Random Loyal Books Podcasts

Ben, Polly, Joel, Davie and baby Phronsie are the five children of the late Mr. Pepper and his hard-working wife. The family is desperately poor and Mrs. Pepper and Ben have to work out of the house to keep the home fires burning. Young Polly takes over the reins of the household and becomes a surrogate mom to her little brothers and sister. This heart-warming tale has provided hours of entertainment to generations of children and parents. Five Little Peppers and How they Grew by Margaret Sidney is the first in a series of twelve books featuring the lives of the Pepper family. In this first book, we find the young Peppers struggling with a lack of money but yet they remain cheerful and brave, working together to make life easier for the mother. When the series begins, the youngest, Phronsie, or Sophronia, is a baby of three, and is doted upon by the entire clan. She loves dolls and is a kind hearted little girl, always willing to sympathize with anyone in need. Mrs. Pepper, or Mamsie, as the children call her, is the person who keeps her brood together and inculcates the values of sincerity, honesty, humility and hard work in them. The eldest two, Ben and Polly are capable assistants to their mother. Joel is the live wire in the family, while Davie is the quiet and reflective one. They all live together in their Little Brown House. A disaster leads to a chance meeting with a kind hearted philanthropist, J Horatio King, whose generosity and wealth change the lives of the Pepper family forever. This charming, if slightly dated, story was first published in 1881. It followed the tradition of children’s novels at the time, where a family learns to overcome hardship and triumphs in the end. Like Louisa M Alcott’s Little Women series, the Pepper books went on to trace the lives of the five well into adulthood, marriage and parenthood. Phronsie, the youngest is a young lady of twenty by the time the last book ends. Measles, poverty, adventures, a kidnapping, lots of humor and old fashioned values make Five Little Peppers… a delightful read for both parents and children. In the late 1930s and 40s, a series of films were made based on the books. However, the script was quite different and merely used the characters created by Margaret Sidney. This endearing tale that combines homespun wisdom with gentle humor is indeed a great addition to your children’s book shelf!

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Margaret Sidney

In this chilling short-story by a master of the craft, Kurt Vonnegut creates a fictional world of the future where life and death are no longer matters of individual choice or destiny. The title refers to the famous quote from Hamlet, “To be or not to be….” with “0” being pronounced as “naught.” It also refers to the eternal dilemma of life and death that face every human being at some point in their lives. Written in 1962 it is set in some unspecified time in the future, when earth has become a Utopia. The population is under control, there is no poverty, suffering or even natural death. Man has conquered all. It’s common for humans to live for two centuries or more. Death happens only when someone requests it. 2BR02B in the story is the telephone number that volunteers must call when they are ready for assisted suicide. It belongs to the Federal Bureau of Termination which decides that for every child born, one person must volunteer to die. However, all is not perfect in this paradise – human beings still retain a spark of humanity and yearn for freedom. When the story opens, Edward Wehling, a youngish father-to-be is waiting for his wife to give birth. What follows is both spine-chilling and eerie. It makes you introspect about the future of humankind, whether the earth can sustain itself at the pace at which population is growing and about the ethics of concepts like assisted suicide. The reader pauses to wonder whether greater common good can replace love and the individual. 2BR02B has memorable characters like the nameless two-hundred-year-old painter, the genial Dr Hitz who created the first population control gas-chamber and Leora Duncan a gas-chamber hostess. Apart from these, the story explores Vonnegut’s favorite anti-establishment ideas, where the government is seen as the enemy of personal freedom. Art in the future, according to Vonnegut, will become dull, commercialized and prescribed by the state. Creativity and individual expression will die out along with other freedoms. Technology and scientific advancements will render simple human concepts of compassion and love redundant. Though the story is a trifle dated (it refers to the year 2000 as the year in which population control systems were first imposed, and the earth had run out of food and water) it is an interesting one that appeals to readers of all ages.

