The Coral Island
- Three young Englishmen, 15-year-old Ralph Rover, Jack, who is older than him for three years, and the cheerful 14-year-old Peter, were got on a desert island after their ship was wrecked. They made their life in the spirit of Robinson Crusoe, and despite the typhoons, wild boar attacks and hostile visitors to the island, they lived an almost perfect life. The boys made fire by rubbing two sticks and climb the palm trees for coconuts. The boys were building a boat with sails of copra to get to a nearby island, where Jack won the battle of the leader of the tribe Taror. Then the pirates kidnapped Ralph whose adventures continued in the southern islands.
Cry Freedom
- In the middle of 1970s, the government of South Africa has a policy of racial segregation. Frequent protests against the ruling regime. Donald Woods – editor of the liberal newspaper “Daily Dispech” published articles critical of one of the leaders of the “Black identity.” Addressed Steve Biko. He condemns Biko because he does not have a flexible approach to accumulate racial issues. Steve Biko invited editor in his area. Woods had seen miserable conditions in which the black population lives. After they met Woods changed his mind to Biko. White and black population have to live in equal conditions. They became good friends. Woods was officially banned by the Government of South Africa and he was not allowed to leave their place of residence. Biko is arrested soon.
Woman in white
- The young painter Walter Hartright has gotten a job as a drawing teacher in the city of Cumberland. He was recommended for this position by his good friend Pesca who was an Italian professor. Walter had been living in London, so he has to leave his town and to go to Cumberland for this new job. He decided to say goodbye to his mother and sister. As he was going out, he met a strange woman. She was dressed in white from head to foot. They continued talking on their way together. The woman in white was excited when he told her about his future work, and about the people who had hired him. She has been talking about these people with a mixture of love, anger and fear. Walter helped her to catch a cab. Then, almost immediately afterwards, he met two men who were searching for a woman in white who had escaped from an asylum.
Les Miserables
- The man with rough appearance has come into the town of Digne. It was in October 1815. He has just stand in the inn, but suddenly innkeeper has gone him out because the past of the man. Innkeeper has known that the name of this stranger is Jean Valjean and he has just been released from the prison. He’s been in prison for nineteen years for violent robbery and for trying to escape. In the other inns were the same. The news about prisoner quickly shared between townspeople and nobody gave him the bad. Nobody, except one man. It was a bishop. The priest gave Valjean a shelter for the night and fed him. At night, after some sleep, prisoner decided to robber that house, because the life had been unfair to him and he was very angry. This desperate decision will change his life… forever.
Rebecca
- A young woman who is serving to a rich American Madame, going with her on the Cote d’Azur and accidentally meets there a British aristocrat named Maximilian de Winter. He is the owner of amazingly beautiful estate Manderley. After a brief romance, she agrees to marry him. They return to Manderley together. Almost immediately, the bride realizes how difficult it will be to erase the memory of her husband’s image of his ex-wife, Rebecca. She died about a year ago, sailing on a yacht. Rebecca is rumoured to be not only has outstanding beauty, but also was an excellent hostess, who was able to stay in the community, went sailing on a yacht and was completely perfect. New wife suffers from her own embarrassment, shyness, inability to meet people and afraid of the servants that compares it with the previous mistress.
Business at the Speed of Thought
- This book inspires everybody to take actions for their future. The greatest billionaire, the head of a huge computer company "Microsoft" Bill Gates wrote it. The book was published in 1999. The author shares his knowledge of business principles and how to use information technology properly. If you want to create your own business, it is not enough being led only by your intuition and luck. The modern business is a powerful system, which already uses advanced information technologies. The book is addressed to those people who do not want to stop on the achieved results but prefer to use new technologies for their business, to bring it to automatism. Here you will also find stories of life of many people who have achieved success without much effort.
Deadheads
This is an unusual detective novel. You won't be able to predict the end of it. There are a lot of unsolved crime mysteries and much British humor. Patrick Aldermann is in the center of this story. Many deaths regularly occur around him. People die every day. But when these deaths play right into someone's hand, it becomes very suspicious. When Patrick's aunt passes away in the rose garden, he inherits her big mansion. When the man comes to work for a new company, he has a great career development. It is not because he is a good specialist. The reason is many people die and Patrick takes their positions. Patrick's boss starts fearing for his life. So he goes to the inspectors Dalziel and Pascoe. The police become interested in this case.
Weep Not, Child
- This story took place in Kenya when it was a British colony. The colonial settlers took away Kenyan people's land. They also forced the Africans to work on the stolen land. They made many laws against African people. The K. A. U. – the Kenyan African Union – was formed by the black Kenyan leaders in 1944. But the British colonial rulers refused to recognize the leaders of the K. A. U. and did not allow them to have the right of vote and responsibility. The K. A. U. wanted to change the colonial government and the existing laws peacefully. They desired black people to have the equal rights with the whites. They just wanted the land to be returned to the black farmers. The K. A. U. wished black people to govern their own country themselves.
