Humor Short

A private detective who can make the guilty confess simply by smiling at them. An artist so intimidated by his morally impeccable cat that he feels compelled to wear formal attire at dinner. A devotee of Proust whose life is turned upside down when he inadvertently subscribes to a correspondence course on "How to Acquire Complete Self-Confidence and an Iron Will." These are just a few of the many members of the eccentric Mulliner clan whose lives and exploits are laid before the regulars of the "Angler's Rest" by that doyen of raconteurs, Mr. Mulliner, in a series of tall stories where lunacy and comic exuberance reign supreme.

Franz Kafka is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most enigmatic geniuses of European literature. He’s been hailed a profit and a diagnostician, and a century after his death, his unique perspective on the anxieties, injustices, and rapidly shifting belief systems of the modern world continues to speak to our contemporary moment.

This book of interconnected stories depicts the chaotic life of a young boy on the run with his teenage mother. When Sarah reclaims Jeremiah from his foster parents, he finds himself catapulted into her world of motels and truck stops, exposed to the abusive, exploitative men she encounters. As he learns to survive in this harrowing environment, Jeremiah also learns to love his mother, even as she descends into drug-fueled madness.

This book was previously published as "Financial Punishment: the Naughty C.P.A." by Reba Bale What happens when the people who make your pleasure toys decide to let their hair down? Toys for Grown-Ups is the leading national retailer for adult activities. But even toy developers need downtime, so CEO Robert Calloway decides to take his team to the mountains for a team-building retreat. One that will have plenty of time for fun… Elaine Robertson feels like the lone voice of reason in her company. As the chief financial officer, she’s more worried about audits and spreadsheets than ...

Santiago. Ronan. Jax. From Amazon best-selling author Regina Wade comes the Vegas Heat Boxed Set: Three steamy standalone instalove romances featuring curvy heroines and possessive mafia men that plunge them into darkness.

In these eight masterful stories, Lorrie Moore, in a perfect blend of craft and bewitched spirit, explores the passage of time and summons up its inevitable sorrows and hilarious pitfalls to reveal her own exquisite, singular wisdom...Gimlet-eyed social observation, the public and private absurdities of American life, dramatic irony, and enduring half-cracked love wend their way through each of these narratives in a heartrending mash-up of the tragic and the laugh-out-loud - the hallmark of Lorrie Moore - land.

Tyler, Channing, and Sammy Clauster have descended on their childhood home, with significant others and four-year-old twins in tow, for another good old-fashioned Christmas. Overwhelming holiday magic, as always, comes courtesy of their mom, Claire. They know she’s thrilled to cook, wrap gifts, decorate, accommodate, play games, overprepare every Christmas Eve Eve Eve tradition, and still let Dad be known as the Fun One. It’s her thing, right? Maybe the family should have paid closer attention. Because this year, something is a little off-key - and it’s not just the carols.

The untimely death of Chairman Mao has set in motion enormous changes in the world. The new empress of China is a contact of Rick’s, and this leads to his involvement in events in China, the Vietnams, and Hong Kong. At the same time, he starts his quest for being the second amateur to complete a Grand Slam in golf. He learns that a broken heart hurts. As the old Chinese curse says, “May you live in interesting times.”

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths - for good and evil - of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies.

The entire Office Games fantasy series now in one complete bundle. Office Games 1: If there were no limits and you could play out any fantasy without restrictions, how would it go? She bats those long lashes at me, grinning like a child that's up to no good. "Haven't you learned anything yet?" she asks with a wink. "From now on you make your own luck. The sky is the limit for you, Rick Anderson. And before morning comes, you're going to need to learn one more lesson." Now it's me who's smiling as she sinks to her knees. "Payback is a bitch!" Office Games 2: For a fleeting moment, the world ...

The George and Matilda stories all revolve about events or facts that concern orchids. The stories range from the discovery of rare plants in the long ago past to the extinction of species in a future time. The stories are unique in that while each tale takes place in a different time era and country, the characters and their personalities always remain the same. George and Matilda are usually accompanied by George’s best friend William and Matilda’s great-aunt Bertha. Most of these stories were originally published in the "Orchid Digest" and a few of those were also translated for the ...

