Samba Hit (Samba 2011) SB51

Five mudlarkers. One community. Countless unexpected discoveries… Pre-order now! 

 The day Adam leaves her, Gemma takes her heightened emotions, her now-ex-mother-in-law’s hot pink wellies, and a pair of yellow Marigold gloves down to the River Thames. She thinks finding historical objects in the hotchpotch of pebbles, rocks and mud is the only way to distract from her heartbreak. Until she meets an eclectic group of people who love to do the same thing.

As the mudlarkers begin to open up to each other, Gemma realises that they are not just bonding over the wonders of the past, because what’s in the present might be more important. And perhaps friendship is not the only treasure to be found on the banks of the river…

Praise for the Mudarkers’ Club:
'A warm and uplifting read, packed with loveable characters you can’t help but root for’ Kate Storey

'An emotional and uplifting story, following a delightful group of characters – the Mudlarkers – as they search the riverbed for forgotten treasures, making new friends and changing their lives along the way. You won’t look at the Thames in the same way again’ Elissa Soave

The Mudlarkers’ Club, By Jane Riley, Read by Lucy Hilton-Jones

What were our favourite books of the year and what are we most excited to read in 2026? Join the team behind the Ask Penguin podcast to look back at standout titles, memorable podcast moments, and the reading intentions we’re taking into the New Year.



What were the best books of 2025?

American Royals meets Gossip Girl in this scandal-driven sequel where four teenage royals team up to defend their beloved school from an unknown threat, risking their futures and their hearts in the process.
 
It’s been eight months since King Leander named Ashland’s heir apparent and a new year is about to begin at Almus Terra Academy…
 
Sadie is trapped in a fake dating scheme with one prince, while the other is dead set on winning her heart. Titus is desperate to make things right with the girl he wronged, but his own ambitions and secrets stand in his way. Emmeline has lost her friends, her dreams, and her family. For the first time in her life, she’s not sure she has what it takes to win them all back. Alaric goes down dark paths to strike against his traitorous father, but his quest for revenge will only keep him apart from the girl he loves. 
 
When the Ashland heirs learn that the school and the country they’ve come to love are in danger, can they put their egos aside long enough to make a difference? Or will their rivalries cost them everything? 
 
Complete with enemies-to-lovers romance, political intrigue, and legendary betrayals, this is the thrilling conclusion to the saga begun in Royal Heirs Academy.

Royal Liars by Lindsey Duga read by Sarah Beth Goer and Nick Afka Thomas

From the Pulitzer-winning author of the New York Times bestseller The Nazis Next Door

A deeply reported exploration of the violent resurgence of hatred and white supremacy through the lens of Orange County, California—“ground zero” for racial extremism—and the story of one brutal murder there that revealed the deep roots of violent bigotry as a bellwether for the country.
 
One night in early 2018, while he was home from college, an Ivy League student named Blaze Bernstein snuck out of his parents’ house in Orange County. Waiting for him in a car outside was an old high-school classmate: Sam Woodward, someone who Blaze mostly remembered as a brooding, bigoted loner. But that night, after months of flirtatious messaging, Sam had succeeded in coaxing Blaze—a gay, Jewish sophomore at UPenn—out for a rendezvous. No one would ever see him alive again.

In American Reich, veteran investigative journalist Eric Lichtblau uses the story of Blaze’s life and death to shine a light on the epidemic of hate in Southern California and, increasingly, the nation as a whole. Orange County has long been a bastion of the ultra-right: carved out of farmland as a haven for wealthy whites fleeing the diversifying metropolis to the north, it was the birthplace of the far-right John Birch Society, a hub for neo-Nazi recruitment, and a powerful springboard for race-baiting Republican politicians including Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. But in the years leading up to Blaze’s disappearance, Orange County was changing: like the country as a whole, it was rapidly diversifying, to the outrage of many of its white residents. No one was more opposed to the changes than America’s resurgent neo-Nazi groups, one of which had recently gained a new member: Sam Woodward.

Revealing how Orange County has exported racial hatred to the rest of the country and the world, American Reich weaves this tragic tale together with stories from across the nation, showing what this haunted place and the colliding paths of two of its residents reveal about America’s fractured soul and our hope for healing.

American Reich by Eric Lichtblau read by Gary Tiedemann

Carlotta Walls LaNier, the youngest of the Little Rock Nine, shares the true story about a girl, a dress, and the historic fight to attend an all-white school in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Carlotta can’t wait to wear her new dress on her first day of school. But when the moment finally arrives, she isn’t allowed to go. The year is 1957, and the people of Little Rock, Arkansas, don’t want Black students attending an all-white school and will do whatever it takes to keep them out.  As hate and danger escalate, will Carlotta and her Black classmates, known as the Little Rock Nine, have the strength and perseverance to keep dreaming of a better world? 

This moving picture book autobiography from a Civil Rights pioneer—with extensive back matter including an author’s note, comprehensive timeline, and historical photos—introduces a landmark event in the fight for desegregation and demonstrates the world-changing power children have to enact change through bravery and faith. 

Carlotta's Special Dress by Carlotta Walls LaNier with Lisa Frazier Page read by Deanna Anthony

The definitive, unbiased account of the twenty-four hours surrounding the historic January 6th attack on the Capitol

“A riveting account of one of the most consequential days in modern American history.” —Ryan J. Reilly, author of Sedition Hunters

The January 6th insurrection was a stunning and unprecedented attack on the center of American government. Unlike previous national traumas that united the country in the face of turmoil, the siege has only further divided Americans, as many continue to dispute the facts and downplay its significance.

