Stories and poems that have made it into our recommended reading section are hand picked by our staff. They have been identified as exceptional pieces of writing, which warrant separate recognition.
Stories that are part of a series, or novels that have made it into this outstanding series section, are nominated by our staff and awarded by a select panel. These stories have been deemed superior as complete works and have garnered special recognition.
You are almost certainly guaranteed a good read, if you've selected a story from these offerings!
The day was hot and muggy. Summer in the Ozarks. The creek flowed slowly, pooling quietly enough for the water skippers to stride over the surface. One could smell the apple scent they painted on the gentle breeze. The father held his son up, standing in the deepest point, hand on a skinny belly. The dog paddle was perfected. The rest of the afternoon spent learning that stroke. There were no more seasons such as that. Th...
We have all the time in the world It is not denialBut acceptance of a higher truth My eyes look upon you and knowWe will go onNo matter what they say It is the only way to live our lives To the fullestWith each day that passes To live without seeing an endTo love without crying againTo laugh without doubting And win We have all the time in the world
Lily jerked awake, barely registering the chorus of the song playing on the radio, and the white noise sounds cars made while on the move. She was dreaming about running through the forest. Something was chasing her, and she was all alone. She shook it off and looked around to familiarize herself with the here and now. Next to her in the driver's seat was her Dad. His familiar bearded profile brought her no comfort. Then...
Dear Dad,I should have done this so much sooner but I am a procrastinator as you well know. Sharing my thoughts with you now is the very least I can offer. Soon you won't remember my words and perhaps not even my face. Fate is cruel, stealing your memories but leaving your body healthy and intact.From the time I was little I always felt safe with you. We had so much fun and not always Mom-approved fun, but I knew you woul...
I'm sitting here in Southwest Florida, mere feet from the Gulf of Mexico. I live here. I've lived here for 30 years and have never been this scared.There is a storm coming. A huge storm. Hurricane Irma. She is 400 miles of catastrophic wind and will bring storm surges over 12 feet high. I feel like I am waiting to die. We all are. My family. My love. My life. Waiting. Why don't I head north? I'll never make it to safety b...
Since 1946, the same electric sign has hung out over the sidewalk in front of Dusty’s Pub. The sign features a cartoon French maid dusting the word “Dusty’s” with a feather duster.One warm summer evening in 1978, Dusty, the club’s namesake and creative genius behind the sign, clutched his chest, slid down a wall behind the bar, and expired. His widow sold Dusty’s before Dusty was cold and the pub then belonged to a small,...
The witch never knew what trouble teenagers could be until Rapunzel turned fifteen. The girl whined constantly about boredom. She complained at every turn about her milk, bread, and honey diet, though it had been perfectly acceptable until now. Worst of all, she only had one dress and it was green. She hated green.In a moment of impatient weakness, the witch cursed Rapunzel with extraordinary hair growth. She intended for...
I wrote my obituary today. It feels strange to write that, a surreal experience to say the least. How does one take stock of his life? If it is by money and status, then I am very poor indeed. If it is by the number of his friends, then I again fail. Did I have the most toys? Take the best vacations. Drive the fanciest cars? Will people remember me in one hundred years? The answer to all of these is, no. What did I do? I...
What is dying Mommie?Will all of me cease to be?Of all that I am and all that I've been,Is there nothing left of me?I believe in Heaven Mommie and think that's where I'll be.When you come Mommie, please try, oh try and find me. I am not sure exactly when Katy wrote this heartbreaking poem and only found out about it today, (6/27/17). My mother discovered it in Katy's room about a week after Katy passed and felt it would...
It never failed. I was never surprised anymore. I walk out here with my fleece throw, my cup of coffee in hand, and sit on the bench overlooking the lake. Then, without question, there he is, always soaring high above the lake fog. I swear I can see the wink of his eye as he turns that white head in our morning meetings. Sometimes, although I'm wrapped in a throw and enjoying my hot wake-up juice, I can feel myself soarin...
It was the summer before her junior year in high school. Diana was unsure of what would happen. She was new here in this small town. Her parents had moved the family to this coastal area as soon as she and her brother had completed school. Now they were getting adjusted to living in a town that had the amount of people found on one block of her old home city. She still thought of her last home as her real home. Diana was...
The perils of war, are furrowed deep in the memory of many, escape seems unobtainable, within the confines of minds young and old.Those who were lost, are not only those who perished in the conflicts many, but those who were left behind to remember.The perils of war, are furrowed deep, deep inside the recollections of those souls, who came home from battle misplaced.As the battles still rage on, within their dreams.We sen...
Bright Eyes/ My Angel over tater tots you stole my heart two from different worlds become one love can do many things carefree what could happen then the sound and then louderthe cough and the word none wish Cancer life spins out of control my Bright Eyes grew wings 6 years ago today now she guides my journey now she is secure in my heart my Angel
He lay stretched out on the narrow iron framed bed Idly staring at the cracked and blotchy ceiling, Its surface resembling a map of no man's land, A senseless wilderness of craters and barbed wire. Unthinking, his mind was empty of all feeling Other than a sense of utter futility, A weariness that had seeped into his marrow Like the water bleeding from the walls of the trench Whose narrow confines had become his entire wo...
In a magical land far far away, fairy tales make the headlines on a daily basis. Seldom sad endings, mostly happily ever after. Everyone was special if they believed. I wanted to be famous; I wanted them to sing songs and tell tales about me long after my death. But most importantly, I wanted to fall in love.I started my day just like any other day. I read the paper as I had my breakfast. Today's headlines: RAPUNZEL DYES...
