Author: Katie MacBride

Happy Thursday, audiophiles!

I have been filled with so much audiobook joy this week! Many of you let me know what you’ve been listening to and I’ve pulled a few of your recommendations so we can all benefit from your wisdom.

Not only that, but I received an email with this amazing anecdote about audiobook narrator Dion Graham, who I mentioned in last week’s newsletter because his voice alone gave me FEELINGS. And according to this email sender, I am not alone in that.

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“I work in audiobook publishing & had the good fortune to meet Dion Graham twice! You are not imagining the sexy. You know that trope in romance novels where the woman goes weak in the knees & melts into a puddle, etc? Yeah, that’s what I felt like. He is SO charming & kind & gracious (almost every narrator I’ve ever met is) & the second time I met him he embraced me like we were the oldest of pals. Anyway, just thought you’d like to know that you’re not alone!”

I DO appreciate knowing that I’m not alone and also maybe…if you run into him again, slip him my phone number? Just a thought 😉

Before I get into what y’all have been reading, I have to tell you that I finished listening to Educated by Tara Westover and it’s SO GOOD. The story is heartbreaking and inspiring all at the same time, the writing is gorgeous, and narrator Julia Whelan (narrator of Gone Girl and The Great Alone, among others) is excellent. Really it’s just an all-around phenomenal listen.

If you want more of Tara Westover, she was interviewed on one of my favorite podcasts, How To Be Amazing with Michael Ian Black. If you’re going to read the book, I suggest doing that before listening to the interview, but either way, it’s a great episode.

Now for your recommendations and reviews!

I’m pretty sure letter writer Kate V. should have this newsletter writing gig because check out how delightful even her casual reviews are:

She says, “I just tore through Weapons of Math Destruction by  Cathy O’Neil, who blogs at mathbabe.com. It was such a quick and useful listen. As a data scientist, I am all too aware of the limitations of my own models; hearing Cathy (who narrates and does it just fine) smartly dissect the history and damning effects of algorithms used every day made me even more concerned with transparency in my work…The effect of this quick read is a hopeful, rational vision of a future where decisions made about large populations of marginalized individuals are made from not just data in black boxes, but data lovingly and cautiously tended by humans with the best interest of other humans at heart.

From that, I moved to Michael Lewis’s new release, The Undoing Project. The book tracks the early lives of (and the revolutionary relationship between) legendary behavioral economists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. I cannot get enough of this book, and am glad I paired it with the O’Neil! Even if you aren’t interested in the drivers of human behavior (hard to imagine), if you like history or biography, this is such an interesting read. The narrator is unremarkable, in a good way: nothing throws my attention off the tale. Lewis explains the psychological concepts and experiments with a fluid clarity. A PDF of pictures from the physical book is available with the audiobook.”

Kate V. should be writing audiobook reviews, amirite? I’ve never come so close to wanting to listen to a book that relates in any way whatsoever to math.

Harise says, “I checked Ready Player One out of the library a good while ago.  I liked the sound of the plot, hadn’t read a good dystopian book in a while and this one sounded more fun than gloomy.  I really enjoyed it, but even better was the narration by Wil Wheaton… He does a wonderful job.

This is such an exciting story and it never lags. There is quite a bit of nostalgia but in this age of gaming, any age could relate, in fact, while I never play video games myself, the plot, characters and action, completely drew me in.  The landscape of it’s imagined future is a story in itself. I’d wished it had received more attention, and now I see it will be a movie. I hope this causes more to read the book and also brings more listeners, to hear Wil Wheaton’s narration.”

You know when someone is about to read one of your favorite books for the first time and you’re excited for them but also jealous that they get to experience it for the first time? That’s how I feel about someone listening to Ready Player One for the first time. It’s just so good.

Speaking of Ready Player One, y’all getting excited for the movie? I’m nervous because I so want it to be good but according to this Hollywood Reporter article, I don’t have anything to worry about. ‘Ready Player One’: First Reactions From the Premiere.

Links for Your Ears

How do you write music for a true crime podcast?: Thomas Hewitt Jones is the composer behind the futuristic music for a new true crime podcast, Case Notes. In this interview, he talks about the difference between scoring for a podcast and an audiobook.

Young People Are Now Using YouTube For Audiobooks:

I don’t know how well Youth Radio is known outside the Bay Area where it’s located but it’s a really awesome organization and, according to the youths there, YouTube ain’t a bad place for audiobook lovers.

 

Hey, this teacher is raising money for headphones for her students who have reading challenges to listen to audiobooks. She’s asking for a total of $159. I think we could make that happen, don’t you?

Nearly one-in-five Americans now listen to audiobooks: But how many of them are reading this newsletter?

As always, you can reach me on twitter at msmacb and katie@riotnewmedia.com

 

Until next week,

~Katie

Hello again audiophiles,

I missed you! What have you been listening to?What did you have to stop listening to because it was so boring/awful/gruesome? Tell me all the things either on Twitter at msmacb and katie@riotnewmedia.com. A note on emails: I love when you send them and I read them all eagerly. I try to respond to all of them but time and the death of a horrifying number of brain cells in my errant youth sometimes prevent me from doing so. But I swear on the life of my fat little dog who you all know I love more than anything in the world, I read and cherish each and every one.

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A stunning novel-in-verse written and performed by award-winning slam poet, Elizabeth Acevedo

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OK SENTIMENTALITY OVER

What I’m listening to: well, two things. Here’s what happened: I started listening to American War, which came out last year and has long been getting rave reviews. Here’s the problem: narrator Dion Graham has the goddamn sexist voice I’ve ever heard. Like, it is distractingly sexy. I couldn’t pay attention to what was happening in the book; it’s the first time that’s ever happened. SO, I moved on.

Now, I’m listening to Educated by Tara Westover. Westover’s family was Mormon and survivalist–-she didn’t set foot in a traditional classroom until she was 17 years-old. She’s now a PhD and Educated is the story of how she got there. I’ve just started but so far the narration (Julia Whelan) is great and I’m completely intrigued by the story.

 

New March Audiobooks

The Shape of Water by Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus; narrated by Jenna Lamia

Release date: 03-06-18

I haven’t seen the movie The Shape of Water but everyone I know who has, raves about it. I didn’t realize it was also a book until I started looking at the new releases but the site io9 claims it’s just as good. “Most movie novelizations do little more than write down what audiences see on the screen. But the novel that’s accompanying Guillermo del Toro’s new movie The Shape of Water is no mere adaptation. Co-author Daniel Kraus’ book and the film tell the same story, of a mute woman who falls in love with an imprisoned and equally mute creature, in two very different ways.”

Raw: My Journey into the Wu-Tang written and read by Lamont “U-God” Hawkins

Release date: 03-06-18

One of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan tells his story of how he went from a kid in Brooklyn, New York, to a founding member of one of the biggest hip-hop groups in history. U-God says, “It’s time to write down not only my legacy, but the story of nine dirt-bomb street thugs who took our everyday life – scrappin’ and hustlin’ and tryin’ to survive in the urban jungle of New York City – and turned that into something bigger than we could possibly imagine, something that took us out of the projects for good, which was the only thing we all wanted in the first place.”

Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure written and read by Amy Kaufman

Release date: 03-06-18

I am immersed in pop culture enough to know that I am in the vast MINORITY of people who have never seen an episode of any of the Bachelor(ette) shows. BUT I am very, very pro guilty pleasures. And while I am not a member of Bachelor nation, the description of this book from the publisher kinda makes me think maybe I should be. “Bachelor Nation is the first behind-the-scenes, unauthorized look into the reality television phenomenon. Los Angeles Times journalist Amy Kaufman is a proud member of Bachelor Nation and has a long history with the franchise – ABC even banned her from attending show events after her coverage of the program got a little too real for its liking. She has interviewed dozens of producers, contestants, and celebrity fans to give readers never-before-told details of the show’s inner workings: what it’s like to be trapped in the mansion ‘bubble’; dark, juicy tales of producer manipulation; and revelations about the alcohol-fueled debauchery that occurs long before the fantasy suite.” Sounds a little like the Fire and Fury of the Bachelor-house, no (which I mean in the best possible way)?

The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed; narrated by Rebekkah Ross

Release date: 03-13-18

I am a huge fan of Amy Reed’s YA books and this one is about as timely as you can get. Following the rape of a classmate, three misfit students band together to avenge the crime and transform the misogynist culture around them. Man oh man, between the Time’s Up movement and the students in Parkland’s awesome activism, Nowhere Girls is a perfect listen.

Fisherman’s Blues written and read by Anna Badkhen

Release date: 03-13-18

The best journalism zeroes in on the micro to tell a story about the macro, and that’s exactly what this Fisherman’s Blues does. The impact of climate change on the planet is, and will continue to be unequivocally devastating. Anna Badkhen looks examines the devastation of a Senegalese Fishing community, whose economy and way of life has been decimated by overfishing and climate change. LitHub calls the book, “A[n] intimate, urgent, and compassionate narrative about how human and natural landscapes are being interrupted by the Anthropocene.”

Ginger Kid: Mostly True Tales from a Former Nerd written and read by Steve Hofstetter

Release date: 03-20-18

I’m super excited about this book for two reasons: I think there needs to be more YA nonfiction in general and there can never be too many books about kids and teens who feel like they just don’t fit in. If you can get a comedian or otherwise very funny person to write one of those books? Icing on the cake. “In Ginger Kid, popular comedian Steve Hofstetter grapples with life after seventh grade…when his world fell apart. Formatted as a series of personal essays, Steve walks his listeners through awkward early dating, family turbulence, and the revenge of the bullied nerds.”

Did I miss any exciting new releases? What are you looking forward to getting in your ears? Were you able to listen to American War without falling in love with a voice? Let me know!

Until next week,

~Katie

I ended last week’s newsletter on a pretty depressing note and when I did, I said I would try to make this week’s more uplifting. Guess what? I failed. But I failed for such a good reason.

That reason, at least in part, is a Netflix documentary called The Keepers. It’s a seven part series investigating the murder of a nun in Baltimore, Maryland in 1969. The series was first released in May, so it’s possible y’all have seen this and are over it already but, well, the audiobooks newsletter is not the place to come for up-to-date Netflix information.

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On Valentine’s Day this year, small-but-awesome audiobook publisher Novel Audio launched a brand-new romance-only imprint called audiOMG! that embraces the fun, sexy, and cheeky side of romance.

As a major part of their launch initiative, they’re celebrating with some super hot launch week freebies! They’re giving away digital copies of THREE of their hottest audiobooks to the first 500 people who come knocking.  So, if you like your audiobooks on the steamier side, you won’t want to miss this.

There’s still time to get yours! Click on the banner to be directed to your three free audiobooks, no strings attached.

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Anyway, back to The Keepers. It’s ostensibly about two women, Gemma Hoskins and Abbie Fitzgerald Schaub,  who investigate the 1969 unsolved murder of their former teacher at Baltimore’s Archbishop Keough High School, Sister Cathy Cesnick. What the two women learn through their investigation, however, is Sister Cathy’s death might be related to a much larger scandal. Father Maskell, a priest at the school, was sexually assaulting many of the students. It’s a disturbing story that’s both difficult to watch and impossible to stop watching. I literally sat on the couch with my hands over my mouth, totally transfixed.

The intensity of the subject matter was slightly easier to take because of the sheer badassery of the women who came forward about Maskell, as well as self-appointed (and I mean that in the best possible way) investigators, Gemma and Abbie. They took it upon themselves to interview old classmates, research the details of the case, to file Freedom of Information Act requests, and just be incredibly tenacious investigators.

I was toying with whether or not I should mention The Keepers (not an audiobook) in the audiobooks newsletter when, the day after finishing the series, I started listening to A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America by Christian T. Miller and Ken Armstrong. I listened to the whole thing in one day. (It’s the first time I listened to something at 1.25 speed the whole way through because I just needed to know what happened next.

I mentioned it in last week’s newsletter, but A False Report begins with a young woman, Marie, first alleging that someone had broken into her apartment and raped her, only to recant that allegation a week later. Shamed and branded a liar, Marie tried to put the incident behind her. Several years later, two detectives working on separate rape cases join forces when the realize the two crimes have the same, gruesome MO. As they uncover more information about the serial rapist, they follow the breadcrumbs back to Marie and discover the truth of what happened to her that night.

So once I listened to that, having just finished The Keepers, I knew I had to tell you how excellent both stories were and was inspired to come up with a few more True Crime titles for your ears.

BUT FIRST! Head over to Book Riot’s Instagram and enter to win $500 of Penguin Clothbound classics.

True Crime in Your Ears (publisher’s description in quotes)

Incendiary: The Psychiatrist, the Mad Bomber, and the Invention of Criminal Profiling by Michael Cannell

In 1950s New York, citizens were terrorized by the “Mad Bomber,” an individual who detonated lethal devices in some of the city’s most trafficked areas like Penn Station, Radio City Music Hall, and Grand Central Station. He terrorized the city and stumped law enforcement, until Police Captain Howard Finney sought the help of a little known psychiatrist, Dr. James Brussel. They, in turn, teamed up with Seymour Berkson – a handsome New York socialite, protégé of William Randolph Hearst, and publisher of the tabloid The Journal-American – in pursuit of the Mad Bomber.

Incendiary is the This book is a True Crime twofer: you get the story of how this unlikely trio sought to put the Mad Bomber behind bars as well as the history of criminal profiling. I haven’t listened to this one myself yet, but I CANNOT WAIT.

The Fact of a Body by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich

When I asked my fellow Rioters for their favorite True Crime audiobooks, one title was particularly celebrated: The Fact of a Body. Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich started her summer job at a law firm staunchly anti-death penalty. Which is why it’s so strange when, the moment she hears convicted murderer Ricky Langley’s voice, she “is overcome with the feeling of wanting him to die. Shocked by her reaction, she digs deeper and deeper into the case. Despite their vastly different circumstances, something in his story is unsettlingly, uncannily familiar.”

