Author: Vanessa Diaz

Hola Audiophiles!

How goes it this week? I’m over here with a renewed mythology obsession thanks to Madeline Miller wordsmithing (more on that in a minute). I tell you: my allergies and travel tendencies don’t make pet adoption very likely, but I swear I’d name my puppies Circe and Patroclus if I had any. I’m also obsessed with the name Ariadne for a daughter, pero… a) I still don’t know if I want kids, and b) I can already hear my abuelos going, “Ari-QUE?”

Allow me to gush just a little bit more about Achilles & friends, and to share a refreshing magical mystery that I can’t stop thinking about. Don’t forget to check out Book Riot’s Amazon storefront. We’ve put together a selection of our favorite books and bookish stuff for summer!

For now, let’s audio.

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Sponsored by Harper Audio

HarperAudio is celebrating Audiobook Month by offering a stunning array of some of our favorite recordings from the likes of Amy Poehler, Questlove, Jonathan Lethem, Kiera Cass, and many more, each for a low price from $3.99 to $6.99! The sale ends on June 30th so stock up now and start listening! #LoveAudiobooks

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We Want to Hear from You!

Tell us how you audio! Fill out a quick survey on the Audiobook content you want to see and you’ll be entered to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

Latest Listens

Madeline Miller, girl, Imma be straight with you: I did not think I was going to love another book as much as I love Circe. Yet here I stand, ruined and beguiled by The Song of Achilles. I am not worthy!

The book is an homage to the Iliad told from the perspective of Patroclus, whom Achilles befriends and names his companion when the young price is exiled to the city of Phthia. While we’ll obvs never know for sure, it has long been speculated that Patroclus and Achilles were lovers. Madeline Miller imagines their intimate relationship from boyhood through the Trojan war in vivid and heart-breaking detail, reducing me to a puddle of tears even when I knew precisely what was coming.

My one critique of the otherwise flawless audio is the Miss Piggy treatment given to poor forsaken Deidamia. She already got the rawest of deals when Thetis married her to Achilles in secret only for him to abandon her 4.72 seconds later. Then the narrator went and gave her a comically high-pitched and whiny voice that on second thought it more Mrs. Doubtfire than Piggy. Otherwise though, it was beautifully told.

I also just finished Sarah Gailey’s Magic for Liars, the noir murder mystery + magic school fantasy mashup I mentioned in the first half of June’s new book round-up. In Gailey’s fantasy debut, private detective Ivy Gamble has mostly gotten by on insurance disputes and adultery cases. Her luck appears to change when the headmaster at The Osthorne Academy of Young Mages hires her to solve a grizzly murder, a job that will earn her some dolla dolla bills and give her a first crack at a homicide case. It just so happens that her twin Tabitha teaches at the school, the magically gifted sister of whom she’s always been jealous and hasn’t spoken to in years. Ivy will have to weed her way through secrets, lies, prophecies, and (gasp) teenagers to determine who it was that split another teacher in half.

There’s so much to love about this novel. It plays with genre stereotypes so cheekily, throwing in a “chosen one” arc that doesn’t play out the way you think it will go. Sure there’s magic, but there’s the usual slew of teenager problems too, plus a detective with a drinking problem and iffy moral compass ala classic detective noir. Gailey, a non-binary author themself, gives us a whole cast of queer characters and they get to just be; there’s no abuse or hardship, no big discussion about gender or sexuality. Their queerness is a thing but not the thing, a matter-of-fact part of who they are like eye color or height.

Throw in some narration by award-winning narrator Xe Sands and you’ve got one deliciously entertaining listen.

Listens on Deck

Bet you thought I was done talking about Cuba, huh? Guess again, audiophiles! I think I’ll dive into Chanel Cleeton’s Next Year in Havana, a historical romance that will whisk me away to the island once more.  

From the Internets

And here’s the Washington Post’s best audiobooks of the month. I haven’t listened to a single of these titles, but there’s one on “the welfare queen” narrated by January LaVoy that has my interest piqued.

