Listen to LibriVox Community Podcast #162 – Careers and LibriVox. Hosted by jpercival.

Duration: 12:35

Contributors: jpercival, shrimpphish, sjmarky

0:00 – Introduction
0:22 – Job Work as read by Larry Wilson from the October 13, 2019 Weekly Poetry Collection
1:52 – New Language Update
2:12 – Statistics and Libriversaries
3:20 – Archive Diving – What’s Your Time Budget for LibriVox?
3:49 – Careers and LibriVox with ShrimpPhish and sjmarky
8:21 – Forum Highlights: The Christmas Short Works Collection, The now completed https://librivox.org/adventskalender-2025-by-variousAdventskalendar
8:39– Bloopers by ShrimpPhish
12:23 – Goodbyes

We are interested in whatever feedback – positive or constructively critical – anyone has about our podcasts. Add a comment below or pop over to this forum thread. Any member of the community who has contributed readings to the LibriVox catalog can host a podcast and is most welcome to do so. Visit this thread on the forum to express an interest and float your ideas.

To Subscribe to the Librivox Community Podcast, go to: http://feeds.feedburner.com/LibrivoxCommunityPodcast Or hit this itunes link to get you to the subscribe page:http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=203970211

Recent past LibriVox Community Podcast files can be found at our spot on: Archive.org and archived shows for previous years can be found at: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013-2018.

Archived shownotes for the Community Podcast can be found at: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/ And the rss feed for those shownotes is: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/feed

Duration: 17:10

Contributors: jpercival, shrimpphish, carriemaestreb, sjr8545

We are interested in whatever feedback – positive or constructively critical – anyone has about our podcasts. Add a comment below or pop over to this forum thread. Any member of the community who has contributed readings to the LibriVox catalog can host a podcast and is most welcome to do so. Visit this thread on the forum to express an interest and float your ideas.

To Subscribe to the Librivox Community Podcast, go to: http://feeds.feedburner.com/LibrivoxCommunityPodcast Or hit this itunes link to get you to the subscribe page: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=203970211

Recent past LibriVox Community Podcast files can be found at our spot on: Archive.org and archived shows for previous years can be found at: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013-2018.

Archived shownotes for the Community Podcast can be found at: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/ And the rss feed for those shownotes is: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/feed

All of the currently 20,648 completed LibriVox titles were chosen by its readers, and countless listeners have chosen their favourites over the years.

One of the most downloaded LibriVox books is The Art of War by Sun Tsu, a book of strategy from Ancient China that has lost none of its appeal.

Equally strategic (and almost as popular) is a world-famous sleuth invented by Arthur Conan Doyle. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes still define detective fiction (and detectives) to this day.

Fact or fiction? Edward J. Ruppelt tried to settle this question once and for all in his 1956 Report on Unidentified Flying Objects.

Bernal Diaz del Castillo only had to worry about getting his facts right in the Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva Espana.

The figure of Dracula lies at the root of an entire genre of fiction, and while there are several versions of Bram Stoker’s classic in the LibriVox catalog, the dramatic reading scores consistently high marks with listeners.

Back to the 14,276 volunteers who come together online in the forums to produce audiobooks. LibriVox is entirely volunteer-run as well, with many daily admin tasks that often remain invisible.

All new members who signed up in the last few years received their welcome email from m8b1 (Maria). She read her childhood favourite, Outlaws of Ravenhurst by Sister M. Imelda Wallace for LibriVox herself.

Many new and old members read for the weekly/fortnightly poetry collections, run since their inception almost exclusively by aradlaw (David). He enjoys Edith Nesbit’s The Railway Children, a live performance of which he saw many years ago – real steam locomotive included!

Annise (Anne) has been librivoxing for almost as long. Nowadays, she’s involved in making mb4s and covers for the catalog. Her very first project as dedicated proof listener (DPL) was The Fairyland of Science by Arabella Buckley, another book for kids.

In the old days, kids were often told to be “seen, not heard”, and it seems that craigdav1 (David) took it to heart and became not a reader, but a serial DPL. The book that is always with him on a player is Plato’s Republic, all ten volumes of it.

Ancient Egypt is the setting for redrun’s favourite: The Cat of Bubastes by G. H. Henty. Maybe he needs this to balance his “job” at LibriVox: keeping the systems up and running…

It’s the nature of volunteering that readers come and go. Some only wanted to contribute their favourite book. Some stay for many years, leave for a while, then return again. And some, sadly, pass on for good, leaving their LibriVox legacy behind forever.

Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023) was LibriVox founding member and long-term admin. Her last recording was her favourite book: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Beth Thomas (1969-2020) was for many years the resident Drama Queen, involved in numerous plays and dramatic readings. Her final project, published a year after her death, was Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.

Lars Rolander (1942-2016) brought many works of Selma Lagerlöf to an English-speaking audience. In Swedish, he read the four-book series En Nyckfull Kvinna by Emilie Flygare Carlen.

Andy Minter (1934-2017) and his dry wit were made for humorous books, and he never disappointed. One of his funny contributions can be found in Mark Twain’s 1601: Conversation, as it was by the Social Fireside, in the Time of the Tudors.

Dorothy Lieder (1915-2008) was probably the oldest reader at LibriVox. At the age of 92, she teamed up with her son John for a chapter in The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton W. Burgess.

But no need to dwell on the past. For every volunteer who moves on, a new one will come, not to follow in somebody’s footsteps, but to seek their own path in the adventure that is discovering old books through LibriVox.

Shakuntala is one of them. Penned in the 4th or 5th century by the Indian poet Kalidasa, it is a timeless story of love and betrayal, here recorded by a full cast in an English translation.

In contrast, the 20 Ukrainian Folk Tales by Volodymyr Hnatyuk and Ivan Rudchenko are offered in their original language. Most of these tales have a happy ending.

That many not be the case for the next compilation, so be warned: In der Geisterstunde und andere Spukgeschichten gathers six spooky stories by German author Paul Heyse.

Who knows what stories The Girls of St. Cyprian’s tell each other after midnight… During the day, they are focused on a competition, where they are set against other schools in the novel by Angela Brazil.

What ever they might set their minds to, It Can be Done. And even more so with this book of more than 200 inspiration poems compiled by Joseph Morris Bachelor and St. Clair Adams.

The Mission of LibriVox

to make all books in the public domain available, narrated by real people and distributed for free, in audio format on the internet

will never be done, and there will always be people who enjoy reading books and others who want to listen to them. So, LibriVoxers are confidently looking ahead and step forward to another 20 Years of LibriVox. And if you’re inspired to contribute – we’re happy to see you in the forums!

Duration: 17:11

Contributors: CarrieMaeStreb, PeterWhy, Stagewalker, cavaet, marisad6, ShrimpPhish

00:00 – Introduction
00:17 – Social Connection Discussion
01:18 – PeterWhy’s Contribution
02:46 – Stagewalker’s Contribution
07:50 – cavaet’s Contribution
09:15 – marisad6’s Contribution
11:47 – CarrieMaeStreb’s Contribution
12:16 – Jim Mowatt Clip from the 52nd LibriVox Community Podcast
13:26 – Bloopers by ShrimpPhish
16:35 – Goodbyes

We are interested in whatever feedback – positive or constructively critical – anyone has about our podcasts. Add a comment below or pop over to this forum thread. Any member of the community who has contributed readings to the LibriVox catalog can host a podcast and is most welcome to do so. Visit this thread on the forum to express an interest and float your ideas.

To Subscribe to the Librivox Community Podcast, go to: http://feeds.feedburner.com/LibrivoxCommunityPodcast Or hit this itunes link to get you to the subscribe page: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=203970211

Recent past LibriVox Community Podcast files can be found at our spot on: Archive.org and archived shows for previous years can be found at: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013-2018.

Archived shownotes for the Community Podcast can be found at: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/ And the rss feed for those shownotes is: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/feed

Duration: 17:53

Contributors: jpercival, shrimpphish, adrianstephens, clairemaestreb, redrun

00:00 – Introduction
00:24 – Clip from the first LibriVox Community Podcast Sept 14, 2006
01:14 – Booting the Swarmers and forum updates
01:40 – Statistics and Libriversaries
02:46 – LibriVox Featured Volunteer: Adrian Stephens
08:28 – Archive Diving: Oldest thread from September 2005 Normalise
08:50 – Firsts vs Lasts with submissions from clairemaestreb and redrun
13:48 – Forum Highlights: Best Microphone for LibriVox, Continued AI Swarm discussion, Proof Listener Requests.
14:42 – Bloopers by ShrimpPhish
17:38 – Goodbyes

We are interested in whatever feedback – positive or constructively critical – anyone has about our podcasts. Add a comment below or pop over to this forum thread. Any member of the community who has contributed readings to the LibriVox catalog can host a podcast and is most welcome to do so. Visit this thread on the forum to express an interest and float your ideas.

