Chris Ruen has narrated 16 audiobooks on Listento.it by 12 authors, with an average listener rating of 4.4★ across 723 ratings. The most-rated is The Phoenix Project.
The Phoenix Project
Summary
Five years after this sleeper hit took on the world of IT and flipped it on its head, the fifth anniversary edition of The Phoenix Project continues to guide IT in the DevOps revolution. In this newly updated and expanded edition of the best-selling The Phoenix Project, co-author Gene Kim includes a new afterword and a deeper delve into the Three Ways as described in The DevOps Handbook. Bill, an IT manager at Parts Unlimited, has been tasked with taking on a project critical to the future of the business, code named Phoenix Project. But the project is massively over budget and behind schedule. The CEO demands Bill must fix the mess in 90 days, or else Bill’s entire department will be outsourced. With the help of a prospective board member and his mysterious philosophy of the Three Ways, Bill starts to see that IT work has more in common with manufacturing plant work than he ever imagined. With the clock ticking, Bill must organize work flow, streamline interdepartmental communications, and effectively serve the other business functions at Parts Unlimited. In a fast-paced and entertaining style, three luminaries of the DevOps movement deliver a story that anyone who works in IT will recognize. Listeners will not only learn how to improve their own IT organizations, they’ll never view IT the same. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2014 Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford (P)2015 Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford
Bad Things
Summary
Danika hasn't had an easy life. Being insanely attracted to bad boys has never helped make it easier. One look at Tristan, and every brain cell she possessed went up in smoke. This man was trouble with a capital T. It was a given. She knew better. Bad boys were bad. Especially for her. Considering her history, it was crazy to think otherwise. So why did crazy have to feel so damn fine? For as long as she could remember, Danika had been focused on the future with single-minded purpose. Tristan came along and taught her everything there was to know about letting go, and living in the present. She fell, hard, and deep. Of course, that only made her impact with the ground that much more devastating. Bad Things is about Tristan and Danika, and their train wreck of a love story. This series can be read as a standalone, or with the Up in the Air trilogy. This audiobook is intended for ages 18 and up.
©2013 R.K. Lilley (P)2014 R.K. Lilley, LLC
A Shade of Vampire 9: A Bond of Blood
Summary
The series with over a million books sold Derek will rip Caleb's heart out the moment he lays eyes on him, for what he's done. Rose is convinced that the vampire is innocent. But my daughter has been fooled. Nobody but Caleb could have stolen away our dear friend. I gaze out at the dark waters rushing past us in the submarine, as we speed closer and closer toward our destination.... Are you ready to, once again, lose yourself in The Shade? Buy now! This book directly follows A Shade of Novak: A Shade of Vampire, Book Eight.
©2015 Bella Forrest (P)2015 Bella Forrest
Rock Bottom
Summary
Their love had the power of a runaway freight train, and the potential to be just as destructive. The tempestuous sequel to Bad Things picks up where the first book left off. Reeling from a profound loss, Tristan and Danika struggle to pick up the pieces and build a life together, but the hard habits of a lifetime are not so easy to escape. Rock Bottom takes us on a dual point of view journey through addiction and desire, through love and agony, and answers the question we've been asking since these characters were introduced in Grounded: What happened between Tristan and Danika? Dankia: Even love couldn't cushion a fall like ours. My love for Tristan was so big that I felt consumed by it, and even so, it was not enough to overpower our combined demons. I struggled. I yelled and screamed. I scratched and kicked. I fought like hell, but even the most determined fighters have to stop before they break. No one could say I didn't fight for him. "I love you," I spoke softly into his ear. He gripped me harder. "I can't ever lose you, Danika. I'm not sure I'd survive it." "You've got me. And I'm not going anywhere. Not ever." I meant the words when I said them, but life had other plans for us. I'd have given my life for that fight. In fact, I very nearly did. Tristan: She was the one. If I'd ever had a doubt, I didn't now. She was the one I'd be thinking about, longing for, until I took my last breath. If I lost her tomorrow, I'd pine for her like a lovesick fool. This was the kind of love that only hit you once in your life. This book is intended for readers 18 and up.
