books to read
7 stories
A Perfect Circle by solacing
solacing
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Ella is falling apart trying to live a "perfect" high school life. Then she meets Ren, who can see past her scars. Suddenly perfection isn't her only option. ***** Ella Volkov is a gifted music student, but she's depressed and starting to crack under the pressure of high school. Her overbearing father won't even let her choose what instrument she plays. Then she finds herself alone at a party with Ren, her best friend's crush. She'd always thought he was rude, but after that night he's all Ella can think about. Now she's trapped. If Ella dates Ren, it will ruin her friendship with Jenny. But if she stays true to Jenny, she's losing the one person who can see past her scars. It's up to Ella to decide if she will forge her own path, or stay in the "perfect" box designed for her... Content and/or Trigger Warning: depression, anxiety, self-harm, violence, sexual assault. [[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]
The Last She (Books 1-3, the Last She Series) by hjnelson
hjnelson
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Ara, the only woman left alive after a plague, is searching for a way to save humanity. She thinks there isn't a man she can trust, until she meets Kaden. ***** A plague has swept over the Earth, killing the majority of the population and every female. Except one. Ara witnessed the horror and destruction, but for the last three years she has survived. Now, desperation and hunger force her out of the mountains and onto a dangerous path; across the flooded downtown and through the gangs of survivors is hope. Ara's father spoke of a clue that could save not just her, but humanity. Then she is captured by a group of men. Despite the seeming kindness of Kaden, a young man her own age, Ara doesn't know if she can trust them. Then again, there's no way she can cross the plague-ridden city on her own. Men. Monsters. Is there a difference? This is the story of The Last She. (This book contains all of The Last She Series - Book 1: The Last She, Book 2: The Last City and Book 3: The Last Creation) [[word count: 250,000-300,000 words]]
Sibylline Greetings (Book 2, the LiteraTours Cozy Mystery Series) by lhansenauthor
lhansenauthor
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This story will become free again as of 3 March 2025! It will then be removed in the not too distant future. Ike Wordsworth, a divorcee and rookie tour guide sent to Rome, struggles to survive a labyrinth of dark secrets, ancient mysteries and brutal murders. ***** Jessica "Ike" Wordsworth is leading the LiteraTour inaugural trip to Rome. But when senseless acts of sabotage culiminate in a murder -- with the victim's body dumped in a priestess's grace, alonside a message referencing long-lost prophecies -- Ike has to use her naturual talent for book-diving to find the killer before they strike again. But was the murdered girl really the intended victim? And who are the three women chasing after Ike? It's a race against time, because Ike can't solve the mystery if she's dead. ("Sibylline Greetings" is the standalone sequel to the 2018 Watty Winner, "Frankenstein's Guide.") [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] Cover designed by Ren T
Goats from Lambs by PaulKingston
PaulKingston
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Headless bodies start appearing in the streets, so cunning Detective Rashida Heyes and her partner have to stop the killer to prevent the apocalypse ***** After bodies start appearing in the middle of the streets, hollowed and headless, Detective Rashida Heyes and her partner, Travis Virgil, are given the case. However, once they dig deeper, meeting the emotionally broken Victor Eccelstone, and realize how heavily the church is involved, Rashida has to acknowledge that this case might be bigger than she had ever imagined. These crimes aren't the act of one man - they're the beginning of the end of the world [[Winner of the 2017 Wattys Storysmith Award]] [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]]
Apartment 239 by elfordalley
elfordalley
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Abe Barrett is surrounded by ghosts - some of them are even his roommates! But now Abe's visions show something dark coming, and it wants Abe dead. ***** When Abe Barrett's family died, he started seeing ghosts. Soon he was living with three of them, and it turns out ghosts are just as eccentric as people. Abe is bothered by the ghosts constantly since he doesn't want to solve their murders, avenge them or do much of anything. He just wants to do his job and relax. His dreams, however, have been getting darker as people in town start to disappear. Soon Abe realizes there is something hunting him, and that same threat was involved with his family's deaths. A legacy of darkness is chasing Abe Barrett, and his supernatural roommates may not be enough to save him. [[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]]
The Dragon Chase: A Tale of the Everburning City by Arveliot
Arveliot
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There is no night in the Everburning City. There can never be. ***** For four hundred years the Everburning City has withstood the advance of the life-strangling fog known as the Gloam. Its walls have held back five invasions, but on the eve of the sixth, the city's inhabitants know things have changed. Golems are coming out of the mist, and the bodies of the dead are rising at the Gloam's bidding. The city's last and most desperate line of defence comes in the form of the Crafters, individuals who can channel the power of fire, though they risk their sanity each time they do. The brightest of these valiant heroes are Tabitha a'Loria and her apprentice Gerald Reath. Risking their lives, they mount their airships, determined to save the last bastion of humanity - the Everburning City. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]
Olivia and Ricky's Odyssey to Rock Bottom by MariaJoWrites
MariaJoWrites
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Accused of an assault he doesn't remember, Ricky's senior year is made doubly complicated when he falls for the victim's best friend, Olivia - his only alibi. *** Growing up among New York's high society seems glamorous from the outside, but looks can be deceiving. 17-year-old Ricky, who's cultivated a long list of rumors because of his bad boy behavior, knows this first-hand. But when he's wrongly accused of sexually assaulting a classmate, things take a turn. Especially when discovering the victim's best friend, Olivia, is his only alibi. With feelings quickly growing stronger between them, Ricky can't help falling for Olivia's kind nature, yet complications lurk around every corner, made worse still by the dark secret Ricky's been hiding for years, and his biggest fear is someone uncovering the truth behind the bad rumors. What will happen to Olivia and Ricky when the secret finally comes out? It's a long way down from high society to rock bottom. Content Warning: This story is a depiction of real life. It, therefore, contains mature content in the form of sexual assault, explicit language, violence (involving minors), sex, drinking, and drug use. Just like real life does. By continuing, you understand you'll be reading themes of a more mature nature, and that some might be triggering. (16+) Readers say: "I love this book with all my heart! - Absolutely worth its price." "I haven't been able to put it down!" "Olivia and Ricky are really melting my heart." "I'm loving how the story is progressing. Perfectly paced." "I think it's one of the most realistic stories I have read on here!" "Great details and descriptions throughout the story." "I love the unexpected twists, turns, and non-cliché characters." "I hope a lot of people will take that chance to read your story, it is really worth it." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ All 5-STAR ratings on GoodReads. [[word count: 300,000-350,000 words]]