Featured Audiobooks | LoveReading

The Foundling: From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Familiars

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Familiars Two women from different worlds. And a secret that will change everything . . . London, 1754. Six years after leaving her illegitimate daughter Clara at London's Foundling Hospital, Bess Bright returns to reclaim the child she has never known. Dreading the worst - that Clara has died in care - the last thing she expects to hear is that her daughter has already been reclaimed - by her. Her life is turned upside down as she tries to find out who has taken her little girl - and why. Less than a mile from Bess' lodgings in the city, in a quiet, gloomy townhouse on the edge of London, a young widow has not left the house in a decade. When her close friend - an ambitious young doctor at the Foundling Hospital - persuades her to hire a nursemaid for her daughter, she is hesitant to welcome someone new into her home and her life. But her past is threatening to catch up with her and tear her carefully constructed world apart. 'Pacy, highly atmospheric and tantalisingly gripping from the very first page. With rich storytelling and a compelling narrative, The Foundling is subtle, satisfying and intensely moving' Laura Carlin, author of The Wicked Cometh 'A compelling tale of love and hope from the vivid streets of Georgian London' Sonia Velton, author of Blackberry & Wild Rose 'If you loved The Familiars, then you won't be disappointed by The Foundling. A gripping and moving read' Libby Page, bestselling author of The Lido

Stacey Halls (Author), Hattie Morahan, Laura Aikman (Narrator)

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My Name Is Why

At the age of seventeen, after a childhood in an fostered family followed by six years in care homes, Norman Greenwood was given his birth certificate. He learned that his real name was not Norman. It was Lemn Sissay. He was British and Ethiopian. And he learned that his mother had been pleading for his safe return to her since his birth. Here Sissay recounts his life story. It is a story of neglect and determination. Misfortune and hope. Cruelty and triumph. Sissay reflects on a childhood in care, self-expression and Britishness, and in doing so explores the institutional care system, race, family and the meaning of home. Written with all the lyricism and power you would expect from one of the nation's best-loved poets, this moving, frank and timely memoir is the result of a life spent asking questions, and a celebration of the redemptive power of creativity.

Lemn Sissay (Author), Lemn Sissay, Richard Burnip, Zoe Mills (Narrator)

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The Librarian of Auschwitz: The heart-breaking international bestseller based on the incredible true

Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe, read by Marisa Calin. For readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Choice: this is the story of the smallest library in the world - and the most dangerous. 'It wasn't an extensive library. In fact, it consisted of eight books and some of them were in poor condition. But they were books. In this incredibly dark place, they were a reminder of less sombre times, when words rang out more loudly than machine guns...' Fourteen-year-old Dita is one of the many imprisoned by the Nazis at Auschwitz. Taken, along with her mother and father, from the Terezín ghetto in Prague, Dita is adjusting to the constant terror that is life in the camp. When Jewish leader Freddy Hirsch asks Dita to take charge of the eight precious books the prisoners have managed to smuggle past the guards, she agrees. And so Dita becomes the secret librarian of Auschwitz, responsible for the safekeeping of the small collection of titles, as well as the 'living books' - prisoners of Auschwitz who know certain books so well, they too can be 'borrowed' to educate the children in the camp. But books are extremely dangerous. They make people think. And nowhere are they more dangerous than in Block 31 of Auschwitz, the children's block, where the slightest transgression can result in execution, no matter how young the transgressor...

Antonio Iturbe (Author), Marisa Calin (Narrator)

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The Doll Factory

'A sharp, scary, gorgeously evocative tale of love, art and obsession' Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal is the intoxicating story of a young woman who aspires to be an artist, and the man whose obsession may destroy her world for ever. London. 1850. The greatest spectacle the city has ever seen is being built in Hyde Park, and among the crowd watching two people meet. For Iris, an aspiring artist, it is the encounter of a moment - forgotten seconds later, but for Silas, a collector entranced by the strange and beautiful, that meeting marks a new beginning. When Iris is asked to model for pre-Raphaelite artist Louis Frost, she agrees on the condition that he will also teach her to paint. Suddenly her world begins to expand, to become a place of art and love. But Silas has only thought of one thing since their meeting, and his obsession is darkening . . . A Radio 2 Book Club Choice.