“As Alexandria pores over the facts of the murder, she finds herself thrust into the complicated narrative of Ricky’s childhood. And by examining the details of Ricky’s case, she is forced to face her own story, to unearth long-buried family secrets and reckon with a past that colors her view of Ricky’s crime.”

Touted as part-memoir, part true crime The Fact of a Body was a Guardian Best Book of the Year, called “A True Crime Masterpiece” by Vogue, and earned this blurb from The New York Times, “Complex and challenging… push[es] the boundaries of writing about trauma.”

The Spy Who Couldn’t Spell: A Dyslexic Traitor, an Unbreakable Code, and the FBI’s Hunt for America’s Stolen Secrets by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee

Before there was Edward Snowden, there was Brian Regan. In 2000, FBI special agent Steven Carr received a series of coded letters, sent to the Libyan consulate, “offering to sell US classified intelligence.” The sender claimed they were a CIA analyst with “top secret clearance [who] had information about US reconnaissance satellites, air defense systems, weapons depots, munitions factories, and underground bunkers throughout the Middle East.”

Further investigation revealed that the threat was in fact real and Carr spent years “hunting down a dangerous spy and his cache of stolen secrets.”

Timely in more ways than one, the Wall Street Journal calls The Spy Who Couldn’t Spell, “An excellent, highly engrossing account of the search for a man who was cunning, avaricious—and a dreadful speller….It is a pleasure to be in the hands of a writer who so skillfully weaves his assiduous research into polished prose….The Spy Who Couldn’t Spell presents an estimable, thoroughly enjoyable overview of espionage in the digital age.”

Bonus Book for the not-easily grossed out:

The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum

This fascinating history of forensic medicine is informative, compelling, and often really gross. Because, to be honest, forensic medicine is pretty gross. And it was even grosser when they were figuring out how it all worked. So why did I, with my oh so delicate stomach listen all the way through? Because the interesting makes up for the parts where you hear about mashing up a human brain and looking at it under a microscope (which is actually the grossest thing I remember from the book, if if you’re okay with that, you’re probably good to go). Here’s the publisher’s description: “In early twentieth-century New York, poisons offered an easy path to the perfect crime. Science had no place in the Tammany Hall-controlled coroner’s office, and corruption ran rampant. However, with the appointment of chief medical examiner Charles Norris in 1918, the poison game changed forever. Together with toxicologist Alexander Gettler, the duo set the justice system on fire with their trailblazing scientific detective work, triumphing over seemingly unbeatable odds to become the pioneers of forensic chemistry.”

Let me know if you read any of these and what you think! As always, you can get in touch with me on Twitter at msmacb or via email at katie@riotnewmedia.com.

Until next week,

~Katie

Happy Thursday, you beautiful audiophiles,

I know the whole month of February is annoying because you can’t go into a drugstore without being assaulted by glowing, plastic hearts and chocolate bears. It’s…a lot. But I always try to be up for the challenge of reading books that are outside my comfort zone and romance/love stories are pretty well outside my comfort zone. I don’t know why I never got into reading them, I think I was such an angsty kid that I gravitate more towards books where terrible things happen and hearts are broken and never repaired as opposed to people falling in love. And, as you may be able to tell if you’ve been reading this newsletter for awhile, I’m still pretty into books where terrible things happen and hearts are broken and no one falls in love.

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Atz Kilcher’s reckoning with his unusual childhood builds with each chapter of Son of a Midnight Land, offering readers a realistic look at the emotional price he paid for his father’s dream to homestead in Alaska’s remote wilderness.

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So while I will continue to scoff at the hubbub around Valentine’s Day and brag about my cold, dead heart (just kidding, the love of my life is pictured on the left), I figured this is as good a time as any to listen to books I might not otherwise choose. So, I asked my Rioter pals, and came up with some titles that might be good for new readers of romance.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Sarah S. Davis says, “One reason why Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander has such a huge fanbase is the series appeals to many readers simply because of its unclassifiable genre. Before I picked up the first book, I seldom read historical fiction or romance or science fiction or adventure stories. But the TV show was about to be released and I was curious. Boom! I tore through that huge book in under three days. Outlander appeals to all kinds of readers because this riveting page-turner is driven by an addictive mix of adventure, suspense, love and historical intrigue.”

Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs by Molly Harper, read by Amanda Ronconi

Nikki Demarco says “If Audible didn’t have buy two get one free sales, I wouldn’t have ever discovered the hilarious voice acting of Amanda Ronconi. She narrates Molly Harper’s books. I discovered, and loved, the Jane Jameson series. Jane is a Kentucky librarian turned vampire who is trying to figure out her new life. Having studied linguistics and being from the South, I’m a stickler for southern dialects. People from Appalachia sound different than people from Savannah. Ronconi gets rural Kentucky just right. In fact, Harper writes a character from Texas living in Half Moon Hollow, the setting for the series, and Ronconi nails the subtle differences in dialect. She has introduced me to other series such as E.J. Cooperman’s Haunted Guesthouse series and Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers.”

The next couple of suggestions are courtesy of Jessica Pryde, who is Book Riot’s resident Romance Books Expert and the author of the Kissing Books newsletter.

Destiny’s Captive by Beverly Jenkins, read by Thomas Penny

This fun listen is easy to follow even without the previous books in the series. Noah Yates is an Afro-Spanish merchant and shipowner from California who has a bit of a run in with a lady pirate in the Caribbean, who is also just a touch of a Cuban Revolutionary. The two butt heads (and swords) and have a heck of a good time.

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray, read by Tavia Gilbert

YA Dimensional Science Fiction at its most interesting. In a relatively quick pace, a girl jumps dimensions to find her father’s murderer… any maybe find true love. The prose is fantastic, but for me the audiobook narrator really makes this novel.

This next recommendation comes from the esteemed Rachel Smalter Hall who reigned supreme over this particular newsletter for years and is a totally kickass human being:

Landline by Rainbow Rowell, read by Rebecca Lowman

Georgie McCool has a deal to produce her dream TV show, but she’ll have to miss Christmas with her husband to meet her deadline. Her marriage is looking rocky when she discovers a time-traveling telephone that can dial the past. Bring on the 90s pop-culture references and a strong female lead who kicks ass and takes names.

Suddenly One Summer by Julie James, read by Karen White

Rioter Jessica Tripler says, “James is an auto-buy, and I know I can count on her audiobooks, which are performed flawlessly by Karen White. A divorce lawyer agrees to take on her neighbor’s sister case. He’s a cocky journalist and she’s skeptical about love. They share James’ trademark mutually denied attraction and irritation with each other. It’s terrific.”

