Other books that might interest you

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  Ukridge

  P. G. Wodehouse

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  Stanley Featherstonehough Ukridge is willing to do anything to get a buck – except, of course, work. Bombastic and big-eared, Ukridge has a bottomless well of corking ideas that never seem to work out, yet he’s always willing to volunteer others to tackle the inconvenient bits. Whether he’s commandeering a dog college, managing a tender-hearted pugilist, or brushing the perpetual chips off his aunt’s shoulder, Ukridge’s spotty success record never gets him down.  
  Ukridge had a special place in Wodehouse’s heart, appearing in stories for 60 years, with the last published as late as 1966. Ukridge first appeared to American audiences in Love Among the Chickens (1906). While this collection is the second published (1924), the events take place before the dodgy poultry adventure. 

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  Old New York

  Edith Wharton

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  Spanning four decades in the mid-nineteenth century, the interconnected novellas of Old New York lay out the complex and inscrutable codes, customs, and taboos of New York society in classic Wharton style.
  
  In False Dawn (1840s), Mr. Halston Raycie sends his son Lewis to Europe to buy art, as Mr. Raycie aims to ascend to the upper crust of society by means of a well-respected art collection. But when Lewis returns from Europe with daring pieces by artists unknown to the New York socialites and tastemakers, his appalled father disinherits him, only to discover, too late, the wisdom of his son's intuition.
  The Old Maid (1850s), the best known of the four novellas, follows the life of Tina, a young woman caught between the mother who adopted her--the beautiful, upstanding Delia--and her true mother, her plain, unmarried aunt Charlotte, who gave Tina up to provide her with a socially acceptable life. The three women live quietly together until Tina's wedding day, when Delia's and Charlotte's hidden jealousies rush to the surface.
  
  Then in The Spark (1860s), Mr. Hayley Delane recounts how his life has turned out since he was wounded in the Civil War, where, during his rehabilitation, he chances to meet a certain American poet whose memory stays with him all his life.
  
  And finally in New Year's Day (1870s), Mrs. Lizzie Hazeldean's suspected affair with the unmarried Henry Prest is the center of scandal and gossip in the city, but the true nature of the relationship is not what it may seem.

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  War and Peace

  Leo Tolstoy

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  War and Peace is a literary work by Russian author Leo Tolstoy. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, the work mixes fictional narrative with chapters discussing history and philosophy. First published serially beginning in 1865, the work was rewritten and published in its entirety in 1869. It is regarded as Tolstoy's finest literary achievement and remains an internationally praised classic of world literature.
  The work chronicles the Napoleonic era within Russia, notably detailing the French invasion of Russia and its aftermath. The book highlights the impact of Napoleon on Tsarist society through five interlocking narratives following different Russian aristocratic families. Portions of an earlier version, titled The Year 1805, were serialized in The Russian Messenger from 1865 to 1867 before the novel was published in its entirety in 1869.
  Tolstoy said that the best Russian literature does not conform to standards and hence hesitated to classify War and Peace, saying it is "not a novel, even less is it a poem, and still less a historical chronicle". Large sections, especially the later chapters, are philosophical discussions rather than narrative. He regarded Anna Karenina as his first true novel.

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  Betty Brown the St Giles Orange...

  Hannah More

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  Hannah More was born on February 2nd, 1745 at Fishponds in the parish of Stapleton, near Bristol. She was the fourth of five daughters. 
  The City of Bristol, at that time, was a centre for slave-trading and Hannah would, over time, become one of its staunchest critics.  
  She was keen to learn, possessed a sharp intellect and was assiduous in studying.  Hannah first wrote in 1762 with The Search after Happiness (by the mid-1780s some 10,000 copies had been sold). 
  In 1767 Hannah became engaged to William Turner.  After six years, with no wedding in sight, the engagement was broken off.  Turner then bestowed upon her an annual annuity of £200.  This was enough to meet her needs and set her free to pursue a literary career.   
  Her first play, The Inflexible Captive, was staged at Bath in 1775. The famous David Garrick himself produced her next play, Percy, in 1777 as well as writing both the Prologue and Epilogue for it.  It was a great success when performed at Covent Garden in December of that year.  
  Hannah turned to religious writing with Sacred Dramas in 1782; it rapidly ran through nineteen editions. These and the poems Bas-Bleu and Florio (1786) mark her gradual transition to a more serious and considered view of life. 
  Hannah contributed much to the newly-founded Abolition Society including, in February 1788, her publication of Slavery, a Poem recognised as one of the most important of the abolition period.   
  Her work now became more evangelical.  In the 1790s she wrote several Cheap Repository Tracts which covered moral, religious and political topics and were both for sale or distributed to literate poor people.  The most famous is, perhaps, The Shepherd of Salisbury Plain, describing a family of incredible frugality and contentment. Two million copies of these were circulated, in one year. 
  In 1789, she purchased a small house at Cowslip Green in Somerset. She was instrumental in setting up twelve schools in the area by 1800. 
  She continued to oppose slavery throughout her life, but at the time of the Abolition Bill of 1807, her health did not permit her to take as active a role in the movement as she had done in the late 1780s, although she maintained a correspondence with Wilberforce and others.  
  In July 1833, the Bill to abolish slavery throughout the British Empire passed in the House of Commons, followed by the House of Lords on August 1st. 
  Hannah More died on September 7th, 1833.

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  Canterville Ghost The (Unabridged)

  Oscar Wilde

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  "The Canterville Ghost" The first of Wilde's stories to be published, appearing in the magazine The Court and Society Review in February 1887. When a family from the United States buys Canterville Chase, they are told it is haunted by a horrible spirit, but this does not deter them in the slightest. Indeed, when they find a recurring blood stain on the floor, and hear creaking chains in the night, even seeing the ghost himself, all they do is clean up the blood and insist that the ghost oil his manacles if he is going to keep living in the house. This perturbs the ghost to no end, and he does everything he can to try to frighten the family.

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  The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

  Mark Twain

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  Step into the barefoot days of childhood adventure with Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, brought to life through the warm, vibrant narration of Michael Lyons. Join mischievous Tom, his loyal friend Huck Finn, and sweet Becky Thatcher as they navigate life along the Mississippi River—where painting fences becomes a masterclass in persuasion, cave exploring turns perilous, and dreams of pirate gold stir the imagination. 
  This classic tale captures the restless spirit of youth with humor, heart, and a keen eye for the joys and misadventures that shape us. Whether you're rediscovering the novel or experiencing it for the first time, this performance brings all the magic, mayhem, and memory of growing up in a small American town to vivid life. 
  A timeless treasure for listeners of all ages.

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