Novella

Fate challenges a boy to find his place in the world in a powerful short story from Abraham Verghese, the New York Times bestselling author of The Covenant of Water. It’s a New Jersey summer in 1967, and thirteen-year-old Ravi Ramanathan has the makings of a tennis prodigy. His surgeon father encourages his ambition, while his mother dreams of their only child following his father’s path. Surrounded by his parents’ love, Ravi chafes a bit at their daily routines and little traditions. Then one unexpected day, everything changes. Realizing how much he took for granted, Ravi must grow up overnight and find a new role in the life of his family.

Two good neighbors make the best of a bad Valentine’s Day in a funny and improbably romantic short story by the \#1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer. It’s Valentine’s Day weekend, and Charlotte and Seth are not looking for romance. Armed with emotional\-support bear spray, Charlotte is in self\-imposed isolation and on guard from men. Having a stalker can do that to a person’s nerves. Just across the hall and giving off woodsy vibes is Seth, a recently divorced arborist. As in today recently. Heights, he’s fine with. Trust? Not so much. But when disaster traps them one flight up and no way down, an outrageously precarious predicament forces a tree\-loving guy and a rattled girl next door to embrace their captivity. Soon their defenses are breaking away. Considering how close they both are to the edge, Charlotte and Seth could be in danger of falling—in love.

On February 14, an accidental email to a stranger opens the door to an unexpected relationship in a captivating short story by the New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners. One typo, and a boy and girl connect by chance. Wishing each other a happy Valentine’s Day isn’t the end. In fact, it becomes a friendly annual tradition—with rules: no pics, no real names, nothing too personal. As years pass, the rules for their email “dates” are breaking, and they’re sharing more than they imagined—including the urge to ask…what if we actually met? Christina Lauren’s The Exception to the Rule is part of The Improbable Meet\-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

Behind every monster, there is a story. What causes a teenager to shoot up a school? What pre-empts the shocking violence and disregard for human life that has become so tragically common in America? Are "school shooters" born... or created ? While these individuals are reported on as "monsters" in the media, let us always remember: they were human first. RUN HIDE FIGHT is a jarring exploration of the factors at-play in the psyche of violent young Americans, packaged in a fictional short story. Award-winning author Trisha Fenimore hopes the piece will spark a wider conversation on the varied levels and ways we dehumanize one another in our society.