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By: Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836-1907)

The Story of a Bad Boy by Thomas Bailey Aldrich The Story of a Bad Boy

Thomas Bailey Aldrich was a child when his father moved to New Orleans from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. After 10 years, Aldrich was sent back to Portsmouth to prepare for college. This period of his life is partly described in his semi-autobiographical novel The Story of a Bad Boy (1870), in which "Tom Bailey" is the juvenile hero. Critics have said that this novel contains the first realistic depiction of childhood in American fiction and prepared the ground for Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Aldrich went on to associate with many of the literati of his time in New York City, and was editor of the Atlantic Monthly in the 1880's...

By: Ernest Thompson Seton

The Biography of a Grizzly by Ernest Thompson Seton The Biography of a Grizzly

I first read this little book when I was in the fifth grade, and now more than fifty years later, I still find it fascinating. Ernest Thompson Seton was a man with a concern for nature her creatures and an excellent story teller. I could almost feel Wahb, the great grizzly’s pain and frustration as he tried to avoid contact with humans and just be left alone to carry out his bear business. Listening to this audio book will be an hour and a half well spent.Summary by Mike Vendetti, Narrator.

By: Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904)

In Ghostly Japan by Lafcadio Hearn In Ghostly Japan

This collection of 14 stories collected by Lafcadio Hearn, contains Japanese ghost stories, but also several non-fiction pieces. Hearn tries to give a glimpse into the customs of the Japanese, by giving examples of Buddhist Proverbs and explaining the use of incense and the nation wide fascination with poetry. Furthermore, he has again translated several hair-rising ghost stories, like "A Passional Karma" about the truly undying love of a young couple.

Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things by Lafcadio Hearn Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things

Most of the following Kwaidan, or Weird Tales, have been taken from old Japanese books,— such as the Yaso-Kidan, Bukkyo-Hyakkwa-Zensho, Kokon-Chomonshu, Tama-Sudare, and Hyaku-Monogatari. Some of the stories may have had a Chinese origin: the very remarkable "Dream of Akinosuke," for example, is certainly from a Chinese source. But the story-teller, in every case, has so recolored and reshaped his borrowing as to naturalize it… One queer tale, "Yuki-Onna," was told me by a farmer of Chofu, Nishitama-gori, in Musashi province, as a legend of his native village...

Kottō : being Japanese curios, with sundry cobwebs by Lafcadio Hearn Kottō : being Japanese curios, with sundry cobwebs

Kottō contains 20 Japanese stories, collected from different sources and translated by Lafcadio Hearn. The types of stories in this collection are widespread: There are old ghost stories Hearn is best known for (The Legend of Yurei-Daki), his own observations and musings (Pathological), as well as the translation of 'A Woman's Diary', a touching account of the life of the poorer classes in Tokyo, written at the end of the 19th century.

By: Harry Bates, Editor

Astounding Stories of Super-Science, September 1930 by Harry Bates, Editor Astounding Stories of Super-Science, September 1930

This is a collection of short science fiction stories by various writers, circa 1930. Writers include Paul Ernst, Miles Breuer, Ray Cummings, Sewell Wright, and others.

By: Chretien de Troyes

Erec and Enide by Chretien de Troyes Erec and Enide

A medieval romance in which Erec goes through many trials until he is sure of Enide’s loyalty and true love

By: Richard Marsh

The Beetle by Richard Marsh The Beetle

A story about a mysterious oriental figure who pursues a British politician to London, where he wreaks havoc with his powers of hypnosis and shape-shifting, Marsh’s novel is of a piece with other sensational turn-of-the-century fictions such as Stoker’s Dracula, George du Maurier’s Trilby, and Sax Rohmer’s Fu Manchu novels. Like Dracula and many of the sensation novels pioneered by Wilkie Collins and others in the 1860s, The Beetle is narrated from the perspectives of multiple characters,...

By: British Parliament

The Riot Act by British Parliament The Riot Act

The Riot Act was passed by the British Parliament in 1714, the first year of the reign of George I, and came into effect in August 1715. This was a time of widespread social disturbance, as the preamble describes; the Act sought to put an end to this. A group of twelve or more people, “being unlawfully, riotously and tumultuously assembled”, would be read a proclamation; they must disperse within an hour, on pain of death. The same fate would befall anyone preventing the reading of the proclamation, or damaging buildings while on a riot...

By: Anton Chekhov (1860-1904)

Book cover Schoolmaster and Other Stories

Anton Chekhov, perhaps better known as a world famous classical playwright for works such as "Uncle Vanya" and "The Cherry Orchard" was also a prolific short story writer. "The Schoolmaster and Other Stories" is one of several of his collections. It's a compilation of 30 short stories. Some bizarre, some comical but all very interesting.

By: United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency

Worldwide Effects of Nuclear War: Some Perspectives by United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency Worldwide Effects of Nuclear War: Some Perspectives

This is a concise yet thorough explanation of what might happen to our world in the aftermath of a nuclear war. The myriad of potential effects will be global and wide-spread, and the potentials are glazed over in this short work.

By: Abbie Farwell Brown

The Christmas Angel by Abbie Farwell Brown The Christmas Angel

Disagreeable old Miss Terry spends her Christmas Eve getting rid of toys from her childhood toy box. One by one she tosses them onto the sidewalk in front of her house, then secretly watches the little scenes that occur, which seem to confirm her belief that true Christmas spirit does not exist. Then the Angel from her childhood Christmas tree appears to show Miss Terry that she has not yet witnessed the final act of each of those little dramas...Living Age magazine in 1910 observed of The Christmas...

