Random Free audio books Podcasts

  • Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting One’s Reason and of Seeking Truth in the Sciences by René Descartes
  • Bushido: The Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe
  • Songs of Kabir by Kabir
  • Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
  • The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
  • Present at a Hanging and Other Ghost Stories by Ambrose Bierce
  • The Warden by Anthony Trollope
  • Walden by Henry David Thoreau
  • She by H. Rider Haggard
  • Bohemian San Francisco by Clarence Edwords
  • Triplanetary by E.E. “Doc” Smith
  • Relativity: The Special and General Theory by Albert Einstein
  • Eve’s Diary by Mark Twain
  • An Antarctic Mystery or The Sphinx of the Ice Fields by Jules Verne
  • The Enchanted Castle by Edith Nesbit
  • Complete Hypnotism, Mesmerism, Mind-Reading and Spiritualism by A. Alpheus
  • Ten Books on Architecture by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
  • Love-Songs of Childhood by Eugene Field
  • Helen’s Babies by John Habberton
  • The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
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  • Coming Up

    Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting One’s Reason and of Seeking Truth in the Sciences by René Descartes

    Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting One’s Reason and of Seeking Truth in the Sciences by René Descartes

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    Since Dec 28, 2023 00:00 UTC

    The Discourse on Method is best known as the source of the famous quotation “cogito ergo sum”, “I think, therefore I am.” …. It is a method which gives a solid platform from which all modern natural sciences could evolve. With this work, the idea of skepticism was revived from the ancients such as Sextus Empiricus and modified to account for a truth that Descartes found to be incontrovertible. Descartes started his line of reasoning by doubting everything, so as to assess the world from a fresh perspective, clear of any preconceived notions.

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    Bushido: The Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe

    Bushido: The Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe

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    Since Dec 16, 2023 00:00 UTC

    Bushido: The Soul of Japan written by Inazo Nitobe was one of the first books on samurai ethics that was originally written in English for a Western audience, and has been subsequently translated into many other languages (also Japanese). Nitobe found in Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, the sources of the virtues most admired by his people: rectitude, courage, benevolence, politeness, sincerity, honor, loyalty and self-control, and he uses his deep knowledge of Western culture to draw comparisons with Medieval Chivalry, Philosophy, and Christianity.

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    Songs of Kabir by Kabir

    Songs of Kabir by Kabir

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    Since Dec 31, 2023 00:00 UTC

    Kabir (1440 – 1518) was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement.The name Kabir comes from Arabic Al-Kabir which means ‘The Great’ – the 37th Name of God in the Qur’an.Kabir was influenced by the prevailing religious mood of his times, such as old Brahmanic Hinduism, Hindu and Buddhist Tantrism, the teachings of Nath yogis and the personal devotionalism of South India mixed with the imageless God of Islam. The influence of these various doctrines is clearly evident in Kabir’s verses.The basic religious principles he espoused are simple. According to Kabir, all life is an interplay of two spiritual principles. One is the personal soul (Jivatma) and the other is God (Paramatma). It is Kabir’s view that salvation is the process of bringing into union these two divine principles.His poems resonate with praise for the true guru who reveals the divine through direct experience, and denounce more usual ways of attempting god-union such as chanting, austerities, etc. His verses, which being illiterate he never expressed in writing and were spoken in vernacular Hindi, often began with some strongly worded insult to get the attention of passers-by. Kabir has enjoyed a revival of popularity over the past half century as arguably the most accessible and understandable of the Indian saints.

