An intimate fortnightly conversation with authors and the handful of objects that have inspired their work. #PenguinPodcast

The Penguin Podcast

An extract from a marvellous new celebrity reading of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox.  

Mr Fox steals food from the horrible farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean - one fat, one short, one lean.

These three crooks concoct a plan to dig Mr Fox out of his home, but they don't realise how truly fantastic Mr Fox is, or how far he'll go to save his family . . .

Roald Dahl: Fantastic Mr Fox (Audiobook Extract) read by Chris O'Dowd

The Magic Finger read by Kate Winslet

'Well, that did it.
I saw red. 
And before I was able to stop myself, I did something I never meant to do.
I PUT THE MAGIC FINGER ON THEM ALL!'

Roald Dahl: The Magic Finger (Audiobook Extract) read by Kate Winslet

A masterpiece of a family in crisis from twice Booker-shortlisted author Damon Galgut

'Astonishing' Colm Tóibín

'A literary masterpiece' Sarah Hall

The Promise charts the crash and burn of a white South African family, living on a farm outside Pretoria. The Swarts are gathering for Ma's funeral. The younger generation, Anton and Amor, detest everything the family stand for -- not least the failed promise to the Black woman who has worked for them her whole life. After years of service, Salome was promised her own house, her own land... yet somehow, as each decade passes, that promise remains unfulfilled.

The narrator's eye shifts and blinks: moving fluidly between characters, flying into their dreams; deliciously lethal in its observation. And as the country moves from old deep divisions to its new so-called fairer society, the lost promise of more than just one family hovers behind the novel's title.

In this story of a diminished family, sharp and tender emotional truths hit home. Confident, deft and quietly powerful, The Promise is literary fiction at its finest.

'Gorgeous and pleasurable' Tessa Hadley

'The most important book of the last ten years' Edmund White

'Simply: you must read it' Claire Messud

The Promise - Extract

Slow down and breathe.

Enter the ultimate meditative listening experience, inspired by the teachings of the Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh.

Based on the major documentary Walk with Me, this soundscape features narration from Benedict Cumberbatch and is introduced by Marc J. Francis, the codirector of the award-winning film.

From monastic chants to mindfulness bells and the sounds of nature, listeners will be immersed in this hour-long recording. Escape to the world famous Plum Village Monastery and find a deep sense of presence.

Walk With Me In Sound

“Time is just the medium through which life unfolds”: this week, mentalist, illusionist, painter, and author Derren Brown talks to Isy Suttie about his upcoming book, ‘A Book of Secrets: Finding Solace in a Stubborn World’.

In this episode, Derren and Isy delve into the questions at the heart of the way we live our lives. Using objects like a camera and a paintbrush, Derren shares the small ways in which he is able to make peace with the universe. #PenguinPodcast

‘A Book of Secrets: Finding Solace in a Stubborn World’ is available to order on audiobook now: https://apple.co/3jwerMo

The Penguin Podcast: Derren Brown with Isy Suttie

Brought to you by Penguin.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2021

THE BRAND NEW NOVEL FROM THE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING, BOOKER PRIZE-SHORTLISTED AUTHOR OF THE OVERSTORY

'It changed how I thought about the Earth and our place in it. . . . It changed how I see things and that's always, for me, a mark of a book worth reading.' Barack Obama on The Overstory
'Really, just one of the best novels, period.' Ann Patchett on The Overstory
'Breathtaking.' Barbara Kingsolver on The Overstory
_________________________
Picked as one of the 'Best Books of 2021' in the Sunday Times

Theo Byrne is a promising young astrobiologist who has found a way to search for life on other planets dozens of light years away. He is also the widowed father of a most unusual nine-year-old. His son Robin is funny, loving, and filled with plans. He thinks and feels deeply, adores animals, and can spend hours painting elaborate pictures. He is also on the verge of being expelled from third grade, for smashing his friend's face with a metal thermos.

