Tag Archives: julia whelan

Book Clubbin’: 10 Discussion Questions for ‘Malibu Rising’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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Welcome back to our monthly Book Clubbin’ feature where we provide discussion questions for your next book club meeting. If you’re lucky enough to be in an area where things are slowly returning to normal, now’s the perfect time to round up your friends and hit up a patio for a night of delicious food, summer drinks, and lots of book talk. If not, no worries! You can always get nice and cozy in your own house and sip n’ chat over Zoom (we know you’re pros at it by now)!

We’re big Taylor Jenkins Reid fans here at Audiobooks.com, so naturally we chose her latest release, Malibu Rising narrated by the incomparable Julia Whelan, as our Book Clubbin’ pick!

Malibu: August 1983. As the children of famed singer Mick Riva, Nina and her three siblings Jay, Hud, and Kit are a constant source of fascination in Malibu. It’s the day of Nina’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch as everyone who is someone gather at Nina’s glamorous Cliffside mansion. Over the course of 24 hours, everything the Riva siblings have spent a lifetime holding together comes crumbling down. By morning the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames.

If you’ve been on the hunt for some thought-provoking book club questions that are sure to spark a great discussion, look no further. Keep reading for our discussion questions below. Beware— SPOILERS ahead.

—————CONTAINS SPOILERS!————

1) Why do you think Taylor Jenkins Reid chose the setting of Malibu in the 1980s? What did the time period and location add to the story?  

2) The realities of fame play out very differently for men and women in Malibu Rising. Discuss how fame carries different expectations and consequences for each of the Rivas. Do these expectations and consequences still ring true for celebrities today?

3) What does surfing mean to each of the siblings?

4) Why do you think Taylor Jenkins Reid chose to include June and Mick’s backstory? How did their relationship and fallout inform your understanding of the Riva siblings?

5) How did you feel about June’s choices throughout the novel? In what ways is Nina, who is the most worried out of all of her siblings about following in her mother’s footsteps, both like and unlike June?

6) Malibu Rising is very much about the tenacity and complicity of sibling bonds. Discuss the ways the Riva siblings are defined by each other and how their relationships change, if at all, throughout the course of the novel.

7) How did you feel about Mick by the end of the novel? Were you ever sympathetic towards him?

8) Were you surprised by Casey’s arrival? With Nina leaving, how do you think Casey will fit into the family?

9) Why do you think Taylor Jenkins Reid chose to have the majority of the story takes place within 24 hours, and why is it important that it all culminate in a massive, destructive fire?

10) Malibu Rising is currently in development as a miniseries at Hulu! Who would you cast as each of the characters?

Looking for Book Recommendations?

• Here are the audiobooks our members have been loving, along with our staff picks that we’ve been championing.

• Looking to share your love of books? Our handy Book Clubbin’ questions make it super easy to start a book club. Or, Netflix n’ buddy-read with this year’s book-to-screen adaptations (just be prepared for the perennial debate: is the book better than the movie/show?).

• If you’re looking for something extra, we’ve got author and narrator interviews to give you a gleam inside their worlds.

• For the curious-minded, audiobooks can teach you a thing or two, from nature therapy to personal finance. It can even keep the little ones busy so you can steal some time back for yourself.

New to Audiobooks.com? Get your first book free, PLUS a bonus book from our VIP selection when you sign up for our one-month free trial. Digital audiobooks make audible stories come to life when you’re commuting, working out, cleaning, cooking, and more! Listening is easy with our top-rated free audiobook apps for iOS and Android, which let you download & listen to bestselling audiobooks on the go, wherever you are. Click here to get your free audiobooks!

8 Books We Think You Should Read At Least Once

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There’s a reason some books are considered to be “classics.” They stood the test of time and deliver topics and themes that are still relevant today. And what about those buzzy books that you’ve heard everyone talk about, but just never got around to picking up? Well guess what?! Now is the time to jump into one of these books that we think you need to read at least once in your life. We’ve highlighted a few below, but you can browse the full booklist here.


1984 by George Orwell, narrated by Benjamin May 

George Orwell’s 1984 is one of the most definitive texts of modern literature. Set in Oceania, one of the three inter-continental superstate that divided the world among themselves after a global war, Orwell’s masterful critique of the political structures of the time, works itself out through the story of Winston Smith, a man caught in the webs of a dystopian future, and his clandestine love affair with Julia, a young woman he meets during the course of his work for the government.

As much as it is an entertaining read, 1984 is also a brilliant, and more importantly, a timeless satirical attack on the social and political structures of the world.

Read more and sample the audio →


Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, narrated by Barbara Caruso

Little Women is one of the best loved books of all time. Lovely Meg, talented Jo, frail Beth, spoiled Amy: these are hard lessons of poverty and of growing up in New England during the Civil War. Through their dreams, plays, pranks, letters, illnesses, and courtships, women of all ages have become a part of this remarkable family and have felt the deep sadness when Meg leaves the circle of sisters to be married at the end of Part I.

