Top list: Classics and poetry

Presented in the first person, the story is a collection of journal entries written by a woman (Jane) whose physician husband (John) has confined her to the upstairs bedroom of a house he has rented for the summer. She is forbidden from working and has to hide her journal from him, so she can recuperate from what he calls a "temporary nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency," a diagnosis common to women in that period. The windows of the room are barred, and there is a gate across the top of the stairs, allowing her husband to control her access to the rest of the house. An Author's Republic audio production.

This brand-new unabridged audio book of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved is read by the BAFTA award-winning actor, director and author, Andy Serkis.The Hobbit

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day, to whisk him away on a journey ‘there and back again’. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon…

The prelude to THE LORD OF THE RINGS, THE HOBBIT has sold many millions of copies since its publication in 1937, establishing itself as one of the most influential books of the twentieth century.

This brand-new unabridged audio book of , the first part of J. R. R. Tolkien’s epic adventure, , is read by the BAFTA award-winning actor, director and author, Andy Serkis.The Fellowship of the RingThe Lord of the Rings

In a sleepy village in the Shire, a young hobbit is entrusted with an immense task. He must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ruling Ring of Power – the only thing that prevents the Dark Lord Sauron’s evil dominion.

Thus begins J. R. R. Tolkien’s classic tale of adventure, which continues in and .The Two TowersThe Return of the King

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Tommy and Tuppence, two young people short of money and restless for excitement, embark on a daring business scheme – Young Adventurers Ltd.

Their advertisement says they are ‘willing to do anything, go anywhere’. But their first assignment, for the sinister Mr Whittington, plunges them into more danger than they ever imagined…

Hardy’s third novel, A Pair of Blue Eyes, follows the story of Elfride Swancourt. The daughter of the Rector of Endelstow, a sparse sea-swept parish in Cornwall, Elfride is caught between two suitors of very different backgrounds: Stephen Smith, a young architect restoring the old parish church, and the respectable, older man of London society, Henry Knight. The blue-eyed and high-spirited protagonist must untangle the conflicting messages of her heart and her mind.

Stephen Gordon is an ideal child of aristocratic parents - a fencer, a horse rider and a keen scholar. Stephen grows to be a war hero, a bestselling writer and a loyal, protective lover. But Stephen is a woman, and her lovers are women. As her ambitions drive her, and society confines her, Stephen is forced into desperate actions.

A classic that was banned in 1928 in one of the country’s most famous obscenity trials, but went on to become an international bestseller

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REBECCA

On her eighteenth birthday, Honor Harris meets Sir Richard Grenvile: he is proud, reckless - and utterly captivating. They have a rare connection, and with her beauty and sharp wit, she intrigues him too. But days before their wedding, tragedy strikes and Honor must reconcile herself to a life alone.

Fifteen years later, war forces Honor to shelter with her sister at the Cornish estate of Menabilly. There, she meets Richard, who has risen through the ranks to become a general in the king's army. With all of England in turmoil, Honor must draw on her courage to save Richard's life and defend her country.

'She wrote exciting plots . . . a writer of fearless originality' GUARDIAN

'Fascinating historical romance, set in the period of England's Civil Wars' KIRKUS REVIEWS

'One of the last century's most original literary talents' DAILY TELEGRAPH

Immerse yourself in the enchanting prose which makes ´Mrs Dalloway´ a timeless classic, celebrated globally as one of Virginia Woolf's greatest novels.

While Mrs Dalloway meticulously prepares for a grand evening soirée, she is interrupted by the arrival of an old admirer, who unknowingly ignites a cascade of memories and reflections that threaten to consume her.

Weaving you in and out of her characters' minds, ´Mrs Dalloway´ will leave you convinced that Virginia Woolf possesses an unparalleled understanding of human nature.

Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) was a hugely influential English writer. A pioneer in the narrative device of streams of consciousness, Woolf’s breathtaking collection spans ‘Mrs Dalloway’, ‘To the Lighthouse’, and the non-fiction title ‘A Room of One’s Own’.

