Coming of Age Audiobooks | Fiction & Literature

In this dark and enchanting stand-alone fantasy from debut author Lynn Buchanan, discover a world centered around destructive, all-consuming monsters; the magical dolls designed to fight this force; and the artisans tasked with creating demon-slaying dolls. A touch cozy fantasy and a touch horror, The Dollmakers is perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli films, the works of TJ Klune and Travis Baldree, and readers of Juniper & Thorn and The Goblin Emperor. In the country called One, dollmakers are vital members of the community. An artisan’s doll is the height of society’s accomplishments, while a guard’s doll is the only thing standing between the people of One and the Shod: vicious, cobbled monstrosities that will tear apart any structure—living or dead, inanimate or otherwise—to add to their horde. Apprentice Shean of Pearl is a brilliant dollmaker. With her clever dolls, she intends to outsmart and destroy the Shod, once and for all—a destiny she’s worked her whole life toward accomplishing. But when the time comes for her dolls to be licensed, she’s told her work is too beautiful and delicate to fight. A statement that wounds and infuriates her; the Shod killed everyone she loved. How could her fate be anything but fighting them? In an attempt to help her see a new path for herself, Shean’s mentor sends her on a journey to the remote village called Web, urging her to glean some wisdom from Ikiisa, a reclusive and well-respected guard dollmaker. But Shean has another plan: if she can convince the village of Web of her talents, the Licensor Guild will have to reconsider and grant her a guard’s license. And what better way to convince them than challenging Ikiisa and instating herself as the official dollmaker of Web? Once she’s done that, proving her dolls’ worth in the fight against the Shod will be simple. As simple, that is, as calling the Shod to Web...

Lynn Buchanan (Author), TBD (Narrator)

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Monday Rent Boy

By the author of the award-winning The Ghost Garden, a bravely imagined, deeply empathetic novel of two adolescent boys, bound by friendship and a terrible secret. With love and sex so deeply entwined with betrayal and abuse, how does a boy grow up? Monday Rent Boy begins in Somerset, England, in the mid-1980s, with the winning and heart-warming story of two 13-year-old friends and fellow altar boys, Arthur Barnes and Ernie Castlefrank. Endearing outcasts, they try not to speak of the secret tie that binds them: both boys are routinely preyed on by The Zipper, their nickname for Father Ziperto, the local Catholic priest. Still, they find adventure and release in the mischief they get up to together, as each also tries to survive in other ways. Arthur, a great reader and denier of reality, finds an ally in town bookseller Marina Phillips, who sets him on a path that eventually takes him to university and away. Ernie, a gifted mathematician and animal lover, is not so lucky. As he and Arthur age out of the abuse, Ernie notices younger and equally vulnerable boys being recruited. When he tries to blow the whistle, nobody believes him. At 16, he disappears, a loss that almost destroys his best friend but also confirms for Arthur that he was smart to stay silent. Arthur eventually also turns his back on the mystery of Ernie's disappearance, but his bookselling mentor and friend Marina Phillips finds a way to follow Ernie where rage and betrayal has led him-into the darkest corners of the dark web-a search that ultimately helps Arthur reckon with what happened to them both. In the novel's stunning, deeply affecting conclusion, Doherty draws a line directly from the covered-up abuse of children by Catholic priests to the current proliferation of child pornography and predators online-miraculously revealing the true heart of darkness while managing to affirm the light.

Susan Doherty (Author), Helen Taylor, Simon Blake, TBD (Narrator)

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It Could Be Worse

Mired in self-doubt and blind loyalty, Allegra Gil suspects her charmed life may be a gilded cage. She has a devoted husband, Benito, two loving children, a thriving therapy practice, and lifelong friends. But when a surprising discovery in a piano bench reveals a shocking family secret, Allegra questions everything she thought she knew about the two people who raised her. Was it true? Did her father, a respected pediatric neurosurgeon, harm instead of heal? And Allegra's mother-how much did she know? As the past threatens the present, Allegra plays the song of what was, what is, and what may never be in this 'powerful and poignant story about letting go' (Jean Meltzer, international bestselling author of The Matzah Ball). Composed with the cadence of a waltz-up, up, down-through flashbacks to childhood memories in Miami and a music camp in Michigan, It Could Be Worse is a heartwarming, at times heart-wrenching, multigenerational story of a woman supported and embraced by many while shaken to the core by a few. 'The gorgeous prose and raw, unflinching narrative both heal and inspire. A stunning debut.' (Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of Woman on the Edge)