To Subscribe to the Librivox Community Podcast, go to: http://feeds.feedburner.com/LibrivoxCommunityPodcast Or hit this itunes link to get you to the subscribe page: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=203970211

Recent past LibriVox Community Podcast files can be found at our spot on: Archive.org and archived shows for previous years can be found at: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013-2018.

Archived shownotes for the Community Podcast can be found at: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/ And the rss feed for those shownotes is: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/feed

Duration: 23:24

With contributions from ShrimpPhish, Rapunzelina, redrun, and cavaet.

00:00 – Introduction
00:25 – To Be or Not To Be by William Blake – Read by Craig Campbell
02:01 – Website and Forum Updates and New Keyword Feature
02:50 – Statistics and Libriversaries
03:30 – Archive Diving – 1st year anniversary poem contest and the winner
04:28 – Poetry and Short Works with Submissions by Rapunzelina, redrun, and cavaet
18:32 – Forum Highlights: Clean-up month wrap up, TheBoringReader’s Show and Tell, StJohn27’s Thoughts After a Few Recordings
19:12 – Bloopers by ShrimpPhish
23:12 – Goodbyes

We are interested in whatever feedback – positive or constructively critical – anyone has about our podcasts. Add a comment below or pop over to this forum thread. Any member of the community who has contributed readings to the LibriVox catalog can host a podcast and is most welcome to do so. Visit this thread on the forum to express an interest and float your ideas.

To Subscribe to the Librivox Community Podcast, go to: http://feeds.feedburner.com/LibrivoxCommunityPodcast Or hit this itunes link to get you to the subscribe page: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=203970211

Recent past LibriVox Community Podcast files can be found at our spot on: Archive.org and archived shows for previous years can be found at: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013-2018.

Archived shownotes for the Community Podcast can be found at: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/ And the rss feed for those shownotes is: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/feed

Duration: 22:56

With contributions from Jpercival, ShrimpPhish, redrun, sparkleberry17, Rapunzelina, and adrianstephens.

00:00 – Introduction
00:22 – LibriVox in May – redrun
01:28 – May They All Get Into The Catalogue
01:51 – Statistics and Libriversaries
02:47 – Archive Diving – 2007 March Madness, 2009 November Clean Up, 2019 March Clean Up, 2021 March Clean Up
03:03 – Clean-Up Month: Project Status Table, How to Make Editing Quicker. Submissions by Rapunzelina, sparkleberry17, and adrianstephens
18:10 – Forum Highlights: Mouth Noises are Making Me Depressed, Updates to 1-Minute Test Guide for New Readers
18:58 – Bloopers by ShrimpPhish
22:44 – Goodbyes

We are interested in whatever feedback – positive or constructively critical – anyone has about our podcasts. Add a comment below or pop over to this forum thread. Any member of the community who has contributed readings to the LibriVox catalog can host a podcast and is most welcome to do so. Visit this thread on the forum to express an interest and float your ideas.

To Subscribe to the Librivox Community Podcast, go to: http://feeds.feedburner.com/LibrivoxCommunityPodcast Or hit this itunes link to get you to the subscribe page: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=203970211

Recent past LibriVox Community Podcast files can be found at our spot on: Archive.org and archived shows for previous years can be found at: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013-2018.

Archived shownotes for the Community Podcast can be found at: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/ And the rss feed for those shownotes is: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/feed

Hosted by jpercival.

Duration: 14:06

Contributors: jpercival, ShrimpPhish, TriciaG

0:00 – Intro
0:20 – Spring Cleaning by Harry Graham from Coffee Break Collection 31 – Springtime
2:11 – Forum Slowness – Booting the Swarmers
2:36 – Statistics and Libriversaries
3:40 – Archive Diving “We need an Oprah or a very good waiter”
4:28 – Spring Cleaning: Submissions from ShrimpPhish and TriciaG
9:42 – Forum Highlights: Photos of Our Recording Setups, Quote, End Quote
10:07 – Bloopers by ShrimpPhish
13:52 – Goodbyes

We are interested in whatever feedback – positive or constructively critical – anyone has about our podcasts. Add a comment below or pop over to this forum thread.

