Family Life Audiobooks | Fiction & Literature

Steven Appleby's Normal Life: The Complete Series 1 and 2: A BBC Radio 4 Sitcom

All twelve episodes of the absurdist series based on Steven Appleby’s comic strip – plus a Christmas Special 'No one is more talented or original' Richard Ingrams, Spectator Cartoonist Steven Appleby asks where reality ends and fantasy begins, as he gives us his distinctly abnormal insights into everyday life. In these two series, he takes a look at a few of life’s fundamental topics, including Love, Death, Science, Truth and Oceanography. From seeking romance when his wife elopes with the electric kettle to searching for the hidden meaning of life, said to be written on a sausage, he takes us on a personal journey through his memories, experiences, dreams and fantasies to reveal his own idiosyncratic version of normality. Along the way, he discovers that his kids are actually alien tourists visiting Earth on a rowdy package holiday; signs a pact with the Devil to to reverse the ageing process (and look more like Richard Burton), undergoes surgery to explore his brain’s inner workings; and proves once and for all that dinosaurs could read, write and ride bicycles. But will his attempts to tell the absolute truth prove to be a less-than-wise career move? Also included is a festive special episode, Steven Appleby’s Normal Christmas, in which Steven meets Santa and learns that Christmas isn’t just about receiving... Paul McCrink and Mark Perry star as Steven, with Steven Appleby as himself and Rachel Atkins, Ewan Bailey, Nigel Betts and Rosalind Paul as the figments of his imagination. Credits Written by Steven Appleby Produced by Toby Swift Starring Paul McCrink and Mark Perry as Steven and featuring Rachel Atkins, Ewan Bailey, Nigel Betts, Rosalind Paul and Steven Appleby First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 8 August-12 September 2001 (Series 1), 19 February-26 March 2003 (Series 2), 23 December 2004 (Steven Appleby’s Normal Christmas) © 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Steven Appleby (Author), Ewan Bailey, Nigel Betts, Paul Mccrink, Rachel Atkins, Rosalind Paul, Steven Appleby (Narrator)

Audiobook

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)

Audiobook

Dysfunction Junction

Frances Mae Livingston’s firm grip of her family’s destructive history makes her hold her husband and four children even closer. But she’s losing bits of herself while proving to everybody and her mama that she’s enough. There’s no way she’ll repeat her mama’s mistakes, even if it kills her. Annabelle McMillan didn’t have trouble kicking the Eastern North Carolina dust off her feet. The tough part was replanting herself in familiar soil. Now she’s blending her old life with her new husband, stepson, and unborn child—and battling old memories of abandonment and new fears of rejection. Dr. Charlotte Winters has built a career around helping others sort through their emotional baggage. She’s also spent a lifetime refusing to unpack her own. So what if Charlotte doesn’t recall all that her mama did to her and what her daddy didn't do for her? Her only mission is to help others help themselves…until the women from her past and the man in her future undo her well-sewn life. At the junction of healed and hurting, broken and whole, and past and present, three women wrestle with their inability to forgive and forget in this riveting Southern family drama about sisterhood from award-winning author Robin W. Pearson.

Robin W. Pearson (Author), Lanecia Edmonds (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Sunrise Swimming Society

A heartwarming novel to fall in love with The day Heather, Niamh and Lauren met, they promised to be best friends for life, and that instant connection only grew stronger with their weekly sunrise swims in their stunning local lake. When they left school, they agreed that, no matter where life took them, every year on midsummer’s dawn, they would meet at their old spot and swim together. Now, fifteen years later, the tradition has disappeared in the face of life’s realities. In fact, they don’t speak any more – not since that night . . . But this summer, they find themselves back in their Irish hometown and realise this could be their last chance to recapture what they have lost. Will their return to sunrise swimming heal each of them, and help them rekindle the friendships they once treasured? Readers are loving Rosie Hannigan: ‘This book is about second chances, forgiveness and friends that become family. It's beautifully written, it made me smile and cry, and I definitely want more from this author.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A beautiful, poignant read … filled with loss love and laughter. With the help of friends and a shared love of gardening everything seems better. This was my first book by this author and I will look out for more of their books.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘What a truly stunning read this book is – it certainly didn't disappoint. Heart-warming and beautifully written.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Frankie and Ruby are empathetic, strong characters, and the Irish coastal setting is beautiful. The garden descriptions made me long to sit outside.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An emotional story, full of heart.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rosie Hannigan (Author), Shirley Atkinson (Narrator)

Audiobook

By The Rivers of Babylon

On a sultry South Carolina island, sunlight teases out the darkest secrets of the heart, in this novel from the author of An Undisturbed Peace. Joe and Abigail Becker, a Jewish couple from Boston, have inherited a house on Sweetgrass Island in South Carolina's Lowcountry. Though they feel like fish out of water, the couple is excited to give the South a try-and maybe even find it a place to finally call home. Their Boston friends are convinced they won't last the summer. But the South works its magic on the Beckers, holding them fast to misty marsh, farmlands, and grand oaks, the sweet twang of banjos and the blues. Even the locals have put aside their usual mistrust of transplants. Joe is convinced that has more to do with Abigail's beauty than with his dubious charms-especially in the case of Billy Euston. A celebrated pit master and womanizer, Billy is transfixed with Abigail at first sight. And though Joe is used to his lovely wife's effect on men, he misjudges their playful flirtations-a tragic mistake that will tear through the island like a hurricane, leaving the broken and the battered in its wake . . .

Mary Glickman (Author), Rebecca Gibel (Narrator)

Audiobook

Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge

'Grisly, addictive fun . . . I devoured it in 24 hours' - Emilia Hart, author of Weyward In deepest winter, beware the coldest hearts . . . London, 1850. Constance Horton has disappeared. Maude, her older sister, knows only that Constance abandoned the apothecary they call home, and, disguised as a boy, boarded a ship bound for the Arctic. She never returned. 'A tragic accident', the Admiralty called it. But Maude Horton knows something isn't right. When she finds Constance's journal, it becomes clear that the truth is being buried by sinister forces. To find answers - and deliver justice for her sister - Maude must step into London's dark underbelly, and into the path of dangerous, powerful men. The kind of men who seek their fortune in the city's horrors, from the hangings at Newgate to the ghoulish waxworks of Madame Tussaud's. It is a perilous task. But Maude has dangerous skills of her own . . . 'Brilliant! Stuffed with adventure' - Stuart Turton, author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle 'A gripping adventure story' - Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters 'Victorian gothic at its very very best' - Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora

Lizzie Pook (Author), Genevieve Gaunt (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Philosophy of Love

What is love? Is it something spiritual or wholly physical? Can our feelings be explained and quantified? Or are we all actually two halves of a whole? Ask Alice and Luke and you'd receive vastly different answers. Despite her world having been recently dismantled by a messy break-up, Alice would tell you that love is the most important - albeit ineffable - human experiences. But when she once again crosses paths with her old school nemesis, Luke, he challenges this. Luke is a scientist and he's certain love can be measured and explained - just like everything else. So the two decide to make a bet: they'll each venture back into dating and if one of them falls in love, Alice wins, if not, then Luke does. But can anyone win when you're playing with emotions?

Rebecca Ryan (Author), Heather Long (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Quantum Love Story

From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Brotherhood The only thing harder than finding someone in a time loop is losing them. Grieving her best friend's recent death, neuroscientist Mariana Pineda's ready to give up everything to start anew. Even her career-after one last week consulting at a top secret particle accelerator. Except the strangest thing happens: a man stops her…and claims they've met before. Carter Cho knows who she is, why she's mourning, why she's there. And he needs Mariana to remember everything he's saying. Because time is about to loop. In a flash of energy, it's Monday morning. Again. Together, Mariana and Carter enter an inevitable life, four days at a time, over and over, without permanence except for what they share. But just as they figure out this new life, everything changes. Because Carter's memories of the time loop are slowly disappearing. And their only chance at happiness is breaking out of the loop-forever. "This unusual and satisfying near-future time-travel adventure fires on all cylinders." -Publishers Weekly Also by Mike Chen: HERE AND NOW AND THEN A BEGINNING AT THE END WE COULD BE HEROES LIGHT YEARS FROM HOME VAMPIRE WEEKEND

Mike Chen (Author), Patti Murin (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos

Two sisters seek a new balance in work, family, and love when one receives a diagnosis that sets the clock ticking. Determined to save Sherri's life, Kristen drops everything to guide her sister on the harrowing cancer treatment journey. When she's unable to balance the strain of caring for her patients, being a wife and mother, and her frantic efforts to save her sister, Kristen's carefully balanced life crumbles, starting with her marriage. Desperate to regain her footing, she vows to rebuild her broken relationships . . . as soon as she's sure Sherri will beat the odds stacked against her. Unlike her sister, Sherri Reynolds has worked to cultivate balance in her life. Her children, her job as a teacher, and her strong faith keep her grounded-until her diagnosis sends her spiraling into the scary world of what-ifs and unknown outcomes. Sherri faces the agonizing realization that family history may be about to repeat itself. With the clock ticking, she's determined to use whatever time she has left to heal old wounds and restore relationships. - Poignant contemporary Christian fiction - Stand-alone novel

Kelly Irvin (Author), Jeremy Childs, Jessica Holtan (Narrator)

Audiobook

You Don't Have to Crush Your Ex: Hints, Hacks, and Hell-No's to

Drop the Battle. Win the War that Matters. Vanessa and Luke met in college. Young and ambitious, they fell in love, married, bought a house in the suburbs, and created a perfect family. He worked tirelessly to advance his career, so she could stay home with the children and manage their busy household. For fifteen years, they built a network of friends, family traditions, and an amazing life together. Everything was going great until it wasn't. Now, they are facing a very painful divorce and a custody battle over two children both parents adore. Family members, friends, and legal professionals-everyone has an opinion about how to come out on top. In You Don't Have to Crush Your Ex, Lori Bonnevier-a clinical social worker and seasoned child custody evaluator-invites you to walk beside Vanessa and Luke, as they face challenges similar to yours. You will have the unique opportunity to make choices about divorce, your children, and how to participate in a custody evaluation to achieve the best outcome. Through this insightful and witty choose-your-own-outcome-style story, Lori shares her more than twenty years of trade secrets to help you navigate the complex and often-thorny experience of participating in family law litigation. By the end of the book, you will know how to: ? Present your best self to a child custody evaluator. ? Protect your child's emotional health and well-being. ? Keep your sanity and thrive on the other side. ? Discern which attorneys will hurt or help your efforts. ? Acquire resources to manage specific challenges. ? Save your family time and money. This book is a must-read for parents, grandparents, and interested third parties involved in or headed toward a custody lawsuit over the children they love. The Choices We Make, Make Us.

Lori A. Bonnevier (Author), Brey Noelle Nordtvedt, Vladimir Louissaint, Vladimir Louissant (Narrator)

Audiobook

Living Right - 50 Stories Of Moral Clarity - Book 3

This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice. Living Right: Stories of Moral Clarity' is a captivating collection of narratives that delve into the complex world of ethics, values, and human behavior. Through a series of thought-provoking and heartwarming tales, this collection explores the profound impact of moral choices in our lives. Each story is a journey that leads readers through moments of decision and consequence, highlighting the importance of integrity, empathy, kindness, and the pursuit of what is right. These stories offer both wisdom and inspiration, reminding us that, in a world often clouded by uncertainty, our moral compass can guide us toward a brighter, more virtuous path.

Priscilla Rogers (Author), Digital Voice Madison G (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Wilderness Way

Inspired by the true events of the most notorious evictions in Irish history… 1861, Donegal, Ireland Ten years ago Declan Conaghan’s father died in the Great Famine, and since then, Declan has kept his promise to keep his family out of the workhouse. But all that is threatened with the arrival of new landlord, John Adair. Adair is quick to cause trouble and fear among his tenants. When he turns them off his land, Declan has no option but to break his promise… Declan is in despair until he receives a letter from America offering him the chance of a new life and salvation for his family. But it would mean signing up to the US Army and fighting for Lincoln. Despite knowing nothing of war, or US politics, Declan leaves behind all he knows. Set against the wild landscapes of Ireland and the turbulent times of the American Civil War, this sweeping narrative takes us on an epic journey to understand the strength and endurance of the human spirit. Praise for Anne Madden: 'The author seems to have put all her love into this book … this historical fiction story is exceptional' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A moving and fascinating historical fiction story that I could not put down!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This has to be another of my 'best reads' for 2023’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A gripping, realistic tale. Highly recommend.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I’ve been waiting for a book like this’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A solid book club pick!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anne Madden (Author), John Cormack (Narrator)

Audiobook

Family Life Audiobooks in Fiction & Literature