Contemporary Women Audiobooks | Fiction & Literature

Emo Reality: The Biography of Teenage Borderline Personality Disorder

When Lina’s idyllic childhood descends into mental chaos in her teenage years, Lina resorts to recording her thoughts in diaries, online chats and emails to make sense of her anguish. Through Lina’s heart-wrenching words, the reader steps into her broken inner world to experience first-hand the obsessions, irrationality, angst and ruthlessness of teenage borderline personality disorder. Emo Reality shines a light into the dark corners of adolescent mental illness, proving this disorder is not just a phase, and demonstrating its ravages not just upon an individual, but also upon a whole family. Publisher’s Weekly Booklife: “This unflinching novel-as-memoir, drawn from the experiences of the author’s daughter, explores the experience of a girl with borderline personality disorder. Through fictionalized diary entries, online posts, and emails, the account is told in vivid detail as Lina contends with the thoughts consuming her. Exploring family dynamics, self-esteem issues, mood swings, and her feeling that ‘the whole world was out to get me,’ this memoir is insightful in explaining the workings of a mind controlled by mental illness, building to a welcome burst of hope and recovery. Lina is an angry girl whose ‘false memories’ cause her to nurture an irrational hatred of family and authority. Although intelligent, she sabotages her education to spite her parents. Although talented, she fluctuates between dreams of being a tattooist and an actress. In her delusions, she believes the cause of her lack of success is the father, who is often away on business. In truth, Lina and her sister, who also sinks into depression, have little guidance in their lives aside from him. Wrenching in its candidness, Lina’s story is a stark exploration of mental illness, undiagnosed and unchecked. Readers will become immersed in Lina’s reflections and understand what it is like for an individual and a family facing borderline personality disorder.”

Jerold Daniels (Author), Alex Swan (Narrator)

Audiobook

None of This is True: The new addictive psychological thriller from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling

Brought to you by Penguin. PREPARE TO BE HOOKED: Nailbiting suspense from the addictive number one million-copy bestselling author. Read by Nicola Walker (Unforgotten, The Split, Last Tango in Halifax) and Louise Brealey (Sherlock, Lockwood & Co.), alongside a full cast, this breath-taking audiobook includes original music and a gripping soundscape, which immerses you in the production and leaves your spine tingling. Celebrating her 45th birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her 45th birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins. A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix's children's school. Josie has been listening to Alix's podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life. Josie's life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can't quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast, which you will hear, fully produced, throughout this audiobook. Slowly Alix starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it Josie has inveigled her way into Alix's life - and into her home. But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, her life and her family's lives under mortal threat. Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done? This audiobook includes additional performances from: Jenny Walser, Kristin Atherton, Tom Judd, Ayesha Antoine, Elliot Fitzpatrick, Alix Dunmore, Dominic Thorburn, and Lisa Jewell herself. 'Utterly addictive, twisty and so dark and clever with characters that burst off the page. This is my favourite Lisa Jewell book yet!' Claire Douglas 'I don't wanna be dramatic, but this book was effing brilliant. Could not recommend it more! Have never read a book so fast!' Hayley Morris 'Twisty twisty twisty' Emily Henry © Lisa Jewell 2023 (P) Penguin Audio 2023

Lisa Jewell (Author), Louise Brealey, Nicola Walker (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Best Summer of Our Lives

Twenty years ago, the summer of ’77 was supposed to be the best summer of Summer Wilde’s life. She and her best friends, Spring, Autumn, and Snow—the Four Seasons—had big plans. But those plans never had a chance. After a teenage prank gone awry, the Seasons found themselves on a bus to Tumbleweed, “Nowhere,” Oklahoma, to spend eight weeks as camp counselors. All four of them arrived with hidden secrets and buried fears, and the events that unfolded in those two months forever altered their friendships, their lives, and their futures. Now, thirtysomething Summer is at a crossroads. When her latest girl band leaves her in a motel outside Tulsa, she is forced to face the shadows of her past. Returning to the place where everything changed, she soon learns Tumbleweed is more than a town she never wanted to see again. It’s a place for healing, for reconciling the past with the present, and for finally listening to love’s voice.

