The Book Reader

The Sealed Message by Fergus Hume audiobook. Genre: mystery On a blazing summer afternoon in an English riverside village, friends Gerald Haskins and Tod Macandrew are fishing when their line snags something far stranger than a trout: a tin cylinder sealed tight against the water. Inside lies a phonograph record, and on it a clear, haunting voice - a young woman calling herself Mavis Durham - begs for help, hinting that she is being held in secret and waiting for a rescuer she calls her fairy prince. What begins as a half-magical curiosity quickly turns urgent when Gerald learns of a local mystery: a secluded girl kept out of sight in a place whispered about as the Pixy's House, watched over by a formidable guardian named Bellaria. Driven by a mix of compassion, skepticism, and fascination, Gerald sets out to trace the voice back to its source. But the closer he gets to Mavis and the truth behind the sealed message, the more he finds himself entangled in hidden histories, dangerous deceptions, and a crime that forces the village to choose between gossip and justice. Fergus Hume blends romance and suspense into a classic puzzle of identity, motive, and courage - where a single recorded plea can put lives at risk. For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate) (00:00:00) Chapter 01 (00:19:38) Chapter 02 (00:41:17) Chapter 03 (00:58:31) Chapter 04 (01:16:17) Chapter 05 (01:34:24) Chapter 06 (01:50:22) Chapter 07 (02:08:15) Chapter 08 (02:26:02) Chapter 09 (02:45:45) Chapter 10 (03:07:29) Chapter 11 (03:27:11) Chapter 12 (03:44:22) Chapter 13 (04:03:00) Chapter 14 (04:22:05) Chapter 15 (04:44:11) Chapter 16 (05:06:00) Chapter 17 (05:25:07) Chapter 18 (05:45:00) Chapter 19 (06:04:40) Chapter 20 (06:23:48) Chapter 21 (06:43:47) Chapter 22 (07:02:11) Chapter 23 (07:20:39) Chapter 24 (07:40:09) Chapter 25 (07:59:31) Chapter 26 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bransford Of Rainbow Range by Eugene Manlove Rhodes audiobook. Genre: adventure A genuine cowboy who speaks a bit of Greek? Ditto a bit of The Litany? And more than a little verse, including (would you believe?) Alice In Wonderland. What kind of young man do we have here? And a young woman who matches him without effort? And a definitely literate narrator with his tongue firmly inserted in cheek. There’s a bank robbery and an attempted murder. A desperate ride across the desert and a warm welcome by good Mexican friends. It’s all a great deal of fun. Eugene Manlove Rhodes (1869 – 1934) was an American writer, nicknamed the 'cowboy chronicler'. He lived in south central New Mexico when the first cattle ranching and cowboys arrived in the area; when he moved to New York with his wife in 1899, he wrote stories of the American West that set the image of cowboy life in that era. Originally Published under the title of Bransford In Arcadia Or The Little Eohippus (1913). Note: eohippus, which plays a part all through the story, is the small prehistoric five-toed ancestor of the modern-day horse. For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate) (00:00:00) Chapter 00 (00:37:47) Chapter 01 (00:50:11) Chapter 02 (01:07:37) Chapter 03 (01:25:53) Chapter 04 (01:39:38) Chapter 05 (02:00:48) Chapter 06 (02:13:44) Chapter 07 (02:28:08) Chapter 08 (02:36:06) Chapter 09 (02:51:51) Chapter 10 (03:08:04) Chapter 11 (03:29:29) Chapter 12 (03:57:48) Chapter 13 (04:15:35) Chapter 14 (04:32:21) Chapter 15 (04:45:29) Chapter 16 (05:02:00) Chapter 17 (05:16:59) Chapter 18 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hundredth Chance by Ethel M. Dell audiobook. Genre: romance In this prequel to 'Charles Rex'' by Ethel M. Dell you will meet the aristocratic blackguard Lord Saltash for whom our distressed heroine Maude Brian still holds deep feelings. Dedicated to the care of her younger crippled brother whom she adores, Maude eventually agrees to a marriage of convenience in order to escape from a home which has become unbearable after her mother marries a brutish hotel owner. Jake, an honest, strong and silent type, agrees to the marriage because he is secretly in love with her but refrains from showing it which leads to many regrettable misunderstandings. This is a lovely old fashioned romantic drama filled with strong emotions. And whether or not you have read Charles Rex, you will definitely find the prequel enlightening and