The Best of times
- The book tells about a crash in one happy Malaysian family from Kuala Lumpur by the eyes of a sixteen-year-old teenager. The story begins when the teenager and his aunt came to the hospital to visit his mother. She is in the intensive care unit. The son feels terrible as there is his fault in everything that had happened. The boy pulls himself together and tries to comprehend his life. The starting point is his sixteen's birthday party. His parents arranged a grand celebration and invited many relatives and friends. The family is very famous in the city. They are very beautiful and successful. It was the happiest day in the boy's life. But after the celebration everything went wrong. The guy witnessed one scene to which he tried to close his eyes. It was the end of the best times.
Madame Bovary
- Charles Bovary graduates from the college. He is not a very smart person, so his mother helps him to get a doctor's job in a provincial French town. Thanks mother's efforts, he marries a local widow. The woman is over 40. She is unattractive, but wealthy. One day Charles goes to examine another patient - a local farmer. He meets a farmer's daughter Emma, who is very pretty. The doctor feels a desire towards the young girl. After his wife's death, Charles starts communicating with Emma and after a while decides to ask for her hand. Her father gives a consent and arranges a magnificent wedding. But when the young couple begins to live together, Emma suddenly realizes her true feelings. She does not love Charles. She is unaware of what real love is.
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
- An old doctor lived on a calm Greek island. But in 1941 the island was captured by Italy which was the ally of Hitler's Germany in World War II. The doctor has a daughter. She is an educated and determined woman. She falls in love with a local fisherman. The couple wants to get married. Soon the fiancé goes to war. The girl in love writes him lots of letters. There is no answer. The Italian army occupies the island. Their authorities resettle the officers. So Captain Corelli was settled under the roof of the doctor's house. The captain is cheerful and captured by the passion for the mandolin. The doctor's daughter feels disappointed in her fiance. She starts doubting that he really loves her. Nothing goes unnoticed by the attentive eyes of Captain Corelli. If you are a fan of such books as "Gone with the Wind", "Cold Mountain", then this novel will undoubtedly be to your liking.
Tom Jones
- Mr. Allworthy is a rich squire. He lives together with his sister Miss Bridget. One day an unknown baby boy is found in his house. Soon Mr. Allworthy manages to find the mother of the abandoned child. It is a poor woman from one village Jenny Jones. Jenny refuses to reveal the father’s identity. Still the mother repents her deed. The squire only sends her out of her native places and provides her with a better life. Mr. Allworthy lost his wife and children several years ago. He decides to take this boy and bring him up as his own son. The squire gives all his love to this baby. After some time, his sister Bridget gets married to Captain Blifil. Soon the couple is blessed with a son. The foundling Tom Jones is being raised with the young Blifil. Captain Blifil is a greedy and envious person. He fears that Mr. Allworthy’s fortune will pass to Tom. The captain hates the boy and tries to defame him in the eyes of his adoptive father.
Memoirs of a Geisha
- This is the famous best seller written by Arthur Golden. The novel is about Sayuri, a beautiful and successful geisha. Now she is retired and lives in New York. She tells us the fascinating story of her life. When Sayuri was a child, she had a different name - Chiyo. The girl lived in a small fishing village of Yoroido with her family. Her parents were old and poor. So Chiyo was sold to an okiya, a geisha house in Kyoto. She worked there as a maid of Hatsumomo, a selfish geisha who hated the little girl from the day they met. Hatsumomo made Chiyo's life a real nightmare. The girl overcame a lot of injustice and humiliation. But she always managed to stay strong. Despite all the difficulties, Chiyo implemented her dream of becoming a geisha and even found true love.
The Moonstone
- 'The Moonstone' is a remarkable book written by Willkie Collins. It is considered to be the first detective novel. It has an interesting structure. Five witnesses in turn to tell their version of the events. The unusual story takes place in England in the 19th century. Colonel Herncastle served in India and stole a diamond from the statue of an Indian god. The legend says that three priests guard the diamond and follow it wherever it goes. So nobody can own it without getting into trouble. In his will Colonel Herncastle left the diamond to his niece Rachel. She receives it on her birthday. But the following day the diamond is gone. All the people who visited her house the night before are suspects now. But Rachel conducts herself in a strange way. What if she knows some terrible secret about the loss of the diamond?
Double Helix
- This is an autobiographical book by James Watson. He tells about his work on DNA. The author helps the reader to plunge into the days of his youth, when he enthusiastically worked and rested at the local pub in the evenings. This pub called Eagle was located on the campus of Cambridge. The pub has been popular among academics. It was cozy, inexpensive and with a good choice of drinks. It was a real pleasure for the researches. Francis and James have been working on DNA structure for a long time and have already made some interesting promising discoveries. They proved that DNA transmits information from parent to child. Some even have stated it to be the most global contribution to science over the entire period of its existence. In this place, you could relax and unwind after a hard day.