What can a father do, when the only solution offered to his rare and troubled boy is to put him on psychoactive drugs? What can he say when his boy comes to him wanting an explanation for a world that is clearly in love with its own destruction? The only thing for it is to take the boy to other planets, while all the while fostering his son's desperate campaign to help save this one.
_________________________
'The best book I've read in 10 years. A remarkable piece of literature ... a lodestone.' Emma Thompson on The Overstory

'Radical and exciting.' Jessie Burton on The Overstory

'A remarkable piece of fiction.' New York Times on The Overstory

'An extraordinary novel.' Guardian on The Overstory

© Richard Powers 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Bewilderment - Richard Powers, read by Edoardo Ballerini

The average human lifespan is absurdly, outrageously, insultingly brief: if you live to 80, you have about four thousand weeks on earth. How should we use them best?

Of course, nobody needs telling that there isn't enough time. We're obsessed by our lengthening to-do lists, our overfilled inboxes, the struggle against distraction, and the sense that our attention spans are shrivelling. Yet we rarely make the conscious connection that these problems only trouble us in the first place thanks to the ultimate time-management problem: the challenge of how best to use our four thousand weeks.

Four Thousand Weeks is an uplifting, engrossing and deeply realistic exploration of this problem that draws on philosophy, literature and psychology to cover the past, present and future of our battles with time. It goes far beyond practical tips, and its many revelations will transform the reader's worldview.

Drawing on the insights of ancient philosophers, Benedictine monks, artists and authors, Scandinavian social reformers, renegade Buddhist technologists and many others, Oliver Burkeman sets out to realign our relationship with time - and in doing so, to liberate us from its grasp.

Four Thousand Weeks - written and read by Oliver Burkeman

A GUARDIAN 'BOOKS OF 2021' PICK

So often deployed as a jingoistic, even menacing rallying cry, or limited by a focus on passing moments of liberation, the rhetoric of freedom both rouses and repels. Does it remain key to our autonomy, justice, and well-being, or is freedom's long star turn coming to a close? Does a continued obsession with the term enliven and emancipate, or reflect a deepening nihilism (or both)? On Freedom examines such questions by tracing the concept's complexities in four distinct realms: art, sex, drugs, and climate.

Drawing on a vast range of material, from critical theory to pop culture to the intimacies and plain exchanges of daily life, Nelson explores how we might think, experience, or talk about freedom in ways responsive to the conditions of our day. Her abiding interest lies in ongoing "practices of freedom" by which we negotiate our interrelation with-indeed, our inseparability from-others, with all the care and constraint that relation entails, while accepting difference and conflict as integral to our communion.

For Nelson, thinking publicly through the knots in our culture-from recent art world debates to the turbulent legacies of sexual liberation, from the painful paradoxes of addiction to the lure of despair in the face of the climate crisis-is itself a practice of freedom, a means of forging fortitude, courage, and company. On Freedom is an invigorating, essential book for challenging times.

'One of the most electrifying writers at work in America today, among the sharpest and most supple thinkers of her generation' - Olivia Laing

On Freedom by Maggie Nelson, read by Gabra Zackman

Listen to The Confession - an outstanding short story featured in Jo Nesbo's, The Jealousy Man. Filled with dark intrigue, twists and unforgettable characters, this audiobook will have you listening late into the night.

The Jealousy Man, by Jo Nesbo

The ever-articulate author, podcaster and stand-up comedian Shon Faye joins Nihal Arthanayake to discuss her first book, ‘The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice’.

Using iconic queer artefacts like the film ‘The Wizard of Oz’, starring Judy Garland, alongside Lady Gaga’s ‘Chromatica’ album as a gateway, Shon shares with Nihal the experiences that lead to her writing The Transgender Issue: the internalised homophobia, street harassment, and urgency to set the terms of the conversation around Trans liberation right. #PenguinPodcast

‘The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice’ is available to order on audiobook now: https://apple.co/3F1D6Rq

The Penguin Podcast: Shon Faye with Nihal Arthanayake

Wise, warm and inspiring, Spider Woman shows how the law shapes our world and supports us in crisis. It is the story of how Lady Hale found that she could overcome the odds, which shows that anyone from similar beginnings will find that they can cope, too.

