ghost story novel Audiobooks

“Papa explains the war like this: ‘When the elephants dance, the chickens must be careful.’ The great beasts, as they circle one another, shaking the trees and trumpeting loudly, are the Amerikanos and the Japanese as they fight. And our Philippine Islands? We are the small chickens.” Once in a great while comes a storyteller who can illuminate worlds large and small, magical and true to life. When the Elephants Dance introduces us to the incandescent voice of Tess Uriza Holthe, who sets her remarkable first novel in the waning days of World War II, as the Japanese and the Americans engage in a fierce battle for possession of the Philippine Islands. The Karangalan family and their neighbors huddle for survival in the cellar of a house a few miles from Manila. Outside the safety of their little refuge the war rages on—fiery bombs torch the beautiful Filipino countryside, Japanese soldiers round up and interrogate innocent people, and from the hills guerillas wage a desperate campaign against the enemy. Inside the cellar, these men, women, and children put their hopes and dreams on hold as they wait out the war, only emerging to look for food, water, and medicine. Through the eyes of three narrators, thirteen-year-old Alejandro Karangalan, his spirited older sister Isabelle, and Domingo, a passionate guerilla commander, we see how ordinary people must learn to live in the midst of extraordinary uncertainty, how they must find hope for survival where none seems to exist. They find this hope in the dramatic history of the Philippine Islands and the passion and bravery of its people. Crowded together in the cellar, the Karangalans and their friends and neighbors tell magical stories to one another based on Filipino myth and legend to fuel their courage, pass the time, and teach important lessons.

Inspiration for Brave Girls Who Love STEM AZ is a young girl who finds herself in a robot building competition. Can she use girl power to overcome crashes, explosions, and hackers to beat school bully and three-time champ? Smart and strong is the new pretty. In this funny, action-packed story about STEM for kids, the talented AZ fights gender stereotypes and learns tough lessons on leadership. With the help of her quirky friends, Li and 10, the team builds a feisty robot named Ada. Together, they work hard, solve puzzles, grow in confidence, and learn the importance of friendship and collaboration. Calling all girls who code, techgirls, Grace Hopper fans, and stemettes. Written to raise awareness about the challenges faced by women in science and engineering, She’s Building a Robot celebrates voices from diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. More importantly, it gives girls in science the opportunity to relate to strong, brave, smart characters. If your child enjoyed books like Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls , The Fourteenth Goldfish , Women in Science , or Hidden Figures Young Reader’ Edition , then She’s Building a Robot is your next read!

ONE OF QUEER FORTY'S BEST PRIDE READS FOR SUMMER 2023! Three gay men in pre-Stonewall New York City find their fates thrown together in the police raid of a Village bar. Roger Moorhouse is a Wall Street banker and Westchester family man with a preciously guarded secret. As the shouting begins and flashlights blaze in his face, the life he’s carefully curated over the years―a fancy new office overlooking lower Broadway, a house in Beechmont Woods, his wife and children―is about to come crashing down around him. Columbia literature professor Julian Prince lives a comparatively uncloseted life when he finds his first committed relationship tested to its limits. How could he explain to Gus, a fearless young artist, that he couldn’t stay with him that weekend because the woman who was still technically Julian’s fiancée would be visiting? But when Gus is struck unconscious by a police baton, Julian comes out of hiding to protect him, even if exposure means losing everything. For Danny Duffy, an Irish kid from the Bronx with a sassy mouth and a diverse group of friends, the raid is a galvanizing, Spartacus moment. Danny doesn’t have too much left to lose; his family has just disowned him. But once his name appears in the newspaper, he’ll be fired from his job at Sloan’s Supermarket, where he’s risen to assistant manager of produce, and begin a journey that veers between political enlightenment and violent revenge. The three men find themselves in a police wagon together, their hidden lives threatened to be revealed to the world. Blackmail, a private investigator, Gus’s disappearance, and Danny’s quest for retribution propel Disorderly Men to its piercing conclusion, as each man meets the boundaries of his own fear, love, and shame. The stakes for each are different, but all of them confront a fundamental question: How much happiness is he allowed to have . . . and what share of it will he lay claim to?

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.

When "the scentless" Elena thought she would be laid off by her manager, she never expected her new billionaire boss to be her high school crush Charles....Manager: "Sir, I think there's been a mistake. How is she staying? And I'm not? This isn't right.""You're right," Charles said, leaning forward over the table. "I'm sorry Elena. I forgot to mention you aren't going to be working here either."Manager's face set into a smug smirk."You'll be joining my team."There was a simultaneous gasp around the room.

She was Dumped. He needed a bride. Jessica was to be married to her high school sweetheart and heartthrob Burke They decided to only go to the courthouse and do something small. Jessica gets dumped on her wedding day as Burke confesses to cheating on her. She is devastated. On the other hand, Xavier is the only grandson of the famous billionaire grandmaster. His grandfather who had been raising him since his parents died while he was still at a tender age is now nearing death. The grandfather wants his grandson to be married before he transfers ownership of the company to him. He doesn't care who the grandson marries he just wants him to settle down. Xavier had contracted a wife to get married to him. The strange girl who he had never seen before doesn't show up on the day of the wedding. Coincidentally, Jessica and Xavier happen to be together in the same courthouse at the same time. While Jessica overhears the conversation with Xavier over the phone she goes to propose marriage to him and then gets married to him. She was usually careful and ooverthoughteverything. She decided to do something spontaneous for the first time and it landed her into a marriage. She was going to get married either way. What happens when two people begin to spend time together? Read on to find out the thrilling love story between Jessica and Xavier

Cynthia is a pregnant cheerleader. Her boyfriend ghosted her immediately after she told him the news. Her brother's best friend, the hockey captain Asher, threw a party and invited all of her boyfriend's flings, and they unite to dump him in public. Cynthia said, "Thanks for always being a big brother to me." Asher raised his eyebrow and asked, "Brother? How about your baby’s dad?"

“You have to reject her.” Amelia heard her twin say to her boyfriend. As the ignored daughter of the Alpha, Amelia has been bullied by her twin since little. She knew it was all because she wasn’t as talented and didn’t shift like her twin did. Still, getting rejected by the only love of her life was too much to bear. Amelia accepted her father’s order and set out for college in a neighbouring pack, not knowing a group of wolves were sent to get rid of her for good. At the critical moment, her only way out was get into the pack of the most feared Alpha, the King that ruled the darkness, the one who had killed his own father to take the throne. *** This novel is created by didi.adeyemi from an editor's outline. The novel is copyright Ideaink Six Cats.

Four years ago, my sister passed away, leaving my family in deep sorrow. Misfortunes never come singly - around the same time, I got knocked up and became a single mother. I got back on my feet and became a somewhat famous gossip reporter, working part-time at a bar, but never stopped investigating the truth behind my sister's death. One day, a man I accidentally slept with, proposed a deal with me. He wanted to borrow my son to protect his inheritance!"I think our version of story should be like this: four years ago, you fell in love with me at first sight, climbed into my bed, and secretly gave birth to my child.""I have a different version that is much more romantic than yours."“Care to tell?” 

My name is Scarlett. I’m a bargirl, nothing else. Night after night, I drink the bar dry, accompanying wealthy customers, just to make ends meet. I thought this was my fate, that I was meant to waste the best years of my life like this. One night, an accident happened. I fled for my life. 'This is it. They are going to beat me to death.' I thought. That was until he came into my life. The man who saved me. TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains content that some may find disturbing.