By: Octavus Roy Cohen (1891-1959)

Midnight by Octavus Roy Cohen Midnight

The crime seemed to have lost itself in the sleety cold of the December midnight upon which it was committed. The trails were not blind–there were simply no trails. The circumstances baffled explanation–a lone woman entering an empty taxicab; a run to a distant point in the city; the discovery of the woman’s disappearance, and in her stead the sight of the dead body of a prominent society man–that, and the further blind information that the suit-case which the woman had carried was the property of the man whose body was huddled horribly in the taxicab.

By: William Henry Giles Kingston

Stories of Animal Sagacity by William Henry Giles Kingston Stories of Animal Sagacity

300+ short stories of how smart and savvy various individual animals have been seen to be, and in most cases a little moral is drawn from the story.

By: Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927)

Second Thoughts Of An Idle Fellow by Jerome K. Jerome Second Thoughts Of An Idle Fellow

A second volume of humorous essays on various subjects, following the success of Idle thoughts Of An Idle Fellow.

Diary of a Pilgrimage by Jerome K. Jerome Diary of a Pilgrimage

A possibly fictionalised account by the comic novelist Jerome K. Jerome of a trip to Germany that he undertook with a friend in order to see the famous Passion Play at Oberammergau. The journey takes in London, Dover, Ostend, Cologne, Munich, Oberau, Oberammergau and then back to London via Heidelberg. As one might expect from the author of 'Three Men in a Boat', much goes wrong along the way, including seasickness, strange food, stranger beds, misleading guidebooks, bewildering train timetables, and numerous cultural and linguistic misunderstandings.

By: Edwin L. Arnold

Gulliver of Mars by Edwin L. Arnold Gulliver of Mars

This escapist novel, first published in 1905 as Lieutenant Gullivar Jones: His Vacation, follows the exploits of American Navy Lieutenant Gulliver Jones, a bold, if slightly hapless, hero who is magically transported to Mars; where he almost outwits his enemies, almost gets the girl, and almost saves the day. Somewhat of a literary and chronological bridge between H.G. Wells and Edgar Rice Burroughs, Jones’ adventures provide an evocative mix of satire and sword-and-planet adventure.

By: H. De Vere Stacpoole (1863-1951)

The Blue Lagoon by H. De Vere Stacpoole The Blue Lagoon

Two shipwrecked children grow up on a South Pacific island. This beautiful story of adventure and innocent love was H.D. Stacpoole’s most popular work.Parents who may have seen the Hollywood film need not be anxious about the book's suitability for kids -- the author's treatment of adolescent sexuality is almost mystical and very mild. The story of The Blue Lagoon (1908) continues in The Garden of God (1923) and The Gates of Morning (1925). A ship’s doctor, Henry De Vere Stacpoole (1863–1951) published over 90 works of fiction, poetry, autobiography, and translation.

The Man Who Lost Himself by H. De Vere Stacpoole The Man Who Lost Himself

Best known for his literary work The Blue Lagoon, which has been made into film several times over, H. De Vere Stacpoole’s first publication was a book titled The Intended in 1894. Stacpoole was disappointed at its lack of commercial success, and felt the story was too good to let go. He eventually re-worked the book, culminating in The Man Who Lost Himself, a light-hearted story of a luckless American visiting London on yet another of his failed business ventures, when he happens upon a gentleman of status and wealth, who also just happens to be his exact look-alike.

By: Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533-1592)

Book cover Essays, Book 1

Michel Eyquem de Montaigne is one of the most influential writers of the French Renaissance, known for popularising the essay as a literary genre and is popularly thought of as the father of Modern Skepticism. He became famous for his effortless ability to merge serious intellectual speculation with casual anecdotes and autobiography—and his massive volume Essais (translated literally as "Attempts") contains, to this day, some of the most widely influential essays ever written.

By: Martha Finley (1828-1909)

Elsie Dinsmore by Martha Finley Elsie Dinsmore

Elsie, young and motherless, has never met her father and is being raised by her father’s family. As a strong Christian, she has many trials within the unbelieving family. Her greatest comforts are her faith and her mammy, Chloe. Finally, her father returns home. Will her father love her? Will her father learn to love Jesus?

Book cover Holidays at Roselands

This is the second book of the much loved Elsie Dinsmore series and starts where the first book left off. Elsie is still recuperating from her weakness, with her kind and indulgent father by her side.The story revolves around how a strong bond of love and understanding takes root between the father and daughter, as they holiday at Roselands, and visit exciting places, with some of our favorite friends from the first book, Mr. Travilla, Adelaide, Chloe, Lora and the others.

Elsie's Girlhood by Martha Finley Elsie's Girlhood

In the third book of Martha Finley's much-loved Elsie Dinsmore series, Elsie's life is traced from the tender age of 12 or 13 to the mature age of 21. Her life is not all sunshine and roses, but she is secure in the love of the Lord and her family.

Book cover Elsie's Motherhood

After the Civil War, Elsie and her family return to their home in the South, dealing with the upheaval that the Reconstruction Era brought during the years after the war.

Book cover Elsie's Children

This book continues the delightful "Elsie Dinsmore" series. Elsie's children, introduced in the previous volume, live life, grow up, and encounter various problems of their own. Additional Proof Listeners: AlaynaMay & Rachel.

By: H. Beam Piper and John J. McGuire

Lone Star Planet by H. Beam Piper and John J. McGuire Lone Star Planet

New Texas: its citizens figure that name about says it all. The Solar League ambassador to the Lone Star Planet has the unenviable task of convincing New Texans that a s’Srauff attack is imminent, and dangerous. Unfortunately it’s common knowledge that the s’Srauff are evolved from canine ancestors—and not a Texan alive is about to be scared of a talking dog! But unless he can get them to act, and fast, there won’t be a Texan alive, scared or otherwise!

