Showing results by narrator "Natalie Naudus" in All Categories

“And, at the center of it all, am I actually nice or am I just performing a role I think I’m expected to play?” Mia Mercado is a razor-sharp cultural critic and essayist known for her witty and hilarious dissections of the uncomfortable truths that rule our lives. In this thought-provoking collection of new essays, Mercado examines what it means to be “polite,” “agreeable,” and “nice.” She covers topics from the subtleties of the “Bad Bitch” and why women dominate the ASMR market, to what makes her dog an adorable little freak and how you know if you’re shy.

From two red-bellied woodpeckers to eight northern mockingbirds, kids will explore some of the most popular backyard birds nature has to offer while learning their numbers, too! The whole family can listen to these audiobooks outdoors and bird together!

From the purple finch to the Indigo bunting, kids will explore some of the most popular migrating birds nature has to offer while learning their unique colors, too! The whole family can listen to these audiobooks outdoors and bird together!

When a number of scientists are mysteriously killed on an insignificant scientific outpost on the planet of Loria and no alarm is raised, Commander Rickets of the Galactic Space Arm (GSA) is angered that no one can explain why. Rickets orders Lieutenant Amanda Bostick, along with two armed Guardians, to investigate. All three have faced setbacks in their careers, and time is against them: The GSA is demanding answers within 10 days. But they have no idea what to expect as there are few reports on the planet.

Pirate life aside, all I have ever wanted was a safe place for the Lost Boys I rescued. Ambition may have led me to overstep my bounds. When my theft was discovered, the dwarves launch a devastating sneak attack against my island nation home.

Kaiya escapes her ordeal at the hands of the Teleri Emperor, only to return to a homeland beset by enemies on all sides, crumbling from within. As a teenager, she quelled a rebellion with the Dragon Scale Lute. As a young adult, she vanquished a dragon with the power of her voice. Now, robbed of her magic by grief, Kaiya must navigate a web of court intrigue to save the realm before it falls. Only she can lay claim to the Dragon Throne on behalf of her unborn sons - whether the father is the lover who perished rescuing her or the hated enemy who killed him.

Olivia Sutton has every reason to be happy - she’s met the love of her life, her Nana has recovered from her stroke, and she’s painting again. And yet...her best friend is leaving her cryptic messages, a rebellion is forming at the church luncheon committee, and her recently deceased friend, Eddie Spaghetti, has started talking to her. But even bigger problems are brewing in the idyllic town of Stafford Falls. For one thing, Angie’s business is struggling, and for another, Olivia can’t seem to bring herself to actually work on the heartbreaking portrait of Eddie Spaghetti.

When a virus sweeps across the globe, Ash and Jack must each face their fears. Married and isolated in one small apartment, each woman grows restless, claustrophobic, and paranoid. As the horror outside their door ramps up to apocalyptic levels, inside Jack is unraveling. She shuts herself away and fears everything. Fears the virus has crawled its way inside, down her throat, into the lining of her stomach. Ash is afraid, too - afraid of what her increasingly erratic wife will do to her. In a pandemic none of us are ready for, should we fear the outside world or what's waiting within?

Packed with humor and heart, this debut middle grade series follows a girl finding her place in a brand-new world of private school and frenemies when her family moves to Hong Kong.

After vanquishing the last dragon with the power of her voice, all Kaiya wants is a quiet life of anonymity. Instead, the emperor sends her to negotiate peace with the aggressive Teleri Empire. The critical mission reunites her with her childhood friend, Tian, now an assassin-spy who loathes killing. He is no longer the adorable, gullible boy from her memories, any more than she is the adventurous, sweet girl from his. Instead of rekindling nostalgia for a youthful innocence they both yearn for, their reunion ignites a mutual hatred.

Two years have passed since Kaiya rediscovered the lost magic of Dragon Songs, yet the power of her voice is untrained. Potential suitors see her as a stepping stone. One ruthless cousin would rather step on her gravestone. Not one to get walked over or buried, Kaiya is holding out for the exiled foreign prince who inspired her to sing. The only one who appreciates her abilities more is the world’s last dragon, Avarax, and it’s not because he enjoys a good song.

When a shipment of magic Dragon Art commissioned by the Emperor goes missing, it's up to the Black Lotus Clan to track it down and punish the thieves.

Liam Reilly is an unattached, occasionally delinquent, teenage ward of the state. He lives in a university workshop. He rides a bike made of bamboo. His best friend is an AI named Eiann. Oh, he’s a genius, too. Liam is content with his life, until a demon named Narvicous Scalegrim Gorgonzola Grimmold Maximus the Terrible (Gerald for short) appears in his workshop eating Cheez-Its and twerking to Cardi B.

Thirty-six year-old Olivia is an artist who’s just been let go from her day job. Also, the presumed love of her life has suddenly decamped to another continent to avoid a lawsuit - but all of this pales when Olivia finds out that her beloved grandmother, the woman who raised her, has had a stroke. Olivia rushes back to her hometown of Stafford Falls to care for her Nana only to find that the odd little place where she grew up has changed.

The conclusion of the Floating World segment of Scions of the Black Lotus. The ringleader of a rebellion has holed up with his allies in an unassailable castle, and it is up to Jie, Tian, and other members of the Black Lotus clan's Floating World cell to assassinate him.

Two years and 6,000 miles away from the explosion that took his leg, Josh Carpenter struggles to reclaim his former life as a college student. Mary Fischer, a civilian for the first time in years, strikes out on her own to create a new, independent life away from the army and her controlling mother. The last time Josh saw Mary, his National Guard unit was leaving Kuwait, headed north to the war. The last time Mary saw Josh, she watched as his unconscious body was rolled onto a plane bound for a hospital in Germany.

The mysterious ringleader of a deep-rooted conspiracy threatens peace and stability in the realm, and only the memories of a dead woman can unearth him. Before her death at Jie's hands, Lilian left clues to her many secrets. Among them is the identity of a rebellion's leader.

Both the emperor and a criminal want the contents of a lord's safe, and only the Black Lotus Clan can retrieve it.

It’s known as the Cataclysm - an event responsible for arresting most electronic technology. Its impact was global, and few countermeasures existed. Civilization was nearly brought to its knees. At least for a while. We found ways of getting by. Humanity connected with its past while auguring new solutions. Even for college students like Joanna Westenra, a world without smartphones or the Internet was survivable - albeit just barely. We were down but not out. Life could go on. Then, the Cataclysm unveiled something new. Monsters arose in the night. They are known as the Turned.

People who complicate my life earn the business end of my hook. Funny how that never seems to stop them. Think I’m exaggerating? I stand accused of colluding with Fomorian raiders who are abducting young mermaids. And one of the lost boys I rescued from Neverland is being terrorized by a faerie nightmare. A dark menace connects the two things.