Tonight, we’ll read “M. Swann” the next part in our series from French writer Marcel Proust’s monumental “In Search of Lost Time” which is seven volumes long, and first published in 1913.

“In Search of Lost Time” follows the narrator's recollections and experiences in the late 19th-century and early 20th-century high-society France.

This series does not necessarily need to be followed in order—as it drifts more like memory itself, circling themes and impressions rather than following a linear story. In this episode, we meet Charles Swann, a family acquaintance whose name and presence loom large in the narrator’s early life. Though Swann appears casual and charming, his social status, romantic entanglements, and eventual tragedies become central threads in the broader tapestry of the novel.

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Tonight, we’ll continue the 1928 children's book by A. A. Milne “The house at Pooh Corner”.

In the last episode Pooh discovers that fir-cones (and later sticks) dropped into the slow-moving river reappear downstream, invenitng the game of Poohsticks, which leads to playful mishaps such as Eeyore ending up inthe water. When Tigger’s bounce and the ensuing confusion prompt Rabbit to seek Christopher Robin’s judgment, Christopher Robin suggest they simply play Poohsticks together, turning the moment into a peaceful, shared pastime by the river.

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Tonight, we’ll read “The Magic Lantern,” the next part in our series from French writer Marcel Proust’s monumental “In Search of Lost Time” which is seven volumes long, and first published in 1913.

“In Search of Lost Time” follows the narrator's recollections and experiences in the late 19th-century and early 20th-century high-society France, while reflecting on the loss of time and lack of meaning in the world.

This series does not necessarily need to be followed in sequential order as it is more about an ambiance than a plot. In the first episode, “Overture”, the narrator recalls his childhood, bedtimes, bedrooms of his memories, and the peculiar states of consciousness related to sleep.

This episode features memories about the magic lantern the narrator’s family gives him as a child to help him with his insomnia. Magic lanterns were an early form of a slide projector.

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Tonight, we’ll read “Overture,” the opening to French writer Marcel Proust’s monumental “In Search of Lost Time” which is seven volumes long, and first published in 1913.

“In Search of Lost Time” follows the narrator's recollections and experiences in the late 19th-century and early 20th-century high-society France, while reflecting on the loss of time and lack of meaning in the world.

— read by 'V' —

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Tonight, we’ll read the 29th chapter of “Anne of Green Gables”, the classic 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This chapter is titled “An Epoch of Anne’s Life”.

In the last episode, Anne and her friends reenact the poem The Lady of Shalott by floating Anne down the river in a flatboat. She pretends to be the doomed lily maid, but the boat begins to leak and sinks. Anne is forced to climb onto the bridge supports and wait for help. Gilbert Blythe happens by in a rowboat and rescues her. Though still upset with him for past teasing, Anne reluctantly accepts the ride. Gilbert tries to reconcile and apologizes, but Anne coldly rebuffs him. Despite the dramatic mishap, Anne later admits the adventure was romantic.

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Tonight, we’ll read recipes from A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes, written by Charles Elme Francatelli and published in 1852.

Born in London of Italian descent, Francatelli was a French-trained cook who worked for Queen Victoria. While best known for his lavish cookbook The Modern Cook, filled with elaborate dishes for aristocratic tables, Francatelli also had a keen interest in practical nourishment for everyday people. A Plain Cookery Book was his attempt to provide affordable, nutritious recipes for the working poor—a surprisingly progressive endeavor for someone with royal credentials.

The book contains instructions for everything from humble gruels to hearty stews, with occasional flourishes of culinary elegance. Francatelli emphasized the importance of thrift and economy in the kitchen, recommending ways to stretch small amounts of meat or repurpose leftovers. Though the language may feel formal by today’s standards, many of the recipes offer a glimpse into the ingenuity of 19th-century home cooks working with limited means.

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Tonight, we’ll read a short story titled “The Great Carbuncle” written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and published in 1835.

Set in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, a band of eight adventurers gathers together. They are each on a personal quest for the Great Carbuncle, a brilliant gem legendary in its elusiveness.

The story’s ensemble cast represents a spectrum of motivations—scientific curiosity, fame, greed, and reverence—each character convinced they deserve the Carbuncle more than the next. But it’s the quiet presence of a humble newlywed couple, seeking only to glimpse the stone and return to a modest life, that serves as the story’s moral compass.

While there was never a documented search for a mythical gemstone like the Great Carbuncle in New England, the region has long been home to mineral and gem prospecting. Hawthorne likely drew inspiration from this local landscape of rugged ambition and romantic wilderness to craft a legend that, though fictional, feels rooted in place.

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Tonight, we’ll read the next chapter of “Good Wives” written by Louisa May Alcott titled “All Alone”. This is also known as the second half of the “Little Women” novel and is considered the 42nd chapter as part of that work as a whole.

In our last chapter, Laurie tries to recover from Jo’s rejection by turning to music, but soon realizes his love for her has faded into affection. His bond with Amy deepens through letters, and she quietly rejects another suitor. With news of Beth’s passing, Laurie rushes to Amy’s side in Switzerland, where love quietly blossoms between them.

Tonight’s chapter returns to Jo, amidst her grief and isolation.

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Tonight, we’ll read “O Pioneers!”  a 1913 novel by American author Willa Cather. Set on the windswept prairies of Nebraska, “O Pioneers!” tells the story of Alexandra Bergson, a determined young woman of Swedish-American descent who takes over her family’s farm. 

Cather’s quiet, poetic prose captures both the hardships and beauty of prairie life at the turn of the twentieth century, and Alexandra’s journey reflects broader themes of endurance, transformation, and connection to the land. The novel marked the beginning of Cather’s Great Plains Trilogy, which also includes The Song of the Lark and My Ántonia.

Though she wrote this trilogy while living in New York City, Cather drew inspiration from her own upbringing in Nebraska and from the lives of immigrants who shaped the American Midwest.

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Tonight, we’ll read about igloos and other polar quarters, from the book Secrets of Polar Travel written by Robert E. Peary and published in 1917.

Peary, a famed American Arctic explorer, led multiple expeditions to the far north and claimed to be the first person to reach the geographic North Pole. His writing blends technical insight with firsthand accounts of survival in extreme cold, offering a glimpse into the ingenuity required to build shelter in some of Earth’s harshest climates.

Although igloos, or snow shelters, are often associated with all Inuit, they were traditionally used only by the people of Canada’s Central Arctic and a part of Greenland. Other Inuit groups constructed more permanent dwellings from driftwood, whalebone, and hides, using snow as insulation rather than structural material. Snow works as an insulator because of the tiny air pockets trapped within it—an important fact when outside temperatures plunge to −45 °C (−49 °F), while inside a well-constructed igloo, body heat alone can raise the temperature to a surprisingly livable 16 °C (61 °F).

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