Author: Vanessa Diaz

Hola Audiophiles! Welcome to another week of audio love. I’ve been over here preparing for the snow that was promised never really came this week in Portland, which is probs for the best since I probably would have embarrassed myself if it had. But enough about me; let’s dive into this week’s new releases and notes on my latest listen.

Ready? Let’s audio.

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New Releases – January 14, 2019

A World Without Work: Technology and Automation and How We Should Respond by Daniel Susskind, narrated by the author – For as long as technology has been a thing, humans have been filled with a certain level of “it’s going to overrun our lives!” angst. Susskind’s argues that a) this time is different because A.I. has arrived, b) this can actually be a good thing and solve an age-old economic problem, but c) the good can only happen if we first confront the economic disruption it will cause. Eek/yikes/okay great.

Narrator Note: I know Daniel Susskind from a TED talk and love his style. Look it up if you want more of this sort of tech talk.

Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey, narrated by Charlotte North – Rosie and Dominic are high school sweethearts whose marriage is perfect until it isn’t. Rosie decides she wants to realize a dream of opening a restaurant, but first: she wants to go to marriage boot camp. She suggests her plan to Dominic, assuming the ex-soldier and very “manly man” type will turn her down. He shocks her when he’s not only into the idea but jumps in with both feet, completing every hilarious task suggested by a weed-smoking hippie (lol). Rosie will have to confront her role in the breakdown of the marriage, as well as a secret that Dominic is keeping…

Narrator Note: Charlotte North has narrated other Tessa Bailey books from her Hot & Hammered series, works by Maya Rodale, and more.

Night Theater by Vikram Paralkar, narrated by Raj Ghatak – A surgeon flees the city when a scandal ruins his medical career and accepts a job in a remote village’s clinic. One night, a teacher, his pregnant wife, and their young son walk into the clinic asking for his help. The twist? They’re all dead (but not dead?), and say an angel will give them a second chance at life if the surgeon can heal their wounds by sunrise. Author Vikram Paralkar is a doctor himself and “takes on the practice of medicine in a time when the right to health care is frequently challenged. Engaging earthly injustice and imaginaries of the afterlife, he asks how we might navigate corrupt institutions to find a moral center.”

Narrator Note: You may recognize Raj Ghatak from books by Amitav Ghosh and sooooo many of James Patterson’s titles!

The Better Liar by Tanen Jones, narrated by Lisa Flanagan, Karissa Vacker, and Kristen Sieh – Robin and Leslie’s recently deceased father left them a big, fat inheritance, one that Leslie could really super very much use right about now. The problem? The inheritance will be disbursed to both sisters or not at all and Robin was just found dead. Then Leslie meets Mary, a woman with a striking resemblance to Robin who has nothing to lose. They concoct one of those “how could this possibly go wrong??” plans: Mary will pretend to be Robin so they can claim the money. But then! Secrets.

Narrator Note: All three of these narrators were part of ensemble cast for Sara Shepard’s Reputation and have a ton of narration credit to their names individually as well; Lisa Flanagan is known for thrillers by Liz Moore and Lisa Lutz; Karissa Vacker did Red Clocks by Leni Zumas and Krysten Ritter’s Bonfire; Allyson Ryan narrates Long Bright River by Liz Moore, which happens to be my latest listen!

Latest Listens

Long Bright River by Liz Moore – Set in a Philadelphia neighborhood ravaged by the opioid crisis, once inseparable sisters Kacey and Mickey are now estranged. Mickey is a cop and a single mom and Kacey is an addict who lives on the streets. Kacey goes missing, then a string of mysterious murders pops up in Mickey’s district that might explain her disappearance. Mickey becomes obsessed with solving the murders and finding Kacey, putting her job and her life in danger.

My guesses as to the culprit of the murders and Kacey’s fate kept bouncing around here. I thought I’d figured it out about 12 times but the actual end result had me going, “Oh word??” I mentioned previously how Allyson Ryan’s voice has a certain apathetic tone and I stand by that as being a good thing! It’s very measured when it needs to be, especially in this book where the first person narrator has been hardened by life and has issues with feelings. She is also really great and dialects and accents, and making a kids’ voice charming and not gimmicky. I really enjoyed this one! Tip: I think this one reads best at 1.25 speed.

