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JANUARY 18, 2019
It all started on a mat in California…
We were so grateful for the gift that was this stunning floor routine by UCLA gymnast Katelyn Ohashi. Her seemingly boundless joie de vivre belies the struggle we’ve heard about more and more for the women in this sport, one which persuaded Ohashi to abandon the Olympic track in favor of college. In a tear-jerking video, she detailed the pressures to keep bodyweight low and pain resistance high—sadly, an all-too-common experience her fellow gymnasts Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez, and Simone Biles have detailed in stunning audiobooks. Can’t wait for yours, Katelyn (hint, hint!).We said hi to @ShaneEastReads and the cast of Birthday Suit!
One of our favorite Romance narrators, Shane East, has finally joined the Twitterverse, and he’s already proven to be a worthy follow with his romantic take on the flu. That Brit really can make anything sound sexy. Sick tweets aside, his real reason for joining was to celebrate the release of Birthday Suit by Lauren Blakely. The full-cast production, led by Andi Arndt and Sebastian York, features 12 superstar narrators doing what they do best in a contemporary romance about a chocolatier and the man who has long loved her from afar. We recommend having some sweet treats on hand before you start listening.Prayers for a missing girl were answered.
The entire country breathed a sigh of dumbfounded relief when missing Wisconsin girl Jayme Closs was found, three months after being abducted by the man who killed her parents. Luckily, stranger abductions are relatively rare (though it’s not much comfort in the face of such a devastating ordeal), but there are fellow survivors who can relate. Elizabeth Smart told CBS that what happened to Closs “doesn’t have to define her future.” In Smart’s case, she established a foundation to help prevent crimes against children, and her latest book, Where There’s Hope, suggests a way forward after tragedy—when Closs is ready.A first lady celebrated another first.
While we’ve all been busy debating whether the Instagram egg (now the most liked photo on the platform after a successful campaign to unseat Kylie Jenner’s record) is genius or super annoying, another record was broken. According to Amazon Charts, Michelle Obama's Becoming holds the longest streak in the #1 best seller spot across all formats since the great Fifty Shades of Grey reign of 2012—and no political book or public figure’s memoir has sat at the top for as long. Long live the new queen!The original joy-sparker kept making news.
In her Netflix series, “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo,” the author and tidying expert has sparked more than just joy. Debates abound: Is it OK for grown-ups to talk to their possessions? Are you a monster if you declutter your books? Can’t you just leave me and how I fold my undies alone already?! All tidiness habits aside, our editors are unanimous on one point—it’s impossible to watch Kondo in action and not feel at least a tiny twinge of her infectious delight. And if her KonMari method fails to bring you joy, we think she would agree: just say “thank you” and move along.And, we’ll howl to this!
Editor Abby is so excited that the stars are literally aligning to give her both a day off for her birthday, with the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday falling on the 21st, and a major astrological event the night before: the Super Blood Wolf Moon. Since she plans to be out dancing with friends during that first full moon of the year when it will also be a lunar eclipse that makes the moon look red, she can’t help but entertain fantastical thoughts, like whether she might end up flirting with a werewolf. Just maybe not a naked one. But hey, why not dream big?—the audible editors
Audiobooks in This Edition
-
At Blackwater Pond
- Mary Oliver reads Mary Oliver
- By: Mary Oliver
- Narrated by: Mary Oliver
- Length: 1 hr
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 307
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 264
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 251
Mary Oliver has published fifteen volumes of poetry and five books of prose in the span of four decades, but she rarely performs her poetry in live readings. Now, with the arrival of At Blackwater Pond, Mary Oliver has given her audience what they've longed to hear: the poet's voice reading her own work.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
High Hopes
- By Sara on 12-19-15
-
I Got This
- To Gold and Beyond
- By: Laurie Hernandez
- Narrated by: Amielynn Abellera
- Length: 3 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 89
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 75
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 76
At 16 years old, Laurie Hernandez has already made many of her dreams come true - and yet it’s only the beginning for this highly accomplished athlete. A Latina Jersey girl, Laurie saw her life take a dramatic turn last summer when she was chosen to be a part of the 2016 US Olympic gymnastics team. After winning gold in Rio as part of the Final Five, Laurie also earned an individual silver medal for her performance on the balance beam.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Gymfans, don't waste your time
- By S.R.E. on 09-28-17
-
Courage to Soar
- A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
- By: Simone Biles
- Narrated by: Imani Parks
- Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 296
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 254
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 251
In Courage to Soar, the official autobiography from four-time Olympic gold-winning and record-setting American gymnast Simone Biles, Simone shares how her faith, family, passion, and perseverance against tremendous odds made her one of the top athletes and record-breaking gymnasts in the world - and how you too can overcome challenges in your life. In this audiobook, Simone shares the details of her inspiring personal story - one filled with the kinds of daily acts of courage that led her, and can lead you, to even the most unlikely of dreams.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
A little thin
- By Rachel2450 on 11-24-16
-
Birthday Suit
- By: Lauren Blakely
- Narrated by: Andi Arndt, Sebastian York, January Lavoy, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,503
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,318
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,316
The one unbreakable rule in the Man Code is this: No matter how beautiful, smart, and clever she is, do not fall in love with your best friend’s woman. Yeah, so I screwed up big time when I fell for her. I might have let my sin of unrequited love slide, given everything that went down in the last few years, but Lulu just walked back into my life as vibrant as ever. And the cards are stacked against me once again. We’re working together, and the last thing I want to do is mess up her life with a forbidden office romance now that she’s finally got the fresh start she deserves.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