Part II, chronicles Meg’s joys and mishaps as a young wife and mother, Jo’s struggle to become a writer, Beth’s tragedy, and Amy’s artistic pursuits and unexpected romance. Based on Louisa May Alcott’s childhood, this lively portrait of nineteenth-century family life possesses a lasting vitality that has endeared it to generations of readers.

Read more and sample the audio →


All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, narrated by Zach Appelman

Marie-Laure lives in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where her father works. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

In a mining town in Germany, Werner Pfennig, an orphan, grows up with his younger sister. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing new instruments and is enlisted to use his talent to track down the resistance. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another.

All The Light We Cannot See was the winner of both the 2015 Audie Award for Fiction as well as the 2015 Pulitzer Prize.

Read more and sample the audio →


Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, narrated by Peter Noble, Colin Salmon

Obsessed with the idea of creating life itself, Victor Frankenstein plunders graveyards for the material with which to fashion a new being, shocking his creation to life with electricity. But this botched creature, rejected by its creator and denied human companionship, sets out to destroy Frankenstein and all that he holds dear.

Mary Shelley’s chilling gothic tale was conceived when she was only eighteen, living with her lover Percy Shelley near Lord Byron’s villa on Lake Geneva. It would become the world’s most famous work of Gothic horror, and Frankenstein’s monster an instantly-recognisable symbol of the limits of human creativity.

Read more and sample the audio →


The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, narrated by Bahni Turpin

In Whitehead’s ingenious conception, the Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor—engineers and conductors operate a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Cora and Caesar’s first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. But the city’s placid surface masks an insidious scheme designed for its black denizens. And even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom.

The Underground Railroad is both a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner and is now an original Amazon Prime Video series directed by Barry Jenkins.

Read more and sample the audio →


Lord of the Flies by William Golding, narrated by William Golding

William Golding’s classic novel of primitive savagery and survival is one of the most vividly realized and riveting works in modern fiction. The tale begins after a plane wreck deposits a group of English school boys, aged six to twelve on an isolated tropical island. Their struggle to survive and impose order quickly evolves from a battle against nature into a battle against their own primitive instincts. Golding’s portrayal of the collapse of social order into chaos draws the fine line between innocence and savagery.

Read more and sample the audio →


The Giver by Lois Lowry, narrated by Ron Rifkin

Lois Lowry’s The Giver is the quintessential dystopian novel, followed by its remarkable companions, Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

Jonas’s world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back

Read more and sample the audio →


Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, narrated by Kirby Heyborne, Julia Whelan

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy (Nick) parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Amy’s husband, Nick, is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? 

A #1 New York Times bestseller, Gone Girl was named the best book of the year and one of the most influential books of the decade.

Read more and sample the audio →

Looking for Book Recommendations?

• Here are the audiobooks our members have been loving, along with our staff picks that we’ve been championing.

• Looking to share your love of books? Our handy Book Clubbin’ questions make it super easy to start a book club. Or, Netflix n’ buddy-read with this year’s book-to-screen adaptations (just be prepared for the perennial debate: is the book better than the movie/show?).

• If you’re looking for something extra, we’ve got author and narrator interviews to give you a gleam inside their worlds.

• For the curious-minded, audiobooks can teach you a thing or two, from nature therapy to personal finance. It can even keep the little ones busy so you can steal some time back for yourself.

New to Audiobooks.com? Get your first book free, PLUS a bonus book from our VIP selection when you sign up for our one-month free trial. Digital audiobooks make audible stories come to life when you’re commuting, working out, cleaning, cooking, and more! Listening is easy with our top-rated free audiobook apps for iOS and Android, which let you download & listen to bestselling audiobooks on the go, wherever you are. Click here to get your free audiobooks!

Book Clubbin’: 9 Discussion Questions for ‘The Four Winds’ by Kristin Hannah

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It’s that time again…our monthly Book Clubbin’ feature is back! Listening to an audiobook can be a great way to distract yourself while doing chores, going for a walk, or even while relaxing, but once the book ends and you want to chat about that big twist what do you do!? Our answer: start a book club! Whether your area of the world is currently in lockdown or is transitioning back to normal day-to-day life, try scheduling at least an hour every month to talk about your latest listen!

This month, we’ve decided to jump into The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. Hannah is the bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone and has been getting even more buzz after the recent Netflix adaption of her novel Firefly Lane.

The Four Winds is a powerful American epic about love and heroism and hope, set during the Great Depression, a time when the country was in crisis and at war with itself, when millions were out of work and even the land seemed to have turned against them. The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.