©2013 R.K. Lilley (P)2014 R.K. Lilley, LLC
Lovely Trigger
Summary
The Impact Tristan hit rock bottom, and no one felt the impact harder than Danika. She was forced to see, in the most brutal of ways, that love does not conquer all. Bruised, bloody, and broken, she had to walk away. The Aftermath Picking up the pieces of your life after a tragedy is a daunting prospect, and that's considering you still own all of the pieces. But what if you don't? What if someone else owns those pieces, and those pieces are a part of your soul? You dig deep and work with what you've got. That's what Danika told herself and believed, every single day, for years. Tristan and Danika's love had failed every test that life had thrown at them. She couldn't forget that, not for one second. And if those tests had been overly harsh, well, she wasn't one to wallow in self-pity. The failure was the thing she had to focus on. The failure was the lesson. She had no intention of working so hard to make it out of hell without learning that lesson well. The Reunion Over six years after the night that changed everything, Danika finds herself forced to spend the weekend constantly in Tristan's company, as they attend the wedding of two of their dearest friends. It's been long enough that she feels they can be friendly again without it destroying her peace of mind, but just a small amount of time in his presence has her remembering something she had forced herself to forget: There'd been a reason she'd gone through hell with this man, for this man, some true good to precede the bad. She shocks herself by quickly giving in to a hunger that she never imagined could still consume her. Even the best intentioned denial has a breaking point. This book is intended for readers 18 and up.
©2014 R.K. Lilley, LLC (P)2014 R.K. Lilley, LLC
The Blue Sapphire of the Mind
Summary
"There are no unsacred places," the poet Wendell Berry has written. "There are only sacred places and desecrated places." What might it mean to behold the world with such depth and feeling that it is no longer possible to imagine it as something separate from ourselves, or to live without regard for its well-being? To understand the work of seeing things as an utterly involving moral and spiritual act? Such questions have long occupied the center of contemplative spiritual traditions. In The Blue Sapphire of the Mind, Douglas E. Christie proposes a distinctively contemplative approach to ecological thought and practice that can help restore our sense of the earth as a sacred place. Drawing on the insights of the early Christian monastics as well as the ecological writings of Henry David Thoreau, Aldo Leopold, Annie Dillard, and many others, Christie argues that, at the most basic level, it is the quality of our attention to the natural world that must change if we are to learn how to live in a sustainable relationship with other living organisms and with one another. He notes that in this uniquely challenging historical moment, there is a deep and pervasive hunger for a less fragmented and more integrated way of apprehending and inhabiting the living world - and for a way of responding to the ecological crisis that expresses our deepest moral and spiritual values. Christie explores how the wisdom of ancient and modern contemplative traditions can inspire both an honest reckoning with the destructive patterns of thought and behavior that have contributed so much to our current crisis, and a greater sense of care and responsibility for all living beings. These traditions can help us cultivate the simple, spacious awareness of the enduring beauty and wholeness of the natural world that will be necessary if we are to live with greater purpose and meaning, and with less harm, to our planet.
©2013 Oxford University Press (P)2013 Audible, Inc.
A Shade of Vampire 8: A Shade of Novak
Summary
Marking the second anniversary of the release of A Shade of Vampire, Derek, Sofia and their twins have returned in new adventures! I never could have imagined that Derek and I would willingly turn back into vampires. But there are some things in life that you just can't predict. Like the strange human disappearances that started happening on the coasts surrounding us. There would have been nothing mysterious about these kidnappings so close to our own turf, had The Shade's vampires not given up drinking human blood almost two decades ago.... Book your ticket back to The Shade. Buy now! Note: This book directly follows A Break of Day: A Shade of Vampire, Book Seven.
©2014 Bella Forrest (P)2015 Bella Forrest
Sweet Sixteen
Summary
They say roses are the most beautiful.... Gin Fielding is counting the days until she escapes the small-town life of Roper, Missouri, for college at NYU. She prefers to blend in, though she’s far from invisible. But when she protects a younger student from a bully, the spotlight turns on her in ways she never imagined. I say that every rose has its thorn.... The Friday-night lights shine bright on Chase Matthews. Roper’s golden boy, Chase can do no wrong, enjoying the small-town celebrity being the star quarterback brings. When Gin defends his little sister against a bully, he decides to lend her his star power and change her senior year in ways she never imagined. But maybe the thorns are part of their beauty. When Gin declines Chase’s invitation to be part of the elite Sweet 16, the repercussions turn both their lives upside down. But amid the chaos, Gin and Chase find solace in one another. Together, they confront the ugly truth - that sometimes, glory has a dark side.
©2018 Brenda Rothert (P)2018 Audible, Inc.
Now and Then
Summary
Now Emmaline Carson has settled into her career as a graphic designer, though she'd rather be painting or shopping with her sister Layla. But then - in the years before she went to art school in Paris - she was a shy, awkward teenager with frizzy hair, a flat chest, and a massive crush on the boy across the street, Cole Marlowe. Too bad her incredibly hot neighbor only had eyes for Layla. Cole is now a confident, laid-back attorney who's even hotter than he used to be. He's planning to stay single while working his way up the corporate ladder - until he's knocked off course by a chance run-in with Emma. Everything is different between Cole and Emma now. He finally sees her in a way she only dreamed of, and their hot chemistry is fueled by a growing friendship. But Emma's deception of her sister - who wants Cole for herself - and the secret Cole's been keeping for more than a decade threaten to tear apart what's only just begun. Because sometimes the only thing standing in the way of now is then. **Warning** This book contains adult language and situations.
©2013 Brenda Rothert (P)2015 Brenda Rothert
Now and Again
Summary
Once again, 26-year-old Layla Carson has the attention of a man eager to satisfy her. Ben Montrose, the hot, confident cop who gets off on frustrating her, is eager to show her just how arresting he can be. But as a reforming sexaholic, Layla's sworn off casual hookups and doesn't miss the days of her early 20s - much. Ben's caught off guard when the sexy, outspoken attorney turns him on and then turns him down. But the confident former marine knows he can handle the simple seduction of a beautiful woman. He finds Layla's weak spot - competition, which he happens to share - and challenges her to a game that could make them or destroy them. As they compete to crown the master of seduction, Ben and Layla discover there's more to their game than power and foreplay. But as the stakes go up, they realize the game has changed, and they both stand to lose more than they bargained for.
©2013 Brenda Rothert (P)2016 Audible, Inc.
The Color of a Dream
Summary
From USA Today best-selling author Julianne MacLean comes an emotionally charged tale about the power of a dream, and the importance of never giving up on second chances. While recovering from a heart transplant, Nadia Carmichael is haunted by a recurring dream that sets her on a path to discover the identity of her donor. Her efforts are thwarted, however, when the father of her baby returns to wreak havoc on her life. It's not until Nadia learns of his estranged brother Jesse that she begins to explore the true nature of her dreams, and discover what her new heart truly desires.
©2014 Julianne MacLean (P)2014 Julianne MacLean
Farewell to Dreams
Summary
Fatal Insomnia. In the chaos of the ER, functioning without sleep is a prized skill. But even Dr. Angela Rossi will admit that five months is far too long, especially when accompanied by other worrisome symptoms: night sweats, tremors, muscle spasms, fevers. Then a dead nun speaks to her while Angela is holding the nun's heart in her hand. "Find the girl," the nun commands - although no one else in the trauma room can hear, the words drilling directly into Angela's brain. "Save the girl." Falling into catatonic states where she freezes in the middle of a resuscitation and hears dead nuns talking to her? Not good. Maybe she should check herself into her own hospital...except a lost girl's life depends on Angela. Because the girl IS real. The threat to her is deadly. Aided by a police detective fallen from grace, Angela searches the midnight catacombs beneath the city, facing down a ruthless gangleader and stumbling onto a serial killer's lair. Her desperate quest to save the girl leads her to the one thing she least expected to find: a last chance for love. As her symptoms escalate in bizarre and disturbing ways, Angie realizes exactly how serious her illness is. She might be dying, but she's finally choosing how to live....
