Michael Crouch has narrated 174 audiobooks on Listento.it by 172 authors, with an average listener rating of 4.4★ across 3,066 ratings. The most-rated is The Sea in the Sky.
The Sky Blues
Summary
Sky’s small town turns absolutely claustrophobic when his secret promposal plans get leaked to the entire school in this witty, heartfelt, and ultimately hopeful debut novel for fans of What If It’s Us? and I Wish You All the Best. Sky Baker may be openly gay, but in his small, insular town, making sure he was invisible has always been easier than being himself. Determined not to let anything ruin his senior year, Sky decides to make a splash at his high school’s annual beach bum party by asking his crush, Ali, to prom - and he has 30 days to do it. What better way to start living loud and proud than by pulling off the gayest promposal Rock Ledge, Michigan, has ever seen? Then, Sky’s plans are leaked by an anonymous hacker in a deeply homophobic e-blast that quickly goes viral. He’s fully prepared to drop out and skip town altogether - until his classmates give him a reason to fight back by turning his 30-day promposal countdown into a school-wide hunt to expose the e-blast perpetrator. But what happens at the end of the 30 days? Will Sky get to keep his hard-won visibility? Or will his small-town blues stop him from being his true self?
©2021 Robbie Couch. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.
Schizo
Summary
The fascinating, shocking, and ultimately quite hopeful story of one teen's downward spiral into mental illness by the best-selling author of Tweak and son of David Sheff (author of Beautiful Boy, the memoir adapted into a movie of the same name starring Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet). Miles is the ultimate unreliable narrator - a teen recovering from a schizophrenic breakdown who believes he is getting better - when in reality he is growing worse. Driven to the point of obsession to find his missing younger brother, Teddy, and wrapped up in a romance that may or may not be the real thing, Miles is forever chasing shadows. As Miles feels his world closing around him, he struggles to keep it open, but what you think you know about his world is actually a blur of gray, and the sharp focus of reality proves startling. Written by Nic Sheff, son of David Sheff (author of Beautiful Boy, the memoir adapted into a movie of the same name starring Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet), Schizo is the fascinating, and ultimately quite hopeful, story of one teen's downward spiral into mental illness as he chases the clues to a missing brother. Perfect for fans of Thirteen Reasons Why, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and It's Kind of a Funny Story. “This spare book is a well-written, but painful, read, as readers come to understand the hopelessness Miles feels about his life and his future.” (VOYA) “In his first novel, memoirist Sheff (Tweak) provides an insightful perspective on one teen’s struggle with mental illness.” (Publishers Weekly)
©2014 Nic Sheff (P)2014 Penguin Audio
Limelight & Larceny
Summary
These actors are going to steal more than the show. This full-cast audiobook, featuring 11 different voice actors, and narrated by Hillary Huber, take on the roles of the Tandem Players, a group of community theater actors that love their community theater almost as much as they love the sweet old landlady who gave them a home to perform their plays in over the years. But when she passes away, and the will that was to leave the Broadtown Theater to the acting troupe disappears, they don’t even have time to mourn their loss. Her son comes in like a wrecking ball, brandishing a 20-year-old will and an ultimatum: leave, or be buried under the rubble when he has the place demolished. The ragtag group of actors - a street magician, a former stuntwoman, an IT student, an FX specialist, a leading man, and their stage manager - will have to pool their talents and steal the will back. And they’ll have to act fast, because the next wrecking ball that swings in is going to be a real one.
©2021 Jordan Riley Swan (P)2021 Jordan Riley Swan
Middle School: Field Trip Fiasco
Summary
In this hilarious installment of the best-selling Middle School series, Rafe faces a cranky crocodile, a quirky campout, and a dastardly diamond plot in his most topsy-turvy adventure yet. Things have quieted down for lovable troublemaker Rafe Khatchadorian, and after all the mishaps and adventures he's been through, he's feeling a little restless. So when he's invited to attend an all-expenses-paid art field trip in California, Rafe jumps at the opportunity. But things go sideways, as they always do for Rafe, when he arrives and realizes his trip isn't the Hollywood vacation he thought it would be. Instead, he'll be participating in a "Cultural Campout" in the desert. What follows is a series of unfortunate events that only Rafe could find himself in, including an encounter with a cranky crocodile, a claustrophobic trip into an ancient cave, and a set of ancient cave paintings that may or may not have been faked. To make matters worse, Rafe finds himself smack dab in the middle of a plot to smuggle a legendary missing diamond. Has he finally stumbled his way into an adventure he can't get himself out of?