Whether you’re already a frequent Kristin Hannah reader, or this is your first listen from her, this story is likely to strike a chord as it is especially prescient considering the state of our world in 2021. So, if you’re ready to get started, keep reading for our discussion questions below. Beware— SPOILERS ahead.

—————CONTAINS SPOILERS!————

1) Was Elsa’s life defined by the cultural expectations for unmarried women? How do you think her failure to meet these expectations affected her?

2) How did Elsa’s pregnancy affect both her and Rafe? How different would their lives be if Elsa had not gotten pregnant?

3) A major theme that carries throughout The Four Winds is the idea of the American Dream. How did this come to play in the decisions that Elsa made throughout the book?

4) People’s relationship with the land that they’re from and/or the land that they own play a major role in this story. Discuss this relationship and why it is so important.

5) In the same vein, some families did travel West in hopes of finding work and making better lives for themselves while most families chose to remain at their farms affected by the drought. Why do you think this is?

6) After moving to California, Elsa ends up falling for Jack. How does Elsa’s relationship with Jack differ than her relationship with Rafe?

7) Elsa and her family endure extreme hardships even after arriving in California and yet they persevere. Do you think they would have had a better or worse experience if they had stayed in Texas?

8) What did it take for Loreda to finally understand her mother and why she made the decisions she did?

9) How do the events of the Great Depression compare to life during the current pandemic? What lessons did you take away from this story that you can apply to your current life?

Related Articles

• Book Clubbin’: 9 Discussion Questions for ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens

• Book Clubbin’: 10 Discussion Questions for The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

• Book Clubbin’: 10 Discussion Questions for The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

New to Audiobooks.com? Get your first book free, PLUS a bonus book from our VIP selection when you sign up for our one-month free trial. Digital audiobooks make audible stories come to life when you’re commuting, working out, cleaning, cooking, and more! Listening is easy with our top-rated free audiobook apps for iOS and Android, which let you download & listen to bestselling audiobooks on the go, wherever you are. Click here to get your free audiobooks!

Chilling Listens: What’s New in Horror

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Spooky season is in full swing, which means now is the perfect time to dive into a new thrilling listen. As the colorful leaves begin to gather on the front yards in my neighborhood, there’s truly no better vibe than just curling up inside with some apple cider, pressing play on a new and chilling audiobook, and just escaping for a while. Sometimes, when I’m feeling extra wild, I’ll even light a candle.

Jokes aside, if you are looking to get scared this season, check out some of the newest horror listens below. From psychological thrillers to creepy paranormal listens, find your next fright before Halloween.


The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher, narrated by Hillary Huber

If you enjoyed The Twisted Ones from T. Kingfisher, then you’ll definitely want to jump into their latest release, The Hollow Places, this season. This compelling horror novel follows a freshly divorced Kara who moves back in with her uncle and helps manage his museum of curiosities. Kara finds a hole in the wall that holds a hallway leading to countless portals to alternate realities that are haunted by creatures.

Read more and sample the audio →


Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp, narrated by Cassandra Morris, Jeffrey Brick, Julia Whelan, Mw Cartozian Wilson, Jer Adrianne Lelliott

Five friends are headed to a cabin for one last getaway before they go their separate ways. Their plan is to play their favorite murder mystery game, but when the game and reality start to blend with deadly consequences, it’s a race against the clock for “game over.” If you’re looking for the classic “teenagers at a cabin in the woods” type of listen with some shocking thrills along the way, look no further.

Read more and sample the audio →


These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever, narrated by Michael Crouch

Fans of The Secret History will want to pick up These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever. This unputdownable debut tells the story of two college students whose escalating obsession with one another leads to an act of unspeakable violence. Explore the depths of human desire and the darkness it can bring forth in us.

Read more and sample the audio →


The Hole by Sora Kim-Russell, Hye-Young Pyun, narrated by Tim Campbell

Looking for something a little different this season? In The Hole, Oghi wakes from a coma after causing the car accident that took his wife’s life and left him paralyzed and disfigured. He is left in the care of his mother-in-law who is grieving the loss of her only child. This listen is an unnerving story about the horrors of isolation and neglect in all of its banal and brutal forms.

Read more and sample the audio →


The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle, narrated by Holly Robinson

Everyone loves a good suspenseful thriller. I know I do! The Girl in the Mirror has everything you’ll need to keep you on the edge of your seat. A whodunit thriller mixed with family drama, topped with an evil twin, The Girl in the Mirror is a listen you can’t pass up!

Read more and sample the audio →


The Loop by Jeremy Robert Johnson, narrated by Inés Del Castillo

Turner Falls is a small town in the hills of western Oregon, the perfect town for a tourist’s getaway. When an outbreak develops, this slice of heaven becomes the epicenter of an epidemic. With teenagers ill, murderous, and on the loose, Lucy and her friends must do whatever it takes to survive the night. Fans of Stranger Things and World War Z will love this heart-racing dark satire.

