What do invisible rats, aspiring rapists, axe-wielding gorillas, coffee shop ninjas and clown-faced kidnappers all have in common? They’re just some of the shady miscreants and dubious heroes who populate the pages of the twisted tales making up Dave Lauby’s rollicking short fiction collection The Big Day (and other stories). From the wimpy 13-year-old boy spurred on to criminal acts by his best friend from a Bizarro universe to the arctic survivalist whose sense of day and night (and pain and pleasure) become snow blinded and indistinguishable, the characters of Lauby’s nine exuberant narratives pinball-collide themselves against tragedy and comedy and all the emotional bumpers in-between. Weaving in and out through a maze of twisting turns, unexpected jolts and surprise endings, TBD(aos) provides the reader with a well-balanced and intellectually nutritious nine-course story meal while tasting every bit like dessert with every bite. It’s a guarantee that you’ll want to come back for seconds.

Mr. Slinger has big news. He's getting married. Married! Lilly has big plans. She's going to be the flower girl. (Lilly has always wanted to be a flower girl. Even more than a surgeon or a diva or a hairdresser.) But what's the biggest, the best, the most perfect thing of all? You're invited to the wedding -- so start reading!

The Diamond as Big as the Ritz is a novella by novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was first published in the June 1922 issue of The Smart Set magazine, and was included in Fitzgerald's 1922 short story collection Tales of the Jazz Age. Much of the story is set in Montana, a setting that may have been inspired by the summer that Fitzgerald spent near White Sulphur Springs, Montana in 1915. Orson Welles adapted the story into a radio play in 1945 and another version was presented three times on the program Escape between 1947 and 1949. A teleplay version was broadcast on Kraft Theatre in 1955. The story's sisters, Kismine and Jasmine, were portrayed by Lee Remick and Elizabeth Montgomery, who were unknowns of 20 and 22 at the time. Mickey Mouse No. 47 (Apr./May 1956) contains a retelling of Fitzgerald's story under the title "The Mystery of Diamond Mountain", scripted by William F. Nolan and Charles Beaumont and illustrated by Paul Murry. Jimmy Buffett recounts the story in the song "Diamond As Big As The Ritz" from his 1995 album Barometer Soup. Famous novells of the author F. S. Fitzgerald: "This Side of Paradise", "The Beautiful and Damned", "The Great Gatsby", "Tender Is the Night", "The Last Tycoon", "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz", "May Day", "The Rich Boy".

Three short stories, with limited vocabulary and told in folk-tale style. Only the King could have a dog for a pet, but Ben and the pup change that rule.

The stories in Mukoma's Marriage and Other Stories capture the lives of Zimbabwean men and the women they marry, and the lives of women and the men they fall in love with, each revealing the complexities of cultural and gender expectations against the backdrop of a changing country (war in the 1970s, political uncertainty in the 1980s and economic structural adjustment in the 1990s). Fati sets out to tell Mukoma's story, but ends up also telling his wives' stories. By telling his brother's story, and that of his women, he ends up telling his own story. Fati is a new and interesting protagonist in Zimbabwean literature with a voice at times innocent, yet increasingly incisive, humorous and engaging. These stories are deeply personal yet universal in their treatment of human relationships, ambitions, and misplaced cultural and gender expectations. Whether he is telling the story of his brother's first marriage, or remembers his brother's fights at a Parents Day event at Mhototi School, whether he recalls the night Mukoma took him to see a new baby in the alleyways of Glen View, Fati renders these stories with a measured, composed voice which doesn`t fail to delight with its unusual humour.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anathem, Reamde, and Cryptonomicon comes an exciting and thought-provoking science fiction epic—a grand story of annihilation and survival spanning five thousand years. What would happen if the world were ending? A catastrophic event renders the earth a ticking time bomb. In a feverish race against the inevitable, nations around the globe band together to devise an ambitious plan to ensure the survival of humanity far beyond our atmosphere, in outer space. But the complexities and unpredictability of human nature coupled with unforeseen challenges and dangers threaten the intrepid pioneers, until only a handful of survivors remain . . . Five thousand years later, their progeny—seven distinct races now three billion strong—embark on yet another audacious journey into the unknown . . . to an alien world utterly transformed by cataclysm and time: Earth. A writer of dazzling genius and imaginative vision, Neal Stephenson combines science, philosophy, technology, psychology, and literature in a magnificent work of speculative fiction that offers a portrait of a future that is both extraordinary and eerily recognizable. As he did in Anathem, Cryptonomicon, the Baroque Cycle, and Reamde, Stephenson explores some of our biggest ideas and perplexing challenges in a breathtaking saga that is daring, engrossing, and altogether brilliant.

"I once ate more than eighty king cakes in a single Carnival," author Matt Haines proudly remembers, demonstrating his dedication to this delicious Mardi Gras tradition. "So you can imagine how amazed I was to learn there has never been a coffee table book dedicated to king cakes!" The Big Book of King Cake changes that, telling the thousands-year-old story through lush photography of more than one hundred and fifty unique king cakes, as well as stories from the diverse and talented bakers who make them. While king cakes are typically only available during Carnival season, readers can enjoy this book year-round. From the traditional cakes generations of New Orleanians have loved, to the unconventional creations that break all the rules, this book is your guide to the Crescent City's favorite baked good. The Big Book of King Cake is for anyone who loves food, history, sweets, culture, and of course, New Orleans.

With over 500 hand-picked titles, Healing Stories recommends carefully selected books essential for any adult looking to help children cope with their growing pains through reading. Annotated with helpful commentary, these titles cover everything from kids' everyday trials (losing baby teeth, starting school, having a bad day) to more emotionally stressful events (death of a pet, moving, illness), giving adults all the information they need to choose the right books. Also features useful tips to make reading fun and helpful for both adults and children. For more information, visit the Healing Stories Web site.

Tales of the unknown in which a fix-it man crosses into another dimension—and more Hiram Taine is a handyman who can fix anything. When he isn’t fiddling with his tools, he is roaming through the woods with his dog, Towser, as he has done for as long as he can remember. He likes things that he can understand. But when a new ceiling appears in his basement—a ceiling that appears to have the ability to repair television sets so they’re better than before—he knows he has come up against a mystery that no man can solve. Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novelette, “The Big Front Yard” is a powerful story about what happens when an ordinary man finds reality coming apart around him. Along with the other stories in this collection, it is some of the most lyrical science fiction ever published. Each story includes an introduction by David W. Wixon, literary executor of the Clifford D. Simak estate and editor of this ebook.