A delirious collection of short stories from the Latin American master of micro-fiction. A delirious collection of short stories from the Latin American master of microfiction, César Aira–the author of at least eighty novels, most of them barely one hundred pages long–The Musical Brain & Other Stories comprises twenty tales about oddballs, freaks, and loonies. Aira, with his fuga hacia adelante or "flight forward" into the unknown, gives us imponderables to ponder and bizarre and seemingly out-of-context plot lines, as well as thoughtful and passionate takes on everyday reality. The title story, first published in the New Yorker, is the creme de la creme of this exhilarating collection.
This Halloween, Aria and Liam have ditched trick-or-treating for a spine-tingling escapade in Sommetville's most notorious haunted house. Liam's convinced he'll stare Dracula down without flinching, while Aria rolls her eyes in playful skepticism. But neither expects actually to test their bravery against the real Count Dracula! But their spine-chilling evening suddenly twists when they are whisked away to Wallachia, a realm under the sinister reign of Count Dracula himself. In a frantic race against time featuring a high-speed sled race through shadowy forests and their delightful quarrels, Aria, Liam, and their furry companions, Pingo and Pippa, are on a daring mission. Their goal? Force Dracula to sip from the Magic Chalice, reverting him to human and freeing Wallachia from his dark clutches. But victory is uncertain, as not everyone in Wallachia wants them to succeed. Will they manage to uncover Dracula's deepest, darkest secret and save the long-suffering people of Wallachia? Will Aria and Liam be brave enough to face Dracula himself? Laugh, gasp, and feel your heart race in this spooktacular installment of Aria & Liam's adventures—a journey so thrilling, it's scary! Ideal for fearless adventurers aged 8 to 12 who love humor, excitement, and a dash of the supernatural. Aria & Liam is a series of standalone middle-grade books allowing young readers to enjoy each adventure in any order they wish.
A Good Morning America Book Club Pick! • A work-from-home comedy where WFH meets WTF. • "An absurd, hilarious romp through the haunted house of late-stage capitalism." —Carmen Maria Machado, author of In the Dream House Told entirely through clever and captivating Slack messages, this irresistible, relatable satire of both virtual work and contemporary life is The Office for a new world. Gerald, a mid-level employee of a New York–based public relations firm has been uploaded into the company’s internal Slack channels—at least his consciousness has. His colleagues assume it’s an elaborate gag to exploit the new work-from home policy, but now that Gerald’s productivity is through the roof, his bosses are only too happy to let him work from ... wherever he says he is. Faced with the looming abyss of a disembodied life online, Gerald enlists his co-worker Pradeep to help him escape, and to find out what happened to his body. But the longer Gerald stays in the void, the more alluring and absurd his reality becomes. Meanwhile, Gerald’s colleagues have PR catastrophes of their own to handle in the real world. Their biggest client, a high-end dog food company, is in the midst of recalling a bad batch of food that’s allegedly poisoning Pomeranians nationwide. And their CEO suspects someone is sabotaging his office furniture. And if Gerald gets to work from home all the time, why can’t everyone? Is true love possible between two people, when one is just a line of text in an app? And what in the hell does the :dusty-stick: emoji mean? In a time when office paranoia and politics have followed us home, Calvin Kasulke is here to capture the surprising, absurd, and fully-relatable factors attacking our collective sanity ... and give us hope that we can still find a human connection.
