Showing results by narrator "Julia Farhat" in All Categories

With her black hair, red lips, and lily-white skin, Summer is as beautiful as her father's garden. And her life in the mountains of West Virginia seems like a fairy tale; her parents sing and dance with her, Cousin Nancy dotes on her, and she is about to get a new baby brother. But when the baby dies soon after he's born, taking Summer's mama with him, Summer's fairy-tale life turns grim. Things get even worse when her father marries a woman who brings poisons and magical mirrors into Summer's world. Stepmama puts up a pretty face, but Summer suspects she's up to no good....

Lhind has been on the run all her life. Stealing what she needs, using magic for disguise, she never stays anywhere long. Lhind even has secrets from herself, for she has few memories, and those are troubling. But life is good until she gets caught by Rajanas the warrior-prince, Thianra the bard, and Hlanan the scribe. And that’s when adventure begins, because someone very powerful wants them all dead. As they evade pursuit and work to uncover their enemies, Lhind struggles with the invisible bonds of friendship and trust, while Hlanan begins uncovering her secrets one by one.

Evie is different. Not just her upbringing - though that's certainly been unusual - but also her mindset. She's smart, independent, confident, opinionated, and ready to take on a new challenge: The Institution of School. It doesn't take this homeschooled kid long to discover that high school is a whole new world, and not in the way she expected. It's also a social minefield, and Evie finds herself confronting new problems at every turn, failing to follow or even understand the rules, and proposing solutions that aren't welcome or accepted.

The ultimate test...Rani Trader has finally been summoned by her exiled Glasswrights Guild, invited to test for the rank of master. Rani has craved such acceptance for years, and she has high hopes that all her past mistakes will finally be forgiven. Rani journeys to Brianta, the religious center of all the land. Soon, she is cut off from her long-trusted companions, isolated by the glasswrights who have long memories of past betrayals.

Gertrude Bell had a dream - to unite the thousands of tribal clans in Arabia into a single great nation. Putting her political brilliance and deep cultural knowledge of Arabia to the ultimate test, she developed a plan to do just that. But with the onset of The War to End All Wars, her success rests not only on stubborn politicians who believe a woman’s true place is in the kitchen, but on the Arabic tribes setting aside their differences and fighting as one for freedom. As political bargaining and intrigue threaten to unravel her plans at the seams, Gertrude begins to doubt whether this once-great nation will ever rise to glory again….

Did you know that the Sentinelese people of the Indian Ocean’s North Sentinel Island are the most isolated people in the world, or that Kentucky Bend is a section of Kentucky that is totally cut off from the rest of the state? And what about pirate radio broadcaster Major Paddy Roy Bates, who occupied a British sea fort and eventually declared its sovereignty? Even if you think you have a handle on all things trivia, you're guaranteed a big surprise with Now I Know: Geography. This special collection from the Now I Know archives will challenge your knowledge of the fascinating stories behind the world's greatest facts.

Rani Trader has fled her homeland, escaping Morenia just as enemy armies invade. Encamped in the southern kingdom of Sarmonia, Rani must make the hardest bargain of her life - negotiating safety for herself, her beloved king, and his heir, even as she struggles to control mystical powers that rise within her. As armies line up for the final battle, Rani must fight to become the master of her fate - and her guild.

Rani Trader survived the destruction of her family, her glasswrights' guild, and everything else that she held dear. She has begun to settle into her new life, living in the palace of Morenia's new king. A brutal betrayal, though, within the very castle walls, results in Rani being kidnapped and carried overseas to distant Amanthia.There, Rani discovers a plot against her king. Amanthia has raised the Little Army, a murderous force composed entirely of children. When Rani meets their captain, Crestman, she dreams of liberating the Little Army. But will she live long enough to try?

When a young drifter is found murdered in the desert outside of Palm Springs, the police start their investigation - but it's crime reporter Sam Perry who gets to the bottom of the story. Working her way backward to piece together the victim's mysterious life, Sam gets drawn into the seedier side of the glamorous resort town, a world of strip clubs, blackmail, and betrayal. All suspicions point toward former A-list actress and now mayoral candidate Ellen Konrad, a woman that Sam can't quite figure out.

