Other books that might interest you

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  The Decameron

  Giovanni Boccaccio

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  Set against the shadow of the Black Plague, The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio is a radiant tapestry of love, wit, tragedy, and the triumph of the human spirit. When Florence is ravaged by pestilence, ten young nobles — seven women and three men — flee to a countryside villa to escape the horrors of the city. Over ten days, they pass the time by telling one hundred stories: tales of romance and folly, devotion and deception, virtue and vice. 
  From the poetic tragedy of “Griselda” to the romantic daring of “Cymon and Iphigenia” and the moral allegory of “The Three Rings,” Boccaccio captures the full spectrum of human experience — earthy, wise, and profoundly moving. 
  Narrated with grace and warmth by Mary Ellin Kurtz, this timeless masterpiece invites listeners into a world where storytelling itself becomes an act of survival — and of joy.

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  White Magic - From their pens to...

  Ella D'Arcy

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  Ella D'Arcy was born on 23rd August 1857 in London, one of nine children.  
  Her education spanned London, Germany, France and the Channel Islands. A student of fine art, her poor eyesight meant a switch to literature was needed and with this she had hopes to be an author. 
  She worked as a contributor and unofficial editor, alongside Henry Harland, to The Yellow Book, Aubrey Beardsley’s sensational quarterly magazine that combined art, stories, poetry, essays and much else besides.  D'Arcy wrote several stories for the magazine and her stories have an undeniable psychological and realist style through her engagement with various themes from marriage, the family, imitation through to deception.  
  Recognition of her talents grew after the publication of ‘Irremediable’, in the Yellow Book, where it received much praise from critics.   
  She also wrote and published in the Argosy, Blackwood's Magazine, and Temple Bar.  
  However, D’Arcy’s canon was small and, apart from her magazine stories, her book publishing was limited to ‘Monochromes’ (1895), ‘Modern Instances’ and ‘The Bishop’s Dilemma’ (1898). She also translated André Maurois's biography of Percy Bysshe Shelley entitled ‘Ariel’ (1924). 
  Her diligence with work aside she was notorious for her inability to maintain relationships with friends.  When she did appear to them it was often unannounced.  This earned her the sobriquet 'Goblin Ella.' 
  D'Arcy spent much of her life living alone, though she had a constant urge to travel, but usually she resided on the edge of poverty. Her writing was often motivated by this need. 
  Much of her later life was spent in Paris before returning to London in 1937, where she died, in hospital, on 5th September 1937.

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  Small Fry

  Anton Chekhov

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  "Small Fry" is a short story by Anton Chekhov originally published in Oskolki magazine on March 1885 and signed A. Chekhonte .
  The petty clerk Nevyrazimov, sitting in his office on the Easter Eve in the company of a cockroach scurrying the table, muses upon what he might do to make it in the world (steal big money or perhaps report on somebody to the secret police) but comes to the conclusion that such deeds would be beyond his abilities. Disgusted with the feeling of his own unworthiness he takes it out on the cockroach and "feels better".

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  The Adventure Of The Speckled band

  Arthur Conan Doyle

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  The Adventure Of The Speckled band is the eighth short story and tenth (after A Study in Scarlet and The Sign Of Four) Sherlock Holmes story by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is the eighth story in the collection Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes, it was published in Strand Magazine in February of 1892. The story tells of Helen Stoner, a soon to be married young woman who suspects her father may be trying to kill her in order to retain control of her inheritance. Convinced of her father's intentions, Helen turns to Holmes for help.Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson rise unusually early one morning to meet a young woman named Helen Stoner who fears that her life is being threatened by her stepfather, Dr. Grimesby Roylott. Roylott is a doctor who practiced in Calcutta, India and was married to Helen's late mother when she was a widow living there. He is also the impoverished last survivor of what was once a wealthy but violent, ill-tempered and amoral Anglo-Saxon aristocratic family of Surrey, and has already served a jail sentence for killing his Indian butler in a rage.Helen's twin sister had died almost two years earlier, shortly before she was to be married. Helen had heard her sister's dying words, "The speckled band!" but was unable to decode their meaning. Helen herself, troubled by the perplexing death of her sister, is now engaged, and she has begun to hear strange noises and observe strange activities around Stoke Moran, the impoverished and heavily mortgaged estate where she and her stepfather live.Famous works of the author Arthur Conan Doyle's: "A Study in Scarlet", "Silver Blaze", "The Hound of the Baskervilles", "The Yellow Face", "A Scandal in Bohemia", "The Red-Headed League", A Case of Identity", "The Boscombe Valley Mystery", "The Five Orange Pips", "The Man with the Twisted Lip", "The Blue Carbuncle", "The Speckled Band", "The Engineer's Thumb", "The Noble Bachelor", "The Beryl Coronet", "The Copper Beeches" and many more.

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  A Wonder Book

  Nathaniel Hawthorne

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  A Wonder Book is a timeless classic in which Nathaniel Hawthorne retells the great myths of ancient Greece with warmth, imagination, and moral insight, making them accessible and enchanting for readers of all ages. First published in 1851, the book transforms legendary tales into vivid, approachable stories, narrated by a gentle storyteller named Eustace Bright, who shares these wonders with a group of eager children.
  
  Within these pages, readers encounter some of the most enduring figures of classical mythology—Perseus, Medusa, Midas, Pandora, Hercules, and others—reimagined through Hawthorne's distinctive literary voice. While the original myths are often dark or complex, Hawthorne softens their edges without stripping them of meaning, emphasizing themes of courage, humility, curiosity, temptation, and the consequences of human choices.
  
  What sets A Wonder Book apart is Hawthorne's ability to blend fantasy with moral reflection. Each story is rich in imagination and adventure, yet subtly invites readers to think about right and wrong, wisdom and folly, selflessness and pride. His language is elegant but accessible, making the book an ideal introduction to mythology for young readers, while still offering depth and charm that adults can appreciate.
  
  Beyond its storytelling, A Wonder Book reflects Hawthorne's broader literary genius—his talent for symbolism, his sensitivity to human nature, and his belief that stories can educate the heart as well as the mind. The framing narrative, in which the myths are told in a peaceful countryside setting, adds a sense of intimacy and continuity, drawing readers into a world where ancient legends feel alive and relevant.
  
  A Wonder Book remains a beloved work of children's literature and a foundational text for anyone interested in mythology, classic storytelling, or Hawthorne's enduring legacy. It is a celebration of imagination, a bridge between ancient myth and modern readers, and a reminder of the power of stories to inspire wonder across generations.

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  Nocturnal Apparitions -...

  Bruno Schulz

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  The best of cult author Bruno Schulz's captivatingly strange and beautiful short stories.The stories in this collection are rich, tangled, and suffused with mystery and wonder. In the narrowing, winding city streets, strange figures roam. Great flocks of birds soar over rooftops, obscuring the sun. Cockroaches appear through cracks and scuttle across floorboards. Individuals careen from university buildings to dimly lit parlour rooms, through strange shops and endless storms. Crowded with moments of stunning beauty, the stories in this collection showcase Schulz's darkly modern sensibility, and his status as one of the great transformers of the ordinary into the fantastical.

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