Podcast
Book Friends Forever
Hosted by HachetteAudio · EN
Grammy-winning audiobook publisher. Authors include James Patterson, David Baldacci, and Michael Connelly. Earbuds encouraged. Follow us on Twitter at @HachetteAudio.
162episodes
Episodes
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The Adventures of Juan Planchard by Jonathan Jakubowicz Read by Timothy Andrés Pabon
1w ago00:04:56Tap to summarizeThe bestselling wild, fast-paced ride through sex, drugs, revolution, and the morally gray hustle of a man who dares to game the system that destroyed his country—it’s The Wolf of Wall Street meets Scarface. “My name is Juan Planchard. I’m twenty-nine years old, and I have five million dollars in my account. I own a house in Caracas, another in Madrid, and a high-rise apartment in New York. I run a sportsbook at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. I share a private jet with a friend’s frontman. And I’m convinced—down to my bones—that every decision I made during the revolution was the right one. My descendants will thank me.” So begins The Adventures of Juan Planchard, the story of a middle-class nobody turned millionaire by weaponizing the very corruption that swallowed Venezuela. He dines with oligarchs, sleeps with models, and navigates a world where power is the only currency—and morality is a luxury no one can afford. But in the middle of the chaos, greed, and blood money, Juan falls hard for Scarlet, a sharp, seductive American beauty who just might be his way out—or his ultimate downfall.
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Big Stick Energy by Sarina Bowen Read by Will Damron and CJ Bloom
1w ago00:04:34Tap to summarizeA hockey team captain and a bubbly staffer mix business with pleasure when they start fake dating through the wedding season in this hot sports romance perfect for fans of Mariana Zapata and Elle Kennedy. Darcy Kendrick is used to putting out fires. As an overworked admin to a hockey team, she’s seen it all. But nothing prepares her for accidentally DMing her very private, very NSFW fantasy to the subject of this fantasy: team captain Eric Tremaine. Nobody actually dies of embarrassment. Right? But when a wedding invite puts them on a collision course with her chaotic family and his emotionally fraught past, Eric suggests a plan: they fake-date their way through the “Wedding Experience.” It’s mutually beneficial. Totally strategic. And definitely not real. Except between mini tacos, slow dances and lingering glances, Eric starts to wonder if the sharp-tongued assistant with a bottomless to-do list might be the one person who truly sees him. And for Darcy? The fire in her heart might be the only one she can’t put out. It’s supposed to be fake. It’s supposed to be temporary. So why is it so hard to walk away?
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Delusional by James Patterson and James O Born Read by Peter Giles, Will Collyer, and Zach Villa
1w ago00:04:49Tap to summarizeDetective Michael Bennett and army-sniper-turned-NYPD-officer Rob Trilling travel to Montana to investigate a case that crosses state borders and family lines in this thriller from the world’s bestselling author. In New York City, a series of deadly bombs explodes. Across the river, a military base is burglarized for munitions. In Montana, violence and arson rock a small town outside of Bozeman. Are the incidents related? Bennett, Trilling, and the ATF investigate. A single-minded group angry with the government keep turning up in unexpected places, insisting that they’re only trying to make the world a better place. To law enforcement, their claims seem delusional. Will words or gunpowder light the next fuse?
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Don't Buy What I'm Selling by Lu Chekowsky Read by Lu Chekowsky
1w ago00:04:18Tap to summarizePart memoir, part manifesto, this is the “fascinating, smart, and hilarious look” (Christie Tate) of a woman determined to go deep inside advertising so she could save the world—and herself. What could possibly go wrong? As a high-level advertising creative director for 14 years, Lu Chekowsky willed inanimate objects to life and made people want to buy stuff they didn’t need. Her colleagues called her “Mary Manifesto” because she could whip up an emotional ad campaign like no one else. Need someone to channel Michael Jordan so people will line up and buy his latest sneaker? That’s Lu. Need to convince a cranky teen heartthrob to take his shirt off for an ad designed to get teenage girls across America to swoon? That’s her too. It was a regular workday when she made same-day cross-country trips between New York and LA to satisfy the CEOs who counted on her to pump up their profits—ignoring her own voice and using it in service of their company’s bottom line. Chekowsky was great at her job because she’d trained for it her whole life. She’d gotten the memo about how worthless her body was at moving products—because she was the one who wrote it. As someone whose body was always far from what the world held up as ideal, Chekowsky grew up trying to find a place where she could fit in. Everywhere she looked, the images she saw were designed to make girls feel terrible. The only person who could make her feel worthy was her larger-than-life mom; but even that was complicated when her mother got sick with cancer when she was just eleven years old. For years, Chekowsky tried to look past what it felt like to be underestimated by her male colleagues, the 14-hour work days spent satisfying the demands of the latest celebrity/boss/pop star/social media app, and her work that required her to, every day, perpetuate unrealistic beauty standards, before she went home and binged alone on bags of takeout. Don’t Buy What I’m Selling is a dishy peek behind the curtain of a billion-dollar industry, but it’s also the journey of one former ad executive who lived a life of contradictions—until she couldn’t anymore. With honesty and heart, interspersed with behind-the-scenes looks at the real-world tactics brands use to prey on consumers, it is perfect for readers of Roxane Gay, Aubrey Gordon, and Lori Gottlieb—and anyone who’s bought a product from an Instagram ad and instantly regretted it.
