Book picks similar to
The Kid by Salvatore Scibona


short-stories
read-current-ish
textbooks-and-school-related-books
contemporary

Out There: A Short Tale of the Weird and Wonderful


Justine Avery - 2014
    until something utterly unfamiliar suddenly lands in your back yard.Susan is the epitome of the happy housewife, contentedly conducting her daily ritual of cleaning her home and keeping everything just as it should be. Wrapped up in her own little world within those familiar walls, she hardly notices the altogether different arrival in her own back yard. She may ignore the sudden shaking beneath her slippered feet, she might even neglect to spot the conspicuous sight itself—but she can't evade the stench. Something's wrong. Very wrong. And Susan's incapable of determining just what to do about the uninvited eyesore in her back yard. Turning to her best friend for help with the impromptu emergency threatening to shake up her very existence and happy home, Susan combines efforts with neighbor Trisha to decipher the composition and meaning of the frightfully large and utterly unpleasant new arrival. But are these two women really capable of realizing the gift of new awareness they've just been given by an unseen entity? Or will they continue to fail to see the world that exists out there? What a difference a day makes... unless you choose to ignore it. Start Reading Now...What are you waiting for? Unexpected surprises, urban fantasy, unveiled mysteries, a touch of humor, a dab of "new weird", and so much more await you.

The Lady in The Mirror


Charu Vashishtha Gulati - 2019
    How come her blissful life got disturbed by all but a gentle sermon?The handsome Piyush had the world at his feet and yet his world was empty!Meera, an IAS officer, was living her dream but why wasn’t she happy?Centuries ago, Ila the Playwright, found happiness in pursuing her passion but why was this a bane to many?What happens when your subconscious tries to pass on a message?Hurt and pain helped Madhav become a millionaire. How would be come to terms when he realizes that it was not him that was wronged but it was he who was wrong.Meera is a budding comedian, but a great tragedy befalls her. Would she be able to hold her own in adverse circumstances? Kapil found liberation in his quest for knowledge, but would his daughter follow his lead ?Explore Greed (via Manifestation of God), Unspoken words (via The Last Confession), Internal Conflict (via The Lost Meera), Self-Belief (via The Mysterious Playwright), Subconscious-self (via Three of Him), Love (via Madhav and Meera), Jealousy (via The Comic’s Tragedy) and Freedom (via Life goes in a circle).

The Story of How We Met


Ivy Oakes - 2020
    . .When Sarah comes home from her improvised summer vacation, she finds out two guys have just moved in. Not only that, but her friend Alana is dating one of them and thinks it would be fun if Sarah dated Julien’s equally hot brother.However, Sarah is not interested in Gary’s constant happy whistling. She prefers to hear Julien’s stories about the stars even if some stars die at the end. The more time they spend together, the more she wants to be around him.So Sarah decides to control her feelings. Easier said than done.Usually, things are never as easy as they should be, and when it all becomes a huge mess, a valuable lesson will be learned. Sarah’s mother says that when the heart speaks, we must hear. Will Sarah listen to it?This is the first short novel of Halley’s puzzle containing approximately 17,000 words. Every book is stand-alone. However, it is recommended to be read in order for greatest enjoyment.

The Winter Kitten


Linda Benson - 2013
    It rains too much, she misses her mother and the country life they once shared, and with Christmas coming up she's having a hard time adjusting to life with only her dad. When she finds a kitten trapped in their garage, Brianna is sure things will get better. But nothing goes as planned, and Brianna wonders what she's gotten herself into. CAT TALES is a series of short, stand-alone fiction celebrating the human-animal bond, from award-winning author Linda Benson.

Kissing the Protector : An Accidental Romance


Jillian Riley - 2019
     Carlos: I certainly didn’t want to waste my time babysitting a wannabe actress. Especially, when in order to do my job well I would need to run everything by her stuck-up, pain in the ass cousin. But there was something about her cousin that struck a nerve with me. She seemed so smart and extremely sexy. What was the price I was going to pay for taking on the role of Falls Ranch Protector… Sam I hated working for my cousin. I loved her sure, but I had an education, more than one degree, and at almost thirty I should be using them for something more. But when family needs you, your wants and dreams take the back burner. I didn’t mean to want my sexy protector, but every time he came near me something inside me flared. He was too much. Too handsome, too intelligent, too strong, and too stubborn. I would go to Falls Ranch. I would play the part Chandra needed me to play, but when this job was over, that’s when I would leave it all behind. Start my real career, and my real life. The only problem? Would I be able to walk away with my heart intact?

