‘The Elect Lady’ is a wonderful place to begin to understand George MacDonald’s view on the nature and purpose of the church and how vast and beautiful is God’s love. There is a romantic triangle, along with a well written contrast between the misery of greed and the pursuit of godliness. You will not be disappointed!

Audible/Amazon

Carl Jacobi (1908-1997) was an American journalist who is known for writing short stories in the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy genres for the pulp magazine market of his time.

This audiobook begins with Doctor Universe and Double Trouble, connected by their main character, Grannie Annie, who happens to be a science fiction writer herself and is renowned for her deep, involved, and personal background research on different planets.

Enter the Nebula begins on another planet with a race to save it from destruction. Please enjoy the writings of Carl Jacobi!

Audible/Amazon

Eolaus, a lyrical dramatic poem

by James Allen

Presented by Voices of Today

In 1907 New Thought author James Allen published a verse anthology entitled Poems of Peace. Included in the collection is his sole dramatic work, Eolaus, which describes the journey of a troubled pilgrim from the wilderness of worldly despair to the heights of personal realization.

Cast

Narrator, The Prophet, Earth and Cosmos – Gregory Sheridan

Eolaus – Benjamin Hartin

The First Voice of Nature and the First Voice of Truth – Linda Barrans

The Second Voice of Nature and the Second Voice of Truth – Carol Box

The Third Voice of Nature and the Third Voice of Truth – Rhonda Federman

The Fourth Voice of Nature and the Fourth Voice of Truth – Susan Iannucci

The Fifth Voice of Nature and the Fifth Voice of Truth – Terah Tucker

The Sixth Voice of Nature and Heaven – Erin Grassie

Musical excerpts from Ease, composed by Chris Collins. Rights held by Chris Collins. Used with permission from the composer.

Audible/Amazon

A James Allen Collection

James Allen (1864 – 1912) was one of the most celebrated exponents of New Thought philosophy, a synthesis of universalist spiritual principles, which has since become the basis of many of the theories promulgated by the vast self-improvement industry of the present day.

Allen’s basic thesis was that thought is the ultimate creative force in the universe and that the laws governing the material world are also operative in the spiritual realm. His books explore the application of these principles, not only to religious philosophy but also to various practical aspects of daily life.

Contents:

As A Man Thinketh

Above Life’s Turmoil

All These Things Added

Byways of Blessedness

Eight Pillars of Prosperity

Foundation Stones of Happiness and Success

From Passion to Peace

From Poverty to Power

Light on Life’s Difficulties

Man: King of Mind, Body, and Circumstance

Men and Systems

Morning and Evening Thoughts

Out from the Heart

Poems of Peace

The Life Triumphant

The Mastery of Destiny

The Shining Gateway

Through the Gates of Good

The Heavenly Life

The Divine Companion

Eolaus – a lyrical dramatic poem

Narration by Gregory Sheridan

Also featuring the following additional voices:

The Divine Companion – disciple performed by Simon Paxton

Eolaus – a lyrical dramatic poem – roles performed by

Benjamin Hartin, Linda Barrans, Carol Box, Rhonda Federman, Terah Tucker, Susan Iannucci and Erin Grassie.

Audible/Amazon

This collection, published in 1921, has 3 short stories about the adventures of Tish Carberry and her loyal and patient friends, Aggie and Lizzie. All the stories are told from Lizzie’s point of view. The stories are loosely related. Tish Carberry is fearless and seeks to be useful to her world and do what is right.

In The Cave on Thunder Cloud, doing what is right includes capturing bandits. In Tish Does Her Bit, she is a recruiter for the war effort using any means to recruit eligible men. Salvage is about using any means to be near her beloved nephew in France as he fights in the war. There is something about doing what is right, by any means possible, that is not quite right!

Audible/Amazon

Artists in Ukraine have lost their livelihoods. The Ukraine Audiobook Relief Project was launched to support artists in Ukraine whose lives are threatened because of war.