By: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942)

The Jingle Book by Carolyn Wells The Jingle Book

A collection of silly poetry and limericks for children.

By: Thomas W. Hanshew (1857-1914)

Cleek: The Man of the Forty Faces by Thomas W. Hanshew Cleek: The Man of the Forty Faces

Meet Hamilton Cleek – man of mystery, and master of disguise and derring-do. Cleek’s exploits are, to say the least, highly improbable, but the book is enormous fun. The goodies are good and the baddies are very bad indeed, but beware – things are not always what they seem. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy a rattling good yarn! Cleek is the central figure in dozens of short stories that began to appear in 1910 and were subsequently collected in a series of books.

By: Friedrich Kerst

Mozart, The Man and the Artist as Revealed  in His Own Words by Friedrich Kerst Mozart, The Man and the Artist as Revealed in His Own Words

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His name is one of the most recognizable names in history and one of the most enduring of composers. At age 5, this “wunderkinder” took to the stage and began his life as a prolific and celebrated creator-genius of such luminous works the world has not known since. This collection of morsels taken from his personal letters is engaging and gives a look into the mind of the boy wonder. Was he mad? Was he miraculous?

By: François Rabelais (1483-1553)

Book cover Gargantua and Pantagruel

The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel (in French, La vie de Gargantua et de Pantagruel) is a connected series of five novels written in the 16th century by François Rabelais. It is the story of two giants, a father (Gargantua) and his son (Pantagruel) and their adventures, written in an amusing, extravagant, satirical vein. There is much crudity and scatological humor as well as a large amount of violence. Long lists of vulgar insults fill several chapters.

By: George W. Ogden (1871-1966)

The Duke of Chimney Butte by George W. Ogden The Duke of Chimney Butte

An exciting tale of gun play, brave deeds and romance as Jerry Lambert, the “Duke” tries to protect the ranch of the lovely and charming Vesta Philbrook from thieving neighbors and other evil doers.

By: James De Mille (1833-1880)

A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder by James De Mille A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder

A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder is the most popular of James De Mille’s works. It was serialized posthumously in Harper’s Weekly, and published in book form by Harper and Brothers of New York City in 1888. This satirical romance is the story of Adam More, a British sailor. Shipwrecked in Antarctica, he stumbles upon a tropical lost world of prehistoric animals, plants, and a cult of death-worshipping primitives. He also finds a highly developed human society which has reversed the values of Victorian society...

By: Catherine Helen Spence (1825-1910)

Mr. Hogarth's Will by Catherine Helen Spence Mr. Hogarth's Will

Jane and Elsie Melville were raised by their kindly but eccentric uncle, Mr Hogarth who believed that women were just as good as men, and thus gave his nieces a boy’s education. Upon his death, they find that he has left his entire fortune to his heretofore unknown son and left them only a small allowance, expecting them to make their own way in the world using the education he furnished them. Will the girls survive in a world that expects them, at the most, to become governesses?

By: Daisy Ashford (1881-1972)

The Young Visiters, or Mr. Salteena's Plan by Daisy Ashford The Young Visiters, or Mr. Salteena's Plan

The Young Visiters is a comic romance novella that parodies upper class society of late Victorian England. Social climber Alfred Salteena introduces his young lady friend Ethel to a genuine gentleman named Bernard and, to his irritation, they hit it off. But Bernard helps Alfred in his plan to become a gentleman, which, Alfred hopes, will help him win back Ethel.

By: Jacques Futrelle (1875-1912)

Elusive Isabel by Jacques Futrelle Elusive Isabel

Elusive Isabel is a novel by Jacques Futrelle (April 9, 1875 – April 15, 1912) first published in 1909. Set in Washington, D.C., it is a spy novel about an international conspiracy of the “Latin” countries against the English-speaking world with the aim to take over world control.

By: José Rizal (1861-1896)

Noli Me Tangere (The Social Cancer) by José Rizal Noli Me Tangere (The Social Cancer)

Noli Me Tangere (Latin for Touch Me Not) is a novel by the National Hero of the Philippines, Dr. José Rizal. It was originally written in Spanish, and first published in Germany in 1887. Noli Me Tangere exposed the corruption and abuse of the Spanish government and clergy towards the Philippine people and the ills of the Philippine society. This novel, and its sequel El Filibusterismo were banned in many parts of the Islands. Rizal was later arrested for inciting rebellion, based largely on his writings, and was excuted in Manila...

By: E. R. Eddison

The Worm Ouroboros by E. R. Eddison The Worm Ouroboros

This classic 1922 fantasy novel brings you to a strange and lovely world where a young lord wrestles King Gorice for his land’s freedom, where unscalable mountains can only be conquered by stubbornness and hippogriffs, where the great explorer Lord Gro finds himself continually driven to betrayal, where sweet young women occasionally fall for evil wizards, and where the heroes actually win their hearts’ desire.

By: Rebecca West (1892-1983)

The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West The Return of the Soldier

In 1916 on an isolated country estate just outside London, Captain Chris Baldry, a shell-shocked captain suffering from amnesia, makes a bittersweet homecoming to the three women who have helped shape his life. Will the devoted wife he can no longer recollect, the favorite cousin he remembers only as a childhood friend, and the poor innkeeper’s daughter he once courted leave Chris to languish in a safe, dreamy past–or will they help him recover his memory so that he can return to the front? The answer is revealed through a heart-wrenching, unexpected sacrifice.

By: E.D.E.N. Southworth.