Katie McClain, Rioter and librarian extraordinaire is like me in that she does not naturally gravitate towards the romance genre but Sarah Maclean had been so highly recommended by so many people that Katie decided to give A Rogue By Any Other Name a try. She says, “I’m still not sold on the alpha-male romance trope, but I love the heroine, and I’m really enjoying how skillfully Sarah MacLean crafts her story.” From the publisher, “The cold, ruthless the Marquess of Bourne may be a prince of London’s underworld, but he vows to keep his new bride, the perfect, proper Lady Penelope Marbury untouched by its wickedness. This proves to be a challenge indeed as the lady discovers her own desires, and her willingness to wager anything for them… even her heart.”

A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev, read by Priya Ayyar

Mili Rathod was promised to her husband when she was 4 years old, and now she just needs him to claim her. But while studying in America, Mili meets one of the most famous Bollywood directors, Samir Rathod, and now neither of their lives will be the same again. NPR says of the book, “An impressive debut…Vibrant and exuberantly romantic, Affair is chock full of details that reflect India’s social and cultural flux.”  Library Journal says, “This tasty Indian American confection will satisfy female readers of any age…A contemporary, transcontinental romance told with a light touch and lots of sizzle.”

Do y’all have any favorite romantic listens? Let me know at katie@riotnewmedia.org or on Twitter at msmacb. 

Until next week,

~Katie

Hey there audiophiles,

What are y’all listening to? I’m working through Dan Harris’ Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. Here is the thing: every year for the past…many years, I have made exactly one New Year’s Resolution: to start a meditation practice. And every year, I get to January 3rd and realize it’s been two days since I even thought about the resolution, much less made an attempt to keep it. But I’m about halfway through listening to this book and I have actually attempted to meditation a number of times since starting. So if you, like me, have wanted to start a meditation practice but haven’t managed to make it work, I’d pick this book up.

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Sponsored by audiOMG!

It’s always exciting when a favorite author starts a new series, but when that series blends romance, murder, and a mysterious family of eligible bachelors, it’s time to get double excited!  

Enter MOONLIGHT SINS from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Julia’s starting over with a new job—and a steamy, one-night encounter with a stranger, only to discover he’s Lucian de Vincent . . . her new employer. Despite her best efforts, she draws closer to the mysterious man as a menacing presence in her new place of employ threatens the de Vincents and an unknowing Julia.

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Last week to enter our library cart giveaway! Enter here.

New month, new releases!

There are tons of new releases that I’m excited about this month, so let’s dive right in.

Back Talk: Stories by Danielle Lazarin; narrated by Reba Buhr

I’ve always been a big fan of short stories collections but didn’t start listening to them on audio until I borrowed If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This by Robin Black (very good, by the way) from my public library a few years ago. But they make for great listen–-especially because you can get through a whole story while you’re at the supermarket or walking the dog (without needing to invest a whole 7 hours like you might with a novel.

What really sold me on this title was the blurb for author Eileen Pollack: “Thank God, a collection of stories about women who don’t hate themselves, don’t hate other women, don’t hate their bodies, don’t hate their husbands, or even their ex-husbands . . . women who are simply, like me, trying to figure out what it means to be alive, to be in love, to be daughters, parents, siblings, wives, citizens, human beings.”

The Birdwoman’s Palate by Tiffany Tsao;  translated by Laksmi Pamuntjak; narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden

“Aruna is an epidemiologist dedicated to food and avian politics. One is heaven, the other earth. The two passions blend in unexpected ways when Aruna is asked to research a handful of isolated bird flu cases reported across Indonesia.” With three of her friends, a co-worker, a “foodist,” and a celebrity chef, Aruna’s adventures lead to her understand both her country and herself in a new way.

Dead People Suck : A Guide for Survivors of the Newly Departed written and narrated by Laurie Kilmartin

As a society, we are not great at dealing with death. We all have or will experience the death of someone close to us and, sooner or later, we’re all going to experience experience it. From the publisher, “Whether you are old and about to die, sick and about to die, or with a loved one who is about to pass away or who has passed away, there’s something for you. With chapters like ‘Are You an Old Man with Daughters? Please Shred Your Porn’, ‘If Cancer Was an STD, It Would Be Cured by Now’, and ‘Unsubscribing Your Dead Parent from Tea Party Emails’, Laurie Kilmartin guides listeners through some of life’s most complicated moments with equal parts heart and sarcasm.”

Devotion written and read by Patti Smith

I will listen to Patti Smith read anything. ANYTHING. Have I talked about how much I love Just Kids in this newsletter? It’s excellent. So would I listen to Smith read her 2017 book about “her own creative process, inspirations, and unexpected connections?” UMMM, YES PLEASE.

 

A False Report
: A True Story of Rape in America by T. Christian Miller, Ken Armstron; narrated by Ken Armstrong, Hillary Huber, T. Christian Miller

“On August 11, 2008, 18-year-old Marie reported that a masked man broke into her apartment near Seattle, Washington, and raped her. Within days police and even those closest to Marie became suspicious of her story: details of the crime didn’t seem plausible…police swiftly pivoted and began investigating Marie.” Marie broke down and confessed to lying about the incident.

Only she wasn’t lying. In what sounds like the plot of a movie, two years later a detective was investigating a different sexual assault case when it brought her back to Marie’s case. “Based on investigative files and extensive interviews with the principals, A False Report is a serpentine tale of doubt, lies, and a hunt for justice, unveiling the disturbing reality of how sexual assault is investigated today – and the long history of skepticism toward rape victims.”

WHAT IN THE WHAT? I’m shocked I hadn’t heard about this before now but I CANNOT WAIT to get my hands on it.

The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border written and narrated by Francisco Cantú

The Mexican-American border has always been home to Francisco Cantú. After he joins the Border Patrol, however, he sees the secrets and tragedies of the border more intimately. “Plagued by nightmares, Cantú abandons the Patrol for civilian life. But when a friend, a regular at the café where he now works, travels back to Mexico to visit his dying mother and does not return, Cantu discovers that the border and its stories have migrated with him.”

So many of us talk about the politics around the border without really understanding the people who spend their lives trying to get from one side to the other. I think it would behoove all of us who haven’t had that experience to listen to those who have.

Only Child by Rhiannon Navin; narrated by Kivlighan de Montebello

This sounds very intense and very good. Zach is in first grade when a gunman rampages the halls of his school, killing 19 people and shattering a close-knit community. “While Zach’s mother pursues a quest for justice against the shooter’s parents, holding them responsible for their son’s actions, Zach retreats into his super-secret hideout and loses himself in a world of books and art. Armed with his newfound understanding, and with the optimism and stubbornness only a child could have, Zach sets out on a captivating journey towards healing and forgiveness, determined to help the adults in his life rediscover the universal truths of love and compassion needed to pull them through their darkest hours.”

There were 11 school shootings in January of this year. This issue, sadly, isn’t going anywhere. Perhaps literature, if not our reality, knock some sense into us about the trauma of gun violence.

Yeesh, that was a dark note to end on, sorry, y’all. But feel free to be in touch on twitter at msmacb or at katie@riotnewmedia.com and I’ll try to have some very uplifting audiobooks news next time!

