Audiobooks by Courtney Ellis

Looking Up: A Birder's Guide to Hope Through Grief

"'Look at the birds' Through the painful days of the pandemic stuck in her home, Courtney Ellis found herself looking down in despair. Soon after, her beloved grandfather died unexpectedly. It was around this same time that Ellis took up watching birds. 'Took up' might not be exactly right—as she puts it, 'the switch flipped,' and she's been borderline obsessed with birds ever since. Looking Up is a meditation on birding as a practice of hope. Weaving together stories from her own life, including the death of her grandfather, with reflections on birds of many kinds, Ellis invites us to open our eyes to the goodness of God both in the natural world and in our own lives. By 'looking up' to the birds, Ellis found the beauty and wonder of these creatures calling her out of her darkness into the light and hope of God's promises. Complete with bird songs at the beginning of each track, this audiobook enhances your experience as you look up and listen to the birds."

Courtney Ellis (Author), Courtney Ellis (Narrator)

Audiobook

Present: The Gift of Being All In, Right Where You Are

"In a world marked by transience, envy, and rootlessness, committing to staying put is a radical, unusual act. Hungry for rootedness, Courtney Ellis and her family decided to truly commit to a place and a people God had given them for a season, to grow some deep roots and discover what it would mean to be “all in.” Through winsome storytelling, Courtney demonstrates that there is tremendous growth when we stop holding a community at arms’ length and open ourselves to the blessing of stability, the grace of limits, and the joy of presence. This book is divided into these three major sections, with chapters devoted to each of the gifts that come with our increased attention to being all in?fully present, right where we are. Join Courtney for a thoughtful, funny, and realistic exploration of stability, limit, and presence as means of grace. Journey deeper into the heart of God that calls us to cultivate community?being present to what God has placed before us?and discovering the gifts of the present. Delve into reasons listeners might experience transience, how to press in when called to that, and how to know when it’s time to move on. Explore the ways borders and boundaries in our lives are for our good. When we are able to really commit, beautiful things can happen. With humor and honesty, Courtney draws in listeners who are longing for that rootedness, trying to figure out how to make this place their own."

Courtney Ellis (Author), Nan Mcnamara (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Forgotten Cottage

"Connected through time to her great-grandmother by a shared English countryside home, an American nurse tries to piece together her family's tangled history in this new historical novel from the acclaimed author of At Summer's End. England, 2014: Audrey Collins knows only two things about her beloved grandmother's past: She was born into nobility and she immigrated to America at seventeen years old. So when Audrey inherits her gran's home in North Yorkshire, she arrives expecting a sprawling country estate fit for lords and ladies. Instead, she finds an abandoned stone cottage perfectly preserved as Gran left it when she fled in 1941-ration book and all-and begins to uncover what secrets her family has been keeping. France, 1915: Lady Emilie Dawes is working as a nurse on the Western Front, grateful to have escaped the restraints of her restrictive, privileged home life. But the independence she fought hard to earn is suddenly jeopardized when a familiar man shows up in one of her hospital beds. Facing him means facing her past, and the decisions she had made in fear. As the war rages around her, Emilie realizes she cannot continue running from who she is until she decides who she truly wants to be. Over a hundred years apart, Audrey and Emilie each struggle to find purpose, love, and a place to call home in this enchanting family saga celebrating the courage of underestimated women-and the power a secret can hold across generations."

Courtney Ellis (Author), Helen Laser, Lorna Bennett (Narrator)

Audiobook

At Summer's End

"'A sparkling debut from a new author we're all going to want more from."-Susan Meissner, bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things When an ambitious female artist accepts an unexpected commission at a powerful earl's country estate in 1920s England, she finds his war-torn family crumbling under the weight of long-kept secrets. From debut author Courtney Ellis comes a captivating novel about finding the courage to heal after the ravages of war. Alberta Preston accepts the commission of a lifetime when she receives an invitation from the Earl of Wakeford to spend a summer painting at His Lordship's country home, Castle Braemore. Bertie imagines her residence at the prodigious estate will finally enable her to embark on a professional career and prove her worth as an artist, regardless of her gender. Upon her arrival, however, Bertie finds the opulent Braemore and its inhabitants diminished by the Great War. The earl has been living in isolation since returning from the trenches, locked away in his rooms and hiding battle scars behind a prosthetic mask. While his younger siblings eagerly welcome Bertie into their world, she soon sees chips in that world's gilded facade. As she and the earl develop an unexpected bond, Bertie becomes deeply entangled in the pain and secrets she discovers hidden within Castle Braemore and the hearts of its residents. Threaded with hope, love, and loss, At Summer's End delivers a portrait of a noble family--and a world--changed forever by the war to end all wars."

Courtney Ellis (Author), Leonora Haig (Narrator)

Audiobook

Happy Now

"When was the last time you felt really, truly happy? If you've ever longed to leave your exhausting days and fretful nights behind, look no further. Author Courtney Ellis recounts a courageous and often hilarious experiment in joy and delight as she awakens to the truth that God doesn't just want us to be holy—He wants us to be happy too! Happy Now is designed to invite listeners to let go of their most serious selves, grant them permission to engage in curiosity and wonder of all kinds, and delight in the release of its transformative effects: creativity, innovation, delight, rest, and, above all, a more trusting relationship with Jesus. Through wry observations, first-hand experience, Scriptural study, and broad research, Ellis addresses questions such as these: - How does God invite us into play? - What does it mean that we are created for curiosity? - In what ways can wonder help us love our neighbors more fully? Happy Now is a rollicking, investigative, and thoughtful invitation to open ourselves to the joy and freedom of play all over again."

Courtney Ellis (Author), Courtney Ellis (Narrator)

Audiobook

Almost Holy Mama: Life-Giving Spiritual Practices for Weary Parents

"With the honesty of a close friend, the hilarity of a late-night comic, and the humility of a mom up to her eyeballs in diapers and dishes, Courtney Ellis invites us on a journey to draw closer to God amidst the joyful, mundane, exhausting days of young parenthood. Probing ancient Christian practices for renewal, Almost Holy Mama chronicles one mom's quest to discover an answer to her most pressing question: Can God use the crucible of parenthood to grow us in virtue? Instead of adding more tasks, Almost Holy Mama will help you integrate your spiritual practices into your daily life. From studying Scripture in the shower to listening in prayer at the foot of Laundry Mountain to being forced into the discipline of stillness by a rough pregnancy, Ellis finds that meeting God in sacred disciplines can breathe new life into one of life s most joy-filled and trying seasons."

Courtney Ellis (Author), Courtney Ellis (Narrator)

Audiobook

Uncluttered: Free Your Space, Free Your Schedule, Free Your Soul

"This guide is not a formula about what stuff you need to give up. It's about slowing down long enough for God to remind you of his truth and what it means to be his child. Through heartwarming, relatable, and hilarious stories, Courtney Ellis shares her journey from a life of stress, stuff, and exhaustion to one of peace, space, and fulfillment. You'll learn practical tips for paring down your possessions, simplifying your schedule, and practicing the ancient art of Sabbath—even if you're a parent! Uncluttered ushers you towards a lifestyle of holiness and joy in the Lord. Courtney Ellis' sharp wit, clever humor, and profound insights not only will take you on an exciting journey through her walk with the Lord but will also lead you to uniquely experience yours. Find out what happens when you simply put God first."

Courtney Ellis (Author), Courtney Ellis (Narrator)

Audiobook