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Audiobooks

A New Favorite Listen!

Hello Audiophiles! We’ve reached the time of year where every time I take the Corgis to the dog park, they return covered in dirt and pollen. But while the Corgis are having the time of their lives, I’m trying to figure out how long their baths will take. 

Recently, I’ve been listening to a friend of mine read The Evening Hour by Carter Sickels to me. A lot of books still don’t have audiobook editions, and as a disabled person who can’t read print, it makes me incredibly sad when I can’t read a book because it’s not accessible to me. So I am incredibly grateful for friends who volunteer to pitch in and read things to me.

Sometimes if I wait, an audiobook edition will be released later, like with Even as We Breathe by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle and Disoriental by Négar Djavadi. In other cases, the publisher will go and record a backlist book for the first time, like with many of Toni Morrison’s novels that received unabridged audio editions years after they were published.

But whatever the case, I never take for granted that audiobooks exist. They are a vital tool to my bookish life, and I will always appreciate them.

Last spring, Dylan loved visiting Charleston, South Carolina!

New Favorite Listen!

A graphic of the cover of The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

From the first hour of the audiobook, I knew I was listening to a new favorite book. The Sentence begins when Tookie is sent to prison. When she gets out, she marries the love of her life and starts working at a bookstore in the twin cities. One of Tookie’s most annoying customers has to be Flora, a white woman who claims Indigenous ancestry. In her role as a Native American wannabe, Flora constantly inserts herself into the lives of the Native folks around her. So when Flora dies, Tookie isn’t surprised that Flora’s spirit refuses to leave the bookstore.

The majority of The Sentence covers an entire year of Tookie’s life. From late 2019 to late 2020, Tookie and her friends at the bookstore come face to face with the challenges of the pandemic as Flora’s ghost continues to cause havoc in the store.

Louise Erdrich creates an intimate setting that draws you into her story from the first few pages. As a book lover, I’m a sucker for any novel set in a bookstore or library. Add in a sinister spirit looming in the background and you have an excellent atmosphere for Erdrich’s story.

But Erdrich doesn’t stop at a simple ghost story. She examines what it was like for an Indigenous-owned business to survive the pandemic, discusses contemporary issues around colonialism, and examines who gets to tell their own stories.

I adored this novel so much—I finished the entire audiobook in one day! Erdrich performs the audiobook, voicing her characters as she heard them in her head. Erdrich is an incredible narrator, and I love that she reads most of her audiobooks.

New Releases

A graphic of the cover of Booth by Karen Joy Fowler

Booth by Karen Joy Fowler

The author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, the Man Booker Finalist, is back with her latest novel, Booth, which follows the life of John Wilkes Booth. From his parent’s early days living outside of Baltimore to that fateful night at the theater, listeners follow the life of the man who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.

Narrated by January LaVoy

A graphic of the cover of In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss by Amy Bloom

In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss by Amy Bloom

Bestselling fiction author Amy Bloom has a different story to tell this time: her own. When her husband is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Bloom’s world is upside down. Examining her experience as a caregiver, Bloom asks difficult questions about caring for a disabled spouse. As her husband’s disease deteriorates, Bloom and her husband begin to discuss his options and what dying with dignity means to him.

Narrated by the Author

A graphic of the cover of The Last Suspicious Holdout: Stories by Ladee Hubbard

The Last Suspicious Holdout: Stories by Ladee Hubbard

From the much acclaimed author of The Rib King, The Last Suspicious Holdout features twelve short stories. These interweaving tales tell the stories of a Black community in Southern suburbia. Ladee Hubbard is a gem, ensuring that this collection will be one of the best of the year—you won’t want to miss this audiobook!

Narrated by Adenrele Ojo and JD Jackson

A graphic of the cover of The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet by Leah Thomas

The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet by Leah Thomas

In this much-needed look at the environmentalist movement, Leah Thomas discusses the need for more activists to approach their work in environmentalism through an intersectional lens. She illustrates that Black, Indigenous, and other people of color bear the brunt of environmental injustice.

Narrated by Leah Thomas, Hayden Bishop, and Erin Walker

A graphic of the cover of The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories: A Collection of Chinese Science Fiction and Fantasy in Translation from a Visionary Team of Female and Nonbinary Creators edited by Yu Chen

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories: A Collection of Chinese Science Fiction and Fantasy in Translation from a Visionary Team of Female and Nonbinary Creators edited by Yu Chen, Translated by Regina Kanyu Wang

In this incredible anthology of Chinese science fiction and fantasy, nonbinary and female authors tell stories across the spectrum of some of my favorite genres. Translated from Chinese by Regina Kanyu Wang, The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories is a rich exploration of the fantastical and wondrous.

Narrated by Katharine Chin

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Over on Book Riot

9 Winners of This Year’s Audie Awards” – I share some of my favorite winners from this year’s Audie Awards!

Around the Web

Audie Award Finalists and Winners” (Audiofile Magazine) – You can find the entire list of winners and finalists for the Audie Awards here!

Audiobooks Explain Things to Me” (The New York Times)

Duvall Hecht, who popularized audiobooks as founder of Books on Tape, dies at 91” (The Washington Post)


That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave or over on Instagram @kdwinchester. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE audiobook content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.

Happy listening, bookish friends!

~ Kendra