Dara Levan (Author), Shaina Summerville (Narrator)

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Love and Friendship Complete Series

Listen to the complete series about two best friends, Cassie and Ellie. Book 1: My Dear Ellie narrated by Anne Lorence Book 2: Eleanor's Travels narrated by Jojo Parks Book 3: Ellie’s Fate narrated by Kathy Handrock What would you do for your best friend? Cassandra Grace will live through heartbreaks over a thousand lifetimes. A thought-provoking, coming of age story about two best friends.

Aisha Urooj (Author), Anne Lorence, Jojo Parks, Kathy Handrock (Narrator)

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L.P Hartley: The Go- Between, & More: Four BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisations & Readings

Four of L. P. Hartley's finest novels adapted for BBC radio, plus bonus short stories An acclaimed novelist, short story writer and critic, Leslie Poles Hartley is best known for his 1953 novel The Go-Between, which won the W. H. Heinemann Award and was adapted as a BAFTA-winning film starring Julie Christie and Alan Bates. Included here is a radio dramatisation of that classic tale, alongside adaptations of three further novels and five short stories. The Go-Between - 1901, Norfolk. Twelve-year-old Leo Colston is spending the long, hot summer with his school friend Marcus at his family estate, Brandham Hall. Drawn into an adult world of deception and forbidden desire, he sets in motion a tragedy that will haunt him forever. This moving tale of lost innocence stars Clive Swift, Joe Brothwell, Lisa Kay and Robert Glenister. The Collections - Ambrose and Edwina possess exquisite collections of objets d'art, but need to dispose of them; Barbara owns a stately home, but has had to sell off the contents. Joining forces seems like the ideal solution - until a thief comes along... Starring Richard Pearson, Siân Phillips and Eva Stuart. The Brickfield - Dictating his memoir to his secretary, elderly novelist Richard Mardick finds himself confiding a long-held secret from his youth: his adolescent romance with the beautiful Lucy, and its tragic conclusion... Martin Jarvis and Denys Blakelock star in this tender love story from the past, told against the bright awareness of the present. The Betrayal - In this sequel to The Brickfield, Richard Mardick is forced once more to recall the long-ago days of his boyhood, as he reveals to his biographer-to-be how Lucy's death has blighted his life and disrupted his peace of mind. Starring Martin Jarvis and Denys Blakelock, with Irene Sutcliffe and Gudrun Ure. Short Stories by LP Hartley - Robert Lang reads five creepy tales by the celebrated author: 'Night Fears', 'The Waits', 'W.S.', 'Someone in the Lift' and 'The Price of the Absolute'. Text copyright © The Trustees of the Estate of Annie Norah Hartley, 1953 (The Go-Between), 1954 ('W.S.', 'The Price of the Absolute'), 1961 ('The Waits', 'Someone in the Lift'), 1964 (The Brickfield), 1966 (The Betrayal), 1972 (The Collections) 'Night Fears' first published 1924 Cast and credits Written by L. P. Hartley The Go-Between Cast: Clive Swift, Joe Brothwell, George Greenbury, Eleanor Bron, Lisa Kay, Robert Glenister, Ed Sinclair, Jenny Coverack, Mark Hesketh, Brian Gear, Guy Shotton The Collections Cast: Richard Pearson, Martin Friend, Siân Phillips, Christopher Good, Elizabeth Rider, Eva Stuart, John Bull, Peter Baldwin, Sonia Fraser The Brickfield Cast: Martin Jarvis, Denys Blakelock, Barbara Mitchell, Nigel Anthony, Ann Murray, Noel Hood, Lockwood West, Humphrey Morton, Beth Boyd, Bernard Brown, David Brierley, Sian Davies, Michael Harbour, Leroy Lingwood The Betrayal Cast: Martin Jarvis, Denys Blakelock, Irene Sutcliffe, Alexa Romanes, Shelagh Willcocks, Sian Davies, Bernard Brown, Douglas Hankin, Gudrun Ure, David Brierley, Alexander John, Beth Boyd Short Stories by LP Hartley Read by Robert Lang First broadcast BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: Night Fears 7 November 1988 The Waits 8 November 1988 W.S. 9 November 1988 Someone in the Lift 10 November 1988 The Price of the Absolute 11 November 1988 © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

