Author: Vanessa Diaz

Hola, Audiophiles!

I took a quick break from packing to put the newsletter together this week: I’m hopping on a plane to Albuquerque for ABA’s Winter Institute! It’s my first time attending and I’m super jazzed to learn some things, meet other booksellers, and go nuts in the galley room. Did I mention one of the keynotes is by Erin Morgenstern AND Margaret Atwood? Wish me luck!

Sponsored by Princeton University Press Audio

More than 2,500 years ago, long before medieval automata, and centuries before technology made self-moving devices possible, Greek mythology was exploring ideas about creating artificial life—and grappling with still-unresolved ethical concerns about biotechne, “life through craft.” In this compelling, richly illustrated book, Adrienne Mayor tells the fascinating story of how ancient Greek, Roman, Indian, and Chinese myths envisioned artificial life, automata, self-moving devices, and human enhancements—and how these visions relate to and reflect the ancient invention of real animated machines. Start Listening Now!

Listens to Look For

The week leading up to this trip has been low on sleep and high on work-related reading of the non-audio variety, so today’s newsletter isn’t going to feature my latest listens. Instead, here are a few books coming out this week and next that weren’t in the new books edition at the top of the month.

(Publisher’s descriptions in quotes)

99 Nights in Logar by Jamil Jan Kochai, narrated by Ali Nasser (January 22)

It’s been six years since twelve-year-old Marwand visited Afghanistan. When he returns to this place that’s supposed to be home, he tries to make friendly with the terrifying but treasured dog that guards his family’s compound in the rural village of Logar. The dog isn’t just some beloved family pet you can stride right up to though, a lesson learned when Marwand gets his finger bit off and the dog dashes off into the night.

Marwand isn’t much fazed though; he “must get the dog back, and the resulting search is a gripping and vivid adventure story, a lyrical, funny, and surprisingly tender coming-of-age journey across contemporary Afghanistan that blends the bravado and vulnerability of a boy’s teenage years with an homage to familial oral tradition and calls to mind One Thousand and One Nights yet speaks with a voice all its own.”

Golden State by Ben H. Winters, narrated by Kiff VandenHeuvel (January 22)

The Golden State is “a nation standing where California once did, a place where like-minded Americans retreated after the erosion of truth and the spread of lies made public life and governance impossible.” Hey! So! Apparently y’all are all coming to my state sometime soon? Cool cool cool. See ya soon.

Laszlo Ratesic is a veteran of the Speculative Service in the Golden State, where knowingly contradicting the truth is the greatest crime and it’s his job to stop it. “But the Golden State is less a paradise than its name might suggest. To monitor, verify, and enforce the truth requires a veritable panopticon of surveillance and recording. And when those in control of the facts twist them for nefarious means, the Speculators are the only ones with the power to fight back.”

No Human is Illegal: An Attorney on the Front Lines of the Immigration War by J. J. Mulligan Sepulveda, narrated by Robertson Dean (January 22)

The practice of referring to undocumented immigrants as “illegals” just… sets my teeth on edge. It’s no surprise then that I was naturally drawn to this title, an account of lawyer J.J. Mulligan Sepulveda’s fight for immigrants and asylum-seekers in the thick of rising xenophobia and build-the-wall stupidity. Mulligan Sepúlveda’s quest is personal, the son and husband of Spanish-speaking immigrants himself. He shares his experience “visiting border detention centers, defending undocumented immigrants in court, and taking his services to JFK to represent people being turned away at the gates during Trump’s infamous travel ban.” My heart hurts just thinking about the stress of this vocation, and swells with gratitude for all those who undertake it.

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne, narrated by Jayme Mattler (January 29)

Photographer Darcy Barrett has known that Tom Valeska was her dream man since the ripe old age of eight. The problem is that Tom is her twin brother Jaime’s BFF, and in spite of her efforts at seduction, Tom has chosen to remain loyal to his buddy. When Darcy and Jaime’s grandmother passes and leaves them a run down cottage and instructions for its restoration & sale, guess which super successful house-flipper is down to pitch in? I have a feeling some sexy hijinks may ensue.

