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Burroughs’ second book in the classic Barsoom series, The Gods of Mars is a scientific fiction novel following the adventures of John Carter as he returns to Mars after a ten year hiatus in the hope of being reunited with his wife, child and the Red Martian people. First published as a five-part serial in a pulp magazine in the course of 1913, the novel was later published as a whole in 1918. A tale of audacity, honor, optimism, and perseverance, Burroughs successfully builds on to the previous book allowing a broader view of the Red Planet. The novel begins as John Carter returns to Barsoom after his involuntary absence of ten years and finds himself in the Valley Dor, or the Barsoomian afterlife from which no one is permitted to leave. However, the Valley Dor is anything but a spiritual haven and instead Carter discovers that it is a ruse, forged by the Therns, a race of self-proclaimed gods. For eons they have deceived Barsoomians into believing that the pilgrimage to the Valley Dor is a journey to paradise, although in reality most visitors are either killed or enslaved by the Therns. Accompanied by friend Tars Tarkas, the pair tries to escape from the place, and are aided by the confusion caused by an attack by the Black Pirates of Barsoom upon the Therns. Taking advantage of the present mayhem, Carter and his accomplices are able to hijack a Black Pirate flier, killing most of the Pirates in the process and saving a Thern captive. Carter learns that the Black Pirates or the “First Born”, also see themselves as gods therefore clarifying their hatred for the Therns. The Red Planet finds itself in a time of crisis, immersed in religious and schismatic conflict, and it is up to Carter to not only participate but maneuver a planetary scale revolution. Burroughs continues his fast moving plot full of action and twists, as the endearing hero must prevail through many obstacles and bring order between the inhabitants, while ultimately reuniting himself with his family. The Gods of Mars is an exciting installment in the Barsoom series which continues to pave the way for science fiction as its protagonist faces his greatest challenges and deadliest dangers to date.

Categories: Arts

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Edgar Rice Burroughs, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, science, science-fiction, The Gods of Mars

If you’ve watched and loved Winona Ryder playing the innocent May Welland in the 1993 film adaptation of Edith Wharton’s sweeping novel about class-consciousness in nineteenth century America, you will certainly enjoy reading the original. Though Martin Scorcese’s brilliant work was certainly true to the spirit of the original novel, no film can reproduce the charm of language and turn of phrase employed by one of America’s greatest writers. The Age of Innocence was Edith Wharton’s 12th novel and is located in familiar Wharton territory. The genteel snobbery of the upper classes with its underlying cruelty and heartless judgments passed on those who cross the line is wonderfully depicted in The Age of Innocence. The story opens at a glittering music concert, featuring the wonderful opera singer Christine Nilsson singing Faust at the Music Academy in New York. In the high-society club boxes, the leading lights of New York society train their opera glasses on the crowd, occasionally throwing a sniping remark or two. Newland Archer, a young, handsome, wealthy lawyer whose privileged background is matched only by that of his new fiancée, May Welland. As the self satisfied and complacent Archer surveys the crowd in the opera theater, he overhears two men gossiping about a lady who has just entered a nearby opera box. She is Ellen Olenska, the recent widow of a Polish count, who had shocked society a few years earlier by first marrying a complete outsider and then running away from him to live alone in various cities across Europe. For Archer, the issue is complicated by the fact that Ellen is his beloved May’s first cousin. What follows has a devastating impact on the lives of everyone who is connected with the cousins. The story traces the roots of social prejudices and is an absolutely frank and fearless look at the hypocrisy, double standards and betrayals that people indulge in, in the name of “good form.” The Age of Innocence is filled with memorable characters like the elderly gossip Sillerton Jackson, who is not just considered to be an authority on “families” but also possesses an indelible memory about every single scandal and mystery that has occurred in the claustrophobic Manhattan society of the day. The Age of Innocence won the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 and takes its title from a famous eighteenth century English painting by Joshua Reynolds. It was initially serialized in 1920 in the Pictorial Review magazine, but later compiled into a book and published in the following year. As a ruthless and bitter commentary on the social mores of the day, The Age of Innocence is certainly an insightful book to enjoy.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Edith Wharton, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, The Age of Innocence