From the Internets

The first batch of Marvel original audiobooks is here with more to come later in 2020.

Laura Linney’s performance of My Name Is Lucy Barton, a monologue play by Rona Munro adapted from Elizabeth Strout’s best-selling novel, will soon be an audiobook.

Remember that Amazon copyright lawsuit? Looks like they’ve settled.

AudioFile’s interviewed narrator powerhouse Robin Miles. If you have managed not to know her work yet, consider this a homework assignment!

Over at the Riot

A really cool list of audiobooks by Native, First Nations, or Indigenous authors

A listening pathway to narrator Dion Graham, who I absolutely loved in several of Nic Stone’s books and Dave Eggers’ The Monk of Mokha

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That’s all I got today! Shoot me an email at vanessa@riotnewmedia.com with audiobook feedback & questions or find me on Twitter and the gram @buenosdiazsd. Sign up for the In The Club newsletter, peep the Read Harder podcast, and watch me booktube every Tuesday and Friday too!

Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa

Hola Audiophiles! Bienvenidos once again to the land of audio love. I hope you all had some time to relax and unwind over the last few weeks and maybe even sneak in some quality audio time! It’s a new year, and that means lot of new books to get after. Let’s talk about some of those new releases and one of my favorite recent listens.

Ready? Let’s audio.

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New Releases – January 7, 2020

Boys & Sex by Peggy Orenstein, narrated by the author – Peggy Orenstein has written extensively about girls in books like Girls & Sex and Cinderella Ate My Daughter, advocating for their right to pleasure and agency in sexual relationships and breaking down gender stereotypes. She realized that she was missing half the equation in only focusing on girls and now examines how we raise boys, addressing issues like consent and toxic masculinity.

Don’t Believe a Word by David Shariatmadari, narrated by Damian Lynch – This book sounds like language-nerd candy! It breaks down nine common myths about language with lots of science and insights into modern linguistics.

Narrator Note: Damian Lynch is the voice behind the Mycroft Holmes series by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. His accent is very posh English and pleasant if you’re into that sort of thing (and I so am).

Lady Hotspur by Tessa Gratton, narrated by Jessica Hayles – Shakespeare made gayer is a thing I am very into and Tessa Gratton is too! This is her take on Henry IV, Part I in which Princes Mora and Hal are both women caught in a battle of succession. Lady Hotspur is “the fiery and bold knight whose support will turn the tides of the coming war.” Gimme.

Narrator Note: This is the first audiobook credit I found for Jessica Hayles, an English actress with experience performing Shakespeare. Some of you may recognize her from a 2005 role on Doctor Who.

Long Bright River by Liz Moore, narrated by Allyson Ryan – In a Philadelphia neighborhood ravaged by the opioid crisis, once inseparable sisters Kacey and Mickey are estranged. Kacey is an addict who lives on the streets while Mickey walks a police beat. When Kacey goes missing just as a strange of mysterious murders pops up in Mickey’s district, Mickey becomes obsessed with solving the murders and finding her missing sister.

Narrator Note: Allyson Ryan’s voice is so awesome because it sounds like she doesn’t give a crap and cares a lot at the same time? That sounds like a diss, but I really enjoy it. She’s narrated works like The Fifth Trimester and Fleishman is in Trouble.

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibanez, narrated by Ana Osorio – This book sounds so good! The usurper Atoc has driven the Illustrian royal family from La Ciudad using an ancient magical relic; all but one Illustrian, that is. Condesa is the last remaining survivor and Atoc has the nerve to ask for her hand in marriage! She sends her decoy Ximena to him in her place, giving Ximena the chance at the revenge that she craves. It’s inspired by Bolivian politics and history (yessss), with a little bit of magic sprinkled on top.

Narrator note: I’ve only listened to a sample of Ana’s work but I’m very interested so far. If you like her work and have been looking to incorporate more Spanish audiobooks into your listening, she’s the voice behind the Spanish versions of Jojo Moyes and Kristin Hannahs books and more.

