Books by Grayson Reyes
200 Books found- Featured
Chad Gadja: Das Peßachbuch by Hugo Herrmann
Authors:
Ever wonder about the hidden stories behind traditions? 'Chad Gadja: Das Peßachbuch' is this quiet, fascinating little book that feels like opening a time capsule. It's not just about the Passover song; it's about a whole world of Jewish life in the early 20th century that most history books skip. The real mystery isn't in the pages, but in the author himself—'Unknown.' Who wrote this? Why was it published anonymously? Reading it feels like piecing together clues to understand a person and a community trying to preserve their identity in a changing, often hostile, world. It's short, but it sticks with you.
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Eine Mutter by Friedrich Gerstäcker
Authors: Gerstäcker, Friedrich, 1816-1872
Imagine discovering your entire life has been a lie. That's the gut-punch waiting for a young man in Gerstäcker's 'Eine Mutter.' This isn't just a dusty old story; it's a tense, emotional drama about identity and family secrets. A man receives a letter that shatters his world, sending him on a desperate search for the truth about his birth. Who is his real mother, and why was he kept in the dark? The answers threaten to unravel everything he knows. It's a short, powerful read that grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go. If you love stories where the past comes back with a vengeance, you need to pick this one up.
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Second Treatise of Government by John Locke
Authors: Locke, John, 1632-1704
Ever wonder where the whole 'life, liberty, and property' idea came from? It's not just a line in a movie. John Locke's 'Second Treatise' is the original blueprint. This book argues that government only exists because we agree to it, and its main job is to protect our rights. If it fails, we can replace it. Written in the 1600s, it became the foundation for the American Revolution. It’s basically the philosophical origin story for modern democracy. If you’ve ever questioned authority or argued about what makes a government legitimate, this is the source material.
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Sleep-Book by Leolyn Louise Everett
Authors:
Okay, I just finished the weirdest book, and I need to talk about it. It's called 'Sleep-Book,' and the author is listed as 'Unknown,' which should have been my first clue. The whole thing is written like a dream diary, but it's not peaceful at all. The main character, Leolyn Louise Everett, starts documenting her dreams, and they begin to connect in ways that feel way too real. She keeps seeing the same shadowy figure and hearing a strange lullaby. The big question isn't just 'Who is the author?' but 'What if her dreams are trying to warn her about something in her waking life?' It's a slow-burn creep that gets under your skin. If you like stories that make you question what's real, grab this one.
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Faust: Der Tragödie erster Teil by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Authors: Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832
Ever wondered what you'd trade for infinite knowledge and youth? Meet Faust, a brilliant but deeply unhappy scholar who's made that exact deal. He's bored with books and tired of life, so when the devil shows up offering him everything he thinks he wants, he signs a contract with his own blood. This isn't just a simple story about good vs. evil—it's about the cost of ambition, the hunger for experience, and what happens when you get everything you ask for. It's wild, philosophical, and surprisingly human for a 200-year-old play about a guy who makes a pact with Mephistopheles.
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L'Illustration, No. 3652, 22 Février 1913 by Various
Authors: Various
Hey, you know how we're always looking for a real time capsule? I just found one. This isn't a novel, it's an entire weekly magazine from Paris, published on February 22, 1913. The world is about to change forever, but nobody in these pages knows it yet. It’s packed with everything: political cartoons about the Balkans, fashion plates, short stories, ads for bizarre new products, and detailed reports on everything from aviation to art. Reading it feels like eavesdropping on a world that's vibrating with modern energy, completely unaware of the storm gathering just over the horizon. It’s the most fascinating, eerie, and vivid history lesson I’ve ever stumbled into.
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Keltische Knochen/Gedelöcke: Erzählungen by Wilhelm Raabe
Authors: Raabe, Wilhelm, 1831-1910
Hey, I just finished this odd little collection of stories by Wilhelm Raabe called 'Keltische Knochen/Gedelöcke.' It's a strange one! The title translates to something like 'Celtic Bones/Thought-Locks,' which should give you a hint. It's not really about ancient Celts in the way you'd expect. Instead, it's a series of short stories that feel like ghostly echoes of old legends haunting the modern world of 19th-century Germany. The main thing that pulls you in is this eerie feeling that the past isn't dead; it's buried just beneath the surface, waiting to be stumbled upon. Think less about knights and dragons, and more about a local historian digging up a bone that whispers a forgotten story, or a strange family heirloom that holds a dark secret. It's quiet, unsettling, and full of characters who are a bit lost in their own time.
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The Profits of Religion, Fifth Edition by Upton Sinclair
Authors: Sinclair, Upton, 1878-1968
Hey, I just finished a book that feels like a secret history lesson they didn't teach in school. It's Upton Sinclair's 'The Profits of Religion,' and it's not about faith itself, but about the systems built around it. Sinclair argues that organized religion, especially in early 20th-century America, was often used as a tool to keep the working class poor and obedient so the rich could stay in power. It's a fiery, provocative, and sometimes uncomfortable read that connects the pulpit directly to the pocketbook. If you've ever wondered about the real-world power of institutions, this century-old critique still has a shocking amount to say.
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Les aventures du jeune Comte Potowski, Vol. 2 (of 2) by Jean Paul Marat
Authors: Marat, Jean Paul, 1743-1793
Okay, hear me out. You know Jean Paul Marat as that fiery revolutionary from history class. But before all that, he wrote a wild, forgotten adventure novel. This second volume follows young Count Potowski as he’s thrown from the glittering salons of Europe into a dangerous whirlwind of secret societies, political plots, and a desperate search for truth. It’s part political thriller, part coming-of-age story, all wrapped in the intense energy of a man who would soon help shake a continent. It’s a fascinating, flawed, and totally unexpected piece of history that reads like a secret diary from the edge of a revolution.