Tough Topics Audiobooks

Let Them Stare: A Novel

"An instant New York Times and Indie bestseller! From Emmy Award winner Jonathan Van Ness of Queer Eye and #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy comes a bighearted story about friendship, love—and discovering the secrets and beauty of your own hometown.  Sully is ready to get out of Hearst, Pennsylvania. With a fashion internship secured, the gender-nonconforming eighteen-year-old is trading in their stifling small town for the big city. Sully even sells their beloved car, to Bread—er, Brad—the most boring (and maybe only other) gay kid in town. When Sully’s internship goes up in smoke, they’re trapped in Hearst with no cash—and no car. Desperate, they go to the thrift store, their personal sanctuary. There, they discover a vintage bag—like ''put this baby in an airtight case at the MET'' vintage. If Sully can authenticate it, the resale value would be enough for a new life in the city. But when they begin to investigate, Sully finds themself haunted. Literally. With the ghost of Rufus, a drag performer from the fifties with no memory of how he died standing—no, floating—in their bedroom, Sully’s summer has a new purpose: 1) help this ghostly honey unlock his past and move on and 2) make bank—after all, the Real Real doesn’t take poltergeist purses. With Rufus in tow, and Brad—who’s looking pretty scrumptious these days—playing chauffeur, Sully delves into the history of the town they’re so desperate to escape. Only to discover that there might be more to Hearst than they ever knew. “A quirky, passionate, rebellious, and quick-witted novel.'' — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"

Jonathan Van Ness, Julie Murphy (Author), Jeremy Arthur, Jonathan Van Ness (Narrator)

Audiobook

Future Millionaire: A Young Person’s Step-by-Step Guide to Making WEALTH Inevitable

"Read by the author. No matter how young you are or where you're starting from, you are a future millionaire. Declare it. Know it. Demand it. And, with help from bestselling author and self-made millionaire Rachel Rodgers, start working toward it. Future Millionaire is filled with insights on how to develop the right mindset and build smart money habits that will allow you to follow your dreams, build your wealth, and maximize your potential. Rachel Rodgers-author of We Should All Be Millionaires and creator of her own eight-figure business-knows what it's like to be broke. She also knows what it's like to rise above your circumstances and radically change your future. Now, in her first book for young adults, Rodgers empowers readers 13 and up to do the same. Future Millionaire unpacks all the financial concepts you never learned about in school, like creating a budget, managing debt, investing your savings, and more. Rachel also discusses how to think like a millionaire-creating a healthy money mindset, boundaries, and goals-and act like a millionaire, using your money to support causes that you believe in and upending systems that favor the 1% over marginalized communities. You'll also learn how to: - Reframe negative, self-sabotaging thoughts so you can pave the way for future success - Invest in yourself by practicing self-care, establishing healthy boundaries, and upgrading your everyday life - Create a budget, tackle debt, and start investing so you can see your money grow - Use your money to achieve your dreams and make a difference in the world around you Resources and action plans can be found in the audiobook companion PDF download."

Rachel Rodgers (Author), Rachel Rodgers (Narrator)

