Story Tags

Her Body and Other Parties

Supernatural Short Stories

Collections featuring the unexplained and unexplainable

I love novels, but a great short story can be so satisfying. Sometimes you want to read something quick; but fast-to-read doesn't necessarily mean that that work will be any less profound or compelling than something that takes much longer to read. This is a list of short stories—some all by one author and some by many authors grouped by theme—with fantastical elements.

Jaws

Sinister Summer

Beach Books with a Terrifying Twist

Do you like your frolicking to be a little frightful? Your picnics with a dose of panic? Your travels to have a touch of terror? Then fear no more, because here is a list of books for the reader who likes their summer scary—on the page, at least. Whether it’s something from the Master of Horror or an '80s exorcism throwback or a true crime account whose culprit just made headlines, each of these titles is sure to give you a chill on all those hot, muggy days we have ahead of us; happy Summer Challenge!  

Bitter in the Mouth

Worlds Where Senses Mix, Part Two

Explorations of Synesthesia in Adult and Teen Fiction

The last few decades have seen a resurgence of interest in synesthesia, the neurological condition in which a stimulus of one sense involuntarily evokes another sense (such as hearing colors or tasting words). Not only has synesthesia become a well-developed area of research within neuroscience, but many new works of literature, along with new attention on certain older works, have broadened awareness of this fascinating phenomenon.

Sweetbitter

Delicious Fiction

Novels Set Around Kitchens and Food

Novels that feature food often make us put down the book and get in the kitchen...or at least grab a bag of chips. Likewise, these same novels are often hard to put down as they stimulate not only our imaginations, but our appetites as well. Here’s a list of delicious novels to celebrate the brand new Starz series Sweetbitter.

The Lake

Read Around the World: Japan

Japanese literature that isn't by Haruki Murakami

Expand your literary horizons by reading literature from other countries. Haruki Murakami is one of the most well-known authors in Japanese literature. Yet he is only one of many modern Japanese writers whose works are accessible in translation. A wide variety of genres and styles are represented in the selections below (all of which can be accessed through DC Public Library's stellar and diverse collection). Young Readers (Pre-K to 3rd Grade)

The Crying of Lot 49

Nothing To See Here

Books Where Nothing Happens

Seinfeld, famously, claimed to be a show about nothing. The same could be said about the play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. While you are in it, you might be engaged and interested, but afterword you might ask yourself, “What happened?” 

Children of Blood and Bone

Toto, I Don't Think We're in Middle-Earth Anymore

African, East Asian, and Middle Eastern Inspired Fantasy

Look, I love a good ole traditional sword-and-sorcery fantasy story complete with castles, dragons, and sundry knights, but these medieval European-inspired epics have cluttered mainstream fantasy for long enough. From J.R.R. Tolkien’s godfather of modern fantasy The Lord of the Rings to George R.R.

WWE Encyclopedia

Wrestlemania XXXIV

Don't Try This at Home...

Confession time: I may appear to be a typical demure, silently sophisticated librarian on the surface, but deep down inside, I am a hardcore WWE wrestling fan. I came to the game later than most. While my friends were obsessed with wrestling in middle school and high school, I was too busy being emo and reading Harry Potter to get what it was all about. Sure, I watched matches with them once in a while, but I never "smelled what the Rock was cooking." I was never invested.

putin country

Understanding Putin's Russia

With the unusual relationship between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on people’s minds, perhaps you have wondered just what it is like to live in Putin’s Russia. Is it terrifying? Is it something Americans should be worried about? Did Putin influence the 2016 election in the US? Why do polls say that Russians like him? Well, here are some books that might help you to figure it all out.  

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl Cover

#QuirkyWomenOfColor

Sisters who are smart, silly and social-media savvy.

These women of color are taking the world (wide web) by storm and unapologetically telling their stories.  The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae

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