Central Kansas Library System

The Don Quixote of 18th century England. 'Adams dealt him so sound a compliment over his face with his fist, that the blood immediately gushed out of his nose in a stream. The Host being unwilling to be outdone in courtesy, especially by a person of Adams's figure, returned the favour with so much gratitude, that the parson's nostrils likewise began to look a little redder than usual.' Inspired by the masterpiece Don Quixote de la Mancha, Henry Fielding,...

The denizens of Ankh-Morpork fancy they've seen just about everything. But then comes the Ankh-Morpork Times, struggling scribe William de Worde's upper-crust, newsletter turned Discworld's first paper of record. An ethical joulnalist, de Worde has a proclivity for investigating stories -- a nasty habit that soon creates powerful enemies eager to stop his presses. And what better way than to start the Inquirer, a titillating (well, what else would...

The Circus Pig and the Kaiser is a rollicking historical satire that deals with freedom of expression under an authoritarian regime, a subject much talked about today! The novel takes place in 1907 in Russia and Germany. Vladimir Durov has a prized pig he has trained for the circus. Durov loves to make people laugh at his pig's crazy antics. But he finds that when his pig performs for the recently widowed circus owner, Natasha, the most he can get...

Saki (pseudonym of H. H. Munro), English author, is best known for his witty, sometimes whimsical, often cynical and bizarre short stories; they are collected in Reginald, The Chronicles of Clovis, Beasts and Super-Beasts, and other volumes. Contents of The Chronicles of Clovis include: Esme, The Match-Maker, Tobermory, Mrs. Packletide's Tiger, The Stampeding of Lady Bastable, The Background, Hermann the Irascible, The Unrest-Cure, The Jesting of...

Figures of Earth: A Comedy of Appearances (1921) is a comic fantasy novel by James Branch Cabell. Set in a world where history and fantasy collide, where a lowly swineherd can rise to be Count of Poictesme, Figures of Earth: A Comedy of Appearances is one of Cabell's best-known works of fiction, and is included in a series of novels, essays, and poems known as the Biography of the Life of Manuel. "They of Poictesme narrate that in the old days when...

Beasts and Super-Beasts is a collection of short stories, written by Saki. Along with The Chronicles of Clovis, Beasts and Super-Beasts is one of Saki's best-known works. The majority of the volume's stories deal in some fashion with animals, providing the source for its title. The character of Clovis Sangrail, featured in earlier works by Saki, appears in several stories.

Get the Summary of George Orwell's 1984 in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: George Orwell's classic novel 1984 is a cautionary tale about a dystopian society under the crushing and watchful eye of a tyrannical regime led by Big Brother. The dark story revolves around Winston Smith, an everyman who is tired of the government's lies and relentless persecution of people who dare think for...

Get the Summary of Oyinkan Braithwaite's My Sister the Serial Killer in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Korede, a meticulous nurse, is entangled in her sister Ayoola's lethal habits. Ayoola, the younger and more carefree sister, has a history of her boyfriends dying under suspicious circumstances, which she claims are accidents or self-defense. Korede, bound by loyalty and fear, aids Ayoola in covering up these...

'Dan Rhodes is a true original' – Hilary Mantel When the sleepy English village of Green Bottom hosts its first literary festival, the good, the bad and the ugly of the book world descend upon its leafy lanes. But the villagers are not prepared for the peculiar habits, petty rivalries and unspeakable desires of the authors. And they are certainly not equipped to deal with Wilberforce Selfram, the ghoul-faced, ageing enfant terrible who wreaks...