Modern Classics

Beautifully read by Indira Varma and poignantly told, Marking Time is the second novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard’s bestselling family saga The Cazalet Chronicles, set during the onset of World War II. 'Compelling, moving, unputdownable . . . Maybe my favourite books ever' - Marian Keyes...

The Second World War has finally ended and so begins a new era of freedom and opportunity for the Cazalet family in Casting Off, the fourth novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard's magnificent Cazalet Chronicles. Read by Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Luther and Oedipus at The Old Vic). 'Compelling...

"On the busy, bustling, colonized future Moon, McAuley reminds us that although everyone makes mistakes, some mistakes have far greater consequences than others..." So writes Gardner Dozois, editor of the Seventeenth Annual Collection of The Year's Best Science Fiction, about this thrilling and...

Can one man sleep his way through the alphabet? Here’s the wager—it’s as easy as A-B-C. Make love to twenty-six women across the alphabet, from “Abigail” to “Zelda.” Our hero beds divas and debutantes, playgirls and politicos, evangelists and entrepreneurs, throughout the boudoirs...

The 13th installment in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Captain Jack Aubrey sets sail for the South China Sea with a new lease on life. Following his dismissal from the Royal Navy (on a false accusation), he has earned reinstatement through his daring exploits as a privateer, brilliantly chronicled...

This production - adapted by John Tams and Sally Ward at the behest of the author - is a moving tale of a boy's extraordinary bond with his horse during World War One. The story of a farm horse sold from Devon into the mire, wire and machine guns of the Great War of 1914-1918 brings together a...

Your shortcut to the world’s greatest books. Why spend months (or years) working through reading lists when you can dive into the key ideas, themes, and insights in one place? 50 Must-Read Books: Summaries and Reviews brings you clear, engaging overviews of classics, modern masterpieces, and groundbreaking nonfiction—from Camus, Orwell, Austen, and Dickens to Harari, Atwood, Hosseini, and Liu Cixin.

Desperate in his search of the secret of life, young Dr Victor Frankenstein attempts to construct and then bring to life a previously inanimate creature. He succeeds, yet immediately finds himself horrified and repulsed by the fruit of his long-lasting labors and, as a result, abandons the creature without a word. This action begins a series of tragic events in the life of the scientist, as the enraged monster begins his quest to fill every minute of Dr. Frankenstein's life with terror, dread and misery.

Set in the height of the Second World War, The Cazalet Chronicles continues with the third in the series, Confusion, where chaos has become a way of life for the Cazalet family. Read by Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Luther and Oedipus at The Old Vic) 'Compelling, moving, unputdownable...

Classic Spirituality for the Modern Man takes a radically new approach to the question of spirituality. Its purpose is to bring the spiritual classics alive so that they can once again serve their original and true purpose: to guide and inspire us as we make our way through life.

A bold and authentic reimagining of The Winter’s Tale full of tragedy, triumph, and forbidden romance—perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Kathleen Glasgow, and Sarah Dessen. Pia and her brother, Max, live on an isolated farm in rural Maine, and it’s the only life they remember. Their father...

Brought to you by Penguin. Querry, a world famous architect, is the victim of a terrible attack of indifference: he no longer finds meaning in art or pleasure in life. Arriving anonymously at a Congo leper village, he is diagnosed as the mental equivalent of a 'burnt-out case', a leper mutilated...

Classic Philosophy for the Modern Man is unlike any other philosophy book you may have come across. It is inspired by a single concept: that, to thrive in the world, we need ready access to the practical wisdom of our forebears. Classic Philosophy for the Modern Man answers that need by introducing for the general listener the most powerful and enduringly relevant works of great thinkers from around the world.

A brilliantly funny story all about celebrating difference – perfect for listening to at home, in the car, at bedtime or any time at all! Everyone knows that tyrannosauruses are big and scary, so when a placid duckbill dinosaur's egg ends up in the wrong nest, confusion is sure to ensue! When...

Frankenstein—or, The Modern Prometheus—is considered to be one of the earliest examples of science fiction. Written by Mary Shelley, it tells the story of scientist Victor Frankenstein and the catastrophic consequences of his attempts to create a perfect new being by activating a group of body parts with an electrical charge. The hideous monster that is born of Frankenstein's experiment wreaks havoc when it realises that it will never know the happiness that mere mortals can enjoy.

On a miserable summer trip to Geneva with her future husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, poet Lord Byron and a small group of friends, writer Mary Wollstonecraft was asked to participate in a game where the guests would create a ghost story and share it with the group. Everyone told their stories, but Mary's creation surprised them all. She had conceived of the idea that would later become her best known work, a tale of horror and creation, the legendary early science fiction classic: Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus.

A brilliant collection of bestselling stories from Julia Donaldson and friends, read aloud by stars Floella Benjamin, Lauren Laverne, Alex Jennings, Imelda Staunton, David Tennant and Saskia Wickham. Perfect for listening to at home, in the car, at bedtime or any time at all! Head off on a...

The story of Flem Snopes' ruthless struggle to take over the town of Jefferson, Mississippi, this is the second volume of Faulkner's trilogy about the Snopes family, his symbol for the grasping, destructive element in the post-bellum South.

In this modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel, 13-year-old foster children Griselda and Holden escape from their abductor after three years of brutal captivity and try to cross the Shenandoah River on foot. Tragically, one of them makes it to safety, but the other is left behind. Ten years later, Griselda's boyfriend drags her to a fight club grudge match, and her world is turned upside down when she watches Holden step into the ring.

A hilarious contemporary retelling of the classic society novel, VANITY FAIR, featuring the irrepressible Becky Sharp Beautiful, brilliant, ruthless – nothing can stop Becky Sharp. Becky Sharp has big dreams and no connections. Determined to swap the gutters of Soho for the glamorous...