elves in fiction Audiobooks

Part memoir, part cultural exploration, this book covers the author’s journey as she grows up in an evangelical Christian home, leaves religion behind as a young adult, and goes on to raise children in a family outside of religious belief. Maria Polonchek weaves a personal story with up-to-date studies and philosophic exploration of what it means to raise secular children in an otherwise religious world. Offering careful and respectful advice for other parents who are raising their children outside of a particular religious belief system, she explores the many other ways of instilling identity, belonging, and meaning into our lives and the lives of children. Honest and irreverent, the author admits to her religious “baggage” and searches for better understanding of such topics as religious education, morality, awe, death, purpose, and meaning, and tradition from secular perspectives. She interviews experts, looks at various studies, and turns to a variety of sources for answers, while maintaining a casual and personal tone. While she ultimately argues for parents to let their children shape their own beliefs, she encourages families to tend to existential and social needs that sometimes go unnoticed or unconsidered in life outside religion.

Imagined by one of the world's leading experts on Buddhism, this fictionalised conversation presents the essential biography of its famously wise founder. A relaxed chat with the Buddha tells us what he thought about impermanence, karma, mindfulness, compassion, love, and everything else that leads us toward a true understanding of ourselves and the cosmos. We know him as the Buddha, the "Awakened One". Born Siddhartha Gautama 2,500 years ago in northern India, he became one of the world's greatest spiritual leaders. He suffered as we do, then by his own efforts found the key to liberation from the bonds of desire, hatred and ignorance. As Westerners living in relative prosperity, we can identify with this man who had it all - love, success, money, talent, privilege - but set these things aside to search for something deeper and more enduring. This book presents an account of the Buddha's life followed by a series of plausible and illuminating but imagined conversations, which probe all aspects of his philosophy for living. The insights he conveys here offer us practical wisdom for a better life.

FULL OF TWISTS AND TURNS, A HEARTSTOPPING MYSTERY FROM YOUR NEW CRIME FICTION OBSESSION: BIBA PEARCE. A serial killer who dumps the victims’ bodies in Soho Square. A sleepless detective thwarted by his box-ticking boss. Detective Rob Miller thinks he’s seen it all, but this murder scene takes his breath away. The victim is bound and gagged, with whip marks on his back. The location is one of the busiest squares in London. The cause of death appears to be strangulation. Murder or a game gone wrong? The prime suspect is the victim’s partner. Under pressure from his superiors, Rob makes an arrest despite his doubts. But another body is found: bound, gagged and dumped in the middle of central London. Again, there are no witnesses. Now Rob’s on the hunt for a serial killer with a fetish — and a talent for staying invisible. Then the killer makes it personal . . . AN UNSTOPPABLE CRIME MYSTERY THAT YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO PUT DOWN. This gripping page-turner is perfect for fans of Helen H. Durrant, Mick Herron, Joy Ellis, Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean, Alex Smith and J.M. Dalgliesh. MEET THE DETECTIVE DI ROB MILLER An ambitious young detective gunning for promotion. He will do anything for his job, but can he also keep his personal life under control? His ten-month-old son has yet to learn how to sleep through the night, but at least he has his dog. THE SETTING The Murder Investigation Team is based out of leafy Putney, with its overgrown often-flooded riverbanks. One way the river leads into central London, the other out into the countryside. It’s an idyllic setting that masks a criminal underworld.

On the day that Yasmin Starr gets divorced, a divorce agreement becomes the number one trending topic."The divorce is due to the man's inability to fulfill his basic duties as a husband!"That night, Yasmin is dragged into a car. Blake Ford chomps down on her lip, looking fierce. "You can test me out tonight to see whether I'm able to fulfill my duties, Ms. Starr."After the divorce, Yasmin becomes an internationally renowned designer. Countless handsome men surround her.As the line of men waiting for her hand grows longer, Blake can't sit still anymore. He finds opportunities to show up before her, begging for her love domineeringly yet tenderly. "Yasmin, come home with me, okay?""Belated love isn't worth anything, Mr. Ford.""Yes, I'm the worthless one and a lapdog to boot. I was wrong, Yaz. Come home, please …"

