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  Slouching Towards Bethlehem -...

  Joan Didion

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  This program is read by actor and singer-songwriter Maya Hawke, star of Netflix's Stranger Things."Narrating in a voice as clear and sustaining as a cool glass of water, Hawke’s unflashy approach allows the words to reveal their magic."—The Orange County Register"Didion’s timeless essays shine with Hawke at the helm. This audiobook will bring new listeners to this classic and is highly recommended for libraries everywhere.”—Library Journal (Starred Review)“Maya Hawke performs this classic collection superbly...Hawke gets Didion's measured pace and thoughtful tone just right as she conveys the much admired author's idiosyncratic, elegant language.”—AudioFile (Earphones Award Winner)Celebrated, iconic, and indispensable, Joan Didion’s first work of nonfiction, Slouching Towards Bethlehem, is considered a watershed moment in American writing. First published in 1968, the collection was critically praised as one of the “best prose written in this country.”More than perhaps any other book, this collection by one of the most distinctive prose stylists of our era captures the unique time and place of Joan Didion’s focus, exploring subjects such as John Wayne and Howard Hughes, growing up in California and the nature of good and evil in a Death Valley motel room, and, especially, the essence of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury, the heart of the counterculture. As Joyce Carol Oates remarked: “[Didion] has been an articulate witness to the most stubborn and intractable truths of our time, a memorable voice, partly eulogistic, partly despairing; always in control.”A Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

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  He Was Always There

  Misty Parenzan

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  He Was Always There takes you on Misty’s journey through trauma, addiction, and abuse and how against all odds, she was redeemed by God’s grace and restored by His love. We’ve been called to a life of freedom yet are often held back by the pain of our past.  Misty has had a lot of “past” to overcome, from rape, to prostitution to a decade of addiction, losing a child, and much more. The healing journey isn’t always easy but it is worth it. Join her as she shares stories of God’s providence throughout her life that will not only inspire you but give you a greater level of faith in your own life.You may think you’ve made too big a mess of your life. But no mess is too big. His grace is sufficient to redeem you. What once was broken can be restored, through His healing touch and compassion. Give God a chance. Jesus Christ can and will rescue you no matter what. You are worth it.

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  The Maltese Cat - Celebrated...

  Rudyard Kipling

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  Joseph Rudyard Kipling was born in Mumbai, India on 30th December 1865.   
   
  As was the custom in those days, he and his sister were sent back to England when he was 5.  The ill-treatment and cruelty by the Portsmouth couple they boarded with Kipling said contributed to the onset of his literary life.  
   
  At 16 he returned to India to work on a local paper where he was soon contributing and writing.  It also exposed him to the issues of identity and national allegiance which pervade much of his work.  
   
  In 1886, his ‘Departmental Ditties’, collection of verse appeared in print followed by 39 short stories for his newspaper over only 8 months.  These were then published as ‘Plain Tales from the Hills’, shortly after his 22nd birthday.  
   
  He continued his prolific pace of writing before being dismissed in a dispute and, taking his pay-off and the profits from the sale of some publishing rights, decided to return to London, travelling via Rangoon, Hong Kong, Japan and the United States, all the while writing articles, and arriving at Liverpool in October 1889. 
   
  Over the next two years he saw further works published as books and in magazines, as well as a nervous breakdown for which he was prescribed a sea voyage, to South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and India.  
   
  Happier times came with marriage to Caroline Starr Balestier in January 1892.  The honeymoon began in Vermont and ended in Yokahama where they heard their bank had failed.  They returned to Vermont and settled.  Caroline was now pregnant and he was planning the ‘Jungle Books’.  
   
  A failed arbitration between the US and England resulted in an argument between Caroline’s brother and Kipling, and then his arrest.  At the hearing he was mortified by the exposure of his private life and after settling the matter they returned to England and life in Torquay.  ‘Kim’ was published in 1902, and ‘Just So Stories for Little Children’, a year later.  
   
  In 1907 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature with the citation “in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterise the creations of this world-famous author”.   
   
  When the Great War erupted, he scorned those who refused conscription.  His son enlisted and was killed at the Battle of Loos in September 1915, at 18, an exploding shell had ripped his face apart.  This death inspired Kipling’s writing thereafter, but the tragedy broke his life and by 1930 his prolific pen had almost ceased. 
   
  Rudyard Kipling died on 18th January 1936 from a perforated duodenal ulcer.  He was 70.  His ashes are buried at Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey. 
   
  In the Maltese Cat Kipling returns once more to India and the British Empire.  A polo match is being played.  The fierce competitive instincts of two social classes are fighting for dominance.  All told through the voice of the Maltese Cat, the most cunning of the horses.

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  Duplicity - Basketball Drugs and...

  Curtis Malone

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  Curtis Malone had the charisma, vision, and connections to become a giant in the world of grassroots basketball. He didn't just build teams—he built futures, transforming raw talent into college scholarships and NBA dreams. On the surface, he was a mentor, a role model, and a community leader. But beneath that polished exterior lay a man caught in a dangerous web of ambition, survival, and duplicity.Duplicity dives into the life of Curtis Malone, a man whose drive for power and provision blurred the lines between right and wrong. Basketball gave him purpose, a way to inspire and uplift. But the streets offered him quick money and the means to maintain his image as a provider—not just for his family, but for the community he desperately wanted to support. Curtis takes listeners on an emotional journey as he grapples with identity, manhood, and the weight of his decisions. He believed he could play both sides, using basketball to save lives and drugs to sustain them. But as the lines between these worlds blur, the question looms: Was he really helping, or was he only perpetuating the cycles he hoped to break?Duplicity is a gripping exploration of power, loyalty, and the choices that define us. It challenges readers to consider the cost of ambition and the fragility of a life built on two conflicting foundations.

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  Diogenes - The Cynic Who Lived...

  Hector Davidson

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  Diogenes of Sinope, one of the most famous figures in ancient philosophy, is a man whose life and ideas have left an indelible mark on the world. Known for his eccentric behavior and unwavering commitment to a life of simplicity, Diogenes was one of the founders of the philosophical school of Cynicism. His life was a statement, rejecting the norms and conventions of society in pursuit of a personal freedom that few could fully understand, much less emulate. To this day, his legacy remains a profound reminder of the power of nonconformity and the pursuit of virtue above material wealth. 
  Born in Sinope (modern-day Sinop, Turkey), Diogenes was a figure who viewed the world with a unique lens. He rejected the luxuries and complexities of Athenian society, seeking instead a life of self-sufficiency, minimalism, and authenticity. His choice to live in a barrel, or more accurately, a large ceramic jar, in Athens became a symbol of his commitment to simplicity and his disdain for materialism. Diogenes wasn’t just a philosopher; he was a living critique of the social structures around him. His constant questioning of authority, wealth, and societal expectations created a lasting legacy that went beyond words and doctrines. 
  The Cynic philosophy that Diogenes embodied was radical for its time. It was a philosophy that urged individuals to cast off the superficial trappings of society—wealth, fame, and social standing—and instead focus on living virtuously and naturally. Diogenes practiced what he preached, often engaging in acts that were both shocking and humorous, yet deeply philosophical. His public antics, such as walking around Athens in broad daylight with a lantern claiming to be "looking for an honest man," were not mere provocations but expressions of a profound philosophical stance against the moral decay he saw in society.

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  Richard Nixon - The Prominent...

  Kelly Mass

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  Richard Milhous Nixon was the United States' 37th president, serving from 1969 to 1974. Nixon, a Republican politician, formerly worked as the 36th Vice President from 1953 to 1961, after rising to country prominence as a California agent and senator. 
  Following the Watergate occurrence, he ended up being the only president to leave from office after 5 years in the White Home that observed the end of the Vietnam War, détente with the Soviet Union and China, the first manned moon landings, and the starting of the Epa. 
  Let’s learn more about this president who was serving in a crucial time period in American history.

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