Stay ConnectedSnoozecast is the podcast designed to help you fall asleep.
Episodes air every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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Copyright: © ℗ & © 2020 Snoozecast: Stories for Sleep
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Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “Middlemarch, A Study of Provincial Life” written by English author George Eliot, and originally published in 1871.
George Eliot is the pen name of Mary Ann Evans. The novel is set in a fictional English Midlands town in the early 1800s, following many separate characters whose lives intersect at times. Issues include the status of women, the nature of marriage, idealism, self-interest, religion, hypocrisy, political reform, and education. Initial reviews were mixed, but it is now seen widely as her best work and one of the great English novels.
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Tonight, we’ll read selections about baking breads and cakes from “The Charlotte Sunshine Cook Book” published in 1906.
This episode begins with a long-form poem that sings the praises of homemade bread, followed by a collection of recipes for classic loaves—many with ingredients familiar to the early 20th-century Southern kitchen. In the latter half, we turn to cakes, including several that call for hickory nuts, lending a rustic and deeply flavorful character to the confections.
Hickory nuts, closely related to walnuts and pecans, grow on various species of hickory trees native to North America. While some varieties like the bitternut are too bitter to enjoy, others—such as the shagbark—have a sweet, buttery flavor prized by foragers. Though their thick shells can be a challenge to crack, the reward is a nut considered by some to be the most delicious of all. In early American kitchens, especially before widespread commercial nut distribution, these wild-harvested treasures were a special ingredient in baked goods, adding richness and texture to cakes, cookies, and breads.
Cookbooks like The Charlotte Sunshine Cook Book were often compiled by women's clubs, church groups, or civic organizations, reflecting the everyday wisdom and resourcefulness of their communities. They serve as snapshots of a particular time and place—capturing regional tastes, available ingredients, and even local customs. In this case, the cookbook comes from Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Tonight, we’ll continue the 1928 children's book by A. A. Milne “The house at Pooh Corner”.
In the last episode of Winnie-the-Pooh Tigger told Roo that Tiggers can do everything–even climb trees. So Tigger and Roo did and until Tigger realized he couldn’t get down. Eventually Pooh, Piglet, Christopher Robin and even Eeyore came along to rescue the pair.
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Tonight, we’ll read the second half to “The Little Mermaid” written by Hans Christian Andersen and adapted by Snoozecast.
In the first half, we learn about the little mermaid and her family. The little mermaid saves a handsome prince from drowning at sea and falls in love with him from afar.
Andersen’s original tale shifts in tone during its second half, moving from wonder and curiosity to longing and sacrifice. The young mermaid, desperate to be near the prince, makes a pact with a sea witch—exchanging her voice for a pair of human legs. But her transformation comes at a great cost.
This portion of the story is rich with emotion and filled with themes of devotion, heartbreak, and spiritual transformation. Andersen’s writing doesn't offer the tidy happy endings we often expect from fairy tales—instead, it lingers in the gray spaces of love unreturned and the power of selflessness.
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Tonight, we’ll read the first half to “The Little Mermaid” written by Hans Christian Andersen and adapted by Snoozecast. The second half will air in our next episode. This story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid in order to marry a prince and become human.
Originally published in 1837, The Little Mermaid was part of a collection simply titled Fairy Tales Told for Children. Andersen, a Danish author known for his poetic and sometimes melancholy storytelling, wrote many tales that have become classics, including The Ugly Duckling, The Emperor’s New Clothes, and The Snow Queen. Unlike the cheerful retellings most children grow up with today, Andersen’s original mermaid tale is more bittersweet, filled with longing, sacrifice, and questions about the soul.
The story is notable for its vivid underwater world, where mermaids live for centuries but do not possess immortal souls, and where the surface world is mysterious and dangerous. The little mermaid, youngest of her sisters, is drawn not just to the handsome prince she saves, but to the idea of a different kind of existence—one filled with love, human emotion, and perhaps, a soul of her own.
— read by 'V' —
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Tonight, for our one thousandth episode, we’re doing something a little different—a bit of meta fun as we take a look back.
Toward the end, we share a special joint reading of an original story: The Secret Bakery of Bramble Hollow.
Thank you to all of our dear listeners for your continued support over these past six years.
With gratitude,
N & V
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Tonight, we’ll read a selection of marmalade and sweetmeat recipes from Miss Leslie’s New Cookery Book, published in 1857.
A type of sugar confectionery, “sweetmeats” is where the term “sweets” comes from nowadays. Despite the name, they have nothing to do with meat—at least, not in the way we think of it today. The word “mete” in Old English simply meant “food” in general, which is why older texts sometimes use it in unexpected ways. In other words, we are talking about candy.
Eliza Leslie, the author of this cookbook, was one of the most influential culinary writers of 19th-century America. Known for her precise, detailed instructions, she catered to middle-class households eager to refine their domestic skills. Her recipes reflected the evolving tastes of the time, blending European traditions with distinctly American ingredients and methods. From citrus preserves to candied nuts, the art of making sweet confections was a way to showcase both skill and hospitality.
These historical recipes offer a fascinating glimpse into the past—not just in terms of flavors, but also in the way food was prepared and enjoyed in an era before mass-produced candy.
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Tonight, we'll read the full, Snoozecast-adapted version “A Case of Identity”, a story from “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”, written by Arthur Conan Doyle and first published in 1892. Snoozecast has aired this story in two sections previously.
In general, the stories in Sherlock Holmes identify, and try to correct, social injustices. In this story, a wealthy woman’s fiancé disappears and she hires the detective to help find him.
This tale stands out among the Holmes stories for the quiet, almost domestic nature of its mystery. Rather than a murder or theft, the puzzle at hand is one of manipulation and emotional deceit. Holmes must unravel a curious vanishing act that seems, at first glance, too mundane for criminal interest—but which conceals a twisted motive rooted in control and inheritance.
Though not as famous as some of Holmes’s more sensational cases, this one is a compact study in character and motive, and a fine example of how Doyle could draw drama from even the most seemingly ordinary circumstances.
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Tonight, we’ll read the 27th chapter of “Anne of Green Gables”, the classic 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This chapter is titled “Vanity and the Vexation of Spirit”
In the previous chapter, Anne struggles to adjust to everyday life after the excitement of the concert. She finds ordinary days dull in comparison, lamenting that her experiences have perhaps spoiled her for simpler pleasures. School returns to normal, though minor quarrels persist among classmates stemming from tensions at the concert. Anne and Diana discuss growing older, imagination, and the trials of writing compositions. Anne enthusiastically shares a dramatic story she wrote, prompting the creation of a girls' story-writing club. Although Marilla disapproves of this pastime as foolish, Anne insists they always include morals in their stories. Despite Marilla’s skepticism, Anne remains hopeful about her own personal growth, inspired by Mrs. Allan’s past imperfections and kindness.
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