Spider Woman by Lady Hale

The writer that penned an early-noughties viral phenomenon aged just 13, Jade LB, speaks to Nihal Arthanayake about ‘Keisha The Sket’.  Having lived on the phones and websites of fans for the past two decades, it’s now been formally published for the first time with additional content from the author and essays from esteemed contemporary writers like Candice Carty-Williams and Caleb Femi.

Using the notion of Black-British girlhood and an old diary, Jade dissects her own life growing up in a world where material wealth and sex are equated to power. She reflects on the need for a community or tribe, and how a lack of intersectionality too often leaves Black, working class women behind. #PenguinPodcast

'Keisha The Sket' is available to pre-order now: https://bit.ly/3v333LU

The Penguin Podcast: Jade LB with Nihal Arthanayake

Silverview is the mesmerising story of an encounter between innocence and experience and between public duty and private morals. In his inimitable voice, John le Carré, the greatest chronicler of our age, seeks to answer the question of what we truly owe to the people we love. Download the full audiobook today, read by Toby Jones.

Chapter 1, Extract 2

Chapter 1, Extract 1

Narrated by Charlie Mackesy.

Brought to you by Penguin.

Discover the universal tale of four unlikely friends that has captured the hearts of listeners of all ages, now available in audio.

Experience the world of a curious boy, a greedy mole, a wary fox and a wise horse who find themselves together in sometimes difficult terrain, sharing their greatest fears and biggest discoveries about vulnerability, kindness, hope, friendship and love.

Charlie's words have brought comfort to many and have been shared online by listeners around the world, as well as on t-shirts for Comic Relief, on magazine covers, on street lampposts in lockdown, in school classrooms, local cafés and hospital ward walls. They've even been used as screensavers for NHS hospital computers in difficult times.

The shared adventures and important conversations between the four friends are full of life lessons that have connected with listeners of all ages.

Enjoy the journey of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse brought to life in audio by its author and illustrator Charlie Mackesy, with a beautiful music score and the real wildlife sounds of rural England.

Buy the audiobook from Audible: adbl.co/3jf0bF2

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse

Swizzle your ears for some of the finest, most fantastic first words every written, spoken and dreamt. Stay tuned for more extracts from Roald Dahl’s best loved children’s stories and if you like what you hear then visit the Apple App. Store to download the Audiobooks App for free!

Have a listen to Matilda, read by Kate Winslet, which was recognized by the American Library Association as an Odyssey Honour Book. 

With fantastic features including free access to the first chapter of every title, in–app purchase to continue the story and the ability to stream the audiobooks, the Roald Dahl Audiobooks App is available from the App Store on iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore.


Roald Dahl: Matilda read by Kate Winslet

Swizzle your ears for some of the finest, most fantastic first words every written, spoken and dreamt. Stay tuned for more extracts from Roald Dahl’s best loved children’s stories  and if you like what you hear then visit the Apple App. Store to download the Audiobooks App for free!

Roald Dahl: Charlie And The Chocolate Factory read by Douglas Hodge

Swiggle your ears for some of the finest, most fantastic first words every written, spoken and dreamt. Stay tuned for more extracts from Roald Dahl’s best loved children’s stories and if you like what you hear then visit the Apple App. Store to download the Audiobooks App and listen to 19 first chapters for FREE!

With fantastic features including free access to the first chapter of every title, in–app purchase to continue the story and the ability to stream the audiobooks, the Roald Dahl Audiobooks App is available from the App Store on iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

Roald Dahl: BFG read by David Walliams

Swizzle your ears for some of the finest, most fantastic first words every written, spoken and dreamt. Stay tuned for more extracts from Roald Dahl’s best loved children’s stories and if you like what you hear then visit the Apple App. Store to download the Audiobooks App for free!

With fantastic features including free access to the first chapter of every title, in–app purchase to continue the story and the ability to stream the audiobooks, the Roald Dahl audiobooks app is available from the App Store on iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore. 