The Hidden Hand by E.D.E.N. Southworth. The Hidden Hand

“If you will listen to this book, you will meet a cast of unforgettable characters, as different from one another as the sun and moon. But they have one thing in common – all of them hide many, many secrets. The plot of this book is full of twists which may leave you guessing until the end. Bridget’s lively reading adds much to the joy of listening to this book.” (Summary by Stav Nisser)

By: Joris-Karl Huysmans

Against the Grain, or Against Nature by Joris-Karl Huysmans Against the Grain, or Against Nature

“THE BOOK THAT DORIAN GRAY LOVED AND THAT INSPIRED OSCAR WILDE”. Such is the enticing epigraph of one early translation of Huysmans’ cult novel of 1884, which is also routinely called the Bible of Decadence. Accurate descriptions, both, of this bizarre masterpiece which has reverberated ever since through high and popular culture. “Against Nature” (or in this version “Against The Grain”) explores to the furthest limit the life of the world-rejecting aesthete living a reclusive existence devoted entirely to artificial paradises of his own devising...

By: Albert Payson Terhune (1872-1942)

His Dog by Albert Payson Terhune His Dog

Albert Payson Terhune, perhaps best known for his book Lad, a Dog (later turned into a popular movie), was also a breeder of collies and a journalist. Some of his collie lines survive to this day. His Dog is a story about Link Ferris who finds an injured dog on his way home one evening. Knowing nothing about dogs, Link nurses the dog back to health and the two form a bond such as only can be formed between human and canine. Unable to locate the collie’s owner, Link christens his dog ‘Chum’ who becomes invaluable in tending to the daily needs of his meager farm...

By: Albert Payson Terhune (1872-1942)

Book cover Bruce

Albert Payson Terhune was a journalist but is probably best known as a breeder of dogs, in particular collies at his Sunnybank Kennels. Bruce charts the story of an unwanted puppy who becomes loved by the mistress of the family. He then becomes enlisted as a carrier dog in World War 1, completing heroic tasks and coming home a war hero

By: Stamp Act Congress of 1765

Declaration of Rights by Stamp Act Congress of 1765 Declaration of Rights

On June 8, 1765 James Otis, supported by the Massachusetts Assembly sent a letter to each colony calling for a general meeting of delegates. The meeting was to be held in New York City in October. Representatives from nine colonies met in New York. Though New Hampshire, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia did not send delegates, the Assemblies of those missing colonies nonetheless agreed to support the works of the Congress. The meetings were held in Federal Hall in New York, and the delegates assembled on October 2...

By: Mack Reynolds (1917-1983)

Mercenary by Mack Reynolds Mercenary

Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior. But in a society of TV and tranquilizers--the Warrior acquires a strange new meaning... (Introduction from the Gutenberg text)

Ultima Thule by Mack Reynolds Ultima Thule

Ronny Bronston has dreamed all his life of getting a United Planets job that would take him off-world. He finally gets the opportunity when he is given a provisional assignment with Bureau of Investigation, Section G. But will he be able to complete his assignment and find the elusive Tommy Paine?

By: LibriVox volunteers

The Yellow Sheet – the NaNoWriMo project 2007 by LibriVox volunteers The Yellow Sheet – the NaNoWriMo project 2007

An atomic bomb explodes in the mountains of Montana. But was there really a bomb? And was it really in Montana, or in Tokyo? Are Liz and Elizabeth the same woman, is she married with children, is her husband a spy?

By: D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930)

Book cover Aaron's Rod

Flutist Aaron Sisson is caught up in the aftermath of WWI. A lost soul, he attempts to find himself in the comfort of bar-room talk and alcohol and a woman. Moving on, he spends time with a mining executive's relatives. But he finds the family a stuffy middle-class lot, bored with each other and themselves. He leaves his wife and children and strikes out for the open road. During a playing engagement at an opera performance, he reunites with the mining executive's family. Talk is of love and war, none of it very satisfying to anyone...

Book cover Lost Girl

"There is no mistake about it, Alvina was a lost girl. She was cut off from everything she belonged to." In this most under-valued of his novels, Lawrence once again presents us with a young woman hemmed in by her middle-class upbringing and (like Ursula Brangwen in The Rainbow) longing for escape. Alvina Houghton's plight, however, is given a rather comic and even picaresque treatment. Losing first her mother, a perpetual invalid, and later her cross-dressing father, a woefully ineffectual small-scale entrepreneur, Alvina feels doomed to merge with the tribe of eternal spinsters who surround her in the dreary mining community of Woodhouse...

By: Maturin Murray Ballou

The Sea-Witch by Maturin Murray Ballou The Sea-Witch

Maturin Murray Ballou was the author of dozens of books, chiefly centered around his extensive sea travel. He was deputy navy-agent in the Boston Custom House and circumnavigated in 1882, collecting material for several travel accounts and various nautical romances, amongst which The Sea-Witch can be counted.

By: Pu Songling (1640-1715)

Strange Stories From a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling Strange Stories From a Chinese Studio

MANUAL OF SURGERY, OXFORD MEDICAL PUBLICATIONSBY ALEXIS THOMSON, F.R.C.S.Ed.PREFACE TO SIXTH EDITION Much has happened since this Manual was last revised, and many surgical lessons have been learned in the hard school of war. Some may yet have to be unlearned, and others have but little bearing on the problems presented to the civilian surgeon. Save in its broadest principles, the surgery of warfare is a thing apart from the general surgery of civil life, and the exhaustive literature now available on every aspect of it makes it unnecessary that it should receive detailed consideration in a manual for students...

