The Wind in the Willows is a classic children's book--enjoyed by all ages!--by British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. Begun as letters to his 7-year-old son Alistair and later developed into a novel, it tells the adventures of animals Mole, Rat, and Toad, who dwell, along with Badger, Otter, and other animals, in the riverbank, fields, and woodlands of the English countryside. Best friends Mole and Rat, along with Badger, are continually rescuing Toad from his scrapes. An enc...
Nov 11, 2021•6 hr 30 min
Betrothed to one woman but married to another whose heart will be broken. Genre(s): Family Life, Romance Language: English Margaret O. Oliphant (1828 - 1897)
Nov 11, 2021•2 hr 51 min
Raoul des Sablières, a French parole prisoner in England during the Napoleonic Wars, becomes enmeshed in a complicated tangle where his honour conflicts with his parole, and is sent to prison. Juliana Forrest, for whose sake he broke his parole, does her utmost to save him, and in his adventures and misfortunes, Raoul eventually also finds help from an unlikely source. This is a fun adventure story and romance, written in a style similar to Georgette Heyer. Genre(s): Action & Adventure Ficti...
Nov 11, 2021•12 hr 4 min
Silas Marner is a hermit-style weaver who keeps to himself and is eyed with suspicion by those in the nearby town of Raveloe. Dispelled from his religious community as a young man after being accused of a crime, Marner finds solace in weaving and in gold. But the disappearance of his treasure and the appearance of a small child change the apparent course of his life entirely. Genre(s): Literary Fiction George Eliot (1819 - 1880)
Nov 11, 2021•7 hr 16 min
Marie Antoinette lives a happy life in a glittering court as Queen of France, but that soon changes as the revolution begins. Her son is Louis Charles, and his whole life changes with the death of his parents. But, that life is not what the people of France would expect. Genre(s): Historical Fiction Language: English Luise Mühlbach (1814 - 1873)
Nov 10, 2021•21 hr 43 min
Thomas Mayne Reid (1818 - 1883) "Land of the nopal and maguey—home of Moctezuma and Malinché!—I cannot wring thy memories from my heart! Years may roll on, hand wax weak, and heart grow old, but never till both are cold can I forget thee! I would not; for thee would I remember. Not for all the world would I bathe my soul in the waters of Lethe. Blessed be memory for thy sake!" So begins this tale of the American Southwest, when our narrator, Captain Warfield of a Ranger detachment, shoots the ho...
Nov 10, 2021•18 hr 26 min
he Black Cat (1895-1922) was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. This sixth issue of volume 2 presents the following five short stories: "The Stolen Melody", by Constance Fauntleroy Runcie: a ruthless pianist tries to win the music award through evil manipulation "The Bramble Gift Trust", by Zollie Luther Jones: Nannie B...
Nov 09, 2021•2 hr 16 min
Volume 1 in the "The Art of Music" series, published by the National Society of Music. This first volume covers the "Pre-Classic periods", from early human primitive music, through to the music of the Ancient Greeks and other ancient cultures, plainsong, Middle Ages, Renaissance, and up until the music of J.S. Bach. Included are musical examples, which are performed in the audio as they appear in the text. Genre(s): Music
Nov 09, 2021•19 hr 3 min
A tribute to the Autumnal Equinox this week, taken from Myth and Romance Being a Book of verses by MADISON CAWEIN. Genre(s): Multi-version (Weekly and Fortnightly poetry) Madison Cawein (1865 - 1914)
Nov 09, 2021•27 min
This is a new woman novel by the author of the Heavenly Twins, describing the restrictions forced upon 19th century women in unhappy marriages . Genre(s): General Fiction Sarah Grand (1854 - 1943)
Nov 09, 2021•7 hr 11 min
Oskar Pfungst book is a detailed piece of investigative journalism looking into Clever Hans, an Orlov Trotter horse that was claimed to have performed arithmetic and other intellectual tasks. Pfungst details the results of many experiments, by the end of which he is able to explain exactly how Hans did it. This classic example of the observer-expectancy effect is still relevant today, as the " Clever Hans effect " has to be taken into account whenever a study of animal intelligence takes place. ...
