Top list: Classics and poetry

A new recording of Ray Bradbury’s timeless classic Fahrenheit 451 narrated by Penn Badgley!

Nearly seventy years after its original publication, Ray Bradbury’s internationally acclaimed novel Fahrenheit 451 stands as a classic of world literature set in a bleak, dystopian future. Today its message has grown more relevant than ever before.

Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.” But when he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known.

'Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of . . . but read on!' – Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale

This audio edition is expertly and enthusiastically read by the author, Natalie Haynes.

The Greek myths are among the world's most important cultural building blocks and they have been retold many times, but rarely do they focus on the remarkable women at the heart of these ancient stories.

Stories of gods and monsters are the mainstay of epic poetry and Greek tragedy, from Homer to Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, from the Trojan War to Jason and the Argonauts. And still, today, a wealth of novels, plays and films draw their inspiration from stories first told almost three thousand years ago. But modern tellers of Greek myth have usually been men, and have routinely shown little interest in telling women’s stories. And when they do, those women are often painted as monstrous, vengeful or just plain evil. But Pandora – the first woman, who according to legend unloosed chaos upon the world – was not a villain, and even Medea and Phaedra have more nuanced stories than generations of retellings might indicate.

Now, in Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths, Natalie Haynes – broadcaster, writer and passionate classicist – redresses this imbalance. Taking Pandora and her jar (the box came later) as the starting point, she puts the women of the Greek myths on equal footing with the menfolk. After millennia of stories telling of gods and men, be they Zeus or Agamemnon, Paris or Odysseus, Oedipus or Jason, the voices that sing from these pages are those of Hera, Athena and Artemis, and of Clytemnestra, Jocasta, Eurydice and Penelope.

New adventures lie ahead as Anne Shirley packs her bags, waves good-bye to childhood, and heads for Redmond College. With her old friend Prissy Grant waiting in the bustling city of Kingsport and her frivolous new friend Philippa Gordon at her side, Anne tucks her memories of rural Avonlea away and discovers life on her own terms, filled with surprises . . . including a marriage proposal from the worst fellow imaginable, the sale of her very first story, and a tragedy that teaches her a painful lesson. But tears turn to laughter when Anne and her friends move into an old cottage and an ornery black cat steals her heart. Little does Anne know that handsome Gilbert Blythe wants to win her heart, too. Suddenly Anne must decide whether she's ready for love.

Ernest Hemingway’s most beloved and popular novel ever, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, now featuring a previously unpublished short story and additional supplementary material—plus a personal foreword by the author’s only living son, Patrick Hemingway, and an introduction by the author’s grandson Seán Hemingway.

The last of his novels Ernest Hemingway saw published, The Old Man and the Sea has proved itself to be one of the most enduring works of American fiction. The story of a down-on-his-luck Cuban fisherman and his supreme ordeal—a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream—has been cherished by generations of readers.

Hemingway takes the timeless themes of courage in the face of adversity and personal triumph won from loss and transforms them into a magnificent 20th-century classic. First published in 1952, this hugely popular tale confirmed his power and presence in the literary world and played a large part in his winning the 1954 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Low-life writer and unrepentant alcoholic Henry Chinaski was born to survive. After decades of slacking off at low-paying dead-end jobs, blowing his cash on booze and women, and scrimping by in flea-bitten apartments, Chinaski sees his poetic star rising at last. Now, at fifty, he is reveling in his sudden rock-star life, running three hundred hangovers a year, and maintaining a sex life that would cripple Casanova.

With all of Bukowski's trademark humor and gritty, dark honesty, this 1978 follow-up to Post Office and Factotum is an uncompromising account of life on the edge.

Siddhartha is a 1922 novel by Hermann Hesse that deals with the spiritual journey of self-discovery of a man named Siddhartha during the time of the Gautam Buddha. The book, Hesse's ninth novel, was written in German, in a simple, lyrical style. It was published in the U.S. in 1951 and became influential during the 1960s. Hesse dedicated the first part of it to Romain Rolland and the second part to Wilhelm Gundert, his cousin.

The word Siddhartha is made up of two words in Sanskrit language, siddha (achieved) + artha (what was searched for), which together means "he who has found meaning (of existence)" or "he who has attained his goals". In fact, the Buddha's own name, before his renunciation, was Siddhartha Gautam, Prince of Kapilavastu. In this book, the Buddha is referred to as "Gotama".

Agatha Christie, British queen of crime novels: Life and work in a short biography! Everything you need to know, brief and concise. Infotainment, education and entertainment at its best!

