Author: Kendra Winchester

Way back when, I remember everyone at Book Riot raving about The Sorcerer to the Crown. Of course, I picked it up and fell in love with Zen Cho’s storytelling. So when I heard about Black Water Sister, I knew I needed to listen to it ASAP. Jess, a Malaysian American queer woman, is returning with her parents to Malaysia only to discover that her grandmother’s dead spirit is haunting her.

As Jess settles into her life in Malaysia, she tries to learn more about her grandmother’s spirit, but her mom refuses to talk about her family. If that wasn’t bad enough, Jess’s girlfriend still lives a world away and keeps asking when Jess is going to tell her parents about them. And at every step, her grandmother’s spirit comments on every part of Jess’s life.

I love how Cho introduces us to Jess’s new world. As she learns more about her family’s path and the gods that they serve, so do we. The book highlights her family’s spiritual beliefs, and while these beliefs aren’t shared by all of her family, they are still respected.

Without getting into spoilers, this book is hella creepy in the best possible way. A couple scenes had me glancing up at my windows and making sure I have nightlights around at night. This world of gods and spirits—some friendly, some not—always hovers at the edge of Jess’s mind, creating a perfect haunting sort of atmosphere.

Emily Woo Zeller performs Black Water Sister with her usual brilliance. I love how she’s able to transfer between the descriptive text and the dialogue—such a range! I’d never listened to anything even remotely spooky narrated by her before, so I was delighted at how she captured the perfect sinister mood with her performance.

Narrated by Emily Woo Zeller

Did you love Maud from An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good as much as I did? Well, Maud is back to her deadly shenanigans in An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed. At nearly 90 years old, Maud is still as formidable as ever.

Narrated by Ann Richardson (The Golden Cage by Camilla Läckberg and There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather by Linda Åkeson McGurk)

Everyone and their mother’s brother have been raving about Jonathan Franzen’s new novel. Crossroads features a pastor and his family in the 1970s. Each family member has their secrets and desires to be something different. Franzen’s intimate look at these characters has been praised as Franzen at his finest.

Narrated by David Pittu (My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing and The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott)

Brand Colbert’s new nonfiction young adult book is Black Birds in the Sky, which shares the history of the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921 and discusses how the horrific events of that day still affects Black Americans today.

Narrated by Brandy Colbert and Kristyl Dawn Tift (Pushout by Monique W. Morris and Colonize This! edited by Daisy Hernández and Bushra Rehman)

Chibundu Onuzo’s latest novel, Sankofa, follows Anna, a woman who has just left her husband and her mother has died. With her daughter grown, she begins to search to learn more about herself and the father she’s never known.

Narrated by Sara Powell (All Men Want to Know by Nina Bouraoui and Assassin’s Orbit by John Appel)

One of my most anticipated audiobooks of the fall is What Storm, What Thunder by Myriam J.A. Chancy. This novel follows a cast of characters during and after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. Across Port-au-Prince, each character witnesses one of the most haunting days of their lives.

Narrated by Ella Turenne (A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler and Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin)

This week, let’s chat thrillers and mysteries in translation. As someone who reads only via audiobook, I often struggle to find audio editions of novels in translation. But with the rise in audiobooks’ popularity, I’ve found so many more titles that I’ve been excited to read. First up, I have to tell you about Quicksand by Malin Persson Giolito, translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles.

The novel begins at the start of Maja’s trial. She’s been charged with aiding a mass shooting at her highschool in Sweden. The story jumps back and forth between the trial and flashbacks of her relationship with Sebastian, a son of one of the wealthiest men in the country. Her family and friends think it’s amazing that the son of such an important person wants to date her, but what they don’t realize is how Sebastian is isolating her and emotionally manipulating her.

Quicksand also discusses Maja’s own privilege in regards to class through her friendship with Samir, who is the son of immigrants and lives in a less affluent part of the city than Maja and the rest of her friends. Samir and Sebastian act as foils, highlighting Sebastian’s incredible privilege. (Yes, I am dancing around spoilers!)