Side note: I think I’m a liiitle too fresh off my bedridden Game of Thrones marathon because I definitely made a face when I realized this book featured a twin named Jamie. *shivers* Don’t worry, no apparent twincest here.

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo, narrated by Lauren Fortgang (January 29)

It’s Leigh Bardugo, y’all. Just do it.

Fine. A description: “Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war – and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army.  

Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha Squaller, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried – and some wounds aren’t meant to heal.”

From the Internets

Wintery weather got ya down? The Washington Post suggests these three audiobooks to cuddle up with & stave off the winter blues. I don’t have any right to claim said blues since my version of cold here in San Diego is a lot of y’all’s “f*ck yeah! Shorts!” weather. The post did however teach me that 2019 marks 100 years since P.G. Wodehouse introduced to the world to Jeeves!

Hallmark Enters the Audio Game – Hallmark has announced a partnership with Dreamscape Media to produce and distribute audiobooks. Twenty titles are set to release over the summer, but the first title will be a Valentine’s Day themed production called The Secret Ingredient. Sounds cozy!

Over at the Riot

Audiolibros + Language – Want to hear me talk real fast and geek out over books too? I put together a quick YouTube video about using Spanish audiobooks to practice your Spanish. Audiobooks are a great tool to accompany your language study, no matter your level of comprehension or pronunciation.

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!

Happy Thursday! I can’t tell you how happy I am to report that my coughing is at a very bare minimum at last and that my sinuses are juuuuust about ready to cooperate too. Eureka!!! I am so ready to ditch the inhaler and cough drops (you do not want to know how many bags of them I’ve gone through… ay ay ay) and to live life without having to map out my nearest tissue box and hand sanitizer.

I’ve also finally begun to read and listen at my usual pace and have been devouring some pretty amazing titles. I’ll share some of those with you here as well as the latest audio buzz on the Riot and interwebs at large.

Let’s audio!

Sponsored by Princeton University Press Audio

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, unique tales inspired by traditional literary forms appeared frequently in socialist-leaning British periodicals. Based on familiar genres—the fairy tale, fable, allegory, parable, and moral tale—and penned by a range of lesser-known and celebrated authors, these stories were meant to entertain readers of all ages—and some challenged the conventional values promoted in children’s literature for the middle class. In Workers’ Tales, acclaimed critic and author Michael Rosen brings together more than forty of the best and most enduring examples of these stories in one beautiful volume. Start Listening Now!

Latest Listens

Last week I mentioned that I was going to listen to Roshani Chokshi’s The Gilded Wolves and son of a biscuit-eating bulldog, is it good!! I just can’t get enough of the lush, descriptive details of this dark, glamorous, and mysterious world–the clothing, the decadent gardens, the gorgeous structures adorned with fabricated eye candy. The magical twists work so well with the whole beauty + art & innovation vibe of Belle Epoque Paris. And to top it all off, the characters aren’t all white!!! Talk about wanting to hop into the pages of a book.

I will say one thing, and this isn’t shade towards narrators: I think I might not super love it when narrators do accents. Is that weird? Like, duh, these characters should all be speaking in French since the book takes place in Paris, and obvi that means you’re getting English narration with a French accent in an audiobook that’s published in English. For whatever reason though, my brain doesn’t love the accent thing. I think if the person narrating were actually French, I’d buy it. I dunno. The further into the book I get, the more some of the accents sound a little comical and overdone. Does anyone else have this issue?! Or am I being too judgy? Either way, read this book!

Also–Diane Setterfield’s Once Upon A River was just all kinds of myth/folklore and awesome. I started that one in print and finished it on audio when the sinus infection took up residence in my face–both versions were perfect for curling up with on a sick day (read: daysss) spent in bed.

Listens on Deck

I have a crazy week ahead of me and I’m traveling to Winter Institute next week, so I don’t know how much actual reading & listening I’ll get to. I’m thinking of doing a short businessy book, like Gaby Dunn’s Bad with Money: The Imperfect Art of Getting Your Financial Sh*t Together. I’ve never listened to the Bad with Money podcast but it comes highly recommended as being funny AF, accessible, and not at all stuffy or pretentious. While I’ve definitely made huge progress in money matters over the years, I’m still not where I want to be and could use a good talking to, ya know?

