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!
They had encouraging, cosy names, like The Gnashing Jaws of Death, Terminator, and Oblivion. “If you go in, don’t let go of your paddle! Swim left, away from the wall,” yelled the instructor as we approached. This one was called Morning Glory. Paddling furiously, we entered the rapid, launched into space, and... Bounce! I was in the water. Sucked down, and surrounded by a seething mass, I struggled vainly against a force,...
“I don’t care who you are or where you’ve been. Don’t tell me stories of your spiritual journeys or epiphanies. Screw your aspirations and achievements,” I fume as I scroll endlessly down my cellphone screen. “Just give me the recipe!”
“Detective Boyle? The forensics team is here. They’re outside examining the scene now. Coroner is on their way.” The detective stood looking aside in the living room and nodded. “God, I hate days like this,” the officer sighed, then headed to the front door. Boyle remained unmoved, expressionless. She had long forgotten how that young officer felt. Today was just another day; the scene unextraordinary. Her partner was sti...
They drove out after the Halloween drive-in movie. They didn't have dates. They just cruised by the lover's lane along the railroad tracks, slowly passing by a car or two to ogle and razz. Wilmer flashed the headlights of his convertible Mercury. Bored with that the boys stood beside his car looking down the railway line. The moon was in and out behind clouds. They discussed it. "It's so cool. Let's do it!" Jay glanced at...
I've been seeing more monsters recently. Just last week I saw one hanging on the wall. I bayed at it. Boss lifted me up to touch it. Just a new painting. I can smell a monster around. Boss breathes in and out. I smell the monster. I have this. I am on the job. Even at bedtime. Especially at bedtime, I am with Boss. Smelling for the monster. Bedtime, naptime, walkies time. Guarding our territory. Always on alert. Smelling...
It was a day Lincoln High School would never forget. Thirty-five white mice with beady-red eyes scurrying the halls like inmates set free in a jailbreak. Susie had never told any of us her plan. Maybe that was because it wasn’t a plan, per se. She just got up and one by one, opened their cages, pardoning what was supposed to be an immutable death sentence—the 10:30, AP Bio class dissection. Chaos ensued. Susie waving her...
The power company needed the dam. At least that was what the newspapers had reported. The town was soon abandoned, cemeteries relocated, schools and churches gutted, stores emptied. It would take almost three weeks to fully submerge. She woke slowly. Her head was pounding and cloudy. She fought through the haze to connect one thought with another. None of them added up to make sense of why she was there. As she forced a...
‘The dolls!’ was Emma’s first conscious thought. She was sure she heard the delicate sounds of pitter-patter across her hardwood floors. With a shaking hand, she grabbed her phone and prayed to God that nothing had touched her. Emma’s fingers slid silently along the now lit screen and unlocked it. Every movement was stiff and deliberate. Fear and panic had seized her muscles. She pressed the flashlight button and shined...
Screams erupted from every ride in the carnival, even the not-particularly-scary ones like the Ferris Wheel and the Turtle Train, as Conor walked the midway. The smell of funnel cakes and corn dogs and cotton candy washed over him. Discarded hamburgers and crushed lemons from discarded cups of lemonade littered the ground. He looked in the hall of Funhouse mirrors and saw the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Long red...
I have been here before Many times more A different face In a different place. As each vessel dies Amidst loved one’s cries The spirit rises I return in guises. Plato, Nero, Rembrandt and Bach Each return gives new paths to walk Embodied within A new life and new skin. Creating a future from the past Lessons learned from knowledge amassed Life begets life endlessly driven Vessels usurped to what they’ve been given....
The ice tinkled against the glass as I raised it to my lips, enjoying the warmth of the late evening sun on my face. The view from the hotel veranda was sublime, out across the Pacific vastness to meet the vivid blue sky at the horizon. It was plain to see why many considered these islands a paradise, and why they were such a popular destination among holidaymakers. There was a secluded beach below where, during the day,...
Ten years on the force and this was the case no one ever wants to get. I stared at her photo and imagined the life she must have lived. So young and beautiful. Now lost as I stepped around the stream of blood flowing as slow as a turtle into a red pool beneath her wrist. I wondered at the fathers and brothers and husbands and boyfriends who once loved her but now hated her for what she did. I felt sorry for them, but as I...
As they sat watching the sun dipping into the blue-green water of the gulf, they sighed. It wasn’t the vacation they had planned, that was for sure. They’d spent the past two years planning an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime trip to Africa. Their chosen destination was Kenya, where they would have spent eight days on a safari, two nights at the Giraffe Manor, and one final night at a luxury hotel in Nairobi. It was their drea...
Some say only ducks truly enjoy the rain. They obviously have not met Kerstin. “You’re stark-raving mad, you know that?” I call out to her from the bungalow’s front porch. “We haven’t seen the sun for three days. These puddles may very well be my only chance at a pool.” She jumps, splashing both feet like a rebellious child with a rose-colored pout. “At least we’ll save on sunscreen!” She has that carefree aura; the typ...
