Tonight, we’ll read the next part to “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne. In the last episode, the Nautilus passes through the Sargasso Sea, an underwater lake where currents meet, filled with aquatic plants. During this time, Aronnax wonders if Nemo will ever release them. He sees little of Nemo, and they spend much of their time on the surface. — read by 'N' — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free...

Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “The House of Mirth,” a 1905 novel by American author Edith Wharton. Snoozecast first aired this story in 2021. It tells the story of Lily Bart, a beautiful but impoverished New York City socialite. The commercial and critical success of “The House of Mirth” solidified Wharton's reputation as a major novelist. The central theme of “The House of Mirth” is essentially the struggle between who we are and what society tells us we should be. Thus, it is...

Tonight, we’ll read a Snoozecast original about two sisters who experience the eclipse of 1918 as it passed over their part of Kansas. In a quiet prairie town, Alice and Pearl find themselves caught in the path of a total solar eclipse. Together, they lay on a quilt in the farm field as day turns momentarily to night. In this story, set in the year 1918, the sisters used “smoked glass” as a prudent way to protect the eyes to view the eclipsing of the sun as the moon moves over it. Now, we...

Tonight, we’ll read the fourteenth chapter to “Anne of Green Gables” the classic 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This chapter is titled “Anne’s Confession”. In the last episode, titled “The Delights of Anticipation,” Anne excitedly shares with Marilla her plans for a Sunday school picnic. Eager for her first taste of ice cream, Anne persuades Marilla to let her attend, who agrees to prepare a basket of food. Despite Marilla's attempt to temper Anne's excitement, Anne insists on...

Tonight, in our special monthly Snoozecast+ Deluxe bonus episode, we invite you to immerse yourself in a tale crafted by Snoozecast, drawing inspiration from an ancient Chinese Taoist parable. If you would like to learn more about what our premium subscriptions offer, go to snoozecast.com/plus. Our story centers on a farmer who embodies the Taoist principle of withholding judgment towards the events unfolding in his life. He understands that labeling occurrences as either good or bad fortune...

Tonight, we’ll read the fairy tale “The Golden Mermaid” from the “Green Fairy Book”. In this story, three princes are sent on a quest by their father, to find who it is who steals the golden apples from the King's tree. The youngest son befriends a wolf who is in reality a magician. With the aid of the wolf, the prince sets out to attempt an impossible task. Snoozecast first aired this story back in March of 2020. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were German academics, linguists, and folklorists....

Tonight, we’ll read from the opening to “History of Charles XII” written by French writer and philosopher Voltaire. It was first published in 1731. In this first major historical biography from the author, Voltaire tells the story of a warrior king who was the embodiment of the archetypal ‘hero’. Voltaire’s Charles was a leader both admirably strong and unabashedly tyrannical. Charles XII, also known as Carl XII or Carolus Rex, was the king of Sweden and what is now Finland. Charles...

Tonight, we’ll read the fourth chapter to “Good Wives” written by Louisa May Alcott. This is also known as the second half of the “Little Women” novel. Originally, Alcott had it published as a second book but in later publishings the two were combined.   Our last episode was the chapter titled “Artistic Attempts” In it, Amy grows serious in her undertaking to become a real artist. Aunt March has enrolled her in a drawing class, and as a result she experiments with many methods as the results...

Tonight, we’ll read excerpts from “Candy-Making Revolutionized: Confectionary from Vegetables” by Mary Elizabeth Hall, printed in 1912. Long-time listeners may recall that this episode first aired back in 2020. Confectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. It can be divided into two broad categories: bakers' confections and sugar confections. Before sugar was readily available in the ancient western world, confectionery was...

Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “The Wishing Well” written by Mildred A. Wirt and published in 1942. In this story, an old abandoned estate is the location of a wishing well known for actually granting wishes. Penny investigates and discovers not only the secret of the well, but also a valuable treasure. If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out our other Penny Parker series episodes by searching for our show titled “Snoozecast Presents: Penny Parker” wherever you listen to...

Tonight, we shall read the next part to “Persuasion”, the last novel fully completed by Jane Austen, and published in 1817. The story concerns Anne Elliot, a twenty-seven year old Englishwoman, whose family moves in order to lower their expenses and reduce their debt, by renting their home to an Admiral and his wife. In the last episode, Mr. Shepard and Lady Russell draw up a plan for Sir Elliot to get out of debt. They decide that he must "retrench" by seriously cutting back on his...

Tonight, we’ll read "The Wild", sometimes known as “Walking”, a lecture by Henry David Thoreau first delivered in 1851. It is a transcendental essay that analyzes the relationship between man and nature, trying to find a balance between society and our raw animal nature. Thoreau read the piece a total of ten times, more than any other of his lectures. This episode first aired back in 2021.  — read by 'N' — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going...

Tonight, we’ll read the story titled “The Bunnikins-Bunnies and the Moon King” written by Edith B. Davidson, and published in 1912. In this early science-fiction story geared towards children, the Bunnikin-Bunnies go on a family vacation to the Moon, via the Milky Way. While traveling to the moon was not possible when this book was published in 1912, scientists were diligently laying down groundwork for the future accomplishments. In 1903, a Russian study showed that physical space...