Categories: Arts, Comedy

Tags: 2 B R 0 2 B, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, kurt vonnegut, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, satire, science, science-fiction, Short stories

Persuasion is the last completed novel by Jane Austen and it was published posthumously in 1818. Readers have often connected Persuasion with Northanger Abbey as the setting of both stories is in Bath, a highly fashionable health resort with which the author was well acquainted. Another interesting point to note is that the title of ‘Persuasion’ was probably not envisioned by Jane but by her brother or sister. Another theory is that her two siblings had a great role in choosing the title of the story. Persuasion opens with a brief spotlight on the Elliot family. The reader gets to know that the Elliots are a well-respected family who are landowners. Lady Elliot died a long time ago leaving behind her three daughters – Anne, Elizabeth & Mary (married). Due to mounting debts, Sir Walter decided to move to a house in Bath with far less comforts. They were lucky to find tenants for their home as Admiral & Mrs. Croft were well-mannered people from the Navy. Anne is very excited to see Mrs. Croft as she is the sister of the man whom she loves dearly. But to understand the situation we need to go back 8 years when he she was happy to be betrothed to Frederick Wentworth, a naval officer. However, Anne broke off the engagement when she was persuaded to think that the match was unworthy by the widow Lady Russell, her mother’s friend. Anne felt deep regret as a result of this decision and Wentworth too was bitter after seeing the unwanted interference of Lady Russell and the lack of fortitude on the part of Anne. Wentworth has now returned from the sea as a rich and successful captain and finds that Anne and her family are on the verge of a financial breakdown. He is also intrigued by the fact that his own sister is actually a tenant in the Elliot estate – Kellynch Hall. The tension of the story revolves around one pertinent question – will Wentworth be re-united in love? Readers of Persuasion will realize that even in her final work, Jane Austen has successfully managed to implement her skill for delicate observations on various social customs, love, marriage and the much touted English morals and manners. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, jane austen, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, persuasion, Psychology, romance

First published anonymously due to its seditious content in 1776, the pamphlet argues for the need of American colonists to pursue complete independence from Great Britain, and not be driven simply by the urge to free themselves from unfair taxation. Paine provides argumentation for his revolutionary ideas, suggesting the unification of colonial forces to achieve this goal. Furthermore, Paine strengthens his case by clearly asserting the advantages that would come out as a result of independence, and further fortifies his argumentation with religious references. Written in a clear straightforward manner and comprehensible to the common people, Common Sense was immediately well-received after its publication, providing both inspiration and motivation to strive towards obtaining freedom. Consequently, the pamphlet was widely distributed and read at public events, while its ideas later earned Paine an important position in the country’s history. Divided into four sections, Paine begins his work by distinguishing between government and society, suggesting that the purpose of the government is to protect society from their flawed nature. Paine illustrates the balance between society and government through a scenario in which a group of isolated people eventually surrender to the need of introducing regulations, which later results in the formation of a government. By providing such a scenario, Paine effectively creates a model which he argues is a better option for the American colonists. Subsequently, Paine goes on to analyze the validity of monarchy and hereditary succession through a biblical and historical perspective, as he provides evidence that support his views including biblical citations and an examination of historical events. Following his theoretical approach, Paine shifts his attention to giving a detailed account of the current circumstance of America, as he concentrates on supporting his claims calling for unity and independence. Regarded as one the most influential pamphlets in American History, the pro-independence monograph pamphlet is a must-read for anyone interested in learning more about the American Revolution, as it was the most widely read pamphlet at the time. Needless to say, Common Sense gives an insight into the ideas and values that shaped the United States of America into the independent nation it is today.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, common sense, ebooks, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Thomas Paine