George Orwell's nineteen Eighty-Four is one of the most definitive texts of modern literature. Set in Oceania, one of the three inter-continental superstate that divided the world among themselves after a global war, Orwell's masterful critique of the political structures of the time, works itself out through the story of Winston Smith, a man caught in the webs of a dystopian future, and his clandestine love affair with Julia, a young woman he meets during the course of his work for the government. As much as it is an entertaining read, nineteen Eighty-Four is also a brilliant, and more importantly, a timeless satirical attack on the social and political structures of the world.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.` So opens Jane Austens second novel Pride and Prejudice, which was first published in 1813. It follows the story of Mr and Mrs Bennet and their five single daughters. The whole town is set aflutter by the arrival of prosperous Mr Bingley and his friend Mr Darcy, and as the prejudice of the latter hurts the pride of headstrong Elizabeth Bennet, friendship, love, and strife enfold. Perhaps the most beloved of all of Austens work, Pride and Prejudice has been adapted numerous times, including in the 1995 BBC mini-series featuring Colin Firth as Mr Darcy, and the 2005 movie adaption by Joe Wright with Keira Knightley in the role of Elizabeth Bennet.

Jane Austen (1775-1817) is one of the most beloved British writers of all time. During her short life she published six novels: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, that are all considered as literary classics today. Her writing is full of sharp observations on the society in which she evolved, as well as ripe with timeless irony, and a solid dose of humour. She has created immortal characters that have inspired countless authors, novels, and movies such as Bridget Jones and Clueless.

I know what I want. So when opportunity knocked, I took it. I grabbed my shot, willing to do anything to make it happen. From the beginning, I knew I was destined to be with the six-foot-four, bourbon-eyed Rock God. Only back in the early days he wasn’t a god. Rhys Granger was my brother’s friend, the boy next door who wrote verses and played his guitar in our garage. He was talented. Exciting. Damaged. The kind of guy who made all the girls cry… Except for me. I thought I was special. Turns out I’m not. And now… I despise him. He’s the lead singer of the Stuffed Muffins, one of the biggest bands in the world, with dark hair, full lips, and a body to die for. Unfortunately, he’s a dick. Not that I care anymore. I have my own career. I’m successful in my own right. So when offered another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I turn it down. But the universe has other plans, and I’m forced back into the savagely glamorous world of rock ‘n’ roll. Thrust into battling his seductive smile, his dangerous kisses, and my own addictive needs. He might be a Rock God, but he’s also a man. And I’m the woman he never saw coming.

‘Sophie Irwin is an exciting and original voice. She's a must-buy author for me.’ Taylor Jenkins Reid

‘A delicious Regency romp for fans of Bridgerton.’ Red

‘Scandal, art and romance – this is the best Regency romp set in Bath since Persuasion!’ Good Housekeeping

A lifetime of duty

Widowed at just seven-and-twenty from her marriage of convenience, Eliza, now Countess of Somerset, is bequeathed a fortune, hers to keep – provided she can steer clear of scandal.

The promise of love

The last thing she expects is to be torn between two very different men – a face from the past, whose loss she’s always mourned, and a roguish poet, who scorns convention.

A taste of freedom

But a lady’s reputation is fragile and with jealous eyes on Eliza’s fortune, it will only take one whisper of gossip for her to lose it all…

Escape with the most delightful, historical romance of the year from the Sunday Times bestselling author Sophie Irwin!

‘A very modern sensibility, witty and fun’ Adele Parks

‘Fans of Bridgerton will enjoy this well-observed Regency story with a plucky protagonist.’ Candis

‘A delicious Regency romp for fans of Bridgerton.’ Red

Readers are LOVING A Lady’s Guide to Scandal:

‘LOVED this’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An excellent, delightful, refreshing Regency Romance’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘What an absolute treat’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Inhaled it. Loved it’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Fun, light and romantic’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘20 stars out of 5!! This book was a balm to my soul’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘It is going to become a go-to favourite’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An absolute must read for fans of Regency romance’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘So enjoyable, unpredictable, wonderful characters, just SO GOOD’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Sophie Irwin – she is such a fresh, fun, witty writer in this space. I'd read anything she wrote’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sophie Irwin's book 'A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 09-05-2022.

