Summer Reads

One of the greatest nineteenth-century scientist-explorers, Alexander von Humboldt traversed the tropical Spanish Americas between 1799 and 1804. By the time of his death in 1859, he had won international fame for his scientific discoveries, his...

'A roaring tale ... remains as vivid and exciting today as it was on publication in 1697' -- GuardianThe pirate and adventurer William Dampier circumnavigated the globe three times, and took notes wherever he went. This is his frank, vivid account of his...

On the shrouded corpse hung a tablet of green topaz with the inscription: 'I am Shaddad the Great. I conquered a thousand cities; a thousand white elephants were collected for me; I lived for a thousand years and my kingdom covered both east and west,...

(Available after July 30th, 2023)Trust no one.It is six months since the Arcadia set sail for the first time in forty years. But this wasn't the freedom the inhabitants were hoping for. Esther Crossland did what she had to do, but it has left a trail of...

(Available after 3-20 days)Thousands of amazing humans have eradicated millions of dollars in debt because Erin Skye Kelly taught them how to get the hell out of it!Erin Skye Kelly wrote Get the Hell Out of Debt after her own struggle to become...

On 15 August 778, Charlemagne’s army was returning from a successful expedition against Saracen Spain when its rearguard was ambushed in a remote Pyrenean pass. Out of this skirmish arose a stirring tale of war, which was recorded in the oldest extant...

'Many people are not in the least disturbed at the harm that befalls them, provided they can see their enemies’ downfall first’   In a series of pithy, amusing vignettes, Aesop created a vivid cast of characters to demonstrate different aspects of human...

An enchanting story that has inspired generations of writers, including Boccaccio, Shakespeare, Cervantes and Keats Written towards the end of the second century AD, The Golden Ass tells the story of the many adventures of a young man whose fascination...

A heartbreaking portrayal of a woman faced by an impossible choice in the pursuit of happiness When Tess Durbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles and seek a portion of their family fortune, meeting her...

‘Patience, Firmness, and Perseverance were my only weapons.’ Agnes Grey (1847) was Anne Bronte’s first novel and a poignant account of her own experience as a struggling governess, obliged to earn her living in one of the few ways open to an educated...

When the world-weary dandy Eugene Onegin moves from St Petersburg to take up residence in the country estate he has inherited, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with his neighbour, the poet Vladimir Lensky. Coldly rejecting the amorous advances of...

Set in France during the Ancien Régime, Dangerous Liasons is an extraordinary tale of intrigue and moral depravity where our rival protagonists use seduction as a weapon.The Marquise de Mertheuil and the Vicomte de Valmont scheme and plot; one obsessed...

Henry Fielding's picaresque tale of a young man's search for his place in the world, The History of Tom Jones is edited with notes and an introduction by Thomas Keymer and Alice Wakely in Penguin Classics.A foundling of mysterious parentage brought up by...

(Available after 3-20 days)Dirty. Rotten. Savages. The Legacy boys are Windsor Preparatory Academy's most privileged. No one crosses the devil spawn of this town's upper echelon, but I managed. I call one of them out my first day, and no one hears it...

vFriendship, masculinity, sex—Anthony Stevenson has a lot of questions. Is it different for boys who like boys? A poignant and frank story filled with meta-humor by renowned author Patrick Ness.Anthony “Ant” Stevenson isn’t sure when he stopped being a...

A vibrant and emotional novel from debut author Dan Clay about a boy who turns toward love, self-expression, and drag when the unthinkable happens, perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson and Julie Murphy.If only Mark Davis hadn’t put on a dress for the talent...

Lydia and her younger sister Penny make a pact to avoid boy drama for the summer—but Lydia can’t help looking for a loophole when she falls for a cute girlLydia Jones and her younger sister Penny have had it with boy drama. Last year was marred by...

“Achingly atmospheric and beautifully sharp, A Study in Drowning will draw you in from the first page.” —Rory Power, New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls Bestselling author Ava Reid makes her YA...

The renowned classic and New York Times bestseller that has transformed the lives of millions of readers, dramatically changing how women and men view relationships.   Anger is something we feel. It exists for a reason and always deserves our respect and...

Discover the truth hiding behind troubling thoughts with Byron Katie’s self-help classic.In 2003, Byron Katie first introduced the world to The Work with the publication of Loving What Is. Nearly twenty years later, Loving What Is continues to inspire...