I may try Laurie King. As for Kipling, I'd suggest any book of his short stories. They're issued in multiple collections, sometimes with duplicates. "Plain Tales From the Hills" is one I enjoy. I also like the children's books "Just So Stories", "Puck of Pook's Hill" "Rewards and Fairies". One of my favourite short stories of his is "The Man Who Would be King", and another is "They".