compelling. For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate) (00:00:00) Chapter 01 (00:23:11) Chapter 02 (00:48:01) Chapter 03 (01:16:03) Chapter 04 (01:48:10) Chapter 05 (02:15:07) Chapter 06 (02:38:39) Chapter 07 (03:17:23) Chapter 08 (03:49:07) Chapter 09 (04:14:19) Chapter 10 (04:41:45) Chapter 11 (05:07:35) Chapter 12 (05:36:48) Chapter 13 (06:04:21) Chapter 14 (06:39:48) Chapter 15 (07:17:54) Chapter 16 (07:38:29) Chapter 17 (08:12:25) Chapter 18 (08:48:19) Chapter 19 (09:10:12) Chapter 20 (09:45:49) Chapter 21 (10:14:34) Chapter 22 (10:42:47) Chapter 23 (11:19:08) Chapter 24 (11:52:39) Chapter 25 (12:19:55) Chapter 26 (12:53:51) Chapter 27 (13:20:43) Chapter 28 (13:45:51) Chapter 29 (14:15:24) Chapter 30 (14:41:45) Chapter 31 (15:05:42) Chapter 32 (15:30:58) Chapter 33 (16:10:36) Chapter 34 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles Rex by Ethel M. Dell audiobook. Genre: romance Excerpt: 'Saltash was thoroughly cosmopolitan in his tastes; he liked amusement but he abhorred boredom. He was never really wicked unless he was bored. And then- que voulez vous? He did not guide the star of destiny.' On his last night in Valrosa, Saltash (Charles Rex) returns to his luxurious yacht to find a stowaway, a young woman disguised as a boy. She pleads to be kept by him in order to escape from her abuser. Although ill used by life she is still very pure and Saltash falls head over heels in love with her. She in turn adores him but he feels unworthy of her. Torn by a sense of duty and fairness he tries to marry her off to someone he believes would be a more suitable match. Romance and mystery, a delightful sprinkle of humour and wit, and wonderful characters make this an emotional read that you will not soon forget. For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate) (00:00:00) Chapter 01 (00:36:11) Chapter 02 (01:07:49) Chapter 03 (01:31:27) Chapter 04 (01:56:01) Chapter 05 (02:31:09) Chapter 06 (03:05:19) Chapter 07 (03:32:11) Chapter 08 (03:58:45) Chapter 09 (04:36:04) Chapter 10 (05:07:55) Chapter 11 (05:41:04) Chapter 12 (06:11:41) Chapter 13 (06:40:17) Chapter 14 (07:00:39) Chapter 15 (07:41:45) Chapter 16 (08:05:29) Chapter 17 (08:32:22) Chapter 18 (09:01:58) Chapter 19 (09:35:53) Chapter 20 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway audiobook. Genre: drama The Sun Also Rises (1926) was Hemingway's first novel to be published, though there is his novella The Torrents of Spring which was published earlier in the same year. The novel describes, expressed through the voice of Jake Barnes, a short period of social life that ranges from Paris to locations in Spain. One might say that the action occurs in Pamplona, Spain with the annual festival of San Fermin and its running of bulls and subsequent days of bullfights, but one can easily argue that the real interest of the novel is in its portrayal of the group to which Barnes is a part and how he details their anxieties, frailties, hopes, and frustrations. For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate) (00:00:00) Chapter 01 (00:09:04) Chapter 02 (00:17:54) Chapter 03 (00:35:07) Chapter 04 (00:53:10) Chapter 05 (01:01:17) Chapter 06 (01:20:24) Chapter 07 (01:40:55) Chapter 08 (02:00:26) Chapter 09 (02:13:49) Chapter 10 (02:37:51) Chapter 11 (02:52:52) Chapter 12 (03:16:04) Chapter 13 (03:50:05) Chapter 14 (03:58:45) Chapter 15 (04:29:01) Chapter 16 (04:58:12) Chapter 17 (05:27:05) Chapter 18 (06:04:58) Chapter 19 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discourses of Epictetus by Epictetus audiobook. Genre: philosophy Born into slavery and later freed, Epictetus became one of the most influential teachers of Stoic philosophy in the Roman world. Discourses of Epictetus collects the lively, practical lessons recorded by his student Arrian, preserving the feel of a classroom where sharp questions meet sharper answers. Moving from everyday annoyances to life-altering setbacks, Epictetus challenges listeners to separate what is truly under their control - judgments, choices, and character - from what is not - reputation, wealth, health, and other people's actions. Through vivid examples, pointed analogies, and direct exhortation, he trains the reader to meet fortune with steadiness, to replace complaint with clarity, and to turn obstacles into occasions for virtue. Along the way, he confronts fear, anger, grief, desire, and social pressure, insisting that freedom