By: Edward George Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873)

Zanoni by Edward George Bulwer-Lytton Zanoni

Zanoni, a timeless Rosicrucian brother, cannot fall in love without losing his power of immortality; but he does fall in love with Viola Pisani, a promising young opera singer from Naples, the daughter of Pisani, a misunderstood Italian violinist. An English gentleman named Glyndon loves Viola as well, but is indecisive about proposing marriage, and then renounces his love in order to pursue occult study. The story develops in the days of the French Revolution in 1789. Zanoni has lived since the Chaldean civilization...

By: Edmond Hamilton

The Stars, My Brothers by Edmond Hamilton The Stars, My Brothers

Edmond Hamilton (1904 – 1977) had a career that began as a regular and frequent contributor to Weird Tales magazine. The first hardcover publication of Science Fiction stories was a Hamilton compilation, and he and E.E. “Doc” Smith are credited with the creation of the Space Opera type of story. He worked for DC Comics authoring many stories for their Superman and Batman characters. Hamilton was also married to fellow author Leigh Brackett. – Published in the May, 1962 issue of Amazing Stories “The Stars, My Brothers” gives us a re-animated astronaut plucked from a century in the past and presented with an alien world where the line between humans and animals is blurred.

By: Robert Sheckley (1928-2005)

Book cover The Status Civilization

Will Barrent awakes without memories just before being deposited on Omega, a planet for criminals where the average life expectancy is 3 years. He’s listed as a murderer and released into the illicit society as a “peon” the lowest class imaginable. A mysterious girl gives him a weapon that starts him on his path to status, a path that requires constant brutality. But it must be borne if our hero is to discover the reason for his imprisonment; A reason that pits him against himself, and involves the sardonically similar but devoutly different creeds of Omega and Earth...

Book cover Watchbird

3 Robert Sheckley short stories that demonstrate the breathof his fantastic imagination. In Watchbird, the question "can machines solve human problems?" is answered with a resounding YES! But there may be a few unforeseen glitches. Just a few. Warrior Race drops us into an alien race of warriors who fight in a way you will never be able to imagine until you listen. And Beside Still Waters is a gentle story that shows us a man who really wants to get away from it all ... sitting on a rock in the asteroid belt with only a robot for a friend. No girls allowed! A poignant and unsettling story to say the least.

By: Ring Lardner (1885-1933)

You Know Me Al by Ring Lardner You Know Me Al

Big, fat, dumb, lazy, vain, headstrong and cheap, Jack Keefe is a journeyman pitcher with the Chicago White Sox in the rowdy days of the Deadball Era, circa 1915, ruled by the likes of Ty Cobb and John McGraw. In You Know Me Al, we follow Jack Keefe’s life on-field and off, via the letters Jack writes to his old chum Al in his home town of Bedford, Indiana.Ring Lardner was a Chicago sportswriter who covered the White Sox, and he brought an insider’s knowledge of clubhouse life together with his biting wit and gift for the vernacular to create a comic gem in You Know Me Al...

By: Jackson Gregory (1842-1943)

The Bells of San Juan by Jackson Gregory The Bells of San Juan

Rod Norton is a lawman in a land where bandits and criminals make their own rules. Risking his life for justice and a future with the woman he loves, mortal danger awaits. For Norton and those in peril, the Bells of San Juan will chime.

By: Padraic Colum (1881-1972)

The Children of Odin by Padraic Colum The Children of Odin

Master storyteller Padraic Colum's rich, musical voice captures all the magic and majesty of the Norse sagas in his retellings of the adventures of the gods and goddesses who lived in the Northern paradise of Asgard before the dawn of history. Here are the matchless tales of All-Father Odin, who crosses the Rainbow Bridge to walk among men in Midgard and sacrifices his right eye to drink from the Well of Wisdom; of Thor, whose mighty hammer defends Asgard; of Loki, whose mischievous cunning leads him to treachery against the gods; of giants, dragons, dwarfs and Valkyries; and of the terrible last battle that destroyed their world.

The Girl Who Sat By The Ashes by Padraic Colum The Girl Who Sat By The Ashes

"Because she used to herd Goats in the high places and the rocky places, she went by the name of Girl-go-with-the-Goats. But that was not the name that she herself called herself. She called herself Maid-alone..."So begins Padriac Colum's rendition of this classical, well-known tale. He was a master story teller, and in this short book combines vivid characters and a depth of plot with the rough-hewn simplicity the story demands. If you are fond of Cinderella stories, you will enjoy this book. And if you believe you dislike all such, it may yet win you over and change your mind.

The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy by Padraic Colum The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy

Also known as “The Children’s Homer,” this is Irish writer Padraic Colum’s retelling of the events of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey for young people. Colum’s rich, evocative prose narrates the travails of Odysseus, King of Ithaca: his experiences fighting the Trojan War, and his ten years’ journey home to his faithful wife Penelope and his son Telemachus.

The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles by Padraic Colum The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles

This is Irish folklorist Padraic Colum's masterful retelling of many Greek myths, focusing on Jason and the Argonauts' quest to find the Golden Fleece. He also includes the stories of Atalanta, Heracles, Perseus, Theseus, and others.