Dive into the heart of intrigue and suspense with Agatha Christie’s The Seven Dials Mystery. This classic whodunit takes listeners into a web of secrets, mysterious societies, and unexpected twists, where every clue leads closer to danger.

When a practical joke at the manor house of Chimneys takes a deadly turn, the discovery of a murdered guest and a strange clock point to a deeper conspiracy. Bundle Brent, a spirited and clever heroine, sets out to unravel the enigma of the Seven Dials Club—a shadowy group whose motives remain shrouded in mystery. As Bundle pieces together cryptic clues and faces growing peril, she discovers that the truth may come at a shocking price.

Filled with Christie’s signature blend of wit, intrigue, and memorable characters, The Seven Dials Mystery is a masterful tale of deception and discovery. Perfect for fans of classic detective fiction, this audiobook will keep you riveted until its thrilling conclusion.

The New York Times bestselling debut book of poetry from Lana Del Rey, Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass.

“Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass is the title poem of the book and the first poem I wrote of many. Some of which came to me in their entirety, which I dictated and then typed out, and some that I worked laboriously picking apart each word to make the perfect poem. They are eclectic and honest and not trying to be anything other than what they are and for that reason I’m proud of them, especially because the spirit in which they were written was very authentic.” —Lana Del Rey

Lana’s breathtaking first book solidifies her further as “the essential writer of her times” (The Atlantic). The collection features more than thirty poems, many exclusive to the book: Never to Heaven, The Land of 1,000 Fires, Past the Bushes Cypress Thriving, LA Who Am I to Love You?, Tessa DiPietro, Happy, Paradise Is Very Fragile, Bare Feet on Linoleum, and many more. This beautiful hardcover edition showcases Lana’s typewritten manuscript pages alongside her original photography. The result is an extraordinary poetic landscape that reflects the unguarded spirit of its creator.

Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass is also brought to life in an unprecedented spoken word audiobook which features Lana Del Rey reading fourteen select poems from the book accompanied by music from Grammy Award–winning musician Jack Antonoff.

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

Three gripping tales from No.1 Sunday Times bestseller S. J. Parris.

The Secret Dead

Summer 1556. A girl’s body is found in a Neapolitan monastery. Novice monk Giordano Bruno is determined to uncover what happened, but his investigation could deliver him into the hands of the Inquisition.

The Academy of Secrets

Autumn 1568. An invitation arrives for Giordano Bruno from a secret society of philosophers. Bruno is delighted, but keeping their heretical secrets soon becomes a matter of life or death.

A Christmas Requiem

Winter 1569. Giordano Bruno is summoned by the Pope, who is intrigued by his talent for memory games. But Rome is a den of iniquity, and Bruno will be lucky to escape the Eternal City alive.

*Please note these three novellas are also published as individual stories in ebook.*

‘S. J. Parris gives us a glimpse into the younger years of Giordano Bruno, her 16th-century heretic and spy, in this collection of three beguiling novellas’ Observer

What readers are saying about The Dead of Winter

‘Superb story-telling’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Such a treat’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Beautifully written’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Gripping’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Compulsive reading’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Full of energy and excitement’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Superb’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published 1719. This first edition credited the work's fictional protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a travelogue of true incidents.

The book is a fictional autobiography of the title character (whose birth name is Robinson Kreutznaer), a castaway who spends years on a remote tropical island near Trinidad, encountering cannibals, captives, and mutineers before being rescued.

Despite its simple narrative style, Robinson Crusoe was well received in the literary world and is often credited as marking the beginning of realistic fiction as a literary genre. Before the end of 1719 the book had already run through four editions, and it has gone on to become one of the most widely published books in history, spawning numerous sequels and adaptations for stage, film, and television.

The book was published on 25 April 1719. Before the end of the year, this first volume had run through four editions.

By the end of the 19th century, no book in the history of Western literature had more editions, spin-offs and translations (even into languages such as Inuktitut, Coptic and Maltese) than Robinson Crusoe, with more than 700 such alternative versions, including children's versions with mainly pictures and no text.

Robinson Crusoe marked the beginning of realistic fiction as a literary genre. Its success led to many imitators, and castaway novels became quite popular in Europe in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Total Running Time (TRT): 11 hours, 18 min. Reading by Mark F. Smith.

Daniel Defoe (1660-1731), born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, pamphleteer, and spy, now most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain, and, along with others such as Samuel Richardson, is among the founders of the English novel. A prolific and versatile writer, he wrote more than 500 books, pamphlets and journals on various topics (including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology and the supernatural).

