Five Tuesdays in Winter: Stories Free Audiobook Download by Lily King

In the short story, "The Law of Return", the protagonist, Benji, has to make a decision from the most basic of needs: do I go outside and get some air with my dog or stay put in front of a computer screen? As he's going out the door, an e-mail notification comes through. His friend in India has sent him tickets for an opera performance that night. The idea of this seems like a dream come true - until he learns about how much it costs.

Five Tuesdays in Winter is an audiobook created by Lily King that features five short stories. Some of the different themes and characters were 'The Language of Cats', about a woman whose life came crashing down when her husband dies and she must sell their house; 'The Bookstore Day', about a man who finds out his wife has been unfaithful; 'Second-Hand Smoke', about a woman who only ever went outside during snowstorms because it was cold enough to keep people from noticing her outside; 'The Corrections Officer's Wife', about a woman with an abusive husband who takes on an identity at her job as a corrections officer's wife; and finally, 'Librairie St. Sebastian'.

Voice acting is an art, one which many authors and readers do not consider or think of when it comes to audiobooks. This audiobook was originally published in 2012, which means it's no longer a new release. The narration is still great with each performer bringing their own unique style to the narrative. I also appreciated how the narrators had different accents that made specific characters stand out more.

Lily King delivers a collection of interconnected stories that span four decades, each with its own unique flavor. They are all told in the first person and beautifully written to convey the many dimensions of an individual's life.

This book of short stories is a well-written and thought provoking collection about the darkness in humanity. It is divided into five different sections that build upon one another by relating how each individual deals with their own personal darkness. Different stories explore themes like addiction, self-harm, mental illness, despair and loneliness. This novel is a good read for anyone who enjoys short stories in general or novels that contain elements of dark fantasy.