precious novel charismatic charlie wade Audiobooks

“Papa explains the war like this: ‘When the elephants dance, the chickens must be careful.’ The great beasts, as they circle one another, shaking the trees and trumpeting loudly, are the Amerikanos and the Japanese as they fight. And our Philippine Islands? We are the small chickens.” Once in a great while comes a storyteller who can illuminate worlds large and small, magical and true to life. When the Elephants Dance introduces us to the incandescent voice of Tess Uriza Holthe, who sets her remarkable first novel in the waning days of World War II, as the Japanese and the Americans engage in a fierce battle for possession of the Philippine Islands. The Karangalan family and their neighbors huddle for survival in the cellar of a house a few miles from Manila. Outside the safety of their little refuge the war rages on—fiery bombs torch the beautiful Filipino countryside, Japanese soldiers round up and interrogate innocent people, and from the hills guerillas wage a desperate campaign against the enemy. Inside the cellar, these men, women, and children put their hopes and dreams on hold as they wait out the war, only emerging to look for food, water, and medicine. Through the eyes of three narrators, thirteen-year-old Alejandro Karangalan, his spirited older sister Isabelle, and Domingo, a passionate guerilla commander, we see how ordinary people must learn to live in the midst of extraordinary uncertainty, how they must find hope for survival where none seems to exist. They find this hope in the dramatic history of the Philippine Islands and the passion and bravery of its people. Crowded together in the cellar, the Karangalans and their friends and neighbors tell magical stories to one another based on Filipino myth and legend to fuel their courage, pass the time, and teach important lessons.

ONE OF QUEER FORTY'S BEST PRIDE READS FOR SUMMER 2023! Three gay men in pre-Stonewall New York City find their fates thrown together in the police raid of a Village bar. Roger Moorhouse is a Wall Street banker and Westchester family man with a preciously guarded secret. As the shouting begins and flashlights blaze in his face, the life he’s carefully curated over the years―a fancy new office overlooking lower Broadway, a house in Beechmont Woods, his wife and children―is about to come crashing down around him. Columbia literature professor Julian Prince lives a comparatively uncloseted life when he finds his first committed relationship tested to its limits. How could he explain to Gus, a fearless young artist, that he couldn’t stay with him that weekend because the woman who was still technically Julian’s fiancée would be visiting? But when Gus is struck unconscious by a police baton, Julian comes out of hiding to protect him, even if exposure means losing everything. For Danny Duffy, an Irish kid from the Bronx with a sassy mouth and a diverse group of friends, the raid is a galvanizing, Spartacus moment. Danny doesn’t have too much left to lose; his family has just disowned him. But once his name appears in the newspaper, he’ll be fired from his job at Sloan’s Supermarket, where he’s risen to assistant manager of produce, and begin a journey that veers between political enlightenment and violent revenge. The three men find themselves in a police wagon together, their hidden lives threatened to be revealed to the world. Blackmail, a private investigator, Gus’s disappearance, and Danny’s quest for retribution propel Disorderly Men to its piercing conclusion, as each man meets the boundaries of his own fear, love, and shame. The stakes for each are different, but all of them confront a fundamental question: How much happiness is he allowed to have . . . and what share of it will he lay claim to?

Naomi Green spent a hundred million dollars hiring an older man, Jack Hough, to fake a marriage, not knowing that he was Gin City's most influential person! After getting married, Jack doted on her as if she was his precious, pure, and kind little Buttercup, regardless of whatever she did!Beating someone up so badly they ended up in the hospital? Great job! Spending a fortune on acquiring a trashy company? Way to go! No matter how despicable Naomi's reputation was, Jack spoiled her through and through! Everyone thought that Jack was nuts for marrying her. No one knew of Naomi's multiple secret identities: genius hacker, brilliant doctor, supermodel, and exceptional gamer! Naomi was hellbent on revenge and she would stop at nothing!

A murderous past… Can come back to haunt you. It’s almost spring in Paperwick, Connecticut, and Rosemary Grey has never felt more content. Her job teaching history at the local university is fun and challenging and she’s all settled into her cozy cottage on Jack and Charlie’s farm. She’s made a whole host of friends in the tiny New England village, and is most definitely falling in love with the adorable Seth Maguire. But when the university calls and asks Rosemary to fill in for a fellow history professor who didn’t show up to work, she would never dream that she’s just about to stumble into investigating a sinister mystery—or that the case will take her, along with Jack, Charlie, and Seth, to the outskirts of town where the Forgotten Village, a relic of Colonial America, still haunts the woods. Will history repeat itself before she can solve the crime? Find out in this intriguing Cozy Mystery!