Audiobook

Home Has No Borders

"From New York Times bestselling author Samira Ahmed and Sona Charaipotra comes this uplifting contemporary teen anthology celebrating South Asian stories and writers. From first crushes to first heartbreaks, complicated family dynamics to community relationships, this powerful collection of stories explores race, class, culture, language, and the very idea of home as both a place and a feeling. Edited by Samira Ahmed and Sona Charaipotra and featuring some of the most acclaimed, bestselling South Asian authors writing for teens today—this is an essential collection of captivating stories about what it means to be South Asian. With stories by: Anuradha D. Rajurkar, award-winning author of American Betiya Fatimah Asghar, author of If They Come for Us and cocreator behind the Emmy-nominated miniseries Brown Girls Jasmin Kaur, celebrated author of When You Ask Me Where I’m Going and If I Tell You the Truth Navdeep Singh Dhillon, author of Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions Nikesh Shukla, acclaimed author of Coconut Unlimited; The One Who Wrote Destiny; Run, Riot; The Boxer; and Stand Up Nisha Sharma, celebrated author of My So-Called Bollywood Life, Radha and Jai’s Recipe for Romance, and The Karma Map Rajani LaRocca, Newbery Honor–winning author of Red, White, and Whole Samira Ahmed, New York Times bestselling author of Love, Hate & Other Filters, Internment, Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know, Hollow Fires, and the Amira & Hamza middle grade duology, Sheba Karim, award-winning author of Skunk Girl, That Thing We Call a Heart, Mariam Sharma Hits the Road, and The Marvelous Mirza Girls Tanuja Desai Hidier, critically acclaimed author of Born Confused and Bombay Blues Sarah Mughal Rana, author of Hope Ablaze Tanya Boteju, author of Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens and Bruised Tashie Bhuiyan, author of Counting Down with You, A Show for Two, and Stay with My Heart Veera Hiranandani, Newbery Honor–winning author of The Night Diary, How to Find What You’re Not Looking For, and Amil and the After Kanwalroop Singh Rekha Kuver Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook. Praise for Magic Has No Borders: A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year for Teens 2023! “This anthology pushes the boundaries of fantasy, drawing on a broad range of settings, figures, and tales from South Asian religions, mythologies, and history...engrossing, and entertaining.” —Kirkus Reviews ''This collection of short stories featuring South Asian characters and magic fills a void while celebrating culture and genre. As short story collections go, this strong selection featuring South Asian characters is joyous and original. Add it to the shelf.'' —School Library Journal ''Editors Ahmed and Charaipotra have gathered a host of South Asian authors and illustrators to create a marvelous anthology, with fourteen fantasy and science fiction stories that deeply explore legends, myths, and historical events, all reimagined from different regions and cultures in the South Asian diaspora. Readers will indeed find magic within this breadth of stories.'' —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"

Samira Ahmed, Sona Charaipotra (Author), Anil Margsahayam, Reena Dutt (Narrator)

Audiobook

In Case You Read This

"From acclaimed author Edward Underhill comes a trans rom-com about serendipity, chance encounter, and the ultimate missed connection. This joyful celebration of queer love and found family is perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli, Emery Lee, and Julian Winters. Arden isn’t excited about moving. Los Angeles was an easy place to fit in and find a supportive queer community. But Winifred, Michigan? That sounds like a much more difficult place to exist. Pasadena, California, is the perfect city for Gabe’s reinvention. Everyone knew everything about him in small-town Shelby, Illinois. Gabe, who wants to be out and proud, can’t wait to relocate. When Arden and Gabe randomly meet in the lobby of a motel in Nebraska, it feels like fate. Both are trans, but more importantly, both are huge fans of the band Damaged Pixie Dream Boi. Clearly, the universe is trying to tell them something. Right? But after an incredible evening of hanging out, the pair part ways only knowing the other’s first name. And as both boys struggle to adjust to their new homes, their thoughts keep being drawn back to their time together. Is one perfect night enough to bring Arden and Gabe back to each other, or will the boys need some help to find each other again? "

Edward Underhill (Author), Logan Rozos, Shaan Dasani (Narrator)

Audiobook

Summer Girls

"From the author of Some Girls Do comes a summery sapphic romance about two girls from the same vacation town, whose worlds couldn't be farther apart. Cass has a rule about dating summer girls-just say no. Every year, her idyllic beach town is flooded with summer girls, the obnoxious daughters of the rich, who stay in their families' summer homes, sail their yachts, and generally make things unbearable for townies like Cass. Birdie is the ultimate summer girl. She's the daughter of a wealthy real estate developer dad and a social media influencer mom, and this summer Birdie happens to be in big trouble for accidentally crashing her boyfriend's very expensive car. Birdie's punishment is to spend the summer with her father at the beach-but it won't be a vacation. He's enlisted the help of Cass, whose dad works for him, to keep Birdie on the straight and narrow, including getting her a job at the public beach where Cass lifeguards. At first the two despise each other. Birdie doesn't want a babysitter, and Cass doesn't want to be one. But as the season heats up, Birdie surprises Cass time and again, and before long both girls can't help but wonder: Are some rules made to be broken?"