Songs of Innocence and of Experience: Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul are two books of poetry by the English poet and painter, William Blake. Although Songs of Innocence was first published by itself in 1789, it is believed that Songs of Experience has always been published in conjunction with Innocence since its completion in 1794. Songs of Innocence mainly consists of poems describing the innocence and joy of the natural world, advocating free love and a closer relationship with God, and most famously including Blake’s poem The Lamb. Its poems have a generally light, upbeat and pastoral feel and are typically written from the perspective of children or written about them. Directly contrasting this, Songs of Experience instead deals with the loss of innocence after exposure to the material world and all of its mortal sin during adult life, including works such as The Tyger. Poems here are darker, concentrating on more political and serious themes. Throughout both books, many poems fall into pairs, so that a similar situation or theme can be seen in both Innocence and Experience. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience with opposing perspectives of the world. The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the volume’s sense of despair. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. Blake believed that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul”, and that true innocence was impossible without experience. The Book of Thel is a poem by William Blake, dated 1789 and probably worked on in the period 1788 to 1790. It is illustrated by his own plates, and is relatively short and easy to understand, compared to his later prophetic books. The metre is a fourteen-syllable line. It was preceded by Tiriel, which Blake left in manuscript. A few lines from Tiriel were incorporated into The Book of Thel. This book consists of eight plates executed in illuminated printing. 15 copies of original print of 1789-1793 are known. Two copies have watermark of 1815, which are more elaborately colored than the others.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Poems of William Blake, poetry, William Blake

Medieval England in the 12th century. The evil Prince John rules England in place of his brother, the noble Richard the Lionheart, who is being held in an Austrian prison by Duke Leopold of Austria, while returning from one of his Crusades. Under the avaricious and Machiavellian John, the Norman aristocrats are in constant conflict with the native Saxon people. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott is set in these turbulent times. The eponymous hero, Wilfred of Ivanhoe, the son of a Saxon nobleman has been disinherited by his father for following King Richard into war. Ivanhoe is in love with his father’s beautiful ward, Rowena, who is betrothed to a noble Saxon. Ivanhoe returns secretly to England and fights in a tournament disguised as a Knight. He wins the admiration and help of a mysterious Black Knight and together they vanquish their opponents. Meanwhile, Prince John and his nefarious coterie plot to usurp the throne, and Ivanhoe is unwittingly drawn into events that leave an indelible impact on his life. This historical novel by a master of the genre was first published in 1820. Filled with memorable characters including the legendary Saxon hero, Robin Hood (called Robin of Locksley here) and his band of Merry Men, historical figures like King Richard, Prince John and the Knights Templar and many others, the story takes some exciting twists and turns before racing to its unexpected climax. There are magnificent depictions of jousting and knightly tournaments, court scenes, portrayals of Saxon and Norman politics all of which bring to life a most interesting period in English history. Sir Walter Scott was famous for his Romantic novels, which in fact evoked great interest in the periods in which they were set. They also deal with conflicts between society and the individual, the ancient codes of honor and chivalry and are usually set in actual locations. Ivanhoe is set in South Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, with various castles and monuments being mentioned. Our idea of Robin Hood as a laughing outlaw who robs the rich to help the poor is also based on what Scott has depicted in Ivanhoe. Several sequels have been attempted in later years, along with events and other works inspired by Ivanhoe. The novel has been adapted for film, television and stage since 1911 and has also been the basis of comics, animated films and video games. The book is an exciting read for all ages, full of atmosphere and transports the reader back in time to an age of valor, courage, honor and swashbuckling gallantry!

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Historical Fiction, History, Ivanhoe, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, romance, Sir Walter Scott

Famous Men of Modern Times is a series of biographical sketches written for the purpose of making the study of history lively and interesting by giving insight into the men who lived during this time. Summary by Laura Caldwell More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Famous Men of Modern Times, free audio books, History, John H. Haaren and A.B. Poland, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction

These lesser known stories were penned by Conan Doyle during the period between killing off Sherlock Holmes in 1893 and reluctantly resurrecting him some ten years later. The swashbuckling, eponymous hero, Etienne Gerard, is one of Napoleon’s gallant French Hussars, who considers himself the finest of them all. Through these “Boys Own Adventures”, Conan Doyle pokes gentle fun at both the French and the English. This is the second volume containing eight adventures. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Comedy, Society & Culture

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Historical Fiction, History, humor, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Gerard, War stories