In Storm at the Capitol, Mary Clare Jalonick delivers a deeply reported and definitive account of the violence at the Capitol told through firsthand narratives—from the rioters themselves and the police who fought them, to the lawmakers who fled the violence, and the staff, workers, and reporters who were there that day, including Jalonick herself. Her retelling begins in the predawn hours of January 6th, as Trump’s supporters travel to Washington, some with plans for violence, and ends in the early morning hours of January 7th, after Vice President Mike Pence slams his gavel on the House rostrum and declares Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election.

A vivid, terrifying, and human portrait, Storm at the Capitol is an essential read for anyone who is worried about the future of our democracy.

Storm at the Capitol by Mary Clare Jalonick read by Lisa Flanagan, Soneela Nankani, Timothy Andrés Pabon, Leon Nixon, and Arthur Morey with Selections Read by Mary Clare Jalonick

The classic guide to sex for seniors, offering real-life stories alongside expert advice “without apology, without shame and with accommodation, levity, humor and joy” (The New York Times)—now updated with a new foreword from the author and new expert tips

Joan Price is talking out loud about a subject that is often ignored or ridiculed in our society: later-life sex.  

In Naked at Our Age, she offers a candid, straight-talking exploration of senior sex in all its colors—the challenges, the disappointments, and the surprises, as well as the delights of love and passion. In this book, real people over fifty—women and men, coupled and single, straight and gay—talk candidly about how their sex lives and relationships have changed with age. No topic related to older sexuality is off-limits. Some are having unsatisfying sex, or no sex at all, and are looking for answers. Price presents their compelling personal stories, followed by wise advice from sex therapists, health professionals, counselors, and sex educators.  
   
Naked at Our Age is an entertaining and indispensable guide to the issues of senior sex and relationships. This new edition of the classic, award-winning book includes a new foreword from the author and new tips from experts.



Naked at Our Age by Joan Price read by Suzanne Toren

In this spicy and dark romantasy setting BookTok ablaze, a young mage is captured by her mortal enemy bent on exacting revenge. Lena Daelyra has survived by following two rules: never let anyone find out what she is and never wield her powers. After all, Mages are hunted for sport and have no laws to protect them. Staying alive means keeping to herself in the gritty outskirts of the kingdom of Otacia. Until the day a job gone awry lands Lena in ruthless hands, only to be saved by Quill Callon, a handsome swordsman from the wealthy Inner Ring. As Quill begins to train Lena to defend herself, her growing feelings for him serve as a cruel reminder that to reveal what she is would only be a death sentence.

Crown Prince Silas La’Rune has been a prisoner inside his own castle since he was five years old—after the murder of his younger sister. But the day he manages to escape the changes everything.

Tragedy rips Lena away from the man she has grown to love before she can confess her true identity. Yet, when their paths collide again years later, it’s clear that things will never be the same. And when Lena and other Mages are captured by the kingdom’s bloodthirsty heir bent on exacting punishment, the fate of Magekind will rest on her shoulders.

Full of forbidden love, passionate angst, and forced proximity, The Otacian Chronicles is a dark romantasy tale that will progressively get darker as the series continues. Please be mindful of the content warnings below and protect your mental health.

This book is a dark romantasy novel filled with romantic tension, sexy banter, and heartbreak. It also contains explicit sexual scenes, explicit language, violence, gore, torture, dismemberment, sexual assault, rape, loss, and grief. 

The Lies of Lena by Kylie Snow Read by Natalie Van Sistine and Kieran Regan

Practice a new framework for dismantling racial bias in our society, our workplaces, and ourselves: by learning to detect it as well as people of color do.

How do we combat racism in a world determined to tell us it doesn’t exist?
 
To hold the line against racism, we need to know it when we see it. And as the dominant racial group in our society, White people must take up the charge. The problem, says researcher, DEI leader, and organizational consultant Dr. Evelyn Carter, is that White people haven’t been socialized to detect racial bias in the way people of color do. Racism is more than using racial slurs or overt, hateful speech, and it’s more than unintentional slights; it’s about an entire system that upholds Whiteness as the preferred standard. 
 
Fortunately, detecting it is a skill that can be learned.

Was That Racist? is a re-education, call to action, and practical guide, full of research-backed strategies including how to: cultivate a growth mindset about bias, unlearn colorblindness and practice color consciousness, talk to kids about race and racism – and bring others along for the journey.

At a time when DEI is under coordinated attack, Was That Racist? is the essential toolkit for anyone who believes we all have a role to play in creating a more equitable world.

Was That Racist? by Evelyn R. Carter, PhD read by Evelyn R. Carter, PhD

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn

In an age of uncertainty, anxiety, and rapid change, we’re all searching for balance. The Coping With Stress, Trauma and Anxiety Summit brings together some of today’s most insightful teachers, authors, and change-makers to share timeless wisdom for modern life.

Hosted by Steve Stein of WisdomFeed, this one-day summit invites you to explore practical ways to stay grounded, compassionate, and resilient—no matter what the world throws your way. Through conversations with world-class speakers and best-selling authors, you’ll discover tools and practices to help you ride life’s waves with presence and an open heart.

Featuring:

Sally Kempton — The Heart is Your Anchor: Living from the Center of Wisdom

Mark Van Buren — Your Life IS Meditation

Jodi Baretz — Mindfulness Is the New Skinny

Keith Mitchell — Redefining Our Words to Redefine Our World

Shelly Sitton Tygielski — [Title Pending]

Desiree Rumbaugh — How to Raise Your Vibration Through Difficult Times in Life

Rod Stryker — Practice for De-Stress in Uncertain Times

Mark Coleman — Meditation in Nature as a Source of Resilience

Sarana Miller — The Yoga of Resilience: Cultivating Gratitude, Strength and Hope

This is about taking ancient ideas down to street level.&nbsp;Join us and learn to surf the waves of change — with courage, compassion, and clarity.

Samba Hit (Samba 2011) SB51

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