The King of Ireland's Son by Padraic Colum The King of Ireland's Son

The King of Ireland's Son is a children's novel published in Ireland in 1916 written by Padraic Colum, and illustrated by Willy Pogany. It is the story of the eldest of the King of Ireland's sons, and his adventures winning and then finding Fedelma, the Enchanter's Daughter, who after being won is kidnapped from him by the King of the Land of Mist. It is solidly based in Irish folklore, itself being originally a folktale. (Introduction by Wikipedia)

By: Ben Bova (1932-)

The Dueling Machine by Ben Bova The Dueling Machine

The Dueling Machine is the solution to settling disputes without injury. After you and your opponent select weapons and environments you are injected into an artificial reality where you fight to the virtual death… but no one actually gets hurt. That is, until a warrior from the Kerak Empire figures a way to execute real-world killings from within the machine. Now its inventor Dr. Leoh has to prevent his machine from becoming a tool of conquest. – The Dueling Machine, written with Myron R. Lewis, first appeared in the May, 1963 issue of Analog Science Fact & Fiction.

By: E. E. “Doc” Smith (1890-1965)

Book cover Triplanetary, First in the Lensman Series

Triplanetary was first serialized in Amazing Stories in 1934. After the Lensman series became popular, Smith took his Triplanetary story and turned it into the first of the Lensman series, using it as a prequel to give the back story for the protaganists in the Lensmen series. He added 6 new chapters, doubling it in size and it's really a different book from the serialized novel, being published 14 years after the first. It was put into Gutenberg just last year. The novel covers several episodes in an eons-long eugenics project of the super-intelligences of the Arisia...

By: E. E. Smith (1890-1965)

Subspace Survivors by E. E. Smith Subspace Survivors

A team of space travelers are caught in a subspace accident which, up to now, no one has ever survived. But some of the survivors of the Procyon are not ordinary travelers. Their psi abilities allow them to see things before they happen. But will it be enough?Smith's story "Subspace Survivors" first appeared in the July 1960 issue of the magazine Astounding.

Book cover Galaxy Primes

They were four of the greatest minds in the Universe: Two men, two women, lost in an experimental spaceship billions of parsecs from home. And as they mentally charted the Cosmos to find their way back to earth, their own loves and hates were as startling as the worlds they encountered.

By: Marshall Saunders (1861-1947)

Beautiful Joe by Marshall Saunders Beautiful Joe

Beautiful Joe is a real dog, and “Beautiful Joe” is his real name. He belonged during the first part of his life to a cruel master, who mutilated him in the manner described in the story. He was rescued from him, and is now living in a happy home with pleasant surroundings, and enjoys a wide local celebrity.The character of Laura is drawn from life, and to the smallest detail is truthfully depicted. The Morris family has its counterparts in real life, and nearly all of the incidents of the story are founded on fact.

By: George Meredith (1828-1909)

The Egoist by George Meredith The Egoist

The Egoist is a tragicomical novel by George Meredith published in 1879. The novel recounts the story of self-absorbed Sir Willoughby Patterne and his attempts at marriage; jilted by his first bride-to-be, he vacillates between the sentimental Laetitia Dale and the strong-willed Clara Middleton. More importantly, the novel follows Clara’s attempts to escape from her engagement to Sir Willoughby, who desires women to serve as a mirror for him and consequently cannot understand why she would not want to marry him...

The Shaving of Shagpat by George Meredith The Shaving of Shagpat

The novel is a humorous oriental romance and allegory written in the style of the Arabian Nights. Like its model, it includes a number of stories within the story, along with poetic asides.“The variety of scenes and images, the untiring evolution of plot, the kaleidoscopic shifting of harmonious colours, all these seem of the very essence of Arabia, and to coil directly from some bottle of a genie. Ah! what a bottle!” -Edmund Gosse in Gossip in a Library

By: Peter B. Kyne (1880-1957)

The Valley of the Giants by Peter B. Kyne The Valley of the Giants

The man was John Cardigan; in that lonely, hostile land he was the first pioneer. This is the tale of Cardigan and Cardigan’s son, for in his chosen land the pioneer leader in the gigantic task of hewing a path for civilization was to know the bliss of woman’s love and of parenthood, and the sorrow that comes of the loss of a perfect mate; he was to know the tremendous joy of accomplishment and worldly success after infinite labour; and in the sunset of life he was to know the dull despair of failure and ruin...

The Go-Getter by Peter B. Kyne The Go-Getter

A disabled veteran succeeds as a civilian with persistence and military focus.

By: Thomas Nelson Page

Santa Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson Page Santa Claus's Partner

Livingstone has reached a pinnacle in his life. He is finally worth 7 figures, yet his bottom line requires that he cut back on charities this year at Christmas time. Business is business, after all. But success makes him surly and his accomplishment soon feels anti-climatic. Regrets plague him. Can he rediscover the joy of life with the help of Santa Claus’s Partner?

By: Wadsworth Camp (1879-1936)

The Abandoned Room by Wadsworth Camp The Abandoned Room

An enthralling locked room mystery, The Abandoned Room focuses on the mysterious circumstances under which Silas Blackburn has been murdered at The Cedars, an eerie and isolated country estate. The most obvious suspect to the murder is Bobby Blackburn, the victim’s grandson who seems to have the best motive for the murder, although he has no recollection of the fateful night. Furthermore, Camp integrates a vibrant array of characters, detailed description, supernatural occurrences, and a generous supply of suspense, which in turn build up the novel’s allure...

By: Edith Nesbit (1858-1924)

Pussy and Doggy Tales by Edith Nesbit Pussy and Doggy Tales

Charming Tales about cats and dogs.

Book cover Story of the Amulet

The third of the series featuring Cyril, Anthea, Robert and Jane: four children who are, as they often say, "the sort of people that wonderful things happen to". In 'Five Children and It' they were lucky enough to meet the magical, wish-granting Psammead - and in this final book they meet him once again. He guides them to an ancient Amulet that will help them find their hearts' desire - but it's only half an amulet, and seeking for the other half has them whizzing about through time on another series of amazing adventures.

