3 Fiction – Literary fiction – Oxford Centar

The Returners

Jelena Kaćibo — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 16:29:57 +0000

The story follows a miserable London teenager named Will Hodge, whose life is in pieces after his mother’s death and his father’s slide into radical politics. He begins experiencing terrifying nightmares of concentration camps and notices a strange group of people following him. He discovers he is a “Returner”—a person reincarnated with memories of their past lives. Will must ultimately confront his own history and past roles in historical atrocities to stop ethnic cleansing from recurring in the future.

The Spa Decameron

Jelena Kaćibo — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 16:15:51 +0000

The novel follows ten successful, high-achieving women who gather at the luxurious Castle Spa during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. While relaxing in the jacuzzi, sipping champagne, and being pampered, they trade intimate, funny, and sometimes scandalous stories about their lives. The narrative format is inspired by Giovanni Boccaccio’s 14th-century classic The Decameron.

The heroines

Jelena Kaćibo — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 15:52:07 +0000

The novel follows an unusual family dynamic where famous, tragic literary characters—like Madame Bovary and Scarlett O’Hara—materialize in the real world seeking comfort and refuge at a special sanctuary. The story is narrated by Penny, an irreverent 13-year-old girl who begins to feel neglected as her mother constantly coddles these needy fictional icons, leading Penny to embark on her own coming-of-age journey.

Stripes of the Sidestep Wolf

Jelena Kaćibo — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 15:37:44 +0000

In a dying country town, a young man named Satchel O’Rye struggles with his future while a young woman named Chelsea Piper fights her past. Their lives intersect when they encounter a long-lost, mysterious wild creature that teaches them both Read More ...

A Lonely Note

Jelena Kaćibo — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 15:21:27 +0000

Tariq is a young Iraqi-American Muslim man facing dangers on the streets and conflict at home. His only solace is music. He forms an unexpected friendship with a volatile, troubled record-store owner and Black Iraq War veteran named Jamal, who suffers from PTSD. Through their shared love for jazz and John Coltrane, Tariq discovers the world of music and the man he could become. When bubbling violence finally erupts, Tariq takes an ultimate risk on behalf of an enemy, navigating friendship, forgiveness, and his own identity.

The Thirty-Nine Steps & The Power-House

Jelena Kaćibo — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:56:05 +0000

This volume compiles two of John Buchan’s classic espionage tales. Written at the start of the First World War while the author was seriously ill, The Thirty-Nine Steps introduces the famous hero Richard Hannay. Hannay is caught up in a high-stakes, dramatic race to foil a plot aimed at devastating the British war effort. It is accompanied by The Power-House, another of Buchan’s early political thrillers.

The Country Wife

Jelena Kaćibo — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:52:39 +0000

Originally performed and published in 1675, this famous five-act play parodies the vices, lusts, and hypocrisies of Restoration London. The plot centers on Margery, a naive country wife whose intensely jealous husband tries to keep her isolated from London’s corrupting influences. However, during a rare trip out, she meets Mr. Horner—a notorious rake who has spread a false rumor that he is impotent so married men will let their guard down and grant him easy access to their wives. Filled with bawdy humor, double entendres, and sharp satire, this comic farce explores human folly and deception.

Magnificent Joe

Jelena Kaćibo — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:39:03 +0000

Set in a former English pit village, the story follows Jim, a disaffected man in his 30s who has recently been released from prison after an adolescent fight derailed his academic potential. While trying to piece his life back together, he forms an unlikely friendship with Joe, a sensitive and vulnerable local man with learning difficulties who lives with his aging mother. As Jim steps up to help and protect Joe from local bullies, a complex web of past histories, a sudden lottery win, and a tragic work accident unfold. Their ultimate loyalty and bond are put to a devastating test when rumors of a serious crime begin to spread through the community.

How The Light Gets In

Jelena Kaćibo — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:33:13 +0000

The story follows Lou Connor, a sharp, unhappy 16-year-old Australian girl who leaves her impoverished life in Sydney for a student exchange program in America. She moves in with the Hardings, a wealthy family in a Chicago suburb. However, Lou’s desperate desire for love and belonging quickly clashes with her host family’s suffocating expectations of suburban perfection, leading to an intense struggle with identity.

Bookshop Girl: Life’s a Beach

Jelena Kaćibo — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:30:43 +0000

The second laugh-out-loud installment in this teen series follows bookseller Paige and her best friend Holly to a massive literary festival in Skegton-on-Sea. Managing a pop-up bookshop tent alongside high-profile “Big Shot Writers,” Paige has to deal with a pink-obsessed diva author named Minnie. Along the way, she navigates the challenges of the festival while learning how to chase her dreams and pursue the boy she likes.