©2014 CJ Lyons, LLC (P)2014 CJ Lyons, LLC
Now and Forever
Summary
Now that Emma and Layla Carson have landed the men of their dreams, it's time for happily ever after. Or is it? Emma's with childhood crush Cole Marlowe, and Layla finally found Mr. Right in alpha cop Ben Montrose. But both couples face unexpected obstacles that will test their relationships. Layla and Emma find solace in each other as battle lines are drawn, and they rediscover the close friendship they lost over Cole. It's all on the line as the sisters struggle to find the answer to the most difficult question they've ever faced: Is the love they have now meant to last forever?
©2014 Brenda Rothert (P)2015 Audible, Inc.
Straight Cut
Summary
Death followed him across the ocean A freelance film editor, Tracy Bateman goes where the work is. So when his old partner calls with an assignment, Tracy finds himself on a plane to Rome. But there are surprises waiting for him - deadly surprises that will lead him on a desperate chase across Europe, into the hands of a pair of brutal drug smugglers, and back to New York City, where the greatest betrayal of all awaits.…
©1986 Madison Smartt Bell (P)2013 Audible, Inc.
The Color of Love
Summary
USA Today best-selling author Julianne MacLean continues her Color of Heaven series with another fast-paced, emotionally gripping tale that will move and inspire you. Carla Matthews is a single mother struggling to make ends meet and give her daughter Kaleigh a decent upbringing. When Kaleigh's absent father Seth - a famous alpine climber who never wanted to be tied down - begs for a second chance at fatherhood, Carla is hesitant because she doesn't want to pin her hopes on a man who is always seeking another mountain to scale. A man who was never willing to stay put in one place and raise a family. But when Seth's plane goes missing after a crash landing in the harsh Canadian wilderness, Carla must wait for news… Is he dead or alive? Will the wreckage ever be found? One year later, after having given up all hope, Carla receives a shocking phone call. A man has been found, half-dead, floating on an iceberg in the North Atlantic, uttering her name. Is this Seth? And is it possible that he will come home to her and Kaleigh at last, and be the man she always dreamed he would be?
©2014 Julianne MacLean (P)2014 Julianne MacLean
Reluctant Hero
Summary
After nearly 10 years of conflicted silence, a celebrated 9/11 survivor describes what it was like for him living with memories of 9/11 for the past decade. On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, Michael Benfante went to work, just like he had day after day, at his office on 81st floor in the World Trade Center North Tower. Moments after the first plane struck, just 12 floors above him, Benfante organized his terrified employees, getting them out of the office and moving down the stairwells. On his way down, he and another co-worker encountered a woman in a wheelchair on the 68th floor. Benfante, the woman, and Benfante's co-worker then embarked on a 96-minute odyssey of escape - the two men carrying the woman down 68 flights of stairs, out of the North Tower, and into an ambulance that rushed her to safety just minutes before the tower imploded. A CBS video camera caught Benfante just as he got out of the building, and almost immediately, the national media came calling. Benfante sat on the couch with Oprah Winfrey, where she hailed him as a hero. Almost one year to the day after 9/11, Benfante got married, and the woman in the wheelchair sat in the front row. That's the storybook ending. But in the aftermath of 9/11, Benfante began a journey fraught with wrenching personal challenges of critical, emotional, and psychological depth which he captures here in Reluctant Hero. Benfante shares the trappings of his public heroism, the loneliness of his private anguish, and the hope he finds for himself and for us. Because all of us - whether we were in the towers in New York City or someplace else - are 9/11 survivors.
©2011 Michael Benfante and David Hollander (P)2012 Audible, Inc.