After being secretly married for three years, Holly Sinclair's husband suddenly asks for a divorce. She hides the pain and leaves after taking the money he gives her. From that day on, her life goes uphill. She restores precious masterpieces and determines their authenticity. The world of vintage pieces is her oyster.After the divorce, a certain ex-husband is filled with regret when he sees Holly on TV, showing off her skills. He turns into her loyal fan and chases her around the world. "I'll give you my heart and soul, babe. Please, come back to me."Holly says, "Sorry, but I'm busy. I have too much to do!"Later, she meets the man who saved her when she was younger. On the day of her wedding, she receives some horrible news. She leaves her groom at the altar and mourns her ex-husband's supposed death. Pain is all she feels.Then, her ex-husband suddenly shows up, wounded but alive, and gets on one knee before her while holding out a diamond ring. "Let's remarry, babe!"

After her father's bankruptcy, the heiress of the Spencer family, Alison Spencer, found herself in a staggering debt of millions overnight and was forced to live on the streets. Everyone anticipated her downfall, but to their surprise, she managed to latch on to the powerful heir of the Brooks family, Cillian Brooks.Rumors about Cillian portrayed him as ruthless and cold-hearted, striking fear into those who heard them. Yet, against all odds, he seemed to dote on Alison as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

“You have to reject her.” Amelia heard her twin say to her boyfriend. As the ignored daughter of the Alpha, Amelia has been bullied by her twin since little. She knew it was all because she wasn’t as talented and didn’t shift like her twin did. Still, getting rejected by the only love of her life was too much to bear. Amelia accepted her father’s order and set out for college in a neighbouring pack, not knowing a group of wolves were sent to get rid of her for good. At the critical moment, her only way out was get into the pack of the most feared Alpha, the King that ruled the darkness, the one who had killed his own father to take the throne. *** This novel is created by didi.adeyemi from an editor's outline. The novel is copyright Ideaink Six Cats.

Her brother stole away his intended bride. Amidst the chaos, she seized the moment and declared, "Let the wedding proceed. I'll marry you."He was the man of her dreams, and their journey after the wedding marks her pursuit of her newfound husband.Through countless trials and tribulations, she realized that she couldn't thaw the icy exterior of this man. Eventually, it was her turn to take a stand. The one who had always been subservient to him finally uttered one day, "I want a divorce."He asked, "What's the matter?""Loving someone is so draining," she replied."And what about being loved by someone?""I don't know. You've never loved me," she retorted, her voice tinged with sorrow."Then, from tomorrow, I will love you."Unbeknownst to her, everyone knew he treated her like a precious gem. He just never said the words 'I love you' out loud.

For decades, the Campbell women have reunited at the family’s rambling seaside cottage known as Beech House to celebrate life’s many occasions. But this year, they will be called back to Martha's Vineyard for a celebration of a different sort: their beloved matriarch Cora is getting remarried. And all the town gossips are calling him the one who got away, years ago… For renowned chef Mickey Campbell, this wedding isn’t just a welcome excuse to return to the place she first learned to cook at her grandmother’s side. It’s also a chance to regroup while she figures out a way to tell her smoldering head chef boyfriend that she’s mismanaged their restaurant into the red. Mickey’s mother, Hedy, is still mourning the passing of her adored father three years earlier, and she isn’t sure she’s ready to welcome a new man into the fold―and she’s not certain her own thorny relationship with her mother will weather the storm of her upcoming marriage. But everyone knows a woman’s heart holds more than meets the eye. For Cora, drawing her daughter and granddaughter back to Beech House isn’t just about a ceremony, but a chance to reveal a history she has kept close to her heart for decades. As the days leading up to the wedding unfold, secrets of Cora’s past come to light-- a secret that will cause three generations of Campbell women to question marriage, motherhood, and ultimately learn to savor the delicious joy of following your own heart. Told in dual timelines on the sumptuous beaches of Martha's Vineyard, OUR PLACE ON THE ISLAND is the sparkling, romantic read of the season.

Fig Finds Love! Coming back after my fashion internship was supposed to be a short-term stop … but my heart is telling me I belong right here at Home, WA. When my brother’s oldest friend Hank shows up at family dinner, I am reminded how smitten I have always been of this rough and tumble man. He’s returned to his roots, too, and he is looking to settle down for good. My dreams have changed, and I am terrified of letting my family down – but I am even more scared of letting myself down. We have one wild and precious life … and right now, I am determined not to waste it. -virgin romance -love that lasts a lifetime -hero with values -brother’s best-friend