Elizabeth Macneal (Author), Tuppence Middleton (Narrator)

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The Secret Seaside Escape: The most heart-warming, feel-good romance of 2020, from the Sunday Times

***THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*** Escape to the seaside this summer with the brand new novel from Heidi Swain, the Sunday Times bestselling author of feel-good women's fiction. Think idyllic beaches, refreshing rock pools and breathtaking romance. The PERFECT summer read! Following a shocking revelation within her family, Tess Tyler is looking to escape her hectic city life - and where better to hide than Wynmouth, the seaside town she visited as a child, with its sandy beaches, stunning rock pools and welcoming community. But little does she realise, Wynmouth isn't quite the haven she remembers it to be, and her real life is still threatening to catch up with her . . . Also returning to Wynmouth is Joe. Having fled over a decade ago after an accident that changed his life forever, he's back and is determined to face his demons. But, like Tess, Joe realises that the town is nothing like he remembers and quickly his arrival brings old tensions to the surface. As the pair begin to familiarise themselves with the town they once knew, they each realise that the secrets they carry are becoming harder to conceal - but will revealing them bring the answers they're looking for? Will Tess and her new friends finally get the second chance they've been hoping Wynmouth will give them? Readers everywhere are falling in love with Heidi Swain's writing: 'A lovely, sweet, summery read' Milly Johnson 'Wise, warm and wonderful' heat 'A ray of reading sunshine!' Laura Kemp, author of A Year of Surprising Acts of Kindness 'Sparkling and romantic' My Weekly

Heidi Swain (Author), Karen Cass (Narrator)

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Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day: My Autobiography

Brought to you by Penguin. The extraordinary, heartwarming autobiography of Captain Tom Moore, the man who captured the nation's heart in lockdown. Captain Tom Moore is an inspiration. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in early April this ninety-nine-year-old Second World War veteran came up with a big idea: he'd walk laps of his garden to raise money for the NHS. Despite using a walking frame as well as recent treatment for cancer and a broken hip, he was determined to hit £1000 by his 100th birthday on 30th April. By the time the telegram from the Queen arrived, he'd raised over thirty million pounds. In this, his official autobiography, published in support of the creation of the Captain Tom Foundation, he tells us of his long and dramatic life. How his spirit was forged on the battlefields of Burma where victory was snatched from the jaws of defeat. How he fearlessly raced motorbikes competitively. How, in his nineties, he took off for the Himalayas and Everest, simply because he'd never been. And, finally, how this old soldier came to do his bit for the NHS, becoming the nation's hero in our darkest hour. A modest, decent, charming man with a can-do attitude and a twinkle in his eye, Captain Tom's story is that of a man whose insatiable curiosity and appetite for life have led him around so many unexpected corners - finding both adventure and joy. He only wanted to help other people - and yet he has inspired a nation to believe anything is possible by reminding us all it is never, ever too late. © Tom Moore 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

Captain Tom Moore (Author), Derek Jacobi (Narrator)

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How Do We Know We're Doing It Right?: Essays on Modern Life

Brought to you by Penguin. 'Pandora is my personal guru on all things relating to the zeitgeist. How lucky you are that she can now be yours too.' DOLLY ALDERTON Modern life is full of choices. We're told that happiness lies within and we can be whoever we want to be. But with endless possibility comes a feeling of restlessness; like we're somehow failing to live our best life. What does doing it right even look like? And why do so many women feel like they're getting it wrong? From faster-than-fast fashion to millennial burnout, the explosion of wellness to the rise of cancel culture, Pandora Sykes interrogates the stories we've been sold and the ones we tell ourselves. Wide-ranging, thoughtful and witty, How Do We Know We're Doing It Right? explores the anxieties and myths that consume our lives and the tools we use to muddle through. So sit back and take a breath. It's time to stop worrying about the answers - and start delighting in the questions. 'Like a very clever, lucid, charming friend unpacking all the messy anxieties of modern existence with tremendous intelligence and elan. Read this book. It will help your life.' INDIA KNIGHT 'Thrillingly, DELICIOUSLY fascinating . . . philosophy, science, literature, stats, all pulled together in her coolly elegant prose. I could not put it down!' MARIAN KEYES 'Energetic and compelling' OLIVIA SUDJIC

Pandora Sykes (Author), Pandora Sykes (Narrator)

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Dark Tides: The compelling new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Tidelands

Number One bestselling author Philippa Gregory's new historical novel tracks the rise of the Tidelands family in London, Venice and New England. Midsummer Eve 1670. Two unexpected visitors arrive at a shabby warehouse on the south side of the River Thames. The first is a wealthy man hoping to find the lover he deserted twenty-one years before. James Avery has everything to offer, including the favour of the newly restored King Charles II, and he believes that the warehouse's poor owner Alinor has the one thing his money cannot buy - his son and heir. The second visitor is a beautiful widow from Venice in deepest mourning. She claims Alinor as her mother-in-law and has come to tell Alinor that her son Rob has drowned in the dark tides of the Venice lagoon. Alinor writes to her brother Ned, newly arrived in faraway New England and trying to make a life between the worlds of the English newcomers and the American Indians as they move toward inevitable war. Alinor tells him that she knows - without doubt - that her son is alive and the widow is an imposter. Set in the poverty and glamour of Restoration London, in the golden streets of Venice, and on the tensely contested frontier of early America, this is a novel of greed and desire: for love, for wealth, for a child, and for home.