It is a fundamental aspect of war to suppress story, language, and culture. Moved by this crisis of culture, members of PANA (the Professional Audiobook Narrators Association) created this audiobook to raise money for Ukrainian relief. Joined by writers and musicians, we have volunteered our work to show our support for artists living through war.

100% of the profits from the sale of this audiobook donated by PANA (pronarrators.org) will provide financial support to the Artists at Risk Connection in Ukraine through PEN America, a non-profit organization that endeavors to safeguard the right to artistic freedom of expression and ensure that artists and cultural professionals everywhere can live and work without fear. We urge you to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine by supporting its artists.

The folk wisdom of Ukraine includes this expression: “A word is not a sparrow … once it flies out, you won’t catch it.”

‘A Word Is Not A Sparrow’ is a diverse anthology of stories set amid Russian repression through the centuries; personal narrator testimony about the impact in America of immigrant grandparents from Ukraine and elsewhere; powerful fables and allegories that deliver universal messages about displacement, migration, and human connection; and classic Cossack folk tales that are a touchstone of Ukrainian culture. Listen as we let these words fly out around the world.

Narrated by PANA member volunteers Barry Abrams, Jennifer Jill Araya, Dave Arlington, Rosemary Benson, Anna Crowe, Claudia Dunn, Andrea Emmes, Gary Furlong, Rebecca Gallagher, Caroline Hewitt, Susan Iannucci, Elizabeth Jasicki, Tom Jordan, Jennifer March, Janet Metzger, Rich Miller, Erin Moon, Sara Morsey, Traci Odom, Sheri Saginor and Tiffany Williams.

Music by Michael Nazaretz & the Samovar Russian Folk Ensemble, Jeff Crompton, Roger French, and Kenny Raskin.

Writers include Barry Abrams, Sholem Yankev Abramovitsh, Andrea Emmes and Karen Bogle, Vladislav Davidzon, Christopher Dewees, Thaisa Frank, Teresa Johnson, Alla Kudzieva, Taras Shevchenko, and Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch.

©2000, 2022, 2023 Yulia’s Morning © 2023; Jewish Ukraine Fights Nazi Russia © 2022; Four (by Two) © 2022, by Teresa Johnson. Excerpt from Fishke the Lame published in Yiddish in 1869 by Mendele Moykher-Sforim. Translation by Ken Frieden © 2000 by Syracuse University…licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Other stories are in the public domain or have been contributed by contemporary authors (P)2024 PANA

Audible/Amazon

By Gene Stratton-Porter

Presented by Voices of Today

Featuring the voices of Susan Iannucci, David Shears, Sarah Bacaller, Ben Stevens, Linda Barrans, Graham Scott, Marty Krz, John Burlinson, Trisha Rose and Lee Ann Howlett

Freckles is primarily set in the Limberlost Swamp of Indiana, U.S.A., with brief scenes set in Chicago. 

Freckles is the only name he has ever known. His right hand is missing at the wrist, and he is haunted by not knowing how it happened. Raised since infancy in a Chicago orphanage, he speaks with a slight Irish accent and sings with a beautiful voice. Now, exhausted after many days of walking, he applies for a job with the Grand Rapids Lumber Company, guarding timber in the Limberlost Swamp from timber thieves.

Along with timber thieves, visitors to the swamp are the Bird Woman, who often comes to photograph birds’ nests, and a lovely young woman who Freckles promptly falls in love with and names his “Swamp Angel”. He fears that he is descended from criminals who abused their baby and cut off his hand intentionally so he cannot be worthy of her. The Swamp Angel declares her love for him and promises that she will find his parents and prove that Freckles comes from “a race of men that have been gentlemen for ages, and couldn’t be anything else.”

Be sure to follow up by listening to this book with the sequel, The Girl of the Limberlost, also produced by Voices of Today.

Amazon/Audible • iTunes

By Anna Katharine Green

Narrated by Peter Thomlinson, Michell Marie and Susan Iannucci

Anna Katharine Green (1846-1935) was one of the first crime novelists and paved the way for later female writers of detective novels, like Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Ngaio Marsh.