is an inner achievement rather than a political condition. Both bracing and compassionate, these talks offer a rigorous guide to resilience and integrity, inviting anyone willing to practice to cultivate self-command, live according to reason, and find calm amid uncertainty. For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate) (00:00:00) Chapter 00 (00:14:49) Chapter 01 (00:23:39) Chapter 02 (00:32:59) Chapter 03 (00:35:46) Chapter 04 (00:44:56) Chapter 05 (00:47:57) Chapter 06 (00:58:57) Chapter 07 (01:08:04) Chapter 08 (01:12:23) Chapter 09 (01:22:22) Chapter 10 (01:26:31) Chapter 11 (01:37:29) Chapter 12 (01:46:55) Chapter 13 (01:49:04) Chapter 14 (01:54:19) Chapter 15 (01:56:57) Chapter 16 (02:02:14) Chapter 17 (02:09:44) Chapter 18 (02:17:03) Chapter 19 (02:24:57) Chapter 20 (02:30:03) Chapter 21 (02:31:23) Chapter 22 (02:37:15) Chapter 23 (02:39:45) Chapter 24 (02:44:58) Chapter 25 (02:53:11) Chapter 26 (02:58:35) Chapter 27 (03:04:48) Chapter 28 (03:14:15) Chapter 29 (03:32:21) Chapter 30 (03:34:44) Chapter 31 (03:46:59) Chapter 32 (03:53:08) Chapter 33 (03:55:16) Chapter 34 (03:59:10) Chapter 35 (04:07:55) Chapter 36 (04:14:46) Chapter 37 (04:18:56) Chapter 38 (04:28:02) Chapter 39 (04:35:10) Chapter 40 (04:43:50) Chapter 41 (04:51:01) Chapter 42 (04:57:52) Chapter 43 (05:06:14) Chapter 44 (05:14:55) Chapter 45 (05:20:52) Chapter 46 (05:35:49) Chapter 47 (05:47:53) Chapter 48 (05:56:08) Chapter 49 (06:07:18) Chapter 50 (06:19:49) Chapter 51 (06:27:03) Chapter 52 (06:39:46) Chapter 53 (06:54:30) Chapter 54 (07:03:58) Chapter 55 (07:05:03) Chapter 56 (07:07:54) Chapter 57 (07:21:53) Chapter 58 (07:28:24) Chapter 59 (07:35:38) Chapter 60 (07:39:45) Chapter 61 (07:45:15) Chapter 62 (07:48:42) Chapter 63 (07:59:15) Chapter 64 (08:02:14) Chapter 65 (08:09:42) Chapter 66 (08:16:24) Chapter 67 (08:18:03) Chapter 68 (08:24:18) Chapter 69 (08:32:21) Chapter 70 (08:35:42) Chapter 71 (08:40:50) Chapter 72 (08:45:24) Chapter 73 (08:48:00) Chapter 74 (08:50:46) Chapter 75 (08:52:58) Chapter 76 (08:58:36) Chapter 77 (09:05:58) Chapter 78 (09:38:52) Chapter 79 (09:51:59) Chapter 80 (10:30:45) Chapter 81 (10:34:29) Chapter 82 (10:47:45) Chapter 83 (11:46:17) Chapter 84 (11:49:54) Chapter 85 (11:53:57) Chapter 86 (12:12:04) Chapter 87 (12:25:20) Chapter 88 (12:39:22) Chapter 89 (12:54:38) Chapter 90 (13:09:32) Chapter 91 Max Character Limit reached Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Markets of Paris by Emile Zola audiobook. Genre: drama The Markets of Paris is a remarkable work, and is the one which Zola calls his very best novel, and of which he is far more proud than of any others in his Rougon-Marquart series – prouder than of L’Assommoir. It must have been in his early manhood, when poor and friendless, he lived among the people, that much of the information which makes these pages so startlingly vivid, was acquired. How many mornings, long before dawn, must he have visited these markets – how many hours and days must he have spent there, to have mastered the habits, manners and ways of these people, who are a class by themselves, and of whom we do not lose sight, from the beginning to the end of the book. He introduces us to the Parisian charcutier – the cook shop – and in La Belle Lina, the mistress of the establishment, we find the sister of Gervaise, the woman who stirred the depths of our hearts with pity, in L’Assommoir. In truth The Markets of Paris stands as utterly alone in modern French literature, as it is distinct and apart, from any other work even by Zola himself. It is a book for all to read. For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate) (00:00:00) Chapter 01 (00:27:49) Chapter 02 (00:58:22) Chapter 03 (01:27:19) Chapter 04 (02:01:45) Chapter 05 (02:39:02) Chapter 06 (03:09:38) Chapter 07 (03:39:29) Chapter 08 (04:08:56) Chapter 09 (04:37:20) Chapter 10 (05:04:48) Chapter 11 (05:34:26) Chapter 12 (06:05:31) Chapter 13 (06:37:15) Chapter 14 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nana by Emile Zola audiobook. Genre: tragedy In the glittering yet rotten heart of Paris under the Second Empire, Nana rises from the working-class streets to become the city's most notorious courtesan. Introduced amid the heat of the theater world, she is young, magnetic, and dangerous, a woman whose beauty turns desire into obsession and appetite into ruin. As financiers, aristocrats, politicians, and soldiers