Speaking of discussion of the working class, I also listened to Out by Natsuo Kirino, Translated by Stephen Snyder, which follows four friends at a packaged food company. One of the women has a very abusive husband, and one day she seems to snap, strangling her husband to death. Panicked, she asks her friends for help. The women dispose of the body in trash bags which they throw away in trash cans across the city.

I sat on the edge of my seat, wondering if these women would get caught or crack under the pressure. This novel turns the traditional crime novel on its head as we the listeners want the women who committed the crime to succeed.

Both Quicksand and Out ask listeners to examine ideas around justice and what that looks like, and I found myself thinking about both of them long after I had finished the novels.

Quicksand, narrated by Saskia Maarleveld & Out, narrated by Emily Woo Zeller

One of the most anticipated Black fantasy novels of the year is finally here! Debut author Ayana Gray spins a tale set in a fantastical world where a young woman who works at the Night Zoo, a menagerie of dangerous beasts.

Narrated by Keylor Leigh, Tovah Ott, and Ronald Peet (Out of Shadows by Justina Ireland & A Girl Is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi)

With his first novel since the Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr tells the story of characters across space and time. Each section returns to the themes of the power of stories and the power of storytelling.

Narrated by Marin Ireland and Simon Jones (The Push by Ashley Audrain & The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles)

Phoebe Robinson writes one-of-a-kind essay collections and turns them into incredible audiobooks. She performs the essays herself, giving her narration perfect comedic timing. Plus, she has such incredible insight.

Narrated by Phoebe Robinson (You Can’t Touch My Hair by Phoebe Robinson & Everything’s Trash, but It’s Okay by Phoebe Robinson)

It’s time for holiday romance novels! The Matzah Ball features Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt, a Jewish romance novelist who adores Christmas. But when she finds herself desperate for more work, she accepts a request from her publisher to write a Hanukkah novel. 

Narrated by Dara Rosenberg (Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid & The Lightkeeper’s Daughter by Jean E. Pendziwol)

When Andrew’s friend Eddie dies, Andrew finds himself haunted by a mysterious phantom. Now he must search for the truth behind Eddie’s death and maintain a sense of normalcy in his everyday life.

Narrated by Will Damron (Bad Blood by John Carreyrou & The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle)

When I was catching up with old friends recently, they pulled out the pages and pages of handwritten letters I had written to them between the summers we spent at camp. I’ve always loved handwriting letters (yes, even with my terrible handwriting) and still enjoy writing dozens of cards a month to this day. I often feel like the only millennial who has a card writing station in their house. But pen pals were a huge part of my childhood, so when I heard about Same Sun Here, I knew I had to listen.

Appalachian writer Silas House and Indian American author Neela Vaswani team up to give us this incredible epistolary novel. The story follows River, an Appalachian boy living with his grandma in Kentucky, and Meena, an Indian girl who’s just moved to New York City. River and Meena find each other through a pen pal program and begin writing to each other, sharing their seemingly very different lives. 

In the audiobook edition, House and Vaswani each narrate their characters’ letters, making both narrative voices stand out. House narrates River’s perspective with his gorgeous Eastern Kentucky dialect, which would have been incredibly difficult for any narrator not from the region. Vaswani also brilliantly performs Meena’s letter, embodying her vibrant no-nonsense personality to perfection.

There’s always something special when authors narrate their own audiobooks, but with the epistolary style and unique perspectives of this middle grade novel, having the author team perform Same Sun Here makes this audiobook one of the best middle grade novels I’ve ever listened to.

Narrated by Silas House and Neela Vaswani

The queen of pop science books is back with Fuzz, a book all about when nature and human civilization collide. There are monkeys, moose, gulls, and so many more animals that find themselves interacting with humans. But who is tasked with safely removing the animals from the situation? Roach follows the folks on the front lines of human/wild animal interactions.

