Books published by publisher Naxos AudioBooks on Brilliance Audio

Featured title in the 2018 PBS Great American ReadsIts famous opening line, “Call me Ishmael,” dramatic in its stark simplicity, begins an epic that is widely regarded as the greatest novel ever written by an American. Labeled variously a realistic story of whaling, a romance of unusual adventure and eccentric characters, a symbolic allegory, and a drama of heroic conflict, Moby Dick is first and foremost a great story. It has both the humor and poignancy of a simple sea ballad, as well as the depth and universality of a grand odyssey.When Melville’s father died in 1832, the young man’s financial security went too. For a while he turned to school-mastering and clerking, but failed to make a sustainable income. In 1840 he signed up on the whaler, Acushnet, out of New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was just 21. A whaler’s life turned out to be both arduous and dangerous, and in 1842, Melville deserted ship. Out of this experience and a wealth of printed sources, Melville crafted his masterpiece.

Featured title on PBS''s The Great American Read in 2018Celie is a poor black woman whose letters tell the story of 20 years of her life, beginning at age 14 when she is being abused and raped by her father and attempting to protect her sister from the same fate, and continuing over the course of her marriage to “Mister,” a brutal man who terrorizes her. Celie eventually learns that her abusive husband has been keeping her sister’s letters from her and the rage she feels, combined with an example of love and independence provided by her close friend Shug, pushes her finally toward an awakening of her creative and loving self.

The chase is on in New York Times bestselling author Rita Mae Brown's gripping new foxhunting mystery, featuring the irrepressible "Sister" Jane Arnold and the wily antics of her four-legged friends. In Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, a century-old crime reawakens bad will—and stirs up a scandal that chills Sister to the bone.Sister Jane and the Jefferson Hunt Club have traveled from Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains to the Bluegrass State of Kentucky to ride with the members of the Woodford Hounds—in the teeth of foul weather. Sister knows better than anyone that an ill wind blows no good. After the hunt, Sister Jane and her boyfriend, Gray Lorillard, head to a sumptuous party on a nearby estate, also home to a historic equine graveyard. The revelry is interrupted by jarring news: The discovery of grisly remains in the cemetery that are decidedly not equine.Now Sister and her hounds are on the case, digging up clues to an old murder that links three well-connected Southern families. When mayhem follows the Jefferson Hunt back to Virginia, the deadly doings become all too real: A dear friend of Sister's is found murdered. Sister and her animal friends must work fast to find a clever killer determined to keep deep-rooted secrets buried.A rollicking, riveting mystery, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie is a masterly novel full of colorful characters, gorgeous country landscapes, and the breathtaking thrill of the hunt.

Jeff Kinney’s tales featuring wise-cracking middle schooler Greg Heffley have reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, inspired a major motion picture, and been translated into dozens of languages. Greg has endured countless horrors—girls, bullies, jocks, oblivious parents, wrestling in gym class, even the dreaded Cheese Touch—the past few years. But everything changes in this fifth hilarious adventure.

Jeff Kinney’s highly anticipated sequel to his #1 New York Times bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid chronicles Greg Heffley’s creative efforts to dodge middle school hazards, dazzle the girls, avoid talent shows, and—above all—guard his embarrassing secret. Ramón de Ocampo’s spot-on narration enhances Kinney’s authentic portrait of adolescent angst and madcap hilarity.

Jeff Kinney has reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list with his Wimpy Kid series—a true publishing phenomenon. This fourth hilarious installment finds Greg Heffley approaching every kid’s favorite part of the school year—summer vacation.Greg has a clear plan for the summer: Stay inside and play as many video games as possible. Unfortunately, his mother has a much different idea about how the summer will transpire—she envisions lots of outdoor activities and “family togetherness.” Pouring salt on that wound, she actually encourages Greg to form a book club with some other boys. Greg is further disturbed by the unimaginable horrors of the men’s locker room at the local pool. And he and best friend Rowley don’t exactly see eye-to-eye over a failed lawn-care business.As Greg learns that not everything comes up roses in the summertime, Kinney’s sparkling sense of humor once again shines brightly.

Joelle Charbonneau has reaped widespread critical acclaim and secured her status as a YA writer to watch with her much-loved Skating and Glee Club series. The first in a trilogy that's won immediate raves, The Testing finds 16-year-old Malencia Vale celebrating graduation day. Chosen as a possible leader of her post-war civilization, Cia travels to Tosu City, where romance awaits—along with nightmarish danger.

Seventeen-year-old Cia Vale survived The Testing, as has Tomas, the boy she loves, and they have both gained admission to the University. She has a promising future as a leader of the United Commonwealth and no memory of her bloody testing experience, thanks to a government-sanctioned memory wipe. Cia should be happy but is plagued by doubts about the past and future. Determined to find the truth, she embarks on a path of study forbidden by the government delving into the Commonwealth's darkest secrets. What she finds is the brutal reality lurking behind the friendly faces of her classmates and the unbearable realization that leaders chosen to protect us can be our greatest enemy.

This masterpiece of science (and mathematical) fiction is a delightfully unique and highly entertaining satire that has charmed readers for more than 100 years. The work of English clergyman, educator and Shakespearean scholar Edwin A. Abbott (1838-1926), it describes the journeys of A. Square, a mathematician and resident of the two-dimensional Flatland, where women—thin, straight lines—are the lowliest of shapes, and where men may have any number of sides, depending on their social status. Through strange occurrences that bring him into contact with a host of geometric forms, Square has adventures in Spaceland (three dimensions), Lineland (one dimension) and Pointland (no dimensions) and ultimately entertains thoughts of visiting a land of four dimensions—a revolutionary idea for which he is returned to his two-dimensional world.Flatland is not only fascinating listening it is still a first-rate fictional introduction to the concept of the multiple dimensions of space.