The Patchwork Girl of Oz

L. Frank Baum

Ojo the Unlucky, a Munchkin boy raised in isolation in the Blue Forest by his taciturn Unc Nunkie, finds himself setting out on a quest through the wider world of Oz in this seventh entry in L. Frank Baums series about that magical country. The reader accompanies Ojo, the Glass Cat and the Patchwork Girl on a journey to find five magic items in the wonderful Land of Oz to restore to life Ojos Uncle Nunkie and the Crooked Magicians wife, Margolotte, who turn to marble when the Magicians Elixir of Petrification accidentally falls upon them. On his journey, Ojo meets many strange creatures and interesting characters, some new, like the lovable block-headed Woozy, whose tail hairs are just one of the things Ojo needs to rescue Une Nunkie; the Hoppers and Horners and some familiar, like the Jack Pumpkinhead. As they travel to the Emerald City, home of the wise and powerful Ozma, they meet Dorothy, the kind and sensible girl from Kansas; the gallant Scarecrow; and, of course, Toto. But no one proves more loyal than the spirited Patchwork Girl, who, although she was brought to life as a servant, is determined to see the wide world for herself.

Shadows in Zamboula

Robert E. Howard

Shadows in Zamboula is one of the original stories by Robert E. Howard about Conan the Cimmerian, first published in Weird Tales in November, 1935. Its original title was The Man-Eaters of Zamboula. The story takes place over the course of a night in the desert city of Zamboula, with political intrigue amidst streets filled with roaming cannibals. It features the character Baal-pteor, one of the few humans in the Conan stories to be a physical challenge for the main Cimmerian character himself.

Death of an Airman

Christopher St. John Sprigg

When George Furnace, instructor of the Baston Aero Club, is found dead in the wreck of his crashed plane, everyone assumes it was a tragic accident, even though he was a skilled airman. An Australian visitor to the Aero Club, Edwin Marriott, Bishop of Cootamundra, suspects that the true story is more complicated. Could this be a dramatic suicide – or even murder? The intrepid Bishop and Inspector Bray of Scotland Yard make an appealing pair of detectives, and ultimately a cunning criminal scheme is uncovered. Death of an Airman is an enjoyable and unorthodox whodunit from a writer whose short life was as remarkable as that of any of his fictional creations.

Jude the Obscure

Thomas Hardy

Jude is a layman who is cursed by an even larger figure: a pre-feminist minx. In the case of Jude, being associated with a woman in the then strange double is a fatal flaw. And not just any woman: Sue Briadhead, a Bovarian double, is ambivalent, mean and not romantic. Of course, she alone would betray Judahs affection, break his heart. She is the sad queen of drama!

The Protector

Harold Bindloss

Vayne was 27 years old. And nine of which he spent on scott, canoeing, chopping trees and searching for minerals. He and his friend discovered valuable mineral property several months earlier. They were aiming for a better life and wanted to grow their business. However, not everything is so easy.

The Lamp in the Desert

Ethel M. Dell

Ethel May Dell was a British writer of popular romance novels who produced about thirty novels and several volumes of short stories. The public loved her stories and the books were hugely popular. The scene of this splendid story is laid in India and tells of the lamp of love that continues to shine through all sorts of tribulations to final happiness. When Stella comes to India unaccompanied to join her brother Tommy with his regiment, the tongues wag. In order to become respected she foolishly marries a bounder, who, incidentally, has a wife back in England. There is passion, honor, pride, angst, suffering, and all sorts of happenings keeping the lovers mentally, emotionally and physically part. They grow, trust in God and find peace and long-lasting love in the end.

The Long Shadow

B.M. Bower

Billy Boyle knows cattle and horses better than most. Alexander P. Dill, the merchant from Michigan, knows little of livestock and needs Billys help to make it in the business. Billy is eager to oblige, but can he beat the weather, the barbed wire, and the mysterious maneuvers of old man Brown? And what is the Pilgrim up to? Surely no good when it comes to Flora Bridger, who Billy wants to make his own. B. M. Bower was one of the most prolific and popular writers in the early days of the Western genre, and stories like The Long Shadow explain the authors abiding popularity.

The Magic Walking Stick

John Buchan

The Magic Walking Stick is a childrens short story by John Buchan. Our hero is a teenage boy who buys a walking stick from a beggar a magic walking stick that allows the boy to visit many places at his command... It is a fantastical story about a pair of magical walking sticks; one that will cease to function if it is used for any practical purpose, and another that will cease to function if it isnt. Unfortunately, our protagonist doesnt know which one he possesses. This charming one-of-a-kind classic is a beautiful compilation which includes the timeless story, The Magic Walking-Stick and several additional Arabian Nights classic stories including; The Seven Voyages of Sinbad, The Story of the Magic Horse, The Story of the Fisherman and the Genie and more. Its a charming and entertaining tale perfect for bedtime reading.