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    Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

    Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

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    Since Dec 29, 2023 00:00 UTC

    William Shakespeare’s most well-known play is more than most people realize. While it is the story of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, it is also the story of two families in the middle of a bitter feud. Many people avoid the story because they believe it will be too difficult to read, but this is not true at all. Within a few paragraphs, the play captures your imagination and attention. Juliet is 13 years old and is love with the son of her father’s enemy. Her father has promised that she will marry another boy when it is time, but she refuses to accept the suit. One night, Romeo sneaks into a ball in Juliet’s home (in hopes of seeing a girl he is in love with) when he overhears Juliet speaking of her love for him. He steps out of the shadows and they decide to marry. They are married the next day in secret. It is discovered that Romeo snuck into the ball and Juliet’s cousin is angry and challenges him to a duel. When Romeo refuses to fight, a man is killed and Romeo is banished from the country. Juliet is thrown into a depression and her father decides she needs to get married right away. However, the Friar who helped Juliet marry Romeo comes up with a plan to get Romeo back and to unite the families. The plan unravels quickly, though. The story of Romeo and Juliet has everything that a reader could want. Like many of Shakespeare’s works, it has comedy and tragedy, but it also has love, family, duals, good and evil. Do not pick up the book assuming that knowing about the tragedy will ruin the story. The tale of how both families got to this point is one that will not soon be forgotten. The lessons of love and forgiveness are ones that are just as important more than 400 years after the play was written.

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    The Time Machine by H. G. Wells

    The Time Machine by H. G. Wells

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    Since Oct 8, 2020 00:00 UTC

    A science fiction novel first published in 1895, The Time Machine was the first depiction of time travel, and the reason Wells consequently coined the term “time machine” which is now universally recognized. Furthermore it is considered to be one of the precursors to the science fiction genre and the Dying Earth subgenre. An undeniable classic, the novel offers a gripping plot, speculation, and an innovative portrayal of man’s hopes, fears, and human nature in general. The tale opens with the introduction of an English scientist and inventor, simply referred to as the Time Traveler, who hosts a dinner party for a number of guests. After dinner, the Time Traveler gives a lecture to the present men stating that time is simply a fourth dimension, and that time travel is in fact possible. He proceeds with a demonstration using a smaller model of his time machine and apparently makes it disappear into the future, though the group does not seem convinced. The following week the men return, as does their unkempt host who stumbles in, and subsequently begins the narration of his incredible account. His journey begins when his time machine takes him forward in time to the year 802,701 AD, where he encounters a society of small robed humanlike creatures called Eloi, who although possess beautiful features, are quite delicate. After exploring the area, the Time Traveler returns only to find his time machine missing, and decides to drop the matter for the time being. As the protagonist gets better acquainted with the Eloi, he infers that they lack curiosity and are rather lazy. In addition, he also comes across the bestial subterranean nocturnal Morlocks, who he believes to have taken his time machine. Left among two opposing races in a slowly disintegrating Earth, the Time Traveler must find a way back home, while simultaneously trying to uncover the roots of such a dark future. A great influence on future works alike, The Time Machine in turn encouraged and set the bar for other authors to pursue similar ideas and fuse adventure with philosophical speculation. Exploring various ideas including the repercussions of evolution, capitalism, and social class division, Wells not only creates an entertaining story, but also successfully accentuates the flaws of society. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

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    Present at a Hanging and Other Ghost Stories by Ambrose Bierce

    Present at a Hanging and Other Ghost Stories by Ambrose Bierce

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    Since Oct 23, 2020 00:00 UTC

    Ambrose Bierce (1842 – 1914?), satirist, critic, poet, short story writer and journalist. His fiction showed a clean economical style often sprinkled with subtle cynical comments on human behaviour. Nothing is known of his death, as he went missing while an observer with Pancho Villa’s army in 1913/14. (Summaries by Peter Yearsley)The Ways of Ghosts: Stories of encounters with the ghosts of the dead and dying. The spirits of the dead reach out to the living, to pass on a message or to pursue a killer.Contents (with beginning time):Present at a Hanging (02:06)A Cold Greeting (07:07)A Wireless Message (11:15)An Arrest (17:04)Soldier Folk: Oddities of death and life; from a man who finds that his death is uncertain, through the effects of war on the family, duty that survives death, to the memory of revenge.Contents (with beginning time):A Man with Two Lives (00:31)Three and One are One (06:23)A Baffled Ambuscade (14:18)Two Military Executions (19:45)Some Haunted Houses – Part One: Encounters of the living with the spirits of the dead who have been bound into buildings. An old man revenges himself; a journalist investigates a haunted house; and the quivering vine that tangles the face of a deserted home.Contents (with beginning time):The Isle of Pines (00:31)A Fruitless Assignment (10:39)A Vine on a House (17:54)Some Haunted Houses – Part Two: Houses where the living are never seen again, memories of the mortuary live on, and a murdered man wanders through. Contents (with beginning time):At Old Man Eckert’s (00:30)The Spook House (06:36)The Other Lodgers (16:04)The Thing at Nolan (21:50)Mysterious Disappearances: Three short tales of men who have vanished living their ordinary lives, sometimes in full view of witnesses; plus a short, probably fictional, description of a theory to partly explain these events. Contents (with beginning time):The Difficulty of Crossing a Field (00:32)An Unfinished Race (05:18)Charles Ashmore’s Trail (07:50)Science to the Front (12:23) More great books at LoyalBooks.com

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    The Warden by Anthony Trollope

    The Warden by Anthony Trollope

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    Since Oct 15, 2020 00:00 UTC

    Published in 1855, The Warden is the first installment in Trollope’s highly acclaimed series Chronicles of Barsetshire, and offers an enlightening insight into the life of the Victorian clergy, its gentry, politics, and social settings. The novel focuses on Mr. Harding, an elderly clergyman who finds himself in the center of a vehement dispute over his questionable position as warden of Hiram’s Hospital. Exploring various themes including human nature, morals, reform, and manners, The Warden is a perfect representation of the structure of Victorian society. Set in the fictional town of Barsetshire, the novel begins with the introduction of Reverend Septimus Harding, a humble man who lives a comfortable life together with his younger daughter Eleanor on account of his generous income as warden of Hiram’s Hospital and clergyman of the Barchester Cathedral. The Hiram’s Hospital is an almshouse which has been built on a land entrusted to the church by a wealthy medieval merchant. Consequently, the almshouse accommodates and supports twelve old beadsman, while also providing its warden with a substantial income and a pleasing residence near the hospital. Performing his duties as warden quite effectively, Harding takes good care of the old men and also creates a positive ambiance with his love for playing music. However, things turn sour for Harding with the appearance of John Bold, a young reformist, who claims that the foundation’s income is not appropriately distributed among its parties, and is therefore determined on exposing the charity’s inadequate dispersal of its funds. Furthermore, he goes on to attack Harding, accusing him of being selfish and taking advantage of his position as warden. Suffering a moral dilemma over whether it is just to receive such an income for his position at the almshouse, Harding slowly tries to reevaluate his position as warden, while firmly abiding to his righteous principles. Dragged into a legal campaign, Harding and the community are faced with a poignant challenge, as they must determine the most fitting course of action. Trollope successfully presents an array of memorable characters, an intricate conundrum, and a realistic portrayal of human nature, while also advocating for moral decency. Needless to say, the novel is an effective introduction to the renowned series that is regarded as Trollope’s greatest literary achievement. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

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    Walden by Henry David Thoreau

    Walden by Henry David Thoreau

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    Since Sep 17, 2020 00:00 UTC

    Two years, two months and two days! This is what forms the time line of one man’s quest for the simple life and a unique social experiment in complete self reliance and independence. Henry David Thoreau published Walden in 1884. Originally drafted as a series of essays describing a most significant episode in his life, it was finally released in book form with each essay taking on the form of a separate chapter. Thoreau’s parents were in financial straights, but rich intellectually and culturally. The young Henry was educated in the best of schools in their home town, Concord, Massachusetts and went on to graduate from Harvard, where he read history, philosophy, theology and literature. He commenced working as a school master in Concord but soon quit when he discovered that he was not ideologically suited to methods employed in those days which included corporal punishment. During this time, a chance meeting with the great philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson marked a turning point in his life. Deeply influenced by Emerson’s ideas and his Transcendentalism cult, Thoreau embarked on the Walden experiment. The Transcendentalism movement was an amalgam of Buddhism, German and English Romanticism, Hindu teachings, Confucianism and placed great emphasis on emotional wellbeing, self reliance and personal truths rather than social norms. It rejected society’s dominance over the individual. Walden Pond was located in a property owned by Emerson. Here, Thoreau built a cabin and proceeded to live a completely self sufficient life, gathering his own food and preparing it, sleeping and reading and appreciating nature as the whim took him. He meticulously recorded every experience and this forms the body of work known as Walden. The book received a lukewarm reception when it first appeared, but went on to gather cult status with the advent of the Flower Power generation, the anti-establishment movements against the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. The concepts of individual freedom and individual choice became ingrained in the American psyche as a new generation of Americans re-discovered Walden. Walden’s main appeal lies in its exploration of themes like solitude, economy, the simple life and the Higher Laws that he describes which relate to man’s relationship to nature. Thoreau’s style is attractive and easy, full of nuggets of folksy wisdom. Modern proponents of simplifying life, those who oppose our over reliance on technology and advocates of inner spiritual awakening are sure to find Walden a valuable and rewarding read. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

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    She by H. Rider Haggard

    She by H. Rider Haggard

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    Since Dec 5, 2023 00:00 UTC

    A timeless classic of fantasy literature, She is recognized as the groundwork for the lost world literary sub- genre. First published serially in The Graphic magazine from 1886 to 1887, the novel has reached critical acclaim with approximately 100 million copies sold and is regarded as one of the best-selling books of all time. Exploring themes of imperialism, lost civilization, female authority and psyche, the novel also serves as a mirror to reflect Victorian issues such as gender and race. Written in first person narration, the novel first introduces protagonist Horace Holly when he is visited by a colleague, Vincey, who is convinced that his death is nearing, and continues to tell an unbelievable tale concerning his family’s ancestry. Furthermore, he entrusts Holly with guardianship of his young son Leo, and gives him a mysterious locked iron box, which is not to be opened until Leo reaches the age of 25. Following the man’s death, Holly takes in young Leo and raises him as his very own, fulfilling his final wish. On Leo’s 25th birthday the pair open the inherited iron box in which they discover the ancient “Sherd of Amenartas”, that consequently triggers their journey to exotic Africa. Following the instructions on the potsherd, ape-faced Holly, his handsome ward Leo and their bigot servant Job travel to eastern Africa, where due to shipwreck are forced to continue on blindly through a treacherous and uncharted region of inner Africa. While on the move they are interceded by a group of native savages known as the Amahagger people who then capture them and take them into custody. The captives discover that the savages are ruled by a white queen, who is worshiped as “She-who-must-be-obeyed”, possesses vast knowledge of sorcery and is distinguished by her enchanting beauty. As a result, the group must endure and pass numerous trials in order to accomplish the initial goal of their journey, while simultaneously learning the secrets of the Vincey family. Haggard’s artistic approach throughout the novel, in terms of his language and his level of detail in his description of events, allows readers to relive the unique scenery in their imagination. An enthralling tale of a tenacious trio unearthing an ancient lost world and awakening an ancient fixation, She is the perfect pick for a unique adventure story which as a novel itself has defied the odds of time.

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    Bohemian San Francisco by Clarence Edwords

    Bohemian San Francisco by Clarence Edwords

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    Since Dec 16, 2023 00:00 UTC

    While describing his dining experiences throughout “Bohemian San Francisco,” Clarence Edwords paints an historic panorama of California cuisine with all its cosmopolitan influences. Best of all, he offers tantalizing recipes culled from conversations with the master chefs of 1914 in “The City by the Bay.”

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    Triplanetary by E.E. “Doc” Smith

    Triplanetary by E.E. “Doc” Smith

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    Since Dec 21, 2023 00:00 UTC

    “Doc” E.E. Smith pretty much invented the space opera genre, and Triplanetary is a good and well-known example. Physics, time, and politics never stand in the way of a plot that gallops ahead without letup. Having earned a PhD in chemical engineering, it’s understandable that the heroes of Smith’s story are all scientists. He didn’t want to be constrained by the limits of known science, however, so in his hands the electromagnetic spectrum becomes a raw material to be molded into ever-more amazing and lethal forms, and the speed of light is no bar to traveling through the interstellar void. Come enjoy this story of yesteryear, set in tomorrow, where real women ignite love at a glance, real men achieve in days what governments manage in decades, and aliens are an ever-present threat to Life-As-We-Know-It!

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    Relativity: The Special and General Theory by Albert Einstein

    Relativity: The Special and General Theory by Albert Einstein

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    Since Oct 15, 2020 00:00 UTC

    Einstein wrote this book for people who are interested in understanding the Theory of Relativity but aren’t experts in scientific and mathematical principles. I’m sure many people have heard about Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, but most of them don’t really know what it is all about. This book gives them a chance to know more about this very famous theory without the need to take a Physics course first. This book is divided into three parts. The first part explains what special relativity is all about. The second part discusses general relativity thoroughly and the last part deals with the considerations of the universe as a whole. The first part explains the principles of the special theory of relativity. Here the relationship between space and time are thoroughly discussed. The derivation of Einstein’s most famous formula which is E = mc2 is also explained in this part in a very simple way. The second part which is about the general theory of relativity is about the generalization of the special theory, Einstein’s thoughts about Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation and how they affect the space time continuum. The last part explains how the universe actually works on a cosmic scale. These things may sound too complicated at first glance but Einstein was able to explain them to his readers in the book without sounding too technical. Reading Einstein’s “Relativity: The Special and General Theory” may not sound very attractive at first. We’ve all heard of Einstein’s equation but how many people can actually explain what it means. This book will elucidate all the iconic thoughts of Einstein without requiring a physics degree from the reader. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

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    Eve’s Diary by Mark Twain

    Eve’s Diary by Mark Twain

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    Since Oct 10, 2020 00:00 UTC

    Eve’s Diary is a comic short story by Mark Twain. It was first published in the 1905 Christmas issue of the magazine Harper’s Bazaar, and in book format in June 1906 by Harper and Brothers publishing house. It is written in the style of a diary kept by the first woman in the Judeao-Christian creation myth, Eve, and is claimed to be “translated from the original MS.” The “plot” of this novel is the first-person account of Eve from her creation up to her burial by, her mate, Adam, including meeting and getting to know Adam, and exploring the world around her, Eden. The story then jumps 40 years into the future after the Fall and expulsion from Eden. It is one of a series of books Twain wrote concerning the story of Adam and Eve, including ‘Extracts from Adam’s Diary,’ ‘That Day In Eden,’ ‘Eve Speaks,’ ‘Adam’s Soliloquy,’ and the ‘Autobiography of Eve.’ Eve’s Diary has a lighter tone than the others in the series, as Eve has a strong appreciation for beauty and love. The book may have been written as a posthumous love-letter to Mark Twain’s wife Olivia Langdon Clemens, or Livy, who died in June 1904, just before the story was written. Mark Twain is quoted as saying, “Eve’s Diary is finished — I’ve been waiting for her to speak, but she doesn’t say anything more.” The story ends with Adam’s speaking at Eve’s grave, “Wherever she was, there was Eden.” More great books at LoyalBooks.com

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    An Antarctic Mystery or The Sphinx of the Ice Fields by Jules Verne

    An Antarctic Mystery or The Sphinx of the Ice Fields by Jules Verne

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    Since Dec 3, 2023 00:00 UTC