Embark on a captivating journey with Aria and Liam into a realm where myth and reality converge, fate is rewritten, and the unbelievable becomes real. During the annual Sportapalooza tournament, Aria and Liam are swept into an ancient, mystical forest, where they meet the enigmatic druid Merlin and the determined young Arthur. Their mission? To recover the sword Excalibur and reshape the course of history. But Merlin unveils a startling secret: the Circle of Druids, England's most powerful druidic society, has concealed Excalibur in a daring plot to prevent Arthur's rise and crown Lancelot as king. Despite Arthur's teenage rebellion and Merlin's perplexing attitude, Aria and Liam soon realize their return to Sommetville hinges on helping this historic quest. As they traverse an enchanted forest filled with perilous spells and bewildering riddles, the pair must outsmart the Circle of Druids, unravel a mysterious map's secrets, and face unimaginable challenges. Will they decode the ancient enigmas and emerge unharmed from the forest's dangers? Can they retrieve Excalibur and ensure Arthur claims the throne? Or will the Circle's sinister schemes alter the future irrevocably? "The Druids' Secret" is perfect for young readers aged 9 to 12 who love adventure, humor, and a dash of fantasy. Aria & Liam is a series of standalone middle-grade books allowing young readers to enjoy each adventure in any order they wish.
Aira the brownie servant girl is more accustomed to wielding a duster than a sword. Yet her father has a vision of her slaying the monstrous kraken that has seized Velmoran; the coastal homeland of the brownies. Aira and her fellow brownies live a broken existence since Velmoran was lost, cursed to do chores for humans in order to survive. Aira longs for a life of peace and freedom for her kind. A chance meeting with Boroden, the charismatic new brownie king who shares Aira's dreams, changes her life forever. Boroden discovers a new homeland for the brownies and Aira travels with him to the Seelie Court to attain the blessing of the powerful sídhe. What she hears there shatters her expectations and sets the brownies on a perilous quest from which only Aira can save them. Will the brownies ever find a homeland for themselves?
The exhilarating Wild Ice Gliders Christmas race is all the talk in Sommetville, and Aria and Liam are primed for the win. But a twist on the ski jump sends them hurtling into the heart of Santa Claus’ village. The urgent plea? Santa has been kidnapped, and Christmas hangs in the balance! Yet, in this jingle-filled realm, appearances can be deceptive. From tech-savvy robots and quirky elves to a dubious village chief, the duo will need wits and bravery as their guide. The North Pole awaits with its biting chill, treacherous traps, and beguiling mysteries. Can Aria and Liam rise to the challenge, rescue Santa, and save Christmas? Join Aria and Liam in this heart-thumping, laugh-out-loud Christmas tale. The Great Christmas Rescue is a festive whirlwind sure to captivate adventurous kids aged 9 to 12, eager for a rollicking, rapid-paced adventure! Aria & Liam is a series of standalone middle-grade books allowing young readers to enjoy each adventure in any order they wish.
The Thomas and Mayfield family are closer than ever. From the outside things look great, but personal and emotional issues have surfaced to cause serious problems. Everyone has gotten older and despite the successes the family has enjoyed there is distrust, unhappiness and more secrets. Adam and Aira's relationship is in trouble and some of the children in the family needed a good whipping. Junior Mayfield have major decisions to make and Delano Devereaux, the ex-drug dealer comes face to face with his past. Aira C. Mayfield narrates the story and takes you through each family member's house to show you that we will all go through trials and storms that can shake the foundations of your life. But they are holding on until they can get right! Each Sunday they receive reaffirming relief from Pastor Miles sermons, while forcing their minds not to drift and to pay attention to the signs. Relationships become tore and the evilness of sin are upon them. One by one they struggle to understand the changes and how to effectively overcome any battle the world brings because they know money can't fix all their woes and sorrows. Love and patience can conquer all but there is no getting through to some people. Is the pain too great or are they that hard-headed and stuck in their ways? Will there be forgiveness?
Aria is a world riddled with an epidemic. Two years have passed since the day strange monsters emerged from out of nowhere, paralyzing the otherwise peaceful lives of its citizens. Since then, few people dare to live outside the confines of the cities, fearing the dangers lurking beyond the protection of a mysterious army known as "the Knowms." Lucas Bardsson is one of the rare exceptions, valuing the privacy of rural living despite its inherent perils. Some might consider him reckless or perhaps even brave. For Lucas, however, this way of life has become little more than ordinary. But it all changes the day he stumbles across a peculiar object of unimaginable importance. Upon learning of its significance, he unwillingly becomes entangled in a series of events that alter his life, his character, and his world.