The Pre-Socratic Greek philosophers, that is, the philosopher-scientists who lived before or contemporaneously to Socrates, were the first men in the Western world to establish a line of inquiry regarding the natural phenomena that rejected the traditional religious explanations and searched for rational explanations. Even though they do not form a school of thought, they can be considered the fathers of philosophy and many other sciences as we have them now. None of their works is extant, so, in this collection, we present the textual fragments, when existing, of ten Pre-Socratic philosopher-scientists, and quotations and testimonials about them left by later authors. Texts collected by Leni. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Ancient Greek Philosopher-Scientists, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Essay/Short nonfiction, fiction, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Varous

Published in 1903, King Arthur and His Knights by Maude L. Radford is an easy to read version of the Arthurian legends, made simple and interesting for children. Maude Lavinia Radford Warren was a Canadian born American who taught literature and composition at the University of Chicago between 1893-1907. Following the success of some of her books, she left teaching to take up writing as a full time career. She also served as a war correspondent for the New York Times magazine during WWI and contributed several remarkable features on the role of women in the conflict. Some of the books she wrote for adults like The White Flame of France are non-fiction accounts of her wartime experiences in Europe. Some of her other novels like Barbara’s Marriages deal with social issues of the day. The book begins with the traditional childhood invocation so beloved of children all over the world, “Once upon a time…” and opens with the miraculous incident through which young Arthur realizes that he is the heir to the throne and the rightful owner of the fabulous sword, Excalibur. The rest of the chapters deal with several well known stories connected with the legend of Camelot. How each one of the famous Knights of the Round Table arrives at Camelot, Arthur’s marriage to Guinevere, the quest for the Holy Grail and finally, Arthur’s poignant death at the hands of the evil Sir Mordred on the lake isle of Avalon and the final return of Excalibur to the depths of the lake are all dramatically presented. King Arthur and His Knights is indeed a captivating read for children and makes a great read-aloud book for bedtime. For older children, it may perhaps spur them on to further research into this blend of fact and fiction, legend and myth, history and fable. The charming illustrations by Walter J. Enright add to the book’s appeal for children. Maude L Radford wrote several other books for young readers, among them Robin Hood and his Merry Men, Mother Hubbard’s Wonderful Cupboard, Mother Goose and Her Friends, Peter-Peter, Adventures in the Old Woman’s Shoe and many more, making her one of the best loved writers of children’s books in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Though most of her works are forgotten today, her books are sure to capture childhood imagination and are told in a simple, easy to grasp style. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: Adventure, art, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, King Arthur and His Knights, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Maude L. Radford, Myths/Legends

Learn how to accomplish your goals through increasing your mental power, avoiding energy drains, and becoming more mentally efficient.

Categories: Arts, Education

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Initiative Psychic Energy, instruction, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Psychology, Warren Hilton

Written originally for his own children, Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories have continued to delight generations of youngsters since they were first published in 1902. The thirteen stories collected in this book are meant for very young children, but they engage older kids and adults too with their charming conversational style and simple plot lines. These stories are typical examples of the “origin” story, where children are provided with imaginative rather than practical explanations for the “why” “what” “how” “where” “who” “when” questions of childhood. The Just So Stories were tales that Kipling would tell his own daughter who tragically died in infancy of pneumonia. An early forerunner of these stories can be found in The Second Jungle Book in the chapter, “How Fear Came” where the story of how the tiger got its stripes is narrated to Mowgli. All the fables in the Just So Stories follow a similar theme. They relate how a particular creature is altered from an original form into its present appearance either by a magical spirit or a human being. So the reader encounters wonderful and fantastical reasons why The Whale Got Its Throat, The Camel Got Its Hump, The Rhinoceros Got Its Skin, How the Alphabet was Made, and so on. Written in a pretend grand style, as though the narrator was recounting a great and important myth, the stories are studded with fabulous made up words and turns of phrase that catch the reader’s attention. Comic exaggeration, wordplay, lots of spontaneous, funny poems, juxtapositions of everyday events with the fantastical tales, amusing and entertaining “explanations” and a short poem at the beginning of each story serve to highlight Kipling’s prodigious story telling talents. The reader is always called “Best Beloved” which adds to the personal touch, reminding us of the original listeners of these stories, who were Kipling’s own children. Some of the stories may seem politically incorrect to modern day readers, but they must be read in the context in which they were written and could in fact become a starting point for discussions on such issues as race, gender etc. with your own children. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Comedy, Kids & Family