Any member of the community who has contributed readings to the LibriVox catalog can host a podcast and is most welcome to do so. Visit this thread on the forum to express an interest and float your ideas.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

To Subscribe to the LibriVox Community Podcast, go to: https://feeds.feedburner.com/LibrivoxCommunityPodcast Or hit this itunes link to get you to the subscribe page: https://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=203970211

Recent past LibriVox Community Podcast files can be found at our spot on: Archive.org and archived shows for previous years can be found at: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013-2018.

Archived shownotes for the Community Podcast can be found at: https://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/ And the rss feed for those shownotes is: https://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/feed

Duration: 21:19

With contributions from Rapunzelina, mujinai, ShrimpPhish, Algy Pug, & Phineas2000

0:00 – Intro
0:21 – O Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore Art Thou from the Shakespeare Monologues Collection Vol. 16
1:49 – In Memorium: Rosemary McDonald (roselbex), Eva Davis (Bluechien)
2:04 – The Lady’s Museum Volume 1 – Section 8 (Rosie)
3:48 – After a Night of Rain Weekly Poetry – Section 7 (Eva)
5:07 – Statistics
6:01 – Archive Diving: Do You Think of Who Will Listen? (Suggested by ShrimpPhish)
6:42 – What’s in a Name: Submissions from Mujinai, ShrimpPhish, Algy Pug, Phineas2000, and Rapunzelina (What made you choose your nickname)
17:26 – Forum Highlights: Apple AI Audiobooks, Project Gutenberg/Microsoft AI Partnership, New Books vs New Versions
18:18 – Bloopers by ShrimpPhish
21:08 – Goodbyes

We are interested in whatever feedback – positive or constructively critical – anyone has about our podcasts. Add a comment below or pop over to this forum thread. Any member of the community who has contributed readings to the LibriVox catalog can host a podcast and is most welcome to do so. Visit this thread on the forum to express an interest and float your ideas.

To Subscribe to the Librivox Community Podcast, go to: http://feeds.feedburner.com/LibrivoxCommunityPodcast Or hit this itunes link to get you to the subscribe page: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=203970211

Recent past LibriVox Community Podcast files can be found at our spot on: Archive.org and archived shows for previous years can be found at: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013-2018.

Archived shownotes for the Community Podcast can be found at: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/ And the rss feed for those shownotes is: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/feed

Duration: 14:16

With contributions from Jpercival, ShrimpPhish, LightCrystal, Piotrek, and KevinS.

0:00 – Introduction
0:23 – My Heart has Known Its Winter by Arna Bontemps from the Short Poetry Collection 260
1:20 – News Highlight: Project Status Table, Statistics, and February Libriversaries
3:26 – Archive Diving: From 2007, the New York Times was opening their archives and their current Time Machine
3:48 – I Can’t Wait to Record This, Submissions from LightCrystal (The Voyage of James Cook), Piotrek, and KevinS
9:16 – Forum Highlights: To Breathe or Not To Breathe, How-To For Audacity, Reaper Discussion Group, Wet Magic Dramatic Reading project start up.
10:20 – Bloopers by ShrimpPhish
14:04 – Goodbyes

We are interested in whatever feedback – positive or constructively critical – anyone has about our podcasts. Add a comment below or pop over to this forum thread. Any member of the community who has contributed readings to the LibriVox catalog can host a podcast and is most welcome to do so. Visit this thread on the forum to express an interest and float your ideas.

To Subscribe to the Librivox Community Podcast, go to: http://feeds.feedburner.com/LibrivoxCommunityPodcast Or hit this itunes link to get you to the subscribe page: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=203970211

Recent past LibriVox Community Podcast files can be found at our spot on: Archive.org and archived shows for previous years can be found at: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013-2018.

Archived shownotes for the Community Podcast can be found at: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/ And the rss feed for those shownotes is: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/feed

Duration: 15:39

With contributions from Jpercival, ShrimpPhish, TriciaG, redrun, Kitty, HannaPonomarenko.