More best book lists! Here’s Paste Magazine’s roundup of best audiobooks of the year so far. So many of my faves made this list! Helen Oyeyemi’s Gingerbread, the last Flavia de Luce mystery by Alan Bradley, Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams and more.

Over at the Riot

I was feeling the audiolibro love last week! Check out my quick roundup of some audiobooks in Spanish I’ve enjoyed.

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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

Hola Audiophiles!

Well, amigx (has that caught on yet?): I am ruined! I asked you all to help me pick my next listen and the winner was Song of Achilles. I definitely showed up to a lunch date with my dad with bloodshot eyes and a broken heart. Taco Tuesday is supposed to be a happy occasion, Madeline Miller! How dare you rip me wide open AGAIN with your mythical word magic??

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This newsletter is sponsored by Libro.fm.

Get three audiobooks for the price of one, with code BR19!

 

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While I wipe away my tears and whisper Patroclus’ name into the wind, read on for a quick announcement and several chances to win free books! Then we’ll get into Part Dos of June audiobooks.

• We want to hear from you! Fill out a quick survey on the Audiobook content you want to see and you’ll be entered to win a $50 Amazon gift card. Easy!
• We also have 250 early digital downloads of Laura Lippman’s Lady in the Lake to give away! The audio edition is performed by Susan Bennett via Libro.fm and sounds like a summer stunner.
• You want more, you say? We’re giving away six months of Audible to one reader who signs up for our Audiobooks newsletter! You’re already ahead of the game, so you get to enter too.
• Lastly, we’ve put together a selection of our favorite books and bookish stuff for summer! Go check out Book Riot’s Amazon storefront and nab some bookish swag.

Survey done? Giveaways entered? Storefront shopped? Let’s audio.

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New Releases (publisher descriptions in quotes)

Fleishman Is in Trouble by: Taffy Brodesser-Akner, narrated by Allyson Ryan (June 18)

Doctor Toby Fleishman and his wife of 15 years have separated and are navigating the wonderful world of coparenting when Rachel up and vanishes into thin air. Toby is left with their two young kids and is trying to balance fatherhood with his career, not to mention his newly active sexy-time schedule (thanks dating apps!). He’s convinced himself that it’s all Rachel’s fault, that her ambition was the undoing of their marriage and her disappearance an act of selfishness. He soon learns that there truly are two sides to every story, and that his side maaaaybe ain’t all there is to it.

This exploration of marriage, divorce, and ambition is insightful, smart, and really damn funny debut.

The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull, narrated by Janina Edwards and Ron Butler (June 18)

Spaceships, feuding families, missions of vengeance: all of this goodness from a writer I’ve seen compared to Octavia Butler. “An alien ship rests over Water Island. For five years, the people of the US Virgin Islands have lived with the Ynaa, a race of super-advanced aliens on a research mission they will not fully disclose. They are benevolent in many ways but meet any act of aggression with disproportional wrath. This has led to a strained relationship between the Ynaa and the local Virgin Islanders, and a peace that cannot last.”

A year after a young boy has died at the hands of an Ynaa, an inevitable conflict comes to a head that will leave not a soul untouched.

The Travelers by Regina Porter, narrated by Bahni Turpin and Dominic Hoffman(June 18)

**insert air horns** Bahni Turpin in the house! I love that she’s narrating this book, one I had the privilege of reading it earlier this year while serving as a panelist for Indies Introduce Summer/Fall 2019. This was taken from the blurb I shared on the American Booksellers Association page:

“I’m blown away by the fact that this stunning work is a debut effort. It’s a sweeping history of our country and the traumas we have yet to fully heal from, spanning the American South in the 50s through the early years of Obama’s presidency. It’s told through a series of narratives that connect unexpectedly and beautifully, exploring the many nuanced layers of the human condition with each emotional character arc. The writing is both powerful and restrained, one of sparse but evocative details that quietly crack your heart wide open when you least expect it.”

