New & hot: Audiobooks

Listen to an excerpt of Kia Abdullah's TAKE IT BACK audiobook, read by Tania Rodrigues, Sartaj Garewal, and Sophie Bentinck.

From author Kia Abdullah, Take It Back is a harrowing and twisting courtroom thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end.

One victim. 
Four accused. 
Who is telling the truth?

Zara Kaleel, one of London's brightest legal minds, shattered the expectations placed on her by her family and forged a brilliant legal career. But her decisions came at a high cost, and now, battling her own demons, she has exchanged her high profile career for a job at a sexual assault center, helping victims who need her the most. Victims like Jodie Wolfe.

When Jodie, a sixteen-year-old girl with facial deformities, accuses four boys in her class of an unthinkable crime, the community is torn apart. After all, these four teenage defendants are from hard-working immigrant families and they all have proven alibis. Even Jodie's best friend doesn't believe her.

But Zara does—and she is determined to fight for Jodie—to find the truth in the face of public outcry. And as issues of sex, race and social justice collide, the most explosive criminal trial of the year builds to a shocking conclusion.

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Take It Back by Kia Abdullah, audiobook excerpt

Listen to Brian D. McLaren's FAITH AFTER DOUBT audiobook excerpt, read by the author.

This program is read by Brian D. McLaren

From the author of A New Kind of Christianity comes a bold proposal: only doubt can save the world and your faith.

"Will help you live fuller and breathe easier..” —Glennon Doyle

Sixty-five million adults in the U.S. have dropped out of active church attendance and about 2.7 million more are leaving every year. Faith After Doubt is for the millions of people around the world who feel that their faith is falling apart.

Using his own story and the stories of a diverse group of struggling believers, Brian D. McLaren, a former pastor and now an author, speaker, and activist shows how old assumptions are being challenged in nearly every area of human life, not just theology and spirituality. He proposes a four-stage model of faith development in which questions and doubt are not the enemy of faith, but rather a portal to a more mature and fruitful kind of faith. The four stages—Simplicity, Complexity, Perplexity, and Harmony—offer a path forward that can help sincere and thoughtful people leave behind unnecessary baggage and intensify their commitment to what matters most. 

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Essentials

Faith After Doubt by Brian D. McLaren, audiobook excerpt

Who thought writing "LOSERS" on a menu could lead to an affair of love notes?  

It didn't start out as love. How could it when I vowed never to fall in love.... 

Reef Burton, the sexy blue-eyed football player, and his mates are definitely not "Losers", yet writing it on a menu gave me reason to smile. Only it didn't make it to the trash. 

He returns to the restaurant where I work wearing his killer smile. I wasn't to know those squiggly lines and arrows meant something. An offensive play his football team learned at an earlier training session. Coming here discussing the team plays over coffee helps...so he says. He'll see what I wrote. Apart from it being awkward, the next time I serve him he could also report me to my boss. 

I can't lose my job when in hindsight I need two to pay all the bills rolling in, and to care for my invalid father.  

I'm thankful he kept it as our secret.  

Until he left me a note.  

Responding will only lead to more trouble.  

So when Mr Blue Eyes-Blond Surfy-Hair gives me one of his spine tingling looks, how can I resist?

Cocky Notes by Leesa Bow and Hero Club on Audible:
http://www.audible.com/pd?asin=B0892SKSLN&source_code=AUDOR2220701209SFP

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Cocky Notes by Leesa Bow and Hero Club, Narrated by Alix Dale and Nathaniel Black

Best-selling author, cofounder of Girlfriends in God, and writer for Proverbs 31 Ministries Sharon Jaynes reveals the secret to living a better story: understanding that the worst parts of our past are the very things God uses most.

Many people don't like the story God is writing in their lives. The mistakes, failures, tragedies, and circumstances outside of our control linger in our minds and hold us back. How do we come to grips with the pieces of our stories that we wish weren't there? How do we silence the pain of what has been done to us and the shame of what we've allowed to be done through us? 

In When You Don't Like Your Story, Bible teacher Sharon Jaynes shows us how God untangles our most painful emotions with the fingers of grace, putting his redemption on display. In the hardest parts of our narratives, we get to see God's greatest work - and this changes the ending of our stories. As we overcome shame, offer forgiveness, and use our stories to help others, we find freedom from the past and learn to live in the restoration of the present.

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WHEN YOU DON'T LIKE YOUR STORY by Sharon Jaynes

When Katie answers the call of duty, she awakens the call of her heart.