0:00 – Introduction
0:22 – A Happy New Year from A Happy New Year and Other Verses by Charles Edward de la Poer Beresford, read by Larry Wilson
1:21 – 20,000 Release: Hardcase by Luke Short, Statistics, and Libriversaries
3:00 – Archive Diving: Broadcasting LibriVox to Space
3:50 – Goals and Planning: Discussion thread
4:24 – Community Submissions – TriciaG (works by Pansy), redrun – read by jpercival
7:52 – Multilingual Collection and Collaboration Information by Kitty – Pronunciation Help: All Languages – Read by ShrimpPhish
9:48 – The accomplishments of the Russian-Ukrainian team by HannaPonomarenko – read by jpercival

• Russian Folk Tales by Afanasyev
• Marskarad by Olena Pchilka
• Chelovek v Futlyare by Anton Checkhov
• Samoubiytsa by Averchenko
• Anna Akhmatova’s Poems
• Zapiski okhotlika by Ivan Turgenev

12:16 – Bloopers by ShrimpPhish
15:27 – Goodbyes

We are interested in whatever feedback – positive or constructively critical – anyone has about our podcasts. Add a comment below or pop over to this forum thread. Any member of the community who has contributed readings to the LibriVox catalog can host a podcast and is most welcome to do so. Visit this thread on the forum to express an interest and float your ideas.

To Subscribe to the Librivox Community Podcast, go to: http://feeds.feedburner.com/LibrivoxCommunityPodcast Or hit this itunes link to get you to the subscribe page: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=203970211

Recent past LibriVox Community Podcast files can be found at our spot on: Archive.org and archived shows for previous years can be found at: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013-2018.

Archived shownotes for the Community Podcast can be found at: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/ And the rss feed for those shownotes is: http://librivox.org/category/librivox-community-podcast/feed

Duration: 15:25

This episode includes contributions from jpercival, shrimpphish, and redrun.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

0:00 – Intro
0:25 – Here We Come a Wassailing from the Christmas Carol Collection 2006
2:12 – Archive.org update, Statistics, and Libriviersaries
3:45 – Adventskalender 2024 release announcement
5:37 – Archive diving – What if LibriVox Dies? a discussion inspired by a Reason Magazine Article
6:42 – Ceremonies for Christmas read by Tomas Cruz for Weekly Poetry
7:30 – Community Submissions
12:22 – Forum Highlights – Reaper Discussion Group and How to Become a DR/Play Coordinator
12:56 – Bloopers
15:09 – Goodbyes

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

We are interested in whatever feedback – positive or constructively critical – anyone has about our podcasts. Add a comment below or pop over to the forum thread for this episode, for comments.

Any member of the community who has contributed readings to the LibriVox catalog can host a podcast and is most welcome to do so. Visit the Community Podcast planning thread to express an interest and float your ideas.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

To Subscribe to the Librivox Community Podcast, subscribe to the RSS feed on FeedBurner, or visit our page on the Apple Podcast Index or your favorite podcast app.

Past LibriVox Community Podcast recordings can be found at our spot on Archive.org: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013-present. The show notes for each episode can be found on LibriVox.org.

Duration: 25:41

This episode includes contributions from jpercival, shrimpphish, loon, Czandra, SilverQuill, Winnifred, and ej400.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

0:00 – Intro
0:41 – Statistics and Libriversaries
2:52 – A conversation between jpercival and ShrimpPhish
7:58 – LibriVox Archive – LibriVox Song and Knitter Invasion
9:27 – Community Submissions
21:37 – Suggestion and Help Forum Highlights
22:29 – Bloopers
25:30 – Goodbyes

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

We are interested in whatever feedback – positive or constructively critical – anyone has about our podcasts. Add a comment below or pop over to this forum thread, for comments on this episode.

Any member of the community who has contributed readings to the LibriVox catalog can host a podcast and is most welcome to do so. Visit this thread on the forum to express an interest and float your ideas.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

To Subscribe to the Librivox Community Podcast, subscribe to the RSS feed on FeedBurner, or visit our page on the Apple Podcast Index or your favorite podcast app.

Past LibriVox Community Podcast recordings can be found at our spot on Archive.org: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013-2024. The show notes for each episode can be found on LibriVox.org.

One of the best-known families of scientists with three Nobel Prizes to their name are the Curies. The biography of Pierre Curie, written by his wife Marie Curie, gives insights into their public as well as their private lives.

For actress Ruth Morton, there is barely a distinction between these two. But when this gains her the attention of a stalker, detective couple Richard and Grace Duvall must look behind the scenes of the Film of Fear in the book by Frederick Arnold Kummer.

Everybody is afraid of something, whether it be spiders, the dark, strangers… Arthur Christopher Benson explores the reasons and psychology behind it in Where No Fear Was: A Book About Fear.

Robert Graves had to face his fears in the trenches of WWI. His early poetry, Over the Brazier, was published around that time, and it includes topics related to astronomy like the Jolly Yellow Moon and Star Talk.