©2021 James Patterson and Martin Chatterton (P)2021 Hachette Audio
Music for Wartime
Summary
Named a must-read/must-listen by the Chicago Tribune, O Magazine, BuzzFeed, The Huffington Post, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and The L Magazine. Rebecca Makkai’s first two novels, The Borrower and The Hundred-Year House, have established her as one of the freshest and most imaginative voices in fiction. Now, the award-winning writer, whose stories have appeared in four consecutive editions of The Best American Short Stories, returns with a highly anticipated collection bearing her signature mix of intelligence, wit, and heart. A reality show producer manipulates two contestants into falling in love, even as her own relationship falls apart. Just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, a young boy has a revelation about his father’s past when a renowned Romanian violinist plays a concert in their home. When the prized elephant of a traveling circus keels over dead, the small-town minister tasked with burying its remains comes to question his own faith. In an unnamed country, a composer records the folk songs of two women from a village on the brink of destruction. These transporting, deeply moving stories - some inspired by her own family history - amply demonstrate Makkai’s extraordinary range as a storyteller and confirm her as a master of the short-story form. “Richly imagined.” (Chicago Tribune) “Impressive.” (O, The Oprah Magazine) “Engrossing.” (Minneapolis Star-Tribune) “Inventive.” (W Magazine)
©2015 Rebecca Makkai (P)2020 Penguin Audio
Cold Iron
Summary
For centuries, the Kingdom of Eledore has relied upon the kainen race's natural magical talents to retain its elevated and seemingly impervious status in the world, particularly above the humans in Acrasia. Plots and assassination attempts grow against the royal twin heirs, Nels and Suvi, as the Acrasians seem to be doing more than saber rattling against what they see as an evil, tyrannical nation. Nels, the only kainen in Eledore to study the Acrasians, understands the threat they pose and relinquishes his standing as heir to join the army, while Suvi supports the kingdom from within as admiral of the dwindling Eledorian navy and the new heir to the crumbling throne. Slow to change, the Eledorians soon face the Acrasians' vast military armed with muskets and cannon. But a revolution is coming, and along with it the possible end of a kingdom. The assumptions of generations will be turned on their head as kainen and human clash, love and friendship are found and tested, and war comes as unwelcome as cold iron.
©2015 Stina Leicht (P)2020 Recorded Books
White Bird
Summary
Inspired by her blockbuster phenomenon, Wonder, R. J. Palacio presents an unforgettable story of the power of kindness and unrelenting courage in a time of war. In R. J. Palacio's best-selling collection of stories, Auggie & Me, which expands on characters in Wonder, audiences were introduced to Julian's grandmother, Grandmère. Here, Palacio presents Grandmère's heartrending story: how she, a young Jewish girl, was hidden by a family in a Nazi-occupied French village during World War II; how the boy she and her classmates once shunned became her savior and best friend. Sara's harrowing experience movingly demonstrates the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives. As Grandmère tells Julian, "It always takes courage to be kind, but in those days, such kindness could cost you everything." With poignant symbolism that brings Sara's story out of the past and cements it firmly in this moment in history, White Bird is sure to captivate anyone who was moved by the book Wonder or the blockbuster movie adaptation and its message. This full-cast audio adaptation of White Bird transforms the graphic novel into a truly original audio performance. This audiobook includes a PDF of the Glossary, Suggested Reading List, Organizations and Resources, and Bibliography. Audio Narrators: Grandmère, read by Hillary Huber Sara Blum, read by Emily Ellet Julian and Paul, read by Robbie Daymond Sara Blum, read by Emily Ellet Maquisard and Monsieur Lafleur, read by Graham Halstead Mademoiselle Petitjean, read by Lauren Ezzo Jean Paul, read by Sean Patrick Hopkins Max, Jerome, and Rabbi Bernstein, read by Robert Fass Julien, read by Michael Crouch Nazi Soldier, read by Tristan Morris Pastor Luc, read by Adam Alexi-Malle Vincent and a Nazi Soldier, read by P. J. Ochlan Marianne and Ruth, read by Karissa Vacker Rose, Sophie, and Madame Lafleur, read by Elizabeth Knowelden Vivienne and Rabbi Bernstein's Wife, read by Lisa Flanagan PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2019 R. J. Palacio (P)2019 Listening Library
The Best American Short Stories 2020
Summary