Until next week,

~Katie

Hey there audiobook fans,

I missed you last week, but I know Amanda took good care of you in my absence.

So, what are y’all listening to? I’m listening to Bonfire by Krysten Ritter (you may also know her as the actress who kicked major ass as Jessica Jones, among other roles). I’m just going to come out and admit what a jerk I am: because I knew Ritter as an actress and not a writer, I didn’t expect this to be a super well-written book. Writing is a craft, I figured, and if you’ve been focusing on a different craft (acting/producing, etc.) you might not have time to practice the craft of writing. That’s my own ignorance, obviously, because I have no idea what Ritter spends her days doing. But she’s an impressive writer.

Abby Williams was eager to leave her small town in Indiana to become an environmental lawyer in Chicago. But when evidence emerges of contaminated water in the town where she grew-up, Abby has to revisit her hometown, and all the secrets she was so eager to leave behind. I enjoy a good thriller and read them enough to be familiar with the formula and tropes of the woman-uncovering-mystery/corruption genre and Bonfire falls into a few of those traps. But there were also many times I thought the plot was headed for one of those tropes and it careened in another direction. Ritter’s prose is vivid and engaging, though, and it’s an entertaining listen. I would have assumed that Ritter narrates it but she doesn’t. Karissa Vacker narrates and gives a strong performance, which is how I managed to get through a whole bunch of chores on Saturday.

Giveaway Timez! My librarian heart is particularly happy with this giveaway–-a library cart! You can even pick whatever color you want! Enter here. And keep an eye out for our new librarian newsletter, Check Your Shelf.

So, today, January 24th marks 10 years since I quit drinking (to be honest, this anniversary makes me feel more old than proud, but whaddaya gonna do?). Books, audio or otherwise, were hugely important during those first years in recovery and, seeing as the addiction epidemic continues to spiral wildly out of control, odds are you know someone who has struggled with an addiction. Even if you don’t, a better understanding of addiction is something we would all collectively benefit from. So here are a few audiobooks that got me through the confusing days of early sobriety (publisher description in quotes).

Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff

What most resonated with me early in sobriety were memoirs about people who had struggled with addiction themselves, but let us not forget the impact that addiction has on the family and loved ones of the person struggling. This is the central issue in David Sheff’s book about his son, Nic. “Before meth, Sheff’s son, Nic, was a varsity athlete, honor student, and award-winning journalist. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who stole money from his eight-year-old brother and lived on the streets. With haunting candor, Sheff traces the first warning signs, the attempts at rehabilitation, and, at last, the way past addiction. He shows us that, whatever an addict’s fate, the rest of the family must care for one another, too, lest they become addicted to addiction.”

You can also hear Sheff’s son’s perspective in his memoir: Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines and We All Fall Down (for what it’s worth, I’ve read both, and prefer We All Fall Down.

Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp

This is arguably the most important book I’ve ever read. Years before I got sober, Caroline Knapp pulled me into this book with her gorgeous prose. I read this book for the first time before I got sober (and listened to the audio after). Before I even realized I had a problem with drinking, I saw myself if Knapp’s writing. This is one book that I treasure in all formats. A must read for…anyone.

High Price by Dr. Carl Hart

Before he was a neuroscientist and Columbia University’s first tenured African-American professor in the sciences, Dr. Carl Hart himself struggled with drug addiction. In this memoir, Hart “recalls his journey of self-discovery and weaves his past and present. Hart goes beyond the hype of the anti-drug movement as he examines the relationship among drugs, pleasure, choice, and motivation, both in the brain and in society. His findings shed new light on common ideas about race, poverty, and drugs, and explain why current policies are failing.”

Hole in my Life by Jack Gantos

This isn’t about addiction per say, but…well, it’s just a great book. “When he was a senior in high school, writer Jack Gantos agreed to help sail a sixty-foot yacht loaded with a ton of hashish from the Virgin Islands to New York City, where he and his partners sold the drug until federal agents caught up with them. In Hole in My Life, Gantos describes how– once he was locked up in a small, yellow-walled cell – moved from wanting to be a writer to writing, and how dedicating himself more fully to the thing he most wanted to do helped him endure and ultimately overcome the worst experience of his life.”

Lit by Mary Karr

Memoirs about getting sober need at least a dash of humor to be tolerable. Fortunately, Mary Karr is freaking hilarious and her sobriety memoir has witty, dry (pun intended, thank you very much) humor on every page. We were introduced to Mary’s “charismatic but troubled” mother in Cherry. Discussions about motherhood, alcoholism, and life’s chaos make this a memorable (and surprisingly fun, given the content) listen.

And finally, here are some audiobook(ish)-related links that may be of interest.

Listen to Nick Offerman read a Denis Johnson short story via Literary Hub

Not entirely audiobooky, but interesting bookish news: HBO has released a teaser trailer for Fahrenheit 451, and Catch-22 is coming to Hulu.

Finally, we’ve talked before about how to become an audiobook narrator, but if you’re looking for another narrator’s advice, here ya go:

https://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/voiceover-audiobooks-advice-auditions/

 

As always, you can find me on twitter at msmacb or shoot me an email at katie@riotnewmedia.com.

 

Until next week,

~Katie

 

 

Happy Thursday, Audiobook Fans,

I’ll get this out of the way: OF COURSE I listened to Fire and Fury. I listened to the whole thing in one day. Do I know if every detail and timeline is 100% accurate? No, I do not. Do I believe it’s an accurate depiction of the way our President’s brain works and the chaos inside the White House? Indeed I do. Either way, the book is bananas.

Warning if you are planning on accomplishing actual tasks while you listen: I was folding laundry while it played and at some point I found myself sitting on the couch, in the middle of the folded laundry, with my head in my hands.

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We’re giving away a stack of our 20 favorite books of the year. Click here to enter, or just click the image below.

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Side note: I think this is a waaayyy better cover for F&F. Agree or disagree?

I’ve been asked what I would’ve done with the ‘Fire and Fury’ cover by some folks who think the existing cover design is a disaster and a missed opportunity, so here is what I might have done with it pic.twitter.com/xV8W3L8oYu

— Edel Rodriguez (@edelstudio) January 7, 2018

The book is narrated by Holter Graham but the author, Michael Wolff, reads the author’s note. Take a listen here.

I’m also listening to Weird in a World That’s Not: A Career Guide for Misfits, F*uckups, and Failures (a very exciting subtitle, as I am always at least one of those three things and very often all three of them at once). It’s written and read by Jennifer Romolini and so far, it’s excellent. I only wish I had read it five or ten years ago, but it was published in 2017 and I have not yet figured out time travel.

As per usual, I have gotten so caught up in my excitement about audiobooks to look forward to (and all the great audiobooks of 2017), that I haven’t covered any audiobook news/links in a while. So instead of just adding some news and links at the bottom of each newsletter (which I haven’t had room to do recently, anyway), I’m thinking I’ll just dedicate one newsletter each month to Cool Audiobook News and Links. Let’s give it a whirl this week and you can tell me if you love it, hate it, or in between it at msmacb on Twitter and/or katie@riotnewmedia.com.