There must have been a lot of talk when a group of space explorers strand on a distant planet. There, they try to colonize it despite the alien life surrounding them. Florence Carpenter Diendonne describes what happens in those 33 Years in a Star.

Much more pleasant is the trip through India with a steam-powered elephant. Until one of the group is targeted by his arch nemesis – who also wants to take control of the country… See what they do to step up to the challenge in Jules Verne’s novel The Steam House – also available in Spanish.

When a certain Mr. Snell calls on Nicholas Carter about a kidnapping, he is so unconvincing that the famous detective refuses to take the case. Can the Photographer’s Evidence change his mind?

Much more persuasive was the man who seduced Madeline, much to her fiance’s chagrin. When she cannot get over the incident, he gets her to undergo Dr. Heidenhoff’s Process to remove the haunting memory. See if it’s successful in the novel by Edward Bellamy.

Could the hive mind of bees be erased? While this is not addressed in la vie des abeilles, Maurice Maeterlinck discusses everything else going on in a beehive. This book is also available in German and English.

Science is never “done”, we discover something new every day. Paolo Mantegazza explores life in l’anno 3000 through the eyes of a couple planning to get married. Written in 1897, many of his predictions already came true – who knows where we’ll go from here?

Enjoy – and stay curious!

A young man just arrived at River Hall, The Uninhabited House in a fashionable neighborhood. He doesn’t know that its owner is not departed as believed and soon, things take a strange turn in the book by Charlotte Riddell.

Sir Cyril Shenstone’s life is full of twists and turns: from orphan to bookkeeper to savior of damsels and princes to captain in the British Navy. G. A. Henty sets this adventure around the time When London Burned.

But the best adventures are true. T. E. Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia) recounts his experiences during the two years of the Revolt in the Desert the outcome of which shapes the Middle East until today.

To this day, Citizen Kane is hailed as a cinematic masterpiece. Peter Bogdanovich, himself an acclaimed movie director, prepared a film-by-film deep dive into The Cinema of Orson Welles.

Dive into the Mediterranean with Greek author Andreas Karkavitsas. In the 21 stories collected in Λόγια της Πλώρης: Θαλασσινά Διηγήματα (Words of the Sail: Sea Tales) he explores life with and near the sea in all its facets.

In a short pamphlet, the Minute Tapioca Co. presents numerous and Faster Ways to Favourite Dishes with tapioca. Eat all the way from soups and mains to pies and sweet desserts.

Bambi’s Life in the Woods starts out sweet, as it should. But when his mother is killed, the young deer must learn to make friends and stand on his own feet in the famous story by Felix Salten.

Lady Connie takes her life into her own hands when she meets Oliver Mellors. Soon, he becomes Lady Chatterley’s Lover in the book by D. H. Lawrence, scandalous at the time more for crossing class boundaries than for its eroticism.

When a nobleman falls from a horse at a costume party, he rises up as king Enrico IV. His family indulges his beliefs, but 12 years later, who is doing the acting? Find out in Luigi Pirandello’s Italian comedy.

Of joy and sorrow and everything in between: poetry runs the gamut of human emotions. This year, LibriVox catalogued the Short Poetry Collection #250 with 30 poems by various artists like Robert Frost, Lord Byron, Christina Rossetti, and others.

In the last 19 years, LibriVox volunteers have produced many more collections, plays, books, series… In total, this amounts to 19,584 finished projects in 48 languages read by more than 13,000 members.
Thank you all for your contributions over the years, you made us what we are today!

But there is more to do – and more to come. Sign up and help us

…make all books in the public domain available, narrated by real people and distributed for free, in audio format on the internet.

Hugh McGuire, founder of LibriVox

Henry Kenton is traveling from Kentucky to South Carolina on the eve of the American civil war. He is anxious to complete a secret mission in Joseph A. Altsheler’s novel The Guns of Bull Run, the first book in a series.

Catherine Radziwill takes us back to Rasputin and the Russian Revolution. She discusses the controversial preacher’s influence on the Tsar’s family just before the monarchy collapsed in 1917.

124 years earlier, the French Revolution disposed of Marie Antoinette and her Son, Louis Charles. Louise Mühlbach tells the story of the boy’s life after his parents were killed in 1793.

The French Revolution ended in the Reign of Terror, which is the backdrop to The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel over his nemesis Chauvelin. This is our dramatic reading of Emma Orczy’s novel.

