The Floating Press: 2252 books

The concept of socialism has gotten a lot of negative press in recent years, but few of those who throw this term around with impunity have a keen understanding of what it actually means. In this volume, renowned political philosopher John Stuart Mill provides an overview and critique of socialism. A must-read for anyone who wants to get to the bottom of today's most heated political debates.

Brimming with charm, local color, and blossoming passion, this romance from esteemed author William N. Harben hearkens back to a simpler era. Sally Dawson and John Westerfelt are made for each other, but shyness, pride and outside circumstances keep forcing them apart. Will these lovebirds ever find their happily ever after?

College student George Hunt is pretty sure that his girlfriend, Annie Gifford, is dead-set on marriage. Not yet ready to be tied down, George initiates a campaign to convince Annie that he is a wholly unsuitable match. Will his underhanded scheme drive her away?

In this novel from Amanda Minnie Douglas, Floyd Grandon is returning home to be reunited with his family after years of travel and adventure. His experiences have changed him, and his family has changed while he was away, as well. Will their reunion be as smooth as hoped?

Fans of O. Henry's beloved short stories will relish this well-rounded collection from Welsh-born writer and journalist Perceval Gibbon. Gibbon's tales are characterized by a wry irony and unexpected twist endings that never fail to surprise and delight.

If you love to read inspiring stories about dedicated, hard-working types who pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, you'll get a kick out of Frances Hodgson Burnett's T. Tembarom. Our eponymous hero emerges from a wretched childhood to finally realize his dream of making it as a newspaper columnist....

Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900) is remembered best for his sharp wit, his comedic plays and for his contribution to aestheticism and decadence. In this collection of essays, however, Wilde writes predominantly on socialism, anarchy and libertarianism. He believed in these passionately and was influenced among others by William Morris and John Ruskin.

Though only ten years old, Sally Ladue has been thrust by circumstances into a precarious position of leadership in her crumbling family. With a father prone to mysterious, lengthy absences and a mother who is gradually succumbing to a series of health problems, Sally tries valiantly to hold it all together.

Arthur Prohack is a bureaucrat who relishes carrying out his duties with precision and accuracy. His exceedingly high expectations have earned him grudging respect -- and a measure of fear -- from his colleagues and underlings. When Prohack unexpectedly receives a windfall, his comfortable middle-class existence is turned upside down. Will he be able to adjust to his new status?

Love horses? American writer and humorist Ford Sewell did too -- enough to base an entire series of novels and stories around these equine characters. Wilt Thou Torchy is a follow-up to Sewell's popular Torchy series. Packed with fun, frivolity and light romance, this charming novel is sure to please.

Writer and editor William Dean Howells was a towering figure in American literature. As a novelist, journalist and critic, he helped shape the American literary sensibility. This collection brings together some of Howells' best-known essays, sketches and reports.

In this short essay, English humorist Jerome K. Jerome displays his deft touch and dry wit, contemplating the most serious of topics -- in this instance, death and immortality -- in a lighthearted and at times uproariously hilarious manner. Add this brief but rewarding read to your list.

Many of Henry Anderson Bryden's tales of Africa unfold as casual, first-person narratives, in a manner akin to a group of friends trading anecdotes around a campfire. In this collection, intrepid outdoorsmen battle fearsome predators, and hardy pioneers forge relationships with the region's native inhabitants.

Charles Eastman, whose Sioux name was Ohiyesa (pronounced Oh hee' yay suh), was a Native American author, doctor and reformer who also helped to establish the Boy Scouts of America. Old Indian Days is a collection of traditional stories from Eastman's Native American heritage.