Neil Young Archives Vol. III (1976 - 1987)

Johnny

In the thrilling sequel to The Phoenix King, deadly secrets are uncovered, new alliances are forged, and an exiled princess will rise from the ashes of the old world as the burning queen. 

“So what will you become, Elena? Villain, hero, or conqueror?”

Ravence has fallen. Her enemies have ravaged her people. And now Elena Aadya Ravence must decide how far she will go to reap her revenge. As she is pulled into a bitter war that will decide the fate of her kingdom, a new tyrant rises to reclaim his home, and Elena finds that perhaps her hunger isn’t enough.

And his knows no bounds.

Praise for The Phoenix King: 

“Fiery, inventive, and full of yearning and vengeance. A wonderful read.” —Tasha Suri

“Come for the science fantasy worldbuilding and stay for the characters you just can’t get out of your head.” —Vaishnavi Patel

“A heady and seamless blend of sci fi and fantasy infused with Indian inspiration. An engrossing read that will have you quickly turning through the chapters.” —R. R. Virdi

The Burning Queen by Aparna Verma read by Soneela Nankani, Vikas Adam, Deepti Gupta, and Akshay Kumar

Do you ever feel like you’re pretending? Do you ever feel like the “real you” is concealed by the disguise you wear every day? Do you even know who the real you is?
 
Many of us feel confused about who we are and what God created us to be. We go through the motions, doing what’s expected of us, but we feel lost, empty, or just a deep-down sense that there must be more out there for us. We have never taken the time to—or been allowed to—find out who we are at our core. Often, it’s not easy to understand who you are at your core. Sometimes, you have to fight for it.
 
In The Fight to Find Yourself, Pastor Joel Tudman pairs biblical content, practical teaching, and deeply personal stories to help guide readers struggling with grief, confusion, or feeling lost, to move forward into hope, joy, and a better future. He helps readers:

Uncover and face the deeply-held beliefs that have defined you so far
Confront their deepest disappointments and desires and use those to orient their future
Root out false ideas about what you can do, become, and be
Walk through transitions with confidence and boldness
Find mentors to guide and walk with you through this process
Understand the calling God has placed on their lives
Believe that their value lies in who they are, now what they do

When you truly know who God made you to be, you will be able to know yourself, accept yourself, feel like you, and walk out into the world with your head held high, knowing you are a beloved child of God, already loved, already good enough.  This is a powerful and inspiring manifesto to help readers move from being lost, feeling guilty, confused about their callings, or wrestling with grief, to moving forward into healing, health, and happiness in their lives.

The Fight to Find Yourself by Joel Tudman read by Joel Tudman

For readers of What an Owl Knows and The World Without Us, this infectiously impassioned tour of the five New York City boroughs offers jaded city dwellers and bird lovers everywhere an unexpected, delightful new view of the concrete jungle – through its surprisingly enormous and diverse bird population

Ryan Goldberg came to birding unexpectedly, but as many first timers do after seeing their “spark” bird, he fell hard. Enamored by the incredible variety of species that pass through his hometown of New York City, and with the other passionate birders he meets, he embarks on a year of reporting on the natural wonders hiding amidst the skyscrapers. He learns that millions of birds migrate through the city each year – over 400 different species have been found in New York, way more than in Yellowstone National Park.
 
Through the four seasons, Goldberg takes readers to all five boroughs, through the city’s most famous parks and landmarks. He chases rare and common species alike, increasing his count and deepening his understanding of how and why birds make their home in this smoggy, noisy, concrete-coated environment. Along the way, he meets many delightful and idiosyncratic characters, both human and feathered. 
 
Richly textured, informative, and uplifting, Bird City will inspire fast-walking New Yorkers, the ever-growing birding community, and readers everywhere who think of “nature” as just a place to visit on Saturdays, to slow down and look around them. There’s a lot more than pigeons in our city skies.

Bird City by Ryan Goldberg read by Evan Sibley

Meet the kids in Mrs. Z’s wacky and wonderful third grade class! When Mrs. Z’s class is looking for an animal to “adopt,” Thunder Nelson knows just the critter—the baby possum she just saved. But Thunder isn’t ready for what happens when a wild animal goes to school!

