novels to read in your 20s 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.

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.

Despite the widespread popularity of Buddhist practices (like meditation), there is little understanding of the complex philosophy behind Buddhism. The historical Buddha, Gautama, was a real person—a radical—who challenged the religious leaders of his day. Buddha For Beginners introduces the reader to the historical Buddha, to the ideas that made him change his life, and to the fascinating philosophical debates that engaged him and formed the core of Buddhism. Buddha For Beginners compares Buddha's philosophy with those of his contemporaries, the later Buddhist schools, and Western Philosophy. The book includes a survey, distinguishing the philosophical differences among later schools of Buddhism, such as Theravada, Madhyamaika, Tantric, Zen, and others. Buddha For Beginners is not a book you read, it is a book you experience. It makes you stop and close your eyes. Through some magical combination of words, drawings, and intuitive wisdom, Buddha For Beginners conveys not only the facts of Buddhism, but the peace, the silence...the feel of it. It is historically accurate, spiritually challenging, and the white spaces mean as much as the words.

Adriana, the alpha’s illegitimate daughter was hated and bullied by everyone for her birth and not having a wolf. On the night of her eighteenth birthday, she overheard her father talking to her brothers about giving her up to the Lycan king, in order to form a peace treaty.Xander is nothing like she expected, but one thing is certain, everything thing she has heard about him being ruthless is true. When the secret her father has vowed to take to his grave is now out in the open, Adriana realizes not having a wolf is the least of her problems. Will Xander stand for all his mate is made of when he finds out the truth about her, or will he discard her and treat her like every other woman he has been with?NOTE: This book is a Duet and the part two will be released in September. It is highly recommended that you read this first.

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.

Silvia Pond thought that she could make Neil Remus fall in love with her three years into their marriage. Yet, all she got were photos of him having sex with her twin sister!Silvia eventually gave up on him and decided to free herself from their marriage. However, when Silvia passed Neil the divorce agreement, he tore it up right in front and threatened her. “You want a divorce? Over my dead body!”Silvia only felt indifferent when she saw his enraged expression. “You can only choose one. It’s either me or Ada.”In the end, Neil chose Ada. But when he lost Silvia for good, he finally realized that he had fallen in love with her a long time ago.

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 …"

An unexpected turn of events brings Dawn Somner into Hugo Baird's room, where she manages to make use of him to fulfill her dreams of having a child. But the very next day, Hugo sends out a city-wide wanted notice for her. "Come on, Mr. Baird, I just borrowed some of your genes. Is it really necessary to post a wanted notice on every mainstream media channel?" "You either abort the baby, or I'll pamper you for life," Hugo answers. Dawn has never met such an unreasonable person. "All I wanted was to borrow some of your genes … Had I known this was how things were going to turn out, I never would have done it!" "Too late." Hugo smiles seductively.

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?

Take her! She is ours! The little wolf in front of me seemed as frozen as me, but that ancient old need only turned stronger now that she stood in front of me. I reached out and grabbed her by her neck. She gasped, shocked, and then I pushed her backwards, closing the door behind us and locking it. Yes, she was trapped now with the big, bad lycan king. *** Anastasia lost everything when she was a young child. Her entire family was killed by mysterious lycans. It leaves her scarred for life and burned after a violent fire takes her home from her. Anastasia swore revenge after she is found by her aunt and taken in. She will find the lycans who took her family from her and end them all. At a party where the lycan King Roman will introduce his new queen, Anastasia runs into the lycan king after he finds her in a bathroom. Suddenly he becomes the center of her world. But can she trust him when she has sworn she hates all lycans? Roman never wants to fall in love or even meet his mate. He chooses a queen. A friend he has known for many years, but at the very party where he is going to present her to all wolves and lycans, he runs into Anastasia. She is like no other woman he has met, and while he knows he must have her, Ana wants nothing to do with any lycan. Can Roman convince her to trust him? Or will Ana keep her heart closed forever? The scars on her body tell her never to let anyone in, but the lycan king's hands on her make her feel so warm. *Book 1*