Books By Yiyun Li Novels & Stories

She stood in the dim light in nothing but her slip, bare skin prickling as the reality of the bargain settled in. Twenty-four hours. Her pulse quickened, but her hands moved steadily as she laid out the arsenal of her other life across the coffee table: A collection of passports, each with a different name and smile. Phones, prepaid and untraceable. Wigs tucked neatly in silk bags, ready to become new women. Lipstick tubes hollowed out to hold blades, flash drives, and powder. And, of course, the little black notebook where she sketched lies as though they were blueprints.

No one has found the bodies yet, though, so theres still a lingering hope out there that they're alive. I sigh as I crawl under the thick quilt, flicking on the lamo beside me as I pull out my latest find at Barnes and Nobels: The Winter Garden by the famous Kristin Hannah. This woman's books are truly amazing. Then, after an hour long reading session, I find my eyes beginning to shut against my will, so I set down the book on the bedside table and shut off the lamp. ~ The next morning...

Her fingers found one and she retrieved it titled We Were Liars. The edges were frail and worn from overuse, the smell of old paper suddenly filled her nose and she placed the book back. Her eyes scanned the shelf more and her eyes suddenly found a book. Gone girl by Gillian Flynn She suddenly remembered her mothers words, the first time they met “It was a classic gone girl all over again ” Emily retrieved the book immediately from the top shelf where it was hidden, it’s surface covered with dust and she wiped it clean with her hands. She opened it, the first page reading

Lily took off her glasses, but her face was still full of pleasure. "But this book, The Caged Bird and the Lion, is just magnificent. Even though it's fiction, the descriptions of Mafia family life are so real, it's like the author lived it." Lorenzo scoffed. "Boring fantasies. What do those writers know about the Mafia?" He reached for a file, but his eyes were drawn to the book Lily had placed on the table. The pages were open to a drawing of a white bird imprisoned in a golden cage, with a majestic lion standing outside.

She just throws her books at me and leaves my room like a snap. Mill: That is very rude to think she's your sister! What an asshole. Sorry if I called your sister like that but I have never known anyone like that. Lindy: She's worst than an asshole. I'm used to all of these though. Let's stop talking about her. What's up? Lindy's teacher finally walked inside the classroom and started discussing but she didn’t want to end the conversation she has with Mill yet. Mill: Packing my things. I'm leaving for Barcelona by 7PM. And I gotta hurry.

I donated a dozen books from the Barlowe house—stories I wanted other young girls to find: Jane Eyre, Little Women, The Secret Life of Bees, Becoming, The House on Mango Street, and more. Books that had whispered to me when the world was too loud. Books that had taught me what a woman could be. Mrs. Bertram smiled as she scanned the titles. “This will change someone’s life,” she said. I nodded. “That’s the goal.” I stopped at the market afterward for fresh apples and ginger chews. A few people I knew offered kind smiles, congratulations, warm nods. The town had softened. The whispers had quieted. And even when they hadn’t… I no longer let them land.

At that time, a tall, brown-skinned, curly hair man who was aged about 40 was trying to show him the best book he had got on his display stand. Lin looked at the book and scanned it with much attention. He did not seem to notice other passers-by who cast a glance at him. Among the books, he saw a wide range of good English novels of George Orwell, Amy Tan, Amitav Gosh, Wendy Law-Yone, and many others. At a time, Lin found a book he was looking for. It was a book titled "Saving Fish From Drowning" written by Amy Tan. Then, a bargain between them settled, and Lin happily left behind the smiling bookseller, who held some notes in his hand.

With books, time finally wasn't so unbearable. Leaning against the bedhead and flipping through the pages, Lin Yilan read the beautiful chapters word by word. It had been a long time since she had touched such delightful books, and now, picking them up again, the attraction had an added layer.

Any sensible person would think they could easily plan something evil. Because of that, I spent most of my time in the library. Sometimes, I was not reading but looking through the vast catalogue and picking out the books that sounded interesting. That afternoon, I had piled up twenty books on the table. I was still looking for more when the door opened and Leilani walked in. It was almost lunch time so I figured she had come to invite me for it. “Hello,” I said. “Hey,” she said, picking up one of the books on the table. It was The Graveyard book by Neil Gaiman. “This looks like a children’s book.”

Penelope inclined her head thoughtfully. "We'll take a bottle of Roditis." She smiled sweetly at the waiter. He bowed his head in acknowledgement before walking off. She leaned closer to Lily. "So, what type of book are you working on?" She asked curiously. Lily opened her mouth to answer, but she glanced up at Jayce and blushed lightly, rubbing the back of her neck. "Oh, it's nothing special, really." She said, her eyes looking over the menu again. "Nothing special? You made New York's Best Seller with book one, right?" She asked and Lily nodded, smiling shyly.