Audible and Kindle Sitting in a Tree, S-Y-N-C-I-N-G

Amazon has just announced Audible audiobook playback will be available on earlier versions of its Kindle ereaders.

As TechRadar explains, “The first generation Kindle Oasis, and the regular old Kindle, can now access Amazon’s audiobook service direct from the devices themselves, and playback content. This includes the Audible storefront, and is facilitated by connecting up to Bluetooth-enabled speakers or headphones, as neither device has a headphone jack.”

I *think* this upgrade/new feature may also be available through the Kindle app now, as well. At least, I downloaded both the audio and the ebook of Weird in a World That’s Not (I went a little nuts with the Amazon gift card I got for Christmas, thanks Grammie!) and my Kindle app knew exactly where in the book I had stopped listening and gave me the option to start there when I reopened the Kindle app on my phone. Pretty freaking cool.

That said, TechRadar raises an issue that might irritate folks who purchased a Kindle Oasis. “It’s an interesting reveal, considering only the June 2016 Kindle device previously has had any mention of Bluetooth functionality. Audible support was a key unique selling point of the 2017 Kindle Oasis, it’s worth noting.”

Speaking of Audible…they just released Stinker Lets Loose!, “an audio dramatization of the outrageous 1977 film…Reimagined by bestselling author Mike Sacks and adapted for audio with director Eric Martin, Stinker…follows a ‘deep-fried fixer’ played by Jon Hamm, sent to deliver a valuable shipment of beer to the president of the United States.” Audible has wrangled quite the cast of narrators, in addition to Hamm, you’ll hear Rhea Seehorn, Andy Daly, John DiMaggio, Paul F. Tompkins, and Andy Richter.

Check out the trailer here.

I wasn’t previously familiar with the story of Stinker (side note, I very much want The Story of Stinker to be the title of my memoir) but I love that audible is exploring ways to put films/plays in a (slightly revised) audiobook form.

Which leads me to my next audiobook-adjacent news item… Penguin Random House Audio and Texas Monthly have partnered to record more than 20 of the most popular features from the magazine’s archives on audio for the first time, from true crime narratives (a bank robber in disguise in The Last Ride of Cowboy Bob) to compelling profiles (of Whole Foods’s CEO in The Shelf Life of John Mackey).

I am all about audio versions of magazine articles. The Atlantic often has the option to listen to audio recordings of their feature articles (I think if you subscribe to Audm, the player/app they use, you can get more than just the current features but I am cheap).

One especially cool thing about the PRH/Texas Monthly audio is that each story is narrated by a native Texan. The first two are available for purchase now and they’ll be releasing more in February and March.

I know you are probably sick of “Best of” lists, but I have a special place in my heart for Library Journal, so I’m going to close out the newsletter with a link to their Best of 2017. Before you skip it–-I’ll just add one more (personally embarrassing) plug: their list had a number of titles I hadn’t heard of (What it Means When a Man Falls From the Sky, Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories, and Letters to a Young Muslim). So while they’ve got all the ones you’ve heard of (Lincoln in the Bardo, What Happened, etc.) you might find a gem you’d previously missed. Take a look and see if any pique your interest!

Library Journal Best Audiobooks 2017

Happy listening and until next week,

~Katie

 

Happy 2018, Audiophiles!

Did you listen to anything good over the holidays? I did. On Christmas day, I drove four hours to-and-from my grandmother’s house and I every minute loved it. Why? Well, first because my grandma is LITERALLY the greatest human being who has ever existed on this planet. And second, because I listened to American Radical on the drive.

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Sponsored by The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn

 

For listeners of Gillian Flynn and Tana French comes one of the decade’s most anticipated debuts, to be published in 36 languages around the world and already in development as a major film from Fox: a twisty, powerful Hitchcockian thriller about an agoraphobic woman who believes she witnessed a crime in a neighboring house.

Performed by Ann Marie Lee. BONUS: Includes an interview with author A. J. Finn. Special thanks to Libro.fm for supplying the digital audio downloads to the winners!

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The author of American Radical is listed as Tamer Elnoury, but that’s not his real name. It’s the name he used as an undercover FBI agent when he infiltrated an Al Qaeda.

Tamer’s story of getting into undercover law enforcement, joining the FBI, and infiltrating the terrorist cell reads like a thriller. Except you know it’s real, and it’s freaking awesome. My four-hour drive whizzed by and the first thing I did when I got home was download the ebook and read the rest. I highly recommend it.

Tons of audiobooks are being released this month and I combed the internet to find the ones I am most excited about. (Well, first I looked at this awesome list of January books my fellow Book Rioters are looking forward to. I picked some of the ones I agree with from that list and *then* I combed the internet for other audiobooks coming out in January.)

But first! Don’t forget to enter to win our favorite 20 books of 2017! Click here to enter.

January New Releases

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black; narrated by Caitlin Kelly; Release Date: 01/02/18

Rioter Margaret Kingsbury says, “I absolutely love everything Holly Black writes. My favorite of hers so far has been The Darkest Part of the Forest, but I had an opportunity to hear Black read a portion of The Cruel Prince at a conference last year (and I got to chat with her a bit!), and it sounded just as good (maybe better?). Anyone who’s already read Black knows she writes a lot with the Fae, and this one is no exception. I’m looking forward to all of Holly Black’s trademarks: lots of dark magic, a strong female protagonist, and a plot that will have me reading well past my bedtime.”

Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator; written and read by Gary Noesner; Release Date: 01/02/18

OK, I might be on something of an “inside law enforcement” kick, but you have to admit, if you’re going to get a behind the scenes look into law enforcement, undercover FBI agent and hostage negotiator are among the most intriguing. From the publisher, “In Stalling for Time, the FBI’s chief hostage negotiator takes listeners on a harrowing tour through many of the most famous hostage crises in the history of the modern FBI, including the siege at Waco, the Montana Freemen standoff, and the D.C. sniper attacks. Having helped develop the FBI’s nonviolent communication techniques for achieving peaceful outcomes in tense situations, Gary Noesner offers a candid, fascinating look back at his years as an innovator in the ranks of the Bureau and a pioneer on the front lines.”

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin; narrated by Maggie Hoffman; Release Date: 01-09-18

The Great Liberty Hardy picked this as her most anticipated book for January. She says, “A wonderful, affecting book about four siblings who learn the day they will die, and how this supposed prediction shapes their lives. Would you want to know when you’re going to die? It’s New York City in 1969, and the four Gold children have snuck out to meet a traveling psychic who is rumored to know the date of people’s deaths. What they learn will influence each Gold sibling differently for the next five decades, with each of their existences lovingly detailed by Benjamin with humor and sensitivity.”