L. P. Hartley (Author), Clive Swift, Denys Blakelock, Eleanor Bron, Full Cast, Lockwood West, Martin Jarvis, Richard Pearson, Robert Glenister, Robert Lang, Sian Phillips (Narrator)

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[German] - Die Enkelin

Dieses Hörbuch wird von einer digitalen Stimme erzählt. Madeline Lagrange, die Enkelin des Vorsitzenden des „Tanzclubs Lietzensee“ sieht Tanzen lediglich als Kulturtechnik, die sie ohne großen Ehrgeiz lernt. Dann trifft sie auf die Square Dance-Gruppe des Vereins. Und sie verliert ihr Herz – nicht nur an den Tanz, sondern auch an den Caller der Gruppe, den Amerikaner Chris Rinehart. Chris ist vom ersten Augenblick an fasziniert von Madeline. Aber er ist der Trainer der Gruppe und sie ist minderjährig. Darum kämpft er gegen seine wachsende Zuneigung für sie und verleugnet ihr gegenüber seine Gefühle. Während Madeline mit der Kompromisslosigkeit ihrer siebzehn Jahre Chris zu verführen versucht, setzt ihr Großvater alles daran, ihn aus dem Verein zu verbannen, um die beiden auseinander zu bringen. Liebesroman aus der Reihe 'Quick, quick, slow - Tanzclub Lietzensee'. Jeder Band der Reihe ist abgeschlossen und kann für sich alleine gelesen werden.

Annemarie Nikolaus (Author), Digitale Stimme Gemma G (Narrator)

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Hidden Fires

How can you live in the present when you’re trying to bury the past? ‘A sweeping tale of resilience’ i News 'An ineffably touching novel by a talented young author' Saga Magazine 'A tale of how we can live together yet be so far apart, and of how bridges can be built' Women's Weekly 'Harrowing uplifting. . .A visceral exploration of family, identity and loss' Sunday Post Ramadan, 2017. Yusuf wakes in the middle of the night to pray. His routine is always the same, but something tells him that tonight is different. Yellow flames blur Yusuf’s vision, and the laughter of a small child echoes in his ears. But this time, the red, smoke-filled skies aren’t just in his memory. Miles away, Rubi is also awake. On the television, she watches reports of a devastating fire in London. She is already anxious when her parents send her to stay with her Grandpa Yusuf, whose conservative house rules are almost as unbearable as the loneliness she feels at home. Yusuf’s lifestyle does not gel with Rubi’s. But when she finds him scared and confused one night, it becomes clear that there’s more to her grandfather than Rubi ever considered. As Yusuf grapples with the past, Rubi is determined to save him. But the memories that are recovered and spoken of for the first time in years are more painful than she could have imagined. From the Costa Prize-shortlisted author of The Family Tree and Women's Prize x Good Housekeeping Futures Finalist, Hidden Fires is a powerful story of grief and loss, the power of family and the long arm of history. Readers are loving Hidden Fires: ‘A heartbreaking, emotional rollercoaster of a read’ ‘A must read book’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ‘An exquisite book exploring the secrets, vulnerabilities and tremendous bonds between three generations of family’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Raj Ghatak, Sairish Hussain (Author), Amerjit Deu, Krupa Pattani (Narrator)