Have a listen to Matilda, read by Kate Winslet, which was recognized by the American Library Association as an Odyssey Honour Book.

Roald Dahl: The Enormous Crocodile read by Stephen Fry

An extract from this audio download from Ladybird - packed with all the popular nursery songs and rhymes that children tend to learn at nursery and school. Research has shown that parents often don't know the words to popular nursery songs so this is a great resources for both parents and nursery teachers.

Have fun learning the words and singing along to favourite songs such as Old MacDonald Had a Farm, Five Speckled Frogs,  The Wheels on the Bus, The House that Jack Built, Sleeping Bunnies, Wind the Bobbin Up and more.

Ladybird: I'm Ready to Sing! (Audiobook extract)

Swizzle your ears for some of the finest, most fantastic first words every written, spoken and dreamt. Stay tuned for more extracts from Roald Dahl’s best loved children’s stories and if you like what you hear then visit the Apple App. Store to download the Audiobooks App for free!
With fantastic features including free access to the first chapter of every title, in–app purchase to continue the story and the ability to stream the audiobooks, the Roald Dahl Audiobooks App is available from the App Store on iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore.


Roald Dahl: The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me read by Hugh Laurie

The unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Geronimo Stilton: Cat and Mouse in a Haunted House (#3)  in the international bestselling Geronimo Stilton series - over 60 million copies sold! Read by Edward Hermann.

Geronimo Stilton is lost in a dark and spooky forest. He thinks his luck has turned when he finds an abandoned mansion to shelter in. But he's not as alone as he'd hoped: the house is haunted - by cats! Can Geronimo escape in one piece or has his luck run out?

** Incredible interactive website at www.geronimostilton.com/uk - create your own avatar for New Mouse City!
** Funny and adventurous stories with colourful, engaging text design makes Geronimo Stilton perfect for aspirational readers of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. A huge hit with both avid and reluctant readers aged 5+.

Geronimo Stilton: Cat and Mouse in a Haunted House (#3) (Audiobook Extract) read by Edward Hermann

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

Planet Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it. Us.

We are the most advanced and most destructive animals ever to have lived. What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens?

In this bold and provocative book, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we’re going.

Sapiens is a thrilling account of humankind’s extraordinary history – from the Stone Age to the Silicon Age – and our journey from insignificant apes to rulers of the world

‘It tackles the biggest questions of history and of the modern world, and it is written in unforgettably vivid language. You will love it!’ Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs and Steel

For more, visit www.ynharari.com

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari (Audiobook Extract) Read by Derek Perkins

Kate Atkinson brings an antique silver hare, a Halifax Bomber and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony to the Penguin Studio to talk about her latest book ‘A God In Ruins’ with host Richard E Grant. The topics of conversation include the long-term effects of war on veterans, The Queen, how we age and the power of classical music to evoke an emotional response in us all.  

#PenguinPodcast

The Penguin Podcast: Richard E Grant with Kate Atkinson

Comedian Bridget Christie brings a yoghurt, a ‘votes for women' sash given to her by Emmeline Pankhurst’s great-granddaughter and a piece of gammon to the Penguin Studio to talk about her latest book ‘A Book For Her’. Host Richard E. Grant and Bridget discuss a wide range of topics including FGM, labiaplasty, how a yoghurt advert perpetuates rape myths and how a unsavoury incident in a book shop inspired the book. 
#PenguinPodcast


The Penguin Podcast: Richard E. Grant with Bridget Christie

Pat Barker brings a child’s gas mask, a jar of water from a wishing well and a notebook to the Penguin Studio to talk about her latest book Noonday. Host Richard E. Grant and Pat discuss witchcraft, the impact of WW2 as well as her personal journey to becoming an award winning novelist. Noonday is available as an audiobook featuring Juliet Stevenson and Anne Reid out now on iTunes. 

#PenguinPodcast

The Penguin Podcast: Richard E. Grant with Pat Barker

Meera Syal brings her copy of The Handmaid’s Tale, her Mother’s Indian passport and precious gold bangles given to her at her wedding to the Penguin Studio to talk about her latest book ’The House of Hidden Mothers’ with host Richard E Grant. Their discussion includes surrogacy, India’s fascination with babies and dowry payments as well as playing excerpts from the audiobook which is read by Meera and is available now.