Mrs. Z’s class is voting on a small class mascot, since big animals tend to get all the attention. But Thunder hates voting—it’s like sports but less fun. Everyone is nominating tardigrades, while Thunder is hoping for something fuzzy, like a hamster.

Then she finds an abandoned baby possum and has a brilliant idea. She’ll bring the possum to school and convince the class it should be their mascot! How could they resist picking a real, live animal? But when Thunder’s plan goes off the rails, the possum—and the class—may end up in danger if Thunder can’t find a way to fix her mistakes.

Both sweetly poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, with black-and-white illustrations by Pura Belpré Honor artist Kat Fajardo, Thunder’s story invites readers into Mrs. Z’s class where friendship and fun rule the school.
 
Perfect for!
★ My Weirdtastic School fans
★ Reluctant readers
★ Classroom read-alouds
★ Andrew Clements fans
★ Animal lovers!
★ Anyone who’s had to fix a mistake
 
Read them all! The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class have plenty of stories to share!
Emma McKenna, Full out (#1)
Rohan Murthy Has a Plan (#2)
Poppy Song Bakes a Way (#3)
The Legend of Memo Castillo (#4) 
Wyatt Hill Brings a Lizard to School (#5) 
Ayana Ndoum Takes the Stage (#6) 
Olive Little Gets Crafty (#7)
Synclaire Fields Knows the Score (#8)
Theo Chang is Not a Cat (#9) — available for preorder now!
Sebastian Metzger Solves a Sticky Situation (#11) — available for preorder now!
Fia Hosein Finds Her Beat (#12) — available for preorder now!

*The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class is an innovative series where every book is written by a different all-star author and features a different kid in the same third-grade class. They can be read in any order!

The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class: Thunder Nelson Does the Impossumble by Martha Brockenbrough Introduction by Kate Messner read by Krystal Hammond

Set amongst the glittering backdrop of London’s iconic Savoy hotel, a young woman is forced to confront her troubled past as she uncovers the story of the hotel’s first female bartender who has been erased from the history books—”an exhilarating, tender read that will leave you smiling” (Fiona Jackson, bestselling author).
 
Six years ago, Cinnamon Scott was a young writer on the rise in New York City. But since the sudden loss of her parents, she’s been stuck in place, retreating to a life of endless partying—made possible by the massive fortune she’s inherited. Despite their tragic loss, she and her older sister Rosemary have always had each other to lean on. But now, with Rosie living in London and about to give birth to twins, Cinnamon feels more lost than ever.

When Rosie is put on bedrest, Cinnamon flies to her sister’s side, where she’s temporarily living at The Savoy. Immediately swept away by the beauty and history of the legendary hotel and its famed American Bar, Cinnamon finds ample opportunity to distract herself. When the late shift bartender tells her the story of Ada Coleman, the woman who crafted the cocktail recipes The Savoy popularized in its famous handbook a century ago, Cinnamon is inspired by the bartender’s vivid stories of Ada’s fearlessness and can’t understand why Ada’s name is nowhere to be found.

After meeting a handsome historian researching the hotel and realizing that Ada is likely to be once again overlooked, Cinnamon must decide if she can overcome her demons and stand up for Ada’s story. And, along the way, she might just save her own story too.

Last Call at the Savoy by Brisa Carleton read by Christine Lakin

From the legendary film director Martin Scorsese, a book in which he and Father Antonio Spadaro discuss the visionary filmmaker’s relationship to faith throughout his life.

From his Italian-American upbringing as a Catholic in New York to the meditations on religion, belief, and the divine found in his filmography, Martin Scorsese’s relationship to his faith has touched every aspect of his life and work. 

When Italian journalist Father Antonio Spadaro and Martin Scorsese first sat down together in Scorsese’s home, neither could have predicted the depth of the conversation, intellectual exchange, or friendship that would result. While discussing the acclaimed director’s film Silence, about the persecution of Jesuits in Japan, they began a dialogue about faith that continues to this day.