Rachel Hauck (Author), Suzy Jackson (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Dream to Share: Encore Edition

Her family legacy is at stake. Will the new man in town save it—or destroy it? As the fourth-generation editor of the Oak Hill Gazette, Abby Warner is determined to carry on the paper’s proud tradition despite increasing financial problems. But big-city publishing heir Mark Campbell wants to take the paper away from her—as fast as possible. In a situation rife with tension, sparks fly. Yet when Mark finds a new purpose for his life in the podunk town he derided, and Abby begins to realize there’s more to the playboy heir than she first thought, sparks of a different kind start to fly. As major changes loom, can these two people from different backgrounds open their hearts to each other and find the courage to embrace the unexpected opportunities that have graced their lives? In this small-town-America story, bestselling author Irene Hannon pens an inspiring tale about embracing change and finding silver linings.

Irene Hannon (Author), Thérèse Plummer (Narrator)

Audiobook

Her Only Wish

Return to Pinecraft, Florida, for a Sweet Amish Romance Sheltered yet adventurous, Betsy Detweiler is on a mission to get out of Kentucky and experience new things in life. She's got a list--a life list. What better place to start than with her friends in beautiful Pinecraft, Florida? From the moment Betsy walks into the Snow Bird Golf Course to sign up for lessons, August Troyer is mesmerized. Betsy is a mass of contradictions--beautiful yet awkward, outgoing yet unsure, joyful yet hesitant. She's like no one he's ever met before, and as the only child of missionary parents, he's met a lot of people. As Betsy and August embark on a month of enjoying life to the fullest, they'll encounter several reasons to back off and play it safe. But playing it safe has its own consequences. This tender romance reminds us that life--and love--requires a fair amount of risk.

Shelley Shepard Gray (Author), Christina Moore (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Laws of Attraction

Can they risk giving in to the attraction between them while their lives are on the line? If widowed seamstress Nell Armstrong has to make one more pair of boring chaps for the cowboys in her tiny Wyoming town, she might just quit the business altogether! So meeting Brand Nolte, a widower struggling to raise three girls on his own, seems like her dream come true. Brand has no idea how to dress the girls properly, and Nell finally has a chance to create beautiful outfits while also teaching the girls to sew. But Nell is much more than a seamstress, and the investigative skills and knowledge she picked up alongside her late lawman husband soon become critical when a wounded stagecoach-robbery survivor is brought to town. As danger closes in from all sides, Nell and Brand must discover who has a target trained on them before it’s too late.

Mary Connealy (Author), Barbara Mcculloh (Narrator)

Audiobook

This is Where it Ends

How long is a body expected to keep a secret? When Minerva Jane Jenkins was just fourteen years old, she married a man who moved her to the mountains. He carried with him a small box, which he told her held gold. And when he died fifty years later, he made her promise to tell no one about the box or the treasure it contained. Now at ninety-four, Minerva is nearing the end of what has sometimes been a lonely life. But she’s kept her promise. Even so, rumors of hidden gold have a way of spreading, and Minerva is visited by a reporter, Del Rankin, who wants to know more of her story. As an unlikely friendship develops, Minerva is tempted to reveal her secret to Del. But the truth of what’s really buried in the box may be hidden even from her.

Cindy K. Sproles (Author), Barbara Mcculloh (Narrator)

Audiobook

With Every Memory

Is the life she can’t remember one she’d rather forget? One year after her family was in a tragic car accident that killed her teenage son, Lori Mendenhall returns home with a traumatic brain injury that has stolen the last eight years of memories from her, leaving the life she has returned to unrecognizable. Her once-loving husband, Michael, is a distant workaholic she isn’t sure she can trust, and her once-bubbly daughter, Avery, has spent the last year hidden away in her room. If Lori wants to reconnect with her family, she’ll have to uncover the information her brain is trying to keep secret. As memories return and past secrets resurface, it will take the whole family to repair what’s been broken and find a new future together.

Janine Rosche (Author), Eliza Foss, Laura Knight Keating (Narrator)

Audiobook

Mt. Moriah’s Wake: A Novel

Orphaned at age eight, JoAnna Wilson was raised by her eccentric aunt in the bucolic southern community of Mt. Moriah. Now a twenty-six-year old would-be writer, JoAnna faces several crossroads: in her marriage, in her career, and in her faith. JoAnna left home for Chicago in 1997 immediately following the murder of her best friend, Grace. Now she comes back to Mt. Moriah for the first time in four years to attend her aunt’s funeral—and realizes that she must confront both the profound sorrow she feels over Grace’s death and the mysterious guilt she carries. She must finally grieve. A hauntingly sweet story of love and loss that alternates between JoAnna’s childhood in Mt. Moriah, her life in Chicago, and her present encounters upon returning home, Mt. Moriah’s Wake ponders deep questions: When we experience unspeakable tragedy, do we see ourselves as victim or survivor? Is it possible to regain happiness in the face of such? And how do we find our faith again, once it is lost? As her past and present worlds collide, JoAnna grapples with these questions—and her journey moves toward an unexpected conclusion.

Melissa Norton Carro (Author), Amanda Stribling (Narrator)

Audiobook

[French] - L'Instant plus que parfait: Roman de développement (im)personnel

L'Instant plus que parfait est un roman initiatique qui nous interpelle tous en plein coeur : comment transformer sa vie pour lui donner du sens et devenir heureux. L'histoire nous entraîne sur les pas de Yuna, jeune femme idéaliste, qui désire trouver sa propre voie, sa propre place et oser être elle-même. Elle décide de quitter sa vie parisienne pour se reconstruire et prendre du recul. Une conférence sur l'Instant plus que parfait la poursuit jusqu'en Provence, où elle pose ses valises et commence à prendre soin d'elle-même. Grâce à sa rencontre avec Diego, personnage mystérieux et énigmatique, ses priorités changent, ainsi que ses perceptions et ses croyances. Doucement, elle apprend à faire confiance, ralentir, aller à l'essentiel, à oser, enfin, vivre simplement. Sur sa route, des épreuves mais aussi de belles rencontres, inspirantes et colorées. Et partout, la Provence, tout en couleurs, force brute et poésie. Ce récit, au-delà d’un roman de développement (im)personnel, est aussi une histoire palpitante, vibrante, pleine d’espoir. Cette renaissance est aussi l'histoire d'un éveil. Un éveil à la Vie, à la simplicité, à l'Amour. Se dépouiller du superflu, trouver sa vérité, sa raison d'être, pour enfin vivre dans l'instant présent, en pleine conscience. C'est un ouvrage positif qui nous fait traverser, avec l'héroïne, toute l'obscurité des illusions afin d'ouvrir son regard et son coeur sur le miracle de la Vie et la beauté du monde. De nombreuses pistes sont ébauchées afin de proposer au lecteur une stabilité, une paix et une harmonie au quotidien.

Agnès Barcelo, Bernard Jouy (Author), Agnès Barcelo (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Black Hearts in Battersea & The Story of Is: Three BBC Radio Childre

BBC Radio full-cast dramatisations of three of the classic novels from Joan Aiken's 'Wolves Chronicles' One of the finest storytellers of her time, Joan Aiken wrote over 100 books for both adults and children. Among her best-known works are the 'Wolves Chronicles', a sequence of novels set in an alternate 19th century England ruled by Stuart kings. Included here are three tales from that magical, wolf-infested world - The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Black Hearts in Battersea and The Story of Is. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase - Winter, 1832. The great manor of Willoughby Chase lies blanketed by snow, and predators lurk in the darkness. With the opening of the Channel Tunnel, ravenous wolves have overrun the country, and young Bonnie Green can hear their hideous howling. But she and her cousin Sylvia soon find themselves facing an even greater danger, in the shape of their devious governess, Miss Slighcarp. Aided by their friend Simon, can they foil her evil plan? Black Hearts in Battersea - Determined to become a painter, Simon sets off to London - but no sooner has he arrived than he becomes caught up in a fiendish Hanoverian plot to overthrow the King. Kidnapped and sent away to sea, he faces shipwreck, assassination plots, attacks by wolves and a hair-raising hot air balloon escape. With the help of fellow orphan Sophie, and the resourceful Dido Twite, will he save the day? The Story of Is - Sent by King Richard IV to search for his missing son, Dido Twite's sister Isabett takes the Playland Express to the north of a divided England. There, she finds an underground city where children work as slaves in vast coal mines. This is the domain of Gold Kingy, a man who will stop at nothing in his pursuit of power - but he has reckoned without Is and her newfound friends... These spellbinding adventures feature a star cast, including Gosford Park's Emily Watson, Game of Thrones' Joe Dempsie and legendary actor and comedian Rik Mayall. Text copyright © Joan Aiken 1962 (The Wolves of Willoughby Chase), 1964 (Black Hearts in Battersea), 1992 (Is) Production credits Written by Joan Aiken The Wolves of Willoughby Chase Cast: Jane Lapotaire, Emily Watson, Abigail Docherty, John Rowe, John Turner, Gavin Muir, Kristen Milward, Tom Bevan, Jilly Bond, Eva Stuart, David Antrobus, Ian Masters, Derek Waring, George Parsons, Elaine Claxton, Natasha Pyne, Becky Hindley Dramatised by Eric Pringle Directed by Cherry Cookson First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 December 1994 Black Hearts in Battersea Cast: Joe Dempsie, Nicola Miles-Wildin, Emerald O'Hanrahan, John Rowe, Sheila Reid, Ben Crowe, Annabelle Dowler, Rhys Jennings, Tessa Nicholson, Sam Pamphilon, Nigel Hastings, Bruce Alexander, Joseph Cohen Cole, Piers Wehner, Kate Layden, John Biggins, Ewan Hooper Dramatised by Lin Coghlan. Directed by Marc Beeby First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 23-24 December 1999 The Story of Is Cast: John Rowe, Alison Pettitt, Rik Mayall, Freddie Jones With John Hartley, Gordon Reid, Rachel Atkins, Alastair Danson, Robert Harper, Gerard McDermott, Anthony Ofoegbu, Leila Campbell, George Maguire, Jenny Lee, Stephen Thorne, Carolyn Jones, Iwan Thomas, Christopher Scott, Richard Pearce, Tom Bevan, Brian Parr and children from the Italia Conti School Dramatised by Eric Pringle. Directed by David Blount. Music by Neil Brand First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 March-5 April 1998 © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Joan Aiken (Author), Alison Pettitt, Emily Watson, Full Cast, Joe Dempsie, John Rowe, Rik Mayall, Sheila Reid (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Heart's Choice

They must uncover the truth before it’s buried forever. After witnessing a wrongful conviction as a young girl, Rebecca Whitman—the first female court reporter in Montana—is now determined to defend the innocent. During a murder trial, something doesn’t sit well with her about the case, but no one except the handsome new Carnegie librarian will listen to her. Librarian Mark Andrews’s father sent him to college hoping he would take over the business side of the family ranch, but Mark would rather wrangle books than cows. When a patron seeks help with research in hopes of proving a man’s innocence, Mark is immediately drawn to her and her cause. In a race against time, will Rebecca and Mark find the evidence they need—and open their hearts to love—before it’s too late?

Kimberley Woodhouse, Tracie Peterson (Author), Pilar Witherspoon (Narrator)

Audiobook

Contemporary Women Audiobooks in Fiction & Literature