By: Somerset Maugham

Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham Of Human Bondage

Of Human Bondage, published in 1915, is considered to be W. Somerset Maugham’s best work. Many believe the novel to be one of the world’s literary masterpieces. The story follows Phillip Carey from early childhood through his 30’s. Orphaned at 9, Phillip spends his early years raised by his childless aunt and uncle. His aunt tries to be a mother to Philip, but she is unsure how to behave whereas his uncle, a vicar, takes a cold disposition towards him. Philip is sent to a boarding school but his shyness and his club foot make it difficult for him to fit in...

By: Alice Hale Burnett

Book cover Christmas Holidays at Merryvale

“Toad” Brown, his brother, and their friends have a jolly time at the Christmas holidays. They daydream at a toyshop window, chop down a Christmas tree in the woods, have a grand snowball fight, and plan a surprise for a friend in this tale of early 20th-century small-town life. Published in 1916, this short book is perfect for younger readers and listeners. Read along and see the charming illustrations.

A Day at the County Fair by Alice Hale Burnett A Day at the County Fair

Three little friends are taken to the County Fair in Uncle Billy’s motorcar, but a slight delay occurs on the way. How they finally arrived at the fair ground and their amusing experiences are most entertainingly told in this short book for younger readers and listeners. Read along and see the charming illustrations.

By: Poul Anderson (1926-2001)

Security by Poul Anderson Security

“Security”, tells the story of a compartmentalized government physicist ordered by secret police to complete experiments aimed at developing a new weapon. He is brought to a hidden space station and put in charge of the project but there are many questions. In a world of spies watching spies it’s sometimes hard to know what’s patriotic. -- Poul Anderson was a Golden Age Science Fiction and Fantasy author. “Security” first appeared in the magazine “Space Science Fiction” in February of 1953

By: Edmund Gosse

Book cover Gossip in a Library

A collection of informal essays about books in his library. He combines commentary, translations, and humorous asides about authors and their subjects.

By: Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)

All of Grace by Charles H. Spurgeon All of Grace

HE WHO SPOKE and wrote this message will be greatly disappointed if it does not lead many to the Lord Jesus. It is sent forth in childlike dependence upon the power of God the Holy Ghost, to use it in the conversion of millions, if so He pleases. No doubt many poor men and women will take up this little volume, and the Lord will visit them with grace. To answer this end, the very plainest language has been chosen, and many homely expressions have been used. But if those of wealth and rank should glance at this book, the Holy Ghost can impress them also; since that which can be understood by the unlettered is none the less attractive to the instructed...

By: Jane Porter (1776-1850)

Book cover The Scottish Chiefs

An adventure novel about William Wallace, one of the most popular books ever written by Jane Porter. The French version was even banned by Napoleon, and the book has remained very popular with Scottish children, but is equally enjoyable for adults.

By: Bliss Perry (1860-1954)

Fishing with a Worm by Bliss Perry Fishing with a Worm

Fishing with a Worm by Bliss Perry includes the poignant and philisophical observations of a fly fisherman lured by the worm. Bliss Perry was a professor of literature at Princeton and Harvard Universities and spent time in Vermont writing and fly fishing.

By: Sarah S. Baker (1824-1906)

Aunt Friendly's Picture Book by Sarah S. Baker Aunt Friendly's Picture Book

This book includes the classic alphabet, Sing-A-Song Of Sixpence, The Frog Who Would A Wooing Go, The Three Little Pigs, Puss In Boots, and The Ugly Duckling. Fun for all ages!

By: Amy Levy (1861-1889)

Reuben Sachs by Amy Levy Reuben Sachs

Reuben Sachs is a London lawyer whose political aspirations do not include marriage to Judith Quixano, the daughter of a respectable but unexceptional family. But without Reuben, a woman like Judith might have a bleak future in mid-19th century England: a loveless marriage or lifelong dependency are apparently her only options… A feminist, a Jew, and a lesbian, Amy Levy wrote about Anglo-Jewish cultural mores and the lives of would-be independent women in Victorian society. Levy was as repelled by contemporary literature’s occasional paragon (e...

By: Hartwell James

The Enchanted Castle: Fairy Tales from Flowerland by Hartwell James The Enchanted Castle: Fairy Tales from Flowerland

Every boy and girl—and for that matter every man and woman, too—rejoices when the winter snows have vanished and the earth once more puts on her beautiful dress of green, for then the flowers wake from their sleep and clothe the earth with beauty. Because all boys and girls love flowers, those of them who read this book will be interested in the beautiful stories they have to tell, loving them even more when they know something of their past history and some of the events with which they are associated.

By: Kirk Munroe (1850-1930)

The Copper Princess: A Story of Lake Superior Mines by Kirk Munroe The Copper Princess: A Story of Lake Superior Mines

The Copper Princess: A Story of Lake Superior Mines is an adventure set in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The delightful story features a brave and wholesome hero struggling for his rightful copper mining inheritance against smugglers and bandits. He also encounters a beautiful and mysterious maiden who is caught in her father’s secret crimes.

By: Joan Conquest

The Hawk of Egypt by Joan Conquest The Hawk of Egypt

A tragic love triangle between a beautiful English girl, an English gentleman, and a half-English, half-Egyptian plays out among the ruins and under the desert stars of 1920s era Egypt. The saga ends, as all love triangles must, in tragedy upon the desert sands.

