Publisher: Bu Classics Books
In a bid for political success, Denzil Quarrier navigates a minefield of secrets, betrayal, and social expectations in a provincial town. His progressive facade hides a scandalous private life that threatens to destroy his career and his relationships. A gripping exploration of hypocrisy and the ruthless machinations of local politics ensues.
If you're looking for a heartwarming collection of stories to bring joy and inspiration to the lives of seniors, then keep reading... "Short Stories for Seniors" is a heartwarming collection of fifty stories that are specifically tailored to bring joy and inspiration to the lives of seniors. Written with the unique perspective of those who have lived a long and fulfilling life, this audiobook offers a poignant look at the human experience through stories that are relatable, engaging, and uplifting. Each of the ten chapters focuses on a specific theme, ranging from family to friendship, love to loss, and even funny and uplifting stories. The stories are carefully curated to provide seniors with a sense of nostalgia, a reminder of the good times and memories they have made throughout their lives. Whether readers are looking for a comforting story about the warmth of family, a touching tale of friendship, or an uplifting anecdote that reminds them of the simple joys of life, "Short Stories for Seniors" has something for everyone. The stories are easy to read and will evoke a range of emotions, from laughter to tears, while reminding seniors of the many reasons to cherish their lives and the people around them. Overall, "Short Stories for Seniors" is a delightful and heartwarming audiobook that will resonate with readers of all ages. It is a perfect gift for seniors, as well as anyone who wants to be reminded of the beauty and value of life.Show book
Published in 1896, A Child of the Jago is a gritty and realistic portrayal of life in the slums of London’s East End during the late 19th century. The novel is set in an area known as the Old Jago (based on a real-life slum called the Old Nichol) and vividly describes the poverty, crime and squalor that characterised the impoverished neighbourhood. The story revolves around Dicky Perrott, a young boy growing up in the Jago, and his struggle for survival in a world of gangs, violence and despair. A Child of the Jago is considered a significant work of social realism, depicting the harshness of urban poverty and offering a stark critique of the societal structures that perpetuate it.Show book
France’s favorite gentleman thief, Arsène Lupin, returns in The Hollow Needle! Lupin is back to his trademark intricately plotted crimes, stealing from the wealthy with stealth and style. He easily evades the best efforts of Inspector Ganimard and the English detective Holmlock Shears, but when it comes to Isidore Beautrelet, an amateur detective still in high school, Lupin may have met his match. Beautrelet becomes quite the thorn in his side, and he may even be clever enough to thwart Lupin. But even Beautrelet may not be the greatest threat to Lupin’s schemes: it may be instead the woman who has stolen his heart … the woman to whom he has promised to give up his life of crime. Will he be able to keep his word? Or will the riches of France prove too tempting for this gentilhomme-cambrioleur?Show book
Herbert George Wells was born on September 21st, 1866 at Atlas House, 46 High Street, Bromley, Kent. He was the youngest of four siblings and his family affectionately knew him as ‘Bertie’. The first few years of his childhood were spent fairly quietly, and Wells didn’t display much literary interest until, in 1874, he accidentally broke his leg and was left to recover in bed, largely entertained by the library books his father regularly brought him. Through these Wells found he could escape the boredom and misery of his bed and convalescence by exploring the new worlds he encountered in these books. From these humble beginnings began a career that was, after several delays, to be seen as one of the most brilliant of modern English writers. Able to write comfortably in a number of genres he was especially applauded for his science fiction works such as The Time Machine and War of the Worlds but his forays into the social conditions of the times, with classics such as Kipps, were almost as commercially successful. His short stories are miniature masterpieces many of which bring new and incredible ideas of science fiction to the edge of present day science fact. Wells also received four nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature Despite a strong and lasting second marriage his affairs with other women also brought the complications of fathering other children. His writings and work against fascism, as well as the promotion of socialism, brought him into increasing doubts with and opposition to religion. His writings on what the world could be in works, such as A Modern Utopia, are thought provoking as well as being plausible, especially when viewed from the distressing times they were written in. His diabetic condition pushed him to create what is now the largest Diabetes charity in the United Kingdom. Wells even found the time to run twice for Parliament. It was a long, distinguished and powerfully successful career by the time he died, aged 79, on August 13th, 1946.Show book
Michael O'Brien was born in Cork, Ireland on 25th October 1826. He finished his education at the University of Dublin and some accounts have him serving for a time in the British army at some in this period. Whilst at college he had shown some talent for writing poetry and two of his poems were later published in ‘The Ballads of Ireland’ (1856). Departing for London with an £8,000 inheritance that was all spent during his stay of 4 years, he spent some time editing a periodical to aid the World’s Fair of 1851. A year later he was bound for the United States with a new name, Fitz James, and an ambition to obtain a career in literature. His earliest works in the US were for The Lantern, before publishing works in the Home Journal, the New York Times, and the American Whig Review. However, his most important early outlet was Harper's Magazine, and he first published with them in February 1853, with ‘The Two Skulls’, and would over his short life contribute more than sixty articles of poetry and prose. As an established writer he now proceeded to publish magazines and periodicals of the calibre of the New York Saturday Press, Putnam's Magazine, Vanity Fair, and the Atlantic Monthly to whom he sent ‘The Diamond Lens’ (1858) and ‘The Wonder Smith’ (1859). These are very early examples of science-fiction writing and along with several others establish him as one of the founders. He also wrote, either as originals or as adaptions several plays including ‘A Gentleman from Ireland’. In New York, he was associated with a brilliant set of contemporary Bohemians. At the weekly dinners hosted by the editor, actor and dramatist John Brougham, or at the nightly suppers at Pfaff's on Broadway, he was at the center of the entertainment. With the outbreak of Civil War in 1861, O'Brien joined the 7th regiment of the New York National Guard hoping to see action at the front. Fitz James O’Brien was badly wounded in a skirmish on 26th February 1862. From his wounds he caught tetanus and died at Cumberland, Maryland on 6th April 1862. He was 35.Show book
Henry James was born 15th April 1843 in New York City. His youth was spent travelling with his family receiving what was an "extraordinarily haphazard and promiscuous" education as they journeyed through London, Paris, Geneva, Boulogne-sur-Mer and Newport, Rhode Island, according to the father's current interests and publishing ventures. James studied primarily with tutors and only briefly attended schools. Undoubtedly the quality of his writing has ensured his name is enshrined in the American literary tradition. James was a committed Anglophile and spent most of his adult life as an expatriate in Europe. Many of his novels juxtapose the Old World with the New World. Classics such as ‘The Portrait of a Lady’, ‘Daisy Miller’ and ‘The Ambassadors’, display the entanglement between American and European cultures and mentalities. They highlight the differences between the two worlds through following the experiences of American expatriates in Europe. A prolific author he was able to easily move across genres to create vivid and totally real worlds and situations and to offer sophisticated observations of human relations as well as realistic, social criticism. As a critic James was unafraid to venture into reviews and essays of those other literary giants around him. These together with his short stories and, of course, classic novels, make Henry James an author to be not only admired but read, and read often. In 1915 Henry James became a British citizen. On 28th February 1916, at the age of 72, Henry James died in Chelsea, London. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911, 1912 and 1916. He never won.Show book