From the Internets

Inspire the Mind through the Ears: It’s still January, so there is still a lot of resolution-solution type of content out there that you’re either cheering for or sick of now. Resolutions and new year hooplah aside, this list of audiobooks for us creative types from My Modern Met is pretty great for goal setting, tidying up, and plain ol’ inspiration.

And Anotha One – Libro.fm’s recent blog post on resolution listens isn’t quite like others I’ve seen and that’s why I’m sharing it here. It features just five titles and yeah, there’s a little bit o’ personal finance and organizational life stuff in there. It’s overall a lot less self-help and strategy-minded and includes both Samin Nosrat’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (you may have heard of it) and Rick Steves’ Travel As a Political Act. So much yes to both of those – more food and travel!

Over at the Riot

Flimflam and Poppycock – I recommend this post on tips for reading more purely because of its A+ word usage. It also gives a shout out to our beloved audiobooks and gives other suggestions for fitting in more book time.

The Audio to Print Conundrum – We’ve all all been there, right? We start a book or series on audio and then switch to print, or vice versa, and suddenly things… don’t… make sense? It’s like, wait that’s how that name is spelled? Wait, who’s that guy? Has he been here all along? What book is this?! Rioter Alex shares their experience flipping from print to audio and how it’s easier to do in some books/series than others.

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!

Welcome to the second week of January and to land o’audiobooks, where I am YET AGAIN cooped up in bed with some upper respiratory plague. Friends! What is wrong with my immune system this year?! I remember the days when I could breathe out of both nostrils…. ah yes, those were good times. How I long for those times…

The “good” news is that between extreme sinus pressure and a cough that sounds more like the bark of a sea lion, me and my audiobooks are super BFFs right now. It’s the only way I can get any reading done at all! So take your vitamins, wash your hands, and stay hydrated to avoid whatever virus has set up shop in my chest. Audio because you want to! Not because your fever demands it.

Let’s talk audio.

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.

Latest Listen

Trailblazer: A Pioneering Journalist’s Fight to Make the Media Look More Like America by Dorothy Butler Gilliam, narrated by January LaVoy

In this memoir that I’m so excited to read (ehhemReadHarderresearchehhem), Gilliam shares details from her trailblazing 50-year journalism career. She covered everything from the segregated South, the civil rights movement, feminism, and race relations in America while breaking barriers as a woman, an African American, a mother, and a writer. Her work is fascinating, but so is her very personal narrative of struggle, loss, and intense perseverance. I love that we’re at long last seeing so many stories of the pioneering women of color who shaped history and can’t wait to get to know Dorothy Butler Gilliam a little bit better.

Listen on Deck

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Choksi, narrated by Laurie Catherine Winkel & P. J. Ochlan

I’ve shared with you all how I tend to do mostly nonfiction on audio, and I really am smitten by this super gorgeous cover. Still, I don’t think I can wait too much longer to devour this book and will probs give it a go on audio. Treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie is your guy if you’re looking for the skinny on secrets in Belle Epoque Paris. When an all-powerful society called the Order of Babel enlists his help for their agenda, Séverin can’t really say no. Yo soy intrigued.

I also think I’m going to op for Ibi Zoboi’s Black Enough on audio. With that all star cast of contributors who also narrate their own stories… yeah, I’m in.

From the Internets

How it All Gets Done – We all love audiobooks here, obvi. But how do they come to be a thing? Bustle sat down with Penguin Random House’s Sara Jaffe to get the skinny on how audiobooks are produced. She would know: she does it for a living.

Over at the Riot

Where It All Began – If you’d asked me to take a guess at how audiobooks came to be, I most assuredly wouldn’t have come close to guessing that we owe it all to Dylan Thomas. It turns out his recording of A Child’s Christmas in Wales on the “B” side of an LP is credited with launching this beloved industry here in the states. Who knew?

Going Public – By now you may have heard of the slew of works set to hit the public domain in 2019. This could mean lots of new audio content for which I have all the maracas and muppet arms (you’re picturing that, aren’t you?) Check out some highlights of the books going public here.

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!

