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Everyone loves a bedtime story. And here are eight of the best from BBC Radio 4's Book at Bedtime, each with a Christmas theme, written by an array of literature's best-known names. They include Laurie Lee, Charles Dickens, and Hans Christian Andersen - just some of the storytellers included in this collection.

Autumn, 1646. The English Civil War is raging and there’s trouble ahead for Sir John and Lady Anne Firebasket. There’s a Roundhead platoon camping out in the barn, a perplexed priest hiding behind the panelling and, unbeknown to the Firebaskets, their scullery maid Mercy is actually a disguised aristocrat (and Royalist spy) named Melissa Fortescue-Bottomley.

When Army Ranger Lieutenant Mason Jones arrives at the Rock Island Prison Defense Facility for his tour of duty, suspicion that he is from the Inspector General's Office leaves him isolated from his fellow soldiers in a place more hostile than any war zone he has ever seen. To survive, he must turn to the manager of the facility's secret scientific zombie research lab, the only person on the island with the power to get him out alive...

I promised myself I would finally walk away from Tessa and not look back. All we ever did was hurt each other. We weren’t strong enough to fight for what we had and too weak to let it go. Or so I thought. The truth was I was the weak one, and she had been fighting for us the entire time. Now she’s letting me go and making promises to another man. That revelation brought me to my knees, and that’s where I’ll stay until I can convince her to try one more time. If we’re going to stand a chance I have to convince her that some promises were made to be broken.

When Tom, the son of a powerful Senator, becomes stranded in the Plagued States while searching for his lost sister, his only hope of survival rests in the hands of a few grizzled veteran zombie hunters and a mysterious half-breed zombie woman he thinks may know where to find his sister... In the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse, humanity won by creating a moat surrounding the Plagued States of America. Now, zombies roam freely, and only the most fearless of hunters venture in, but they don’t hunt to kill. Zombie labor is too valuable a commodity.

His Life Changed in a Heartbeat. Disinherited as a teen, Devon Ashby returns home twelve years later as a ruthless CEO, brilliant at negotiating deals, but emotionally stunted. In an instant all he’s struggled to build implodes. Amid the turmoil of saving his company from a hostile takeover, his engagement to a business partner’s high-society daughter hits the rocks. Compounding his troubles, he encounters his high school sweetheart, whose heart he smashed. The vulnerability she awakens leaves him at greater risk than all the crises he faces.

Accused of burning the city to the ground, Marah is exiled and embarks on a perilous journey across the Mediterranean in search of her missing father. Her only chance at redemption? Joining an expedition to unravel the mystery of magic’s slow decay. But the voyage isn't easy. She's stuck with Lord Druze, her insufferable rival, and a troublesome dragon whose behaviour is as unpredictable as the seas they sail.

SPC Phillip is trying to understand his place in the mechanized infantry. When his commanding officer gives the brigade a briefing on their upcoming action to end Ctenizidae piracy, he can’t help but question the wisdom of sending crack cold weather troops to a scorching desert planet. As the saying goes, ‘ours is not to question why…’ So, his brigade is loaded into vessels to cross the wastes of interstellar space and bureaucracy. Dropping into a nightmare of combat and logistical blunders, Phillip fight what seems like a never-ending conflict from one dune to another.

Restoration artist Sean Quinn is perfectly content spending his downtime devouring classical literature, while keeping his OCD and fourth-degree black belt under wraps. But when his FBI agent brother coerces him into investigating stolen artifacts, Sean becomes the target of a ruthless smuggling ring that funds terrorists. Gretch Allen, a beautiful man-magnet, hides a world of hurt under her icy exterior. When Sean rescues her from a stalker, she discovers her co-worker has an alpha-hot fire burning beneath his geeky exterior.

Everything about this mission stinks. Including falling for his sexy new boss. FBI Agent Jace Quinn has a massive chip on his shoulder. Held back to an inferior rank because he hasn’t finished his degree, the decorated former SEAL has a problem with authority, especially the female kind. So when his new boss turns out to be the woman he flirted with at a cousin's wedding, he's horrified. Worse, so is she. Assigned to infiltrate a dangerous white supremacist group, Jace seizes the opportunity to prove to her this lone-wolf lawman doesn't need handling.

