The stories in Tom Barbash's wondrous and evocative collection explore the myriad ways we try to connect with one another and with the sometimes cruel world around us. The newly single mother in "The Break" interferes in her son's love life over his Christmas vacation from college. The anxious young man in "Balloon Night" persists in hosting his and his wife's annual watch-the-Macy's-Thanksgiving-Day-Parade-floats-be-inflated party while trying to keep the myth of his marriage equally afloat. "Somebody's Son" tells the story of a young man guiltily conning an elderly couple out of their home in the Adirondacks, and the narrator in "The Women" watches his widowed father become the toast of Manhattan's midlife dating scene, as he struggles to find his own footing in life. The characters in Stay Up with Me find new truths when the old ones have given out or shifted course. In the tradition of classic story writers like John Cheever and Tobias Wolff, Barbash laces his narratives with sharp humor, psychological acuity, and pathos, creating deeply resonant and engaging stories that pierce the heart and linger in the imagination.
“Powerfully magnetic. . . . In the lineage of great works by Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. . . . A thoroughly contemporary—and deeply moving—portrait of a marriage.” —The New York Times Book Review Ilesa, Nigeria. Ever since they first met and fell in love at university, Yejide and Akin have agreed: polygamy is not for them. But four years into their marriage—after consulting fertility doctors and healers, and trying strange teas and unlikely cures—Yejide is still not pregnant. She assumes she still has time—until her in-laws arrive on her doorstep with a young woman they introduce as Akin’s second wife. Furious, shocked, and livid with jealousy, Yejide knows the only way to save her marriage is to get pregnant. Which, finally, she does—but at a cost far greater than she could have dared to imagine. The unforgettable story of a marriage as seen through the eyes of both husband and wife, Stay With Me asks how much we can sacrifice for the sake of family. A New York Times Notable Book One of the Best Books of the Year: NPR, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Chicago Tribune, BuzzFeed, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Post, Southern Living, The Skimm A 2017 BEA Buzz Panel Selection A Belletrist Book-of-the-Month A Sarah Jessica Parker Book Club Selection Shortlisted for the 2017 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction Shortlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize and the 9mobile Prize for Literature Longlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize
'Stay Up With Me belongs to the tradition of the classic American story and, like John Cheever, Barbash dramatizes the messy lives of New Yorkers' Independent on Sunday A newly single mother wrestles with the evidence of her son's love life during his Christmas vacation; an anxious husband persists in playing the host at his annual drinks party even though his marriage is in trouble and his wife mysteriously absent; a young man watches his widowed father become the toast of Manhattan's midlife dating scene while he struggles to find his own footing in life . . . The characters in Tom Barbash's acclaimed, Folio Prize-nominated collection explore the myriad ways we seek to connect with each other and the sometimes cruel world around us. In the classic tradition of John Cheever or Tobias Wolff, Barbash laces his narratives with sharp wit, psychological acuity and pathos, so that they pierce the heart and linger in the imagination. 'One of the most satisfying cover-to-cover short story collections I can remember' Dave Eggers 'Tom Barbash's wise and bittersweet stories map the gulfs between us, and the unexpected connections. I tried to keep track of my favorite one, but it was always the story I'd just finished'David Mitchell 'Is there such a thing as the Great American Story Collection? Yes, and this is it' Justin Cronin
Needing to brush his teeth, a bus driver asks the reader to make sure that the pigeon goes to bed on time--but the bird has many excuses about why it should stay awake.
Mac Montgomery thought he’d successfully avoided falling victim to his father’s matchmaking schemes. But with both his brothers now happily married, it was only a matter of time before the attention fell on him. But he had hoped his father would realize he had no desire to get married and he would just let him be. But what he hadn’t counted on was Gina Micelli come back into town. After more than a dozen years away, Gina Micelli is coming back home, ready to care for her ailing father and spend time with all the friends she’s been away from for so long. So many of her favorite memories include the Montgomerys and she wants nothing more than to reconnect—especially with Mac. After all these years, her crush on him hasn’t gone away and she’s hoping he’ll see her as the grown woman she now is and not the child he remembers. Mac is determined to be a good friend to Gina during this difficult time, but the more time he spends with her, the more difficult it is to think of her as just a childhood friend and not something more. The timing for romance is all wrong, but sometimes you just can’t help getting drawn in. All books in the Montgomery Brothers series can be read as standalones. **Previously published in 2013 and 2015**
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You and Be with Me comes a daring tale that pushes boundaries . . . At 21, Calla hasn't done a lot of things. She’s never been kissed, never seen the ocean, never gone to an amusement park. But growing up, she witnessed some things no child ever should. She still carries the physical and emotional scars of living with a strung-out mother, Mona—secrets she keeps from everyone, including her close circle of college friends. But the safe cocoon Calla has carefully built is shattered when she discovers her mom has stolen her college money and run up a huge credit card debt in her name. Now, Calla has to go back to the small town she thought shed left behind and clean up her mom’s mess again. Of course, when she arrives at her mother’s bar, Mona is nowhere to be found. Instead, six feet of hotness named Jackson James is pouring drinks and keeping the place humming. Sexy and intense, Jax is in Calla’s business from they moment they meet, giving her a job and helping her search for Mona. And the way he looks at her makes it clear he wants to get horizontal . . . and maybe something more. Before Calla can let him get close, though, she’s got to deal with the pain of the past—and some very bad guys out to mess her up if she doesn't give them her mom.