Tags: animals, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, humor, Just So Stories, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, nature, Rudyard Kipling, Short stories, Teen/Young adult

The Way We Live Now is a scathing satirical novel published in London in 1875 by Anthony Trollope, after a popular serialization. It was regarded by many of Trollope’s contemporaries as his finest work. One of his longest novels (it contains a hundred chapters), The Way We Live Now is particularly rich in sub-plot. It was inspired by the financial scandals of the early 1870s, and lashes at the pervading dishonesty of the age, commercial, political, moral, and intellectual. It is one of the last memorable Victorian novels to have been published in monthly parts. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Comedy

Tags: Anthony Trollope, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, satire, The Way We Live Now

A young man from a poor, working-class background, passionate about education, who aspires to become a professor. His teacher, a respected role model who turns out to have feet of clay. An independent, free-spirited woman. Another who is scheming, selfish and flirtatious. Dominating their lives is the magnificent university town of Christminster. All these and a host of other colorful, memorable characters inhabit the pages of Thomas Hardy’s monumental fourteenth novel published in 1895. Thomas Hardy’s fame as a novelist rivals that of even Dickens in Victorian literature. Creator of unforgettable novels like Far from the Madding Crowd, Tess of the d’Ubervilles, Under the Greenwood Tree and the Mayor of Casterbridge, his essential humanity and the depth that he brings to his characters are what sets him apart. A largely self-taught man, he went on to become a skilled architect and restorer of old buildings. His life-long love of languages, music, country-side life, languages and history emerges in most of his works. Jude the Obscure tells the story of a young orphan, Jude Fawley who is devoted to academics though his impoverished aunt (who rears him) wants him to start work as early as possible as a stone-mason. Jude’s inspirational teacher, Richard Phillotson, leaves the village for better pastures in the university at Christminster, leaving Jude to dream about a future career as a teacher. Instead, the travails of his working-class background begin to slowly consume him. He is deceived into marrying Arabella Donn, the come-hither daughter of the local butcher. After many trials and tribulations, Jude reaches Christminster, where a terrible disappointment awaits him. Jude’s meeting with his brilliant, free-thinking cousin Sue Bridehead is another turning point in his life. The novel scandalized Victorian readers when it first came out due to its revolutionary ideas about sexuality, women’s rights and the rise of the working class. Copies of the book were publicly burned in London and other cities. Thousands of people wrote to Hardy from all over the world, severely criticizing him/the novel which shocked him into abandoning fiction-writing till his death. He continued to publish poetry and drama and remained a successful writer. In 1912, a new edition was well-received by more modern readers and the book delights young and old even today. The universal themes of marriage, love, class-distinctions, education, women’s rights, religion and human migrations from their native homes to cities are brilliantly explored in Jude the Obscure, making it a must read classic.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Jude the Obscure, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, romance, Thomas Hardy

This long essay is a work of mock philology, one of several appendices to Twain’s travel novel, A Tramp Abroad. In it, Twain explains, complains about, and shows how one might improve upon various aspects of the (awful) German language. His examples of precisely how the German language is awful include the famed “separable verb” – which allows one to put the first part of a given verb at the beginning – and its second part at the end – of a given clause or sentence (which may, indeed, be very long). He also makes fun of the extreme length of certain compound nouns (which are created by tacking two – or more – words together, without using hyphens to clarify where one ends and the next begins), as well as the many noun and verb forms one must master (memorize) in order to use German cases properly.As the essay progresses, Twain includes a few hilarious passages that are partly or mostly in (his own, awful) German. Nevertheless, the work is easily understandable even by people who don’t know any German at all.(In the novel, A Tramp Abroad, Twain details his journey with his friend, Harris, through Germany, the Alps, and Italy, where he encounters various ridiculous situations. Here, much of the humor lies in his silly, often over-stated characterization of the circumstances as quickly grasped and easily explained by such a seasoned tourist as himself, while he also make plain throughout the profoundly strange nature of many of his experiences, and the various pitfalls he and Harris run into as they try to navigate their unfamiliar terrain.) (Introduction by Kirsten Wever)

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Mark Twain, The Awful German Language

One hundred simple fish sauces. Sixty-five ways to cook mackerel. The Catching of Unshelled Fish. Twenty-seven ways to Cook Frogslegs. Now that should certainly make you reach for your apron and fish knife! How to Cook Fish by Olive Green is a vintage culinary classic, filled with simple, easy to follow recipes rendered in a terse, no nonsense style. There’s none of this fiddling with scales, weights and measures. What you get is a mélange of interesting, unusual ways to cook seafood without worrying about lists of ingredients, timings, temperature or any of the conventions followed by traditional cookbooks. If you’ve read that old Victorian favorite, Lavender and Old Lace (which was later adapted very successfully as Arsenic and Old Lace) by Myrtle Reed, you’d certainly be interested to know that the author had an equally successful career as a writer of popular cook books. Writing under the pseudonym Olive Green, Reed published six very successful books on cooking. However, from 1898 to her suicide in 1911, she continuously published at least one novel every year. The books are romantic and highly emotional in nature, full of unrequited passion, revenge, mystery and supernatural happenings. She also wrote a collection of stories about important women who made a difference to society. In between, she wrote pamphlets, married her Canadian pen-pal, suffered severe and debilitating bouts of insomnia and engaged in charity work. Her cookbooks are characterized by interesting tips on home making and the art of cooking, peppered with literary nuggets and quotations, witty remarks and anecdotes, all of which make How to Cook Fish not just an excellent recipe book but also an interesting and entertaining read. She also provides lists of what fish are in season during particular times of year, thus ensuring that the cook uses only the freshest of ingredients. How to Cook Fish is divided into 45 chapters. The One Hundred Fish Sauces are arranged in alphabetical order, starting with “Admiral Sauce” and ending with “White Sauce.” In between you have recipes for “Brown Tomato Sauce” “Sicilian Sauce” and other such unusual concoctions. Under the chapter One Hundred Miscellaneous Recipes you have items such as Fish a la Brunswick, Chartreuse of Fish, Jellied Fish Salad and many other great variations. This is indeed a great addition to your kitchen library and the clear, simple way in which the recipes are presented would tempt even the least adventurous of cooks to try a hand at one of these delicious sounding creations.

Categories: Arts

Tags: advice, audio books, audiobook, Cookery, ebooks, free audio books, How to Cook Fish, instruction, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Olive Green

The Mysterious Island is another exquisite novel written by the master of adventure writing, Jules Verne. The novel has been seen as the sequel to two other famous novels written by the same author: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and In Search of the Castaway. The story revolves around five Americans who live in a dark and harsh environment as prisoners of the American Civil War. Depleted by famine and death all around them, the five war prisoners take a big risk and escape by hijacking a hot air balloon. The five fugitives, an engineer, a servant, a former slave, a sailor and a journalist have to face an ugly and destroying storm, crashing on a mysterious volcanic island. The five men start a new living there, but circumstances soon become mysterious when a message in a bottle turns up on the beach. With pirate attacks and erupting volcanoes these five escapees get more than they bargained for. This book is a fun read for anyone with an adventurous spirit deep inside.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Jules Verne, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, science, science-fiction, Teen/Young adult, The Mysterious Island

Antiquities of the Jews was a work published by the important Jewish historian Flavius Josephus about the year 93 or 94. It is a history of the Jewish people, written in Greek for Josephus’ gentile patrons. Beginning with the creation of Adam and Eve, it follows the events of the historical books of the Hebrew Bible, but sometimes omits or adds information.Volume 1 contains Books 1-5 and ends with the dedication of Samuel and death of Eli the priest.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Ancient Texts, audio books, audiobook, Classics (antiquity), ebooks, Flavius Josephus, free audio books, History, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, The Antiquities of the Jews