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[Spanish] - El amor del revés

El amor del revés es la autobiografía sentimental de un muchacho que, al llegar a la adolescencia, descubre que su corazón está podrido por una enfermedad maligna: la homosexualidad. «En 1977, a los quince años de edad, cuando tuve la certeza definitiva de que era homosexual, me juré a mí mismo, aterrado, que nadie lo sabría nunca. Como la de Scarlett O'Hara en Lo que el viento sellevó, fue una promesa solemne. En 2006, sin embargo, me casé con un hombre en una ceremonia civil ante ciento cincuenta invitados, entre los que estaban mis amigos de la infancia, mis compañeros de estudios, mis colegas de trabajo y toda mi familia. En esos veintinueve años que habían transcurrido entre una fecha y otra, yo había sufrido una metamorfosis inversa a la de Gregorio Samsa: había dejado de ser una cucaracha y me había ido convirtiendo poco a poco en un ser humano.» El amor del revés es la historia de un camino de perfección que trata de poner al descubierto, sin clichés y sin moralismos, la intimidad desnuda de alguien que de repente se siente apartado de las normas sociales y trata de sobrevivir entre ellas. El autor cuenta su propia vida con una sinceridad a veces hiriente: el descubrimiento de su condición sexual, los primeros amores juveniles, los problemas psicológicos derivados de su inadaptación, la terapia conductual que realizó para cambiar sus inclinaciones enfermas, la exploración del sexo, las primeras relaciones afectivas, los contactos con el mundo gay y el descubrimiento progresivo y tardío de la felicidad, «el valor exacto de la ternura». Es también el retrato de una sociedad infectada por la intolerancia y por el prejuicio, que busca enfermedades imaginarias para marcar su propio territorio moral. Hasta ahora Luisgé Martín había ido filtrando detalles de su biografía en sus novelas. En este libro convierte en objeto de la narración su propia vida, ejemplar en el sentido clásico del término: sirve para vislumbrar a través de ella las debilidades y las grandezas de la naturaleza humana; sus miserias, sus ambiciones y sus logros. El resultado de su empeño es una obra de una franqueza arrolladora y una calidad literaria excepcional que rememora décadas de máscaras, tanteos y exploraciones, en un trayecto primero doloroso y después liberador hacia el conocimiento de uno mismo. Un retrato íntimo y sin velos, una portentosa contribución a la literatura autobiográfica. «De una densidad humana admirable... Un libro como el de Luisgé Martín sería superfluo en un mundo más afectuoso que el nuestro, donde hubiera respeto y donde se dejara a la gente vivir, amar y desarrollarse en paz» (Fernando Aramburu). «Memorable. La historia que cuenta Luisgé Martín hace que el amor, el deseo sexual y la moral aparezcan a una luz nueva que a todos nos concierne. El mejor libro que he leído en mucho tiempo» (Anna Caballé, El País).

Luisgé Martín (Author), Jordi Llovet (Narrator)

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The Girl in the Rain: The Epic Forgotten: First Crusade

“The deceiver knows the Hungarian, the wise man keeps twenty-six ghosts in his library, and the widow carries the words of the dead.” This is the final, cryptic entry scrawled in the journal belonging to the late John Chapel – a journal that detailed his obsession with finding a woman who didn’t exist. Hers was just one of several faces that he insisted he saw there in the rain, and one of the many voices that called to him every night, drawing him further into madness. Despite his wife’s unwavering faith and tireless determination, she could only watch helplessly as the man she loved slowly faded away, like a fingerprint on a window being washed away by the rain. Now, months after his death, new information has surfaced that sheds new light on her husband’s bizarre case and renews Gwenn Chapel’s search for the truth. Her only allies in this crusade are her husband’s old mentor and eccentric history professor, Dr. Campbell, and his former best friend (and her old flame), Jeremy Connelly. As she uncovers her husband’s dark past, however, she begins to question their motivations behind helping her and suspects that one of them is hiding a dark secret of his own. Can she trust either of them to help her discover the truth or will it only be found in the cryptic pages of that journal John left behind? Only Gwenn Chapel can decide where the truth lies as she embarks on a journey that will challenge her faith, the limits of her sanity, and even her love for her husband. Will she be able to put all of those pieces together that her husband left for her to unlock the mystery behind the “girl in the rain”, or be pushed over the edge and dragged down into that abyss with him?

J Christopher Wickham (Author), Percival Kingsley (Narrator)

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One Hundred Days: A Novel

From one of Australia’s most celebrated authors comes a powerful mother-daughter drama that explores the fault lines between love and control, pairing the claustrophobic intensity of Room and My Year of Rest and Relaxation with the youthful angst of Freshwater. Sixteen and pregnant, Karuna finds herself trapped in her mother’s Melbourne public housing apartment for one hundred days awaiting the birth of her child—and her mother’s next move in a shocking power struggle over who will raise the baby. To fill the seemingly endless hours of her imprisonment, she writes to her unborn child, determined that her baby will know the truth, no matter what happens. Karuna’s pregnancy is the result of a heady act of independence, lust, and defiance that happened in a moment of freedom from her overprotective mother. In reaction to her daughter’s recklessness, Karuna’s mother locks her inside their apartment to her to make sure she can’t get into any more trouble. While postpartum confinement is a tradition in many cultures, is Karuna’s an act of love—or emotional abuse? As the birth approaches, Karuna and her mother repeatedly trip the fault lines between love and control. And somehow, despite their battles, Karuna recognizes her mother’s love in even the strangest of behaviors. At times tense and unnerving, One Hundred Days illuminates the pain, confusion, and thrill of growing up and the overwhelming desire of adults to protect the children they

Alice Pung (Author), Siho Ellsmore (Narrator)

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Sword Catcher: The hotly anticipated sweeping fantasy from the internationally bestselling author of

Two outcasts find themselves at the centre of world-altering change in Sword Catcher, the start of a riveting epic fantasy series from the internationally bestselling author of The Shadowhunter Chronicles. 'Everything I look for in fantasy' - George R. R. Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Game of Thrones One was raised to rule. One was trained to die. Welcome to the Chronicles of Castellane. In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, a young orphan named Kel is stolen from his old life to enter a new one of luxury and peril. He's to become Prince Conor Aurelian's body-double, shielding the Prince from all dangers. As his 'Sword Catcher,' he and Conor become close as brothers - yet Kel lives for one purpose: to die for Conor. Lin Caster is an Ashkar physician, part of a community ostracised for its rare magical abilities. But events pull her and Kel together and into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King who rules Castellane's criminal underworld. Together, they'll discover an extraordinary conspiracy. But can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will their discoveries plunge their nation into war and the world into chaos? Lose yourself in a vibrant world of power, intrigue and magic in this spellbinding epic from an internationally bestselling sensation.

Cassandra Clare (Author), Christian Coulson, Fiona Hardingham (Narrator)

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Alondra

I fell in love with a goth, but she’s a witch. Starting school at Hawthorne University was not going well, until I met my classmate Alondra. Allie was different. She was goth. But she was also mysterious, confident and fun. I was into that. My name’s Liam. My friends call me Lee. Things got weird after I accompanied her to her haunts. Poltergeists and demons attacked little girls. I watched Alondra help exorcise these ghosts, but some of their evil stuck to me. Well, being attracted to a witch was one thing; dating one was quite another. It seemed the closer I got to Allie, the more her witchcraft endangered my friends. And my soul. You decide. I chronicled everything here in her book. Alondra is a prequel to the internationally bestselling Hawthorne University Witch series. The novel takes place twenty years before Broomstick. Content warning: Alondra is a new adult college paranormal romance containing profanity, sexual scenes, adult situations, and, of course, witchcraft.

A.L. Hawke (Author), Alexa Elmy, Preston Geer (Narrator)

Audiobook

Coming of Age Audiobooks in Fiction & Literature