Happy New Year! It’s the first newsletter of the year but also of the month. You know what that means: time for new books!! It was so hard to pick just ten to highlight today! 2019 is going to be a great year in books, I tell ya.

Let’s get to the listens, shall we?

Sponsored by Princeton University Press Audio.

Humanity has reached a critical moment. Our world is unsettled and rapidly changing, and we face existential risks over the next century. Various outcomes—good and bad—are possible. Yet our approach to the future is characterized by short-term thinking, polarizing debates, alarmist rhetoric, and pessimism. In this short, exhilarating book, renowned scientist and bestselling author Martin Rees argues that humanity’s prospects depend on our taking a very different approach to planning for tomorrow. Start Listening Now!

New Releases
Publisher’s description in quotes, release dates in parentheses

Black Enough edited by Ibi Zoboi, narrated by various  (January 8)

After listening to Pride on audio this year, author Ibi Zoboi earned herself a seat in my I’ll Read Anything You Write or Breathe On list. That obvi includes this new collection of stories about what it’s like to be young and black in America. This contributor list is ev-uh-ree-thing. Ready? Justina Ireland, Rita Williams-Garcia, Jason Reynolds, Nic Stone, of course Ibi Zoboi and lots more. Get this now.

The Paragon Hotel by Lindsay Faye, narrated by January LaVoy (January 8)

Guys, did you read Jane Steele?? I will read anything by the woman who reimagined Jane Eyre as a serial killer and it sounds like Miss Faye has spun word gold again. In this historical thriller set in 1921, “Nobody” Alice James is on a cross-country train fleeing for her life after a not-entirely-above-board drug & drink deal goes awry. She needs to get TF out of New York and decides Oregon is where she should go to escape the people who want her dead.

Mouthful of Birds: Stories by Samanta Scwhweblin, narrated by Various (January 8)

Ok, I know we’re talking audio here but THIS COVER, YO. Kind of want it as a background for my phone?? Too bad my baby nephew nabbed that lifetime appointment. But  digress. “Unearthly and unexpected, the stories in Mouthful of Birds burrow their way into your psyche and don’t let go… Schweblin’s stories have the feel of a sleepless night, where every shadow and bump in the dark take on huge implications, leaving your pulse racing, and the line between the real and the strange blur.” Ummm si, por favor.

Sugar Run by Mesha Maren, narrated by Hillary Huber (January 8)

Jodi McCarty was seventeen years old in 1989 when she was sentenced to life in prison. Eighteen years later she’s been released and is smacked by the shock of knowing not what in the hell she’s to do next. “Not yet able to return to her lost home in the Appalachian Mountains, she heads south in search of someone she left behind, as a way of finally making amends. There, she meets and falls in love with Miranda, a troubled young mother living in a motel room with her children. Together they head toward what they hope will be a fresh start. But what do you do with your past—and with a town and a family that refuses to forget, or to change?” This sounds like it’ll break my heart and you know what? It can go on ahead.

None of the Above: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Public Schools Cheating Scandal, Corporate Greed, and the Criminalization of Educators by Shani Robinson and Anna Simonton, narrated by Lisa Renee Pitts  (January 15)

This like required reading these days; we can’t fix a broken system if we don’t confront its enormous failures head on. I confess I knew nothing of the events in this book until recently. That needs to change.

“In March of 2013, 35 black educators in Atlanta Public Schools were charged with racketeering and conspiracy – the same charges used to bring down the American mafia – for allegedly changing students’ answers on standardized tests. The youngest of the accused, Shani Robinson had taught for only three years and was a new mother when she was wrongfully convicted and faced up to 20 years in prison. In None of the Above, Robinson and journalist Anna Simonton explore how racist policies and practices cheated generations of black children out of opportunities long before some teachers tampered with tests.”

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Choksi, narrated by Laurie Catherine Winkel & P. J. Ochlan (January 15)

Treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie is your guy if you’re looking for the skinny on secrets in Belle Epoque Paris. When an all-powerful society called the Order of Babel enlists his help for their agenda, Séverin can’t really say no.

“To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: an engineer with a debt to pay; a historian who can’t yet go home; a dancer with a sinister past; and a brother in all but blood who might care too much. Together, they’ll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.”