My Christmas Wish


Julia Williams - 2015
    As Christmas comes around, Joe only wishes for one thing. Will his Christmas wish come true?

This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona


Sherman Alexie - 1993
    

The Last Whelan: Whelan Brothers


Elisa Leigh - 2021
    Now she’s on the run with no one to rely on, or so she thinks. Her boss helps her escape to Ireland where she hopes she won’t be found. No longer at risk of being harmed, she’s welcomed into the Whelan family with open arms. Now she’s at risk of losing her heart to the gorgeous man staring holes into her, claiming she’s his.Sullivan Whelan is out of town on an assignment when it gets cut short and he’s sent home early. The second he walks into his apartment he knows something has changed. Walking into his bedroom he comes face to face with the gorgeous culprit. She’s beautifully broken and all his.Will Sullivan be able to convince Elise she’s everything to him and more before the past comes back to haunt them?

The Merciful Angel of Death


Lawrence Block - 2012
    The first novel, The Sins of the Fathers, appeared in 1975, and A Drop of the Hard Stuff - the 17th and most recent - was published in 2011. Over the years Scudder has also been featured in 11 short works of fiction. The Merciful Angel of Death is the fifth of these; it frst appeared in 1993 in The New Mystery, Jerome Charyn's anthology of stories by members of the International Association of Crime Writers.The story was written during the depth of the AIDS epidemic, and reflects its time.The Merciful Angel of Death is included in The Night and the Music, my collection of all 11 Matthew Scudder short stories, available for Kindle or in handsome trade paperback form.

How To Exit Your Body: and Other Strange Tales


Christopher Maxim - 2018
    This book is guaranteed to horrify you in the best way possible. Open it up, turn the page, and take a journey to a world consumed with mystery in madness.

Because of a Dog: A Western Novella


Donald L. Robertson - 2016
    Mostly those kind of folks ain’t worth knowing." Nolan Parker rides into Mustang City looking for grazing land of his own. With money in his pocket, he’s in town to buy a ranch.Then he saves a boy's dog from a killer. Now he finds himself embroiled in the beginnings of a range war, battling the hired gunmen of a ruthless rancher. He must make a decision. Stay and fight, or cut and run. Because of a Dog, is a drama of honor, love, hate, and death—a stirring tale of the old west that will keep you engrossed to the very end.

Harborside Hatred


Sarah A. Denzil - 2021
    Now it’s catching up with her.Wherever Oakland goes, the mystery caller finds her, the one who breathes down the line, who calls her at any time of day or night, who somehow always seems to know where she is.Moving all the way from London, Oakland settled on Liars Island, finally feeling safe enough to put down roots. Running Harborside Books, a quaint little shop by the harbor, she’s content with her quiet life. For the first time since she was seventeen years old, no one has harassed her. Until one day, she picks up the phone and hears that rasping breath one more time. But this time, it’s worse, someone is following her. She finds a threatening note in the bookstore. She’s convinced that there are eyes in the shadows, watching her every move.There is a person out there who hates Oakland O'Neill more than anyone in the world, and that person is on Liars Island, waiting for their opportunity to strike…Welcome to Liars Island… a stand-alone series of interconnected, novella-length domestic thrillers set in the picture-perfect community of Liars Island. Here, nothing is quite as it seems.On this island, families, and friendships are more than meets the eye … secrets, deceptions, and jealousies threaten to ruin everything these influential people have built. But it isn’t only the rich that live here … and power comes in all shapes and sizes. Everyone here is a liar … just how far would you go to get what you want?

My Beastly Boss: A Surprise Pregnancy Age Gap Romance (Forbidden Temptations)


Sofia T Summers - 2022
    

Santa's Little Helper


Lisa Chalmers - 2020
    But Emma is completely different from every other woman he's met. Suddenly he's the one seemingly doing the chasing.Can he turn this flirtationship into something real?

Sun of a Beach: Curvy Girl Summer


Claire Ashlynn - 2021
    . . until him.A one-night stand with a tourist that she'll never see again can help her shake off her break-up blues, but it gives her the baby blues.Until. . . she finds out he's not a tourist but her brother's friend.Can she let the past go to find her forever?This is a short, sassy, and steamy novella. The place is real but the events are fiction. Instalove and HEA!