#PenguinPodcast

The Penguin Podcast: Richard E. Grant with Meera Syal

Paula Hawkins brings a photo of her father, an Edward Hopper picture and a DVD of Rear Window to the Penguin Studio to talk about her bestselling book 'The Girl On The Train' with host Richard E Grant. Their discussion includes unreliable narrators, growing up in South Africa and the transition from business journalist to best selling author. Throughout the episode Richard plays excerpts from the audiobook, a multi cast production which is out now. 


The Penguin Podcast: Richard E. Grant with Paula Hawkins

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School written by Jeff Kinney, read by Dan Russell.

Get ready, book 10 in the phenomenally bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is coming!

Life was better in the old days. Or was it?

That's the question Greg Heffley is asking as his town voluntarily unplugs and goes electronics-free. But modern life has its conveniences, and Greg isn't cut out for an old-fashioned world.

With tension building inside and outside the Heffley home, will Greg find a way to survive? Or is going 'old school' just too hard for a kid like Greg?

Praise for Jeff Kinney:

'The world has gone crazy for Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid' - Sun

'Kinney is right up there with J K Rowling as one of the bestselling children's authors on the planet' - Independent

'The most hotly anticipated children's book of the year is here - Diary of a Wimpy Kid' - Big Issue

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Old School by Jeff Kinney (Audiobook Extract) read by Dan Russell

It's time to go on the road with Peppa and this fantastic collection of ten newly recorded stories, perfect for any journey! 

The stories included are: Peppa Goes on Holiday, Peppa Goes Skiing, Peppa Goes Boating, Peppa's Sandpit, Let's go Shopping Peppa, Happy Birthday Peppa, Peppa's Fishy Friends, George's Balloon, Peppa's New Neighbours and Peppa's Golden Boots.

Peppa Pig On The Road (audiobook extract)

Tom Hiddleston (The Night Manager) stars as Jonathan Harker with David Suchet (Poirot) as Dracula in Liz Lochhead's powerful BBC radio adaptation of the classic novel by Bram Stoker. 

When solicitor Jonathan Harker sets off for Transylvania to sell the mysterious Count Dracula a Gothic mansion, his bride-to-be Mina begs him to stay – to no avail. 

But on arrival at Dracula's castle, deep in a black forest surrounded by wolves, Harker wishes he had listened to his fiancée. The Count is welcoming but unnerving, and his castle oppressive. Plagued by nightmares, Harker soon longs to leave... 

Back in Whitby, Mina is increasingly worried. She has heard nothing from Jonathan, and now her sister Lucy – newly engaged to Harker's friend, Dr Seward – is becoming pale and thin. In Seward's lunatic asylum in London, a madman named Renfield babbles about his master who is coming. And as a midnight storm rages, a black ship heads towards the English coast... 

Acclaimed poet and playwright Liz Lochhead's adaptation was first performed on stage in 1985, and this thrilling radio drama was broadcast on the World Service in 2006. Suspenseful, chilling and suffused with dark eroticism, it retains all the eerie dread of Stoker's infamous horror novel. Duration: 2 hrs approx.

Dracula by Bram Stoker, Starring David Suchet and Tom Hiddleston (audiobook extract)

Was there a beginning of time?  Could time run backwards?  Is the universe infinite or does it have boundaries?  These are just some of the questions considered in an internationally acclaimed masterpiece by one of the world's greatest thinkers. It begins by reviewing the great theories of the cosmos from Newton to Einstein, before delving into the secrets which still lie at the heart of space and time, from the Big Bang to black holes, via spiral galaxies and strong theory. To this day A Brief History of Time remains a staple of the scientific canon, and its succinct and clear language continues to introduce millions to the universe and its wonders.

