’- Shraddha Sahi, Author of Anamika Khanna Falls in Love & The Case of the Counterfeit CurrencyEvery human wears a mask. Behind the cheerful facade lies faith, hope, trust, love, despair, confidence, insecurity, et al. Everyone has a story. A DINK couple finding Work From Home a challenge... The Couple who wasn’t one... A rigid person who deviates from a lifelong habit... Two people who remain in touch for 35 years, without talking... A daughter who has sacrificed her dreams for her mother… A fictional potpourri of extraordinary narratives of ordinary people who have more to their everyday lives beneath the surface, these stories reflect myriad hues of human behaviour.From the author of the suspense thriller ‘The Lost Identity’ comes an anthology that touches the human heart. ‘The story is so well crafted that it keeps the reader intrigued from start to end, eager to know what happens next!’ - Review for Smita’s First Book ‘The Lost Identity’

    Having lost both her parents and grandparents, and with nowhere else to go, Layla is moving from Florida to a small town in North Carolina to live with the only family she has left: her estranged uncle and aunt. The last five years of Layla’s life were spent appeasing her less-than-loving grandmother, followed by being her grandfather’s caretaker. Growing old before her time, Layla lost her identity. Now she must learn how to allow herself to be the one cared for and loved. Life takes an unexpected turn when Layla meets Will Meyer. His breathtaking good looks are enough to catch her eye, but his sincerity and passion are everything she needs to find the strength and confidence she lost — and lead her into love. When tragedy once again strikes Layla’s life, her hope is all but completely crushed. Through it all, Layla learns what it means to truly love and be loved. Troubled Waters (The Lake Trilogy, Book 2) College life for Layla Weston isn’t starting the way she’d intended. She’s revisiting the plans she once had to be the reclusive girl she wanted to be at Heyward Prep, and Layla is more than confident in her ability to succeed this time. After all, she’s got a whole new bag of secrets to keep. Still reeling from Will’s disappearance, Layla is doing her best to adjust to life back in Florida. She continues to hold out hope, confident she was meant to find Will’s ring for a reason. Just as Layla is starting to accept that she must keep moving forward, secrets from the past threaten Layla and her family. As Luke and Claire join with Layla to protect their family, Layla discovers that her uncle may not be the man she thought he was – and that there’s more to Will’s disappearance than she ever could have imagined. Safe Harbor (The Lake Trilogy, Book 3) Layla Weston was supposed to be planning her wedding, not waiting for her fiancé’s father to die. As Luke prepares to defend Holly for the shooting of Gregory Meyer, Layla and her family weigh the possibility of being able to return home to North Carolina. Only Layla isn't quite sure that's what she wants. Will and Layla are faced with a new set of challenges for their future - including the status of their upcoming wedding. And when new revelations about his father come to light, Will finds himself questioning his own destiny as a man. With Layla's help, he must learn that his identity is not determined by his DNA. Now that they are on the brink of their happily-ever-after, will Layla and Will get everything they dreamed of? Or will their happiness continue to be just out of reach? Anchored: A Lake Series Novella They've been to hell and back again, but now Will and Layla are beginning the biggest adventure of their lives: parenthood! It's only been a few short months since Will and Layla welcomed their twins. And while Layla is excited for all that awaits her in motherhood, she's feeling a little disconnected from the friends who have stood by her from the moment they met. Reintegrating into her social life and balancing motherhood may be a bit of a challenge, but Layla isn't going to miss her opportunity to help her dearest friends find their Happily Ever After, too. But what would life be without a curve ball once in a while? When someone from their past surfaces and asks for help, Layla isn’t sure telling Will is the best thing to do. He spent years protecting her, now it’s her turn to protect him from further heartache. She knows she won’t be able to keep the secret from Will forever, but no matter what happens, Layla is confident they’ll walk through it together, remaining just as anchored together as they’ve always been.

    Kids love him and his poetry...and so do adults, a combination of approbation that is unusual in today's world.

    H.: Sons and LoversLawrence, D. H.: The RainbowLe Fanu, Sheridan: In a Glass DarklyLewis, Matthew Gregory: The MonkLewis, Sinclair: Main StreetLondon, Jack: The Call of the WildLovecraft, H.P.: At the Mountains of MadnessMann, Thomas: Royal HighnessMaugham, William Somerset: Of Human BondageMaupassant, Guy de: Bel-AmiMelville, Herman: Moby-DickPoe, Edgar Allan: The Fall of the House of UsherProust, Marcel: Swann's WayRadcliffe, Ann: The Mysteries of UdolphoRichardson, Samuel: ClarissaSand, George: The Devil’s PoolScott, Walter: IvanhoeShelley, Mary: FrankensteinSienkiewicz, Henryk: Quo VadisSinclair, May: Life and Death of Harriett FreanSinclair, Upton: The JungleStendhal: The Red and the BlackStendhal: The Chartreuse of ParmaSterne, Laurence: Tristram ShandyStevenson, Robert Louis: Treasure IslandStoker, Bram: DraculaStowe, Harriet Beecher: Uncle Tom’s CabinSwift, Jonathan: Gulliver's TravelsTagore, Rabindranath: The Home and the WorldThackeray, William Makepeace: Vanity FairTolstoy, Leo: War and PeaceTolstoy, Leo: Anna KareninaTrollope, Anthony: The Way We Live NowTurgenev, Ivan: Fathers and SonsTwain, Mark: The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnVerne, Jules: Journey to the Center of the EarthWallace, Lew: Ben-HurWells, H. G.: The Time MachineWest, Rebecca: The Return of the SoldierWharton, Edith: The Age of InnocenceWilde, Oscar: The Picture of Dorian GrayXueqin, Cao: The Dream of the Red ChamberZola, Émile: Germinal