Narrated by Mary Roach

I loved From the Desk of Zoe Washington, so I’ve had A Soft Place to Land pre-ordered for months. This time, Marks is back with the story of Joy, a young girl whose dad has just lost his job. Her family moves from their home to a small apartment, making Joy feel like she is so far from everything she’s ever known.

Narrated by Imani Parks (Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D Jackson and Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West)

Colson Whitehead, master of his craft, is back with his take on a crime story, Harlem Shuffle. When a man finds himself beholden to a crime syndicate, will he ever find a way to escape and still provide for his family? Whitehead is sure to make “Best of the Year” lists with this novel.

Narrated by Dion Graham (Evicted by Matthew Desmond and Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas)

Jackson makes her horror novel debut with White Smoke. Mari moves into a new house with her family. At first they’re excited that the house came with her dad’s new job, but when a student warns her that her new house is haunted, she begins to suspect it might be true.

Narrated by Marcella Cox (Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne Allen)

In this follow up to her popular memoir We’re Going to Need More Wine, Gabrielle Union shares more from her life. Her writing is so insightful, and her narration adds an extra layer of depth to the essays. Perfect for lovers of her first book or for new listeners to Union’s writing.

Narrated by Gabrielle Union (We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union)

I’ve mentioned how much I ADORE Sabriel narrated by Tim Curry, and I recently relistened to it because the 25th anniversary edition of the novel is this year. I loved revisiting the Old Kingdom, a medieval-like world where the kingdom has fallen into disarray after the death of the queen 200 years before. Sabriel grew up across the wall in a steam-based world, safe from the undead that wander the Old Kingdom.

I love how Nix introduces us to this incredibly rich world filled with darkness and mystery. Sabriel’s father is the Abhorsen, an office tasked with laying the dead to rest and defending the Kingdom from necromancers. There’s the bells of his office, a magic infused sword, and a mysterious house sitting on a waterfall.

But for me, the book shines when Tim Curry gives voice to Mogget, a free magic entity bound to serve the Abhorsen. Curry has such a brilliant way of voicing his characters, and his voice naturally lends itself to a book about necromancers and the undead that serve them.

If you’re looking for a spooky listen for the fall that isn’t too scary, this is it.

Narrated by Tim Curry

If you came up to me on the street and pitched me a book about 12th century nuns, I’d probably be giving you a look that said, “Say what now?” But The Matrix is written by the one and only Lauren Groff, a masterful storyteller. I’d read anything she wrote. Yes, even a book about nuns. Adjoa Andoh beauflly narrates the book, capturing that austere quality I imagine a 12th century nun would have.

Narrated by Adjoa Andoh

I’ll admit it; I adore Sally Rooney. There’s just something about the way that she capture 20-somethings having terrible sex and intense relationship drama that has me finding every excuse in the world to keep listening. Her latest novel is everything I’d hoped it would be—full of young millennial angst, messy relationships, and lots of steamy scenes. Aoife McMahon is a gem of a narrator, helping create the perfect atmosphere for Rooney’s story.

Narrated by Aoife McMahon

This memoir follows Qian Julie Wang as her family moves from China to America. In China, her parents were professors, but in America, they work in sweatshops. The stress of their new lives causes her parents to fight constantly, and when illness strikes the family, Qian feels even more isolated. The author also narrates the audiobook, which makes this memoir even more impactful on audio.

Narrated by Qian Julie Wang

In this retelling of Little Women, Bethany C. Morrow introduces us to four Black sisters coming of age during the civil war. I love Morrow’s work, so when I heard she was taking on Little Women for this remix series, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. All-star narrator Adenrele Ojo performs the audiobook with the author.

Narrated by Adenrele Ojo and Bethany C. Morrow

Zoraida Córdova might be more well known for her young adult novels, but The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina marks her adult fiction debut. The novel follows the Montoya family, who all gather at the matriarch’s funeral. There, her descendants are given gifts that manifest later in their lives. There are family secrets and hidden magic, which is definitely my speed. Frankie Corzo performs the audiobook edition brilliantly, proving once again why she is one of the best.

