Hello Audiophiles! This week, I’ve been making everything from soup to cornbread as I settle into the South’s cool fall season (yes, it’s still in the 80s, but I’ll take it). Naturally, the Corgis are more than happy to volunteer as tribute, I mean, taste testers. While I cook, I have been listening to so many incredible audiobooks, two of which I’ll be sharing with you today. So far, I’ve learned Gwen will eat raw veggies, but Dylan insists that his broccoli and cauliflower are cooked. Bless their little hearts, but I do have two high maintenance floofs.
Just as a reminder, as of 9/29, this version of the audiobooks newsletter will be coming to a close. But worry not, we still have you covered on the audiobooks front: we’re excited to announce our new Audiobooks Promotions Newsletter launching October 3rd! It will feature special offers, new products, and interesting listens from the world of audiobooks. If you sign up here, you’ll also be entered into a giveaway for a chance to win a 1-Year subscription to Audible!
Bookish Goods
Audiobooks Count – Bookish Decal by Coffee and a Book Case
An adorable sticker for your water bottle, notebooks, or really anywhere you want to show off you love of audiobooks. $4
New Releases
The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li | Narrated by Caroline Hewitt
When Agnès’ childhood best friend, Fabienne, dies, she leaves her home in the U.S. to return to France to the place where Agnès and Fabienne grew up. Now Agnès must come to terms with her difficult childhood and confront the tiny community she never wanted to see again.
The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling | Narrated by Shannon McManus
Erin Sterling is back with another witchy romance. Gwyn runs a successful witchcraft shop and feels like her life is going perfectly, but then Wells Penhallow returns to town and opens up a competing store, Penhallow’s. Now the two start a fierce competition to have the best store while they see who can ignore their growing attraction the longest.
Riot Recommendations
Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley | Narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt
After listening to her perform Nightcrawling, Joniece Abbott-Pratt has won my never-ending love and support. She perfectly captured Kiara’s narrative voice and voiced the dialogue with such great attention to detail.
The novel begins when Kiara has already dropped out of school and is just trying to pay the rent. Her mother is gone and her dad died years ago, so it’s just she and her brother living in their tiny apartment in Oakland, California. But Kiara’s brother, Marcus, believes his time is better spent pursuing his music career instead of working a minimum wage job just trying to make ends meet. After struggling for months, Kiara feels like she has no other choice than to turn to sex work.
Abbott-Pratt has this incredible ability to create a sense of emotional intimacy between her and the listener, which is a vital part of any audiobook performance. But with her skill with dialogue and understanding of the novel’s main character, Abbott-Pratt creates an incredible listening experience.
Haven by Emma Donoghue | Narrated by Aidan Kelly
Haven is set in 7th-century Ireland, when a priest chooses two monks to travel with him to an abandoned island to create a religious haven of sorts. With as few supplies as possible, the group makes their home with only seabirds and puffins for company. In my mind, this book could be described as Lauren Groff’s Matrix meets Gary Pausen’s Hatchet. Now you may not enjoy survival and religious figure stories like I do, but for me, this novel was an immediate must-listen.
What’s more, I loved Aiden Kelly’s narration. Kelly performs Haven with such skill and sense of atmosphere. I will definitely be looking up what else Kelly has narrated.
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As we enter Spooky Season, I’ve been thinking a lot about my fall TBR. And while I won’t be writing about what audiobooks I’m listening to in this newsletter, you can hear more about what I’m reading over on Book Riot’s Read or Dead podcast, where I am the new co-host!
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