Showing results by narrator "Emily Woo Zeller" in All Categories

China, 1937: When Japanese bombs begin falling on the city of Nanking, 19-year-old Hu Lian and her classmates at Minghua University are ordered to flee. Lian and a convoy of more than 100 students, faculty, and staff must walk 1,000 miles to the safety of China’s western provinces, a journey marred by hunger, cold, and the constant threat of aerial attack. And it is not just the student refugees who are at risk: Lian and her classmates have been entrusted with a priceless treasure, a 500-year-old collection of myths and folklore known as the Library of Legends.

World famous glass artist Sophie Giombetti is headed to Ireland to grab a new lease on life. She’s put her divorce behind her and wants a supportive community to raise her daughter. The quaint town of Caisleán, where she’s agreed to design a major installation at the local arts center, more than fits the bill. Best of all, she’s sure the verdant Irish hills will give her new inspiration.

Rookie cop Laura Mori catches her first investigation when the fiery crash of a sports car lights up the night sky. The fire burns the car and the body within it beyond recognition, but the police are able to identify the vehicle as belonging to Kent Jameson, a celebrity author and benefactor of their small town of Sunrise Lake, Oregon. Kent Jameson fears that the body is that of his 17-year-old daughter, Lucy, who stormed out of the house that night after an argument.

Nature is out of balance in the human kingdom. The sun hasn’t shone in years, crops are failing, and families are starving. Worst yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people’s survival hangs in the balance. To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and the destinies of two 17-year-old girls become entwined when they are chosen to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Taninli, the city of the Fairy Queen.

Samara doesn't forget. And she isn't the only one. Safe underground in the city of New Canaan, she lives in a privileged world free from the Forgetting. Yet she wonders if she really is free, with the memories that plague her and secrets that surround her. Samara is determined to unearth the answers, even if she must escape to the old, cursed city of Canaan to find them. Someone else is on their way to Canaan, too.... A spaceship from Earth is heading toward the planet, like a figment of the city's forgotten past.

Kimi’s Obaachan, her grandmother, had always been a silent presence throughout her youth. Sipping tea by the fire, preparing sushi for the family, or indulgently listening to Ojichan’s (grandfather’s) stories for the thousandth time, Obaachan was a missing link to Kimi’s Japanese heritage, something she had had a mixed relationship with all her life. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, all Kimi ever wanted to do was fit in, spurning traditional Japanese cuisine and her grandfather’s attempts to teach her the language.

When the Last Days came, the planet of Laterre promised hope, a new life for a wealthy French family and their descendants. But 500 years later, it’s now a place where an extravagant elite class reigns supreme; where the clouds hide the stars and the poor starve in the streets; where a rebel group, long thought dead, is resurfacing. Whispers of revolution have begun - a revolution that hinges on three unlikely heroes.

Snow Weiss was born to lead, her silver tongue a perfect counterpoint to her twin sister Rose's raw emotional power. Together, they were destined to bring prosperity to their kingdom as neighboring queens. On vacation at their summer home, the twins rescue a prince cursed into bear form. He makes a childhood promise to wed Snow that Rose scoffs at, knowing they may never meet again.

Rebecca Punzel grew up as an orphan in the slums, only daring to dream small by providing for her found family. In a kingdom where might makes right, and combat skills rule, her first class is practically a curse: golden locks of hair which require no care. Though she's in a hairy situation, she works tirelessly to build a modest life for the other orphans. At fourteen, every valuable in reach seems to get tangled into her curls. Practically overnight, she's blacklisted from working at any reputable business.

It sounds so simple: Tell stories from your life, and people will remember your message. But when you get down to crafting one, there's nothing easy about it. Material for stories surrounds us. Yet few people are skilled at sharing personal anecdotes and even fewer know how to link them to professional goals. Whether you want to stand out in the interview process, add punch to a presentation, or make a compelling case for a new initiative, Let the Story Do the Work shows you how to mine your experience for simple narratives that convey who you are.

The discovery of the North and South Poles. The summiting of Everest. The moon landing. The (largely unknown) birth of climate change science. These are just some of the stories from The Explorers Club, the organization that, since its inception in 1904, has pushed the envelope of human curiosity. This guided tour of The Club’s most riveting journeys is full of fascinating anecdotes about The Club’s distinguished members, including Teddy Roosevelt, Neil Armstrong, and Jane Goodall.

Boston born and bred, Kathleen O’Connor knows all about toughness. Thanks to her pop, she can bend scrap metal. Thanks to her seven older brothers, she's not scared to fight for what she wants. And thanks to her exes, she's wise to the illusion of happily ever after. Toughness comes easy to Kathleen, and so does bending tough materials into art.

Acclaimed, award-winning author Linda Sue Park has placed a young half-Asian girl, Hanna, in a small town in America's heartland, in 1880. Hanna's adjustment to her new surroundings, which primarily means negotiating the townspeople's almost unanimous prejudice against Asians, is at the heart of the story. Told from the viewpoint of Hanna, the novel has poignant moments yet sparkles with humor, introducing a captivating heroine whose wry, observant voice will resonate with listeners.

Maya's been able to get by in New York on her wits and a dead-end bookstore job for years, but when her husband leaves her and her favorite professor ends their affair, her barely-calibrated life descends into chaos, and she has to make some choices. Maya's struggle to be alone, to be a woman, and to be thoughtful and imperfect and alive in a world that doesn't really care what happens to her is rendered with dead-eyed clarity and unnerving charm. This book takes every tired trope about addiction and recovery, "likeable" characters, and redemption narratives and blows them to pieces.

Air Command pilot Nova Whiteside is assigned to a remote outpost to guard the construction of a tethered orbiter, Skyranch Twelve, against rebel sabotage. The difference between the well-ordered Union air fields and this dusty garrison is made painfully clear when she runs afoul a brutal commander of ground troops. When she is trapped behind enemy lines in a bloody uprising, she meets Djari, a civilian whose trust in the governing Union is shattered by what he has witnessed.

Those of us living in the real world know that it can be challenging to keep a clean and tidy home. Busy lifestyles, shared housing, physical limitations or mental health issues can all contribute to making a once calm environment feel daunting and stressful. While this audiobook won’t wash your dishes or fold your laundry, it will give you all the tools you’ll need to stay on top because everyone deserves—and can have—a home with less mess and less stress.

Even though twelve-year-old Alexis was born in Hawaii, she won’t surf or swim with her friends - not since the ocean and its hidden creatures swept her out to sea. Instead, she grabs her best detective hat and decodes her mom’s latest challenge.

Jamie woke up in an empty apartment with no memory and only a few clues to his identity, but with the ability to read and erase other people’s memories - a power he uses to hold up banks to buy coffee, cat food and books. Zoe is also searching for her past, and using her abilities of speed and strength…to deliver fast food. And she’ll occasionally put on a cool suit and beat up bad guys, if she feels like it.

1826. The sun is setting on the golden age of piracy, and the legendary Dragon Fleet, the scourge of the South China Sea, is no more. Its ruthless leader, a woman known only as the Head of the Dragon, is now only a story, like the ones Xiang has grown up with all her life. She desperately wants to prove her worth, especially to her mother, a shrewd businesswoman who never seems to have enough time for Xiang.

We often don't realize how much control we have over our thoughts, feelings, and actions. On some days, the most minor irritation can upset us, but, on others, we are in our best form and can rise to challenges with grace. These fluctuations depend on the neural networks firing in our brains, but we have the power to consciously break hardwired thought patterns. Author Due Quach developed an intimate understanding of the brain during her personal journey of healing from PTSD.