Other books that might interest you

• 

  Emma

  Jane Austen

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  "Emma" is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1815. The story revolves around Emma Woodhouse, a well-off young woman who prides herself on her matchmaking abilities. Despite her best intentions, her meddling often leads to misunderstandings and complications. As Emma navigates the challenges of friendships, romance, and social standings in her small English village, she also undergoes a journey of personal growth and self-discovery. The novel deals with themes of social class, marriage, and individual agency within the context of early 19th-century England.

  Show book

• 

  The Short Stories of Jack London...

  Jack London

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  John Griffith Chaney was born on January 12th, 1876 in San Francisco.   
   
  His father, William Chaney, was living with Flora Wellman when she became pregnant.  Chaney insisted she have an abortion.  Flora's response was to turn a gun on herself.  Although her wounds were not severe the trauma made her temporarily deranged. 
   
  In late 1876 his mother married John London and the young child was brought to live with them as they moved around the Bay area, eventually settling in Oakland where now, calling himself Jack, he completed grade school. 
   
  Jack worked hard at several jobs, sometimes 12-18 hours a day, but his dream was university.  He studied hard and borrowed the money to enrol in the summer of 1896 at the University of California in Berkeley. 
   
  In 1897, at 21, Jack searched out newspaper accounts of his mother's suicide attempt and for the name of his biological father. He wrote to Chaney, then living in Chicago, who claimed he could not be Jack’s father because he was impotent and casually asserted that London's mother had relations with other men.  Jack, devastated by the response, quit Berkeley and went to the Klondike. Other accounts suggest that his dire finances presented Jack with the excuse he needed to leave. 
   
  In the Klondike Jack began to gather material for his writing but also accumulated many health problems, including scurvy, which together with hip and leg problems he would carry for the rest of his life. 
   
  During the late 1890's Jack was regularly publishing short stories and by the turn of the century full blown novels. 
   
  By 1904 Jack had married, fathered two children and was now in the process of divorcing.  A stint as a reporter on the Russo-Japanese war of 1904 was equal amounts trouble and experience. But that experience was always put to good use in a continuing and remarkable output of work. 
   
  In 1905 he married Charmian Kittredge who at last was a soul and companion who brought him some semblance of peace despite his advancing alcoholism and his incurable wanderlust. 
   
  Twelve years later Jack had amassed both wealth and a literary reputation through such classics as ‘The Call of the Wild’, ‘White Fang’ and many others. He had a reputation as a social activist and was a tireless friend of the workers.   
   
  Jack London died suffering from dysentery, late-stage alcoholism and uremia, aged only 40, on November 22nd 1916 at his property in Glen Elen in California. 
  01 - Jack London - A Short Story Collection - An Introduction 
  02 - To Build a Fire by Jack London 
  03 - A Wicked Woman by Jack London 
  04 - The Unparallelled Invasion by Jack London 
  05 - A Thousand Deaths by Jack London

  Show book

• 

  The Diary of Katy Yehonala

  Robert Barclay

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  The Diary of Katy Yehonala is a sweeping, evocative tale spanning three generations of resilient women navigating personal and political upheaval in Mao’s China and beyond and finding their place in the world. Beautifully narrated by Natasha Cheng, first through the lens of the child (May-ling), then later as the grown-up Katy, we are drawn into a world where the indomitable spirit of love, family, and heritage triumphs. 
  Guided by her mother’s unyielding grace and wisdom, May-ling’s identity is shaped by the powerful legacy of her family, echoing the resilience of women who came before her and the delicate balance of tradition and self-determination. 
  Rich in detail, The Diary of Katy Yehonala is a deeply personal narrative and a profound commentary on love, loyalty, and the sacrifices we make for family. With lyrical prose, haunting landscapes and unforgettable women, this novel celebrates the human spirit.  
  About the narrator 
  Natasha Cheng is one of Australia’s rising stars of theatre and film. She has performed in numerous theatre productions with rave reviews and was nominated for best play at The Sydney Fringe Festival in 2023. She’s performed dramatic Shakespearean lead roles (Macbeth and Iago in Othello) and appeared in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) and Spores (2023). Natasha recently featured in her own production of a supernatural comedy web series called Fangs and Fur on the ABC. She also appeared in Shippers (a contender for the 2025 AACTA Awards) and starred in Death in the Pantheon at Sydney’s Flight Path Theatre.

  Show book

• 

  The Improvised Life of Polycarp...

  Victor Canning

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  An exuberant, life-affirming novel of taking your chances 
   
  After a spur-of-the-moment day out with his boss’ daughter in celebration of his 21st birthday, Polycarp Jarvis decides to quit his Bristol-based junior government worker job. Newly emboldened, he embarks on an erratic, engaging and not always strictly legal course through life. 
   
  Going from bus driver for the Red Dragon Motor Company to co-owner of a flying company, to seller of quack medicines, and eventually to media tycoon, Polycarp makes much of his luck along the way. Through ups and downs, his exuberance and charm carry him through. 
   
  But what kind of person will he be by the end? 
   
  This gentle coming-of-age story was hugely popular on first publication in the 1930s and retains a timeless appeal today. 
  Praise for Victor Canning: 
   
  ‘Quite delightful … with an atmosphere of quiet contentment and humour that cannot fail to charm.’ Daily Telegraph 
   
  ‘There is such a gentle humour in the book.’ Daily Sketch 
   
  ‘A paean to the beauties of the English countryside and the lovable oddities of the English character.’ New York Times 
   
  ‘His delight at the beauties of the countryside and his mild astonishment at the strange ways of men are infectious.’ Daily Telegraph 
   
  ‘A swift-moving novel, joyous, happy and incurably optimistic.’ Evening Standard 
    
   ‘His gift of story-telling is obviously innate. Rarely does one come on so satisfying an amalgam of plot, characterisation and good writing.’ Punch

  Show book

• 

  Allegro - A Novel

  Ariel Dorfman

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  This thrilling historical mystery starring Mozart tells of friendship and betrayal, and how music allows us to defy death—from the acclaimed author of Death and the Maiden and The Suicide Museum.In 1789 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart visits the grave of Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig, looking for a sign, a signal, an answer to an enigma that has haunted him since childhood: Was Bach murdered by a famous oculist? And years later, was Handel a victim of the same doctor?Allegro follows his investigation, from the salons of London to the streets of Paris, recreating an enthralling and turbulent time, full of rogues and brilliant composers, charlatans and presumptuous nobles. Running parallel to this search is the rise of Mozart, his knowledge and fame, his trials and losses.

  Show book

• 

  The Porcelain Menagerie

  Jillian Forsberg

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  In 18th-century Dresden, art, ambition, and power are as fragile—and as dangerous—as porcelain. 
  Young sculptor Johann Kändler is summoned to the royal court, where King Augustus the Strong demands a lifelike porcelain menagerie. One mistake could ruin him—or cost his life. Decades earlier, Fatima, a Turkish handmaiden turned royal mistress, must navigate court intrigues, reclaim her identity, and survive a world where beauty and obedience are prized above all else. 
  Two lives. One king. A deadly obsession. 
  Narrated by Caroline Hewitt, this immersive audiobook brings the glittering yet perilous world of Dresden to life, capturing every whisper, rivalry, and delicate porcelain masterpiece. 
  Perfect for fans of Sarah Penner and Emelia Hart, The Porcelain Menagerie is historical fiction at its most vivid, intricate, and unforgettable.

  Show book