The Poison Thread by Laura Purcell, narrated by Jayne Entwistle and Elizabeth Knowelden (June 18)

I’m sorry, I hope you can hear me over the sound of all my bells ringing! In this Victorian gothic thriller, wealthy, beautiful Dorothea Truelove is obsessed with phrenology and goes to Oakgate Prison to test some theories on skull shape and crime. There she meets Ruth, a teenage seamstress with quite the story: she claims to possess a supernatural power to kill with only a needle and thread. Is homegirl for reals? Is she mad? Is she a cold-booded killer tryna make her sewing kit a scapegoat? This plot is giving me Sarah Waters Affinity vibes and me likey very much.

Side note: this one is performed in part of Jayne Entwhistle, the inimitable voice of Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series!

Emperors of the Deep by Wiliiam McKeever, narrated by Tim Andres Pabon (June 25)

Shaaaarks! I love sharks! I mean, maybe not as much as Amanda loves sharks. I’ve never thrown a Shark Week party, but hey: there’s still time.

William McKeever is a documentarian and conservationist determined to correct common misconceptions on these beautiful, terrifying creatures. The book is rife with factoids that’d make even a casual shark lover giddy: sharks are 50-million years older than trees, account for only 6 human fatalities per year, and have a sixth-sense that lets them pick up on electric fields generated by living things. Through a fascinating examination of four shark types (Mako, Tiger, Hammerhead, and Great White), he explains why shark survival is essential for ecological stability.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything narrated by Tim Andres Pabon before, but I dig his delivery in spite of it sounding a little like a voice you might hear on the CVS pharmacy recording.

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes, narrated by Julia Whelan and Linda Holmes (June 25)

You may recognize Linda Holmes as the host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast! Her debut is the hope-filled, heartwarming story of Evvie, a grieving widow who rarely leaves her house, and Dean, a former Major League pitcher who’s off his game. Dean moves into an apartment behind Evvie’s home and the two agree not to ask each other questions about what ails them. But ya know: rules schmules. An unlikely friendship blossoms as they each share buried secrets, a bond that quickly grows into something more.

Look for lots of baseball analogies, some truly hilarious interactions, and top notch narration from the voice behind works like Educated, Gone Girl, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beath Keane, narrated by Molly Pope (June 25)

“Two neighboring families in a suburban town, the friendship between their children, a tragedy that reverberates over four decades…:” Sound familiar? Fair Verona may not be a suburban town, but parts of this story certainly appear to draw from that star-crossed lovers tale. Two rookie NYPD cops end up living next door to one another in the Bronx and have children born six months apart. A close friendship develops between those children, a bond that is tested in their eighth grade year when a violent event tears their families apart. Ask Again, Yes explores how “the events of childhood look different when reexamined from the distance of adulthood – villains lose their menace, and those who appeared innocent seem less so.”

Sweet Heat by Zuri Day, narrated by Shari Peele (June 25)

I said to the universe: “Universe, your girl wants to read more romance by authors of color. Whatcha got?” The clouds parted and down from the heavens came this gem. Julian Drake is the youngest heir to a Northern California dynasty on the cusp of opening up his very own therapy practice. He runs into Nicki Long, a Broadway dancer and his long lost love; sparks fly, love is professed, and soon Nicki is relocating out west. The trouble is, she’s brought danger with her, a threat that could be her undoing and that of the illustrious Drake clan.

This one is part of the Blue Collar Lover Series – more to explore! Also, I’d listen to Shari Peele read the ingredients in my body wash.

From the Internets

We all know audiobook listenership is on the rise, but just how many people out there audio? A Publishers Association study suggests it’s as many as one in every five readers.

La verdad? I clicked on this because I saw the Coco thumbnail. Glad I did too, because I stumbled on a wonderful list of Spanish audiobooks to get kids reading from HipLatina.com.

Over at the Riot

In keeping with the Audiobook Month theme, last week’s YouTube video was all about my favorite audiobook narrators. Tell me: who are some of your faves?

Speaking of great audiobook narrators, don’t miss out on this piece on terrific memoirs narrated by their authors. It’s a solid list, and I firmly believe that everyone should experience Trevor Noah’s kid voice at least once.

