Other books that might interest you

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  The Chimes

  Charles Dickens

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  The Chimes, the second of Charles Dickens' five Christmas books, first appeared in 1844, a year after the tremendous success of A Christmas Carol. Like its predecessor, this novella blends the magical with the moral, crafting a tale that is both an enchanting fable and a searing critique of Victorian society. Set on New Year’s Eve, The Chimes takes readers on a journey through themes of poverty, injustice, and the redeeming power of hope and human kindness. 
  At the heart of The Chimes is Toby "Trotty" Veck, a poor ticket-porter who, like many of Dickens' characters, represents the overlooked and downtrodden in society. Through a series of supernatural visions orchestrated by the spirits of the church bells, Trotty is forced to confront the despair and cynicism that poverty breeds. Yet, Dickens is careful not to let despair overwhelm the narrative. As in A Christmas Carol, he offers a vision of hope—of transformation, repentance, and the possibility of a better world, even for those whom society forgets. 
  Dickens wrote The Chimes at a time when social reform was a pressing issue. It was a period marked by debates over the Poor Laws, the treatment of the working class, and the growing disparity between rich and poor. His personal experiences with poverty as a child, and his deep empathy for the plight of the poor, fueled his desire to use fiction as a means of advocacy. Through The Chimes, Dickens wove his sharpest social commentary into a festive tale, making it both a celebration of the New Year and a somber reflection on society's responsibilities.

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  A Child's Garden of Verses

  ‎Robert Louis Stevenson

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  Here is a delightful look at childhood, written by master poet and storyteller Robert Louis Stevenson. In this collectionA Child's Garden of Verses of 64 poems, Stevenson recalls the joys of his childhood, from sailing boats down a river, to waiting for the lamplighter, to sailing off to foreign lands in his imagination. 
  Nothing has ever been written that appeals to a child's nature more than "A Child's Garden of Verses." It is written in a simple verse that a child can readily understand.

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  Conscience - A Judith Lee...

  Richard Marsh

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  Richard Bernard Heldmann was born on 12th October 1857, in St Johns Wood, North London.  
   
  By his early 20’s Heldmann began publishing fiction for the myriad magazine publications that had sprung up and were eager for good well-written content.  
   
  In October 1882, Heldmann was promoted to co-editor of Union Jack, a popular magazine, but his association with the publication ended suddenly in June 1883.  It appears Heldman was prone to issuing forged cheques to finance his lifestyle.  In April 1884 he was sentenced to 18 months hard labour. 
    
  In order to be well away from the scandal and the damage that this had caused to his reputation Heldmann adopted a pseudonym on his release from jail.  Shortly thereafter the name ‘Richard Marsh’ began to appear in the literary periodicals.  The use of his mother’s maiden name as part of it seems both a release and a lifeline. 
   
  A stroke of very good fortune arrived with his novel ‘The Beetle’ published in 1897.  This would turn out to be his greatest commercial success and added some much-needed gravitas to his literary reputation.   
   
  Marsh was a prolific writer and wrote almost 80 volumes of fiction as well as many short stories, across many genres from horror and crime to romance and humour.   His unusual characters, plotting devices and other literary developments have identified his legacy as one of the best British writers of his time.   
   
  Richard Marsh died from heart disease in Haywards Heath in Sussex on 9th August 1915.  He was 57.

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  The Sea Wolf

  Jack London

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  A shipwreck. A ruthless captain. A captive forced to confront the darkness within himself.
  When literary critic Humphrey Van Weyden is rescued at sea, he finds himself under the command of Wolf Larsen—a brilliant, brutal captain whose strength is matched only by his cruelty. Trapped aboard the sealing schooner Ghost, Humphrey must survive brutal storms, violent men, and Larsen's relentless psychological games. What follows is a gripping struggle between intellect and might, courage and fear, humanity and raw instinct.
  
  Praised as "one of the greatest sea adventures ever written," Jack London's masterpiece blends action, philosophy, and unforgettable character conflict. Its intensity, moral tension, and vivid maritime drama continue to captivate readers worldwide.
  
  If you crave powerful character clashes, ocean survival, and stories where the human spirit is tested to its limit, this classic will keep you on edge.
  
  Open the book—and meet the sea captain who becomes literature's most unforgettable force of nature.

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  Transformation

  Dmitrey Merezhkovsky

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  Mischief, prank, and mistaken identity take on a new meaning in this delightful concoction by the master of the Silver Age of Russian literature Dmitrey Merezhkovsky.

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  Black Beauty

  Anna Sewell

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  Black Beauty is a fictional autobiographical memoir told by a horse, who recounts many tales, both of cruelty and kindness. The title page of the first edition states that it was "Translated from the Original Equine by Anna Sewell." It was composed in the last years of her life, during which she was confined to her house as an invalid. After its publication in 1877, Sewell lived just long enough to see her first and only novel become an immediate bestseller, as well as it encouraging the better treatment of many cruelly-treated animals. 
   
  Although initially intended for people who work with horses, it soon became a children's classic. While outwardly teaching animal welfare, it also contains allegorical lessons about how to treat people with kindness, sympathy and respect. The story is narrated in the first person and each short chapter relates an incident in Black Beauty's life, with Sewell's detailed observations and extensive descriptions of horse behaviour lending the novel a good deal of verisimilitude.

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