Snoozecast

Tonight, we’ll read an excerpt from “In New England Fields and Woods”, written by Rowland Evans Robinson in 1896. This episode first aired in February 2020. Robinson was, in his time, one of Vermont’s best known writers. This collection of short essays follows New England's changing seasons and moods in all its natural beauty. This particular selection is part of the late winter-time section. You...

Tonight, we’ll read from “Urania”, an early science fiction novel by Camille Flammarion and published in English in 1890. This excerpt depicts an imaginary voyage through the universe. The title of this books refers to one of The Nine Muses who presided over Astronomy. Urania’s celestial glance was said to have inspired and directed the chorus of the Spheres. Nicholas Camille Flammarion was a Fren...

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, Conseil, Nemo and another sailor from the Nautilus embark on their hunting expedition to the underwater forests of Crespo Island in their underwater suits. They see diverse landscapes and all sorts of creatures, and also...

Tonight, we’ll read a folktale called “Aponibolinayen and the Sun”, from the book “Philippine Folk Tales” published in 1916, compiled by anthropologist Mabel Cook Cole. This story originally aired on January 1st, 2021. This story comes from the Ting-yen or Itneg people, who live in a mountainous region in the Philippines. The Itnegs believe in the existence of numerous supernatural powerful beings...

Tonight, we’ll read the second half to “The Final Problem”, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The first half aired last week. As with all of our Sherlock series, this story contains some darker elements and themes that may not be appropriate for all listeners. In the first episode, Holmes is considering retiring from his private detective work, but learns about a criminal genius named Professor M...

We hope you enjoy this preview of an episode from our back catalog available to our premium subscribers. Tonight, we’ll read the next part to “The Secret Garden”, a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett published in 1911. To unlock full episodes and ad-free listening of this series and more, please go to  snoozecast.com/plus . In the last episode, Mary and Colin explore the many empty rooms of their ma...

Tonight, we’ll read the opening chapters of “New Amazonia: A Foretaste of the Future”, written by Elizabeth Burgoyne Corbett under the pen name “Mrs. James Corbett” and first published in 1889.  Categorized as “feminist utopian”, it was one element in the wave of utopian and dystopian literature that marked the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In her novel, Corbett envisions a succe...

Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “The Final Problem”, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The second half will air next week. It is one of 12 stories in the cycle collected as “The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes”. As with all of our Sherlock series, this story contains some darker elements and themes that may not be appropriate for all listeners. The story, set in 1891, introduces the criminal master...

Tonight, we’ll read the next part to “Winnie-the-Pooh” a children’s story written by A.A. Milne and published in 1926. This collection of short stories features an anthropomorphic teddy bear, Winnie-the-Pooh, along with his friends Christopher Robin, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, and Roo. In the previous episode, we read the second half of chapter seven, in which Kanga and Roo came to the fo...

Tonight, we’ll read The Trees of Paradise, an excerpt from “Plant Lore, Legends and Lyrics” by Richard Folkard. — read by V — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to  snoozecast.com/plus ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-m...

Tonight, we’ll read “The Palace Under the Waves” found in the book “Swiss Tales” published in 1920. We will also read a story called “The Fairy in the Cuckoo Clock.” The first story features undines, a category of elemental beings associated with water, stemming from the alchemical writings of Paracelsus. Later writers developed the undine into a water nymph in its own right, and it continues to l...

Tonight, we shall read the next part to “Pride and Prejudice”, written by Jane Austen. In the last episode, Darcy suddenly appears while Elizabeth and the Gardiners continue to explore the grounds of his home Pemberley. He joins them in their walk, proving remarkably polite. Elizabeth is immediately embarrassed but Darcy tells her that he has just arrived to prepare his home for a group of guests...

Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “Across Asia on a Bicycle,” published in 1894 and written by Thomas Allen and William Sachtleben. This episode first aired on January 13, 2021. This book is made up of a series of sketches describing a bicycle journey around the world and specifically across Asia. Allen and Sachtleben set a record for the longest continuous land journey ever made around the world...

Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “Dr. Vermont’s Fantasy”, written by Hannah Lynch and published in 1896. Lynch was an Irish feminist, novelist, journalist and translator. She spent much of her working life in Paris, having also lived in both Spain and Greece. Lynch then returned to lecture in Ireland and was a part of the Paris salons of the Belle Epoque as well as the Irish Literary Revival in...

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 receives an invitation to go hunting in Nemo's "forests of Crespo Island" the next morning. Conseil and Ned are invited too. At breakfast, Nemo explains to Aronnax that these forests are underwater and that he has designe...

We hope you enjoy this preview of an episode from our back catalog available to our premium subscribers. Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “Recollections of a Tour Made in Scotland A.D. 1803”, a travel memoir by Dorothy Wordsworth. This episode originally aired in 2020. To unlock full episodes, ad-free listening, and more, please go to  snoozecast.com/plus . Wordsworth’s six-week, 663-mile journe...

Tonight, we’ll read “Pop Corn Recipes” by Mary Hamilton Talbott, published in 1916. Corn was domesticated about 10,000 years ago, in what is now Mexico. Archaeologists discovered that people have known about popcorn for thousands of years. Fossil evidence from Peru suggests that corn was popped as early as 4,700 BC. Through the 19th century, popping of the kernels was achieved by hand, on stove to...

Tonight, we’ll read the next part to “The Secret Garden”, a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett published in 1911. In the last episode, Dickon teaches Colin strengthening exercises. We get to see the happenings at the Secret Garden through the eyes of the Robins on their nest. And the staff at the Manor grow increasingly perplexed by Colin and Mary’s healthy transformation. — read by V — Sign up for...

Tonight, we’ll read “Treasure Island”, by listener suggestion, an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. We first aired this on December 28, 2020. “Treasure Island” is a tale of "buccaneers and buried gold." Its influence is enormous on popular perceptions of pirates, including such elements as treasure maps marked with an "X", schooners, tropical islands, and one-legged seamen...

Tonight, we’ll read poems from “North of Boston” a collection from Robert Frost first published in 1914. Most of the poems resemble short dramas or dialogues. It is also called a book of people because most of the poems deal with New England themes and Yankee farmers. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech, Robert Frost frequently wrote about...

Tonight, we’ll read the next part to “Winnie-the-Pooh” a children’s story written by A.A. Milne and published in 1926. This collection of short stories features an anthropomorphic teddy bear, Winnie-the-Pooh, along with his friends Christopher Robin, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, and Roo. In the previous episode, we read the second half of chapter six, in which eeyore had a birthday and got...

Tonight, we’ll read “Balsam Fir”, a Snoozecast original. This episode originally aired on December 23, 2019. Experience tromping through an evergreen tree farm to pick the perfect tree to bring home.  — read by N — Sign up for Snoozecast+ to get expanded, ad-free access by going to  snoozecast.com/plus ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://a...

Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “A Christmas Carol” a novella by Charles Dickens originally published in 1843. The story recounts how Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser, is visited by the spirits of Christmas and is in the process, transformed. Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol” during a period when the British were exploring and re-evaluating past Christmas traditions, including carols, and new...

Tonight, we shall read the next part to “Pride and Prejudice”, written by Jane Austen. In the last episode, Elizabeth leaves on her summer holiday with her aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. Their tour of Derbyshire takes them near Pemberley. Mrs. Gardiner suggests they visit the estate. Elizabeth consents to go only when she learns that Darcy will not be there. — read by V — Sign up for Snooz...

Tonight, we’ll read “The Gift of the Magi” a short story by O. Henry, followed by the poem “The Night Before Christmas.”  Published in 1905, this O.Henry story tells of a young husband and wife and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. “The Night Before Christmas” is formally titled “A Visit from St. Nicholas” and written by Clemen...