Among her prolific output are twelve novels featuring her main character, detective Ebenezer Gryce of the New York Metropolitan Police Force. This collection contains the third group of three novels in the series:

Initials Only (1911)

One of My Sons (1901)

The Mystery of the Hasty Arrow (1917)

Amazon/Audible • iTunes

A Gene Stratton Porter Collection

Freckles and A Girl of the Limberlost are two of Gene Stratton Porter’s most famous novels. Set primarily in the Limberlost Swamp of Indiana, USA, Freckles follows the story of Freckles, a lame orphan whose innate character rises above his circumstances. A Girl of the Limberlost is the story of Elnora, blamed for her father’s death by her mother, who nevertheless meets every challenge that comes her way with admirable resilience. Uplifting and encouraging family listening!

Narration by Susan Iannucci. Also featuring the voices of David Shears, Sarah Bacaller, Ben Stevens, Linda Barrans, Graham Scott, Marty Krz, John Burlinson, Trisha Rose, Lee Ann Howlett, J D Sutter, Lee Ann Howlett, Andy Harrington, Emma Faye, Adam Skousen, Sara Morsey, and Kendra Murray.

Amazon/Audible • iTunes

Deception, mystery, romance, inheritance—this novel has it all! Written by Anna Katharine Green and published in 1923, it is one of her best. Wealthy Edgar Quenton Bartholomew has a beautiful daughter, a great estate, and vast business holdings. It is his final wish that the man who marries his daughter will inherit it all. When he dies it is thought to be of natural causes until a young woman viewing the casket cries out that he appears to be poisoned … and the investigation begins! Where is his final will? Who poisoned him?

Amazon/Audible • iTunes

R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots)

by Karel Čapek

Translated by Paul Selver and Nigel Playfair

R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) is a science-fiction drama that was first presented in the original Czech version in January 1921. It introduced the term “robot”, which is derived from a Czech word meaning “worker,” to international vocabulary.

The action opens in a factory that has successfully produced thousands of robots, who are essentially mindless drones. An idealistic humanitarian activist launches a plan to imbue some of the robots with human traits. The robots which have been humanized then assume leadership over the other robots and eventually seek to organize them in a revolution to take over the world.

Cast

Narrator—Laura Richcreek

Harry Domin/A Servant—John Burlinson

Sulla/Nana/Helena (robot)—Kristina Rothe

Marius/Radius—Tom Saer

Helena Glory—Susan Iannucci

Dr. Gall/First Robot—Denis Daly

Mr Fabry/Primus—Patrick Barker

Dr Hallemeier/Third Robot—Marty Krz

Mr Alquist—John Burlinson

Consul Busman/Second Robot—Alan Weyman

Audio edited by Denis Daly

Amazon/Audible • iTunes

Queen Marguerite de Navarre (April 11, 1491-December 21, 1549) was one of the most powerful women of her age, having helped to negotiate the Treaty of Cambrai, known as the Ladies’ Peace. She was the wife of both Charles IV, duke of Alençon, and Henry II of Navarre, and the grandmother of King Henry IV of France.

Her masterpiece, The Heptameron, is a collection of some 72 stories told by five gentlemen and five ladies who find themselves stranded in an abbey. Proposed as an edifying way of passing the time while a bridge is being repaired, the tale-telling – as well as the conversations that follow each story – quickly becomes a battle of wits between the sexes, with tales concerning illicit lovers, romantic conquests, lecherous monks, manly honor (and their opposite), and women’s virtue (and their opposite). The stories include intimate details of adultery, flattery, betrayal, rape, and war, and their candor may startle even 21st-century listeners.

This is a full-cast production, narrated by Cate Barratt and featuring the voices of Linda Barrans, John Burlinson, Mark Crowle-Groves, Denis Daly, Susan Iannucci, Grace Keller Scotch, Jeff Moon, Sara Morsey, Kendra Murray, and Graham Scott.

Audio edited by John Burlinson.

Amazon/Audible • iTunes