She doesn't know this yet, but he is the richest man in the entire world.Marcus Coleman is the matrilocal live-in husband of Vivian Lorimer, the belle of Cromford City and a member of one of Cromford City's upper-middle-class families. However, he is also the Pantheon's Drakon—a position that enables him to shower anyone with luxuries unimaginable to humankind.As Marcus and Vivian's wedding anniversary draws closer, the taunts directed toward them are vicious as ever. However, unlike all the previous disappointing years, this year, Vivian is in for a surprise. A mysterious supreme billionaire appears, showering her with gifts one could only gaze at in envy. As the tensions in the Lorimer family reach an all-time high, can Vivian simultaneously save her family and find out the identity of the billionaire before her world comes crashing down around her?

Anyone could tell that Darell Carter loves Tiffany Larson. Anyone could see that Tiffany wants to marry no one other than Darell as well. Yet, Darell's impassiveness toward his growing love has Tiffany eventually knocking on the door of another man. It wasn't until Tiffany was all but clad in her wedding dress that Darell barged in to stop her. "You're not allowed to marry another man, Tiffany Larson," he tells her. "I'm the only man you can touch and love."

It was said that the elusive heir to the Langhams, Felix Langham, had trouble in the bedroom. However, Yvonne Ford found out the hard way that rumors were often misleading. Along the way, she unwittingly learned that her half-sister was pregnant with her boyfriend's baby, and that there's more to her parents' deaths. To seek the truth, Yvonne took a bold step to get close to Felix."Since we've done the deed, I guess you pass as a lover." Yvonne looked hesitant. Felix smirked in rage. "You will regret what you said today, woman."As it turned out, Yvonne found herself drowning in regret and begging endlessly for more in the days to come.

Love is the ultimate game changer, and this time it’s winner takes all. Now that Vasily is back in his arms, Belphagor’s in no hurry to say the words they both long to hear: You’re my boy. He’s savoring the sweet torture of driving Vasily into a frenzy of unfulfilled need—and seeing just how much both of them can take. Vasily secretly enjoys their increasingly edgy play, until Belphagor auctions him off for a night to the seductive Silk, setting in motion a chain of events that neither could have anticipated. Tight-lipped about the abrupt end of his relationship with the sweet submissive Phaleg, Silk may be at the heart of a conspiracy against the pregnant queen of Heaven—and Phaleg is the angel investigating it. Though Belphagor couldn’t be less interested in the games angels play, angelic and demonic intrigues soon overlap, drawing him in against his will until he’s forced to break his one inviolable rule: never gamble what you can’t afford to lose.

After her boyfriend cheated on her, Ruth got into a shotgun wedding. Her new husband was handsome, good-tempered, and gentle. Unfortunately, he was dirt poor. That’s fine. She can earn money. All the people in her circle laughed at her for getting herself a nobody who only had a pretty face and no job. But then, the pretty boy turned out to be from the richest family and be the most powerful man in the Imperial City. He was the richest man in Sommerset!This stunned everyone, including Ruth. When Ruth remembered the monthly allowance she gave him, she flew into a rage. “Abel Blakewell, how could you be so shameless?! This is a love scam!”Meanwhile, Abel just cooed at her. “You can just scam me back. Call me honey, and I’ll transfer all of my property to you.”

After his first love returns, Yvan Jenkins asks Yuna Feron for divorce. Yuna knows very well that she doesn’t have his heart, so she resolutely agrees. Unexpectedly, someone is determined to kill her and nearly succeeds in taking her life. Seven years later, Yuna returns. Yvan says, “You’re not dead!” Yuna smiles. “Mr. Jenkins, if you want to collaborate, you must beg me for forgiveness over what happened in the past.” Later on, Yvan finds out about the existence of their children. He asks Yuna about them, only for Yuna to comment, “Mr. Jenkins, shamelessness is a condition that needs to be treated.” The second she turns away, Yuna pats her chest in relief, scared out of her wits that he’d steal her children away. Yet, later, Yvan cages her in his arms and says, “Yuna, not only do I want the children, but I want you too.”