El príncipe (en el original en italiano, Il principe) es un tratado político del siglo XVI del diplomático y teórico político italiano Nicolás Maquiavelo. Según la correspondencia de Maquiavelo, una versión parece haber sido distribuida en 1513, usando el título en latín De Principatibus (El liderazgo). Sin embargo, la versión impresa no se publicó hasta 1532, cinco años después de su muerte. Esto se hizo con el permiso del Papa Clemente VII, pero "mucho antes de eso, de hecho, desde la primera aparición del manuscrito El príncipe, el texto ya representaba una obra controversial".

When four women leave their drab lives behind to go on holiday in Italy, their lives are changed forever by the Mediterranean. Mrs. Arbuthnot and Mrs. Wilkins, while part of the same ladies' club, have never spoken. Lady Caroline Dester and the elderly Mrs. Fisher join their holiday so as to mitigate expenses. As these women come together and learn more about themselves than they ever thought possible, they reveal their true personalities and the backdrops of their lives that tend to hinder them. Inspired by the author's own month-long trip to the Italian Riviera, this novel is noted as her most widely-read work.

Gilbert Blythe has completed his schooling and is finally a doctor. So now he and his beloved Anne can be together. The couple marry and move to Four Winds Harbour to start their new life together.

Anne and Gilbert buy an old home and fix it up, and the house quickly becomes their dream home. Along with their new home comes new neighbors and friends,

including old and opinionated Miss Cornelia Bryant, sea-loving Captain Jim, and the complex Leslie Moore. Here they experience many ups and downs, the births of their children and an unexpected death in the family.

Internationally renowned writer L.M. Montgomery continues the beloved series, which began with Anne of Green Gables, a bestseller since 1908.

A humerous account of three men's boating holiday up the Thames that the author, Jerome K Jerome assures us is entirely factual, and definitely did happen as described. Even if the dog was somewhat more metaphorical than the other passengers. Especially George, who's realness is at least twice that of the other two, mostly around the middle. Initially intended as a serious travel guide but the humorous elements ended up taking over, transforming the book into a classic still praised for being fresh and witty to this day. Narrated by Michael Ward

The Emerald City is built all of beautiful marbles in which are set a profusion of emeralds, every one exquisitely cut and of very great size. There are other jewels used in the decorations inside the houses and palaces, such as rubies, diamonds, sapphires, amethysts and turquoises. But in the streets and upon the outside of the buildings only emeralds appear, from which circumstance the place is named the Emerald City of Oz.

Rupi Kaur performs the first-ever recording of home body, her third #1 New York Times bestselling collection of poetry and prose. This production was performed and recorded in 2021 along with the brand-new audio edition of milk and honey and the first audio recording of her second collection, the sun and her flowers.

Kaur constantly embraces growth, and in home body, she walks listeners through a reflective and intimate journey visiting the past, the present, and the potential of the self. home body is a collection of raw, honest conversations with oneself—reminding listeners to fill up on love, acceptance, community, family, and embrace change. Themes of nature and nurture, light and dark, rest here.

i dive into the well of my body

and end up in another world

everything i need

already exists in me

there’s no need

to look anywhere else

–home

Audio edition of the landmark of 20th Century literature, by acclaimed author Paul Bowles

“The Sheltering Sky is one of the most original, even visionary, works of fiction to appear in the twentieth century.” —Tobias Wolff

""It stands head and shoulders above most other novels published in English since World War II.” —New Republic

In this classic work of psychological terror, Paul Bowles examines the ways in which Americans apprehend other cultures--and the ways in which their incomprehension destroys them. The story of three American travelers adrift in the cities and deserts of North Africa after World War II, The Sheltering Sky is at once merciless and heartbreaking in its compassion. It etches the limits of human reason and intelligence--perhaps even the limits of human life --when they touch the unfathomable emptiness and impassive cruelty of the dessert.

“Funny, touching and infused with wonder, as all love stories should be.”—San Francisco Examiner

The iconic tale of love and loss that has touched the hearts of millions, Love Story has become one of the most adored novels of our time. It has sold more than twenty-one million copies worldwide and became a blockbuster film starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali McGraw. It is the story that told the world, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”

This is the story of Oliver Barrett IV, a rich jock from a stuffy WASP family on his way to a Harvard degree and a career in law, and Jenny Cavilleri, a wisecracking working-class beauty studying music at Radcliffe.

Opposites in nearly every way, Oliver and Jenny are kindred spirits from vastly different worlds. Their attraction to each other is immediate and powerful, and together they share a love that defies everything.

This is their story—a story of two young people and a love so uncompromising it will bring joy to your heart and tears to your eyes.