Katie Russell loves working as a telephone operator in Mercy Falls, California. But since childhood she has been expected to marry well. Her family presses for an engagement to wealthy bachelor Bartholomew Foster and though he doesn't stir her heart, their engagement promises a secure financial future.

Working the phone lines one evening, Katie overhears a chilling exchange between her friend Eliza and a familiar male voice. Katie soon learns that Eliza has disappeared, and the crime may be linked to another investigation by handsome new lighthouse keeper, Will Jesperson. Katie and Will soon form an alliance. An alliance that slowly blossoms into something more.

Despite the danger surrounding her, Katie is powerfully drawn to Will. But she is not at liberty to marry for love. And though society forbids their growing affection, Katie can't help but notice Will's sense of peace. It's a peace that rests on his trust in God - a trust that Katie has never had to depend on, with her future so clearly mapped out before her.

But the more Katie uncovers of the mystery, the more she discovers about herself, her past, and the brilliant future that could be hers if only she has the courage to trust in God and follow where her heart so fearlessly leads.

The Lightkeeper's Bride

THE LIGHTKEEPER'S BRIDE by Colleen Coble - Chapter One

The fourth book in this heart-warming series about the residents of Poppy's Place cat caf&amp;eacute;! It's the Easter holidays and Isla can't wait to spend two whole weeks with the cats at Poppy's Place, including the two new cats from Dolly's farm - Sylvie, a friendly three-legged cat, and a timid ginger cat without a name. But she soon finds she's got other things on her mind - the appearance of a thin black cat in the garden and Mum's weird and secretive behaviour. Then Isla spots Mum outside a jeweller's with Mr Black holding a small bag and puts two and two together - could the bag contain a ring? Amidst all of this, Isla's cousin Seb is causing problems in the caf&amp;eacute; with his constant practical jokes and Isla determines to get her own back with a special Easter egg surprise and a little help from Gran. As Isla's suspicions escalate, things come to a head when Milo overhears her talking to Tilda about Mum and Mr Black and locks himself in his room. Mum has a lot of explaining to do - and Isla's in for a surprise, but not quite the one she was expecting. And there's a happy ending for the mystery cat, too, as Poppy's Place works its magic in the most unusual way!

Secrets at the Cat Café by Katrina Charman, read by Susan Duerden

From the bestselling author Napoleon Hill--Lessons on Success has helped millions of readers make the impossible, POSSIBLE! Napoleon Hill's 17 Essential Principles of Personal Achievement have served as an encouraging and illuminating guide for those seeking to improve all areas of their lives for more than half a century. Lessons on Success is the book that keys readers into Hill's distinct thought process--this is THE complete and unabridged mind-power method for achieving your goals. After interviewing dozens of industrialists, diplomats, thought leaders, and people who are at the top of their game, Hill distilled what he learned and converted his study into seventeen core lessons that will set you up for success in every facet of your life!

Lessons on Success by Napoleon Hill, read by Sean Pratt

Listening is about curiosity and patience - about asking the right questions in the right way. Improvisational comedians and con men are much better at it than most of us. And the cleverest people can be the worst at it. Listening has the potential to transform our relationships and our working lives, improve our self-knowledge, and increase our creativity and happiness. While it may take some effort, it's a skill that can be learnt and perfected.

What we crave is to understand and be understood, You're Not Listening shows us how.

Everybody Has Something Going On: What You're Missing and Why It Matters

Two of today's most respected world-changers, leadership expert John C. Maxwell and global development leader Rob Hoskins, share their real-world experiences helping to transform millions of lives, communities, and businesses around the world to show people how to be the change the world needs and help others do the same.

We see poverty, homelessness, violence, mental illness, corruption, and the breakdown of the family, and we think, Why doesn't somebody do something? The institutions we've depended on aren't making the world a better place the way we thought they could and should. So now it's up to us.

The good news is, YOU can change your world.

In this audiobook, John Maxwell and Rob Hoskins guide listeners through the entire process. These two leaders have been making a positive impact for decades, transforming millions of lives, communities, and businesses around the world with a sense of mission and regard for human dignity. 

And whether you influence only one other person or you're the leader of a large organization, you too can bring about positive, lasting change.

Throughout this audiobook, Maxwell and Hoskins share their real-world experiences and encourage listeners to make a difference based on the needs they see around them and the desires of their heart.

CHANGE YOUR WORLD by John Maxwell - Chapter One

Winner of the Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry 2018.