This story opens with a lovely, poor and proud young woman who lives with her aunt. The young woman saves the life of a farmer who subsequently falls in love with her. However, the young woman inherits a fortune and moves away. On the flip side the farmer loses everything he has and travels around the country seeking employment. One evening the farmer helps to put out a blazing fire in a lonely farm. When the veiled owner comes out to thank him, he discovers that she is none other than the beautiful woman who once rejected him and moved away. Thomas Hardy was brought up in rural Dorset and was the son of a humble stonemason. He suffered from life long ill health and was schooled at home till he was sixteen. He then trained to be an architect and began writing poetry. He wrote his first novel The Poor Man and The Lady in 1867 but met with little success. Hardy destroyed the manuscript and worked on two others which were published but anonymously. In 1873, he published A Pair of Blue Eyes, to which he put his own name and this book was relatively more successful. In fact the term, “cliff-hanger” which refers to stories in which the reader is left in suspense till the next chapter originated with the book which originally appeared in serial form in a magazine. Far From the Madding Crowd was Hardy’s fourth novel and gave him his first taste of literary and commercial success. It also laid the foundation for several themes that Hardy would continue to use. The concept of Wessex itself was an important Hardy motif in which he contrasts the rural setting against a rapidly industrializing urban England. In many of his novels, his characters are unable to stem the flow of events. The effects of overwhelming passion, women’s rights, society’s constraints and demands which clash with individual wants and desires, are some of the themes explored in his work. The beautiful and proud Bathsheba Everdene, Gabriel Oak, the man who loves her, the rich, lonely and strait laced William Boldwood, the dashing and debonair Sergeant Troy, the tragic Fanny Robin are all memorable characters who make Far From the Madding Crowd an absorbing and thought provoking read.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Far From the Madding Crowd, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Thomas Hardy

His name has become a metaphor for one who will never grow old. Peter Pan by JM Barrie is the story of a boy who remains a boy while the world around him changes. Sir James Mathew Barrie was a Scottish playwright and novelist whose works were received with great critical and commercial success in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He discovered the main inspiration for his creative genius in his friendship (and later guardianship) with the children of Arthur and Sylvia Llewellyn-Davies. The Llewellyn-Davies boys, five in number and related to the famous Du Maurier family, featured in many of Barrie’s stories and plays and some of these works were written specifically for them. Peter Pan was first introduced as a character in one of Barrie’s stories, The Little White Bird in 1901. Consequently, he appeared in a few other stories and plays and finally in 1904 made his debut in a full length play, Peter Pan or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up. Following the phenomenal success of the play, Barrie transformed it into a novel in 1911 entitled Peter and Wendy. Peter Pan is pure and delightful fantasy. Peter’s character is far from a “perfect child.” He is selfish, foolish, thoughtless and ignorant and this is where the real appeal of the book lies. Readers are preconditioned to believe that childhood and children must always be portrayed as good and innocent. However, Barrie portrays Peter in all his authentic humanity and that’s what makes him so endearing because we truly see ourselves in Peter Pan. The descriptions are fascinating in their detail and intricacy, the dialog and conversations are absolutely spot on and Neverland is a brilliant example of the Utopia we all seek in its perfection and completeness. Captain Hook is a truly evil villain, while Tinkerbell shines in all her haughty magic. For readers who have only seen the saccharine sweet Disney version, the original Peter Pan may come as a surprise! Peter Pan cajoles Wendy Darling and two more boys to fly with him to Neverland to become the surrogate family of the Lost Boys there. A series of adventures follows, including scary encounters with Captain Hook and the vicious Tiger Lily. In fact, many readers have found the tale to be quite a disturbing Victorian fantasy about motherhood and emotional immaturity. Whatever the interpretation, Peter Pan remains one of the most brilliant and definitive portrayals of childhood and children.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, J. M. Barrie, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Peter Pan, Teen/Young adult