Narrated by Frankie Corzo

Colm Tóibín is back with an epic family saga that spans the decades through WWI and WWII. Thomas Mann, the family patriarch, is an incredible novelist trying to live up to the expectations that come with his success. He marries well and his children join the resistance against the Nazi regime. This novel is sure to be the engrossing fall listen that you need in your life. In Gunnar Cauthery’s performance, he captures the time period so well.

Narrated by Gunnar Cauthery

Nature lovers, assemble! Earlier this year, I shared some nature books that I really loved, and I was delighted to learn that mushrooms, in particular, are having a bit of a moment. The latest book celebrating these fantastic organisms is The Secret Life of Fungi by Aliya Whitely, which gives listeners an inside peek at the lives of mushrooms and celebrates all of their quirky glory. Alison Larkin narrates the audiobook, giving the whole experience a delightfully cozy feel.

Narrated by Alison Larkin

After listening to a series of “just okay” audiobooks this month, I was ready for something to really blow me away. In came The Birds of Opulence by Crystal Wilkinson. While it first came out in print a few years ago, it wasn’t until just a month or two ago that this incredible novel was released on audio.

The novel begins in the early 1960s in a place called Opulence, Kentucky. There, we meet generations of Black women who have been raising their daughters in the town since anyone can remember. From a surprise birth on a winter’s day to secret love affairs to dramatic funerals, these women see it all.

I especially love Wilkinson’s prose. There’s just something about the way she describes the fields on the family land or the relationship between mother and daughter that had me hanging on every word.

Allyson Johnson narrates the story with her masterful skill. Instead of trying to imitate the Appalachian Kentucky dialect, Johnson just uses touches of dialect here and there to give hints of how the characters might be speaking. It’s the perfect balance of accent, giving listeners a taste of the flavor of the region.

Narrated by Allyson Johnson (Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia by Sabrina Strings and Citizen by Claudia Rankine)

When a Frenchwoman falls in love with a Moroccan soldier, she has no idea what’s in store for her. After WWII ends, she moves with her new husband to Morocco, and her new life begins. What she imagined as the adventure of her life soon turns to an incredible disappointment as she is ostracized and isolated. Her biracial daughter faces difficulties of her own as she is teased by classmates for having a French mother. With In the Country, Slimani steps up her game and gives us a one-of-a-kind story that is must listen.

Narrated by Lara Sawalha (A Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar and The Silence of Scheherazade by Betsy Göksel)

I love a cute story around baking, and Battle Royal does not disappoint. When two former rivals learn that they will both be competing for the opportunity to bake the cake for an upcoming royal wedding, the gloves come off and the competition begins. The two go head to head in the competition, each showing their own personal flare for their craft. But who will be choosen? The classic perfectionist Dominic? Or the one-of-a-kind Sylvie? 

Narrated by Billie Fulford-Brown (Jane in Love by Rachel Givney and Act Like It by Lucy Parker)

The much-anticipated follow up to Raybearer is here! Jordan Ifueko is back to continue Tarisai’s story. Now coming into her own power, our protagonist must choose her own council, those who will help her survive. She knows what her kingdom expects of her, and she’s determined to see it through. But she doesn’t realize that the throne she sits upon represents all her kingdom must answer for. Can Tarisai figure out how to make amends for the sins of her kingdom’s past?

Narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt (The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris and Legendborn by Tracy Deonn)

In one of the most anticipated novels of the year, Velvet Was the Night, Silvia Moreno-Garcia takes on a brand new, noir-inspired story. In Mexico City, during the 1970s, Maite works as a secretary who loves reading the latest romance stories in her favorite magazine. She dreams of passion and love, hoping for a life beyond the boring office around her. When her next-door neighbor disappears, she finds herself in the middle of a very real mystery. But what starts out as a search for a missing person soon turns into a full blown scheme involving political dissidents.

