Literary Fiction Audiobooks | Literature

The Best Short Stories 2024: The O. Henry Prize Winners

""A diverse and glorious selection . . . a gift of imagination, wit, and wonder. The collection is filled with miniature masterpieces. . . . This must-have anthology is a treasure trove not to be missed." -Library Journal (starred review) The prestigious annual story anthology, featuring prize-winning stories by Kate DiCamillo, Jess Walter, Dave Eggers, Allegra Goodman, Jai Chakrabarti, Francisco Gonzalez, and more. Continuing a century-long tradition of cutting-edge literary excellence, this year's edition contains twenty prizewinning stories chosen from the thousands published in magazines over the previous year. Guest editor Amor Towles has brought his own refreshing perspective to the prize, selecting stories by an engaging mix of celebrated names and emerging voices. The winning stories are accompanied by an introduction by Towles, observations from the winning writers on what inspired them, and an extensive resource list of magazines that publish short fiction. THE WINNING STORIES "Roy," Emma Binder "The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz," Michele Mari (translated from the Italian by Brian Robert Moore) "Orphans," Brad Felver "The Home Visit," Morris Collins "The Import," Jai Chakrabarti "Didi," Amber Caron "Serranos," Francisco González "Hiding Spot," Caroline Kim "Junior," Katherine D. Stutzman "My Good Friend," Juliana Leite (translated from the Portuguese by Zoë Perry) 'The Castle of Rose Tellin," Kate DiCamillo 'Rain," Colin Barrett "Marital Problems," Robin Romm "The Last Grownup," Allegra Goodman "The Honor of Your Presence," Dave Eggers "The Paper Artist," E. K. Ota "The Room-Service Waiter," Tom Crewe "Seeing Through Maps," Madeline ffitch "The Dark," Jess Walter "Mobilization," Allegra Hyde"

Amor Towles (Author), Alana Kerr Collins, Annette Amelia Oliveira, Blair Young, Dylan Moore, Edoardo Ballerini, Helen Laser, Jason Culp, Jeena Yi, Johnny Rey Diaz, Kristen Dimercurio, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Vikas Adam (Narrator)

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Sky Full of Elephants

""Bold and imaginative." —Tananarive Due "This stunning allegory will spark much discussion." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A truly powerful and riveting story." —Booklist In a world without white people, what does it mean to be Black? One day, a cataclysmic event occurs: all of the white people in America walk into the nearest body of water. A year later, Charlie Brunton is a Black man living in an entirely new world. Having served time in prison for a wrongful conviction, he's now a professor of electric and solar power systems at Howard University when he receives a call from someone he wasn't even sure existed: his daughter Sidney, a nineteen-year-old left behind by her white mother and step-family. Traumatized by the event, and terrified of the outside world, Sidney has spent a year in isolation in Wisconsin. Desperate for help, she turns to the father she never met, a man she has always resented. Sidney and Charlie meet for the first time as they embark on a journey across a truly "post-racial" America in search for answers. But neither of them are prepared for this new world and how they see themselves in it. Heading south toward what is now called the Kingdom of Alabama, everything Charlie and Sidney thought they knew about themselves, and the world, will be turned upside down. Brimming with heart and humor, Cebo Campbell's astonishing debut novel is about the power of community and connection, about healing and self-actualization, and a reckoning with what it means to be Black in America, in both their world and ours."

Cebo Campbell (Author), Erin Ruth Walker, Janina Edwards, Leon Nixon (Narrator)

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We'll Prescribe You a Cat

"Brought to you by Penguin. For fans of THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES, THE CAT WHO SAVED BOOKS and SHE AND HER CAT, discover the award-winning bestselling Japanese novel that has become an international sensation in this utterly charming celebration of the healing power of cats. A cat a day keeps the doctor away ... On the top floor of an old building at the end of a cobbled alley in Kyoto lies the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. Only a select few - those who feel genuine emotional pain - can find it. The mysterious centre offers a unique treatment for its troubled patients: it prescribes cats as medication. Get ready to fall in love: - Bee, an eight-year-old female, mixed breed helps a disheartened businessman as he finds unexpected joy in physical labour; - Margot, muscly like a lightweight boxer, helps a middle-aged callcentre worker stay relevant at work and at home; - Koyuki, an exquisite white cat brings closure to a young mother troubled by the memory of the rescue kitten she was forced to abandon; - Tank and Tangerine bring peace to a hardened handbag designer, as she learns to be kinder to herself; - Mimita, the Scottish Fold kitten helps a broken-hearted Geisha to stop blaming herself for the cat she lost years ago; As the clinic's patients navigate their inner turmoil and seek resolution, their feline companions lead them towards healing, self-discovery and newfound hope. ©2024 Syou Ishida (P)2024 Penguin Audio"