    A wonderful coming together of two writers who wrote their books more than half a century apart. Neither of them had ever visited the remote islands they were writing about yet they provided inspiration for a couple of exciting adventure tales. In 1838, Edgar Allan Poe published The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. It was the only complete novel published by the American author. It was the story of a young boy who stows away on board a whaling ship and it goes on to relate the events that follow. The novel ends a trifle abruptly, with the hero and his friend Dirk Peters deciding to journey to the South Pole. In 1897, the French writer Jules Verne, who was compiling his Voyages Extraodinaires (a series of 54 books that combined science and literature) took up the threads of Arthur Gordon Pym’s story and wrote a two volume novel called An Antarctic Mystery (Le Sphinx des Glaces in French). Set eleven years after Poe leaves Pym on his way to Antarctica, the book opens with a description of a wealthy American student Jeorling, who is looking for a crew and a ship to take him back to the US after a long sojourn in the Kerguelen Islands in the extreme south of the Indian Ocean. These islands, one of the most remote places on earth, are home to rare flora and fauna, the subject of Jeorling’s study. The captain of the ship turns out to be the brother of William Guy, who had captained the Jane, the ship which carried Pym and Dirk Peters to Antarctica and was presumably lost there. A mysterious sailor joins the crew and he seems over-eager to be on board. Another sailor named Hunt is also on board and there is something strange about him too. The ship reaches the island of Tsalal which was destroyed by an earthquake recently. Here they find remains of people who seemed to have been murdered before the earthquake. They also find Pym’s dog Tiger’s collar, but there is no sign of either Pym or the dog. The rest of the tale races towards an exciting climax which explains the bizarre events. This relatively short novel was written at a time when practically nothing was known about Antarctica. It was translated into English by Frances (Cashel) Hoey an Irish novelist, journalist and translator who translated more than 27 novels from Italian and French into English. An Antarctic Mystery is an exciting and interesting read, especially when read in tandem with Poe’s earlier novel.

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    The Enchanted Castle by Edith Nesbit

    The Enchanted Castle by Edith Nesbit

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    Since Dec 22, 2023 00:00 UTC

    A children’s fantasy novel first published in 1907, The Enchanted Castle recounts the marvelous adventures encountered by a curious group of children searching to enliven their summer holiday. Written in episodes, the novel has a different adventure in store for its young heroes in each chapter, including vibrant statues, banquets with Greek gods, and reunited lovers. The novel begins when siblings Gerald, James and Kathleen are required to spend their summer holiday in a boarding school, due to unfortunate events at home and are consequently left under the supervision of a French schoolmistress. The children seem to be sentenced to a summer of utter boredom, however, one day the children decide to explore the neighboring countryside in hopes of bringing excitement to their otherwise monotonous routine. During their time outside they stumble upon a secret passageway and follow its trail. When they emerge from the tunnel, they are engulfed by a castle situated in an elaborate garden, where they also meet a young girl Mabel, who declares she is a princess. Furthermore, Mabel claims that the castle is full of magic and leads them inside to show them its treasures, which includes a plain metal ring which supposedly causes invisibility. Naturally the children are skeptical and it is not until the ring actually does work and makes Mabel invisible, that they are swayed to believe the contrary. The four children panic and Mabel confesses that the country estate is not an enchanted castle and that she is simply the housekeeper’s niece, and not a princess. However what seemed to be an innocent game of dress-up takes a turn of events as the group get thrown into a magical frenzy indicating the beginning of their exciting adventures and a step away from their expected mundane summer. Nesbit cleverly depicts the notion that one should be careful of what they wish for, because it just may come true, but never without a price. An engrossing tale of magic, fantasy, humor, and adventurous mishaps blended in an utmost imaginative way, the novel has remained a favorite children’s classic which has stood the test of time.

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    Complete Hypnotism, Mesmerism, Mind-Reading and Spiritualism by A. Alpheus

    Complete Hypnotism, Mesmerism, Mind-Reading and Spiritualism by A. Alpheus

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    Since Dec 18, 2023 00:00 UTC

    Written in 1903, just sixty years after the word ‘hypnotism’ was coined, this book explores the contemporary understanding of the nature, uses and dangers of the technique. Hypnotism has been practiced for many centuries, but it was in the mid-to-late nineteenth century that it became a particularly fashionable way to explore the human mind. Although understanding of the subject has evolved considerably over subsequent years, this book remains a fascinating insight into a technique once thought to be at the forefront of medical science.

