Izzy’s eccentric, complicated mother committed suicide on her forty-first birthday. Now, on the night before Izzy herself is to turn forty-one, she struggles with the realization that she will be older than her mother ever was. And to make matters worse, her widowed father, unstable sister Ellie, and precocious niece have decided to accompany her to Colorado for what promises to be an emotionally charged weekend. As Izzy is flooded with memories

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This third collection of short fiction by Gaiman includes previously published pieces of short fiction -- stories, verse, and a very special Doctor Who story that was written for the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved series in 2013 -- as well "Black Dog," a new tale that revisits the world of American Gods.

"In the twelve unforgettable tales of Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century, the strange is made familiar and the familiar strange, such that a girl growing wings on her legs feels like an ordinary rite of passage, while a bug-infested house becomes an impossible, Kafkaesque nightmare. Each story builds a new world all its own: a group of children steal a haunted doll; a runaway bride encounters a sea monster; a vendor sells toy boxes that seemingly...