Latest Listens

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, narrated by Nicole Lewis – Oh my gatos, y’all: this was so fantastic. I wasn’t all that excited about this for whatever reason and it blew me away! Nicole Lewis as a narrator gets all the gold stars; anyone who can transition that smoothly from a mid-30s Karen type to a young, semi-apathetic twenty-something and then a quirky toddler and back again is someone I want to know more about.

The book is about Emira, a young black babysitter, and Alix, her well-intentioned employer (and professional Karen, sort of?). Emira cares for Alix’ toddler Briar three days a week while Alix does her internet influencer thing. Their relationship has always been cordial, but changes for good one evening when Emira is falsely accused of kidnapping Briar at a high-end grocery store while on the job. That evening blows over at first, but will come back to reveal a surprising connection between Alix’s past and Emira’s present that threatens to undo them both. It’s a brilliant and witty examination of class, race, and privilege that would be perfect for book club. It forces you to examine your own biases and contains a whole cast of characters whose intentions might just be a little polarizing.

From the Internets

Ok, I sort of hate the title of this article because it’s just begging for the “audiobooks aren’t books” trolls to pile on. That being said, yes: audiobooks are having a moment.

Elizabeth Warren loves long walk with her audiobooks. Same, Liz.

Over at the Riot

You love Robin, we love Robin, or maybe you don’t yet but are about to love Robin: a roundup of some of the best audiobooks narrated by the wonderfully talented Robin Miles.

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That’s all I got today! Shoot me an email at vanessa@riotnewmedia.com with audiobook feedback & questions or find me on Twitter and the gram @buenosdiazsd. Sign up for the In The Club newsletter, peep the Read Harder podcast, and watch me booktube every Tuesday and Friday too!

Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa

Hola Audiophiles! Can you believe this is the last Audiobooks newsletter of the year and decade? I thought about writing a missive on Song of Achilles and all the ways in which it wrecked me, but instead went with a roundup of my favorite audio releases from 2019. I’ll be back in 2020 with more audio love in your inbox and hopefully won’t start the year with Swine Flu this time. In the meantime, may your earholes be blessed with happy listening! Thanks for being swell.

Ready? Let’s audio.

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The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo, narrated by the author – This mythical, sumptuous read set in 1930s Malaysia is about a young woman working at a dance hall and a house boy whose dying master gives him a task to complete. Their paths collide when they each embark on separate and dangerous missions involving a mysterious severed finger in a glass vial. Beautiful narration and amazing descriptions of food and landscapes.

Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi, narrated by the author – English schoolgirl Perdita appears to have died by ingesting poisoned gingerbread, but wait! Her mum finds a note that’s like, “BRB! Not really deadsies, just popped out to find your long-lost friend!” That friend is Gretel and the mythical place Perdita has gone off in search of is Druhástrana, the faraway place where Harriet spent her youth. The thing is, most people don’t believe that place exists, and the story Perdita has to tell when she wakes up is bananas. Helen Oyeyemi’s voice is just so charming!

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams, narrated by Shvorne Marks – Queenie is a Jamaican British twenty-something Londoner and a mess: she’s going through a breakup, she’s broke AF, and she’s slacking at a job she can’t afford to lose. Queenie continually self destructs until she’s finally forced to confront her demons. I had some small issues with the book (Queenie is told to tone to tone it down at work with the Black Lives Matter talk and it’s never quite resolved?). Overall, this is a hilarious and thoughtful listen with several timely messages about identity politics, unprocessed trauma, how mental illness is treated in communities of color, and racism.

Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl, narrated by the author – Foodie goddess Ruth Reichl did not disappoint! This memoir from her time at Gourmet magazine chronicles her complete revamping of the publication, it’s eventual demise, and what it was like to experience that whole arc while trying to be a wife and mother. Oh, and tasty recipes throughout!