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking (audiobook extract) read by John Sackville

‘I saw Johnny Marr live in person, with The Smiths. He was light on his feet; like quicksilver. He caused the band to swing like crazy. And he smoked his cigarette like a star. I’ve been influenced ever since.’ Iggy Pop

Johnny Marr was born in 1960s Manchester to Irish emigrant parents and knew from an early age that he would be a musician. Forming his first band at thirteen, Marr spent his teenage years on the council estates of Wythenshawe playing guitar, devouring pop culture and inventing his own musical style.

It wasn't until the early eighties, when Marr turned up on the doorstep of a singer named Steven Patrick Morrissey, that both a unique songwriting partnership and the group recognised as one of the most iconic bands of all time were formed. In 1983 The Smiths released their first single, and within a year their eponymous debut album reached number two in the UK chart, paving the way for mainstream and critical success on their own terms.

For Marr, tensions within the band and desire for a wider musical scope led to his departure from The Smiths in 1987, ensuring the end of one of the most influential British groups of a generation.

Set the Boy Free written and read by Johnny Marr (audiobook extract)

An  extract from the audiobook edition of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief. Read by the actor Jesse Bernstein.

About the book:
Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek God. I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding. The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. That's when things started really going wrong. Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends, and generally trying to stay alive. 

This is the one where Zeus, God of the Sky, thinks I've stolen his lightning bolt - and making Zeus angry is a very bad idea. 

Can Percy find the lightning bolt before a fully-fledged war of the Gods erupts?

This audiobook is available to buy from iTunes UK and Audible.co.uk

Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (Audiobook Extract) read by Jesse Bernstein

Random House presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne, read by Stephen Hogan.

Cyril Avery is not a real Avery or at least that’s what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn’t a real Avery, then who is he?

Born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community and adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple via the intervention of a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun, Cyril is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the infinitely more glamourous and dangerous Julian Woodbead.

At the mercy of fortune and coincidence, he will spend a lifetime coming to know himself and where he came from – and over his three score years and ten, will struggle to discover an identity, a home, a country and much more.

In this, Boyne's most transcendent work to date, we are shown the story of Ireland from the 1940s to today through the eyes of one ordinary man. The Heart's Invisible Furies is a novel to make you laugh and cry while reminding us all of the redemptive power of the human spirit.


Read more at https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1109577/the-heart-s-invisible-furies/#AQTFYJCxQKL3lclk.99

The Hearts Invisible Furies by John Boyne (audiobook extract) read by Stephen Hogan

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of All Our Wrong Todays, written and read by Elan Mastai.

Tom lives in a perfect world: no war, no poverty, no under-ripe avocados. . . oh, and time travel. When he loses the love of his life, going back to fix it seems like the only answer. . . what could possibly go wrong?

Elan Mastai's breakthrough novel brings a whole new dimension to a classic love story

So, the thing is, I come from the world we were supposed to have.

That means nothing to you, obviously, because you live here, in the crappy world we do have.

But it never should've turned out like this. And it's all my fault - well, me and to a lesser extent my father.

And, yeah, I guess a little bit Penelope.

In both worlds, she's the love of my life. But only a single version of her can exist.

I have one impossible chance to fix history's greatest mistake and save this broken world.

Except it means saving one Penelope and losing the other forever - and I have absolutely no idea which to choose . . .
Praise for All Our Wrong Todays

'A thrilling tale of time travel and alternate timelines with a refreshingly optimistic view of humanity's future'
Andy Weir, author of international bestseller The Martian

'A novel about time travel has no right to be this engaging. A novel this engaging has no right to be this smart. And a novel this smart has no right to be this funny. Or insightful. Or immersive. Basically, this novel has no right to exist."
Jonathan Tropper, New York Times bestselling author of This Is Where I Leave You and One Last Thing Before I Go

'Elan Mastai has conjured up a witty and freewheeling time-traveling romance that packs an emotional wallop.All Our Wrong Todays is a page-turning delight' 
Maria Semple, author of Today Will Be Different and Where'd You Go, Bernadette


Read more at https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/295240/all-our-wrong-todays/#ueIXAEDMjXRO4wsd.99

All Our Wrong Todays written and read by Elan Mastai (audiobook extract)

One hot August day a family drives to a mountain clearing to collect birch wood. Jenny, the mother, is in charge of lopping any small limbs off the logs with a hatchet. Wade, the father, does the stacking. The two daughters, June and May, aged nine and six, drink lemonade, swat away horseflies, bicker, sing snatches of songs as they while away the time.

But then something unimaginably shocking happens, an act so extreme it will scatter the family in every different direction.

In a story told from multiple perspectives and in razor-sharp prose, we gradually learn more about this act, and the way its violence, love and memory reverberate through the life of every character in Idaho.


Read more at https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1099042/idaho/#tMSQeK57JjIxKP2i.99

Idaho by Emily Ruskovich (Audiobook Extract) read by Justine Eyre

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of 12 Rules for Life, written and read by Jordan B. Peterson. 

What are the most valuable things that everyone should know? 

Acclaimed clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson has influenced the modern understanding of personality, and now he has become one of the world's most popular public thinkers, with his lectures on topics from the Bible to romantic relationships to mythology drawing tens of millions of viewers. In an era of unprecedented change and polarizing politics, his frank and refreshing message about the value of individual responsibility and ancient wisdom has resonated around the world.

In this book, he provides twelve profound and practical principles for how to live a meaningful life, from setting your house in order before criticising others to comparing yourself to who you were yesterday, not someone else today. Happiness is a pointless goal, he shows us. Instead we must search for meaning, not for its own sake, but as a defence against the suffering that is intrinsic to our existence.

Drawing on vivid examples from his clinical practice and personal life, cutting edge psychology and philosophy, and lessons from humanity's oldest myths and stories, Peterson takes the reader on an intellectual journey like no other. Gripping, thought-provoking and deeply rewarding, 12 Rules for Life offers an antidote to the chaos in our lives: eternal truths applied to our modern problems.


Read more at https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/309610/12-rules-for-life/#Pbqvis5xJKChc9WY.99

12 Rules for Life written and read by Jordan B. Peterson (Audiobook Extract)

An extract from the audiobook edition of Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking, read by Duncan Wells.

About the book:
Allen Carr's hundred-cigarettes-a-day addiction drove him to despair, but after countless attempts to quit he disovered what the world had been waiting for - the EASY WAY TO STOP SMOKING. Recognised as the world's leading expert on helping smokers to quit, Allen Carr's informative, no-scare-tactics methods and techniques are a revelation for those desperate to kick the habit.

The Easy Way to Stop Smoking is a million-copy bestseller.  This audiobook edition is introduced by Allen Carr himself.

'His greatest skill is in removing the psychological independence' The Sunday Times

'Allow Allen Carr to help you escape painlessly today' Observer



Allen Carr: Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking (Audiobook Extract) read by Duncan Wells

In this piggy tale it's George's first visit to the swimming pool and he's scared of the water. How will Mummy and  Daddy Pig ever convince him to get in?

Taken from Peppa Goes Swimming and Other Audio Stories, a five story audiobook collection featuring the ever popular Peppa Pig.

Peppa Goes Swimming (Audiobook)

Peppa and her family are going on holiday to the countryside in their camper van. Find out what happens when they discover the delights of Mrs Camper Van - otherwise known as satellite navigation!

Peppa Goes Camping (Audiobook)

Peppa and George are learning all about recycling, and so they pay Miss Rabbit a visit. She loves to recycle everything . . . even cars!

Recycling Fun (Audiobook)

An extract from the unabridged, audiobook edition of  Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever, the sixth instalment in Jeff Kinney's hilarious Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Read by the actor Ramon de Ocampo.

About the book:

Greg Heffley is in big trouble. School property has been damaged and Greg is the prime suspect. But the crazy thing is, he's innocent! Or at least sort of.

The authorities are closing in, but then a surprise blizzard hits and the Heffley family is trapped indoors. Greg knows that when the snow melts he is going to have to face the music but could any punishment be worse than being stuck inside with your family?

