Audiobooks narrated by Charlie Thurston

'A lean, careening thrill … one of my favourite books of the year' Megan Nolan ‘Riveting reading' The Times 'Irresistible … A page-turning story of sex, power, and money' Vogue, Best Books of 2024 So Far A razor-sharp novel that skewers the life of the uber-rich in the vein of The White Lotus, with shades of The Talented Mr Ripley and The Graduate Conor is a recent graduate from a law school no one has heard of. Without any job prospects and needing to support his chronically ill mother, he takes a summer job teaching tennis at the affluent gated community of Cutters Neck, Massachusetts. One of his first students is Catherine, a magnetic divorcée keen to hire him for more than advice on her serve. What begins as a transactional arrangement soon develops into an intoxicating sexual relationship. Things become even more complicated when Conor encounters Emily, with whom he has his first taste of real intimacy. Against his better judgment, he soon finds himself living a double life that inevitably leads to disaster. Conor knows how hard it is to win against those with money and power. In his fight for survival, he has to put emotion aside and play with only his wits – after all, in tennis, love means nothing. TOP OF THE LIST ON THE NEW YORK TIMES' BEST THRILLERS OF 2024 SO FAR ‘Wayne’s plot was made to gallop, and it does not disappoint’ New York Times 'Terrific' Wall Street Journal 'Well-paced, smart … A savvy take on sex, money and power … A movie-ready page turner' Washington Post WHAT READERS ARE SAYING… 'Wow, talk about a can’t-put-down book' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Aced it! An absolute page turner!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I had hard time going to sleep at night because I was so engaged and couldn’t stop reading' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Where in the world have I been that I have never discovered this writer before??' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Teddy Wayne (Author), Charlie Thurston (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Rain

Perfect for fans of the hit TV series The Last of Us and novels like Camp Zero, this riveting novel set in a postapocalyptic America brings us a chilling look at survival in the face of a catastrophic climate disaster and the collapse of civilization as we know it. The rain began nineteen years ago, and it never stopped: more than a foot of rain per day until almost the whole of North America was underwater. Those who survived the first year were forced to take drastic measures, and those who held to the veneer of civilization were few and very far between. Seventeen-year-old Tanner grew up after the rain began. She and her adoptive caretaker, Russell, have long sought a fabled Colorado refuge, a dream that has kept them going through years of brutal trials as they try to stay one step ahead of the “face eaters”—people addicted to a mysterious drug that drives them to murder and cannibalism. When the rain began, Rook Wallace was a meteorologist who joined a company called Yasper that, years after its emergency funding dried up, continues its stated mission to help survivors by maintaining a trade network among isolated island communities. But when Rook learns the insidious truth of what keeps the Yasper mission going, he is forced to risk everything that remains of his former life to try to stop it. As Tanner’s and Rook’s stories converge in time and geography, readers will be thrilled by this postapocalyptic tale for fans of Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven and Josh Malerman’s Bird Box.

Joseph A. Turkot (Author), Charlie Thurston, Lily Ganser (Narrator)