Jennifer Dugan (Author), Kristyna Zaharek, Leeanna Albanese (Narrator)

Audiobook

This Moth Saw Brightness

"A weird and revelatory debut that vividly captures the dislocation of growing up BIPOC and neurodivergent in a country awash in both conspiracy theories and genuine conspiracies. 'The invisible D in my name is my mother's second most lasting contribution to my life.' 'Wayne Le-known as 'Invisible-D 'Wayne' at school-has been invited to participate in a seemingly ordinary, innocuous adolescent health study by a prestigious university. The study has a few nice perks, but most important to 'Wayne, is the opportunity to give his immigrant father an accomplishment to be proud of-something that's been in short supply since 'Wayne's mother left. But the study quickly proves to be anything but ordinary and innocuous, and 'Wayne, his best friend Kermit, and a fellow study participant named Jane (a girl who shall not be manic-pixied) find themselves sucked into an M. C. Escheresque maze of conspiracies that might be entirely in their heads or might truly be a sinister government plot."

A. A. Vacharat (Author), Austin Ku, Elena Rey, Maggie-Meg Reed (Narrator)

Audiobook

Run Like a Girl

"Dera Edwards knows her life is over when she's shipped off to live with her estranged father in the middle of White Suburbia. To make matters worse, Dera learns that her new school doesn't have a girls' track team, shattering her dreams of getting a track scholarship and, one day, competing in the Olympics. Not one to give up easily, Dera joins the boys' team instead. But while she has the school administration's blessing, her new teammates and classmates are less than welcoming. Between that and her frustratingly distant father, Dera is positive her junior year is ruined. Just as she starts to accept her status as an outsider, Dera's approached by her classmate Rosalyn, who wants to feature Dera's story in her blog. Eager to change the narrative and spend more time with Rosalyn's gorgeous cousin Gael-also known as one of the few teammates who will talk to her-Dera agrees. But when she goes viral and gains attention across the state, Dera's new notoriety opens the door for trolls both online and at school. Paired with her deteriorating relationship with her father, she soon finds everything to be too much. Will Dera be able to keep outrunning her problems, or will her dream be the very thing that derails her?"

Amaka Egbe (Author), A'rese Emokpae (Narrator)

Audiobook

Heartbreaker: John Tucker Must Die meets To All The Boys I've Loved Before in this irresistible YA r

"He broke her best friend's heart, so now Saachi plans to break his. May the best heartbreaker win . . . Saachi would do anything for her best friend. So when school bad boy Fahim breaks Mona's heart, Saachi is hellbent on getting revenge. It's time to put him in his place once and for all. And so begins Operation Heartbreaker: Saachi will make Fahim fall in love with her and then pull the plug on him - just like he does to every girl he's ever dated. Simple. Except as she spends more time with Fahim, against her better judgement, she finds herself falling for him. Unable to talk to Mona about her mixed emotions, and with the mission veering dangerously off course, Saachi will have to embrace her role as a heartbreaker or potentially end up with her own heart broken . . . A fiery and fun enemies to lovers romcom, for readers of Jenny Han, Joya Goffney and Adiba Jaigirdar."

Anika Hussain (Author), Anushka Chakravarti (Narrator)

Audiobook

If I Could Go Back

"An achingly compassionate and beautifully empathetic novel exploring the intersections of race, mental health, and the meaning of family-perfect for fans of Robin Benway's Far from the Tree and Jas Hammonds' We Deserve Monuments. For Aaliyah Campbell, family is everything. Her cousin Ivy is her best friend and track co-star, and Grandpa Joe is her rock. He may be crotchety and dramatic, but he's raised Aaliyah since she was a toddler. Still, Aaliyah can't stop thinking about what's missing-her parents. When Aaliyah secretly contacts her mom, she risks upsetting the family who's always been there. But Grandpa Joe refuses to explain why her parents gave her up, and without answers, Aaliyah cannot silence the anxious voice telling her she's never been good enough. Surprisingly, it isn't Aaliyah's mom, but her dad, Quincy, who steps up. Quincy turns out to be immature but surprisingly fun to hang out with. And when the rest of the family finds out they're in contact, old secrets will finally be forced into the light. Aaliyah Campbell is a champion for young Black girls coping with anxiety and depression, and a voice for all teens navigating the messy process of learning how to advocate for ones' self. Through honest storytelling and a voice that oozes humor and heart, Briana Johnson's memorable debut explores sensitive topics with authenticity and compassion."