Not long before in England, the Jacobite rising had failed. Ewen Cameron fled to the Scottish Highland only to be dragged back into the plot, endangering friends and family. Will there be a happy ending in D. K. Broster’s novel The Gleam in the North?

Next, let’s follow Sigrid Undset to rural Norway where Kristin Lavransdatter wants to marry Erlend. Her family disapproves of the match, but will she be allowed to wear The Bridal Wreath in the end?

All is fair in love and war… José Milla y Vidaure tells the story of two rival families who vie for power and how the Captaincy General of Guatemala ceased to exist because of a secret group known as Los Nazarenos.

For a long time, Christians had to worship in secret underground meetings. James Orr summarizes The History and Literature of the Early Church from the Apostolic Age to the persecutions in the Roman Empire.

When Christians had taken firm hold over Europe, they in turn persecuted other religions. Over 200 years, 9 Crusades were fought to recover the Holy Land from Islamic rule. Learn about their causes and aftermath in the book by George W. Cox.

Not that the muslims – moors as they were called then – were peaceful either. Pelayo or Cavern of Covadonga retells King Pelayo’s 722 battle against the moorish invasion of Asturia in Northern Spain. This epic poem was written by Anna C. M. Ritchie.

Enjoy – and have a good trip!

As far as inspiration goes, Edward J. Wood has done plenty of research already. Read about different ceremonies for The Wedding Day in All Ages and Countries as well as surrounding folklore and superstitions.

However, the very first question to ask is Why Marry? Although Helen has many suitors, she is determined to remain unattached. But it wouldn’t be a comedy by Jesse Lynch Williams if things would go her way that easily…

Edmund Spenser found himself in the opposite predicament: The lady of his choice only consented after two years of courtship. Good for us though, as we can read all the details about it in Amoretti and Epithalamion.

Sometimes, you get more than you bargained for. A young Englishman searches for a lost heir – and is heading straight into An Outback Marriage. Bush Poet Andrew Paterson depicts early Australian society with much humor.

A little humor goes a long way and can help over the inevitable bumps of any relationship. Mary Stewart Doubleday Cutting tells 11 Little Stories of Married Life that run the gamut from blissful to miserable.

Even before her wedding day, Betty knew where she was heading – and preferred to escape her overbearing groom, not to mention her family. Find out what’s in store for her now in Grace Livingston Hill’s Exit Betty.

It would have been better for the monk Astorre not to fulfill his father’s dying wish. Yet, he left his monastery to get married and finds it hard to adapt to worldly life. Conrad Ferdinand Meyer details what happens after Die Hochzeit des Mönchs.

What exactly is The Morality of Marriage? In this collection of essays, Feminist Mona Caird is critical of the state of marriage laws in the Victorian era and advocates for a more equal partnership instead.

But what does that mean – especially when the two partners have different cultural backgrounds? Mae Franking knows first hand and tells us about her experiences in My Chinese Marriage, ghostwritten by Katherine Anne Porter.

Sometimes it’s best just to be a guest, like at The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz. This allegory marks the third original manifesto of the Rosicrucians, in the very first translation by E. Foxcroft.

Enjoy – and have a great (wedding) day!

Humor is best delivered in short bursts. And it can’t get any pithier than Frontier Humor in Verse, Prose and Picture, little vignettes from 19th century Canada by Palmer Cox.

Mody Coggin Boatright remembers his good ol’ dialect for his Tall Tales From Texas. These eight stories feature horses, cowboys, campfires, and Pecos Bill.

What once was the pinnacle of behavior leaves us chuckling today. Then again, already in 1753, Jane Collier’s Essay on the Art of Ingeniously Tormenting was meant tongue-in-cheek.

Mark Twain was the master of humor – but in this one he might even be serious: Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offences lists 114 (out of 115) offenses against literary art.

Humor is when you laugh regardless, says a German proverb, obviously inspired by the country’s bureaucracy… Rudolf Greinz writes about Der heilige Bürokrazius, a saint residing in public offices.

When Marc dreams up a lovely girl, he couldn’t have imagined that she’d come to life one day. Henry Farrell chronicles The Early Misadventures of Toffee in great detail.

The term misadventures doesn’t quite fit Roxy Hart’s crime – we’re talking murder after all. Maurice Watkins took the case from 1924 Chicago and turned it into a Broadway musical – and we made a play out of it.