Winter by Ali Smith; narrated by Melody Grove; Release Date: 01-09-18

Ali Smith’s Seasonal cycle of books is comprised of four standalone books that are “separate yet interconnected and cyclical (as are the seasons).” Each book explores “what time is, how we experience it, and the recurring markers in the shapes our lives take and in our ways with narrative.” Winter is the second novel in the cycle; the first, Autumn, was a Man-Booker finalist and a New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Financial Times, Southern Living, The Guardian, and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year, so it’s kinda impossible to not be excited about the second book.

The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey; narrated by Soneela Nankani; Release Date: 01-09-18

Rioter Katie Mclain says, “I’ve been Muppet-arming about this book ever since I read the ARC back in June. It’s a new historical mystery series set in 1920’s Bombai, based in part on the first female attorney to practice in India. Perveen Mistry, the novel’s protagonist, is an intelligent, savvy woman with a legal education from Oxford, a tragic personal history, and a strong devotion to championing women’s rights. And not only does she have to deal with the complications of being a new lawyer, she also has to navigate (and rail against) the difficult cultural restrictions placed on women at the time. This book was a fascinating, thoughtful, compassionate, intelligent mystery with strong feminist themes and I honestly can’t champion it enough.”

Love, Hate, and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed; narrated by Soneela Nankani; Release Date: 01-16-18

Rioter Rachel Brittain is excited about this book and it’s not hard to see why. She says, “everything about this book sounds perfect: it’s an #ownvoices novel about an Indian-American Muslim teen and aspiring filmmaker who faces sudden hatred and Islamophobia in the aftermath of an attack by a terrorist who shares her last name. The cover is to die for and the book sounds equally amazing.”

When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Asha Bandele; narrated by Patrisse Khan-Cullors; Release Date: 01-16-18

This “poetic audiobook memoir tells the emotional and powerful story of one of the cofounders of Black Lives Matter and how the movement was born.” Activism isn’t easy, Patrisse Khan-Cullors knows that firsthand. In When They Call You a Terrorist, Khan-Cullors and Bandele talk about the challenges of being an activist and the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan; narrated by Julie Teal, Luke Thompson, Esther Wane, Sarah Feathers; Release Date: 01-23-18

From the publisher, “Sophie’s husband, James, is a loving father, a handsome man, a charismatic and successful public figure. And yet he stands accused of a terrible crime. Sophie is convinced he is innocent and desperate to protect her precious family from the lies that threaten to rip them apart. Kate is the lawyer hired to prosecute the case: an experienced professional who knows that the law is all about winning the argument. And yet Kate seeks the truth at all times. She is certain James is guilty and is determined he will pay for his crimes.” Claire Handscombe, Rioter and resident Brit says “I love a good Westminster gossip, and this book has been all over my social media feed for months. Also, it’s particularly exciting and interesting to me when a book like this makes it over for publication in the US.”

This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America; written and read by Morgan Jerkins; Release Date: 01-30-18

Rioter Rebecca Hussey says, “I’m always, always on the hunt for good essay collections, and this one looks both excellent and timely. It’s about the experience of being black and female in America today, and particularly after all the talk about how black women ‘saved’  white America in the recent Alabama election, this seems like a book white Americans, myself included, would do well to pick up. Topics include Rachel Dolezal, therapy, traveling as a black person in Russia, body image, and more.”

Which audiobooks are you eagerly awaiting? Let me know on twitter at msmacb or at katie@riotnewmedia.com.

Until next week,

~Katie

 

Alright Y’all, here it is: the bigass list of all your favorite audiobooks of the year! Because there are so many, I don’t have much room for description, but if you mentioned something specific about the title (that I didn’t mention in the newsletter last week). And thank you, so much, to everyone who wrote in with their favorites.  It was so fun to see what stood out for everyone this year.

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We’re giving away a stack of our 20 favorite books of the year. Click here to enter, or just click the image below.

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American Gods by Neil Gaiman (full cast production)

• American War by  Omar El Akkad, narrated by Dion Graham
• Any Dream Will Do by Debbie Macomber, narrated by Mark Deakins & Laurel Rankin
• Artemis by Andy Weir, narrated by Rosario Dawson
• Bleak House by Charles Dickens narrated by Sean Barrett & Teresa Gallagher
• Blood at the Root: A Racial Cleansing in America written and read by Patrick Phillips
• The Bobiverse Trilogy by Dennis E. Taylor, narrated by Ray Porter
• Born a Crime, written and read by Trevor Noah
• The Broken Road written and read by Richard Paul Evans
• Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers, narrated by Rachel Dulude
• Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas, narrated by Kate Reading
• Cork Dork written and read by Bianca Bosker

(Reader says: This wasn’t life-changing, but still a funny listen, especially with the author narrating her own story.)

• Dear Martin by Nic Stone, narrated by Dion Graham
• The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan, narr. Cary Elwes
• Discount Armageddon: InCryptid, Book 1 by Seanan McGuire, narrated by Emily Bauer
• The Diviners by Libba Bray, narrated by January LaVoy
• Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones, narrated by Neil Hellegers
• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, narrated by Cathleen McCarron
• Fat Girl Walking: Sex, Food, Love, and Being Comfortable in Your Skin…Every Inch of It by Brittany Gibbons, narrated by Lauren Fortgang
• The Fireman by Joe Hill
• The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng, narrated by Anna Bentinck
• Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, narrated by  Nicholas Guy Smith

(Reader says: The book itself is fascinating, and Nicholas has captured the tone and pacing required to convey the “gentleman’s” character.  Beautiful!)

• The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice & Virtue by Mackenzi Lee, narr. Christian Coulson Ghost: Paladin of Shadows, Book 1 by John Ringo, narrated by Jeremy Arthur
• Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War by Mary Roach, narrated By Abby Elvidge
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, narrated by Bahni Turpin
• Homegoing: A Novel by Yaa Gyasi, narrated by Dominic Hoffman
• Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne-Jones, narrated by Jenny Sterlin
• Hunger written and read by Roxane Gay

(Reader says: It was a tough listen, I’m not gonna lie, but it was so much more powerful because Gay actually read the audio.)

• I Can’t Make This Up by Kevin Hart

(Reader says: I loved Kevin Hart’s memoir that he read aloud. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but it had a lot of good life lessons.)

• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and narrated by Thandie Newton
• Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, narrated by Rachel Dulude
• Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott, narrated by Karen White
• Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, narrated by Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, et. al.
• Long Way Down, written and narrated by Jason Reynolds
• Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley, narrated by Vikas Adam

(Reader says: I didn’t see the movie, but was curious about the story. I loved the audiobook.)

• Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and narrated by Kristoffer Tabori.

(Reader says: Not new but I just listened to it and loved Tabori’s voice. He managed to make every character sound so unique.)

