In THE MAGIC SHOP (3), edited by Denise Little, 15 fantasy authors explore what might happen if magic shops sold the real thing—and customers got more than they bargained for. In "Tarnished Linings" by P. N. Elrod, a dubious shop clerk learns that intentions, good or bad, can have very real consequences when magic is involved. Laura Resnick takes a humorous look at writer's block in "The Magic Keyboard," while Josepha Sherman takes a stab (pun intended) at proving the pen is "Mightier Than the Sword?" In Michelle West's touching "Dime Store Rings" a woman gets some childhood magic returned to her. Wrapping up the anthology is Rosemary Edghill's "A Winter's Tale," a mildly creepy updated version of the monkey's paw legend. An afternoon's worth of eerie, entertaining tales. (Feb., 320 pp., $6.99)

—Jen Talley Exum