Tonight, we’ll read the next part to “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne. Have you ever wished that a continuing Snoozecast story was easily available as a playlist so you could either start from the beginning, or play multiple episodes from just that story in a row, so that you don’t need to go searching through the catalog? In case you didn’t know, we also produce standalone versions of these stories as its own...

Tonight, we’ll read the opening section from FROM THE CAVES AND JUNGLES OF HINDOSTAN, written by Helen Blavatsky and published in 1883. This episode first aired in January of 2020. Madame Blavatsky was a Russian occultist and philosopher who traveled around the world, including India, before moving to New York City. She co-founded the Theosophical Society in 1875 and gained an international following from the esoteric religion that the society promoted. Madame Blavatsky was a controversial...

Tonight, for our final selection in our “Woodcraft” series, we will read selections of the author’s poetry, published as “Forest Runes” by George Washington Sears and published in 1887. Sears was a writer and adventurer who penned essays on hunting, fishing, and camping for popular journals and magazines. Runic alphabets are native to the ancient Germanic peoples, before they adopted the Latin alphabet. The earliest runic inscriptions found on artifacts give the name of either the craftsman...

Tonight, we’ll read the thirteenth chapter to “Anne of Green Gables” the classic 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This chapter is titled “The Delights of Anticipation”. In the last episode, titled “A Solemn Vow and a Promise,” Marilla is dismayed to hear about the wildflowers on Anne's Sunday school hat, and of course she lectures Anne about them. Though Anne points out many girls at church had bouquets pinned to their dresses—and many had artificial flowers on their hats—Marilla is...

Tonight, we’ll read the second half to “The Princess of Babylon”, found in the The Strange Storybook by Mrs. Lang, published in 1913. The first half aired last week. This story first aired way back in 2020. The story is taken from a lesser known philosophical tale by Voltaire, written in 1768. Voltaire was a French Enlightenment writer, philosopher, satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit and social critiques, he was an advocate of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation...

Tonight, we’ll read a Snoozecast original story about a family who is visited by the fairy Luminastra Slumbornia, who gives the gift of peaceful sleep. Like Luminastra, all fairies are a type of mythical being, a form of spirit, often with metaphysical, supernatural, or preternatural qualities. Let’s define those three common fairy qualities. The system of metaphysics is a philosophical branch dealing with the first principles of things. This includes abstract concepts such as being,...

Tonight, we’ll read the third chapter to “Good Wives” written by Louisa May Alcott. This is also known as the second half of the “Little Women” novel. Originally, Alcott had it published as a second book but in later publishings the two were combined. Our last episode was the chapter titled “The First Wedding” and it is Meg’s sweet, little wedding we attend. All of the March sisters look lovely as they’ve grown into themselves more over the last three years. When Laurie asks what happened to...

Tonight, for our monthly Snoozecast+ Deluxe bonus episode, we’ll read an original story that is about the dark side of birdwatching. And by dark, we simply mean that it is done in the cold and silence of a winter night. For the residents of Russell Mills, it’s the night of the first annual “Midnight Owl Prowl”. Expert and amateur birders alike convene at midnight at Parsons Field, guided by a RMNRT volunteer, with hopes to spot the elusive Snowy Owl. Mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of...

Tonight, we’ll read the first half to “The Princess of Babylon”, found in the The Strange Storybook by Mrs. Lang, published in 1913. The second half will air next week. The story is taken from a lesser known philosophical tale by Voltaire, written in 1768. The story focuses on Amazan, a handsome, unknown shepherd, and Formosanta, the Princess of Babylon, whose love and jealousy drive them to travel the world. Through their travels they encounter the basic values of the Enlightenment. This...

Tonight, we’ll read a light-hearted O. Henry short story that creates a pastiche out of the popular Sherlock Holmes stories. In this story, a man searching for his missing sister in New York realizes the official police detective can’t help him. Only one man can: the famous private consulting detective named Shamrock Jolnes. Although many of O. Henry’s stories involve crimes or contain some elements of mystery, the author never actually wrote detective fiction. The character of Shamrock...

Tonight, we shall read the next part to “Persuasion”, the last novel fully completed by Jane Austen, and published in 1817. The story concerns Anne Elliot, a twenty-seven year old Englishwoman, whose family moves in order to lower their expenses and reduce their debt, by renting their home to an Admiral and his wife. The novel was well-received at it’s debut, but its greater fame came decades later, and continues to this day. In the first episode, we read chapter 1, in which we meet Sir...

Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “Mr. Midshipman Easy,” an 1836 novel by Frederick Marryat, a retired captain in the Royal Navy. The novel is set during the Napoleonic Wars, in which Marryat himself served with distinction. This episode first aired in February of 2021. At fourteen, the naive Jack Easy leaves the luxury of his family estate in England and sails into a world of adventure aboard the sloop of war HMS Harpy. At first, Jack finds it hard to bear the discipline of naval life and...