Laura lives an isolated life with her father, alone in a castle in the Austrian wilderness. When the mysterious Carmilla, a strange and beautiful lady, arrives in the night, no one suspects the supernatural occurrences that follow. But still more unsuspected is the tempestuous romance that blooms between the two young women, and Carmilla’s nightmarish secret.

Written 26 years before Stoker’s ‘Dracula’, ‘Carmilla’ is the original vampire novel. Sheridan Le Fanu combines a chilling Gothic atmosphere with horrifying episodes, boldly exploring the sexual desires of his heroines, and establishing the image of the female vampire. ‘Carmilla’ is an essential read for all fans of gothic novels and vampires, from Anne Rice’s ‘Interview with the Vampire’ to Netflix’s ‘The Vampire Diaries’.

Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873) was an Irish Gothic writer of short stories and novels. One of the central names amidst the ghost-story writers of the 19th century, Le Fanu’s influence cannot be underestimated. Inspiring the likes of Bram Stoker, Le Fanu laid the basis for the Victorian Horror genre by combining realism with deeper psychological elements. His most important works include ‘Uncle Silas’, ‘Carmilla’, ‘The House by the Churchyard’, and his short story collection ‘In a Glass Darkly’.

Juliet Stevenson reads , Agatha Christie’s last collection of short stories to feature the woman who had become the world’s most popular female detective, Miss Jane Marple.Miss Marple’s Final Cases

An unknown wounded man in a church. A fatal riding accident. A corpse and a tape measure.

Whether in St Mary Mead or further afield, there is always much wickedness lurking below the surface, should, like Jane Marple, you have the eyes to see it.

Published posthumously, this collection of tales, seven of them featuring Agatha Christie’s much loved Miss Marple, plus two stand-alone stories, is a treasure trove.

Never underestimate Miss Marple

‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed.’Susan Lewis

‘The acknowledged queen of detective fiction.’Observer

Nine intriguing tales One unequalled storyteller

This brand-new unabridged audio book of , the second part of J. R. R. Tolkien’s epic adventure, , is read by the BAFTA award-winning actor, director and author, Andy Serkis.The Two TowersThe Lord of the Rings

The company of the Ring is torn asunder. Frodo and Sam continue their journey alone down the great River Anduin – alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.

This continues the classic tale begun in , which reaches its awesome climax in .The Fellowship of the RingThe Return of the King

The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, the novel depicts narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and Gatsby's obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan.

The novel was inspired by a youthful romance Fitzgerald had with a socialite, and by parties he attended on Long Island's North Shore in 1922. Following a move to the French Riviera, he completed a rough draft in 1924. After submitting the draft to editor Maxwell Perkins, the editor persuaded Fitzgerald to revise the work over the following winter. Despite being happy with the content of the text after revision, Fitzgerald was ambivalent about the book's title and considered a variety of alternatives. The final title that he was documented to have desired was Under the Red, White, and Blue. Fitzgerald was, however, happy with painter Francis Cugat's final cover design.

After its publication by Scribner's in April 1925, The Great Gatsby received mixed reviews from literary critics who believed that it did not hold up to Fitzgerald's previous writing and thus signaled the end of the author's literary achievements. As such, Gatsby sold poorly, and although Fitzgerald believed that negative criticisms of the novel did not interpret his work correctly, when the author died in 1940 he believed himself to be a failure and his work forgotten. However, during World War II the novel faced a critical and scholarly re-examination, and it soon became a core part of most American high school curricula and a focus of American popular culture. Numerous stage and film adaptations followed in the subsequent decades.

