Defining the Relationship and the Stray: Contemporary Short Stories for the Busy Reader

Busy readers of modern short fiction like the short stories and collections Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, Cat Person, and You Think It, I'll Say It will love Defining the Relationship and The Stray, debut stories by Christina McCall.

Love to read but find that you never have enough time to finish a full novel? Have to keep starting over because you've forgotten how the story began? Say you read in your free time, but get overwhelmed by the list of long "it books" going viral every day? Short fiction is the perfect solution. You can finish a complete story on your lunch break-and in this small collection, you'll find two quick reads you won't want to put down. Armed with unique personal experiences and a degree in creative writing, Christina draws from her background in publishing to create stories you'll want to read again and again.

Defining the Relationship: This was it. This was the date. He was going to ask her to be his girlfriend. They'd been dating for a few weeks now, and he knew she was the one. Well, okay, not "The One." But he knew he wanted to be official. They both loved video games and good food. They'd gone to church together. Even his parents approved. The only thing left to do was actually ask her. With all the fun they'd been having, there was no way this eligible bachelorette would say no. He was sure of it.

The Stray: Shadow the cat lives in a hole beneath one of the bushes around Mr. Roberts' front yard. He's careful to stay hidden from Mr. Roberts, but when a van arrives in the driveway, he has his work cut out for him. Shadow watches from the bushes as a family of five interacts with his favorite neighbor, ensuring that he is never seen by even the most curious of the human kittens. But every now and then, the van returns, and Shadow learns more about this family of humans-and Mr. Roberts-each time they visit.