Highly decorated Chicago firefighter Trick Quinn is renowned for his charmed life. No victims have ever died on his watch, he cherishes his wife and daughters’ love, and he even won the lottery the first time he bought a ticket. His luck disintegrates when he’s accused of depraved acts, plunging him into disgrace. Every attempt to prove his innocence sucks him further into a warped nightmare that threatens his job, his freedom, and his family. Dutiful Zamira Bey is at an unenviable crossroads: choosing between finding her happiness and restoring her Muslim family’s honor.

I might be the most promising quarterback in college football today, but once I was just a boy desperately in love with the wrong girl, one I’d very much like to win back. She blocks me better than any player on the field, but to figure out my best play, first I need to understand how we got here. We have been apart longer than we were together but we can’t seem to stop torturing each other. Every guy she touches or allows to touch her is like a knife right to my heart. Not to be outdone, I play her game. No one will ever accuse me of giving less than everything.

A man with a haunted past, looking for nothing more than to leave it all behind. A regime of brutal tyranny hidden beneath the lie of protection. And a single youth with a guise of his own, yearning to put an end to it all. Former Detective Rex Corbin's life was not one to be envied, but he did what he could to get by. Some chickens in the backyard, scattered supplies about his rickety little shack, and when times got tough, he could swipe a few eggs and trade them for some whisky...

Beneath the frozen Arctic, a Russian stealth submarine disappears, triggering a high-stakes pursuit. Jack Raines, a former Navy SEAL turned intelligence officer, is sent to track the rogue admiral responsible. But when his mission leads him to a long-abandoned Cold War research station, Jack uncovers a chilling secret: a weapon that can erase entire fleets from existence.

The Smart Retirement Plan is a practical, strategy-driven guide for anyone who wants to approach retirement with clarity, control, and financial confidence. In today’s fast-changing world, retirement planning is no longer optional—it’s essential. This book provides a step-by-step roadmap for building a retirement that’s stable, flexible, and aligned with your personal goals and values.

2097 A.D. Religion is no longer the world’s dominant belief system. Cyrenism, a global collection of atheists, agnostics and scientists is now the majority, and our society has become dependent upon artificial intelligence, technology and advanced robotics. Global Marshal Austin Corrigan is a man produced by this brave new world. He is a tenacious law enforcement officer and a dedicated Cyrenist. Austin is balanced on the job and in life by his best friend, Dean “Deadman” Clarkson, a devout Catholic and a lethal military sniper.

Many women in the 21st Century today are more successful now in the marketplace than ever before, oftentimes, moving past their issues, but never resting. This metaphoric and literary masterpiece is constructed to help women visualize the exposure of hidden issues from past and present, ultimately leading to overcoming hurts, failures and disappointments. You will be encouraged to see that you are not the only one who has been marginalized by your experiences.

Christian author and speaker Jill Savage found herself reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. It was part of one very dark year that included a four-month separation. Their marriage survived and became stronger than before. They now share their story openly as authors, speakers, and marriage coaches to help others who are walking through their own dark season.

Grief can feel overwhelming, leaving you lost in a sea of emotions with no clear path forward. Whether you’ve lost a loved one, a relationship, or a sense of self, this practical guide offers a step-by-step approach to help you navigate the storm. The Grief Survival Handbook provides essential tools to cope with the pain, find strength in the darkest moments, and rebuild your life after loss. With empathy and wisdom, The Grief Survival Handbook is designed not only to help you survive grief, but to find strength, healing, and transformation in its wake.

In a world inundated with information, we find ourselves navigating a landscape where the lines between truth and deception are often blurred. Every headline, post, and conversation carries the potential to inform or mislead, to unite or divide. The power of propaganda is not just in its ability to distort facts, but in its capacity to shape perspectives, manipulate emotions, and influence actions, often without our awareness. This book, Propaganda: How Deception Divides and Truth Unites, is an exploration of this subtle yet pervasive force.