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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

Hola Audiophiles!

How was everyone’s weekend? I spent mine in lovely Portland, Oregon whose greenery makes San Diego look like a big brown blur. I love my hometown but good GAWD I love those trees!

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Sponsored by Libby, the one-tap reading app from your library and OverDrive

Meet Libby. The award-winning reading app that makes sure you always have something to read. It’s like having your entire library right in your pocket. Download the app today and get instant access to thousands of ebooks and audiobooks for free thanks to your public library and OverDrive.

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I also had the interesting experience of listening to an audiobook set in 1920s Portland while I was there. There I was, in what most of us think of as a super liberal and progressive city, listening to historical fiction that chronicles Oregon’s ugly history as a whites-only state. Every chapter opened up with a line from a piece of Oregon legislation or a local article/advertisement, each of which could have been pulled right out of the Jim Crow Handbook for Being a Racist A$$hole. Yikes… proof that we’ve come a long way but have a long, long way to go.

I’ll tell you all about that fascinating read and lots more goings on in the audiobook world. Ready? Let’s audio.

Latest Listens

Let’s talk The Paragon Hotel!  A plot refresher, one mo’ time: the year is 1921 and Alice “Nobody” James is on a train ride west from Harlem to Portland with a couple of bullet wounds in her side. She’s on the run after a botched drug & booze deal puts a target on her head, and befriends Max, a black porter who takes her to the Paragon Hotel to get her the down-low medical care she needs. The residents of Portland’s only all-black hotel are immediately terrified at the idea of a white woman’s presence among them, and Alice soon learns why: the Klu Klux Klan has made its way to Oregon. Every moment she spends at the Paragon puts its inhabitants in danger.

The book flips back and forth between Alice’s time in New York and her arrival in Oregon, slowly revealing details of Alice’s past and how she came to be involved with the booze trade and the mafia (warning: references to horse death and bodies chopped up in barrels). As the threat of the clan grows stronger and a young boy from the Paragon goes missing, all manner of secrets bubble to the surface. No one, it would appear, is exactly who they seem.

I have to give it up again to narrator January LaVoy; she really goes in! She pulls off quite the cast of characters with a whole arsenal of accents and affectations that create distinction without ever resorting to the ridiculous. She pulls off smooth and buttery then harsh and sharp in the blink of an eye. Such skill, I tell you.

Listens on Deck + Audiobook Month News:

Help me pick my next listen! Do I go with:

A. Recursion by Blake Crouch: new, buzzy book about the threat of implanted memories reminiscent of Inception

B. Spinning Silver, a reimagining of Rumpelstiltskin set in a Eastern Europe-like country from fantasy maven Naomi Novik (it’s been on my TBR since it first came out in hardback)

C. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller since I’ve never rid myself of this Circe hangover

Help me decide!

Let’s also talk about some of the fun stuff out in the world for Audiobook Month!

Libro.fm has a whole month of festivities planned for Audiobook Month, all of which are detailed here. Check out the adorable graphic designed by beloved bookish artist Jane Mount!

Audiobooks.com is celebrating with some sweet giveaways: enter here to win one of three audiobook prize packs! They’re not messing around: you could win Air Pods, a Sonos speaker, or a Samsung smartwatch plus gift cards.

From the Internets

Where was this piece the year I attended *12* weddings (and was in eight of them, good grief)? Paste Magazine recommends these 10 must-listen audiobooks for wedding season. Some are kid-friendly too!

I’ve got that summertime, summertime playlist… yeah, I did sing that in my best languid Lana del Rey voice. Also, it’s Goodreads that has the playlist and it’s got 40 reader-approved road trip listens.

Brace yourself: it’s June and that means aaaall of the “best books of the year so far!” lists (no shade, we love these). Here’s one from The Guardian on the best audiobooks of 2019 thus far.

I’m newer to comics but have loved what I’ve read for both the stories and the treat for the eyes. Now it looks like the Marvel Comics will soon be a treat for the ears, too: they’re getting the audiobooks treatment according to Geek.com.

