Snoozecast

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 con...

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 s...

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 t...

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...

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 groundwo...

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 catal...

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 follow...

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 alp...

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...

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...

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 dea...

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...

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 trave...

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 elemen...

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 late...

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 th...

Tonight, we’ll read an excerpt from “American Notes” a travelogue written by Charles Dickens detailing his trip from the year 1842. While there he acted as a critical observer of North American society, almost as if returning a status report on their progress. Having arrived in Boston, he travelled as far south as Richmond, Virginia, as far west as St. Louis, Missouri and as far north as Quebec, C...

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, Aronnax accompanies Nemo on an expedition at night without lanterns or anyone else. The two walk in darkness toward a red light for a couple miles before they climb up a platform of man-made stones and pillars. Aronnax realizes t...

Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “Around the World in 80 Days,” a novel by Jules Verne published in 1872. In this story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employed French valet Passepartout attempt to circumnavigate the world in 80 days on a 20-thousand pound wager ( over two million pounds now) set by his friends. It is one of Verne's most acclaimed works.  — read by 'V' — Sign up for Snooze...

Tonight, we’ll read an excerpt from “The Story of My Life” written by Helen Keller and published in 1903. The book details her early life, and especially her education. Helen Keller was an American author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer. Born in Alabama, she lost her sight and her hearing after a bout of illness when she was still a baby. She had limited communicative...

Tonight, we’ll read the twelfth chapter to “Anne of Green Gables” the classic 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This chapter is titled “A Solemn Vow and Promise”. In the last episode, titled “Anne’s Impressions of Sunday-School”, Marilla shows Anne the new dresses she has made for her, all of which are embarrassingly unfashionable. The next day, Anne goes to church and Sunday school alone, weari...

Tonight, we’ll read “The Maiden of the Mist” or “Anne of Geierstein”, by Sir Walter Scott, published in 1829. It is set mainly in Switzerland, shortly after the Battle of Tewkesbury in the 1400s. This episode originally aired in January of 2021. In this story, two exiles are on a secret mission to the court of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, hoping to gain his help in regaining the English cro...

Tonight, for our 801st episode, we’ll read a Snoozecast original sleep story, inspired by the classic fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea”. First published by H.C. Andersen in 1835, the tale features a princess who is tested to become wife to a lonely prince. At under 400 words long, it is triflingly short. Yet though it be small, it has served as the inspiration for many culturally popular works...

Tonight, we’ll read the second 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. If you haven’t listened to the first part to the book, you can search in your podcast player for “Snoozecast Presents: Little Women”. You will find...

Tonight, we’ll read the third part of a fairy tale called “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen. The story centers on the struggle between good and evil as experienced by Gerda and her friend, Kay. The first part originallyaired on January 4th, 2021. This story is one of Andersen's longest and most highly acclaimed tales. It was also the inspiration for the Disney movie “Frozen.” In the seco...