Narrated by Gisela Chípe (The Soul of a Woman by Isabel Allende and It Is Wood, It Is Stone by Gabriella Burnham)

Meilan loves her family of uncles, aunts, and grandparents who all work with her parents at the family bakery, but when the family’s matriarch dies, Meilan’s entire world is turned upside down. Her parents have a disagreement with some of the other family members, and Meilan finds herself far away from her home in Boston. In Rosebud, Ohio, where few people have heard of Boston’s Chinatown, Meilan must learn a whole new world. This is a beautiful story of a Chinese American girl coming into her own in a whole new way.

Narrated by Annie Q (As Many Nows as I Can Get by Shana Youngdahl and Hello (from Here) by Chandler Baker and Wesley King)

Readers with kids often ask me for recommendations so they can make reading women in translation something they do as a family, so I thought I’d start with two books for young people. The one is Inkheart, which I have listened to and relistened to countless times over the years. The book follows a young girl named Meggie whose father repairs books. She loves her quiet life with her dad, but when a mysterious visitor named Dustfinger shows up at their door, Meggie’s whole world begins to change.

This audiobook is the perfect adventure for any young bookworm who has always wondered what they would do if they ever had the opportunity to meet the characters from their favorite books. Lynn Redgrave performs the book perfectly, creating the most incredible voices for each of Inkheart’s memorable characters. 

Narrated by Lynn Redgrave (Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis and The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield)

As the second book that would be perfect for the kids in your life, I have to tell you about A Winter’s Promise, which is part of a quartet of fantasy novels translated from French by Hildegarde Serle. Our protagonist, Ophelia, lives in a world where people live on Arks, floating pieces of land that each have their own culture and customs. Her parents decide to marry her off to a man far to the north, sending her off to meet her future in-laws with just her chaperone as company. Soon, Ophelia finds herself entangled in the political machinations of the different factions in her new home. Emma Fenney does a fantastic job capturing the large cast of characters and providing distinct voices for them that help the listener remember who is who.

Narrated by Emma Fenney (Envy by Amanda Robson and The Stylist by Rosie Nixon)

Like many readers back in 2015, I found myself entangled in the incredible story that is Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan quartet. Lena and Lenu are two best friends from a working class neighborhood of Naples. Their relationship is fraught with jealousy, competition, and manipulation. For the entire series, we watch as these two characters are drawn back to each other again and again through the decades. If you want a saga that will capture your attention from the first page until the last, this is it! Hillary Huber narrates the audiobook edition, giving listeners a narrator that they can get invested in and stick with for the entire series.

Narrated by Hillary Huber (Library at Mount by Char by Scott Hawkins and Final Girls by Riley Sager)

I listened to Notes of a Crocodile last year, and it stood out as one of my favorite audiobooks. The story begins with an unnamed narrator writing her story of attending university in Taiwan in the 1980s. She describes her experience falling in love with another girl in her class and her own struggle with internalized homophobia. As her story unravels, we watch as she creates a found family for herself in her search for a place to belong. Jo Mei narrates the audiobook skillfully, capturing the voice of the unnamed protagonist so well.

Narrated by Jo Mei (The Eighth Girl by Maxine Mei-Fung Chung)

Winner of the 2016 Man Booker International Prize, The Vegetarian needs no introduction. The novel focuses on a young woman who decides to become a vegetarian, much to her family’s horror. As time passes, they become more and more convinced that the protagonist needs to be pulled out of what they believe to be an irrational belief. Narrators Janet Song and Stephen Park draw listeners into the story quickly, making this audiobook incredibly engrossing.

Narrated by Janet Song (All you Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung) and Stephen Park (The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama)

The Enlightenment of the Greenage Tree begins with the death of the narrator. Although dead, she remains with her family as they flee the city for the Iranian countryside. There, each family member experiences their own fantastical journey to untangle meaning from the series of tragedies that they’ve experienced. Azar uses her own imagination and inspiration from Persian folklore to weave together a narrative all her own. One of my favorite narrators, Priya Ayyar, creates the perfect feel for the audiobook edition.

Narrated by Priya Ayyar (Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed and The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani)