Rose o' the River by Kate Douglas Wiggin

Kindle | Project Gutenberg
A short, lovely little romance set in the woods of rural Maine, in which country girl Rose Wiley, though engaged to a fine young man who loves her devotedly, still daydreams about the glamor of the city. Heartaches and lessons to learn lie in her way when she gets a chance to live out her daydreams and discover what it truly is she values most.

The "with images" versions of the Project Gutenberg edition include lovely black-and-white illustrations by George Wright.

My review of this book.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Project Gutenberg
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
The tangled fortunes of a released political prisoner and his daughter, and the friends and enemies that surround them, weave chaotic paths back and forth between London and Paris in Charles Dicken's classic, dramatic novel of love, treachery and sacrifice during the chaos of the French Revolution.

The only free Kindle edition available has some customer reviews claiming it's abridged. I haven't read that particular edition through, so I can't testify to their truth or not. (There is also a nice-looking 99¢ edition available for Kindle.)

The Four Million by O. Henry

Kindle | Project Gutenberg

The "Four Hundred" was a term used in the early 1900s to refer to New York City's social elite—supposed by those who valued social distinction to be the only people worth knowing. O. Henry titled this collection of colorful stories about people of all classes The Four Million in response, implying that every person in New York was worth knowing. It's a great place to begin your acquaintance with Henry's sparklingly literate, frequently funny and sometimes poignant stories with their famous twist endings. It contains, among others, one of his most famous, "The Gift of the Magi."

Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

Kindle | Project Gutenberg

"It will not be necessary, sir. If you will glance behind you, you will see Mr. Fink-Nottle coming out from beneath your bed."
Right Ho, Jeeves makes a wonderful introduction to one of the funniest authors ever to set pen to paper. Summoned much against his will to his aunt's country house, Bertie Wooster attempts to straighten out a hilarious tangle of bashful suitors, broken engagements and angry cooks, but his best efforts only deepen the confusion (and the hilarity), leaving it up to his ever-capable gentleman's gentleman Jeeves to save the day. If there was ever a book to make one laugh aloud, this is it.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Project Gutenberg

These twelve classic short stories, including "A Scandal in Bohemia," "The Red-Headed League," "The Man With the Twisted Lip" and more, were the first Sherlock Holmes stories I ever read, and they're an excellent introduction to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famed detective, his methods of mystery-solving and his faithful sidekick and chronicler Dr. Watson.

The free Kindle edition is marked as currently unavailable, for unknown reasons.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Kindle | Project Gutenberg

The classic children's story of orphaned Mary Lennox, sent to live with her uncle in a mystery-filled mansion on the edge of the Yorkshire moors, where she becomes fascinated with the story of its walled garden that has been locked and the key buried. (An alternate Project Gutenberg edition contains illustrations.)

Old Rose and Silver by Myrtle Reed

Kindle | Project Gutenberg

Rose Bernard, at age forty, believes she may finally have found her chance at true love as she grows close to a neighbor's son—but fears heartbreak lies ahead as she sees his attraction to Rose's beautiful, shallow young cousin Isabel. A gorgeously-written old-fashioned romantic drama, with delightful characters and a plot mingling poignancy and humor.

My review of this book.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Kindle | Project Gutenberg

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

What better way to inaugurate this blog than with one of the best and most beloved classics of English literature? I shall not sport with your intelligence by telling you what Pride and Prejudice is about, but merely content myself with saying that any praise you have heard of Jane Austen is fully merited, and you should definitely read this book.

Note: I haven't read the free Kindle edition from cover to cover myself, but it appears to be readable and complete. There are some conflicting customer reviews claiming it is abridged, by often reviews from different editions of a book are combined on Amazon. I compared several chapters from the "Look Inside" feature word by word to the Project Gutenberg edition, and found them exactly the same. If anyone finds significant formatting issues with the ebooks I've linked to, do drop a comment and let me know so I can update the posts for the benefit of readers!