Read more and sample the audio →


New to Audiobooks.com? Get your first book free, PLUS a bonus book from our VIP selection when you sign up for our one-month free trial. Digital audiobooks make audible stories come to life when you’re commuting, working out, cleaning, cooking, and more! Listening is easy with our top-rated free audiobook apps for iOS and Android, which let you download & listen to bestselling audiobooks on the go, wherever you are. Click here to get your free audiobooks!

STAFF PICK: An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendriks and Sarah Pekkanen

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Title: An Anonymous Girl
Author: Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Narrator: Julia Whelan and Barrie Kreinik

After getting pulled into the deep end of The Wife Between Us fan base, I was ecstatic to hear that Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen were coming out with a new thriller, An Anonymous Girl (and devastated that I had to wait an entire year before I could listen to it). I always get anxious with anticipation whenever an author I love (or in this case, authors) comes out with a new audiobook. Will it live up to my expectations after being blown away by their first work? In the case of thrillers, will it follow a similar climax be too predictable? Of course, the very best suspense audiobooks are the ones we think we have figured out before being knocked off our feet and high horses.

When Jessica, a struggling makeup artist signs up for a psychology study conducted by Dr. Shields, she thinks she’s in for answering a few questions and collecting an easy check. But the questions are uncomfortably intense, and Dr. Shields is more interested in Jessica than she ever could’ve imagined.

The more Dr. Shields is inserted into Jessica’s life, the more paranoid she grows — but so does the money she’s being offered. A wicked game of cat and mouse is played throughout the book, which had me hooked right from the beginning. I was so pleased that Julia Whelan performed, as she did a fabulous job narrating The Wife Between Us. She speaks fluidly in a low, tantalizingly suspenseful tone. Having her paired with Barrie Kreinik made me extra glad I listened to the audio version of this book.

Each time I thought I had things figured out, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen threw me for a loop. Just as their last one did, this book kept me up into the wee hours of the night so I could finally get to the end. I was sad when I did, but one can hope that this powerful duo will return with another delicious thriller.

An Anonymous Girl.

Read more and sample the audio.

New to Audiobooks.com? Get a free audiobook when you sign up for our one month free trial. Digital audiobooks make audible stories come to life when you’re commuting, working out, cleaning, cooking and more! Listening is easy with our top-rated free audiobook apps for iOS and Android, which let you download & listen to bestselling audiobooks on the go, wherever you are. Click here to get your free audiobook!

STAFF PICK: Vox by Christina Dalcher

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Post by Miranda Winter-Sayle

Title: Vox
Author: Christina Dalcher
Narrator: Julia Whelan

Imagine you could only speak 100 words a day. How do you determine the importance of every word? This is the decision that Dr. Jean McClellan and all female citizens of the United States must make every day, in the world of this debut novel.

Vox, by Christina Dalcher, is a precautionary tale of a possible future for the United States. Women are not allowed to speak more than 100 words a day – a law that is upheld by bracelets that emit an electric shock that grows worse with every word spoken above the limit. Women are not permitted to have jobs, read, or travel outside the United States.

(I reached the end of my own 100 words in the middle of the previous sentence. Of course, in the society in Vox, I would not be permitted to write this review at all.)

Dr. Jean McClellan is a cognitive linguist who was researching the reversal of brain damage that caused a person’s inability to speak. Her research abruptly ended when religious extremists took over the United States and the subsequent introduction of patriarchal laws forbid women’s participation in society. But when the president’s brother is injured, she is given a choice: regain her voice and continue her research to save one of the men responsible this new world, or refuse and face implicit consequences – in silence.

As a fan of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, I was incredibly excited to listen to Vox — and it did not disappoint. The premise is well-executed and the world that Dalcher creates is terrifyingly believable. Like The Handmaid’s Tale, Vox’s dystopia is in its early days, which allows the audience to witness the before and the after of the new world. The description of the evolution of modern day society into this universe was easily my favorite part of the novel.

Julia Whelan is a narrator I’ve heard before and she never fails to disappoint. Her tone perfectly reflects the anger that Dr. McClellan feels through the duration of the novel. She captures the somber tone of the novel expertly.

Vox was included on many most-anticipated summer releases lists, and now I understand why: its timely subject matter and original storytelling make it a compelling listen, and one I would definitely recommend.

New to Audiobooks.com? Get a free audiobook when you sign up for our one month free trial. Digital audiobooks make audible stories come to life when you’re commuting, working out, cleaning, cooking and more! Listening is easy with our top-rated free audiobook apps for iOS and Android, which let you download & listen to bestselling audiobooks on the go, wherever you are. Click here to get your free audiobook!