Nov 09, 2021•8 hr 26 min
A little essay on the Chinese style of gardening, as opposed to the continental style, which the author finds too formal with too many straight lines, and the English style, about which he is equally disparaging. In his preface, he says that his dissertation is upon "... the Chinese manner of gardening, which is collected from my own observations in China, from conversations with their Artists, and remarks transmitted to me at different times by travellers." "... Their gardeners are not only Bot...
Nov 09, 2021•3 hr 33 min
Parmenter and Lee are good friends who attend Concord College. But a hazing incident tears the friendship apart, and affects the lives of both the hazers and the hazee. And the whispering tongues of classmates of falsehoods, jealousy and rumor, serve only to make matters worse. Another heart-warming tale of disgrace and redemption from Homer Greene. Genre(s): Children's Fiction, School Language: English Homer Greene (1853 - 1940)...
Nov 09, 2021•2 hr 8 min
David Copperfield, like all of Dickens' novels, is filled with many memorable characters (because they are hyperbolic representations of character types) from all members of society. Here we have, for example, the virtuous, but relatively poor, Mr. Peggotty beside the grasping and greedy and vengeful and more middle-class Heep, but also beside Julia Mills whose only desire is also for money, which she possesses to excess (alluding to the capitalistic aggrandizement of European exploitation of fo...
Nov 09, 2021•21 hr 11 min
The American Bee Journal is the “oldest bee paper in America established in 1861 devoted to scientific bee-culture and the production and sale of pure honey. Published every Wednesday, by Thomas G. Newman, Editor and Proprietor” In this issues are topics from Management of Bees in Winter to Artificial Queens, and a special tribute to James T. Langstroth. Genre(s): Business & Economics, Life Sciences Language: English Group: American Bee Journal...
Nov 09, 2021•3 hr 12 min
The Mystical City of God is a book written in the 17th-century by the Franciscan nun, Venerable Mary of Jesus of Ágreda. According to María de Ágreda, the book was to a considerable extent dictated to her by the Blessed Virgin Mary and regarded the life of the Virgin Mary and the divine plan for creation and the salvation of souls. The work alternates between descriptions of the Trinity, the Virgin Mary's life, and the spiritual guidance she provides to the author, by whom her words were reprodu...
Nov 08, 2021•21 hr 30 min
Kate is a dress maker in the north of England who always did what was decided for her: serving those who come her way, marrying a man who is considered suitable, and living all her life "over the hills" she wants so desperately to cross. Until she decides her life are not enough for her. The novels she reads give her new ideas that change the course of her life forever. George Moore was an Irish realistic novelist. A Mummer's Wife was his second novel. At the time, the circulating libraries were...
Nov 08, 2021•15 hr 3 min
Frederic Taber Cooper, who was an editor and author, provides a superb insight into the works of some of the most popular authors of the turn of the century decade. Excerpt: The subjects of the essays included in this volume differ widely in aim and in accomplishment; but all of them possess, to a considerable extent, the gift that makes them next of kin to the minstrel and troubadour, to the ancient fabulist, and to the forgotten spinner of the world s first nursery tales, the gift of holding t...
Nov 08, 2021•7 hr 49 min
Utopian novel by Sarah Scott, published in 1762 describes women living in complete harmony. Genre(s): Science Fiction, Published before 1800 Sarah Scott (1723 - 1795)
Nov 08, 2021•8 hr 19 min
"The Rover: A weekly magazine of tales, poetry and engravings, original and selected" was a magazine started in 1843 by Seba Smith and Lawrence Labree. The editors aimed at a high quality standard in their selection of short stories and poetry. Every half-year, the 26 weekly issues were also published under a bound compilation. The 20th issue of the series is yet another interesting collection of short stories, poems and miscellania. Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories Language: En...
Nov 08, 2021•2 hr 36 min
A. A. Milne, best known as the creator of Winnie the Pooh, was a prolific author of books, plays, essays and articles. He also spent a number of years editing for Punch Magazine. He even wrote a good detective story -- The Red House Mystery ! In this collection he addresses a vast range of issues, including: the essence of melodrama; the lingering effects of World War I; knowing geography versus owning an atlas; a new kind of haunted house; the inexplicable nature of high finance; the trouble wi...
