In the words of Alexander McCall Smith: 'You feel the rocking of the train, you hear the sound of its wheels on the rails; you are in the world rather than suspended somewhere above it. And sometimes there are conversations to be had, which is what the overarching story in this collection is all about. It is a simple device: people brought together entertain one another with tales of what happened to them on trains. It takes place on a journey I frequently...

After witnessing something shocking, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

"A gripping novel about a survival reality show gone wrong that leaves a group of strangers stranded in the northern wilds"-- Four strangers and six weeks: this is all that separates Mara from one life-changing payday. She was surprised when reality TV producers came knocking at Primal Instinct -- the survival school where she teaches rich clients not to die during a night outdoors -- and even more shocked to be cast in their new show, Civilization....

"From one of the most accomplished writers of our time comes another brilliant collection of short fiction. Artful, agile, and inventive; Lydia Davis' newest collection of stories delves into topics ranging from marriage to tiny insects. These stories are a celebration of language and careful observation that once again confirms Davis' sincere love and mastery of the form." --

Barefoot, thirty-something Amber shows up at the door of a Norfolk cottage that the Smarts are renting for the summer, insinuating herself into their family. Dazzled by her seeming exoticism, the Smarts begin to examine the accidents of their lives under the searing lens of Amber's perceptions. When the mother Eve finally banishes her from the cottage, Amber disappears from their sight, but notas they find when they return home to Londonfrom their...

An uproarious tale told in alternating voices follows the stories of a pet shop owner and a curmudgeon who find themselves on the run from police, terrorists, and a pizza chain mascot. One character, Philip Horkman is a happy man, the owner of a pet store called The Wine Shop, and on Sundays a referee for kids' soccer. The other, Jeffrey Peckerman is the sole sane person in a world filled with goddamned jerks and morons, and he's having a really...

"From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sophie Kinsella, an irresistible story of love and empowerment about a young woman with a complicated family, a handsome man who might be "the one," and an IOU that changes everything. Fixie Farr has always lived by her father's motto: "Family first." But ever since her dad passed away, leaving his charming kitchen supply store in the hands of his children, Fixie spends all her time picking up the slack from...

In this spare and powerful story set in the Old West, people in a small town live in constant worry of another visit from the Outlaw. Then the Outlaw suddenly and mysteriously disappears. Time passes, and one day a stranger rides into town. He takes it upon himself to fix everything that is in disrepair - the clapboard schoolhouse, the train station platform. He even builds a horse trough. But when someone recognizes him as the Outlaw, the crowd turns...

It's been three miserable months since 13-year-old Chris Barton lost his little sister, Molly. "Missing, presumed drowned" was what the paper said, and surely, that is what everyone believes. After all, the Bartons had been picnicking by the river, when Molly disappeared. One night, Chris views a video he made the day Molly was lost. There doesn't seem to be anything unusual here: a rest stop, lunch by the river, a hungry squirrel, a familiar ice...

Bringing his cocker spaniel Katie along with him everywhere he goes, including society get-togethers, interviews, and all around the neighborhood, former CNN journalist Plaskin Horowitz learns just how much a dog's love can affect the best in humanity. Cheeky, sweet, and charming, Katie unites a community of individual NYC apartment dwellers and elicits gifts and loving attention from society's most elite players.