How to exhibit Perfect Behavior at musicals, concerts, or in the opera was researched by Donald Ogden Stewart. This is an interesting glimpse what kind of social crises were feared in 1922.

No matter when, getting lost in New York counts as a crisis. Then again, since this is one of five Follies in Fiction penned by master humorist Stephen Leacock, it can’t be too serious.

Laughter is universal and independent of language and culture. Russian writer Nikolai Leskov collects seven short Святочные рассказы (Yuletide stories) on things that may not be as serious as they sound at first.

Enjoy – and do try to “laugh regardless”!

Let’s start at the beginning – of humankind. C. H. Robinson follows the development of human society from the discovery of fire and working all the way to religions, architecture, and government in Longhead: The Story of the First Fire.

“Fire” had quite a different meaning in Eddie Rickenbacker’s life, as the recently invented airplane changed warfare forever. He received a medal of honor for Fighting the Flying Circus of Manfred from Richthofen in WWI.

From the Red Baron to the King of England, Richard III; both men haven’t been treated kindly by history. See what Jacob Abbott thinks of the king in his biography and find out why Shakespeare made him the main character in his first play.

Our very first dramatic reading was a short story by W. W. Jacobs. The Monkey’s Paw grants three wishes to its owner, but there’s a catch every time… Maybe the Whites are the first to break the curse, loving couple that they are?

Love is a wonderful feeling, possibly the only thing we can all agree upon. Five short stories by Spanish authors show the lighthearted and fun side of First Love and Spanish Life.

When foreign secretary Sir Ramon receives a letter from The Four Just Men, he knows this is no laughing matter. He and Scotland Yard are ready to fight – and even the press get involved in this early novel by Edgar Wallace.

When Sherlock Holmes arrives at the scene, the fighting is usually over. In A Study in Scarlet, he uses his wits to solve the case. Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1888 story marks the first appearance of the master sleuth – and of a magnifying glass.

Holmes and Watson never went “in search of lost time”, that was left to Marcel Proust. His seven-book masterpiece starts with the narrator’s childhood memories in Swann’s Way.

When Antonio Pigafetta set out with Magellan in 1519, the goal were the Spice Islands. Three years later, they had become the first people to circumnavigate the globe, a journey chronicled in Primer viaje en torno del globo by the Venetian.

Wheels make the world go around one could say, and maybe this is true for poetry as well. This first of six anthologies collects 40 poems by nine authors, notably the Sitwell siblings Edith, Osbert, and Sacheverall.

Enjoy – and good luck with your new beginnings!

Every year, kids anxiously await Christmas. “How many days left” can be easily deduced from an Adventskalender counting down the days with little daily gifts. This is a German tradition – and one of the oldest on LibriVox.

Gertrude Landa’s collection of Jewish Fairy Tales and Fables goes even further back in time. These parables from Talmud and Midrash teach ancient yet timeless lessons to kids and adults alike.

On Christmas Eve, Marie and Fritz find an old nutcracker under their tree. They are lucky to have Alexandre Dumas as guest who, after some prodding, readily tells them the Histoire d’un casse-noisette.

A bit later that night, presents can be found under that same tree. But how do they get there? William Walsh traces The Story of Santa Klaus through folklore and customs from all over the world.

Most adults don’t believe in Santa, or the afterlife, for that matter. But when recently widowed Esther stays with friends over Christmas, she must face The Irtonwood Ghost – and her hidden fears in the novel by Elinor Glyn.

Marian harbors many fears on the way to meet Patsy. Will she get along with her? Can she handle the reindeer farm without her father? And what is that Purple Flame haunting her? Find out in the novel by Roy Snell, set in the Alaskan winter.

Have the five Favorite American poets contained in this collection ever sat in a reindeer sleigh? That’s not sure, but their Winter Poems speak of experiences from the first snowfall to midnight mass for the dying year.

Before, however, a child must be born, and this one is announced by magicians, spirits, even a comet! It’s The Birth of Merlin that William Shakespeare and William Rowley imagine in this fun Jacobean play.

Much more serious is Thomas Guthrie, 19th century Presbyterian minister from Scotland. In The Angel’s Song, he reflects on the birth of Jesus Christ and its implications for his day and the future.

Lots of parties lie ahead, always the perfect reason to indulge in great food. Santa’s Sampler by the Kappa Alpha Theta. St. Louis Alumnae Chapter has recipes for hors d’oevres with a special section on Christmas gifts.

Enjoy – and have a wonderful December!