Syou Ishida (Author), Naruto Komatsu, Natsumi Kuroda (Narrator)

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Next Stop

"* FINALIST FOR THE SAMI ROHR PRIZE * A gripping and hauntingly prescient novel that explores the precariousness of Jewish American life after a black hole consumes Israel, setting off a chain of global anomalies plunging the world into a time of peril and miracles. When a black hole suddenly consumes Israel and as mysterious anomalies spread across the globe, suddenly the world teeters on the brink of chaos. As antisemitic paranoia and violence escalate, Jewish citizens Ethan and Ella find themselves navigating a landscape fraught with danger and uncertainty. Ella, a dedicated photojournalist, captures the shifting dynamics of their nameless American city, documenting the resilience and struggles of its Jewish residents. Some are drawn to the anomalies, disappearing into an abandoned subway system that seems to connect the world, while others form militias in the south. Yet, Ethan, Ella, and her young son Michael choose to remain, seeking solace in small joys amidst the hostility. But then thousands of commercial planes vanish from the sky. Air travel stops. Borders close. Refugees pour into the capital. Eventually all Jews in the city are forced to relocate to the Pale, an area sandwiched between a park and a river. There, under the watchful eye of border guards, drones, and robotic dogs, they form a fragile new society. Suspenseful, thought-provoking, and brilliantly conceived, Next Stop is a masterful blend of speculative fiction and family drama. Invoking biblical and historical themes in a world eerily similar to our own, it is a profound exploration of memory, identity, and survival."

Benjamin Resnick (Author), Gilli Messer (Narrator)

Audiobook

2666

"Brought to you by Penguin. Santa Teresa, on the Mexico-US border: an urban sprawl that draws lost souls to it like a vortex. Convicts and academics find themselves here, as does an American sportswriter, a teenage student with her widowed father, and a reclusive, 'missing' author. But, there is a darker side to the town. Girls and women are disappearing at an alarming rate. As a sense of conspiracy grows and an apocalyptic shadow draws closer, the corruption, violence and decadence of twentieth-century history reveals itself in a novel of an astonishing scale and burning intensity. TRANSLATED BY NATASHA WIMMER ‘A landmark in what’s possible for the novel. Bolaño has proven it can do anything’ New York Times ‘Wondrous... Unforgettable...will resonate for years to come’ Daily Telegraph ‘As riveting as any top-notch thriller... 2666 achieves something extremely rare in fiction: it provides an all-encompassing view of our world’ Sunday Times © Roberto Bolano 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024"

Roberto Bolaño (Author), Armando Duran, G. Valmont Thomas, Grover Gardner, John Lee, Scott Brick (Narrator)

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Here One Moment

"Brought to you by Penguin. From the worldwide Number One bestselling author behind the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning HBO series Big Little Lies and smash hit bestseller Apples Never Fall. We’re all so busy, caught up in life's moments, big and small . . . The flight attendant working a shift on her birthday. The mother struggling alone with two young children. The newlyweds excited about their tropical honeymoon . The overworked father missing his kid’s big show. The young man returning from his best friend’s funeral. The ER nurse wondering what retirement will bring. All strangers. All unsuspecting. Each with a life heading in a particular direction – or so they imagine. Because an elderly woman is about to step into each of their paths. In just a few words, she will make a prediction, tying herself to all of them. And, in being bound to her, these disparate strangers will all face similar existential dilemmas. . Who is this woman? Is she a genuine clairvoyant? A charlatan? The answer to prayers, or a harbinger of nightmares? What she will prove to be is an agent of chaos, fraying relationships, putting entire futures into doubt and causing the most ordered of lives to unravel in the most unexpected of ways . . . Praise for Liane Moriarty: 'One of the few writers I'll drop anything for' Jojo Moyes 'An engrossing mashup of family drama and psychological suspense that offers a mystery. Complex and satisfying. Perfect holiday reading' Guardian 'Keeps you guessing until the very end' Reese Witherspoon 'Moriarty writes vividly, wittily and wickedly' Sunday Express 'Had me utterly hooked' Daily Mail © Liane Moriarty 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024"

Liane Moriarty (Author), Caroline Lee, Geraldine Hakewill (Narrator)