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    Ten Books on Architecture by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

    Ten Books on Architecture by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

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    Since Nov 25, 2023 00:00 UTC

    On Architecture is a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect Vitruvius and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus as a guide for building projects. The work is one of the most important sources of modern knowledge of Roman building methods as well as the planning and design of structures, both large (aqueducts, buildings, baths, harbours) and small (machines, measuring devices, instruments). He is also the prime source of the famous story of Archimedes and his bath-time discovery.

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    Love-Songs of Childhood by Eugene Field

    Love-Songs of Childhood by Eugene Field

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    Since Nov 21, 2023 00:00 UTC

    If you’ve heard and loved that delightful nursery rhyme/lullaby, Wynken Blynken and Nod you’d certainly enjoy browsing through its creator Eugene Field’s Love Songs of Childhood. The volume contains some forty or more poems for children, which are ideal for read aloud sessions with young folks. Parents will certainly enjoy reading them too. Most of these poems have been set to music and are ideal for family sing-alongs too. Eugene Field was a gifted humorist as well as being a talented children’s writer. His father was a famous lawyer who fought the infamous Dred Scott case which is often dubbed “the case that started the American Civil War.” Field Sr. died when Eugene was still a young man still in college. Subsequently, Eugene dropped out of college due to financial constraints and he tried many professions before settling down to write. His column in The Chicago Daily News, called Sharps and Flats was very popular in its day and earned him the reputation of being a light-hearted satirist who poked good-natured fun at contemporary events and people. He also wrote humorous verse and short stories. He was one of the few writers who wrote poetry exclusively for children, and it earned him the title of The Children’s Poet. Love Songs of Childhood contains some appealing verses, combining fantasy, nonsense and innocent fun. The Delectable Ballad of the Waller Lot, for instance is patterned on those famous ballads in history where fair maidens are carried off by dastardly villains – but this one is a parody and has a mischievous twist at the end! Nonsense verses like Googly-Goo and The Bench-legged Fyce are reminiscent of Edward Lear or Lewis Carroll. Poems like Rock-a-bye-Lady have become an integral part of children’s literature. Many towns in America have parks and statues dedicated to Eugene Fields or the characters he created. A charming addition to your bookshelf!

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    The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

    The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

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    Since Dec 10, 2023 00:00 UTC

    The Red Badge of Courage is a fiction that tells the story of a soldier named Henry Fleming during the American Civil War. The novel gained widespread praise from critics and was also a commercial success shortly after its release and made Stephen Crane an instant celebrity at the young age of 24. In the novel, Henry was one of the enlisted soldiers in the 304th New York Regiment. He flees from battle in one of the skirmishes they had against the Confederates and to hide his cowardice, he attempted to inflict a wound to himself which is referred to as the “red badge of courage.” He got the wound that he wants to have when he joins a group of fellow soldiers retreating from the battlefield. One of them accidentally hit his head with a rifle butt and wounded him. When he came back to their camp, the other soldiers there quickly treated his wound believing that he got it during the battle. After this incident, he again went back to the battlefield and was able to prove that he was really a capable solider. Most critics praise this novel because of the very realistic way in which Crane was able to describe all the battle scenes in the story. He was born after the Civil War and had not even experienced a fight in any war. It’s very interesting to know that Crane was able to write a very realistic novel about the War just by reading other novels about it and listening to the stories told by war veterans in New York. Readers who are into historical war novels will definitely have a great time reading this book. Although it’s a work of fiction, its contents are very realistic and accurate. This is very important especially for a story with a historical setting. This book will definitely not disappoint anyone who’s looking to read a good novel about the Civil War.

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