The Blue Castle
L.M. Montgomery
A captivating tale of bravery and romance. Will Valancy Stirling ever break free from her oppressive family and discover true love?
At 29, Valancy Stirling is unmarried and has never experienced love. Trapped under the control of her domineering mother and intrusive aunt, her only solace comes from the “forbidden” novels of John Foster and her fantasies of the Blue Castle—a place where all her desires come to life, and she can finally be her true self. But after receiving startling news from her doctor, Valancy defies her family and embarks on a journey that leads to a surprising world filled with love and adventures beyond her wildest dreams.
The Enchanted April
Elizabeth von Arnim
A formula for joy: four women, a medieval Italian castle, abundant wisteria, and solitude as desired. The women at the heart of The Enchanted April share only one thing in common: dissatisfaction with their everyday lives. They find each other—and the castle of their dreams—through a classified ad in a London newspaper on a rainy February afternoon. While they expect a pleasant getaway, they don’t foresee that their month in Portofino will reconnect them with their true selves and rekindle their sense of happiness. If only the same magic could work on their husbands and lovers, the enchantment would be complete.
The Enchanted April became a bestseller in both England and the United States, where it was chosen as a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, sparking a tourism boom to Portofino. It later inspired a major film and a Broadway play.
Beowulf An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem
J. Lesslie Hall
Beowulf is the oldest known surviving poem in Old English. Though the author remains anonymous, it is thought to have been composed before the 10th century AD. The sole surviving European manuscript of the Beowulf text is dated to around 1010. The epic follows the heroic deeds of the Scandinavian warrior Beowulf as he battles three formidable foes: the monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a nameless dragon.
Jane Eyre: An autobiography
Charlotte Brontë
Step into the enchanting world of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and follow the determined Jane as she navigates a life shaped by hardship, ultimately becoming a governess. Her deep, complex relationship with the enigmatic Mr. Rochester, burdened by his past, reveals a tale filled with mystery and romance. Through Brontë’s masterful prose and richly developed characters, the story delves into themes of love, independence, and the societal constraints of the time. Experience a timeless narrative of personal growth and unwavering resilience that continues to captivate readers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855) was a pioneering British novelist, celebrated for her haunting and powerful storytelling. As the eldest of the Brontë sisters, she authored the enduring classic Jane Eyre, a profound exploration of love, morality, and human strength. Writing during an era when female authors faced significant challenges, Charlotte boldly defied societal expectations, cementing her place as a literary trailblazer. Her unforgettable stories and lifelike characters continue to inspire, making her a literary icon whose legacy endures in the hearts of readers worldwide.
A Room with a View
E.M. Forster
Lucy leads a carefully planned, middle-class life until a trip to Florence with her prim cousin Charlotte disrupts her well-ordered world. In Florence, she encounters a host of eccentric characters at the Pension Bertolini: the flamboyant romantic novelist Eleanor Lavish, the lively Cockney Signora, the curious Mr. Emerson, and most notably, his passionate son George.
Caught between the vibrant, liberating atmosphere of Italy and the rigid, repressive values of Edwardian England—represented by her dreary fiancé Cecil Vyse—Lucy must decide if she will follow her heart and embrace a more authentic life. Will she ever truly learn to live for herself?
The Metamorphosis
Franz Kafka
“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. Lying on his hard, armor-like back, he lifted his head slightly and saw his dome-shaped, brown belly, segmented and stiff, with the bed quilt barely clinging to it, ready to slip off completely. His many legs, pitifully thin compared to the rest of his body, waved helplessly before his eyes.”
With this startling, bizarre, and unexpectedly humorous opening, Kafka begins his iconic work, The Metamorphosis. The story follows a young man who, after being transformed overnight into a giant insect, becomes a source of shame for his family and an outsider in his own home, embodying the alienated individual. This darkly absurd yet deeply reflective meditation on human inadequacy, guilt, and isolation has solidified The Metamorphosis as one of the most influential and widely read works of twentieth-century literature. As W.H. Auden remarked, “Kafka is important to us because his predicament is the predicament of modern man.”