Briana Johnson (Author), Ashley J. Hobbs (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Survivor Wants to Die at the End

"The third book in the No. 1 global bestselling They Both Die at the End series. What if you could find out your death date from a single phone call? Death-Cast is calling . . . will you answer?   'If They Both Die at the End broke your heart and put it back together again, be prepared for this novel to do the same. A tender, sad, hopeful and youthful story that deserves as much love as its predecessor.' Culturefly '[A] heart-pounding story [full] of emotion and suspense.' Kirkus 'An extraordinary book with a riveting plot.' Booklist   Two strangers, each with their own complicated relationship to Death-Cast, help each other learn to live. Paz Dario stays up every night, waiting for the Death-Cast call that would mean he doesn't have to keep faking his way through this lonely life. After a devastating day, Paz decides he's done waiting around for Death-Cast. If they say he's not dying, he'll just have to prove them wrong. But right before Paz can die, a boy saves his life.   Alano Rosa is heir to the Death-Cast empire that encourages everyone to live their best lives, but he doesn't feel in control of his own existence thanks to his father. And with a violent organisation called the Death Guard threatening Alano, his End Day might be closer than he thinks. It's time to live.   Fate brings Paz and Alano together. But they must survive the tragic trials ahead so no one dies at the end.   This book contains themes that some readers may find difficult.   PRAISE FOR ADAM SILVERA: 'There isn't a teenager alive who won't find their heart described perfectly on these pages.' Patrick Ness, author of The Knife of Never Letting Go 'Adam Silvera is a master at capturing the infinite small heartbreaks of love and loss and grief.' Nicola Yoon, author of Everything, Everything 'A phenomenal talent.' Juno Dawson, author of Clean and Wonderland 'Bold and haunting.' Lauren Oliver, author of Delirium"

Adam Silvera (Author), Anthony Rey Perez, Frankie J. Alvarez, Kyla Garcia (Narrator)

Audiobook

Sweetheart

"Sweetheart (suh-weet-hart): Someone who is kind, friendly, and/or lovable. For reference, see Scarlett Kent. Seventeen-year-old Scarlett Kent likes the idea of love—in theory. She's just never had time for romance. Voted Most Likely to Succeed, founder of a youth mentoring program, and an aspiring professional violinist, Scarlett has goals—and a list of 'firsts' she'd like to complete before graduation. One thing that's not on her list: falling for Sam Bishop. Flirtatious jocks who sleep through class aren't her type—no matter how good Sam looks in his jersey. But when her car breaks down, Sam stops to help . . . which leads to an unexpected offer. Sam volunteers to help Scarlett complete her list. In return, she'll help him win back his ex. It's a sweetheart deal that should benefit everyone. But between kissing lessons and pretend dates, Scarlett realizes Sam is the perfect fake boyfriend. And if she's not careful, he could be her first real heartbreak. This book features two souls who're meant to be, one fake arrangement, so many heart-melting kisses, and answers the question: What happens when a perfectionist falls for a player?"

Cookie O'Gorman (Author), Rachel Leblang (Narrator)

Audiobook

An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys

"Self-styled 'beautiful boy' Toby Ryerson dreams in stardust but lives in the dirt. Haunted by his mom's overdose, he itches for a life of fun and fabulosity far from the MAGA hats of his backwoods Adirondack town. The only problem: his older brother Jimmy's plans to polish him into a spotless 'Disney gay' with college, career, and husband. Toby knows that Jimmy didn't sacrifice everything to raise him just so he can waste his life on men and partying like Mom did. But why can't Jimmy see that he is their mother's son? When Toby outs the boy who broke his heart in a fit of rage, the web of lies he's spun to manage Jimmy's expectations quickly unravels. A brutal beating leads to a campaign of cyberbullying, culminating in even greater disaster. Worse: Toby knows it's all his own fault. Enter Gabe, a sexy stranger from Mom's past who seduces Toby with the keys to the Big Apple. But when Toby's dreams of a fabulous life turn into a nightmare, will Jimmy's love be enough to save him, or will he end up just like Mom? An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys is a queer coming-of-age novel as well as a love story between two mismatched brothers coping with the burden of secrets and a legacy of shame."

Rob Costello (Author), Myles Dabbs (Narrator)

Audiobook