A funny and heartwarming debut for fans of Celia Imrie and Dawn French. Evie Gallagher is regretting her hasty move into a care home. She may be 75 and recently widowed, but she’s absolutely not dead yet. And so, one morning, Evie walks out of Sheldon Lodge and sets off on a Great Adventure across Europe. But not everyone thinks Great Adventures are appropriate for women of Evie’s age, least of all her son, Brendan, and his wife, Maura, who follow a trail of puzzling text messages to bring her home.

What is it that’s so bad about a man’s marriage that he is driven to commit the perfect murder? Why is a gambler’s fate sealed when messages from the future give him the names of winning horses? Will a psychic be able to help the desperate parents of a kidnapped child? These are just a few of the stories in this collection of bite-sized tales which include ghostly goings-on, out-of-this-world visitations, murder, the paranormal, fantasy, nostalgia and much, much more. Author Anthony Talmage escorts us through a rollickingly enjoyable collection of stories for grown-ups

Whether it's a 300-year-old ghost who's scared out of his wits, a tenderhearted statue with a mission of mercy, or the suave Lord Savile who cannot commit a crime, the characters in these stories by witty Oscar Wilde make the tales priceless delights. Absurd, ironic, poignant, or scathing, these small gems of the storyteller's art are sure to become favorites. This collection, narrated by Frank Muller, includes "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime," "The Model Millionaire," "The Nightingale and the Rose," and more.

If she wants to save her job, she’s going to have to accept a punishment from the boss! When Alina makes a coding mistake that creates a lot of extra work for the team, her boss Ruth is furious. Ruth gives her an ultimatum: pack up her stuff and leave, or submit to a spanking. Alina has never been spanked before, so she figures it won’t be too bad. To her surprise, not only is the spanking much more painful than she anticipated, but it’s also turning her on! Even though she’s not a lesbian, Alina has often fantasized about doing dirty things with her beautiful female boss. When Ruth...

In the first tale, we follow two workmen on an intriguing journey to Coney Island, where the heartsick and disgruntled Tobin has his palm read. Who knew that palmistry could be so unpredictable? Secondly, a tale of kidnapping gone awry. A little boy, self proclaimed "Red Chief", is taken from his home, and has so much fun he never wants to go back, much to the chagrin of the kidnappers.

Lily's friend Jasmine has come to town, and the two women have been talking about Sam. Author Sam Browning is on a spontaneous writer's retreat after his divorce, and an unexpected encounter with the beautiful Lily has him wondering what else he might find in the town of Ashbury besides his new manuscript. Lily's best friend Jasmine lives a few towns over, but she's staying in Ashbury for a few weeks, and Lily is excited to introduce her to Sam. Not only that, but it seems she and Jasmine have shared a boyfriend in the past, and Lily is warming Sam up to the idea. It sounds crazy, but as ...

Pinewood Hollow’s annual knit-a-thon is supposed to be a celebration of yarn and creativity—but when a prominent knitter is found stabbed with her own knitting needle, cozy competition turns into chilling crime. Violet “Vi” Dumont, owner of The Sweet Stitch, is used to solving puzzles with icing and yarn, but this time she’ll need more than her baking skills to untangle the truth. As the town buzzes with gossip, and secrets unravel faster than a dropped stitch, Vi and her mischievous ginger cat, Muffin, must piece together the clues. Between heated rivalries and whispered grudges,...

A collection of short stories including: The Maid and the Wine Glass; The Perfect Alibi; What are You Doing in Jail Mom?, What's for Dinner? Six and Out. and Roses for Her Birthday. These edgy stories combine humor with irreverence. They are a perfect mix of humor and mystery for afternoons at the beach.

Hot Mr. Scrooge is my neighbor. Hope The man loathes Christmas. What person doesn’t warm up to the best holiday of the year? The cabin I purchased mentioned it needed light work, not a gut renovation. Looks nothing like the picture. The brooding beast next door said he’d help spruce up the place if it will get me to leave him alone. Deal. Because who wants to be around the Grinch longer than they have to? Even if he’s tall. Has a gorgeous face you can stare at all day. And a body you’d love to mount on your sleigh repeatedly. Then I wondered could I help Mr. Non-Christmas ...