The Chamber
- The scene of action is death row in prison. The main character is waiting for punishment for his actions. He was convicted of murder with extreme harshness. His guilt has already been proven. But this fact does not stop the young lawyer. He is looking for a high-profile case that can give impetus to his career. The young man is very ambitious and is ready to work on the hopeless cause of the murderer. He is ready to fight to prove his innocence and become a real celebrity among lawyers. On the other side, it can ruin his career. Everything depends on the subsequent actions of the lawyer and whether he can realize his plan. The masterful style of narration does not allow you to get distracted from what is happening. The author shows the world of criminals and whether the murderer regres his deed in his last minutes.
Cold Comfort Farm
- Some critics call this novel one of the funniest in the history of literature. It is a classic of the nineteenth century English literature and also a brilliant parody of the most popular novels of that time. A wonderful collection of ridiculous, colorful and memorable characters does not leave readers indifferent. The main character is in the midst of all these people. Flora is nineteen. Having lost her parents, she decides to go to a farm in Sussex and live with her relatives. A big family living on this farm suffers from the tyranny of an old woman - Aunt Ada Doom. She rules the whole life of the household. Nothing happens without her knowledge. Aunt Ada controls everyone despite the fact she constantly sits in her room, behind the locked door. The plot contains references to many famous classics.
The Final Diagnosis
- The plot of the book takes the reader to a small provincial town called Burlington. Or rather, to the city hospital. It used to be successful long ago. But it has been lacking budget, staff and quality equipment for the last years. The protagonist is a young surgeon named Kent. He is full of ambition. The young man is trying to improve the deplorable situation of the hospital. Kent is looking for investments. He is also negotiating with many skilled workers. And then the reader begins to observe several plot lines at once. A young nurse falls in love with another employee, but this relationship turns dramatic very quickly. At the same time, a new doctor appears in the hospital. He tries to modernize the work process, but faces the discontent of his superiors. And the hospital keeps living its own way of life.
Legally Blonde
- Lots of people watched a fun comedy starring Reese Witherspoon. But not everyone knows that the film was based on the book. The plot does not start too original. We meet Elle Woods. She is young, beautiful and socially active. Elle even won the title of Miss University. Her boyfriend is also very popular. Elle wants to marry Warner. But the guy is sure his girlfriend is too stupid and does not think about their future. He hides from Elle his plans about admission into Harvard. He also wants to find another more intelligent partner. When Elle goes to Harvard to her boyfriend, she finds out he has been already engaged to another girl for some time. This could be the beginning of a protracted depression. But Elle is not used to being discouraged. She decides to make Warner regret his hasty decision.
Age of Dragons
- This world is not at all like the one you are used to. Lots of amazing creatures live here: huge insects with intelligence, magnificent dragons and other monsters. All these creatures have a mind, a bad temper and their own view of the world around them. They are trying to decide how everyone else should live. The book begins with a story about the main character. The young man feels tired, because the day was very long. But it is not too important, because he is looking at the amazing subject and forgets about everything else. In his hands there is an arrow of skillful work. He saw many arrows and weapons in his life, but this one is truly beautiful. His father is a Khan and has always had many good weapons in his house. This book will tell about the adventures of a young guy who is to face exciting adventures.
Hobbit or There and Back Again
- Do you like fabulous world in which elves, dwarves, hobbits and dragons live? This book is for you. This story is about adventures of the young hobbit Bilbo Baggins who loves smoking his favourite pipe and eating - these things make his life calm and measured. Once the wizard Gandalf arrives at his house. The visit alarms Bilbo. He does not want such acquaintances. The same evening, some intruders knock on the door. Bilbo does not expect thirteen dwarves and that same wizard to come to him. Moreover, he gets an unusual offer to become a thief and go on a dangerous journey to obtain treasures from the den of the dragon. What choice will Baggins make? You will learn it while reading this book - a popular novel by J. R. R. Tolkien for the whole family.
The Hobbit
- Do you like fabulous world in which elves, dwarves, hobbits and dragons live? This book is for you. This story is about adventures of the young hobbit Bilbo Baggins who loves smoking his favourite pipe and eating - these things make his life calm and measured. Once the wizard Gandalf arrives at his house. The visit alarms Bilbo. He does not want such acquaintances. The same evening, some intruders knock on the door. Bilbo does not expect thirteen dwarves and that same wizard to come to him. Moreover, he gets an unusual offer to become a thief and go on a dangerous journey to obtain treasures from the den of the dragon. What choice will Baggins make? You will learn it while reading this book - a popular novel by J. R. R. Tolkien for the whole family.The Hobbits
The Prestige
- 'The Prestige' is an unusual story that centres on the rivalvy between Rupert Angier and Alfred Borden. The protagonists are acclaimed 19th century stage magicians. The novel is presented in the form of diaries written by Angier and Borden. The two talented men turn from partners into sworn enemies. Each of them will do anything to learn the secrets behind the magic tricks of his rival. So the main characters spend their lives trying to destroy each other. Finally, all the secrets are revealed. The reader may wonder if the success of the magicians was worth the sacrifice of their personal happiness. With its high tension, endless plot twists and provoking themes, this novel is rightfully considered one of the best modern books.