“To read their stories felt to me the way I suspect other people feel hearing jazz for the first time,” recalls Curtis Sittenfeld of her initial encounter with the Best American Short Stories series. “They were windows into emotions I had and hadn’t had, into other settings and circumstances and observations and relationships.” Decades later, Sittenfeld was met by the same feeling selecting the stories for this year’s edition. The result is a striking and nuanced collection, bringing to life awkward college students, disgraced public figures, raunchy grandparents, and mystical godmothers. To listen to these stories is to experience the transporting joys of discovery and affirmation and to realize that story writing in America continues to flourish. The Best American Short Stories 2020 includes: T. C. Boyle Emma Cline Mary Gaitskill Andrea Lee Elizabeth Mc Cracken Alejandro Puyana William Pei Shih Kevin Wilson And others
©2020 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company (P)2020 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
In Sight of Stars
Summary
Seventeen-year-old Klee's father was the center of his life. He introduced Klee to the great museums of New York City and the important artists on their walls, he told him stories made of myths and magic. Until his death. Now, forced to live in the suburbs with his mom, Klee can't help but feel he's lost all the identifying parts of himself - his beloved father, weekly trips to the MoMA, and the thrumming energy of New York City. That is until he meets wild and free Sarah in art class, with her quick smiles and jokes about his "brooding". Suddenly it seems as if she's the only thing that makes him happy. But when an act of betrayal sends him reeling, Klee lands in what is bitingly referred to as the "Ape Can", a psychiatric hospital for teens in Northhollow. While there, he undergoes intensive therapy and goes back over the pieces of his life to find out what was real, what wasn't, and whether he can stand on his own feet again. Told in alternating timelines, leading up to the event that gets him committed and working towards getting back out, Gae Polisner's In Sight of Stars is a gorgeous novel told in minimalist strokes to maximal effect, about what makes us fall apart and how we can put ourselves back together again. A Barnes & Noble Teen Blog Pick of Most Anticipated YA Books of 2018.
©2018 Gae Polisner (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
My Name Is Anton
Summary
New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde returns with a hopeful novel of sacrifice, two lost souls, and enduring love. It’s 1965, and life has taken a turn for eighteen-year-old Anton Addison-Rice. Nearly a year after his brother died in a tragic accident, Anton is still wounded - physically and emotionally. Alone for the holidays, he catches a glimpse of his neighbor Edith across the street one evening and realizes that she’s in danger. Anton is determined to help Edith leave her abusive marriage. Frightened and fifteen years Anton’s senior, Edith is slow to trust. But when she needs a safe place to stay, she lets down her guard, and over the course of ten days an unlikely friendship grows. As Anton falls hopelessly and selflessly in love, Edith fears both her husband finding her and Anton getting hurt. She must disappear without telling anyone where she’s going - even Anton. If keeping Edith safe means letting her go, Anton will say goodbye forever. Or so he believes. What would happen, though, if one day their paths should cross again?
©2020 Catherine Ryan Hyde, Trustee, or Successor Trustee, of the Catherine Ryan Hyde Revocable Trust created under that certain declaration dated September 27, 1999 (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Not One of Us
Summary
From the bestselling author of Cold Waters comes a brooding thriller about a woman who must decide if safeguarding her family is worth burying a truth that will haunt her forever. Thirteen years ago, Jori Trahan’s boyfriend vanished without a trace. Now, after moving back home to Alabama to care for her ailing grandmother and autistic brother, she comes face-to-face with the deadly mystery behind his disappearance. Jori has a rare form of synesthesia, meaning she can “hear” colors; to her, tones of voice are as unique as fingerprints. With the help of this ability and a sympathetic cop, Jori comes dangerously close to uncovering the truth. But those responsible will go to any length - including murder - to keep their dark secrets buried. Soon, it seems that no one in the sleepy bayou town is safe, and after Jori’s brother is kidnapped, she knows she must drop the investigation or risk losing her family. But when protecting them means letting an evil deed go unpunished, putting family first may be the last thing she’ll ever do.