compete for her attention, Zola follows the ripple effect of Nana's presence through drawing rooms, racing tracks, and back alleys, exposing a society that prizes spectacle while hiding its corruption. Nana herself is no simple seductress: driven by hunger, pride, and the need to survive, she discovers how quickly power can shift when everyone wants to possess you. With a cast of men and women pulled into her orbit, the novel builds a relentless portrait of ambition, hypocrisy, and moral decay, asking who truly holds control in a world built on money and illusion. Bold, unsparing, and darkly vivid, Nana is a scandalous social panorama and a study of desire as a force that consumes both its target and its worshippers. For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate) (00:00:00) Chapter 00 (00:13:11) Chapter 01 (00:47:58) Chapter 02 (01:19:25) Chapter 03 (01:44:35) Chapter 04 (02:13:05) Chapter 05 (02:38:50) Chapter 06 (03:02:46) Chapter 07 (03:45:08) Chapter 08 (04:17:53) Chapter 09 (04:58:29) Chapter 10 (05:36:50) Chapter 11 (06:17:24) Chapter 12 (06:56:07) Chapter 13 (07:31:19) Chapter 14 (08:06:01) Chapter 15 (08:49:30) Chapter 16 (09:30:59) Chapter 17 (09:59:50) Chapter 18 (10:31:33) Chapter 19 (11:09:00) Chapter 20 (11:41:36) Chapter 21 (12:23:10) Chapter 22 (13:02:56) Chapter 23 (13:29:48) Chapter 24 (13:56:19) Chapter 25 (14:27:58) Chapter 26 (15:00:57) Chapter 27 (15:37:07) Chapter 28 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My Flirtations by Ella Hepworth Dixon audiobook. Genre: comedy Many novels, most notably Hannah Webster's The Coquette, focused on how terrible it is for a woman to flirt before her marriage. 'I did not speak 20 sentences before sir Robert proposed to me', explained Lady Bidulph while teaching her daughter how to court properly in 'Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph'. A coquette must be a fool, wicked, and immoral. But Peggy is none of these. She sees things as they are, sometimes too much for her own good, and flirts with men she finds interesting. She decides to tell about them, from her point of view. The feelings, the reasons they did not keep in touch, and her 'notions' about them. This is her way to examine late Victorian society including the lives of other oppressed minorities. This novel is considered semi autobiographical For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate) (00:00:00) Chapter 01 (00:13:15) Chapter 02 (00:25:03) Chapter 03 (00:35:54) Chapter 04 (00:48:15) Chapter 05 (01:02:23) Chapter 06 (01:15:45) Chapter 07 (01:28:52) Chapter 08 (01:42:51) Chapter 09 (01:56:54) Chapter 10 (02:11:21) Chapter 11 (02:24:20) Chapter 12 (02:37:57) Chapter 13 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Adventures of Elizabeth in Rugen by Elizabeth von Arnim audiobook. Genre: adventure In this semi-autobiographical travel comedy of manners, Elizabeth von Arnim sends her quick-witted alter ego, Elizabeth, off to the Baltic island of Rugen in the summer of 1901 with an unlikely expedition: a maid, a driver, a carriage stacked with luggage, and a woman friend who seems determined to knit through every surprise the road can offer. Elizabeth dreams of exploring the island on foot for the pure freedom of it, but plans rarely survive first contact with weather, timetables, and other people's ideas of what a lady ought to do. As the carriage rolls from seaside views to village encounters, Elizabeth sketches the landscape with rapturous attention and turns her sharp, self-deprecating humor on the petty tyrannies of comfort and convention. Along the way she collects a gallery of memorable figures: a snobbish bishop's wife, her personable son, a dressmaker, and an unexpected cousin, Charlotte, whose complicated domestic situation threatens to turn a quiet holiday into a social tangle. Part travelogue, part character study, this is a charming, observant journey that finds adventure in the smallest detours. For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate) (00:00:00) Chapter 01 (00:36:31) Chapter 02 (01:18:21) Chapter 03 (02:10:18) Chapter 04 (02:37:12) Chapter 05 (02:57:14) Chapter 06 (03:24:57) Chapter 07 (03:44:04) Chapter 08 (04:23:19) Chapter 09 (04:54:55) Chapter 10 (05:23:45) Chapter 11 (05:53:13) Chapter 12 (06:12:19) Chapter 13 (07:01:59) Chapter 14 (07:46:59) Chapter 15 (08:13:46) Chapter 16 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices