Book picks similar to
The Least of These by Kate Willis


christmas
christian-fiction
short-stories
indie-authors

Legacy Code


Autumn Kalquist - 2014
    Beaten. Broken in more ways than one. Their descendants carry the Legacy Code—mangled genes that force them to abort half their unborn children.When Era and Dritan Corinth get placements on the safest ship in the fleet and win a chance to have a child, they feel lucky. Until the day Era's supposed to find out if her baby has the Defect, and the ship suffers a hull breach.An investigation uncovers new threats. Dangerous secrets. Lies. Treason.Era begins to question everything she’s been taught about the fleet, their search for a new Earth, and the Defect. But the answers she seeks were never meant to be found...Legacy Code is a suspenseful, dark post-apocalyptic read that has earned five star reviews from fans of books like Hunger Games, Divergent, and Red Rising, and has been compared favorably to Wool, 1984, and the new Battlestar Galactica.

Die for Her


Amy Plum - 2013
    He's spent the better part of the last century flirting his way through Paris, but when he met Kate Mercier, the heroine from Amy Plum's Die for Me trilogy, he knew his afterlife had changed forever and he had found the love of his life. Until Kate fell for his best friend, Vincent. Now Jules is faced with an impossible decision: choosing between his loyal friend and a love truly worth dying for.

Randomize


Andy Weir - 2019
    The new quantum computer system is foolproof. But someone on the inside is no fool. For once the odds may not favor the house—unless human ingenuity isn’t entirely a thing of the past.Andy Weir’s Randomize is part of Forward, a collection of six stories of the near and far future from out-of-this-world authors. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single thought-provoking sitting.

Night of the Purple Moon


Scott Cramer - 2012
    Her younger brother, Jordan, is having no problem fitting in and making friends.Everyone on Castine Island is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the purple moon, caused by a comet entering the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists expected this thrilling phenomenon and food companies are churning out purple-colored products in celebration of the comet’s arrival.The morning following the comet’s debut Abby and Jordan make a chilling discovery: every adult on the island is dead. The children of the island band together to withstand their new circumstances, and the older kids quickly learn a gripping truth about their own ticking clocks. It's only a matter of time before they succumb to the comet bacteria, but can they raise the next generation to survive?"Frightening and inspiring" - Kirkus Reviews. Riveting dystopian drama for all ages (13+)Alternate Cover edition for ISBN 9780615637082

In My Head


Alicia Rades - 2015
    Her father's position as chief technology manager at the biggest tech firm in the world has alienated her from her peers. As a beta tester for the latest implant, a computer chip that connects you to The Internet of Things, Mila is sure everyone hates her because of her upgrade. When Mila hears Parker's voice in her head, everything changes.This is a standalone short story of 17,000 words.

Ponies


Kij Johnson - 2010
    If you want to be friends with TheOtherGirls, you're going to have to give something up; this is the way it's always been, as long as there have been Ponies.

You Have Arrived at Your Destination


Amor Towles - 2019
    Discover a bold new way to raise a child in this unsettling story of the near future by the New York Times bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow.When Sam’s wife first tells him about Vitek, a twenty-first-century fertility lab, he sees it as the natural next step in trying to help their future child get a “leg up” in a competitive world. But the more Sam considers the lives that his child could lead, the more he begins to question his own relationships and the choices he has made in his life.Amor Towles’s You Have Arrived at Your Destination is part of Forward, a collection of six stories of the near and far future from out-of-this-world authors. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single thought-provoking sitting.

All Wrapped Up for the Holidays


Vi Keeland - 2019
    When I accidentally mistook a gorgeous man resting outside my building for a homeless person in need of lunch, we got into it. I’d only been trying to do a good deed around the holidays, but he called me righteous. I called him something far worse. If only I didn’t have to see him again. But fate had other plans.Finding Perfect by Colleen HooverA short story that brings back several of Colleen’s most beloved characters. Told from the point of view of Daniel from Finding Cinderella, readers will finally get the story they’ve been begging for more of. For the best reading experience, make sure you’ve read all three books that come together to make up this heartwarming and fun holiday short story; Finding Cinderella, Hopeless and All Your Perfects.A Rock Chick Christmas by Kristen AshleyWhat's Christmas with the Starks like? Get a peek into the Rock Chick world and how Luke copes with Ava going Christmas gaga and just what he will, and won't, do for his girls during the holidays.Just Say When by Jill ShalvisWhen the one you want …Is the one you can’t seem to have…Can love conquer all?The Pact by Elle KennedyThanks to my hectic schedule as a pro hockey player, my girl and I are spending more time apart than together. Luckily, I have a solution—a romantic New Year’s Eve getaway in the mountains, just me and Grace and plenty of sexytimes. Except this blizzard has other ideas...The Package by K. BrombergChristmas week can’t get any worse for Jules Jilliland. Dumped by her boyfriend, rear-ended on the freeway, and fired from her job, she finds herself stuck in an elevator with a handsome stranger. When their packages are accidentally swapped, will it end up being a misfortunate accident that suddenly brightens her holidays?

The Santa Society


Kristine McCord - 2013
    Myth. Miracles.They say there is truth in legends.Last Christmas, Erin came home to be with her dying mother. It's been a year, and Erin can't move on. It's a good thing a behemoth dog named Klaus and Reason-the-handsome-realtor are about to change all that.When Reason's efforts to help Erin sell her mother's house turn into a series of fiascos, Erin finds herself falling in love with him despite the quirky chaos that follows him. But Reason is more than he seems, and soon Erin is immersed in the clandestine world of the Santa Society, a centuries old secret organization that protects the truth behind Christmas.

