Latin American Short Stories

Oscar Casares' debut collection of short stories was selected as an ALA Notable book and received tremendous praise from publications ranging from the New York Times and the Washington Post to Entertainment Weekly. These nine stories follow a collection of unforgettable characters trying to get by while living in the South Texas border town of Brownsville.

An early desktop computer becomes the third partner in a doomed relationship; an older brother figure whose father lives in exile imparts hilarious life lessons to his young protégé. A man attempts to quit smoking despite the fact that he’s very good at it; another masquerades as the family man he'll never be. Throughout, Pinochet’s dictatorship casts a long shadow, and men in relationships exhibit their profound capacity for both love and harm.

Rosalinda is on her very first date with Christian. But somehow it's not quite the one-on-one experience she was envisioning. It seems the entire crowd has decided to tag along - and who is this over by the African elephants?

Rosalinda, Christian, and the three girls are on an adventure at Southwick's Zoo. There are lions, tigers, deer, and giraffes! But something is not quite right at the zoo. Will the crew figure out what's wrong in time? The Gargling Giraffe is the fourth book in the Rosalinda Alameda Mystery series. These short stories feature the zoos that Rosalinda loves with a passion.

Rosalinda and her new friends strolled through the 1830s-era 200-acre expanse which was Old Sturbride Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. Normally this was an oasis of calm. But because this was the last Free Friday of the summer, it seemed that every child in the region had descended to explore and enjoy. When the group decides to hide out in the farm area, where things might be quieter, they discover a mystery instead!

Rosalinda Alameda is in her element. The carousel is spinning, the bears are lounging by their waterfall, and the two elephants are playfully making music with their drums. The brilliant summer sun reminds her of her native Puerto Rico. But despite the warm sunshine and the joyous laughter of the children, Rosalinda can sense that something is not quite right.

One of Oscar Wilde's best-loved short stories, which includes romance, love, and murder. The discussion of murder is light-hearted and witty, in typical Wilde fashion. A must listen for fans of the author.

Rosalinda Alameda adores zoos. When Massachusetts's summertime "Free Fridays" promotion features the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, Rosalinda grabs her camera and heads east. A full day amongst lions and tigers is about the best outing she can possibly imagine. But something's wrong at the zoo, and it'll take a combination of her Puerto Rican common sense and her 50 years of wisdom to unravel the puzzle!

The characters in Songs for the Flames are men and women touched by violence - sometimes directly, sometimes only in passing - but whose lives are changed forever, consumed by fire and by unexpected encounters and unyielding forces. A photographer becomes obsessed with the traumatic past that an elegant woman, a fellow guest staying at a countryside ranch, would rather leave behind. A military reunion forces a soldier to confront a troubling history, both personal and on a larger scale....

Despite Carlos' mundane life, killing weeds for his father's rich customers, is billions of miles from the stars he observes in the night sky, or from the kids who sit in the canteen with their healthy sandwiches and bottled water. His life is a billion miles from their reality, and the reality of a stable life in America as he dreams of becoming a citizen. While their families provide them with nice clothes, large houses and cars to travel to school in, Carlos makes do with gas-fumed rags of clothes and a gap between his front teeth. In order to cope, he immerses himself in thoughts of the universe, and learns of black holes, gravity and the beguiling Casimir Effect.

The first person in her traditional Mexican American family to graduate from high school, Katia is entering adulthood at a time of turbulent change. Across the nation young people are fighting for civil and women’s rights and protesting the Vietnam War and brutal dictatorships in South America. Like so many of her generation, Katia wants to make the world a better place, and is determined to follow her own path.

Katia, la primera en su tradicional familia mexicoestadounidense en terminar la secundaria, entra a la edad adulta en una época de cambios turbulentos. En todo el país, los jóvenes luchan por los derechos civiles y de las mujeres, y protestan contra la Guerra de Vietnam y las brutales dictaduras de América del Sur. Como muchos de su generación, Katia quiere hacer del mundo un lugar mejor y está decidida a seguir su propio camino.

Rosalinda Alameda is celebrating her first year anniversary working at the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts. She is talking with her beloved mother, who still lives in Puerto Rico. Everything is going just perfectly. But then her world turns completely upside-down, and everything she holds dear is threatened. The Flustered Flamingo is the 10th book in the Rosalinda Alameda Mystery series. These short stories feature the zoos that Rosalinda loves with a passion. Author Lisa Shea goes to each zoo personally to write up its sights, sounds, and aromas.

Rosalinda Alameda's dreams are coming true. She's being tested on her zoo knowledge, and if the stars are aligned she might even get that job she has always hoped for. But first comes a practicum at the Capron Park Zoo. Old friends and new faces will challenge her skills....

Rosalinda Alameda and her friends had arrived in sunny Tampa. Just a few days remained on their tropical vacation. The perfect way to spend the time was, of course, to visit a zoo! But why was that bontebok so interested in Rosalinda?

Rosalinda Alameda had gotten a call from her art-detective friend Cindy, from the sunny island of Key West, Florida. An aquarium there needed help with a mystery. And, given how cold and snowy Massachusetts was in January, Rosalinda was more than happy to lend a hand.

Rosalinda, Christian, and the three girls are enjoying the autumn splendour of King Richard's Faire. It seems there is everything and anything going on at this Renaissance Festival. But trouble brews around the corner....

Two all-time classic stories brought together in a single book, written by English author Lewis Carroll. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, commonly referred to as Alice in Wonderland is a tale of a young girl who falls down a large rabbit hole and finds herself in a fantasy world filled with every kind of creature imaginable including the White Rabbit, the Caterpillar and the King of Hearts!

Akashic Books’ acclaimed series of original noir anthologies has set a high standard for portraying cities and their neighborhoods in all their dark and violent splendor. Now, Mexico City Noir surpasses that standard with phantasmagorical tales of double-dealing, corruption, violence and self-delusion.... This collection is such a varied literary feast.

Pourquoi le chat s'en va-t-il tout seul ? Les chats anglais sont-ils vraiment les plus distingués ? Par quel prodige cet animal maléfique est-il devenu, au fil du temps, l'ami incontournable du monde de la culture ? Vous trouverez réponse à ces épineuses questions, et à bien d'autres, dans notre sélection de 17 textes cultes commentés et mis en perspective. Une balade littéraire divertissante et instructive à travers les textes de Baudelaire, du Bellay, Dumas, Poe, Perrault, Carrol, Montaigne, Verlaine, Balzac, Renard, La Fontaine, Champfleury, Moncrif. Textes commentés par Sylvain Trias.