Find the Black Files, or humanity falls. Alex never thought he'd be recruited for a mission to save humanity. He's learned a lot as since leaving Bunker 108, but the horrors of the Wasteland aren't through with him yet. When the team risks everything to go after the Black Files, there's no going back. The Great Blight will prove the toughest obstacle yet, with nearly impassable terrain guarded by the virus's spawn. Alex and the crew must battle for their lives at every turn. Can they make it to Bunker One, and can the Black Files reveal how to stop the xenovirus? Keywords: post apocalyptic, apocalypse, zombies, wasteland, monsters, virus, invasion, dystopian, adventure, action
The Wilder Brothers from NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan continues with a secret romance that East and Lark never saw coming. The world thinks I only write songs about my ex-boyfriends. They study each lyric to point a finger at which man broke my heart—even if I’ve never met him. Only the man I refuse to write about is the one who is so tangled in my mind that I know I can never be with him. I had one night with East Wilder, and I know that’s all there will ever be. He broke my heart without even trying. Yet now I can’t seem to write a single verse and I need a place to hide while I figure out who I am. The Wilder Retreat will have to be my refuge as the Wilders prepare for my best friend’s wedding. And when I’m there, I refuse to fall for East again. Even if the dark shadows in his eyes draw me in and the dangers of his past might be the one thing that forces us to finally give in. ~~~~~~~ About the Wilder Brothers Series Introducing the Wilder Brothers. Sexy, built AF, slightly overprotective brothers. Somen who won't back down in order to protect those they love. When the Wilder brothers return home after leaving the military and the lives they fought to build, they'll have to start from scratch and create roots when they had none before. They're moving to a new state, a new town, and with a new set of problems they never expected. Falling in love along the way isn't in the cards, but the Wilder brothers should know by now—you don't choose your fate, fate chooses you. The Wilder Brothers Series Book 1: One Way Back to Me Book 2: Always the One for Me Book 3: The Path to You Book 4: Coming Home For Us Book 5: Stay Here with Me Book 6: Finding the Road to Us Book 7: Moments for You Book 8: A Wilder Wedding Book 9: Forever For Us ~~~~~~~ Read what others are saying about New York Times bestselling author, Carrie Ann Ryan: “One of the best family romance series around! Carrie Ann Ryan brings the heat, emotions, and love in each story!” ~ NYT Bestselling Author Corinne Michaels “Count on Carrie Ann Ryan for emotional, sexy, character driven stories that capture your heart!” – Carly Phillips, NY Times bestselling author “Carrie Ann Ryan’s romances are my newest addiction! The emotion in her books captures me from the very beginning. The hope and healing hold me close until the end. These love stories will simply sweep you away.” ~ NYT Bestselling Author Deveny Perry “Carrie Ann Ryan writes sexy emotional romances that'll make you cry and fan yourself from the heat, especially because of all that sexy ink.” –#1 NYT Bestselling Author Lauren Blakely “Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop! This is definitely going in my re-read pile!” –NYT Bestselling Author Susan Stoker "Carrie Ann Ryan writes the perfect balance of sweet and heat ensuring every story feeds the soul." - Audrey Carlan, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author “Carrie Ann Ryan never fails to draw readers in with passion, raw sensuality, and characters that pop off the page. Any book by Carrie Ann is an absolute treat.” – New York Times Bestselling Author J. Kenner “Carrie Ann Ryan knows how to pull your heartstrings and make your pulse pound! Her wonderful Redwood Pack series will draw you in and keep you reading long into the night. I can’t wait to see what comes next with the new generation, the Talons. Keep them coming, Carrie Ann!” –Lara Adrian, New York Times bestselling author of CRAVE THE NIGHT "With snarky humor, sizzling love scenes, and brilliant, imaginative worldbuilding, The Dante's Circle series reads as if Carrie Ann Ryan peeked at my personal wish list!" – NYT Bestselling Author, Larissa Ione "Carrie Ann Ryan writes sexy shifters in a world full of passionate happily-ever-afters." – New York Times Bestselling Author Vivian Arend “Carrie Ann’s books are sexy with characters you can’t help but love from page one. They are heat and heart blended to perfection.” New York Times Bestselling Author Jayne Rylon Carrie Ann Ryan's books are wickedly funny and deliciously hot, with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. They'll keep you up all night!” USA Today Bestselling Author Cari Quinn "Once again, Carrie Ann Ryan knocks the Dante's Circle series out of the park. The queen of hot, sexy, enthralling paranormal romance, Carrie Ann is an author not to miss!" New York Times bestselling Author Marie Harte ___ Topics: Contemporary Romance, Tattoo Romance, Dangerous Romance, Second Chance Romance, Erotic Romance, Steamy Romance, Grief, Love Story, Blue Collar, Construction, Montgomery Ink, sexy, heartwarming, heart-warming, family, love, love books, kissing books, emotional journey, contemporary, contemporary romance, romance series, long series, long romance series, sassy, strong heroine, captivating romance, hot, hot romance, forbidden love, sparks, loyalty, swoon rescue, kidnap, claiming, defending, protect Other readers of Carrie Ann Ryan’s books enjoyed books by: Corinne Michaels, Susan Stoker, Natasha Madison, Chelle Bliss, Chelle Sloane, Sally Thorn, Christina Lauren, Colleen Hoover, Talia Hipbert, Helena Hunting, Elle Kennedy, Kristen Callihan, Penny Reid, Kristen Ashley, KA Tucker, Melissa Foster, Bella Andre, Piper Lawson, Jean Oram, Sarina Bowen, and Jay Crownover