Jeff Kinney: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever (Audiobook extract) read by Ramon de Ocampo

Sing and rhyme along with these 26 much-loved nursery rhyme songs! Includes: 'The Wheels on the Bus' / 'Down at the Station, Early in the Morning' / 'Row Row Row Your Boat' / 'The Big Ship Sails on the Alley Alley Oh' / 'London Bridge is Falling Down' / 'Jack and Jill' / 'Hickory Dickory Dock' / 'I'm a Little Teapot' / 'Polly Put the Kettle On' / 'Miss Polly had a Dolly' / 'Pop Goes the Weasel' / 'Five Currant Buns' / 'Ten Fat Sausages' / 'Peter Hammers with One Hammer' / 'The Grand Old Duke of York' / 'Girls and Boys Come Out to Play' / 'I Jump Out of Bed' / 'Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush' / 'Ring a Ring o'Roses' / 'I Hear Thunder, I Hear Thunder' / 'Incy Wincy Spider' / 'Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes' / 'If You're Happy and You Know it Clap Your Hands' / 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' / 'Wee Willie Winkie' / 'Ten in a Bed'.

The Wheels On The Bus

Narrated by Charlie Mackesy.

Brought to you by Penguin.

Discover the universal tale of four unlikely friends that has captured the hearts of readers of all ages, now available in audio.

Charlie Mackesy's mesmerizing debut combines the simplicity of "The Giving Tree", magic of "The Velveteen Rabbit" and the curiosity of "Paddington" - Elisabeth Egan, New York Times

Experience the world of a curious boy, a greedy mole, a wary fox and a wise horse who find themselves together in sometimes difficult terrain, sharing their greatest fears and biggest discoveries about vulnerability, kindness, hope, friendship and love.

Charlie's words and illustrations have brought comfort to many and have been shared online by readers around the world, as well as on t-shirts for Comic Relief, on magazine covers, on street lampposts in lockdown, in school classrooms, local cafés, and hospital ward walls. They've even been used as screensavers for NHS hospital computers in difficult times.

The shared adventures and important conversations between the four friends are full of life lessons that have connected with readers of all ages.

Enjoy the journey of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse brought to life in audio by its author and illustrator Charlie Mackesy, with a beautiful music score and the real wildlife sounds of rural England.

© Charlie Mackesy 2019 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse - Introduction

Penguin Audiobooks presents Roald Dahl's The BFG, read by actor, writer, and Britain's Got Talent judge David Walliams. This audiobook features original music and sound design by Pinewood film studios.

The BFG is a nice and jumbly giant. In fact, he is the only big friendly giant in Giant Country.

All the other giants are big bonecrunching brutes, and now the BFG and his friend Sophie must stop them guzzling up little human beans - with some help from Her Majester, the Queen.

David Walliams is a multi-award winning British comedian, actor and writer, best known for the comedy series Little Britain; but his acting work includes plays, dramas and films. He is also the author of five hugely successful children's books, including two illustrated by Quentin Blake - Roald Dahl's favourite illustrator.

Roald Dahl: The BFG (Audiobook Extract) read by David Walliams

An extract from the audiobook CD Storytime with Peppa. A collection of thirteen fantastic stories based on Peppa Pig, the hit TV show, featuring newly recorded narration, original TV dialogue, music, and special effects from the Milkshake and Nick Jnr. series.

The stories included are: Peppa Meets the Queen, Peppa Goes Swimming, Sports Day, Dentist Trip, Nature Trail, Tiny Creatures, Daddy Pig's Old Chair, Peppa Plays Football, Fun at the Fair, Recycling Fun, School Bus Trip, Peppa Goes Camping, Peppa's First Sleepover.

Peppa Pig: Peppa Goes Camping (Audiobook Extract) read by John Sparks and various

Penguin Books publishes blockbusting, prize-winning, celebrated, controversial, heart-warming, thought-provoking and inspiring books by a range of authors from Ali Smith to Zadie Smith, Jeremy Clarkson to Jeremy Paxman and Jamie Oliver to Oliver Goldsmith.

Penguin Books UK

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