Nov 08, 2021•5 hr 42 min
This drama, set in Ancient Greece, was written by a Victorian lawyer who was a close friend of Charles Dickens. When collected into book format, “The Pickwick Papers” was dedicated to him. As a Member of Parliament, Sir Thomas Noon Talfourd introduced legislation protecting the copyrights of authors. This play was originally printed only to be read as poetry. However, it attracted the attention of William Macready, who mounted a successful production of it at Covent Garden in 1836. The drama bec...
Nov 08, 2021•2 hr 30 min
National Geographic Society The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol X, March 1899. It includes the following articles: The Original Territory of the United States, by Hon. David J. Hill Porto Rico, by Prof. Robert T. Hill Genre(s): Travel & Geography Language: English
Nov 08, 2021•1 hr 45 min
The baron is busy building ventures which are doomed to fail. He thinks the next one would be better, and mourns the absence of his wife who went to beg for money from rich friends for his failing ventures. To this world of love, anger and disappointment, Erika is born, now a keen girl of 14. This story is about her way to fit in, solve her complicated relationships with her parents, and find love. Ossip Schubin is the pseudonym of Aloisia Kirschner, a popular Austrian novelist. Genre(s): Romanc...
Nov 08, 2021•11 hr 15 min
16 recordings of Wind Of The Sea by James Whitcomb Riley. James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry. His poems tend to be humorous or sentimental. Genre(s): Multi-version (Weekly and Fortnightly poetry) James Whitcomb Riley (1849 - 1916)
Nov 08, 2021•19 min
Part of the Twelve English Statesmen series of books. Edward I, was one of the greatest of the medieval monarchs, driven either by a deep commitment to the well being of his people, or a fierce determination to enhance his own power, depending on your viewpoint. He began the unification of the United Kingdom, and left a string of impressive monuments, in the shape of the castles that line the countryside. - Summary by Cavaet Genre(s): Biography & Autobiography Thomas Frederick Tout (1855 - 1...
Nov 07, 2021•5 hr 54 min
Agnes Repplier was a popular and highly regarded essayist of the late 19th and early 20th century, who was also well known on the lecture circuit. Her writings are witty, erudite, and engaging. The eight essays in this collection include an homage to her cat Aggripina and reflections on the beauty of words, as well as essays entitled "The Children's Poets," "The Praises of War," "Leisure," "Ennui," "Wit and Humor," and "Letters." - Summary by Ciufi Galeazzi Genre(s): Essays & Short Works, Hu...
Nov 07, 2021•4 hr 46 min
This volume of the Reformation collection, begins with John Calvin's summary of the contents for the Bible from the preface to the Geneva Bible. Catherine Parr, last wife of Henry VIII, contributes her "Prayers or Meditations", intended as a shortened Protestant equivalent to Thomas à Kempis' The Imitation of Christ. Next come accounts of trials and martyrdoms: Walter Mill, the last martyr of Scotland, John Bradford, an anonymous account of Protestants in Norfolk and Suffolk to commissioners sen...
Nov 07, 2021•13 hr 25 min
"The Rover: A weekly magazine of tales, poetry and engravings, original and selected" was a magazine started in 1843 by Seba Smith and Lawrence Labree. The editors aimed at a high quality standard in their selection of short stories and poetry. Every half-year, the 26 weekly issues were also published under a bound compilation. This is already the 19th issue of the series. Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories Seba Smith (1792 - 1868) and Lawrence Labree...
Nov 07, 2021•2 hr 34 min
"The democracy of the future will sicken of a chronic and mortal boredom," was Aldous Huxley's prophecy for the United States in 1923. You won't be bored listening to these 20 recordings, selected by their readers, with topics ranging from Leacock's humorous Manual of Education to Unamuno's Tragic Sense of Life. There's an artist's diary (Thomas Cole); an after-dinner speech (Mark Twain); reflections on Beauty by John Burroughs; Willa Cather and Christopher Morley on writing; and Leibniz on the ...
Nov 07, 2021•2 hr 57 min