Over at the Riot

In case you missed it, I kicked off Audiobook Month with a quick video on where to get audiobooks. Did I mention some of them are free?

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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

Hola Audiophiles!

Guess what guess what guess what? June is Audiobook Month! And not just in my head either, but in real life. Because we’re friends, I will confess that I did a super awkward cha-cha dance when I realized this earlier that involved pointing at my ears and then miming the opening of a book. It was… well, strange.

Back to Audiobook Month! Various audiobook outlets are sure to have fun promos going so make sure to check those out. I’ll include any I hear about in the newsletter all month long. For now, you know what’s up: a new month around the corner means new audiobooks! Here’s a batch of new listens coming at you in June.

Let’s audio.

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Sponsored by Whatbook, the first app for social readia

You’ve heard of social media, but Whatbook is the first app for social readia. Whatbook offers users a new platform to share and discover book recommendations from people- just like we do in real life! Choose to follow friends, family, and colleagues for reliable recommendations, while discovering new users with similar reading interests for a more varied, yet human
recommendation experience. Whatbook has also introduced podcasts onto the platform, so now users can find their next favorite podcast series alongside their next read. Now available for free in the app store. So, What book next?

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New Audiobooks (publisher descriptions in quotes)

I’m sticking to the two-part breakdown again this month for new books. Does this work for you all, or are you like “Give them to us all at once, you fool!!”? Let me know what you prefer.

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey, narrated by Xe Sands (June 4)

If you don’t already know Sarah Gailey, they are the genius behind the American Hippos novellas, a fictional take on a very real moment in history when our government tried to breed hippos and make them our new meat source. Did these nutters never watch the nature channel??!

Magic for Liars is Gailey’s fantasy debut, wherein detective Ivy Gamble has a little Petunia Dursley thing going on. She was born without magic while her estranged twin Tabitha possesses the gift, and phew because Ivy don’t want it! Except, ya know, she does. When a grizzly murder goes down at the school where Tabitha teaches theoretical magic, Ivy gets pulled into a world of danger and secrets. Magic school + noir thriller? I’m so there.

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert, narrated by Blair Brown (June 4)

Elizabeth Gilbert returns to fiction with a book that’s a little less Eat, Pray, Love and a lot more Sex & the City. Set in the 1940s New York theatre scene, this sexy adventure is the story of an older woman looking back on her youth with a few regrets and a lot of pleasure. It’s nice to see more books exploring female sexuality and promiscuity without the slut shaming. What a concept: a woman can partake in casual sex and still be a good person who lives a fulfilling and meaningful life!

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, narrated by the author (June 4)

Every last person I know who’s read it has given me that “This will crack you open, prepare thyself!” look. It’s a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read told from the 20-something son’s perspective. It’s an exploration of class, race, and masculinity, of the importance of preserving our histories and the crippling effects of feeling we’ve gone unheard. “Asking questions central to our American moment, immersed as we are in addiction, violence, and trauma, but undergirded by compassion and tenderness,” it promises to be a truly powerful testament to the healing we find in storytelling.

Mostly Dead Things by Kristin Arnett, narrated by Jesse Vilinsky (June 4)

You know when a book is described as darkly funny? This is what you call a title that features a grieving widow with a habit of making lewd art with stuffed animal corpses, n’est-ce pas?

Jessa-Lynn Morton discovers her father’s dead body in the family taxidermy shop. In the thick of her grief, she steps up to take over the failing business while the rest of her family falls apart. Some of them go completely withdrawn, others walk away; then there’s the aforementioned mother’s own illicit taxidermy activity, a hobby that only escalates in its absurdity over time. Jessa must find a way to keep the business above water and figure out what her place is in her motley crew of a family.