King Solomon’s Mines is the story of the leader Allan Quatermain and his adventurous group of followers on their mission to find the lost brother of an aristocrat, Sir Henry Curtis. Considered similar to Robert Louise Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island, Haggard’s book proved to be another must-read adventure novel in the international literary world. The African desert hides underneath its sands myths and legends that lasted for centuries in the minds of the locals. Quatermain has a mysterious map that could lead to the ancient mines of the wise King Solomon. The road to discovery is not easy, and the group of adventurers must pass through dangerous and life threatening situations. They are taken prisoner by a local tribe ruled by King Twala, a violent and cruel person who wove his path to the throne by killing his brother and abandoning his sister-in-law in the hot sun of the African desert. The novel presents a whole series of furious battles between the Englishmen and the indigenous tribes, in the end the road to King Solomon’s mines being revealed by the maleficent Gagool. The mysteries deepen when Quatermain discovers the body of the adventurer who drew the map to these mines in his own blood. But how will they get to the labyrinth of the mines and find the correct route through? This and many mysteries will keep you riveted as you read this book. King Solomon’s Mines is a great book to explore the ancient world and discover wisdom through Haggard’s amazing narration.

Categories: Arts

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, H Rider Haggard, King Solomon's Mines, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com

Burroughs’ first published book, as well as the first book in the Barsoom series, A Princess of Mars is a science fiction novel following the adventures of the heroic John Carter, after he is mysteriously transported to the planet Mars where he meets its divided inhabitants. The novel is considered to be a seminal for the planetary romance, which is a sub-genre of science fantasy. Burroughs’ book has also inspired a number of well known science fiction writers during the beginning of the 20th century. The story sets off with the introduction of Civil War veteran John Carter, who while mining for gold in Arizona, gets into a skirmish with native Indians. Forced to evade inside a mysterious cave, he is mysteriously transported to Mars, or Barsoom as it is called by its inhabitants. Carter discovers that he has immense strength and agility caused by the lower force of gravity on the planet. He then becomes acquainted with the Tharks, a nomadic tribe described as having four arms, a fearsome temperament and mostly distinguished by their green skin. The Tharks first instincts to kill the strange creature are quickly pushed aside as they are amazed by Carter’s super abilities and decide to take him prisoner instead. Carter learns the importance the Tharks place on strength and brutality, and through his new found vigor he rises to earn a respectable place among the tribe. Soon the princess Dejah Thoris, who is a part of the humanoid red race of Helium, is captured by the Tharks. Carter’s attempt to save the princess causes him to be caught up in the politics of the two opposing Martian sides. As an escapist fantasy, the novel contains many imaginative ideas which are successfully portrayed through its depiction of the Red Planet and includes a detailed illustration of alien culture, romance, and action. The detail in which it is written and its fast moving plot is what grabs and maintains the full attention of the reader. A story of loyalty and sacrifice, A Princess of Mars is a masterpiece of its time and an influence for the pulp fiction genre that followed.

Categories: Arts

Tags: A Princess of Mars, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Edgar Rice Burroughs, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com

Set in the small secluded valley of Sleepy Hollow, Irving’s short speculative story follows the rivalry between Ichabod Crane and Brom Van Brunt for Katrina Van Tassel’s hand in marriage. Mostly inhabited by descendants from Dutch settlers, the residents are known for their belief in superstitions and the supernatural, and have many stories to suffice their colorful imaginations. The story begins when the scrawny schoolmaster Ichabod Crane from Connecticut moves to Sleepy Hollow for a teaching job and rotates living with the families of his students. This type of living arrangement allows him to grow familiar with the stories circling the strange town. The most popular phenomena being that of the Headless Horseman, supposedly ghost of a Hessian soldier who lost his head during a battle in the American Revolutionary War. As Ichabod adjusts to his new home town, a visit to the rich farm of Baltus Van Tassel inspires him to win the hand of his only daughter Katrina. However, Katrina’s beauty and wealth have also attracted the attention of other bachelors in town including the exuberant Brom Van Brunt, or locally known as Brom Bones. Well in the habit of intimidating and scaring off Katrina’s suitors, mostly through physical confrontations, Brom instead turns to pranks as his main method of persuading Ichabod to give up on his love quest. A story torn between logic and superstition, the characters must determine what is real and what is not, or fall victim to local myths determining their fate. Other than being an intriguing story of greed, superstition and the supernatural, Irving also uses his main character Ichabod as a means of satire, mocking the seemingly refined culture of city dwellers. It is no coincidence that the educated Ichabod trades big city life for the small Sleepy Hollow, and is victim to the many pranks played on him. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of the earliest samples of American fiction which has remained a classic and favorite among its readers. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Horror/Ghost stories, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, MYSTERY, Short stories, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving

A thrilling spy story, a children’s adventure, a charming portrait of early twentieth century life in London and the countryside and a heart warming family tale are all combined in this classic of children’s literature The Railway Children by E Nesbit. The book has remained on the list of the best-loved children’s books ever since it was first published as a serial story in The London Magazine in 1905. Later, it was published in book form and won acclaim from critics and readers across the world for its wonderful elements of character and plot. Edith Nesbit the author published more than sixty books during her long and illustrious career as a children’s writer. She was considered to be the first modern children’s writer and departed from the hitherto focus on fantasy and fairytale type of themes that were considered suitable for children. Apart from writing for children, she wrote several novels for adults. She also dabbled in poetry, horror fiction and collaborations with other writers. Her works include another famous book, The Secret Garden which also explores the childhood landscape and influenced generations of children’s writers. She was also a political activist and laid the foundations for the present Labor Party in England. Her dominant themes were children in real life settings, contemporary events, children’s encounters with the mysterious and often nefarious activities of grown-ups, a deep psychological insight into the mind of a child and the enduring love of nature, family relationships and the simple pleasures of countryside life. The story opens with the description of three little Londoners who enjoy an ordinary, peaceful life in the city with visits to the Zoo and Madame Tussauds. They have a charming, well-appointed home and loving parents. Things take a sudden turn for the worst when Father suddenly leaves after receiving mysterious “bad news.” Mother decides equally suddenly to move with the children to the country-side and here begins their adventure with the railways. They befriend a strange Old Gentleman who invariably travels on the 9.15 train from near their home and get drawn into bizarre and dangerous events. Said to be based on contemporary events such as the Dreyfus Affair, Russian dissidents who were fighting the Tsarist regime and the circumstances leading up to World War I, The Railway Children though ostensibly written for children certainly appeals to readers of all ages. It has been adapted extensively for radio, stage, television and screen and has retained its freshness and thrill over the hundred plus years since it first made its debut.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, Edith Nesbit, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Railway Children

An eleven year old who remains eleven for more than half a century! As a literary creation, Richmal Crompton’s scalawag schoolboy has few peers. Along with his notorious gang of Outlaws, William Brown wreaks havoc not just on his family but also across the entire village. His long suffering family, the local shopkeepers and a host of unforgettable characters make the William series of 21 books a delightful and most amusing read. More William is the second in the long series written by Richmal Crompton Lamburn. She was a dedicated school teacher who began writing full time after she was crippled by polio at the age of 33. A life long sufferer of illnesses of various kinds, including cancer, Crompton’s William stories never reveal the darker side of life or despair. Instead, they celebrate youth, high spirits, mischief and the joy of childhood pranks. The William series met with instant success and to her own surprise, great financial rewards as well. She had written a short story entitled The Outlaws in 1917 but it came out only after another story entitled Rice Mould Pudding was published in the Home Magazine in 1919. It was in these stories that William first made his debut. In 1922, she published a collection entitled Just William featuring a cast of characters that went on to captivate generations of children and adults. She is less known for her considerable body of work in writing for adults, though she published more than 40 novels dealing with Edwardian themes. In fact, William himself was not aimed specifically at children. His misadventures and shenanigans hold much more appeal for grownups rather than younger readers through their humorous writing style. In More William, the young hero features in fourteen independent short stories. Some of them are truly hilarious like The Ghost in which William creates a “psychic” encounter for his cousin Mildred. Other tales like Knight at Arms have him and bosom pal Ginger rescuing a damsel in “distress” a la the Knight of La Mancha! Unable to bear the perceived atrocities of his family, William runs away from home in The Revenge. The collection also features Rice Mould Pudding which was the first published William story. Other stories feature William’s martyred family and their ineffectual efforts in coping with the head of the Outlaws. William’s eternal conflict with authority, his exuberance, his maverick take on life and his heroic ideals all form the backdrop to this truly engaging and enjoyable book.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, More William, Richmal Crompton

Legend Land is a collection of some of the OLD TALES told in those Western Parts of Britain served by the GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY, now retold by LYONESSE More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: art, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, Legend Land, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, various

