Audiobooks

No one recognized the flashes of bright light that filled the sky. The blast wave that followed seemed to strike with no sound at all. In that silence came the dawn of atomic death for two hundred thousand souls in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Based on years of forensic archaeology combined with interviews of more than two hundred survivors and their families, this is a immediate account of ordinary human beings thrust into extraordinary events, during which our modern civilization entered a nuclear adolescence.

Fannie Flagg once said that what the world needs now is a good laugh. And that is what she gives listeners in warmhearted, always surprising stories about people who are finding clever ways to deal with the curveballs life sometimes throws at them.

After years of hard work, Dr. Charly McKenna finally has it all: A prosperous career as a dermatologist? Check. Spacious apartment overlooking Central Park? Check. Handsome lawyer husband? Double check. Then, one night a bullet rips through the right side of her skull and she loses everything. As Charly struggles to recover from her brain injury, she begins to realize that the events of that fateful night are trapped in the damaged right side of her brain. Now, she must put the jigsaw pieces together to discover the identity of the man who tried to kill her...before he finishes the job he started.

2014: At a dinner for close friends and colleagues, renowned poet Francis Blundy honors his wife's birthday by reading aloud a new poem dedicated to her, 'A Corona for Vivien'. Much wine is drunk as the guests listen, and a delicious meal consumed. Little does anyone gathered around the candlelit table know that for generations to come people will speculate about the message of this poem, a copy of which has never been found, and which remains an enduring mystery.

Jill Lepore, Harvard professor of history and law, offers a wholly new history of the Constitution and explains why the U.S. Constitution is so difficult to amend. Lepore argues that without recourse to amendment, the risk of political violence rises, as does the risk of constitutional change by presidential or judicial fiat.

Brings together selected essays by beloved historian David McCullough, some published here for the first time, written at different points over the course of his long career but all focused on the subject of his lifelong passion: the importance of history in understanding our present and future. Edited by McCullough's daughter, Dorie McCullough Lawson, and his longtime researcher, Michael Hill, History Matters is a tribute to a master historian and offers fresh insights into McCullough's enduring interests and writing life. The book also features a foreword by Jon Meacham. McCullough highlights the importance of character in political leaders, with Harry Truman and George Washington serving as exemplars of American values like optimism and determination. He shares his early influences, from the books he cherished in his youth to the people who mentored him. He also pays homage to those who inspired him, such as writer Paul Horgan and painter Thomas Eakins, illustrating the diverse influences on his writing as well as the influence of art. Rich with McCullough's signature grace, curiosity, and narrative gifts, these essays offer vital lessons in viewing history through the eyes of its participants, a perspective that McCullough believed was crucial to understanding the present as well as the past.

Fannie Flagg once said that what the world needs now is a good laugh. And that is what she gives listeners in warmhearted, always surprising stories about people who are finding clever ways to deal with the curveballs life sometimes throws at them.

Debbie Mullen is losing it. For years, she has compiled all of her best advice into her column, Dear Debbie, where the wives of New England come for sympathy and neighborly advice. Through her work, Debbie has heard from countless women who are ignored, belittled, or even abused by their husbands. And Debbie does her best to guide them in the right direction. Or at least, she did. These days, Debbie's life seems to be spiraling out of control. She just lost her job. Something strange is happening with her teenage daughters. And her husband is keeping secrets, according to the tracking app she installed on his phone. Now, Debbie's done being the bigger person. She's done being reasonable and practical. It's time to take her own advice. And now it's time for payback against all the people in her life who deserve it the most.

Drawing on more than 100 interviews with the families, friends, and former crewmates of those lost, journalist John U. Bacon presents an account of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior in November, 1975. Bacon explores the vital role Great Lakes shipping played in America's economic boom, the uncommon lives the sailors led, the sinking's most likely causes, and the heartbreaking aftermath for those left behind.

Sue Monk Kidd pulls from her own life and the lives of other writers, including Virginia Woolf, Maya Angelou, and Harper Lee, to provide a map for anyone who has ever felt lost as a writer. At the heart of this book is the unwavering belief that writing is a spiritual act, one that draws inspiration from the soul, that wellspring of creativity between imagination and feeling.

Casey's cabin in the wilderness is not built for a hurricane, but she's a lot more worried about the girl she discovers lurking outside her kitchen window. She's young, alone, and covered in blood. The girl won't explain where she came from, or loosen her grip on the knife in her right hand. And when Casey makes a disturbing discovery in the middle of the night, things take a turn for the worse. The girl has a dark secret she'll kill to keep. And if Casey gets too close to the truth, she may not live to see the morning.