Gatsby continues to attract popular and scholarly attention. The novel was most recently adapted to film in 2013 by director Baz Luhrmann, while modern scholars emphasize the novel's treatment of social class, inherited wealth compared to those who are self-made, race, environmentalism, and its cynical attitude towards the American dream. As with other works by Fitzgerald, criticisms include allegations of antisemitism. The Great Gatsby is widely considered to be a literary masterwork and a contender for the title of the Great American Novel.

Do you want to listen to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow? If so then keep reading…

Widely recognized as one of literature's most gripping ghost stories, this classic tale of moral degradation concerns the sinister transformation of two innocent children into flagrant liars and hypocrites. The story begins when a governess arrives at an English country estate to look after Miles, aged ten, and Flora, eight. At first, everything appears normal but then events gradually begin to weave a spell of psychological terror.

One night a ghost appears before the governess. It is the dead lover of Miss Jessel, the former governess. Later, the ghost of Miss Jessel herself appears before the governess and the little girl. Moreover, both the governess and the housekeeper suspect that the two spirits have appeared to the boy in private. The children, however, adamantly refuse to acknowledge the presence of the two spirits, in spite of indications that there is some sort of evil communication going on between the children and the ghosts.

Without resorting to clattering chains, demonic noises, and other melodramatic techniques, this elegantly told tale succeeds in creating an atmosphere of tingling suspense and unspoken horror matched by few other books in the genre. Known for his probing psychological novels dealing with the upper classes, James in this story tried his hand at the occult — and created a masterpiece of the supernatural that has frightened and delighted readers for nearly a century.

What are you waiting for, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one click away, start listening NOW!

A brand-new recording of the classic work, narrated by Luke Thompson, star of Bridgerton.

'Every day, haunted still by doubt, I ask myself a question which I cannot answer.

Was Rachel innocent or guilty?'

Philip Ashley has been raised by his cousin Ambrose as heir to his beautiful Cornish estate. But this close-knit world is shattered when Ambrose sets off on a trip to Florence, where he unexpectedly falls in love and marries - only to die of a strange illness. Before long, his beautiful, mysterious widow arrives in England - and despite himself, Philip is caught in her spell. But is Rachel a victim, a saviour - or a murderess?

A haunting, suspenseful tale with the power and intrigue of Rebecca.

'Du Maurier is mistress of the sleight of hand in fiction . . . brilliantly, marvellously chilling' MAGGIE O'FARRELL

Du Maurier is a storyteller whose sole aim is to bewitch and beguile' NEW YORK TIMES

New translations of the best stories by the one of the twentieth century's greatest and most influential writers

No one has captured the modern experience, its wild dreams, strange joys, its neuroses and boredom, better than Franz Kafka. His vision, with its absurdity and twisted humour, has lost none of its force or relevance today. This essential collection, newly selected and translated by Alexander Starritt, casts fresh light on Kafka's genius.

Alongside brutal depictions of violence and justice are jokes and deceptively slight, mysterious fables. These unforgettable pieces reflect the brilliance at the core of Franz Kafka, arguably most fully expressed within his short stories. Together they showcase a writer of unmatched imaginative depth, capable of expressing the most profound reality with a wry smile.

Franz Kafka was born to Jewish parents in Prague and wrote in German. He published only a few story collections and individual stories in literary magazines in his lifetime. The rest of his work was published posthumously. He is now considered one of the most influential authors of the twentieth century.

You're in for a delightful surprise if you're one of the many people who believe all Russian literature is daunting and difficult. Ivan Turgenev's stories have enchanted generations with delicate prose, marvelously subtle irony, and richly crafted characters. Set against the serene backdrop of the Russian countryside, Fathers and Sons is the story of Arcady Kirsanov, a young man who returns from college to his father's country manor with his radical friend Bazarov in tow. Behind Bazarov's chilling intellect hides a heart of compassion and kindness-a heart that will unwittingly change the Kirsanovs' lives forever.