• Norse Mythology, written and read by Neil Gaiman.
• Noel Diary written and read by Richard Paul Evans
• Not Your Ordinary Wolf Girl by Emily Pohl-Weary, narrated by Kate Rudd
• The One by John Marrs
• The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum, narrated By Coleen Marlo
• Priestdaddy written and read by Patricia Lockwood
• The Right Time by Danielle Steel, narrated by Victoria Bevin
• Slavery By Another Name by Douglas Blackmon, narrated by Dennis Boutsikaris
• Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King, narrated by Marin Ireland
• Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel (full cast narration)
• Solo, written and read by Kwame Alexander
• The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain
• A Study in Scarlet by Sherry Thomas, narrated by Kate Reading
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*k by Mark Mason, narrated by Roger Wayne
• This is Just My Face written and read by Gabby Sidibe
• Trying to Live with the Dead: The Veil Diaries, Book 1 by B. L. Brunnemer
• Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel (full cast narration)
• Watership Down by Richard Adams, narrated by Ralph Cosham
• The Weight of Ink by Rachel Cadish, narrated by Corrie James
• What Happened, written and read by Hillary Rodham Clinton
• When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, narrated by Sunil Malhotra

(Reader says: I know that the author died before this book was published, but I couldn’t help feeling like he was reading this book and talking to me. I loved this book so much. I made it through the book without tears, until the epilogue by his widow.)

• When the Dead Come a Knockin’: The Veil Diaries, Book 2 by B. L. Brunnemer, narrated by Carla Mercer-Meyer, Kris Koscheski
• Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries, written and read by Kory Stamper

(Reader says:  This was SO good, and Kory does such a great job narrating. Honestly, it felt like I was having a legit conversation with her she sounded so natural. I feel like that’s the sign of an amazing audiobook, right? You don’t even feel like you are being read to. I primarily listen to nonfiction, so you don’t get that all too often to be honest.)

Alright, folks, how ’bout them audiobooks? Think those will tide you over until January?

As always, feel free to say hello on twitter at msmacb or via email at katie@riotnewmedia.com

Happy Forced Family Time!

~Katie

Hey audiobook lovers,

Y’all came through big time! You sent me your favorite listens of the year and there were so many fantastic responses that I’m splitting them up between this week and next week’s newsletter. This week, I’m highlighting the crowd favorites–-the books that had several votes and next week I’ll give you the whole big honkin’ list. (So I know what I’m doing with my next 60 Audible credits…)

BUT FIRST: You want to win the Rioters’ 20 favorite books? OF COURSE you do! Enter to win them here.

Crowd favorites

There were a few titles that stood out because so many people said they were among their favorites of the year.

Artemis by Andy Weir, narrated by Rosario Dawson

This was at the top of the list for many of you–-and a handful of you had the same reason: Rosario Dawson’s narration. While many of you liked the plot of Weir’s debut novel, The Martian, better but simply raved about Dawson’s narration.

The protagonist of the novel, Jazz, is a resident of the only colony on the moon. But life on the moon is tough (especially if you’re not super rich) and folks do what they need to do to get by. For Jazz, that means sometimes…taking things that don’t technically belong to her.

And then she comes across the opportunity to commit what seems like the perfect crime. Time for a moon heist!

It likely the folks at Audible know they’ve got a hit on their hands because they’ve got a whole bunch of extra stuff on the site to accompany the audiobook, like this “Unofficial Guide to Artemis” PDF.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, narrated by Trevor Noah

This had the most votes of any one book and if you listen to it for roughly 30 seconds, you’ll understand why. Growing up bi-racial in (post?) Apartheid South Africa was tough for Trevor Noah, but he reflects on his childhood with as much warmth as seriousness, and you’re fully on board right away. At the risk of being a cheeseball, it’s also just really inspiring to follow Noah from the kid who feels like he doesn’t fit in, to hosting one of the most popular late-night shows on television. And couldn’t we all use some feel goods these days?

Reader Dana says, “This was excellent for so many reasons, but mainly because of Noah’s narration. He’s wonderful. The story is moving and eye-opening as well. It’s getting a lot of good press and deservedly so. I recommend that anyone who wants to read this book should check out the audiobook. I can’t imagine it without Noah’s voice.”

Gentleman’s Guide to Vice & Virtue, The by Mackenzie Lee, narr. Christian Coulson

“Henry “Monty” Montague wants to have one last hedonistic hurrah before he has to take over his family’s estate. So he and his crush and best friend, Percy, go on a yearlong escapade before they settle into adulthood. “But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.”

As for the narration, one reader says, “I’d listen to Christian Coulson read the back of a shampoo bottle.”

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I’ve raved about this title so many times that I’ll try to keep it brief here. When 16-year-old Star Carter witnesses the murder of her childhood friend at the hands of a police officer, the two worlds she’s been oscillating between collide. It’s a great, important story in its own right It’s an important and compelling story and listen to what the Audible Editors’ have to say about the audiobook.

“Every now and then a book comes along that speaks to your soul. Angie Thomas’ debut novel, The Hate U Give, is one such book. Each editor here has listened, and the feeling afterwards is unanimous – this is one of the best performances we’ve ever encountered…

Narrator Bahni Turpin manages to give voice to such a broad and rich cast of characters, each with their own authentic perspective, demonstrating the power of performance to bring new depth to a complex social issue. We believe this is truly the definition of required listening.”

I honestly don’t think a better review is possible. And it’s well deserved.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, narrated by Jason Reynolds

“An ode to ‘Put the Damn Guns Down’, this is National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestseller Jason Reynolds’ fiercely stunning novel that takes place in 60 potent seconds – the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he’s going to murder the guy who killed his brother.” The book is narrated by the author, which is exactly what one reader found so compelling about it. She said, “I specifically wanted to listen to this to hear the author’s narration and I wasn’t disappointed. Such a powerful listen.”

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, narrated by Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, and a million other people

Emily, an editor at Audible says, “the listener finds himself in the Georgetown Cometary, where young Willie Lincoln has been laid to rest and his grieving father (the president) keeps returning in a state of stumbling and stricken shambles, to the shocked confusion of the self-unaware dead. Perhaps most interestingly, the real events of the time (those things happening outside of the graveyard) are depicted entirely through historical snippets and citations so that the listener comes eventually to realize that these are also merely the impressions of the dead, even if not fictional.” As for me, I was sold on this audiobook as soon as I realized Nick Offerman was one of the narrators. One of you said that this was among the books that “weirdly made you look forward to your commute,” which is a ringing endorsement if I’ve ever heard one.

And finally, I’m embarrassed to say that I hadn’t even heard of this series and so many of you raved about it. The Themis series. The first book in the series, Sleeping Giants, is described as “An inventive debut in the tradition of World War Z and The Martian, told in interviews, journal entries, transcripts, and news articles, Sleeping Giants is a literary thriller fueled by a quest for truth – and a fight for control of earthshaking power.” Kirkus said of the book,“This stellar debut novel…masterfully blends together elements of sci-fi, political thriller and apocalyptic fiction….”, and most importantly, a newsletter reader said, “I need the next one ASAP!!”

I’ll get you the full list next week.

Happy holidays/winter/cozy book weather,

~Katie