By: Victor Appleton

Tom Swift and his Airship by Victor Appleton Tom Swift and his Airship

In Tom Swift and His Airship, Tom Swift has finished his latest invention- the Red Cloud, a fast and innovative airship. Tom is anxious for a cross-country trial, but just before he and his friends take off, the Shopton bank is robbed. No sooner is Tom in the air than he is blamed for the robbery. Suddenly, he's a wanted fugitive but doesn't know why until he's half-way across the country. With no safe harbor or friend on the land below, Tom must race back to Shopton to clear his name before he's shot out of the sky.

Book cover Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers

Tom Swift flies his airship to the mountain tops of Colorado to seek for the secret of the Diamond Makers: criminal scientists who have figured out the formula of manufacturing a limitless fortune in diamonds. But these rogues will stop at nothing to keep their secret. Tom & friends are soon captured and left to die in a collapsing mountain.

Book cover Tom Swift and His Wireless Message

Tom Swift & friends decide to trial an experimental airship near the New Jersey coast, and are unexpectedly swept out to sea by hurricane winds. Unable to steer or navigate without tearing the airship apart, the hapless crew must simply let the storm take them wherever it will. Unfortunately, the storm proves too much for the craft and Tom makes a crash landing on the uninhabited and crumbling Earthquake Island.

Book cover Tom Swift and His Sky Racer

A $10,000 prize lures Tom into competing at a local aviation meet at Eagle Park. Tom is determined to build the fastest plane around, but his plans mysteriously disappear, which means Tom must redesign his new airplane from the beginning.

By: Ray Cummings (1887-1957)

Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings Brigands of the Moon

Gregg Haljan was aware that there was a certain danger in having the giant spaceship Planetara stop off at the moon to pick up Grantline’s special cargo of moon ore. For that rare metal — invaluable in keeping Earth’s technology running — was the target of many greedy eyes. But nevertheless he hadn’t figured on the special twist the clever Martian brigands would use. So when he found both the ship and himself suddenly in their hands, he knew that there was only one way in which he could hope to save that cargo and his own secret — that would be by turning space-pirate himself and paying the Brigands of the Moon back in their own interplanetary coin. (From the Gutenberg e-text)

The Girl in the Golden Atom by Ray Cummings The Girl in the Golden Atom

While examining a golden ring under a microscope, a chemist discovers a sub-atomic world. During his examination of this world he sees a beautiful young girl. After developing chemicals that will allow him to either shrink or grow larger in size, he and three friends journey to this small world.

By: Kate Langley Bosher (1865-1932)

Mary Cary, Frequently Martha by Kate Langley Bosher Mary Cary, Frequently Martha

“My name is Mary Cary. I live in the Yorkburg Female Orphan Asylum. You may think nothing happens in an Orphan Asylum. It does. The orphans are sure enough children, and real much like the kind that have Mothers and Fathers; and that’s why I am going to write this story.” So begins Mary’s diary, which she fills with her various doings and misadventures at the Asylum in Virginia and her sharp observations about life and human nature. She loathes Miss Bray, the head of the Asylum, who is not above telling bald-faced lies to the Board to further her own selfish ends...

People Like That by Kate Langley Bosher People Like That

A single woman from a family that is well-off, buys a house at a place that is looked down upon and disapproved by her family and friends alike. Her reason - she wants to live the life of and know people like that. (This book's got one of the cutest romantic endings I've ever read). What is surprising is this book is in the PD - there are quite a few modern expressions and comparatively less quaint, out-of-fashion expressions.

By: Edward Phillips Oppenheim

The Zeppelin's Passenger by Edward Phillips Oppenheim The Zeppelin's Passenger

The Zeppelin’s Passenger is a tale of German espionage in England during World War I. Dreymarsh is a fictional “backwater” area in England with no apparent military value. The story begins with Dreymarsh residents discovering an observation car from a German zeppelin along with a Homburg hat near Dreymarsh. The mystery is further complicated when an Englishman, Mr. Hamar Lessingham, presents himself at Mainsail Haul which is the residence of Sir Henry Cranston. Lessingham bears with him, hand-carried letters from Major Richard Halstead, and a British prisoner of war in Germany...

The Great Impersonation by Edward Phillips Oppenheim The Great Impersonation

E. Phillips Oppenheim, an English novelist created well in excess of 100 novels and 30 plus collections of short stories. Most of his tales are thrillers and espionage. The Great Impersonation was written following World War I and is considered by many to be perhaps his best novel. The story focuses on German espionage in England prior to the start of World War I. The tale centers on two characters that are almost identical in appearance. Indeed, while both attend the same school in England, they are often mistaken for one another...

By: Morgan Robertson

Futility, Or the Wreck of the Titan by Morgan Robertson Futility, Or the Wreck of the Titan

This novel was published a full 14 years before the sinking of the Titanic, but listeners may be surprised at how many parallels this fictional tale has with subsequent true events. The Titan is the largest and most technologically advanced steamship of her time. She is considered unsinkable. Her full speed crossings of the Northern Lane Route carry her rich passengers in the highest standards of luxury and comfort. The less well-off travel in rougher quarters but still benefit from the speed of travel...

By: Jennie Hall (1875-1921)

Viking Tales by Jennie Hall Viking Tales

Viking tales are tales from Iceland, featuring the king Halfdan and his son Harald.

By: Knut Hamsun (1859-1952)

Hunger by Knut Hamsun Hunger

Hunger (Norwegian: Sult) is a novel by the Norwegian author and Nobel Prize winner Knut Hamsun and was published in its final form in 1890. The novel has been hailed as the literary opening of the 20th century and an outstanding example of modern, psychology-driven literature. It hails the irrationality of the human mind in an intriguing and sometimes humorous novel. Written after Hamsun's return from an ill-fated tour of America, Hunger is loosely based on the author's own impoverished life before his breakthrough in 1890...


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