Jay Bernard’s powerful debut is a queer exploration of the black British archive, tracing a line between two significant events in recent British history: the New Cross Massacre of 1981 in which 13 young black people were killed in a house fire - and the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. The collection stems from research undertaken about the New Cross Fire during a 2016 residency at the George Padmore Institute.

Surge - written and read by Jay Bernard

Many of us are living with the sense that things are not right with the world, as global problems like the pandemic, the climate crisis, political polarization, and social injustice mount, leaving us in a state of spiritual PTSD. We have retreated, morally and psychologically; we are experiencing a crisis of disconnection—from one another, from our true values, from joy, and from life as we feel we are meant to be living it.

Sarah Wilson argues that this sense of despair and disconnection is ironically what unites us—that deep down, we are all feeling that same itch for a new way of living. This One Wild and Precious Life opens our eyes to how we got here and offers a radically hopeful path forward. Drawing on science, literature, philosophy and the wisdom of some of the world’s leading experts, and her personal journey, Wilson weaves a one-of-a-kind narrative that lights the way back to the life we love. En route, she shows us how to wake up an reconnect with life with “wild practices” that include:

Hike. Just hike. Great minds throughout history have embraced the “walking cure” and we should do the same.
Go to your edge. Do what scares you and embrace discomfort daily.
#Buylesslivemore. Break the cycle of mindless consumption and get light with your life: Ditch your car, stop shopping, and live out of one bag
Become a soul nerd. Embrace poetry, deep reading, art, and classical music to light up your intellect.
Get “full-fat spiritual”. How to have an active practice – beyond the “lite” “rainbows and unicorns” – and use it to change the world.
Practice wild activism. If you can get 3.5 per cent of a population to participate in sustained, non-violent protest, change happens. We create our better world.
The time has come to boldly, wildly, imagine better. We are being called upon, individually and as a society, to forge a new path and to find a new way of living. Will you join the journey?

This One Wild and Precious Life

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THIS ONE WILD AND PRECIOUS LIFE by Sarah Wilson

Read by Mozhan Marno

For 50 years, Stephanie Plymale kept her past a fiercely guarded secret. No one outside her immediate family would have guessed that her childhood was fraught with every imaginable hardship: a mentally ill mother who was in and out of jails and psych wards throughout Stephanie's formative years, neglect, hunger, poverty, homelessness, truancy, foster homes, a harrowing lack of medical care, and ongoing sexual abuse.

Stephanie, in turn, knew very little about the past of her mother, from whom she remained estranged during most of her adult life. All this changed with a phone call that set a journey of discovery in motion, leading to a series of shocking revelations that forced Stephanie to revise the meaning of almost every aspect of her very compromised childhood.

American Daughter is at once the deeply moving memoir of a troubled mother-daughter relationship and a meditation on trauma, resilience, transcendence, and redemption. Stephanie's story is unique but its messages are universal, offering insight into what it means to survive, to rise above, to heal, and to forgive.

AMERICAN DAUGHTER by Stephanie Thornton Plymale

Performed by Imani Jade Powers

Askia became heir to the Frozen Crown of Seravesh because of her devotion to her people. But her realm is facing a threat she cannot defeat by sheer will alone. The mad emperor of the Roven Empire has unleashed a horde of invading soldiers to enslave her lands. For months, her warriors have waged a valiant, stealth battle, yet they cannot stop the enemy’s advancement. Running out of time, she sets sail for sun-drenched Vishir, the neighboring land to the south, to seek help from its ruler, Emperor Armaan.

A young woman raised in army camps, Askia is ill-equipped to navigate Vishir’s labyrinthine political games. Her every move sinks her deeper into court intrigues which bewilder and repel her, leaving her vulnerable not only to enemies gathering at Vishir's gates, but to those behind the palace walls. 

And in this glittering court, where secrets are worth more than gold, Askia fears that one false step will expose her true nature. For Askia is a witch gifted with magical abilities—knowledge that could destroy not only her life but her people. As her adversaries draw closer, Askia is forced to make an impossible choice—and no matter what she decides, it may not be enough to prevent Seravesh’s fall.

THE FROZEN CROWN by Greta Kelly

Performed by Tim Campbell

Based on true events, a heartbreaking story of love, family, hope, and survival set in post-World War II Italy—written with the heart of Orphan Train and Before We Were Yours—about poor children from the south sent to live with families in the north to survive deprivation and the harsh winters.

Though Mussolini and the fascists have been defeated, the war has devastated Italy, especially the south. Seven-year-old Amerigo lives with his mother Antonietta in Naples, surviving on odd jobs and his wits like the rest of the poor in his neighborhood. But one day, Amerigo learns that a train will take him away from the rubble-strewn streets of the city to spend the winter with a family in the north, where he will be safe and have warm clothes and food to eat. 

Together with thousands of other southern children, Amerigo will cross the entire peninsula to a new life. Through his curious, innocent eyes, we see a nation rising from the ashes of war, reborn. As he comes to enjoy his new surroundings and the possibilities for a better future, Amerigo will make the heartbreaking choice to leave his mother and become a member of his adoptive family.

Amerigo’s journey is a moving story of memory, indelible bonds, artistry, and self-exploration, and a soaring examination of what family can truly mean. Ultimately Amerigo comes to understand that sometimes we must give up everything, even a mother's love, to find our destiny.

THE CHILDREN'S TRAIN by Viola Ardone

A daring young woman pushes back against societal constraints in a feminist, coming-of-age Western romance from&#160;New York Times&#160;bestselling author Susan Andersen. In the small, bustling town of Mattawa, Oregon, the turn of the century offers a new kind of frontier for women: a vast and exciting range of possibilities--to a point. It's a time for change, and no one is more eager to embrace new paths than free-spirited outsider Hattie Taylor. If only she could embrace Jake Murdock too. &#160; Jake can't remember a time he was so confused. Hattie is off-limits. The provoking spitfire is under his mother's protection--his protection--and he has always belonged to another. But now, with the passing of his wife, Jake feels something shift between them. Frustratingly aware of Hattie as a woman, he struggles with new feelings, new questions, new desires. &#160; But when a desperate decision born of good intentions turns out to have ugly repercussions, Hattie confronts a cruel reality she can no longer ignore: the truth of where women really stand and the actions men take to keep them there. To navigate her new world of tainted justice and privileged order Hattie will draw on the strength of the women around her--and Jake will learn what it truly means to support the woman he loves. Available for purchase at: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086SCKY3P?tag=randohouseinc7911-20">Amazon</a><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9780593197875">Barnes & Noble</a><a href="http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-8373827-10747236?SID=PRHD39095A662--9780593197875&url=http://www.booksamillion.com/p/9780593197875">Books A Million</a><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/2186/9780593197868?prhc=PRHD39095A662">Bookshop.org</a><a href="http://www.hudsonbooksellers.com/book/9780593197868?utm_source=prh&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_term=301&utm_content=PRHD39095A662--9780593197868&utm_campaign=9780593197868">Hudson Booksellers</a><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780593197868?aff=penguinrandom">IndieBound</a><a href="http://www.powells.com/book/-9780593197868?utm_source=randomhouse&utm_campaign=randomhouse&utm_content=PRHD39095A662--9780593197868">Powell's</a><a href="http://goto.target.com/c/128773/81938/2092?subId1=PRHD39095A662--9780593197868&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.target.com%2Fs%3FsearchTerm%3D9780593197868">Target</a><a href="https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=9780593197868">Walmart</a><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1506484640?at=11l3IH&ct=PRHD39095A662--9780593197875">Apple Books</a><a href="https://google.prf.hn/click/camref:1011ld4r/pubref:PRHD39095A662--9780593197875/destination:https://play.google.com/store/search?q=9780593197875&c=books">Google Play Store</a><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=VD9*lkiWNd8&offerid=258185.12829781935712206&type=2&u1=PRHD39095A662--9780593197875}&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kobo.com%2Fsearch%3FQuery%3D9780593197875">Kobo</a>

The Ballad of Hattie Taylor by Susan Andersen, read by Jennifer Mack

Parents who play Grammy winner Lil Nas X's 12-times platinum single&#160;Old Town Road&#160;on repeat will want to take their kids and ride on over to this ABC picture book from the music mega-star! &#160; A is for adventure. Every day is a brand-new start!&#160; B is for boots&mdash;whether they're big or small, short or tall.&#160; And&#160;C is for country. &#160; Join superstar Lil Nas X&mdash;who boasts the longest-running #1 song in history&mdash;and Panini the pony on a joyous journey through the alphabet from sunup to sundown. Experience wide-open pastures, farm animals, guitar music, cowboy hats, and all things country in this debut picture book that's perfect for music lovers learning their ABCs and for anyone who loves Nas's signature genre-blending style.&#160; &#160; Featuring bold, bright art from Theodore Taylor III, with plenty of hidden surprises for Nas's biggest fans,&#160;C Is for Country&#160;is a celebration of song and the power inside us all. &#160;