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Layman's Report

"A disturbing, darkly funny fictionalization of the life of Fred A. Leuchter, the garage tinkerer turned execution authority who became a darling of the neo-Nazi movement, and subject of the Errol Morris documentary, Mr. Death. He comes to fix your photocopier, but really, Fred's an inventor. At night, he goes to work. He has goals, ambitions, and when offered the task of building a better electric chair, he jumps at the chance. People have to die-he believes in the occasional necessity of evil-but what if we could kill them more humanely? A death specialist, first in his field but forever under-appreciated, he's charmed when a new generation of fascists come calling for his expertise. A Holocaust denier is on trial in Toronto-could Fred prove the gas chambers never existed? Newspapers descend. Talking heads have their say. A documentarist makes a film. Everyone will know his name, though some things society will simply not abide. Dishonoured, discredited, disgraced. But Fred's work does not stop, and the world may yet be reminded of the dangerous truth that some men are driven by forces far more powerful than shame. First published in 2013, this is the updated and definitive edition of Eugene Marten's chilling masterwork of transformational historical fiction."

Eugene Marten (Author), David Ferry, Ellora Patnaik, Jaclyn Gruenberger, John Fleming, Justin Miller, Kathleen Jones, Maureen Simpson, Nathaniel Mckenzie, Patrick Mcmanus, Pearle Harbour, Raoul Bhaneja, Sonia Vaillant, Wesley French, Zak Annette (Narrator)

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Ghost Story: Your perfect new chilling read, as the nights draw in . . .

"'A slow-burner shot through with menace' Heat 'Spinetingling' My Weekly 'Captivating . . . masterfully blends suspense and the supernatural' Northern Life 'Will toy with your pulse and send chills down your spine . . . unmissable' Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb 'Terrific. Elegant, eerie and utterly chilling' Amanda Mason 'Compulsive' Rebecca Netley, author of The Whistling A chilling new novel from the Costa First Novel Award shortlisted author of An Unremarkable Body THE ISLAND IS ABANDONED. BUT SHE IS NOT ALONE . . . Off the windswept coast of Scotland lies Finish Island, rugged and remote. Once a home, it now stands abandoned, a place of dark history and deep memory, a place that holds its stories close. Unable to write since her daughter's death, it's here that Seren comes to work, hoping that the solitude and silence will inspire her next novel. But the island holds memories of its own, restless and unwilling to stay buried. As unsettling occurrences become even more bizarre and frightening, Seren starts seeing uncanny resonances between her past and the island's history. There is something on this island, something ancient and unforgiving. Will Seren discover its secrets, before it's too late?"

Elisa Lodato (Author), Helen Darbyshire (Narrator)

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real ones: a novel

"*LONGLISTED FOR THE 2024 GILLER PRIZE* From the author of the nationally bestselling Strangers saga comes a heartrending story of two Michif sisters who must face their past trauma when their mother is called out for false claims to Indigenous identity. June and her sister, lyn, are NDNs-real ones. Lyn has her pottery artwork, her precocious kid, Willow, and the uncertain terrain of her midlife to keep her mind, heart and hands busy. June, a Métis Studies professor, yearns to uproot from Vancouver and move. With her loving partner, Sigh, and their faithful pup, June decides to buy a house in the last place on earth she imagined she'd end up: back home in Winnipeg with her family. But then into lyn and June's busy lives a bomb drops: their estranged and very white mother, Renee, is called out as a "pretendian." Under the name (get this) Raven Bearclaw, Renee had topped the charts in the Canadian art world for winning awards and recognition for her Indigenous-style work. The news is quickly picked up by the media and sparks an enraged online backlash. As the sisters are pulled into the painful tangle of lies their mother has told and the hurt she has caused, searing memories from their unresolved childhood trauma, which still manages to spill into their well curated adult worlds, come rippling to the surface. In prose so powerful it could strike a match, real ones is written with the same signature wit and heart on display in The Break, The Strangers and The Circle. An energetic, probing and ultimately hopeful story, real ones pays homage to the long-fought, hard-won battles of Michif (Métis) people to regain ownership of their identity and the right to say who is and isn't Métis."