Underland by Robert Macfarlane, narrated by Roy Mcmillan (June 4)

Robert Macfarlane is the award-winning author of books like The Old Ways and The Lost Words, a nature writer whose insatiable curiosity and endless respect for the natural world is evident with every word he puts to page. Underland is all about the worlds beneath our feet, a journey that takes us everywhere from Bronze Age burial chambers and Arctic sea caves to the Paris catacombs. It’s compelling and haunting in its implications as so much of his writing is, and beautiful to boot. This is shaping up to be one of my favorite books of the year.

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib, narrated by Parmida Vand (June 4)

Whether as an Ahmadi Muslim in Pakistan or a refugee in Canada, there was never a time in Samra Habib’s life when it was safe to be her authentic self. Every aspect of her identity and physicality was policed by men and women insisting she fit a certain model of pious obedience, all while she navigated religious persecution, bullying, racism, and even an arranged marriage. “So begins an exploration of faith, art, love, and queer sexuality, a journey that takes her to the far reaches of the globe to uncover a truth that was within her all along.”

Bunny by Mona Awad, narrated by Sophie Amoss (June 11)

I saw this described as The Vegetarian meets Heathers, and that’s not wrong. But also: maybe Mean Girls meets The Craft??

Samantha Mackey is a student in a bougie New England MFA program who can’t stand the rest of the girls in her cohort. They’re rich, entitled, and extra AF, plus they call each other “Bunny.” Then she gets an invite from the Bunnies to join their clique and get into some weird ritual sh*t that makes the Burn Book look like a bedtime story, and dear Sam is all too quick to ditch her only friend Ava to get in with the Bunny crew. I’m making light of things here to keep an ominous sense of dread at bay; things get pretty dark and twisty before they come to a deadly and explosive end.

Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera, narrated by Robin Miles, Adenrele Ojo, and Brittany Pressley  (June 11)

Told from each of their perspectives, this is the story of three Southern women in South Carolina in the years leading up to the Great Depression. Gertrude lives under the daily threat of death at the hands of her abusive husband and does the unthinkable to ensure her daughters’ survival. Retta, a freed slave employed by the Coles family that once enslaved her family, is learning that for some, freedom isn’t all the way free. Annie is the Coles family matriarch grappling with a terrible truth that has ripped her family apart. “These three women seemingly have nothing in common, yet as they unite to stand up to the terrible injustices that have long plagued the small town, they find strength in the bond that ties women together.”

The Darwin Affair by Tim Mason, narrated by Derek Perkins (June 11)

London, June 1860: moments after an assassination attempt against Queen Victoria, a low-level thief is found gruesomely murdered a block away. Something about the crimes makes Chief Detective Inspector Charles Field think the incidents are not only related but all a part of a grander, more sinister plot. He soon learns that Charles Darwin’s publication of On the Origin of Species is at the core of a string of murders, arson, and kidnapping; his pursuit of the culprit takes him on a high-stakes journey from London to the halls of Oxford that made me blow right through this book in a day.

P.S. the black-eyed villain Chorister is soooo creepy.

Recursion by Blake Crouch, narrated by Jon Lindstrom, Abby Craden (June 11)

I’ve been trying to write a brief description for this book for a half hour that isn’t just “This is like Inception with the WTF factor turned up high.” Barry is a New York cop investigating what’s known as False Memory Syndrome, a condition that drives its victims mad with memories of things that never actually happened. Helena is a neuroscientist working on a technology that would allow a person to preserve and re-experience their most cherished memories. Together they’re up against a dark and terrifying force that “attacks not just our minds, but the very fabric of the past.” It asks the mind-boggling question: what if someone had the power to implant a memory?

From the Internets

I somehow missed that the audiobook reviews I’ve seen from The Washington Post are a regular feature. Whoops! In any case, May’s roundup of recs from WaPo are titles that are the sounds of spring.

Libro.fm got the ball rolling early on Audiobook Month! They have a blog post up now previewing the fun stuff they’ve got planned in June.

Audiofile Magazine posted a blog entry earlier this month on audiobooks for kids that highlight STEM skills.  I couldn’t love this more! I recommend the Ada Twist books to kids all the time at the bookstore and now have a whole batch of other titles to suggest to young readers.