ALL THE STARS
- By ❤️Cyndi Marie❤️🎧Audiobook Addicts🎧 on 01-14-19
-
Where There's Hope
- Healing, Moving Forward, and Never Giving Up
- By: Elizabeth Smart
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Smart
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 282
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 249
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 249
In her fearless memoir, My Story - the basis of the Lifetime Original movie I Am Elizabeth Smart - Elizabeth detailed, for the first time, the horror behind the headlines of her abduction by religious fanatic Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. Since then, she’s married, become a mother, and traveled the world as the president of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, sharing her story with the intent of helping others along the way.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Personal Hero
- By Rick Giovanetto on 07-01-19
-
Fierce
- How Competing for Myself Changed Everything
- By: Aly Raisman
- Narrated by: Natalie Roy Camargo, Aly Raisman
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 340
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 295
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 293
Discover Aly Raisman's inspiring story of dedication, perseverance, and learning to think positive even in the toughest times on her path to gold medal success in two Olympic Games - and beyond. Aly Raisman first stepped onto a gymnastics mat as a toddler in a "mommy and me" gymnastics class. No one could have predicted then that 16 years later, she'd be standing on an Olympic podium, having achieved her dreams.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent gymnastics memoir
- By Brittany Cook on 11-21-17
-
At Blackwater Pond
- Mary Oliver reads Mary Oliver
- By: Mary Oliver
- Narrated by: Mary Oliver
- Length: 1 hr
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 307
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 264
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 251
Mary Oliver has published fifteen volumes of poetry and five books of prose in the span of four decades, but she rarely performs her poetry in live readings. Now, with the arrival of At Blackwater Pond, Mary Oliver has given her audience what they've longed to hear: the poet's voice reading her own work.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
High Hopes
- By Sara on 12-19-15
-
I Got This
- To Gold and Beyond
- By: Laurie Hernandez
- Narrated by: Amielynn Abellera
- Length: 3 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 89
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 75
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 76
At 16 years old, Laurie Hernandez has already made many of her dreams come true - and yet it’s only the beginning for this highly accomplished athlete. A Latina Jersey girl, Laurie saw her life take a dramatic turn last summer when she was chosen to be a part of the 2016 US Olympic gymnastics team. After winning gold in Rio as part of the Final Five, Laurie also earned an individual silver medal for her performance on the balance beam.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Gymfans, don't waste your time
- By S.R.E. on 09-28-17
-
Courage to Soar
- A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
- By: Simone Biles
- Narrated by: Imani Parks
- Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 296
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 254
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 251
In Courage to Soar, the official autobiography from four-time Olympic gold-winning and record-setting American gymnast Simone Biles, Simone shares how her faith, family, passion, and perseverance against tremendous odds made her one of the top athletes and record-breaking gymnasts in the world - and how you too can overcome challenges in your life. In this audiobook, Simone shares the details of her inspiring personal story - one filled with the kinds of daily acts of courage that led her, and can lead you, to even the most unlikely of dreams.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
A little thin
- By Rachel2450 on 11-24-16
-
Birthday Suit
- By: Lauren Blakely
- Narrated by: Andi Arndt, Sebastian York, January Lavoy, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,503
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,318
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,316
The one unbreakable rule in the Man Code is this: No matter how beautiful, smart, and clever she is, do not fall in love with your best friend’s woman. Yeah, so I screwed up big time when I fell for her. I might have let my sin of unrequited love slide, given everything that went down in the last few years, but Lulu just walked back into my life as vibrant as ever. And the cards are stacked against me once again. We’re working together, and the last thing I want to do is mess up her life with a forbidden office romance now that she’s finally got the fresh start she deserves.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
ALL THE STARS
- By ❤️Cyndi Marie❤️🎧Audiobook Addicts🎧 on 01-14-19
-
Where There's Hope
- Healing, Moving Forward, and Never Giving Up
- By: Elizabeth Smart
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Smart
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 282
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 249
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 249
In her fearless memoir, My Story - the basis of the Lifetime Original movie I Am Elizabeth Smart - Elizabeth detailed, for the first time, the horror behind the headlines of her abduction by religious fanatic Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. Since then, she’s married, become a mother, and traveled the world as the president of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, sharing her story with the intent of helping others along the way.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Personal Hero
- By Rick Giovanetto on 07-01-19
-
Fierce
- How Competing for Myself Changed Everything
- By: Aly Raisman
- Narrated by: Natalie Roy Camargo, Aly Raisman
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 340
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 295
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 293
Discover Aly Raisman's inspiring story of dedication, perseverance, and learning to think positive even in the toughest times on her path to gold medal success in two Olympic Games - and beyond. Aly Raisman first stepped onto a gymnastics mat as a toddler in a "mommy and me" gymnastics class. No one could have predicted then that 16 years later, she'd be standing on an Olympic podium, having achieved her dreams.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent gymnastics memoir
- By Brittany Cook on 11-21-17