©2021 Debbie Herbert (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing
Summary
From Jago and Sally Lloyd-Jones, the creators of the best-selling Jesus Storybook Bible, comes this gorgeous and innovative collection of 101 simple-yet- profound thoughts on faith. Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing shares profound spiritual truths from the Bible told in a conversational tone - drawing insights from creation, history, science, the writings of great thinkers and preachers and writers, and more - to turn the reader’s eyes toward the God who loves them with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love. Perfect for family devotions, bedtime, story time, or even as a companion to The Jesus Storybook Bible, this accessible yet theologically rich book reveals biblical truth in word and image-all working together and designed to do one thing: to make the listener’s heart sing.
©2012 Sally Lloyd-Jones (P)2012 Zondervan
Blackthorne
Summary
In this sweeping sequel to the critically acclaimed Cold Iron - which NPR Books raved, “reminded me, pleasurably, of Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Apprentice series” - the Kingdom of Eledore has fallen and Nel and Suvi lead a diaspora of their people to safety, but the magic that has kept the demon forces away is dwindling, and they must find a new way to protect themselves. The Acrasian army has swept through Eledore, nearly massacring the entire race in fear and hatred of the magic they possess. This same magic is all that was keeping the demon incursion at bay, but now the great evil that was banished is seeping into the world. Watchers are formed to warn of any sightings of the demons, but little can be done if one encounters them in shadow or at night. Meanwhile, Nels leads a precious few hundred survivors of Eledore through the wilds, hoping to find solace and rebuild their civilization while his twin sister, Suvi, seeks allies at sea. There is hope, born in the ashes of this devastation - a hope that Eledorian magic can grow, but only if they survive.
©2017 Stina Leicht (P)2020 Recorded Books
The Talk
Summary
This powerful collection of short stories, essays, and poems is a call-to-action that invites all families to be anti-racist and advocates for change. Thirty diverse, award-winning authors and illustrators - including Renee Watson (Piecing Me Together), Grace Lin (Where the Mountain Meets the Moon), Meg Medina (Merci Suarez Changes Gears), and Adam Gidwitz (The Inquisitor's Tale) - engage young people in frank discussions about racism, identity, and self-esteem. Featuring stories filled with love, acceptance, truth, peace, and an assurance that there can be hope for a better tomorrow, The Talk is an inspiring anthology and must-have resource published in partnership with Just Us Books, a black-owned children's publishing company that's been in operation for over 30 years. Just Us Books continues its mission grounded in the same belief that helped launch the company: Good books make a difference. So, let's talk. Featured contributors: Selina Alko, Tracey Baptiste, Derrick Barnes, Natacha Bustos, Cozbi A. Cabrera, Raúl Colón, Adam Gidwitz, Nikki Grimes, Rudy Gutierrez, April Harrison, Wade Hudson, Gordon C. James, Minh Lê, E. B. Lewis, Grace Lin, Torrey Maldonado, Meg Medina, Christopher Myers, Daniel Nayeri, Zeke Peña, Peter H. Reynolds, Erin K. Robinson, Traci Sorell, Shadra Strickland, Don Tate, MaryBeth Timothy, Duncan Tonatiuh, Renée Watson, Valerie Wilson Wesley, Sharon Dennis Wyeth Features original music by Curtis Hudson. This audiobook includes a downloadable PDF of sources and notes from the authors. "The go-to book for talking to kids about race and privilege. Thoughtful. Thought-provoking. A must-read for every family." (Ellen Oh, editor of Flying Lessons & Other Stories and cofounder of We Need Diverse Books) "The ingredients are all here. May this magnificent collection inspire us to move from dialogue to deep action." (Kirkus starred review) PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2020 Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson (P)2020 Listening Library