Ballads are the kinds of songs that Kara McNaughton likes best. Not the cliche ones where a diva hits her dramatic high note or a rock band tones it down a couple of notches for the ladies, but the true ballads: the punk rocker or the country crooner reminding their listeners of the numerous ways to screw things up.

Rani Trader's beloved homeland of Morenia has been destroyed by fire. The only hope for rebuilding is for King Halaravilli to marry a wealthy princess from distant Liantine. Rani must set aside her own feelings to journey with the king, to negotiate for his bride. In Liantine, Rani soon discovers a tangle of powerful entities: the wealthy Spiderguild with its monopoly on trade in silk and the brutal royal family, who have turned away from worship of the Thousand Gods.

There are three kinds of lies: Lies, damned lies, and prophecy. Kim thought majoring in divination would prepare her for the future. But even with her foresight warning her of trouble, she’s taken by surprise when an unknown force attacks Julian, her enigmatic classmate and friend. Her gifts can’t protect him against further attacks and an inexplicable string of disappearances . . . and if she’s reading the omens right, Julian isn’t the only one in danger. Kim knows she isn't ready for this.

Spending money is the last thing anyone wants to do right now. We are in the midst of a massive cultural shift away from consumerism and toward a vibrant and very active countermovement that has been thriving on the outskirts for quite some time - do-it-yourselfers who make frugal, homemade living hip are challenging the notion that true wealth has anything to do with money. In Making It, Coyne and Knutzen, who are at the forefront of this movement, provide listeners with all the tools they need for this radical shift in home economics.

The projects range from simple to...

Frustrated divorcée Amy Warren is striving to fix her life by helping her hometown buy the local mill, and then she can put her Plan for the Rest of Her Life in action by buying a rundown cottage and turning it into her heart’s desire. Amy’s plan shatters when Jean-Jacques St. Etienne arrives with loads of cash, charisma, and expertise, with every intention of buying the mill for its designs and then abandoning the community. A European playboy, he has no interest in anything except staying occupied so he needn’t remember the tragedy haunting him.

Rani Trader was born a merchant, but now she is an apprentice in the prestigious Glasswrights' Guild. When Rani witnesses the murder of the Crown Prince, she's accused of being the killer. On the run and labeled a traitor, Rani must travel the city streets, masquerading through her kingdom's strict castes as she attempts to discover the actual assassin. Along the way, Rani meets true friends and false leaders. She discovers a secret brotherhood, and she must determine who is her ally...and who is her enemy.

New York Police detective Dave Strauss is haunted by the one case he couldn't solve: A schoolgirl vanished off the streets of Brooklyn, with only a trail of blood and a series of untraceable phone calls from "the Groom" hinting at her fate. Now the cold dark night has engulfed another young girl - but this time she is part of Dave's family. He and his wife, Susan, know 14-year-old Lisa has not run away, and they know her disappearance is not just a tragic coincidence. And once the first phone call comes, they know she's not alone....

Everyone in Yorktide, Maine, knows 16-year-old Sarah Bauer. She's a good student and a dutiful daughter, as well as a beloved best friend to Cordelia Kane. So it's a surprise to all when sensible Sarah reveals that she is pregnant. Though shocked, Sarah's family is supportive. But while Sarah reconciles herself to a new and different future, the consequences ripple in all directions.

Emily is ready for a change. She's been in the same town with the same friends for a long time...and none of them really understand her art. But when she goes to Philadelphia for a summer art institute, she suddenly finds like-minded people. One in particular, Fiona, intrigues and challenges her. But there are some things Emily is going to have to find out for herself - like what the balance is between life and art, and which is more important when push comes to shove.

When the Vet Volunteers find some abandoned ducklings, they know there's no time to lose. Without a mother, the ducklings must learn to swim on their own. But where did they come from? When Brenna and the rest of the Volunteers learn that the ducklings are abandoned Easter pets, they hatch a plan to educate their community about baby animals—but they also must teach the ducklings to swim before it's too late.

Beside Myself is the disturbing and exhilarating story of a family across four generations. At its heart is one woman’s search for her twin brother. When Anton goes missing and the only clue is a postcard sent from Istanbul, Alissa leaves her life in Berlin to find him. Without her twin, the sharer of her memories and the mirror of her own self, Ali is lost. In a city steeped in political and social changes, where you can buy gender-changing drugs on the street, Ali’s search will take her on a journey for connection and belonging.