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo, narrated by the author – Emoni is a teen mom working hard to raise her young daughter and take care of her abuela. She can cook her face off and dreams of being a chef, dreams that seems more feasible when she enrolls in her high school’s new culinary arts course. The class challenges her though, makes her doubt her potential and worth. It also forces her to examine her future, her parenting, her relationships, and allows her to want and to dream more freely. Elizabeth Acevedo, yo. That swag, that tone, that unapologetic pride in her people: perfection.

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey, narrated by Xe Sands – Private detective Ivy Gamble is just sort of getting by when the headmaster at a fancy magic school hires her to solve a grizzly murder. Her estranged twin Tabitha happens to teach at the school, the magically gifted sister of whom she’s always been a lil (read: a lot) jealous. Ivy will have to sift through secrets, lies, prophecies, and teenagers to determine who killed a teacher with dark magic. Xe Sands does such a great job of nailing both adult and teen voices here without going all over-the-top.

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson, narrated by Jacqueline Woodson, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Peter Francis James, Shayna Small, Bahni Turpin – How does an audiobook not even four hours long leave you in a puddle of tears?? Two families from different social classes are brought together by an unexpected pregnancy in a story that flashes back and forth between the past and the present. There is this scene involving 9/11 where Bahni Turpin DESTROYED me with her narration and I haven’t forgiven her for it yet!

The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White, narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden – Arthurian retelling? Yessss. Guinevere as a changeling? Double yes! She’s come to Camelot to wed King Arthur in a plot devised by Merlin to protect him from dark magical forces. Maybe? I love when a story you think you know still manages to make you go, “Oh no she did not!!!” It’s the first in White’s new Camelot Rising trilogy, the narration iss flawless, and it left me real mad that I couldn’t immediately move on to the next book.

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, narrated by Marin Ireland – Lillian and Madison are boarding school BFFs until Lillian gets screwed over and is expelled. Years later, Lillian’s life is sort of whatever while Madison’s a wealthy politician’s wife. Madison rings Lillian out of the blue to beg her come be a (very well paid) nanny to her husband’s ten-year-old twins from a previous marriage. Oh and one small thing: they spontaneously combust from time to time. Marin Ireland does a Southern Accent as well as deadpan humor so. damn. well. I’m still laughing!

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado – Break my heart, why don’t you!! This genre-defying memoir of Carmen Maria Machado’s time in a psychologically abusive relationship is everything you’ve heard it is. It’s raw, it’s honest, it will squeeze your heart and kick you in the teeth. The deep, uncomfortable dive into the “mechanisms and cultural representations of psychological abuse” is not an easy read, but it’s worth it in every way.

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From the Internets

Tor rounded up some SFF listens for holiday travels.

Paste suggests these festive audiobooks for the holiday season and they all sound so fun!

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And that’s a 2019 wrap! Shoot me an email at vanessa@riotnewmedia.com with feedback & questions or find me on Twitter and the gram @buenosdiazsd. Sign up for the In The Club newsletter, peep the Read Harder podcast, and watch me booktube every Friday too!

Stay bad & bookish, my friends. See ya next year!
Vanessa

Hola Audiophiles! This is one of our last newsletters together in 2019! I’m getting ready to fly south for the winter like a little Mexican mallard duck. I don’t know if that metaphor works, I just really love mallard ducks and alliteration. Before I get back to packing for the holidays in San Diego, let me tell you about December’s new releases and lots of great “best of” stuff.

Ready? Let’s audio.

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New Releases – December 2019 (publisher descriptions in quotes)

Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi, narrated by Bahni Turpin (December 3)- YASSS the sequel to that lil’ ol book that barely any people read called Children of Blood and Bone. We return to Orïsha with Zélie and Amari where magic has been restored, but the bad guys are just as powerful as the good guys and civil war is on the horizon. “Zelie must fight to secure Amari’s right to the throne and protect the new maji from the monarchy’s wrath.”

Narrator Note: BAH *claps* NI *claps* TUR *claps* PIN.

A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh, narrated by Saskia Maarleveld (December 3)- I’ve had various Nalini Singh works on my TBR for way too long! Maybe I’ll start with this thriller set in a remote town on the West Coast of New Zealand, “where even the blinding brightness of the sun can’t mask the darkness that lies deep within a killer….”