Audiobook

Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears

The author of the New York Times bestseller Her Again: Becoming Meryl Streep returns with a lively history of the Academy Awards, focusing on the brutal battles, the starry rivalries, and the colorful behind-the-scenes drama. America does not have royalty. It has the Academy Awards. For nine decades, perfectly coiffed starlets, debonair leading men, and producers with gold in their eyes have chased the elusive Oscar. What began as an industry banquet in 1929 has now exploded into a hallowed ceremony, complete with red carpets, envelopes, and little gold men. But don’t be fooled by the pomp: the Oscars, more than anything, are a battlefield, where the history of Hollywood—and of America itself—unfolds in dramas large and small. The road to the Oscars may be golden, but it’s paved in blood, sweat, and broken hearts. In Oscar Wars, Michael Schulman chronicles the remarkable, sprawling history of the Academy Awards and the personal dramas—some iconic, others never-before-revealed—that have played out on the stage and off camera. Unlike other books on the subject, each chapter takes a deep dive into a particular year, conflict, or even category that tells a larger story of cultural change, from Louis B. Mayer to Moonlight. Schulman examines how the red carpet runs through contested turf, and the victors aren't always as clear as the names drawn from envelopes. Caught in the crossfire are people: their thwarted ambitions, their artistic epiphanies, their messy collaborations, their dreams fulfilled or dashed. Featuring a star-studded cast of some of the most powerful Hollywood players of today and yesterday, as well as outsiders who stormed the palace gates, this captivating history is a collection of revelatory tales, each representing a turning point for the Academy, for the movies, or for the culture at large. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Michael Schulman (Author), Charlie Thurston (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Dalí Legacy: How an Eccentric Genius Changed the Art World and Created a Lasting Legacy

In turns beloved and reviled, twentieth century art, painter, filmmaker, and designer Salvador Dali set Europe and the United States ablaze with his uncompromising genius, sexual sadism, and flirtations with megalomania. His shocking behavior and work frequently alienated critics; his views were so outrageous, even prominent Surrealists tried to ostracize him. Still, every morning he experienced 'an exquisite joy-the joy of being Salvador Dali,' and, through a remarkable talent that invited bewilderment, anger, and adoration, rose to unprecedented levels of fame-forever shifting the landscape of the art world and the nature of celebrity itself. In this stunning volume, noted art historians Jean-Pierre Isbouts and Christopher Heath Brown discuss the historical, social, and political conditions that shaped Dali's work, identify the impact of Modern as well as Old Master art, and present an unflinching view of the master's personal relationships and motivations. With their deeply compelling narrative, Isbouts and Brown uncover how Dali's visual wit and enduring cult of personality still impacts fashion, literature, and art, from Andy Warhol to Lady Gaga, and seeks to answer why, in an age of shock and awe, Dali's art still manages to distress, perplex, and entertain.

Christopher Heath Brown, Jean-Pierre Isbouts (Author), Charlie Thurston (Narrator)

Audiobook

Lark Ascending

A riveting story of survival and hope, set in the not-too-distant future, about a young man forced to flee the United States and seek refuge across the Atlantic. As fires devastate most of the United States, Lark and his family secure a place on a refugee boat headed to Ireland, the last country not yet overrun by extremists and rumored to be accepting American refugees. But Lark is the only one to survive the trip, and once ashore, he doesn't find the safe haven he'd hoped for. As he runs for his life, Lark finds an abandoned dog who becomes his closest companion, and then a woman in search of her lost son. Together they form a makeshift family and attempt to reach Glendalough, a place they believe will offer protection. But can any community provide the safety that they seek? For readers of novels such as Station Eleven, The Dog Stars, and Migrations, Lark Ascending is a moving and unforgettable story of friendship, family, and healing.

Silas House (Author), Charlie Thurston (Narrator)

Audiobook

When Animals Dream: The Hidden World of Animal Consciousness

Are humans the only dreamers on Earth? What goes on in the minds of animals when they sleep? When Animals Dream brings together behavioral and neuroscientific research on animal sleep with philosophical theories of dreaming. It shows that dreams provide an invaluable window into the cognitive and emotional lives of nonhuman animals, giving us access to a seemingly inaccessible realm of animal experience. David Peña-Guzmán uncovers evidence of animal dreaming throughout the scientific literature, suggesting that many animals run 'reality simulations' while asleep, with a dream-ego moving through a dynamic and coherent dreamscape. He builds a convincing case for animals as conscious beings and examines the thorny scientific, philosophical, and ethical questions it raises. Once we accept that animals dream, we incur a host of moral obligations and have no choice but to rethink our views about who animals are and the interior lives they lead. A mesmerizing journey into the otherworldly domain of nonhuman consciousness, When Animals Dream carries profound implications for contemporary debates about animal cognition, animal ethics, and animal rights, challenging us to regard animals as beings who matter, and for whom things matter.

David M. Pena-Guzman (Author), Charlie Thurston (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Lay of the Land: A Self-Taught Photographer’s Journey to Find Faith, Love, and Happiness

A spiritually uplifting memoir by the hugely popular photographer on Instagram, Joe Greer, Lay of the Land is a collection of thoughtful essays—half fan favorites, and half never-before-seen. “Each photograph really does come down to a split second when you decide to freeze that moment in time. . . . You ask yourself what the story is that you want to tell, and let the rest unfold: Click.”—from the introduction Joe Greer never imagined he would become a photographer. Raised in Florida by an aunt and uncle after his mother’s death when he was four, Joe had a seemingly normal childhood, spending summers at church camp and dreaming of going to college. But nearly fifteen years later, the ground shifted beneath his feet when he discovered a family secret that would impact the rest of his life. Trying to make sense of that revelation and what it meant for his future, Greer set his sights on becoming a pastor at Spokane’s Moody Bible Institute. There, he discovered Instagram—and a passion for photography. His pictures of the lush, wild beauty of the Pacific Northwest landscape attracted a large following that has grown to more than three quarters of a millions fans and continues to expand. The Lay of the Land is Joe’s story. In this stunning compendium, he reflects on the trauma of his early life and what photography has taught him: how to find his light; how to slow down; how to appreciate the world around him, a reverence for the nature world that that both nurtures and amplifies his creativity and faith; how to love—his photography led him to his wife, Madison—and how to heal. For Joe, photography has been a way to find purpose, better understand his faith, and express himself. Though he began with landscapes, meeting his wife sparked a new love of portraiture, and he turned to making photos of street scenes that explored his complicated feelings about family. A love letter to the natural world, to faith, and to finding your calling in the most unexpected places, The Lay of the Land is a window into the beautiful mind and heart of one of the internet’s favorite photographers. Moving and inspiring, it is a creative and spiritual journey that offers lessons on life and living. As Greer reminds us all, whatever it is you want, it’s up to you to make the moment (and the photograph).

Joe Greer (Author), Charlie Thurston (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Night to Die For

When a boy finds a girl's body in the ditch on prom night...he becomes the primary suspect in her murder. Prom dreams. Prom Screams. Mario Woods is looking forward to one normal night before he graduates. He's spent most of high school riding solo. But when fate lands him a date for prom, he figures this might be his chance to be less of a loner. Only, prom turns out to be a disaster. Just when Mario thought the night couldn't get any worse, he sees something on the side of the road while driving home. That something is Prom Queen Maribelle Starr-murdered and left for dead. All Mario wanted was to go to prom...but somehow, he ended up in hell.

Lisa Schroeder (Author), Andrew Eiden, André Santana, Cassandra Campbell, Charlie Thurston, Cheryl Smith, Dallis Seeker, Danny Campbell, Dominque Dibbell, Giordan Diaz, Lee Osorio, Lillie Ricciardi, Max Meyers, Michael Crouch, Victoria Villarreal (Narrator)

Audiobook

Passport to the Paranormal: Your Guide to Haunted Spots in America

Real American Hot Spots Every state has its spooky paranormal locations. This book lists 200 haunted hotels, restaurants, bars, museums, and other haunted spaces that you can visit for yourself in all fifty states. In Passport to the Paranormal, expert ghost hunter Rich Newman explores the nature of each location's activity and provides historical details. These active locations are operating businesses, so you, too, can experience the haunts and apparitions. Gallivant with ghostly gunfighters at Big Nose Kate's Saloon in Tombstone, Arizona. Take a twirl with the Lady in Blue at the Moss Beach Distillery in California. Try not to get pranked by the Sheriff, the resident spirit at the Grand Old Lady Hotel in Balsam, North Carolina. Discover these and hundreds more stories of hauntings, specters, and things that go bump in the night in this treasure trove of real paranormal activity.

Rich Newman (Author), Charlie Thurston (Narrator)

Audiobook

Men I've Never Been: A Memoir

Men I've Never Been recounts Michael Sadowski's odyssey as a boy who shuns his own identity-and, ultimately, his sexual orientation-in order to become who he thinks he's supposed to be. Beginning with the memory of a four-year-old sitting in a dingy dive bar, sounding out newspaper headlines while his boasting father collects drinks from onlookers, each chapter highlights a different image of manhood that Sadowski saw at home, at school, or on television-from sports heroes, hunters, and game show hosts to his charismatic but hard-drinking father. As he learns not to talk, laugh, cry, or love, he retreats further behind a stoic mask of silence-outwardly well-functioning but emotionally isolated, sinking under the weight of the past. Through wrenching tragedy and tense, life-threatening challenges, Sadowski learns to find love, purpose, and healthy self-regard. In coming to understand his identity and his place within his family, he meditates on the power of real human connection and comes to grasp the damage of his troubled upbringing and the traumas caused by toxic masculinity. By turns comic and tragic, this nuanced memoir uncovers the false selves we create to get along in the world and the price we pay to maintain them.

Michael Sadowski (Author), Charlie Thurston (Narrator)

Audiobook

In Absentia: An Anthology

Chance Fortunato may be away at boarding school, but the bad guys haven't gone anywhere, and they certainly haven't changed their ways. It falls to Chance's friends to pick up the slack. In Mage Enough, Lucas is confronted with the consequences of helping Chance during an earlier adventure and must delve into the vampire subculture of New Essex in order to find a missing priest. As he uncovers another, greater threat, he also discovers that he's capable of far more than he ever thought possible. In Freedom, Shade learns that there is much more to the world behind the Veil than she ever suspected. When Lucas shows up needing her help for a newfound friend, she's more than willing to assist. But they quickly discover that he's taken something that the vampires will go to any lengths to get back. In trying to keep those around her safe, she will discover what it truly means to live free, and how far she'll go to safeguard that right. In Those Who Can, Dr. Corwyn discovers how far the conspiracy Lucas and Shade have uncovered goes, and how much the Conclave doesn't know. Drafted back into a role he had given up years ago, he must figure out how the Sentinels have changed over the years, and if he can do the job now. As he struggles to find his way in his old/new role, he finds an even bigger conspiracy and the hint of something familiar.

Ben Reeder (Author), Charlie Thurston (Narrator)

Audiobook

Prom Knight

Apprentice mage Chance Fortunato has faced off with a lot of nasty things. Power hungry vampires, abusive alpha werewolves, and deranged cultists. But none of his training under his mentor Dr. Corwin has prepared him for the trial he is about to face: Junior Prom. While investigating an occult group, Chance discovers something truly sinister: an event known as the Rending will fall on the night of prom, and every circle of demon-worshippers in New Essex is looking for one girl: the Half-Caste Chylde. Some want to capture her, others want to kill her, for her blood is the key to controlling Mammon's Horde and collecting on the true purpose of the Rending: to break a demonic contract without giving up what was bargained for or losing one's soul. As if things weren't bad enough, Chance learns that if the Horde is not controlled by the blood of the Half-Caste Chylde, it will break free to fulfill a plan of its own, to slaughter one hundred innocents as a sacrifice to release Mammon, the original ruler of Hell. Caught between two terrible choices, Chance's job is made all the more difficult as the past begins to catch up to his mentor and himself. Old debts come due, forgotten wounds are reopened, and alliances shift in unexpected directions as Chance fights to save both his classmates and the Half-Caste Chylde, whoever she is. With the truth closer than he realizes, can Chance do the impossible, save the day and survive taking up the mantle of Prom Knight?

Ben Reeder (Author), Charlie Thurston (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Charlie Thurston