Audiobooks narrated by Eileen Stevens

The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2024

Award-winning environmentalist, author, and journalist Bill McKibben selects twenty science and nature essays that represent the best examples of the form published in the previous year. A collection of the best science and nature articles published in 2023, selected by guest editor Bill McKibben and series editor Jaime Green.

Bill Mckibben, Jaime Green (Author), Eileen Stevens, Gina Daniels, Lee Osorio, Stephen Graybill, TBD (Narrator)

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Burdened: Student Debt and the Making of an American Crisis

An urgent investigation of student debt in America revealing the corrupt systems, rotten policies, and bad actors that have created a $1.7 trillion crisis. College costs more today than ever and is worth less. Tuition at public colleges has more than tripled in the past 50 years. Over the same period student debt has grown from virtually nothing to more than $1.7 trillion, second only to home mortgages. Skyrocketing student-loan burdens are leading an entire generation to put off the traditional milestones of adulthood: buying homes, getting married, starting families, and saving for retirement. The burden weighs heavier on women and black Americans, and with almost 10 percent of student debtors now over the age of 60, it is a crisis no longer limited to the young. Ryann Liebenthal’s Burdened tells the maddening story of how the power plays of legislators and presidents, the commodification of higher ed, and the rapacious practices of for-profit colleges and private lenders have created today’s student-debt lava pit. As the notion of student-loan cancellation percolates into the political mainstream, Liebenthal offers a deeply researched, sweeping narrative of our broken system. Rather than give in to despair, she boldly charts a way out, offering hopeful solutions to this seemingly unfixable problem.

Ryann Liebenthal (Author), Eileen Stevens, Tbd (Narrator)

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The Nature of Our Cities: Harnessing the Power of the Natural World to Survive a Changing Planet

In the tradition of Elizabeth Kolbert and Michael Pollan, The Nature of Our Cities is a stirring exploration of how innovators from around the world are combining urban nature with emerging technologies, protecting the planet’s cities from the effects of climate change and safeguarding the health of their inhabitants. We live in an age when humanity spends 90% of its time indoors, yet the nature around us—especially in America’s cities—has never been more vital. This distancing from nature has sparked crises in mental health, longevity, and hope for the next generation, while also heightening the risks we face from historic floods, heatwaves, and wildfires. Indeed, embracing nature holds untapped potential to strengthen and fortify our cities, suburbs, and towns, providing solutions spanning flood preparation, wildfire management, and promoting longevity. As ecological engineer Dr. Nadina Galle shows in The Nature of Our Cities nature is our most critical infrastructure for tackling the climate crisis. It just needs a little help. A fellow at MIT’s Senseable City Lab and selected for Forbes’ 30 under 30 list, Galle is at the forefront of the growing movement to fuse nature and technology for urban resilience. In THE NATURE OF OUR CITIES, she embarks on a journey as fascinating as it is pressing, showing how scientists and citizens from around the world are harnessing emerging technologies to unlock the power of the natural world to save their cities, a phenomenon she calls the “Internet of Nature.” Traveling the globe, Galle examines how urban nature, long an afterthought for many, actually points the way toward a more sustainable future. She reveals how technology can help nature navigate this precarious moment with modern advances such as: Laser-mapping that identifies at-risk neighborhoods to fight deadly health disparities A.I.-powered robots that prevent wildfires from reaching urban areas Intelligent water gardens that protect cities from floods and hurricanes Advanced sensors that achieve 99% tree survival in dry, hot summers Optimistic in spirit yet pragmatic in approach, Galle writes persuasively that the future of urban life depends on balancing the natural world with the technology that can help sustain it. By turns clear-eyed and lyrical, THE NATURE OF OUR CITIES marks the emergence of an invigorating, prescient new talent in nature writing.

Nadina Galle (Author), Eileen Stevens (Narrator)

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The Meadows

'A story of pain, injustice, love, resistance, and hope, this glorious book will lodge inside you and make you feel everything." -Helena Fox, award-winning author of How It Feels to Float A queer, YA Handmaid's Tale meets Never Let Me Go about a dystopian society bent on relentless conformity, and the struggle of one girl to save herself and those she loves from a life of lies Everyone hopes for a letter-to attend the Estuary, the Glades, the Meadows. These are the special places where only the best and brightest go to burn even brighter. When Eleanor is accepted at the Meadows, it means escape from her hardscrabble life by the sea, in a country ravaged by climate disaster. But despite its luminous facilities, endless fields, and pretty things, the Meadows keeps dark secrets: its purpose is to reform students, to condition them against their attractions, to show them that one way of life is the only way to survive. And maybe Eleanor would believe them, except then she meets Rose. Five years later, Eleanor and her friends seem free of the Meadows, changed but not as they'd hoped. Eleanor is an adjudicator, her job to ensure her former classmates don't stray from the lives they've been trained to live. But Eleanor can't escape her past . . . or thoughts of the girl she once loved. As secrets unfurl, Eleanor must wage a dangerous battle for her own identity and the truth of what happened to the girl she lost, knowing, if she's not careful, Rose's fate could be her own. A raw and timely masterwork of speculative fiction, The Meadows will sink its roots into you. This is a novel for our times and for always-not to be missed. 'Dystopian YA at its finest.' -BCCB (starred review) "[One of] the best YA novels hitting shelves . . . More necessary and timely than ever." -Paste Magazine 'Evocative prose and worldbuilding shot through with equal parts melancholy and hope.' -PW (starred review) "Timely and gripping, [with] a new revelation always around the corner." -Kirkus Reviews 'Atmospheric and unsettling . . . Belongs in every collection.' -Natalie C. Parker, author of the Seafire series "Extraordinary." -Helena Fox, author of How It Feels to Float

Stephanie Oakes (Author), Eileen Stevens (Narrator)

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Where in the Om Am I?: One Woman's Journey from the Corporate World to the Yoga Mat

Now a cult classic, Where in the Om Am I? is an irreverent, honest, and hilarious memoir of a woman’s journey from the corporate world to the perilous world of yoga. Sara has invested years dutifully climbing the corporate ladder to become head of public relations at a major financial-services company, but she can’t shake the feeling that she’s not where she belongs. When her latest boss, a wine-guzzling, drama-loving diva, finally drives her to the brink, Sara seeks sanctuary in yoga-teacher training—only to encounter an entirely different assortment of craziness and calamity. Where in the OM Am I? chronicles one woman’s journey from the fast-paced, cutthroat corporate world to the slow-paced, surprisingly catty, and sometimes perilous world of yoga. Along the way, Sara confronts the harsh reality of working in a male-dominated industry, the challenges of being a corporate interloper in the yoga community, and the complexity of interactions between women in both realms. As epic mishaps beget personal revelations, Sara digs deep for the courage to forge a new life for herself.

Sara Divello (Author), Eileen Stevens (Narrator)

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Social Engagement: A Novel

''If you’re looking for a page-turner with some bite, this one’s for you.'' —theSkimm ''Millennial wedding culture gets a much-needed skewering in this alternately light and biting novel.'' — Vogue A razor-sharp and darkly humorous debut novel exploring millennial wedding culture, class, and relationships, all filtered through the ever-present lens of social media. In an opulent honeymoon suite in Watch Hill, Rhode Island’s most desirable wedding venue, 29-year-old Callie Holt is spending her wedding night lying in a bathtub shoveling down a pizza; her expensive white dress now splattered with sauce and her groom passed out in the next room. With her seven-hour-old marriage already imploded, Callie turns to the place of record – her phone – sifting through the photographic evidence of the past year to pinpoint where it all went wrong. Could it have started when Callie moved in with her best friend, Virginia Murphy, in the swanky Upper East Side pied-à-terre for which Virginia’s parents foot the bill? Or when Virginia’s irritatingly attractive cousin (and Callie’s secret ex) Ollie returned from pursuing his photography career abroad, throwing a wrench in Callie’s relationship with her kind (if a bit dim) finance bro boyfriend, Whit? Or was the true turning point when Callie stumbled upon a dark secret lurking in the Murphys’ well-heeled past, one with the potential to upend everything Callie knows about the people she considers her second family? Over the course of one wedding-filled year, all these long-simmering secrets and resentments will come bubbling to the surface, leading to a reckoning that will strip Callie and everyone around her down to their most gruesomely real, filter-free selves. As Callie attends wedding after wedding, getting tagged in post after post, she begins to contemplate—and actualize through her own art—the gulf between the true selves of the people around her and the selves they present on their screens.

Avery Carpenter Forrey (Author), Eileen Stevens (Narrator)

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Exactly Where You Need to Be

Turtles All the Way Down meets Love and Luck in this romantic road trip story about a teen girl’s last chance to have an epic summer with her best friend before everything changes. Florie’s OCD and her mother’s worrying have kept her from a lot of things, like having an after-school job and getting her driver’s license. And now that she’s graduated high school, while her best friend Kacey is headed off to Portland in the fall, Florie’s taking a parent-sanctioned gap year off before starting college. When the decision was made, Florie was on board, but now she can’t ignore the growing itch to become the person she wants to be and venture outside the quaint, boring Washington town she grew up in. Winning tickets to see her favorite true crime podcast’s live show in California gives her the opportunity to do just that, if only for a few days. So—unbeknownst to their parents—Kacey and Florie set off on a road trip to San Francisco. The only downside in Florie’s opinion? Sam, Kacey’s older brother and Florie’s forever crush, is their ride. The Samson Hodge, who Florie hasn’t seen since winter break, and who she’d prefer to never see again, if possible. But Florie is willing to put up with Sam if it means one last adventure with her best friend. Making it to San Francisco and back to Washington without their parents catching on isn’t a given, but one thing is for sure: this trip will change everything.

Amelia Diane Coombs (Author), Eileen Stevens (Narrator)

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5-Minute Mindfulness: Parenting: Essays and Exercises for Parenting from the Heart

This pocket-sized guide for time-pressed families provides brief essays on various aspects of mindful parenting, along with simple, five-minute exercises. Embrace mindfulness to truly connect with the ones you love. If you are looking for a more enriching and empathetic way to raise your children, Five-Minute Mindfulness: Parenting is the perfect companion. The enlightening essays and simple exercises in this book will help you to communicate more effectively, make your relationships more harmonious, and ensure that the time you spend with your family is rewarding for you, your partner, and your children. Topics covered include: - Finding calm through meditation and adjustments to your home environment - Making time for yourself and your kids - Dealing with emotions and difficult times - Nurturing self-esteem by exploring passions and building resilience - Healthy routines for sleep, eating, and mindful breathing - Getting outside, enjoying nature, and encouraging greater freedoms Attractive, compact, and accessible, Five-Minute Mindfulness: Parenting works in harmony with the fast pace of modern life. Just read, try an exercise, and enjoy a new and more fulfilling relationship with your child.

Claire Gillman (Author), Eileen Stevens (Narrator)

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Imposter

Two sisters, a lifetime of secrets Lilian and Rosie were once the closest of sisters, but the untimely death of their parents pulled them apart. Now, three years on, Rosie has reached out to her big sister, asking to meet. Driving on an icy road in the middle of a snowstorm, Rosie admits that she has something important to tell Lilian—a secret she describes as a matter of life and death. But before she has a chance to tell Lilian, a car careens into theirs, with devastating consequences. Lilian survives unscathed, but Rosie is left with a traumatic brain injury, unable to communicate. Lilian is convinced that someone deliberately rammed Rosie’s car. But why? As Lilian begins to explore her sister’s past, she uncovers disturbing secrets that make her question if she ever really knew Rosie. The closer Lilian comes to the truth, the more danger she and Rosie find themselves in. But Lilian is certain of one thing: she abandoned her little sister once before and will never do so again. Even if it means sacrificing everything.

Bradeigh Godfrey (Author), Brittany Pressley, Eileen Stevens (Narrator)

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The Wakeful Body: Somatic Mindfulness as a Path to Freedom

A highly practical and approachable guide to somatic meditation with easy practices for accessing the body’s inherent mindfulness, from an expert in somatic meditation. Tap into the wisdom of the body with down-to-earth practices like “Surrendering to the Breath” and “Befriending Feelings” that allow the body to become the source of mindfulness. Willa Blythe Baker introduces meditation practice as the cultivation of a way of being, rather than a way of doing. It is a way of being that is self-aware, self-compassionate, and embodied. This way of being is not limited to practice on the cushion or on the yoga mat—somatic mindfulness is available at any moment, activated by attention to the body’s wisdom and its teachings. Discover the three layers of embodiment, from the earth body of flesh and blood, the subtle body of sensory experience and emotion, and the awareness body of consciousness. The three parts of this book explore these layers through turning attention to the physical, energetic, and mental dimensions of human experience. By diving deep into the body, readers will find that they already have what they need. Concentration, wisdom, compassion, kindness, and joy are waiting there.

Willa Blythe Baker (Author), Eileen Stevens (Narrator)

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Room and Board: A Novel

A charming and redemptive novel about unexpected second chances, following a publicist who, after the sudden implosion of her career, takes a job as a dorm mom at a Sonoma boarding school that happens to be her alma mater Gillian thought she had everything she ever wanted-as a successful publicist running her own Manhattan firm and working with a high-profile-celebrity clientele, she finally made herself at home among the elite who eluded her throughout her youth. That is, until her career implodes, leaving her jobless, friendless, and with a googleable reputation that follows her everywhere. So, when she receives an offer to become a "dorm mom" at Glen Ellen Academy, the prestigious Sonoma boarding school she attended two decades earlier on scholarship, she leaps at the opportunity for a change of scene-at least until she can figure out how to rehabilitate her career. But Gillian is surprised to find herself enjoying her new life: her role as a mentor is unexpectedly fulfilling, she finds a community, and most surprisingly of all she runs into an old flame from her own time at school, who is just as dashing now as he was then. However, just as she begins to feel comfortable, a scandal surfaces on campus that threatens to derail everything, and Gillian must figure out how to save her job, her students, her friends, and her new romance before it's too late.

Miriam Parker (Author), Eileen Stevens (Narrator)

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Reclaiming Body Trust: A Path to Healing & Liberation

A holistic and powerful framework for accepting and liberating our bodies, and ourselves. Have you ever felt uncomfortable or not "at home" in your body? In this book, the founders of Body Trust, licensed therapist Hilary Kinavey and registered dietician Dana Sturtevant, invite readers to break free from the status quo and reject a diet culture that has taken advantage and profited from trauma, stigma, and disembodiment, and fully reclaim and embrace their bodies. Informed by the personal body stories of the hundreds of people they have worked with, Reclaiming Body Trust delineates an intersectional, social justice−orientated path to healing in three phases: The Rupture, The Reckoning, and The Reclamation. Throughout, readers will be anchored by the authors' innovative and revolutionary Body Trust framework to discover a pathway out of a rigid, mechanistic way of thinking about the body and into a more authentic, sustainable way to occupy and nurture our bodies.

Dana Sturtevant, Hilary Kinavey (Author), Angela Braxton-Johnson, Eileen Stevens, Hilary Kinavey, Jessica Almasy, Nicky Endres (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Eileen Stevens