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This is Charles Dickens’s second novel and regarded as one of his best. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and titled; Oliver Twist, or; A Parish Boys Progress. As a book, it first appeared in 1838 in three volumes. The story follows the title character Oliver Twist, who, being born and raised in a workhouse for the first ten years of his life, runs away to nearby London. Here, he falls in with a gang of young thieves and pickpockets controlled by Fagin, an elderly criminal.

Paul Revere is the subject, and his famous ride is the adventure found in this short poem by acclaimed author Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

After the death of their father, Oedipus, Antigone and Ismene return to Thebes. The ruler is their unyielding uncle by marriage, Creon, who assumed command after the death of the sons of Oedipus, Eteocles, and Polynices in a fratricidal struggle to take control of the city. Creon has the body of one brother buried with full civic honors but forbids the burial of the body of the other, whom he regards as a traitor. Antigone's challenge to Creon's decree, which she considers unjust, results in the extinction of the family line of Oedipus.

Ecclesiastes reminds us of the transitory nature of life and ponders its meaning. Many familiar phrases and passages are found in it -- the most well known perhaps "To everything there is a season..." In fact, many book titles are taken from Ecclesiastes: John Grisham's "A Time to Kill", Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises", Henry James' "The Golden Bowl", Edith Wharton's "The House of Mirth", and James Agee's "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men".

Billy Byrne is a tough, a hoodlum, and a mucker. His adventures take him from the streets of Chicago to the wilds of the South Pacific to the hobo rails of America to the flatlands of Pancho Villa's Mexico. And even a mucker can be redeemed by the love of a beautiful girl. This is quintessential Americana from the pen of one of the 20th century's most popular authors.

When Robin Anstey KC comes upon the beautiful Miss Blake, who has been wounded while courageously attempting to detain a fleeing murderer, he calls upon his long-time legal collaborator Dr. John Thorndyke to investigate the killing. But what at first looks like a mere robbery gone wrong, leaving a scene awash with clues, in fact proves to be far from straightforward. And while trying to untie that knot, Thorndyke also interests himself in the still more complex mystery of Miss Blake's family inheritance, and the cat's eye pendant....

Sent forth on a quest to bring magic to the Vale of Erl, the young lord Alveric obtains a sword of thunderbolt iron, and crosses the twilight border into Elfland, returning with the beautiful Princess Lirazel as his bride. But, for two people from different worlds, however much in love, happiness is not guaranteed, and in the fields, we know, where all things are subject to the remorseless march of time, nothing truly lives happily ever after.

Nellie Bly, born Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864, was an American journalist, author, and charity worker who received initial renown after writing a stinging expose of the mistreatment of the mentally ill while faking insanity and living undercover at a New York mental institution. At a time when women were just beginning to break into the field of journalism, the type of undercover investigative reporting undertaken by Bly set an important precedent, allowing her to successfully pioneer working in the male dominated field of newspaper writing.

In this American classic, 17-year-old William is in the throes of first love. Lola Pratt, the object of his affection, is visiting her cousin in William's town for the summer. William finds obstacles at every turn in winning her affections, in the form of other suitors, a pesky little sister, and the necessity of the "perfect outfit". With the pomposity of Frasier Crane and the soul of a poet, William attempts to win Miss Pratt's heart and to be the sole recipient of her charming "baby talk".

Four classic stories by Joseph Conrad, of the sea and those who live by the sea: First, phlegmatic and unimaginative Captain MacWhirr pits his ship and his own indomitable will against the fury of a tropical typhoon. Then, tender-hearted country girl Amy Foster takes pity upon a shunned and bewildered foreign castaway; and a young sea captain becomes embroiled in the courtship of tugboat captain Falk, a man haunted by an incident in his past.

The first in a series of 28 Tom Swift books by Victor Appleton, this book introduces us to our hero Tom Swift son of noted inventor, Barton Swift. Tom's father's invention for new and improved turbine motor is stolen by the Happy Harry Gang, who we will meet in future episodes since they manage to escape this time. Each chapter is a cliffhanger filled with intrigue, espionage and excitement!

Immerse yourself in T.S. Eliot's thought-provoking poem as award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti reads "The Hollow Men".

A charming but ineffective prince takes the road less travelled after a hunt, setting in motion events that result in him losing his wife and his kingdom of Grunewald in under a week. The plot is thick with disreputable characters (even the prince) as well as court intrigue, treachery, and deceit...but in the hands of master storyteller Robert Louis Stevenson, these larger-than-life characters are delightful, and the almost-serious events become part of a lighthearted and sweet fairy tale complete with a happy ending.

Award-winning voice actor Diane Havens reads the final book of the New Testament, in the language of the King James Version, the imagery is powerful and poetic. Authorship is attributed to John, referred to as St. John the Divine, who is a prisoner on the island of Patmos when Jesus reveals to him a vision of the future, of the end of days, thus "Revelation" possibly one of the most important books of the New Testament, prophesying the return of Jesus and bringing judgment to all on earth.

Sacrificing herself for the safety of her father, Beauty goes to the castle of the Beast to die. However, the Beast turns out to be a "softy", and showers Beauty with many gifts, but tells her she may not leave the palace. But she wants to leave.... What does he do? This European tale, told vividly by narrator Kathy Verduin, is an exquisite story of love and family.

I recorded this the day after we lost one of our beloved pets. Rainbow Bridge is the theme of several works of poetry written in the 1980s and 1990s that speak of an other-worldly place where pets go upon death, eventually to be reunited with their owners. It brings a lump to my throat, and often a tear to my eye but also comfort as I recall good times with Pongo.

Spoon River Anthology is a collection of poems that describe life - and death - in a small town. Each poem is a monologue delivered by a resident of Spoon River, describing events in their lives, and the circumstances that led to their occasionally untimely end. Edgar Lee Masters wrote this theatrical masterpiece to highlight the typical small town. The fascinating characters and realistic imagery make it easy to see why this is an American classic.

The great financier, Sir Reuben Levy, disappears from his Park Lane home on a November night, apparently without a stitch of clothing, or even his spectacles. On the same night in a suburban bathroom in Battersea, an unknown body bearing a superficial resemblance to Sir Reuben is discovered, reclining in the bath tub, unseasonably dressed in nothing but a pair of pince-nez.

The city of Parole is burning. Like Venice slipping into the sea, Parole crumbles into fire. The entire population inside has been quarantined, cut off from the rest of the world, and left to die—directly over the open flame. Eye in the Sky, a deadly and merciless police force, ensures no one escapes. Ever. All that’s keeping Parole alive is faith in the midst of horrors and death, trust in the face of desperation… and their fantastic, terrifying, and beautiful superhuman abilities.

Published in 1871, Little Men is a sequel to the novel, Little Women. It tells the continuing story of Jo March, who has married Professor Bhaer, with whom she now runs a small school.