Short Family

As we age, memories can fade, affecting not only recall but also connections with loved ones. Engaging in brain-stimulating activities like reading can slow cognitive decline, as noted by the American Academy of Neurology. This book offers an enjoyable way to exercise your memory and bring details back into focus. With short stories set in familiar outdoor settings, you’ll be transported into the great outdoors from the first chapter.

John Updike reads six stories he has selected from the 100-odd he has published. Mr. Updike, when asked to described his method of reading aloud, said "I try to picture the things described and to speak the words distinctly, and to let the emotion come through on its own." The method works beautifully.

Family is more than just a man and wife, but will society and government law agree? Tally is an attorney who has spent her life building her career, leaving little room for a personal life. After another failed relationship, she believes time is running out. As an orphan, she doesn’t just want a baby, but desires a family. Tally turns to the only men she trusts and loves, her married best friends, Lex and Ishkode. In doing so, they face social stigmas, potential legal ramifications, and open old wounds. As things intensify, jealousy and insecurity rear their ugly heads while confidences ...

Death by devil's food—but was it really the cake? Savannah Stanton thought she was finally settling into small-town life in Spring Grove. But when a prestigious judge drops dead during the town's annual Dessert Festival—right after sampling Holly's signature devil's food cake—Savannah finds herself kneading through far more than just dough. With the bakery's reputation at stake and whispers of sabotage rising like badly proofed bread, Savannah must sift through a cast of colorful suspects: a fiercely competitive rival baker, a resentful estranged brother, and a host of other townsfolk...

A gripping and emotional short story, The Good Son follows Ethan, a man haunted by childhood abuse and the scars left by an alcoholic stepfather. After his mother’s death, Ethan is forced to confront the man who shaped his darkest impulses—and reckon with the kind of father he’s becoming himself. Spanning decades of trauma, rage, and redemption, this story explores the brutal legacy of violence—and one man’s quiet decision to end the cycle.

WHITE CAT BLACK CAT - The Hunter ******************************************** One hot summer day, in front of the fan The white cat was sweating as only cats can When outside the window he suddenly spied A tiny bird chirping on the other side. The cat stretched hard, from his back to his front, And thought, “What a great day to go out and hunt!”

La Nueva Llave 3 * <3 * <3 * <3 * <3 * <3 * <3 * <3 * <3 * <3 * <3 Qué día tan emocionante – una ocasión especial Un tiempo para un cumpleaños celebrar ¡genial! La hermana de la sapita hizo una fiesta para la menor, Sus amigos vendrían y se divertirían en su honor, Globos de todos los colores en las paredes colgaban, Los sombreros de payaso, listos ya estaban.

This is the story of the O'Neill family from Lawrence, Kansas. Jim, a 45 year- old man with two children; Jay, 13 and Adrianna 11. The kids are out of school for summer vacation. They are setting out by car to find the ancestral home of Jim's grandfather, who lived in Sterling, Illinois. A diary which was found in Jim's grandfather's house in Lawrence, revealed that there was a treasure to be found on the property of the Sterling homestead. The treasure can be found by solving riddles and clues. Jim's wife died in a terrible car crash a year and a half ago. One month before the accident, ...

Shirley Jackson is one of the most important American writers of the last hundred years. Since her death in 1965, her place in the landscape of twentieth-century fiction has grown only more exalted. As we approach the centenary of her birth comes this astonishing compilation of fifty-six pieces—more than forty of which have never been published before. Two of Jackson’s children co-edited this volume, culling through the vast archives of their mother’s papers at the Library of Congress, selecting only the very best for inclusion.

A long-married couple is forced to confront their friend's painful past when a church revival comes to a nearby town ... A woman in an arranged marriage struggles to connect with the son she hid from her husband for years ... A well-meaning sister unwittingly reunites an abuser with his victims. Through an indelible array of lives, Yoon Choi explores where first and second generations either clash or find common ground,

Alright, you know how the saying goes: "Sharing is caring," right? Well, get ready because this story is a banger! It dives deep into the vault of my childhood memories, and trust me, it's a doozy. We all have those formative experiences that shape who we are, but mine... well, let's just say my mother took a slightly different approach to parenting. Instead of the stereotypical, overflowing-with-affection kind of motherly love, I drew the short straw and got myself a narcissist. Think back to those moments of pure, unadulterated childhood pride. Remember that time you brought home a ...

Miriam was raised in a society without children. To offset the devastation of climate change, state-of-the-art birth control has made daycares and playgrounds things of the past. As tempting as the government inducements are to remain child-free, Miriam’s curiosity about the people who “drop out” of society to become parents grows. When she finds a like-minded partner, she must choose between the rewarding comforts she knows and the unknowable mysteries of being a mother.

In this heart-warming short story, meet wife and mother Eugeena Patterson. Eugeena has always been the glue keeping her fragmented family together. When her teenage daughter is rushed to the hospital, Eugeena’s usual attempts to maintain peace in her family reach a breaking point. Will her troubled teenage daughter rip the family apart?

Haunted by memories of war and still grieving over the loss of his wife, a man moves into his father's house near the coast with the hope of finding peace. He soon discovers, however, that his obsession over finding glass floats has gone way too far. Float Collector is the length of a short story (4,400 words)

Enjoy four classic Lone Star romances from New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer!

From her many well-loved novels, Hilma Wolitzer - now 91 years old and at the top of her game - has gained a reputation as one of our best fiction writers. These collected short stories - most of them originally published in magazines including Esquire and the Saturday Evening Post in the 1960s and 1970s, along with a new story that brings her early characters into the present - are evocative of an era that still resonates deeply today.

One night four lives entered the world by the hands of an Amish midwife just outside North Star, Pennsylvania. Rebekah's babies, as they are called, are now grown adults, and in four heartwarming novellas each young person experiences a journey of discovery, love, and the wonder of Christmas.

A trip to the library prompts one woman to question her fate in this galvanizing short story. For a woman like Hadley, deemed not acceptable to procreate, there’s only one recourse. Unlicensed for motherhood, she can alleviate her grief and frustration at a “baby library,” where a curiously endless supply of infants is available for a two-week loan. But the borrowed life that serves as a temporary balm leads to a journey of self-discovery that will forever change the direction of Hadley’s future.

"Dragos Takes a Holiday": When the Cuelebre family heads to Bermuda for some much needed R&R, it’s no ordinary weekend in the sun. Between Pirates, treasure hunting, and a baby dragon…what could possibly go wrong? "Pia Saves the Day": The Cuelebres have moved to upstate New York where they finally have the space to indulge their Wyr side, and Liam can grow in safety. Their idyllic situation is shattered when Dragos is injured and stripped of his memory.

First love never truly fades… it’s just waiting for a second chance. Ten years after leaving Wildwood Ridge, Allison returns home to sell her late father's house, only to find herself face-to-face with her first love – Grant. As they spend time together again, unresolved feelings resurface and they must decide if their story deserves a second chapter. Second Chance With The Mountain Man is a steamy short read with cozy small town vibes.