Lucky Luke and other Very Short Stories
- The book consists of a dozen short stories. Each one is different but all of them are fun to read. The narrator of the story 'Lucky Luke' goes to the barber's to have his long hair cut. The barber's name is Jimmy. This man has serious problems with the reporters. The newspapers call him the worst barber in Britain. While cutting the client's hair, Jimmy explains to him the reason for such misfortune. His younger brother Luke has been lucky since childhood. Luke always gets what he wants without any effort. On the contrary, Jimmy himself has been unlucky all his life, despite hard work. Not long ago, Jimmy decided to put an end to his brother's luck. However, things did not go according to the plan.
The Notebook
- This book sold many copies and became a significant contribution to the treasures of world literature. There is also a movie made on this novel. It is time to read it. Noah is returning to his home in North Carolina from World War II. His father died and Noah starts restoring the house. At the same time, Allie sees a photograph of the house in the newspaper. She decides to visit Noah. They have not seen each other for fourteen years. Long ago, they had a short but passionate romance. And then a separation followed. Their meeting is very emotional. They have lots of news and everyone talks about his or her life. Allie finds out that Noah has been writing letters to her all this time. But her mother hides all of them. At the same time, fiance of Allie is trying to contact her. This turns into a love triangle.
To kill a Mockingbird
The first novel of the writer, which allowed her to live comfortably for many years. It belongs to the classical literature. It is also one of the best hundred novels of all times. The story begins with Simon Finch. He escaped from England due to religious persecution and settled in Alabama. Simon became rich. The main plot starts after the Great Depression in the United States. Jean Louise Finch is six years old. She lives with her father and brother. Many local children are afraid of one of the neighbours. They call him Scarecrow. At the same time, the father of Jean undertakes to defend the Negro accused of rape in court. The situation is heating up more and more. Jean and her brother are being aggressed by the local population. The court hearing is ahead. But will the honest lawyer be able to achieve success?
Originals
- How much does a good idea cost? Is it itself valuable? Or is it only monetary resources, valuable connections and sales that matter? Adam Grant provides answers to these questions in his book. The reader will find interesting studies and amazing stories from business and lives of many people. The author does not miss the sphere of sports, entertainment, politics and big business. Adam tells how not to miss the most successful idea. In addition, he talks about how to choose the right allies to implement ideas. How to listen to your partners and choose the right time for realization. The techniques from the book are suitable for teachers and parents who want to develop skills of their children. By reading this book, you will learn from the most successful entrepreneurs of recent years.
Catch Me If You Can
- 'Catch Me If You Can' is an autobiography of a former con artist Frank Abagnale. This guy was able to steal 2.5 million dollars by cashing fake checks. Back, then he was not even 20 years old. This book tells about Abagnale's life. At 16, Frank was much more mature than other teenagers. He ran away from home to deal with check counterfeiting. He pretended to be a 26-year-old-man and people believed him. Frank had an incredible intuition. He always sensed when it was necessary to change 'job' so that the police could not catch him. During his career as a swindler, he tried to be a pilot, a doctor, a teacher and even a lawyer. Frank knew how to make people believe him. The FBI could not ignore such scams.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
- 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' is a novel by the American journalist Hunter. S. Thompson. In 1998, this book was filmed. The film became a cult hit thanks to the actors Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro. In 1971, journalist Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo are going to Las Vegas. Their job is to write an aricle about the motorcycle race. They use different drugs during the journey. That is why they both think chaos is going on around. Flocks of bats are chasing them. Vile creatures are at every step. Only a special medicine can save them. These two men do bad things: they threaten the maid, smash cars and run from the police. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish reality from hallucinations.
Tales of Light and Dark
- Everybody used to read fairy tales in childhood. They are the only suitable books for kids. Such popular characters as Snow White, Cinderella or the Frog Prince are familiar to everyone. Every child knows their life stories. But this book will help to change the firm belief about these fabulous characters. What if the Frog Prince is really an ordinary frog? What will happen if Cinderella forgets about the Godmother's instructions and stays in the royal castle after midnight? Snow White lives in a dark forest with seven dwarfs. They are not those cute gnomes with colored caps, but completely different creatures. Immerse yourself into the world of children's fairy tales, but look at them from a completely different perspective. This fascinating journey will not leave anyone indifferent.