Showing results by narrator "Dominique Franceschi" in All Categories

The neighborhood of Oleander Court is the poster child for suburban bliss. The residents compare lawns beautified by hired help. They monitor home values. They toss perfect furniture because they wanted tapioca, not beige. But when a string of murders rips through the neighborhood, suspicions abound as new secrets come to light. And as more and more bodies are taken away, it becomes clear that the killer is strategically selecting each and every victim, picking off the shallowest, most wasteful of the lot in spectacular fashion and leaving everyone in the neighborhood to wonder Who’s next?

Liv. Reese. Faith. Yes, they are plus-size, curvy, thick, whatever. Point is, they are past sick of society’s relentless body shaming defining them. Liv slays in dance classes, where she shakes off her frustrations as a struggling writer. Introverted Reese avoids “taking up too much space” by staying in the background as Liv’s sidekick. And while diva-cold professional dancer Faith aces countless auditions, she’s “too big” for starring roles. At the end of their respective ropes, all it takes is one more insult … for Liv to suddenly have an idea that will unite them all.

Castles may conjure up a romantic fairy tale world; however, in real life, during the Middle Ages, castles were fortresses, providing shelter and protection for the lord as well as for the peasants who lived on his land. For an army, a lord depended on young soldiers in armor called knights who spent years at the castle learning the skills of warfare.

Hannah Brooks parece una profesora de infantil y no alguien que podría matarte con una servilleta, pero en realidad es guardaespaldas y acaban de asignarle una nueva misión: proteger al actor superestrella Jack Stapleton. Antes, Jack Stapleton estaba en boca de todos y sus fotos, normalmente en playas paradisiacas, surcando las olas como un dios griego, saturaban las revistas de todo el país. Hasta que, tras una tragedia personal hace dos años, se alejó de los focos.

Zoe knows that the only thing harder than middle school is losing a best friend. She and Laura used to do everything together from taking silly selfies, to joining all the same clubs together and even throwing surprise birthday parties for one another.

The Akashic Noir series’ forensic study of Southern California sharpens its focus on one of Los Angeles’ most recognized neighborhoods.

Lidia Yuknavitch has an unmatched gift for capturing stories of people on the margins—vulnerable humans leading lives of challenge and transcendence. Now, Yuknavitch offers an imaginative masterpiece: the story of Laisvė, a motherless girl from the late 21st century who is learning her power as a carrier, a person who can harness the power of meaningful objects to carry her through time. Sifting through the detritus of a fallen city known as the Brook, she discovers a talisman that will mysteriously connect her with a series of characters from the past two centuries.

Eighteen-year-old Alice Ribeiro is constantly fighting—against the status quo, female oppression in Brazil, and even her own mother. But when a family veil is passed down to her, Alice is compelled to fight for the rights of all womankind while also uncovering the hidden history of the women in her family.

Though assured several times by family members that the man who had her heart for so many years would not be home, Rosie runs into him the first day she arrives. Immediately, she’s left wondering how she could ever walk away from him again. With the wedding, the holidays, their families being so close-knit, and the fact that they’re neighbors, it’s looking more and more like there’s no way for them to avoid falling back in love with one another. Can they manage to forgive each other and themselves and put the past behind them, or will it catch up and run their new relationship into the ground?

Two Colombian expats meet as strangers on the rainy streets of New York City, both burdened with traumatic pasts. In Cuba, a woman discovers her deceased brother’s bones have been stolen, and the love of her life returns from Ecuador for a one-night visit. A cash-strapped couple hustles in Miami, to life-altering ends.

Luciana es la menor de una numerosa familia colombiano-americana en el sur de Florida, pero en medio de una crisis debe convertirse en la única voz razonable de su entorno familiar y lidiar con su excéntrica abuela, que se niega a seguir la orden de evacuación ante la llegada de un huracán. El huracán no es el único peligro. La glamorosa y despreocupada vida de la abuela se verá cimbrada por un grave diagnóstico médico que prefiere ignorar.

Ana no puede controlar su entusiasmo. ¡Su abuela viene a vivir con ella y su mami para siempre! Seguro que Abuela va a dejar a Ana jugar cuando quiera, en vez de meterle prisa para que se vaya la escuela, como a veces hace su vecina y niñera, la señora Mimí. Es más, como le dice su compañera de clase, ¡Ana ya no necesitará que la señora Mimí la cuide! Pero la señora Mimí sabe escuchar, y se divierten mucho juntas dando de comer a las ardillas y merendando. ¿Tal vez Ana aún no esté lista para despedirse de la señora Mimí?

Journey with children, fae creatures, and gods alike as they navigate the joy of friendship, the struggles of finding identity, and the unclear pathways of strange new worlds. From best sellers to rising voices, 11 terrifically talented authors explore the many faces of whimsy and wonder, mischief and misdoings.

Señora Sanasana offers a new lively character to the children's canon of beloved magical nannies and caregivers: a fashionable and kind Peruvian elder who is as fantastical as her llama companion, Llamita, and who is a cunning friend to the multicultural children and families of her high-rise apartment building. Señora Sanasana guides her neighbors through the ups and downs of childhood, and her magical apartment is a safe place for her community to play and learn.

Ana cannot contain her excitement—her abuela is coming to stay with her and Mami for always! Abuela is sure to let Ana play whenever she wants instead of rushing her off to school, like her neighbor and babysitter, señora Mimí, sometimes does. In fact, as Ana’s classmate points out, she won’t need señora Mimí to babysit at all anymore! But señora Mimí is a good listener, and they have a lot of fun together feeding the squirrels and eating snacks. Maybe Ana isn’t ready to say goodbye to señora Mimí just yet?

Luchy Zapata is starting middle school, and she’s muy excited. She and her two best friends, Cami and Mateo, will finally be at the same school. Luchy and Mateo will be in art class together, and she and Cami can try out for the same soccer team! As long as they’re all together, Luchy can handle anything. But Cami has been acting weird ever since she got back from visiting family in Colombia. She’s making new, “cool” friends who just seem mean. And suddenly, everything about Luchy and Mateo is too immature for her.

Cellphones have become a fact of life, with children as young as eight (yes, eight!) getting their very own “devices.” Such boundless access means our kids are in nearly constant contact with technology that was designed specifically for adults. And they’re doing so without any type of road map. Enter First Phone: the essential audiobook that apprehensive parents can confidently hand to their kids to listen to as they begin their journey into the digital world.

Study Break, a collection of interconnected contemporary Young Adult short stories written by Gen Z authors, explores different parts of "the college experience," from questioning your major to questioning your identity.

Imagine a world devoid of violence - a world where fists can’t hit, guns don’t kill, and bombs can’t destroy. In this tantalizing novel of possibility, this has - suddenly and inexplicably - become our new reality. The US president must find a new way to wage war. The pope ponders whether the Commandment “Thou Shalt Not Kill” is still relevant.

Omega Morales’s family has been practicing magic for centuries in Noche Buena. But over the years, the town's reputation for the supernatural is no longer one the people carry with pride. So Omega’s family keeps to themselves, and in private, they’re Empaths—diviners who can read and manipulate the emotions of people and objects around them. But Omega’s powers don’t quite work, and it leaves her feeling like an outsider in her own family.