By Robert Louis Stevenson. Edited by Colin Heston

A Child’s Garden of Verses is a celebrated collection of poetry by Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in 1885. This volume, part of the Swanston Edition—a comprehensive and scholarly presentation of Stevenson’s works—appears as Volume XIV in the series, offering readers a carefully curated and historically contextualized version of this beloved classic.

The collection contains over 60 poems that reflect the world through the eyes of a child. Stevenson explores themes such as play, imagination, solitude, illness, and the natural world, capturing the emotional and intellectual landscape of childhood with remarkable sensitivity and lyrical grace. Poems like “My Shadow,” “The Land of Nod,” and “Bed in Summer” have become enduring favorites, celebrated for their rhythm, simplicity, and universal appeal.

The Swanston Edition enhances the reading experience with thoughtful editorial notes, biographical context, and period-appropriate formatting, making it ideal for literary scholars, collectors, and general readers alike. This edition not only preserves the charm and innocence of Stevenson’s verse but also situates it within the broader scope of his literary legacy.

By Robert Louis Stevenson:. Edited by Colin Heston

The Master of Ballantrae is a dark historical novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, set during the Jacobite rising of 1745. It tells the story of two brothers—noble and dutiful Henry Durie and his charming but treacherous elder brother James, the Master of Ballantrae—whose rivalry leads to betrayal, vengeance, and tragedy. Narrated by the loyal steward Ephraim Mackellar, the novel explores themes of family loyalty, pride, and the destructive power of ambition, set against a backdrop that spans Scotland, America, and India. With its psychological depth and moral complexity, the book stands as one of Stevenson’s most powerful works.

Read-Me.Org. Inc. Australia, New York, Philadelphia. 2025. 171p.

By Anthony Trollope

Barchester Towers is a novel by English author Anthony Trollope published by Longmans in 1857. It is the second book in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series, preceded by The Warden and followed by Doctor Thorne. Among other things it satirises the antipathy in the Church of England between High Church and Evangelicaladherents. Trollope began writing this book in 1855. He wrote constantly and made himself a writing-desk so he could continue writing while travelling by train. "Pray know that when a man begins writing a book he never gives over", he wrote in a letter during this period. "The evil with which he is beset is as inveterate as drinking – as exciting as gambling". In his autobiography, Trollope observed "In the writing of Barchester Towers I took great delight. The bishop and Mrs. Proudie were very real to me, as were also the troubles of the archdeacon and the loves of Mr. Slope". When he submitted his finished work, his publisher, William Longman, initially turned it down, finding much of it to be full of "vulgarity and exaggeration".[1

London. Longmans. 1857. 559p.

By Robert Harris

"Pompeii" is a historical novel written by Robert Harris, a British author. It was published in 2003 and is set in ancient Rome, specifically during the final days of Pompeii before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

The novel follows the character of Marcus Attilius, a young aqueduct engineer who is sent to Pompeii to investigate the sudden loss of water in the city's aqueduct system. Attilius soon discovers that the problem is due to a blockage caused by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. As the eruption intensifies, Attilius becomes embroiled in a race against time to save the citizens of Pompeii from the impending disaster.

The story is a mix of historical fiction and thriller, with vivid descriptions of life in ancient Rome and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The novel is also notable for its accurate depiction of the engineering and technological innovations of the ancient Roman empire, particularly with regard to the aqueduct system.

London. Hutchinson. 2003. 347p.

By Markus Zusak

The Dunbar boys bring each other up in a house run by their own rules a family of ramshackled tragedy their mother is dead their father has fled they love and fight and learn to reckon with the adult world. It is Clay, the quiet one, who will build a bridge; for his family, for his past, for his sins. He builds a bridge to transcend humanness. To survive A miracle and nothing less. Markus Zusak makes his long-awaited return with a profoundly heartfelt and inventive novel about a family held together by stories, and a young life caught in the current: a hoy in search of greatness, as a cure for a painful past. “‘Brilliant and hugely ambitious...the kind of book that can be life changing.” The New York Times. “‘Unsettling, thought-provoking, life affirming, triumphant and tragic, this is a novel of breathtaking scope, masterfully told.” Guardian. ‘Zusak’s novel is a highwire act of inventiveness and emotional suppleness’ The Australian.

Australia. Picador Macmillan. 2018. 581p.