The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley, narrated by Jane Entwistle (January 22)

It is with both geekish excitement and extreme sadness that I tell you the tenth and final installment in Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series will release this month. Porqueeeee??? I will however be pleased as punch to read about Flavia and Dogger’s adventures in the world of professional sleuthing, especially since their first case involves the discovery of a human finger in a wedding cake. Did I mention the wedding is her sister Feely’s?

If you haven’t discovered these books yet, do yourself and start with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Get to know my most beloved literary character in all her Harriet the Spy + Sherlock + Marie Curie-esque glory.

Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty, narrated by Soneela Nanani (January 22)

S.A. Chakraborty is back with the sequel to The City of Brass, “conjuring a world where djinn summon flames with the snap of a finger and waters run deep with old magic; where blood can be dangerous as any spell and a clever con artist from Cairo will alter the fate of a kingdom.”

All the Lives We Ever Lived: Seeking Solace in Virginia Woolf by Katherine Smyth, narrated by Brittany Pressley (January 29)

“Katharine Smyth was a student at Oxford when she first read Virginia Woolf’s modernist masterpiece To the Lighthouse in the comfort of an English sitting room and in the companionable silence she shared with her father. After his death – a calamity that claimed her favorite person – she returned to that beloved novel as a way of wrestling with his memory and understanding her own grief.” This debut moves between Smyth’s New England home and the English locales that Woolf called home as Smyth discovers To the Lighthouse in a uniquely personal way. Sounds like a lovely reminder of literature’s ability to help us see our own condition more clearly.

Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig, narrated by the author (January 29)

“When Matt Haig developed panic disorder, anxiety, and depression as an adult, it took him a long time to work out the ways the external world could impact his mental health in both positive and negative ways. Notes on a Nervous Planet collects his observations, taking a look at how the various social, commercial and technological “advancements” that have created the world we now live in can actually hinder our happiness.” Now tell me this doesn’t sound like a book we all need in our lives right now??

From the Internets

All in a Day’s Work – Whether you like your audiobooks on the brief side or are looking for quickie reads o smash those reading goals, this Bustle list of 15 super short audiobooks you can listen to in a day may be of some interest to you.

Over at the Riot

Look at this Show-Off – Just before we sat down to record the first episode of the 2019 Read Harder podcast (!!!), my super awesome co-host Tirzah Price shared how audiobooks helped her read more books this year than she ever has before. She’s far from alone here: Rioter Nikki Demarco smashed her reading goals this year and audiobooks were a part of that journey.

Tis all for 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, friends, it’s time. It’s our last Audiobooks newsletter of 2018! To wrap things up for the year, today I’ll be sharing my favorite audiobooks of 2018 plus a couple of small updates + announcements.

Thank you all SO MUCH for welcoming me so warmly into your inboxes this year and for joining me in love of all things audiobook! I can’t wait to keep the audiophilia going in 2019 and hope you’ll all stay along for the ride.

Xoxo

Sponsored by The Kingdom of Copper by S. A. Chakraborty

In The Kingdom of Copper, S. A. Chakraborty continues the sweeping adventure begun in The City of Brass—”the best adult fantasy I’ve read since The Name of the Wind” (#1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir)—conjuring a world where djinn summon flames with the snap of a finger and waters run deep with old magic; where blood can be dangerous as any spell, and a clever con artist from Cairo will alter the fate of a kingdom. The Kingdom of Copper is on sale 1/22/19 in audio, hardcover, and ebook formats. Experience it before everyone else by entering for a chance to win one of 250 early digital downloads of the audio edition performed by Soneela Nankani!

Fa-la-la-la Favorites

It’s been another great year for audiobooks and it was sooo tough to pick just five faves! This is by no means meant to be a “best of” list – there are tons and tons of awesome other titles that are every bit as worthy of a listen. I ultimately went with these for making me laugh the hardest, teaching me things, and providing a distraction from … ya know, all of the garbage!  They gave me an extra dose of happy in 2018 and I hope they’ll do (or did!) the same for you.

