The Floating Press: 2252 books

Though best remembered as a writer of pulse-pounding action-adventure novels, British author Anthony Hope's literary talent was wide-ranging. In the collection Comedies of Courtship, Hope tries his hand at the short romance story, and the result is a series of sweet tales of love interlaced with plenty of wit, shenanigans, and hijinks.

Richard Harding Davis' career began in journalism, where he made his name as a daring front-line correspondent in several wars and conflicts. Later, he would translate his battlefield experience into a number of fiction and nonfiction books. Real Soldiers of Fortune presents brief biographies detailing...

This engaging nautical novel from English author William Clark Russell recounts the unusual whirlwind romance that springs up between narrator Hugh and the lovely Danish heroine Helga, whom he first encounters when she has disguised herself as a boy in order to secure safe passage on a ship.

As a revered fantasy writer, James Branch Cabell came to be known for richly imagined universes rife with fascinating detail. This early novel takes place in the "real world" of early-twentieth-century America, but it is filled with the same kind of insightful observations that enlivened Cabell's later books.

This collection of works from master of the historical romance genre Stanley J. Weyman spans a diverse array of settings and situations, ranging from love set against the backdrop of London to an action-adventure story that transpires amidst the peaks of France. From his finely observed characters to his rollicking plots, Weyman is definitely at his best in these tales.

English fiction writer Leonard Merrick is best remembered for his novel Conrad in Quest of His Youth, which was adapted to the silver screen, along with many of his other novels and short stories. This collection of shorter works highlights Leonard's skill with description, dialogue, and local color.

Literary jack-of-all-trades Clifford Bax was a prolific wordsmith who produced works ranging from religious hymns to investigative journalism over the course of his career. The short play "Square Pegs" was originally published as part of a volume of dramatic works for practice and performance.

The six Bunker children love nothing better than playing, exploring and cavorting, so they're very excited when they find out that they're going to visit their Grandma Bell's expansive country estate. However, their travel plans are held up by one disaster after another -- including a file of important paperwork that turns up missing. Will the family be able to get their vacation back on track?

If you're interested in the prospect of a more serene, enjoyable life but can't abide the relentlessly chipper pablum passed off as self-help these days, A. C. Benson's essay collection Joyous Gard may be just what you need. Adopting a decidedly measured, thoughtful tone, the essays in this volume offer...

The novel Beside Still Waters from British writer Arthur Christopher Benson offers an in-depth look at the life of one Hugh Neville, beginning with his earliest childhood recollections and concluding in his old age. Through spiritual crises and personal tragedies, Hugh's indefatigable spirit and unique outlook on life remain unscathed. It's an inspirational and engaging look at a life well lived.

Sheridan Le Fanu's final novel Willing to Die is an emotionally evocative look at the most vexing of all mysteries: suicide. In what some critics regard as his most ambitious work, Le Fanu leaves behind the sometimes conventional plot constructions of his earlier career and attempts something much more...

If you're in the mood for a classic gothic thriller, add Sheridan Le Fanu's Guy Deverell to your list. Villainous machinations, contested wills, complex revenge plots, and a spooky haunting to boot -- this epic tale will suck you in and keep you engrossed until the very last page.

Well-regarded poet and novelist Katharine Tynan was a key figure among the Irish and English literary intelligentsia in the early twentieth century. In the pleasant romance Mary Gray, a young girl overcomes poverty and difficult circumstances to find love.

In this exciting tale for younger audiences, seventeen-year-old Virginia Hunter welcomes her school chums to her home nestled among the wide-open spaces of Wyoming. The girls have a delightful time riding horses, exploring, and learning about life in the West.