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Alan Opts Out by Courtney Maum Read by Jason Culp and Jenn Lee
1w ago00:04:31Tap to summarizeIn this timely and comedic take on ambition, consumerism, and the sticker price of privilege, an ad exec who bombs the biggest pitch of his career decides to forgo capitalism and live off the land of his suburban Connecticut home. Perfect for readers of Rufi Thorpe and Taffy Brodesser-Akner. Alan Anderson is a powerful advertising executive who has built a successful life and thriving business by making people buy stuff they don’t actually need. He’s up for the biggest pitch of his career and the account everyone wants, US Dairy: cow’s milk sales are plummeting, and the C-Suite wants to see trendy oat milk kicked to the curb. But when an anarchist farmer tanks Alan’s presentation, Alan bombs the pitch but ends the day with an epiphany. No longer will he exploit the insecurities of others in the service of capitalism. Alan is opting out. This development is anathema to his wife, Vivian. She’s just a few positive affirmations, a swimming pool, and an exacting series of social tests away from finally becoming part of the elite women’s club, the Queen Annes, in their adopted town of Greenwich, Connecticut. As if contending with a daughter who wants to write plays (!) and another who has an unnatural empathy with animals isn’t enough to manage, she can only watch as Alan moves into their backyard playhouse to live off the land and—worse—spend time with the family. But instead of shocking the neighbors, Alan’s commitment to a less-is-more lifestyle seems to be catching on. Could everyone want what Alan’s not selling? Funny, sexy, intelligent, and poignant, Alan Opts Out is the most ambitious novel to date by celebrated author Courtney Maum, acclaimed for her stories that tackle big, chewy subjects of our post-modern America with wit and heart.
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Godball by Steve Eubanks Read by Bob Souer
1w ago00:04:56Tap to summarizeFrom a New York Times bestselling author, sports journalist, and fellow believer comes a riveting exploration of the sports-centered Christian revival sweeping America. After a thirty-year reduction in Americans who identified as Christians, the 2020s have seen the birth of a new Christian revival bordering on revolution. Pastors and Christian leaders see it, as do many secular observers. But nowhere is the trend more evident than in sports. Tune into any post-game interview or press conference, and it won’t be more than a minute before you hear someone giving a Jesus shoutout: “First and foremost, I want to give all glory and praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!” Language that was once limited to more intimate circles of faith are now being broadcast to—and is also being embraced by—the mainstream. Some of these events turn into full-blown testimonials. Acclaimed sports journalist Steve Eubanks argues something deeper is at play here: these athletes have become Christianity’s most powerful evangelists. Why is this happening, and what role is it playing in the increase in young people (particularly men) declaring themselves as Christians? And, more importantly, what does it all mean? A man of deep faith, Eubanks embarks on a reporting journey to find the answer to these questions, interviewing many high-profile Christian athletes. Eubanks explores the pivotal role of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton; traces a common conviction among Christian athletes and coaches who see the revival as part of a larger spiritual battle; and warns that the rapid rise of sports gambling may be a toehold of sin capable of undermining the entire movement. In this inspiring and revealing book, Eubanks takes readers inside the explosion of Christian evangelism in sports—and shows how the world’s top athletes are doing God’s work to save the church.