Narrator Note: Where do I start? She’s narrated both The Huntress and The Alice Network by Kate Quinn, Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin, all of Deborah Harkness’ work, and much, much more.

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado, narrated by the author (December 19) – I just started an audiobook ARC of this one, and even at just over five hours, I know it’s going to punch me in the gut. It’s Machado’s memoir, an “engrossing and wildly innovative account of a relationship gone bad, and a bold dissection of the mechanisms and cultural representations of psychological abuse. ”

Narrator Note: You know what I’m going to say: I love when authors narrate their own work. This is a stellar example of getting it right: it sort of feels like I’m listening to slam poetry, and at other times like I’m just listening to a friend tell me about her most precious pain.

The Wicked Redhead by Beatriz Williams, narrated by Dara Rosenberg and Julie McKay (December 10) – Beatriz Williams is on a roll these days! This is, what, her third book in a couple of years? This one is a “Jazz Age tale of rumrunners, double crosses, and true love, spanning the Eastern seaboard from Florida to Long Island to Halifax, Nova Scotia.”

Narrator Note: I loved Dara Rosenberg’s narration of Louisa Morgan’s The Witch’s Kind, and just saw she’s also credited with narrating something called Assault and Pepper. That tickles me.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, narrated by Nicole Lewis (December 31)- This one comes with muppet-arm praise from Liberty (who read it in print), a “compelling and big-hearted story about race and privilege, set around a young black babysitter, her well-intentioned employer, and a surprising connection that threatens to undo them both.”

Narrator Note: Nicole Lewis does great work! Some of her notables include What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons and Gayle Forman’s I Have Lost My Way.

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher, narrated by Lauren Fortgang (December 30)- Oh boy, this thriller sounds like a doozy. A woman has an arrangement with her husband wherein he has two other wives. She thinks she’s ok with it, but what had happened was… she befriends one of the wives without telling her who she is and discovers in the process that maybe her husband (their husband) isn’t who she thinks he is.

Narrator Note: Lauren Fortgang has narrated several Leigh Bardugo books, including her smash hit The Ninth House.

Latest Listens

Welp, I am deceased, and Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson with narration by Marin Ireland is the cause. No one told me what the hell this thing was about (I love when that happens), but you’d think that cover would have given it away…

The gist: Lillian and Madison were boarding school BFFs, but that all changed when a scandal (AAAH I want to tell you what happens so bad!) forced Lillian to leave school. Years later, Lillian’s life is sort of whatever while Madison is now a wealthy politician’s wife. After years of barely speaking, Madison sends Lillian a letter that’s like, “Hey girl, I need your help. Will you pop by the ol’ mansion? K thanks.”

What Madison needs is for Lillian to be her nanny, but there’s a liiiiitle catch. The kids she’ll be watching are her husband’s ten-year-old twins from a previous marriage. And oh yeah: they spontaneously combust when they get mad or agitated. No big deal! The narration is SO fantastic, lots of great Nashville accents that don’t feel gimmicky, and a perfect cadence. All that is paired with a hilarious story about kids on fire and rich people problems and Privilege with a capital P that’s also heartwarming in the end.

Proppiest of props to Contributing Editor Jamie for recommending it to me AND to the several of you who emailed me to say, “YES. Do it. Read that!” Good job, audiofiles.

From the Internets

Libro.fm just released their gift guide and I’m living for these categories! Fave is probably “For that friend who thinks they want to be a nanny” and the accompanying rec for Nothing to See Here for reasons listed above. Bahahaha.

Best audiobooks of the year lists from Libro.fm, Wired, Overdrive, Paste, and Audible.

Some excellent small press audiobooks to give as gifts this year

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That’s all I got today! Shoot me an email at vanessa@riotnewmedia.com with audiobook feedback & questions or find me on Twitter and the gram @buenosdiazsd. Sign up for the In The Club newsletter, peep the Read Harder podcast, and watch me booktube every Friday too!

Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa