In the latest of our celebrated series, you find yourself surfacing, dazed in the waiting room. You read snatches of lines over the shoulders of raincoats. In the carriage you have glimpses and visions. At your destination you can hear space, see thunder, taste realization. You are running towards something, someone in the trees who holds out to you an understanding hand. Welcome to the wonderful and sometimes frightening world of Unthology 5.

The characters in this delicious book are pushed to the point of no return and seek retribution. But how we get even is not always the best road to redemption. On the island of Mull, it takes an incomer to make the locals realise that they need to take matters into their own hands to maintain the community's reputation. In 'The Principles of Soap' the value of friendship overcomes adversity and opportunistic nepotism. In suburban Edinburgh opposing neighbours find out the hard way that the best method of dealing with a canine disturbance is not to bury one's head in the sand. And in the final tale we meet an author on the brink of public ruin who sees the error of his ways after an act of kindness saves the day. These four tales show that the exquisite art of getting even is a skill that sees kindness win over malice. Tantalising and amusing, these stories show off a darker side but carry with them the author's trademark warmth and humour.

Scardio The Seahorse is a non-fiction childrena s book, telling the story of a beautiful racehorse from Indonesia who left his home to become a champion, but unfortunately, over the years fell on hard times. The true story, through its wonderful illustrations tells of Scardioa s fall from grace, but, also how he was then rescued by a local boy. a Scardio the Seahorsea is often referred to as a a 21st century version of Black Beautya for younger children wanting a very happy ending.

Stories do not have to be long. In the space of a couple of sentences - or even a page or two - we can see the human heart exposed in a way that is more powerful than in a novel. In Tiny Tales Alexander McCall Smith explores romance, ambition, kindness and happiness in thirty short stories that range in length from the short to the tiny. The settings are as diverse as the characters - Scotland, England, Australia, the United States - combining to create a rich and always surprising selection. An Australian pope?. A persuasive cosmetic surgeon? The world's laziest cat. A group of students living together and getting romantically entangled? All human and animal life is here - in miniature.

This beautifully designed paperback featuring 2 to 3 Christmas-themed stories by a world-renowned classic writer will make the perfect stocking-stuffer purchase. This paperback will feature 2 to 3 Christmas-themed stories by the author, led by his much-loved classic "The Gift of the Magi." This book will be accompanied by three similar titles: Christmas with L.M. Montgomery, Christmas with Charles Dickens, andChristmas with Louisa May Alcott. The book will feature elegantly designed covers and endpapers, quality paper stock for interiors, and card-stock covers (with flaps).

For generations of Oxfords residents, students and visitors, Boswells has been part of the city's charm. It was therefore an obvious subject for Oxford Inc, a group of writers who compile stories around a common theme. All sorts of people pass through the department store; they may look just like the rest of us but, underneath the surface, the authors reveal private lives with twists, joy and despair, all of which make for an entertaining read. There are stores here to make you laugh, some will make you cry, and others will make you think; together they present a collection which is a varied and delightful as Boswells, the famous old store which links them all. Boswells are donating a percentage of the profit from every copy they sell to their Charity of the Year.

The New York stories, most of which take place around the year 2000, consider the fateful consequences that can spring from brief encounters and the delicate mechanics of compromise that operate at the heart of modern marriages.

Told from seven points of view, 'Eve in Hollywood' describes how one of Towles’s most beloved characters, the indomitable Evelyn Ross from Rules of Civility, crafts a new future for herself―and others―in a noirish tale that takes us through the movie sets, bungalows and dive bars of 1930s Los Angeles.

Written with his signature wit, humour and sophistication, Table for Two is another glittering addition to Towles’s canon of stylish and transporting fiction.

The second collection of short stories by the author, a retired social worker, covers a wide range of human eperience from the sad to the life-affirming, and we meet some odd, some might say dysfunctional characters along the way.

This unusual collection of stories ranges from the mysterious to the thought-provoking and the downright comic. As a retired social worker the author, whose schooling finished at the end of the Second World War, has brought to bear a lifetime of experience of the quirky side of human nature.

The Norton Introduction to Literature offers the trusted writing and reading guidance students need, along with an exciting mix of the stories, poems and plays instructors want. The Shorter Fourteenth Edition is the most inclusive ever, with more contemporary and timely works sure to engage today's students. New media-rich pedagogical tools further foster close reading and careful writing, making this book the best choice for helping all students understand, analyse and write about literature.

It's never too late to change as the characters in this poignant collection of stories demonstrate. These stories introduce us to a wide range of people young and old as they face up to change and challenge in their lives. Wheather it's learning to ride a bike for the first time in middle age, facing up to demons from the past, dealing with loss and bereavement, or embarking on a life-changing journey, their humanity shines through. They will make you laugh and make you cry but above all they stand as testimony to the resilience of the human spirit. Christine is an English writer married and living in Gloucestershire, her favourite form is the short story and in most of her work we meet characters young and old, male and female who in one way or another are struggling against challenges. She follows their journeys as they deal with their difficulties with grit, determination and sometimes humour.