This story opens with a young woman who voyages alone into the wilds of Alaska to escape her tragic past. It then continues on to a young man who passionately protects the pristine environment, people and way of life in this snowbound country. Finally, a greedy profiteer arrives in the narrative whose only aim is to fill his pockets. When these three characters encounter each other on the stark and snowy plains, it’s a clash of ideals and the sparks begin to fly. The Alaskan by James Oliver Curwood is one of his very engaging adventure romance conservationist stories and was an instant bestseller, like most of his books, when it was first published in 1923. Curwood was a highly successful writer in the early part of the twentieth century and was in fact, the best paid writer in the world at his time. His books were wildly popular and have been adapted for screen, stage, television and radio. Though he was a high school drop out, he wrote and passed a university entrance exam that gave him entry into the University of Michigan’s English department. He studied journalism and discovered his writing talents when he worked on a Detroit newspaper. He fell in love with Alaska when he traveled there on a story and decided that he would settle there once he’d saved enough. He continued to write and travel often to his dream destination. His books proved extremely successful and allowed him to retire early to devote himself to his writing. From 1903 until his death in 1927, he produced novels, essays, short stories and articles dealing mainly with his favorite subjects: Alaska and adventure. Though he was fond of hunting in his early years, he soon became a conservationist like many before him and died at the young age of 49. His former studio in Ossowo, Michigan is now a museum. Curwood’s writing style follows the great adventure story tradition of writers like Jack London who also used the Arctic and Arctic animals as heroes of their tales. His books have been translated into many world languages, including Swedish and Polish. The Alaskan is a typical Curwood tale, with wonderful descriptions of the Alaskan landscape, the wildlife, vegetation and local populations. The plot is studded with exciting twists and turns, memorable characters and is indeed a great read for young and old alike. Recent film adaptations of his 1916 book The Grizzly King and titled The Bear have led to a renewed interest in the work of this writer who was famous in his day, but is little known to modern readers.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Historical Fiction, James Oliver Curwood, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, nature, The Alaskan, travel

One of the earliest examples of literature written in the science fiction genre, From the Earth to the Moon is a part of the Voyages Extraordinaires series by French novelist Jules Verne. Written more than a century before the Apollo mission, Verne’s classic is somewhat a prophetic novel of man’s travel to the moon with its thorough and descriptive detail. A remarkable blend of action, humor, science, and audacious schemes, the timeless classic is sure to fascinate with its unique vision of lunar exploration. The story unfolds at the Baltimore Gun Club, a society of American Civil War veterans and weapon enthusiasts, who are in the midst of adjusting to a post-war environment and left feeling superfluous. During deliberations on how to deal with the declining need for artillery, club president Impey Barbicane puts forward his idea to build a giant cannon and launch a projectile to the moon. After the initial chaos the proposal causes, the members of the club unite in support of the idea. As the project receives public recognition, the Baltimore Gun Club gains even more courage to proceed with its endeavor, with significant donations pouring in from all over the world. However, Captain Nicholl of Philadelphia, an armor plate designer and old rival of Barbicane, contradicts the venture and makes a series of wagers with him about the success rate of such a feat. Accordingly, the members of the Baltimore Gun Club are busy at work with the formation and scientific calculations for their lunar expedition. Furthermore, a cheerful French adventurer appears and volunteers to be a passenger on board the projectile, and even convinces Barbicane and Nicholl to join him. An unforeseen array of characters and their cooperation brings together elements of comedy and suspense, leaving readers engrossed in the novel’s development. Verne uses his characters to present humorous stereotypes and a caricature representation of American nationalism. Nevertheless From the Earth to the Moon offers adventure, humor, and a range of comical and eccentric personalities. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, From the Earth to the Moon, Jules Verne, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, science, science-fiction, Teen/Young adult

The Arabian Nights is a collection of Perso-Arabic folk tales and other stories. The collection, or at least certain stories drawn from it (or purporting to be drawn from it), became widely known in the West from the 18th century, after it was translated from the Arabic — first into French and then into English and other European languages. The first English language edition, based on Galland’s French rather than the original Arabic, rendered the title as The Arabian Nights’ Entertainment – and this, or simply The Arabian Nights, has been the title by which it has been best known to English-speaking people ever since.