Becoming by Michelle Obama – I don’t really need to tell you why this was a favorite, right? The candor, the wit, the vulnerable sharing of both her peaks and valleys… hearing it all narrated by Queen Meesh herself was everything I needed this book to be and more. P.S. that engagement story? Barack really pulled a Chandler Bing! Anyway… long live the queen.

Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay by Phoebe Robinson – I shared this fave with you all in my very first Audiobooks newsletter! Phoebe Robinson is a comedian, actress, writer, and one half of the Two Dope Queens podcast (and HBO special!) whose first book You Can’t Touch My Hair, And Other Things I Still Have to Explain had me hollering in public. This second effort did not disappoint; Phoebe’s narration of personal anecdotes had me cry-laughing and cringing at the same time. Really though, it’s her cultural criticism and musings on feminism, politics, body image, workplace parity, and dating that really set it off. It’s the essence of Phoebe: smart, and a little extra.

And yes, my favorite line is still absolutely the following: “For instance, I’m anti-misogyny, but that hasn’t stopped me in the past from basically busting out a rhythmic gymnastics routine complete with ribbon work when Jay Z’s Big Pimpin’ comes on.”

Pride by Ibi Zoboi – I have been out here embarrassing myself on the internet with how many times I’ve either talked about this book or hit that like button on related posts. It’s that good! Here’s my recent blurb from our big, beautiful, Best Books of 2018 post.  

“Remixes of classics and myths are already an easy way to get my attention, but the premise of Pride is like Grade A, extra-strength, deluxe edition catnip. A Pride and Prejudice remake set in Bushwick with all characters of color and Afro-Latinas as the Bennet (Benitez) sisters that tackles gentrification, classism, and identity politics?! SOLD. The audio version takes the awesome up a notch with narration by Elizabeth Acevedo (swoon), whose tone and cadence are a perfect match to the swagger and attitude of main character Zuri. It’s poetic and soulful, Jane Austen classic with Afro-Latinx heart.”  

Calypso by David Sedaris – This latest collection may just have clipsed Me Talk Pretty One Day as my favorite Sedaris work. It’s everything you already know the inimitable David Sedaris to be: irreverent hilarity mixed with poignant reflection, this time in ponderance of aging and mortality as Sedaris stares down middle age. He reflects the recent loss of his sister to suicide and his complicated relationship with his father but manages to keep readers in stitches in between. He named his seaside vacation home “The Sea Section,” for crying out loud: it’s not to be missed.

The Library Book by Susan Orlean – As nowhere enough of us know, an arson caused the Central Library branch of the Los Angeles Public Library to burn for over seven hours in April 1986. Hundreds of thousands of books were either damaged or destroyed. The horror! As I mentioned in an earlier newsletter, I’d have been on the sidewalk that day yelling “MURDERER!” in dramatic telenovela Spanish at anyone who even looked like they might have been careless with a cigarette.

This history lesson and love letter to libraries, written and narrated by the acclaimed author of The Orchid Thief, is a perfect read for history buffs, true crime lovers, and anyone with a serious case of bibliophilia.

Over at the Riot

Talk Spreadsheet to Me – Why yes, that is Careless Whisper you hear in the background because oh yeaaaah: it’s the Bigger, Badder 2019 Book Tracking Spreadsheet. While this isn’t exclusively about audiobooks, it is a pretty sexy spreadsheet for keeping tabs on your reading. Since audiobooks are a huge part of tracking and meeting reading goals for us audiophiles, you may want to get in on all this good.

Read Harder – It’s here! It’s here! The 2019 Read Harder Challenge has been released! Check out the list of 24 tasks here or watch Rincey break them down on YouTube over here.

And don’t forget! Yours truly will be hosting the 2019 Read Harder podcast! My co-host Tirzah Price and I will provide reading recs for each of the tasks on a biweekly basis and the first episode airs on January 8, 2019. Huzzzah! The show is available exclusively to Book Riot Insiders. Not a member yet? Sign up here and start your free two week trial today!

Thank  you so much for hanging with me in 2018!  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 for book club tips & tricks and watch me booktube every Friday too.

Happy holidays y feliz año nuevo, my friends! And as always, stay bad & bookish.

Vanessa