An Eye for an Eye


Malorie Blackman - 2003
    The child's father, Callum, is a Nought, but worse, he is dead and Callum's brother is out for revenge. Can two wrongs make a right?

Anathema


Megg Jensen - 2011
    Make your own destiny. Reychel is a slave girl surrounded by magic, lies, and manipulation. Her best friend disappears in the middle of the night leaving Reychel to face her fifteenth birthday, the day her master burns his brand into the back of her bald head, alone. Sheltered from the outside world and without any hope for escape, can Reychel learn to believe in herself?

The Sea of Storms


Mark Whiteway - 2010
    But the so-called "lodestones" behave according to different physical laws, transforming Kelanni's society. With the aid of the fearsome Keltar in their flying cloaks, the Kelanni are being put to forced labor to mine the lodestones. Shann, an orphan with a fiery disposition, witnesses a battle between a Keltar and a stranger bearing a similar flying cloak. She tracks down the stranger, and learns of the technology behind the Keltars' power, joining him on a mission to free the slaves and cut off their supply of lodestones. Meanwhile Keris, a Keltar, is sent on a mission to track down the rebels. She is attacked by a flying creature and saved by the enigmatic Chandara. At their Great Tree, she learns that a mysterious "Prophet" is out to destroy the Kelanni people. Their only hope is a powerful instrument hidden in the distant past. Pursued by Keltar, the party will encounter bizarre creatures, ancient technologies and terrifying dangers. Finally, they must seek to cross a massive storm barrier in order to reach the other side of their world, where a world-shaking revelation awaits. First Place Award Winner - 2010 Premier Book Awards.First Place Award Winner (New Author) - 2011 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards.First Place Award Winner (Science Fiction) - 2011 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards.First Place Award Winner (Young Adult) - 2011 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards.First Place Award Winner (Science Fiction) - 2011 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards.First Place Award Winner (Young Adult) - 2011 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards.Global European Award Winner - 2010 Reader Views Awards.Second Place Award Winner (Young Adult) - 2010 Reader Views Awards.Bronze Award Winner - 2010 Readers Favorite Book Awards.Second Place Award Winner - 2010 Written Art Awards.Finalist - 2010 Foreword Book of the Year Award.(Excerpt) Madness? Obsession? Keris knew little of such things. It was impossible to believe that this was the same man; the man who had taken her in and nurtured her; who had impressed on her the conviction that the Kelanni needed to be protected and cared for. Yet somehow he had turned into a monster.His hands slipped to one end of his staff and he swung it towards her in a wide arc. She jumped back instinctively, the diamond blade passing inches from her midriff. "I'm gratified to see that your reflexes are as keen as ever, Keris." He spun around and then leapt into the air a short distance, aiming the staff at her head. She side stepped neatly, and the blade flashed past her harmlessly. "Good, very good," he approved. "Now are you going to obey my wishes or are you going to defend yourself?"He was advancing on her again. Keris felt as if she were in a waking dream. One hand moved involuntarily to her own staff, gripping the smooth darkwood. It felt solid, reassuring. Her other hand moved to her neck control and she adjusted the bronze layer of her cloak, seeking the pressure of natural lodestone. As she registered the strengths and directions of the familiar push of the ore, it was bizarrely the words of Mordal himself that came back to her, spoken in a different place and at a different time."Battling another Keltar is unlike any other battle you will ever fight. When encountering anyone else, the lodestone will furnish you with a decisive advantage in height and momentum. However, when you are facing another Keltar, those advantages are cancelled out. Instead, the field of battle and the configuration of lodestone deposits become all important. A clash between Keltar is primarily a battle of tactics. Even superior strength and agility can be overcome by superior positioning and spatial orientation. You must immediately determine the location and strength of any deposits and then 'own' them, denying your opponent any advantage." (Continued)

The Harvest


Alanah Andrews - 2019
    Childhood friends, Eve and Hana, have grown up in an underground compound, their emotional control monitored at all times.But the harvest is approaching . . .In two days, the low-ranked students will be culled and the worthy assigned to their permanent positions in society.Eve is a high-ranked student, but harbours secret concerns about her brother leaving—feelings that she must conceal from her monitor if she wishes to succeed. Hana has always struggled to control her emotions, and she fears that this harvest will be her last.Both know there's no place for friendship when they're competing for their lives.The harvest is coming, and only the worthy will remain.

The Heart of Arcrea


Nicole Sager - 2012
    A host of memorable characters join Druet on his mission of justice, but opposition quickly rises to test their level of commitment and their faith in God. Will the dangerous wilds of Arcrea and her seven oppressive lords succeed in bringing an end to Druet’s quest and crush forever the kingdom’s hopes for a just king?What is this heart of Arcrea and where is it to be found? “You must discover it for yourself.”

Santa Baby, I Want A Bad Boy For Christmas


JE - 2015
     Morgan is having a miserable week. She broke up with her boyfriend, can't afford to go home to spend the holidays with her family, and has to work every day leading up to Christmas. Enter mall Santa. When Morgan is forced to tell Santa what she wants for Christmas, she doesn't hold back. She wants a bad boy for Christmas. He must have chiseled arms, smoldering eyes, and a panty-melting smile. Will Santa send Morgan her perfect bad boy? *This book contains sexual content and language. Recommended for mature readers ages 18 and up.