Categories: Arts, Education, Kids & Family

Tags: Andrew Lang, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Languages, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Short stories, The Arabian Nights

“An Adventurer – He that goes out to meet whatever may come!” This is the credo of Allan Quatermain, the quintessential, swashbuckling protagonist of Allan Quatermain by H. Rider Haggard. Quatermain first makes his appearance as a character in Haggard’s most famous bestselling adventure tale, King Solomon’s Mines. Published in 1885, this Victorian action novel depicts a group led by Allan Quatermain who travel to a remote region in Africa in search of the missing brother of one of them. It is considered the very first English adventure tale set in what was perhaps disparagingly then called the “Dark Continent.” King Solomon’s Mines was also an early example of marketing hype. The book became an instant bestseller following weeks of relentless publicity on billboards, newspaper ads and posters in London. It was also published at a time when expeditions to Egypt and other ancient civilizations were underway, thus generating huge interest in unexplored lands. In Allan Quatermain, the second book in the series, Rider Haggard tells of the further adventures of his cult hero. Quatermain is a professional big game hunter and trader. He is a typical colonialist and imperialist who believes that Africa needs to be “civilized” by the efforts of the White Man. However, he also believes that the native people should have a say in their own affairs. His faithful old servant, a Hottentot named Hans, accompanies him on most of his adventures. The book is set in the years following the King Solomon’s Mines episode. The opening chapter, The Consul’s Yarn begins with Quatermain’s two friends Sir Henry Curtis and Captain John Good visiting him to condole him on his young son’s untimely death. Quatermain is bored with his uneventful life in civilization and plans to return to the Africa. The friends agree to accompany him and this is the start of another fast paced saga, replete with blood thirsty tribal people, Masai warriors, meeting with an old Scottish civil servant and much more. Author of more than 60 books, Henry Rider Haggard was sent to Africa by his relatively wealthy father who felt that the boy would never amount to much. He returned from Africa following a moderately successful career as a government servant and settled down to write about his experiences. His novels did not meet with much initial success, but with the publication of King Solomon’s Mines, his name became a byword for adventure. He was also passionately interested in agricultural reform and social uplift of the colonies. Allan Quatermain is a great read and a good addition to your collection of adventure sagas.

Categories: Arts

Tags: Adventure, Allan Quatermain, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, H Rider Haggard, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com

Louisa May Alcott’s overwhelming success dated from the appearance of the first part of Little Women: or Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, (1868) a semi-autobiographical account of her childhood years with her sisters in Concord, Massachusetts. Part two, or Part Second, also known as Good Wives, (1869) followed the March sisters into adulthood and their respective marriages. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Good Wives, Louisa May Alcott, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com

A naïve but sincere young lawyer’s assistant who only dreams of marrying his childhood sweetheart and yearns to have a home and family with her. His sharp witted boss keeps the firm going by dint of shrewd business sense and legal talent. When the assistant accidentally stumbles into a murder case, the scene is set for events that change all their lives. Dead Men’s Money by Joseph Smith Fletcher was published in 1920, the era considered to be the Golden Age of detective fiction. Writers like Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy L. Sayers, Raymond Chandler, Ellery Queen, Georges Simenon and many more from different parts of the world were writing hundreds of novels that followed a more or less similar style and pattern. Cozy country houses, remote and lonely locations, a closed group of people, a series of murders, a romantic interest, the incompetence of the local police, an amateur or professional sleuth who successfully unravels the mystery and a final explanation were the elements of most of their books. Though these elements were acknowledged to be clichéd, the charm and appeal of the classic detective story has never waned. Joseph Smith Fletcher was a multi-talented writer. He was a journalist and historian as well as a leading writer of detective fiction during the Golden Age. His books are characterized by memorable characters, solid plot elements, brisk pace and “clean” story telling style. Fletcher also wrote some very notable non-fiction books on history, some novels about rural life, poetry and essays before turning to detective fiction in 1914. The success of his first book encouraged him to write more than 100 whodunits, many of them featuring his fictional sleuth, Ronald Camberwell. Set initially in the quiet environs of a rural small town, Berwick-on-Tweed, bordering Scotland, the plot of Dead Men’s Money takes the reader across many changing locales. It features a hero, Hugh Moneylaws, who is none too bright. His widowed mother runs a small boarding house to supplement the family income. Hugh wants desperately to make some extra cash, so he agrees to run a mysterious errand for one of the lodgers who is apparently too ill to go out. This sparks off a chain of events that impact all of them. Well constructed, exciting and amusing in parts, Dead Men’s Money is indeed a great addition to your library and is sure to appeal to readers of all ages. If you haven’t encountered JS Fletcher before, this could also be the start of a great collection of his novels.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, Dead Men's Money, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, Joseph Smith Fletcher, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, MYSTERY