C Is for Country by Lil Nas X, read by Lil Nas X

From the author of the enduring classic The Solace of Open Spaces, here is a wondrous meditation on how water, light, wind, mountain, bird, and horse have shaped her life and her understanding of a world besieged by a climate crisis. &#160; Amid species extinctions and disintegrating ice sheets, this stunning collection of memories, observations, and narratives is acute and lyrical, Whitmanesque in breadth, and as elegant as a Japanese teahouse. &ldquo;Sentience and sunderance,&rdquo; Ehrlich writes. &ldquo;How we know what we know, who teaches us, how easy it is to lose it all.&rdquo; As if to stave off impending loss, she embarks on strenuous adventures to Greenland, Africa, Kosovo, Japan, and an uninhabited Alaskan island, always returning to her simple Wyoming cabin at the foot of the mountains and the trail that leads into the heart of them.

Unsolaced by Gretel Ehrlich, read by Gretel Ehrlich

In Ciesielski’s latest sweeping romance, an American heiress finds herself in Scotland amid the fallout of the Great War, and a wounded Scottish laird comes face-to-face with his past and a woman he never could have expected.

American socialite Lily Durham is known for enjoying one moment to the next, with little regard for the consequences of her actions. But just as she is banished overseas to England as a “cure” for her frivolous ways, the Great War breaks out and wreaks havoc. She joins her cousin in nursing the wounded at a convalescent home deep in the wilds of Scotland at a crumbling castle where its laird is less than welcoming.

Alec MacGregor has given his entire life to preserving his home of Kinclavoch Castle, but mounting debts force him to sell off his family history bit by bit. Labeled a coward for not joining his countrymen in the trenches due to an old injury, he opens his home to the Tommies to make recompense while he keeps to the shadows. But his preference for the shadows is shattered when a new American nurse comes streaming into the castle on a burst of light.

Lily and Alec are thrown together when a series of mysterious events threatens to ruin the future of Kinclavoch. Can they put aside their differences to find the culprit before it’s too late, or will their greatest distraction be falling in love?

BEAUTY AMONG RUINS by J'nell Ciesielski

Peter Scazzero learned the hard way: You can't be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature. Though Scazzero was an experienced pastor of a growing church, his life and faith remained emotionally unhealthy. Like so many in the church, he routinely:

Avoided healthy conflict in the name of keeping the peace
Ignored and suppressed emotions
Used work for God as an excuse to run from God
Lived without limits
Join Pete Scazzero as he helps you unpack core biblical principles to guide you into an experience of lasting, beneath-the-surface transformation in your relationship with Christ.

The Audio Bible Study series provides a unique learning experience. Instead of sitting down to watch a video teaching for Bible study, listen to the same quality Bible study content on the go! Whether you listen on your commute, while walking outside, or over a lunch break, you can access high-quality audio Bible studies wherever you are. Get the most out of the teaching by diving into the accompanying study guide (sold separately) to walk through reflection questions and individual Bible study to go deeper.

EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY SPIRITUALITY: AUDIO BIBLE STUDY by Peter & Geri Scazzero

Toward a Secret Sky by New York Times bestselling author Heather Maclean is a new breed of YA novel: an intelligent adventure-quest crossed with a sweeping, forbidden love story. A mix of reality and possibility, this fast-paced thriller will appeal to fans of Stephenie Meyer and Dan Brown as it leads the reader on a breathless flight through the highlands of Scotland, the secret city under London, and history itself.

Shortly after 17-year-old Maren Hamilton is orphaned and sent to live with grandparents she’s never met in Scotland, she receives an encrypted journal from her dead mother that makes her and everyone around her a target. It confirms that her parents were employed by a secret, international organization that’s now intent on recruiting her. As Maren works to unravel the clues left behind by her mother, a murderous madness sweeps through the local population, terrorizing her small town. Maren must decide if she’ll continue her parents’ fight or stay behind to save her friends.

With the help of Gavin, an otherworldly mercenary she’s not supposed to fall in love with, and Graham, a charming aristocrat who is entranced with her, Maren races against the clock and around the country from palatial estates with twisted labyrinths to famous cathedrals with booby-trapped subterranean crypts to stay ahead of the enemy and find a cure. Along the way, she discovers the great truth of love: that laying down your life for another isn’t as hard as watching them sacrifice everything for you.

New & hot: Audiobooks

Alaa Farouk