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Blue Beach by Karyn Parsons Read by Imani Parks
1w ago00:04:17Tap to summarizePerfect for fans of Promise Boys, this gripping historical mystery follows a teenager who finds a murdered girl on her family’s California beach—a discovery that will reveal the racism rampant in her world. Fifteen-year-old Blue Collins’s parents own the only Black beach in Santa Monica in 1929. She loves spending time there with her handsome friend Ben Clark. It’s a quiet spot where they can be alone and where Ben’s darker skin won’t be judged by onlookers—or Blue’s own family. During a sunset rendezvous after a summer parade, the pair discovers the body of Dottie Whitehouse, a white debutante. Blue Beach is already threatened by local white property owners. Now their whole community could be at risk. In their panic, Blue and Ben move Dottie’s body into the waters of a nearby white beach. Dottie’s body washes ashore, and it isn’t long before all eyes are on Ben. Everyone saw how Dottie teased him and how they shared smiles. And their history goes deeper than Blue ever realized. But to save Ben from the outraged white townspeople, she’ll need to do whatever she can to dig up the truth and prove his innocence. Ben isn’t the only one whose life depends on it.
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The First Year: Rheumatoid Arthritis by M.E.A. McNeil, Kenneth Sack MD Read by Rebecca Stern
1w ago00:03:15Tap to summarizeRheumatoid arthritis (RA), a disease characterized by inflammation of the joints, is one of the most disabling forms of arthritis and affects over two million people in the United States. Without proper treatment it can lead to long-term joint damage, chronic pain, loss of function, and disability. From the first moment of her diagnosis, author M.E.A. McNeil took charge and educated herself on every aspect of her condition. Now, as a “patient-expert,” she guides those newly diagnosed step-by-step through their first year with RA. McNeil provides crucial information about the nature of the disease, treatment options, diet, exercise, social concerns, emotional issues, networking with others, and much more. The First Year–Rheumatoid Arthritis is an essential resource for everyone who wants to be an informed, active participant in the management of their condition.
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Filthy Rich by James Patterson & John Connolly with Tim Malloy Read by Elisabeth Rodgers with Author's Note Read by Brian P. Craig
1w ago00:04:15Tap to summarize#1 New York Times bestseller From the world’s #1 bestselling author, Filthy Rich—the book that exposed Jeffrey Epstein’s shocking exploits as a multi-millionaire pedophile—now with an updated Author’s Note and Afterword. “Much more than a true crime book.” —Town & Country Charismatic college dropout Jeffrey Epstein amassed a huge fortune by expertly manipulating numbers, people, law, and decency—even after becoming a convicted sex offender. Then in 2019, Epstein was found dead in his jail cell. Before he could stand trial. Before his hundreds of victims could confront him. Featuring original police interviews and court transcripts, details of the criminal investigations and new material contextualizing the case, this riveting yet harrowing tale of wealth, power, and the easy price of justice for America’s wealthiest citizens reveals what we didn’t understand then—and what we know today.
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But You Look Fine by Amy Kurtz Read by Amy Kurtz
1w ago00:04:24Tap to summarizeHealth coach, patient advocate and wellness advisor, Amy Kurtz, breaks the silence about the crucial, painful, pervasive, and yet all too common phase of healing from chronic illness that has long gone overlooked … until now. According to the Center for Disease Control, 194 million Americans—or 76.4% of the population—have at least one chronic illness, and half of them are women. While many of these individuals finally have a diagnosis, and are no longer “sick”, they’re still not “well.” They’ve gone through the treatments, taken the medications, and yet still find themselves suffering. So, what do you do after you’ve discovered the root of your condition, and you’re still not healed? How do you move past the trauma of being diagnosed (which often takes years for many patients), as well as the trauma of now living with this condition. More importantly, what is this limbo between sick and well that so many patients find themselves in? The answer is Medical Trauma Brain, a phrase Health coach and patient advocate Amy Kurtz coined after years of research into her own challenges with misdiagnosed Lyme disease. Medical Trauma Brain is the trauma that hangs on pervasively even after the patient is “cured” keeping them stuck in the hell between sick and well. It’s the most overlooked but crucial part of healing, and in But You Look Fine, Amy shares the exact plan she used to move through this integral part of recovery so others can finally break free from their own bridge between sick and well. “Amy Kurtz exposes a common occurrence that until now has gone unnamed and undiscussed by doctors and patients alike. Not only does she reveal this roadblock to wellness, but she also offers solutions, ones that we can all apply to our lives whether chronically ill, newly diagnosed, or labeled ‘cured.’ This is a paradigm shifting book and a must-read.” —Mark Hyman, MD
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