Austen’s timeless romantic classic, follows the lives of the five Bennett sisters, who live in a time where an advantageous marriage and social status are considered a fundamental for any woman to stand a fair chance at life. Set at the turn of the 19th century, Pride and Prejudice catches a perfect glimpse not only of a time when women were socially and economically dependent solely on their marital status, but also as an age of enlightenment and witness of the French Revolution. This romantic novel with its hint of comic references begins with the famous quote “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” This famous quotation sets the story into motion as the eligible Mr. Bingley is introduced as he rides into town. The quote also draws in and to some extent reveals the content of the plot to come. Soon the news of the arrival of the well off Charles Bingley finds its way to the ears of the Bennett household. Having five unmarried daughters, the Bennetts are eager to match them up with suitable spouse candidates and see them prosperously married. After attending a ball, Mr. Bingley is instantly attracted to the oldest Bennett daughter Jane and it is fair to say that the feeling is mutual. Such cannot be said about his close friend Mr. Darcy who rudely refuses to dance with the second Bennett daughter Elizabeth. Consequently, Elizabeth’s first prejudice is born as she labels Mr. Darcy arrogant and obnoxious; however, she later learns never to judge a book by its cover and must swallow up her pride to achieve happiness. Pride and Prejudice witnesses the exciting courtships of the Bennett sisters and their suitors, as well as the not so joyful relationships of other characters. As the novel develops the relationships between the characters must outweigh the forces seeking to tear them apart. Experience the adventures of the Bennett sisters as they face the troublesome issues of manners, social class, family, and marriages in a male reliant society. A story not only portraying the unreliable nature of pride and prejudice, Austen’s classic also paints a vivid image of the past and the woman as a member of society.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, jane austen, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Pride and Prejudice

A life lived backwards, with events happening in reverse order forms the strange and unexpected framework of one of F Scott Fitzgerald’s rare short stories. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was published in Collier’s in 1927 and the idea came to Fitzgerald apparently from a quote of Mark Twain’s in which he regretted that the best part of life came at the beginning and the worst at the end. Fitzgerald’s concept of using this notion and turning the normal sequence of life on its head resulted in this delightful, thought provoking fantasy tale. The story was later incorporated in a Fitzgerald anthology, Tales of the Jazz Age. The story opens with a young, high society couple who are shocked beyond belief when they discover that their much awaited first born child resembles an elderly gent of seventy, complete with a white beard and whiskers, sitting up and querulously demanding to know, “Are you my father?” Their young son is born to live out a peculiar destiny. And so begins a grotesque journey through life, with the child, Benjamin “growing down” instead of up. Set in the Baltimore of the 1860s the story is also a satire of contemporary American society of the time. Though Fitzgerald maintains a cool and light tone throughout the story, it is in fact, deeply reflective and a very interesting take on the human condition. For contemporary readers who are familiar with the problems of aging and “second childhood” Benjamin Button’s difficulties with dealing with the demands of his chronological age vs his mental age are extremely interesting. As we find more and more older people succumbing to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, requiring the kind of care that an infant does, the story is strangely prophetic of the condition of geriatric care in our century. The plot is not exactly new to literature, with several stories and novels being written on a similar theme by many other writers. However, Fitzgerald’s take on growing old and how we humans deal with it is what sets The Curious Case of Benjamin Button apart. The style is extremely readable, the premise is intriguing and refreshingly different and appeals to readers of all ages. The story was adapted into a film in 2008 and continues to fascinate Fitzgerald fans the world over. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Comedy

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Comedy, Dramatic Works, ebooks, F. Scott Fitzgerald, fiction, free audio books, humor, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Short stories, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button