In their often-profound conversations, he and Father Spadaro have left no stone unturned, discussing this relationship along with everything from Scorsese’s childhood to the concept of the soul. And as a result of their long friendship and communication, Scorsese met with Pope Francis. Readers will gain new insight into one of the most famous directors of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in these honest, moving, and ultimately inspiring Conversations on Faith.

Conversations on Faith  Contributors By Martin Scorsese with Antonio Spadaro read by Paul Bellantoni and Brian P. Craig

“La poderosa e inédita historia de la revolución de 1950 en Puerto Rico y la larga historia de la intervención estadounidense en la isla, que el New York Times dice “no podría ser más oportuna.”

En 1950, después de cincuenta años de ocupación militar y gobierno colonial, el Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico montó una fallida revolución armada contra Estados Unidos. La violencia arraso con la isla: comandos nacionalistas fueron enviados a Washington a ajusticiar al presidente Harry Truman, se desataron tiroteos en ocho municipios, se incendiaron cuarteles policiacos y oficinas de correo. Para sofocar esta insurrección, el Ejército de Estados Unidos desplegó miles de tropas y ametralló dos pueblos desde el aire, marcando la primera vez en su historia que el gobierno estadounidense atacó de esta forma a sus propios ciudadanos.

Por medio de narraciones orales, entrevistas personales, relatos de testigos oculares, testimonios del Congreso de Estados Unidos y archivos recientemente liberados al público por el FBI, Guerra Contra Todos los Puertorriqueños nos relata la historia de una revolución olvidada y su contexto en la historia grande de Puerto Rico, desde la invasión estadounidense de 1898 hasta la lucha actual por la plena autodeterminación de los puertorriqueños.

Guerra Contra Todos los Puertorriqueños by Nelson A Denis read by Gerardo Ortiz

A major new biography of Francis Crick, codiscoverer of the structure of DNA, pioneering neuroscientist, and twentieth-century genius 

What are the moments that make a life? In Francis Crick’s, the decisive moment came in 1951, when he first met James Watson. Their ensuing discovery of the structure of DNA made Crick world-famous. But neither that chance meeting nor that discovery made Crick who he was. 

As Matthew Cobb shows in Crick, it is another chance encounter, with a line from the writing of Beat poet Michael McClure, that reveals Crick’s character: “THIS IS THE POWERFUL KNOWLEDGE,” it shouted. Crick, having read it, would keep it with him for the rest of his life, a token of his desire to solve the riddles of existence. John Keats once accused scientists of merely wanting to “unweave a rainbow,” but it was an irrepressible, Romantic urge to wonder that defined Crick, as much as a desire to find the basis of life in DNA and the workings of our minds.  

For the first time ever, Cobb presents the full portrait of Crick, a scientist and a man: his triumphs and failings, insights and oversights. Crick set out to find the powerful knowledge. Almost miraculously, he did. 

Crick by Matthew Cobb read by Neil Gardner

A mysterious door stands open, inviting a boy who’s been brutally bullied all his life to take a courageous step forward into the unknown. On the other side, he finds a hoard of priceless artifacts and a world as filled with magic as it is with monsters. The most shocking revelation, however, is that he can bring whatever he wants back with him when he returns to Earth. It won’t be long before this double life changes him forever...

I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too Vol 1 by Miku read by Curtis Michael Holland

Audio Summary of Great by  Choice,  authored by Jim Collins and Morten T Hansen, prepared and narrated by Barbara Craven of Platinum Connection.  It summarises and covers:

*  What working in an unpredictable economic and social environment does to companies and its options
 
•   What needs to be done to ensure steady, consistent growth - and why should we anyway
 
•  What characterises a business leader who can create great companies in these uncertain   times
 
•   What role does innovation and creativity NOT play in building and being great. 

Enjoy the narrated speed read.
www.PlatinumConnectionsAustralia.com.au

Great by Choice: audio Summary by Business Breakthrough

Business Development