Philippa Gregory (Author), Louise Brealey (Narrator)

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No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference

Brought to you by Penguin. 'Everything needs to change. And it has to start today' In August 2018 a fifteen-year-old Swedish girl, Greta Thunberg, decided not to go to school one day. Her actions ended up sparking a global movement for action against the climate crisis, inspiring millions of pupils to go on strike for our planet, forcing governments to listen, and earning her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. This book brings you Greta in her own words. Collecting her speeches that have made history across Europe, from the UN to mass street protests, No One Is Too Small to Make A Difference is a rallying cry for why we must all wake up and fight to protect the living planet, no matter how powerless we feel. Our future depends upon it.

Greta Thunberg (Author), Greta Thunberg (Narrator)

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Exhalation

This much-anticipated second collection of stories is signature Ted Chiang, full of revelatory ideas and deeply sympathetic characters. In 'The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate', a portal through time forces a fabric-seller in ancient Baghdad to grapple with past mistakes and the temptation of second chances. In the epistolary 'Exhalation', an alien scientist makes a shocking discovery with ramifications not just for his own people, but for all of reality. And in 'The Lifecycle of Software Objects', a woman cares for an artificial intelligence over twenty years, elevating a faddish digital pet into what might be a true living being. Also included are two brand-new stories: 'Omphalos' and 'Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom'. In Exhalation, Ted Chiang wrestles with the oldest questions on earth - What is the nature of the universe? What does it mean to be human? - and ones that no one else has even imagined. And, each in its own way, the stories prove that complex and thoughtful science fiction can rise to new heights of beauty, meaning, and compassion.

Ted Chiang (Author), Amy Landon, Dominic Hoffman, Edoardo Ballerini, Ted Chiang (Narrator)

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How Not To Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss

Put an end to dieting and replace weight-loss struggles with this easy approach to a healthy, plant-based lifestyle, from the bestselling author of How Not to Die. Every month seems to bring a trendy new diet or a new fad to try in order to lose weight - but these diets aren't making us any happier or healthier. As obesity rates and associated disease and impairments continue to rise, it's time for a different approach. How Not to Diet is a treasure trove of buried data and cutting-edge dietary research that Dr Michael Greger has translated into accessible, actionable advice with exciting tools and tricks that will help you to safely lose weight and eliminate unwanted body fat - for good. Dr Greger, renowned nutrition expert, physician, and founder of nutritionfacts.org, explores the many causes of obesity - from our genes to the portions on our plate to other environmental factors - and the many consequences, from diabetes to cancer to mental health issues. From there, Dr Greger breaks down a variety of approaches to weight loss, honing in on the optimal criteria that enable success, including: a diet high in fibre and water, a diet low in fat, salt, and sugar, and diet full of anti-inflammatory foods. How Not to Diet then goes beyond food to explore the many other weight-loss accelerators available to us in our body's systems, revealing how plant-based meals can be eaten at specific times to maximize our bodies' natural fat-burning activities. Dr Greger provides a clear plan not only for the ultimate weight loss diet, but also the approach we must take to unlock its greatest efficacy.

Michael Greger (Author), Michael Greger (Narrator)

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Mantel Pieces: Royal Bodies and Other Writing from the London Review of Books

A stunning collection of essays and memoir from twice Booker Prize winner and international bestseller Hilary Mantel, author of The Mirror and the Light In 1987, when Hilary Mantel was first published in the London Review of Books, she wrote to the editor, Karl Miller, ‘I have no critical training whatsoever, so I am forced to be more brisk and breezy than scholarly.’ This collection of twenty reviews, essays and pieces of memoir from the next three decades, tells the story of what happened next. Her subjects range far and wide: Robespierre and Danton, the Hite report, Saudi Arabia where she lived for four years in the 1980s, the Bulger case, John Osborne, the Virgin Mary as well as the pop icon Madonna, a brilliant examination of Helen Duncan, Britain’s last witch. There are essays about Jane Boleyn, Charles Brandon, Christopher Marlowe and Margaret Pole, which display the astonishing insight into the Tudor mind we are familiar with from the bestselling Wolf Hall Trilogy. Her famous lecture, ‘Royal Bodies’, which caused a media frenzy, explores the place of royal women in society and our imagination. Here too are some of her LRB diaries, including her first meeting with her stepfather and a confrontation with a circus strongman. Constantly illuminating, always penetrating and often very funny, interleaved with letters and other ephemera gathered from the archive, Mantel Pieces is an irresistible selection from one of our greatest living writers.

Hilary Mantel (Author), Hilary Mantel - Introduction, Olivia Dowd (Narrator)

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