Katherena Vermette (Author), Caleb Stull, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Sheila McCarthy, Tracey Nepinak, katherena vermette (Narrator)

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When We Were Bad: the dazzling, Women’s Prize-shortlisted novel from the author of The Exhibitionist

"When We Were Bad is a spellbinding, witty and poignant portrayal of a family in crisis, in love, and in denial. 'As intelligent as it is funny. A beautifully observed literary comedy as well as a painfully accurate description of one big old family mess. A joy' - The Observer In North London, Claudia Rubin is in her heyday. Wife, mother, rabbi - and sometimes moral voice of the nation - everyone wants to be with her at her son Leo's glorious wedding. That is, until Leo jilts his bride, and the gleaming bubble surrounding the Rubins threatens to burst. Frances - Claudia's calm, mature, married daughter - tries to hold the nucleus of the family together, but the stress forces her to re-examine her own life, leading her to make a decision as shocking as Leo's choice to bolt. And Claudia's husband, Norman, has an uncharacteristic secret. And, whether he likes it or not, he is powerless to stop it coming out . . . 'A comedy with the warmest of hearts and the most deliciously subversive of agendas' - Marie Claire 'Fast-paced and engaging. Brilliant, touching and true' - Naomi Alderman, bestselling author of The Power"

Charlotte Mendelson (Author), Anna Cordell (Narrator)

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Dearest: A mother's greatest nightmare. A daughter's biggest fear

"'A fast-paced and frightening debut that explores the nightmares of new motherhood, with plenty of twists and scares' Rachel Harrison, author of Black Sheep A new mother in need of help opens her door to her long-estranged mother, only to invite something much darker inside, in this 'fast-paced and frightening debut' (Rachel Harrison) about the long shadows cast by family secrets, perfect for readers of Grady Hendrix or Ashley Audrain. Flora is a new mum enamored of her baby girl, Iris, even if she arrived a few weeks early. With her husband on deployment, Flora navigates the newborn stage alone. But as the sleepless nights pass in the loneliness of their half-empty home, the edges of her reality begin to blur. Just as Flora becomes convinced she is losing her mind, a surprising guest shows up to help: Flora's own mother, to whom she hasn't spoken in years. Can they mend their fraught relationship? Or is there more Flora's mother isn't telling her about the events that led to their estrangement? As stranger and scarier events unfold, Flora begins to suspect the house is not as empty as she once thought. Is her hold on reality slipping dangerously away? Or is she, in fact, the only thing standing between a terrifying visitor and her baby? 'A truly terrifying exploration of maternal instinct, mental health and the complex bonds between mothers and daughters. Jacquie Walters is a horror writer to watch' Robyn Harding, author of The Drowning Woman 'A corrosive cocktail of domestic dread and parental paranoia, Dearest will turn your stomach and scare you senseless' Daniel Kraus, New York Times bestselling author of Whalefall 'A raw and challenging rumination on motherhood and inherited trauma. Compassionate and compelling, Walters is a talent to watch' Sarah Langan, bestselling author of Good Neighbors and A Better World 'Shockingly original and genuinely disturbing, this brilliant horror novel will hit way too close to home for millions of women' Kirsten Miller, author of The Change 'An unflinching, cinematic thrill ride that examines the darkest fears inherent to motherhood . . . then lights them on fire. This perfectly plotted debut delivers again and again with a tense, claustrophobic start and genuinely terrifying final act' Anne Heltzel, author of Just Like Mother 'Dearest by Jacquie Walters is one of the most exquisitely terrifying books I've ever read. Exceptionally written, this stunning thriller/horror explores the darkest parts of motherhood--whether we are good enough, capable enough to ensure our children survive and thrive. With mind-blowing twists, supernatural sensations, and a raw, unflinching exploration of postpartum, Dearest altered my psyche and skewered my soul' Samantha M. Bailey, bestselling author of A Friend in the Dark"

Jacquie Walters (Author), Jacquie Walters (Narrator)

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Art in Nature

"Immerse yourself in this riveting short story collection where art takes center stage - but not always for the better. Journey with an elderly caretaker who resolves a couple's spat over a painting, revealing the art market's complexities. Follow a draughtsman whose obsession with locomotives derails his love life, and a cartoonist who risks his sanity to fill in for a troubled colleague. Through tales that are witty yet unsettling, Jansson confronts obsession, ambition, and the pitfalls of artistic endeavor. Brilliantly exploring the intricate relationship we have with art, this collection serves as a cautionary exploration of the fine line between artistic passion and consuming fixation. Ideal for fans of Olivia Laing. © 2024 Tove Jansson, Moomin Characters™ Published in the English language by arrangement with Rights & Brands Finnish-Swedish writer and artist Tove Jansson (1914-2001) is globally cherished for creating the Moomin universe. Born in Helsinki, her tales of the Moomins captivated readers worldwide. Beyond Moominvalley, she penned profound adult novels, most notably 'The Summer Book'."

Tove Jansson (Author), Sophie Winkleman (Narrator)

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Literary Fiction Audiobooks in Literature