Over at the Riot

Working on some thangs here ok STOP LOOKING AT ME WITH JUDGEMENT IN YOUR EYES!

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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

Hola Audiophiles!

The Audiobooks newsletter is sponsored by the audiobook edition of Birthday by Meredith Russo.

From the award-winning author Meredith Russo, comes a heart-wrenching and universal story of identity, first love, and fate. Eric and Morgan have been best friends since day one. They share nearly everything together, even their birthdays, but Morgan hasn’t been able to tell Eric his biggest secret. He knows that he’s supposed to be a girl. Six years of birthdays reveal Eric and Morgan’s destiny as they come together, drift apart, fall in love, and discover who they’re meant to be—and if they’re meant to be together. The audiobook of Birthday is read by Dana Aliya Levinson.

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So… I was under the impression that summer was on its way. I’d started to put away the sweaters and dusted off the tank tops! But rain (and snow, for some of you!) are the unemployed houseguest lazing on our couch, eating all our food, bumming off our WIFI and stealing our Netflix passwords. When… are they going… to LEAVE!?

In the meantime in-between-time, we have audio things to talk about: a book that’s a feast for the stomach and the ears, a Meryl Streep gift to our earholes, robot love, and more.

Ready? Let’s audio.

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Latest Listens

Santa Madre, as my mother would say: long live Elizabeth Acevedo! With the Fire on High was even better than all of my lofty expectations, a sheer work of audio delight narrated by Ms. Acevedo herself.

It’s the story of Emoni Santiago, whose name I have been butchering, argh! It’s em-AH-nee, not EH-mo-nee like I’ve been saying. Mea culpa! Emoni is a teen mother working hard to raise her young daughter and take care of the abuela who raised her. She possesses some serious skills in the kitchen and dreams of being a chef, dreams that seem a little less silly when she learns that her high school will offer an elective course in culinary arts. The class challenges her, makes her uncomfortable, makes her doubt her potential and worthiness. It also forces her to examine her future, her parenting, her relationships. It forces her – allows her –  to want and to dream more freely.

The Spanish phrases, the recipes, the Puerto Rican pride: I soaked up every last word of this audiobook. I cannot wait to attempt that lemon verbena tembleque, an Emonified twist on a classic Puerto Rican coconut custard. Another recipe calls for a cook time that is precisely three Cardi B tracks long and I LIVE. The best part though? Having a young Afro-Latina queen to root for. There is pride in her story, never pity or condescension, and a beautiful vulnerability that I will not soon forget.

Listens on Deck

Remember a long time ago when I said I was going to listen to The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye? Yeah…. that didn’t happen. I am finally getting around to this historical mystery by the author of my beloved Jane Steele. The pitch: it’s 1921 in the thick of Prohibition and Alice “Nobody” James is on a train ride from Harlem to Portland. She has a nasty bulletwound in her side and may or may not be fleeing the city after an illicit drug & liquor deal goes horribly wrong.

Narrator January LaVoy is quickly becoming one of my favorites, winner of the Publishers Weekly 2013 Audiobook Narrator of the Year Award. She’s read for everyone from James Patterson to Libba Bray, lending a smooth, buttery tone to each of her performances. I’ve even enjoyed all of her accent work and you know that’s a big deal coming from me.

From the Internets

From the Penguin Random House Audio blog: a round-up of staff picks for excellent summer listening.

In more news from PRH, a brand new audiobook version of Charlotte’s Web will be narrated by Meryl Streep and an ensemble cast of over 20 veteran narrators. Out in October 2019, this new edition is the first recording in 50 year since E.B. White’s original performance.

Acclaimed romance writer Alyssa Cole is known and loved for her Reluctant Royals series – and deservedly so! Her next release will be an Audible Original, a romcom about robot love. Get yours, C-3P0!

Over at the Riot

The Riot be slackin’ on the Audiobook content this week! And if you’re thinking, “Hey girl, maybe you should write some that yourself!,” don’t worry. I’ve spoken to myself about it and Self agrees.

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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