Penny Magic
@pennymagic.bsky.social
Fill your days with fiction. Helping readers read more and writers write more. Find us at pennymagic.co. Browse our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/pennymagicpress.
With all the other things that need to be done for the holidays, don’t worry about tackling a giant novel. Sit with a quick book (most of these have audiobooks under five hours), and get all the satisfaction of a novel well-read.
Another 5 Short Novels You Can Read in a Weekend — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
With all the other things that need to be done for the holidays, don’t worry about tackling a giant novel. Sit with a quick book (most of these have audiobooks under five hours), and get all the…
www.pennymagic.co
December 19, 2025 at 2:40 AM
With all the other things that need to be done for the holidays, don’t worry about tackling a giant novel. Sit with a quick book (most of these have audiobooks under five hours), and get all the satisfaction of a novel well-read.
“The worst part of the storm was that she couldn’t see her friend’s face anymore.”
Climb a snowy mountain with a friend. Read White Vida from Penny Magic.
Climb a snowy mountain with a friend. Read White Vida from Penny Magic.
White Vida: A Short Story from Penny Magic — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
"Every step up the mountain got harder. At first she couldn’t feel her hands or her legs as she moved, and eventually she couldn’t even see them."
www.pennymagic.co
December 17, 2025 at 2:40 AM
“The worst part of the storm was that she couldn’t see her friend’s face anymore.”
Climb a snowy mountain with a friend. Read White Vida from Penny Magic.
Climb a snowy mountain with a friend. Read White Vida from Penny Magic.
Don't forget to support Penny Magic and independent bookstores by shopping on Bookshop.org this holiday season!
Penny Magic Press Bookshop
Delightful stories of literary & speculative fiction. Take a break from your everyday life and step into fictional worlds you've never visited before. Publishing original short stories and shining a…
bookshop.org
December 12, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Don't forget to support Penny Magic and independent bookstores by shopping on Bookshop.org this holiday season!
"Eagerly the wanderer spoke. She started at the sound of his voice. He could not see her well, because she was turned towards the darkness of the cave."
Travel through the darkness with this classic short story from George MacDonald.
Travel through the darkness with this classic short story from George MacDonald.
The Gray Wolf: A Classic Short Story from George MacDonald — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
Read the story on Penny Magic. "One evening-twilight in spring, a young English student, who had wandered northwards as far as the outlying fragments..."
www.pennymagic.co
December 10, 2025 at 2:51 AM
"Eagerly the wanderer spoke. She started at the sound of his voice. He could not see her well, because she was turned towards the darkness of the cave."
Travel through the darkness with this classic short story from George MacDonald.
Travel through the darkness with this classic short story from George MacDonald.
Looking for a Christmas present for the person in your life who is always tucked behind a book? Look no further! Here are seven ideas for Christmas gifts, from big presents to simple stocking stuffers.
Christmas Gift Ideas for Bookworms and Readers — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
Looking for a Christmas present for the person in your life who is always tucked behind a book? Look no further! Here are seven ideas for Christmas gifts, from big presents to simple stocking…
www.pennymagic.co
December 4, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Looking for a Christmas present for the person in your life who is always tucked behind a book? Look no further! Here are seven ideas for Christmas gifts, from big presents to simple stocking stuffers.
"She was eighteen when she met him, nineteen when she fell in love with him, and twenty when they last spoke."
Take a break today for fiction with this quick short story from Penny Magic. Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.
Take a break today for fiction with this quick short story from Penny Magic. Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.
Solid, Liquid, Robot — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
Truthful stories of unreal things. A short story anthology website.
www.pennymagic.co
December 3, 2025 at 12:42 AM
"She was eighteen when she met him, nineteen when she fell in love with him, and twenty when they last spoke."
Take a break today for fiction with this quick short story from Penny Magic. Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.
Take a break today for fiction with this quick short story from Penny Magic. Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.
Looking for epic or antic-filled? Here are five more books and series to pick up after you finish Artemis Fowl.
5 More Books and Series Like Artemis Fowl for Kids or Adults — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
Following up our first list of recommendations, here are five more books and series to pick up after you finish Artemis Fowl.
www.pennymagic.co
November 20, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Looking for epic or antic-filled? Here are five more books and series to pick up after you finish Artemis Fowl.
"When I go to sleep, I see Genghis Khan’s ghost."
Wrestle with the past and the future in this story from Penny Magic's fourth volume of short stories, Long Live the Legends.
Wrestle with the past and the future in this story from Penny Magic's fourth volume of short stories, Long Live the Legends.
All the Khans Before Me — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
A short story by Matt Mills. "When I go to sleep, I see Genghis Khan’s ghost."
www.pennymagic.co
November 18, 2025 at 7:41 PM
"When I go to sleep, I see Genghis Khan’s ghost."
Wrestle with the past and the future in this story from Penny Magic's fourth volume of short stories, Long Live the Legends.
Wrestle with the past and the future in this story from Penny Magic's fourth volume of short stories, Long Live the Legends.
"It was a hot, dry afternoon when Christina’s husband did that extraordinary thing, that thing no one else in Rustvale had done for as long as anyone could remember: He left."
The Star Map — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
Truthful stories of unreal things. A short story anthology website.
www.pennymagic.co
November 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
"It was a hot, dry afternoon when Christina’s husband did that extraordinary thing, that thing no one else in Rustvale had done for as long as anyone could remember: He left."
Make a choice. Commit a crime. Receive a gift. Are you looking for inspiration for your next short story? Here are five prompts developed from famous short stories. Read the classic short story and then tell your own tale based on the prompt.
5 Short Story Writing Prompts Based on Classic Short Stories — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
Are you looking for short story inspiration and ideas? Here are five prompts developed from famous short stories, perfect for use in a classroom or as a writing exercise.
www.pennymagic.co
November 13, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Make a choice. Commit a crime. Receive a gift. Are you looking for inspiration for your next short story? Here are five prompts developed from famous short stories. Read the classic short story and then tell your own tale based on the prompt.
"Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death."
This November, read the classic short story from Kate Chopin!
This November, read the classic short story from Kate Chopin!
The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
Read this classic short story from American novelist and author of The Awakening, Kate Chopin (1850-1904).
www.pennymagic.co
November 11, 2025 at 8:44 PM
"Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death."
This November, read the classic short story from Kate Chopin!
This November, read the classic short story from Kate Chopin!
Looking to buy books for friends and family this holiday season? You can support Penny Magic by buying your books from Bookshop! Use this link to buy your books and to check out our recommended books in our Penny Magic Bookshop store!
Penny Magic Press Bookshop
Delightful stories of literary & speculative fiction. Take a break from your everyday life and step into fictional worlds you've never visited before. Publishing original short stories and shining a…
bookshop.org
November 7, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Looking to buy books for friends and family this holiday season? You can support Penny Magic by buying your books from Bookshop! Use this link to buy your books and to check out our recommended books in our Penny Magic Bookshop store!
"Yessir, Mervin had it all: unicorn blood, dragon scales, eyelashes from a leprechaun, the fossilized skull of a werewolf, and a whole host of bewitched and bedazzled magical doodads and whatsits. Any kind of charm or trinket you could ever want, Mervin had it."
Mervin Q Peevler & the Monkeywrench Express — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
Truthful stories of unreal things. A short story anthology website.
www.pennymagic.co
November 5, 2025 at 12:04 AM
"Yessir, Mervin had it all: unicorn blood, dragon scales, eyelashes from a leprechaun, the fossilized skull of a werewolf, and a whole host of bewitched and bedazzled magical doodads and whatsits. Any kind of charm or trinket you could ever want, Mervin had it."
Looking for a cozy story to kickstart your reading in the cold-weather months? Read this classic, The Monkey's Paw, on Penny Magic.
"Without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnam Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly."
"Without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnam Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly."
The Monkey's Paw by W. W. Jacobs — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
Read this classic short story from English novelist and short story author W. W. Jacobs (1863-1943).
www.pennymagic.co
October 24, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Looking for a cozy story to kickstart your reading in the cold-weather months? Read this classic, The Monkey's Paw, on Penny Magic.
"Without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnam Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly."
"Without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnam Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly."
"This was the best cargo in months. It didn’t smell or leak, and it wasn’t illegal. It might not even be worth it for pirates to steal, so on the off-chance that they met a competent pirate, they might get away without losing a page. Because on this voyage, they were transporting books."
The Things We Know But Never Say — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
Truthful stories of unreal things. A short story anthology website.
www.pennymagic.co
October 22, 2025 at 1:44 AM
"This was the best cargo in months. It didn’t smell or leak, and it wasn’t illegal. It might not even be worth it for pirates to steal, so on the off-chance that they met a competent pirate, they might get away without losing a page. Because on this voyage, they were transporting books."
Looking to tell your own spooky story around a campfire this fall? Try out these five prompts to get you started, inspired by classic spine-tingling short stories. Read the stories for free online, and then try your hand at spinning your own unnerving tales.
5 Writing Prompts for Adults Inspired by Spooky Stories — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
Looking to tell your own spooky story around a campfire this fall? Try out these five prompts to get you started, inspired by classic spine-tingling short stories. Read the stories for free online,…
www.pennymagic.co
October 16, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Looking to tell your own spooky story around a campfire this fall? Try out these five prompts to get you started, inspired by classic spine-tingling short stories. Read the stories for free online, and then try your hand at spinning your own unnerving tales.
Looking to buy books for friends and family this holiday season? You can support Penny Magic by buying your books from Bookshop! Use this link to buy your books and to check out our recommended books in our Penny Magic Bookshop store!
Penny Magic Press Bookshop
Delightful stories of literary & speculative fiction. Take a break from your everyday life and step into fictional worlds you've never visited before. Publishing original short stories and shining a…
bookshop.org
October 9, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Looking to buy books for friends and family this holiday season? You can support Penny Magic by buying your books from Bookshop! Use this link to buy your books and to check out our recommended books in our Penny Magic Bookshop store!
We've told you about the books we missed. Now it's time to talk about the classics we loved. Here our five of our favorite required reading books from school. What was the best book you were required to read in high school?
5 Books We Loved in High School — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
From The Great Gatsby to The Outsiders, here are five books we loved reading in high school, that continue to hold up years after graduation.
www.pennymagic.co
October 3, 2025 at 8:24 AM
We've told you about the books we missed. Now it's time to talk about the classics we loved. Here our five of our favorite required reading books from school. What was the best book you were required to read in high school?
“The land of Filigri was like every other land, except for one thing: Filigri had no animals.”
Read The Animal Sculptors, a short story about a land with artists but no animals.
Read The Animal Sculptors, a short story about a land with artists but no animals.
The Animal Sculptors — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
Truthful stories of unreal things. A short story anthology website.
www.pennymagic.co
October 1, 2025 at 8:24 AM
“The land of Filigri was like every other land, except for one thing: Filigri had no animals.”
Read The Animal Sculptors, a short story about a land with artists but no animals.
Read The Animal Sculptors, a short story about a land with artists but no animals.
Reposted by Penny Magic
I hear *someone* is having a sale next week.
I guess they have to try and recoup some of that $2.5 billion they’re forking over for *checks notes* being deceptive? Who would’ve thought?
Feels like Oct 7 & 8 will be prime days to support independent bookstores. 😌
I guess they have to try and recoup some of that $2.5 billion they’re forking over for *checks notes* being deceptive? Who would’ve thought?
Feels like Oct 7 & 8 will be prime days to support independent bookstores. 😌
September 29, 2025 at 8:54 PM
I hear *someone* is having a sale next week.
I guess they have to try and recoup some of that $2.5 billion they’re forking over for *checks notes* being deceptive? Who would’ve thought?
Feels like Oct 7 & 8 will be prime days to support independent bookstores. 😌
I guess they have to try and recoup some of that $2.5 billion they’re forking over for *checks notes* being deceptive? Who would’ve thought?
Feels like Oct 7 & 8 will be prime days to support independent bookstores. 😌
There's no better time to visit a new bookstore than when fall arrives, begging you to stay inside and read. In case you missed it, here are five of our favorite Chicago bookstores, three downtown, one on the north side, and one on the south side.
Five of Our Favorite Chicago Bookstores: Downtown, Northside, and Southside — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
If you live in Chicago or you’re just in town for the weekend, here are a few of our favorite bookstores, and there are many many more we haven’t listed. We should all be so lucky to live in a…
www.pennymagic.co
September 25, 2025 at 11:59 PM
There's no better time to visit a new bookstore than when fall arrives, begging you to stay inside and read. In case you missed it, here are five of our favorite Chicago bookstores, three downtown, one on the north side, and one on the south side.
“A crescent moon stamped the night sky warily, now more obvious in the dark than it had been earlier in the day when it was just an opal sliver on a pale blue sheet.”
Wander into the woods with this throwback short story, Daytime Moon.
Wander into the woods with this throwback short story, Daytime Moon.
Daytime Moon — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
Truthful stories of unreal things. A short story anthology website.
www.pennymagic.co
September 23, 2025 at 11:58 PM
“A crescent moon stamped the night sky warily, now more obvious in the dark than it had been earlier in the day when it was just an opal sliver on a pale blue sheet.”
Wander into the woods with this throwback short story, Daytime Moon.
Wander into the woods with this throwback short story, Daytime Moon.
For us, it was annihilate and archipelago. But we've all done it: Said a word out loud for the first time after reading it for years, and it turns out it isn't pronounced at all how you imagined! What word was that for you?
September 18, 2025 at 3:05 PM
For us, it was annihilate and archipelago. But we've all done it: Said a word out loud for the first time after reading it for years, and it turns out it isn't pronounced at all how you imagined! What word was that for you?
“At the moment of Yuan Yuan’s birth, she was baptized into noise.”
Follow a girl as she searches for silence and a sound of her own in this short story from our very first collection, The Tranquility Shoppe.
Follow a girl as she searches for silence and a sound of her own in this short story from our very first collection, The Tranquility Shoppe.
The Tranquility Shoppe — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
Truthful stories of unreal things. A short story anthology website.
www.pennymagic.co
September 17, 2025 at 3:05 PM
“At the moment of Yuan Yuan’s birth, she was baptized into noise.”
Follow a girl as she searches for silence and a sound of her own in this short story from our very first collection, The Tranquility Shoppe.
Follow a girl as she searches for silence and a sound of her own in this short story from our very first collection, The Tranquility Shoppe.
Looking for spooky stories similar to Edgar Allan Poe? Here are three contemporary authors of stories that will shiver your spine.
Spooky Short Stories: Authors like Edgar Allan Poe — Penny Magic - Delightful Literary & Speculative Fiction
Looking for spooky stories similar to Edgar Allan Poe? Here are three contemporary authors of stories that will shiver your spine.
www.pennymagic.co
September 11, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Looking for spooky stories similar to Edgar Allan Poe? Here are three contemporary authors of stories that will shiver your spine.