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!
An aged, stout wooden door stood before me, guarding the already imposing building. It was more than just a mere entrance. It was a symbol of endurance, a witness to the past, and a gateway to the unknown. A silent observer of history; it had withstood ye...
09:42 AM (in bed) Morning light seeped through the curtains, casting a soft glow on the bedroom. Adam lay awake, his gaze drifting to his wife, Olivia, who slumbered beside him. She looked serene, her chest rising and falling with the steady rhythm of sle...
Demanding. Insistent. She’s flipping the bird at my earlier text: Give me an hour. Pop-up drinks with the directors to celebrate last night’s Businesswoman of the Year win. Whatever. Her text is adamant, not a centimetre of wiggle room: I meant right NOW,...
Wayne almost choked on his pint as he said, “What do you mean, she will do anything you say?” “What I said, she agrees to anything, honest.” Mike smiled as he watched his best friend struggling with what he was telling him. “So you are telling me, that if...
The moment I step from the cab, it isn’t just my attire that attracts attention. I ooze sexual energy in the Wiccan-style huntress dress, with Grandmother's sixteen-carat garnet pinned close to my heart. As I strut to the curb and along the sidewalk, wive...
I can’t tell for how long my vision has been veiled or yet where I am nor which orientation my body has in space. Restraining my every movement, the ropes dull my proprioception. As the blindfold comes off, I am thankful for the dim light in the room; and...
"Hey, how's it going, Jessica?" he warmly yet casually greeted me as he saw me enter his office. "Please, find a seat. You're saving me from having to work on my bullshit thesis anyway." I giggled and sat down, sitting at the desk with him. "Thanks for al...
I rush to His house giddy with anticipation and stricken with fear. It is ever thus, this monthly escape always squeezed into too little time. Little white lies allow me to leave work early and arrive home for dinner a little later than normal. How early...
She never saw his face… …not directly, anyway. She wasn't even sure where he boarded the train. She suspected it was at Central, where the bulk of the passengers had hopped on, where the space she inhabited suddenly became cramped, both arms raised and ho...
Despite its strangling grip, I’m attempting to outrun the darkness again, as futile as that may be. Even when the sun shines, I feel no warmth. But what choice do I have? No one sees the tempestuous clouds hanging over my world, urging me to think there’s...
Debra I was borne in Bangladesh but I'm sure I was conceived in an office not far from Canary Wharf. We came back to England a while later - me and Nikki my non-identical twin, and the rest of my family. Well, I say 'family', but that could mean anything...
They stood in pregnant silence at the hotel elevator doors. They were two colleagues, lightly drunk with cocktails and innuendo. “The view of the mountains is amazing, isn’t it?” he asked. “Ha!” she scoffed. “My view is of the parking garage.” I should in...
Delicate, filigree-like lace inspires thoughts of sweet mysteries awaiting discovery, a silky wisp of fabric that colours deeply when dampened and holds a promise of hidden pleasures. A mere scrap of satin that encases a pert bottom, moist, puffy, pink li...
I thought I was the only one still working in the office that evening. I'd stayed late, trying to reach a good stopping point, and my eyes were now bleary from staring at spreadsheets. At twenty-four, I'd found a job with an okay salary and decent benefit...
Back home, I would have been described as a grown-up girl next door. Proper, never stuffy, very friendly, and absolutely conventional. Smart, yes, and reasonably career successful, but socially in every respect a “good girl.” Certainly not someone thought...
