Author Archives: Emma

About Emma

Emma can (and does) listen to audiobooks all day. Her friends are tired of hearing about Davina Porter.

Listeners loved these 4 un-pauseable thrillers

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If you’re the type of listener that stays for long stretches of time in your car in the parking lot unable to pull away from your audiobook… then this list is going to be rough for your productivity. Here are four gripping mystery and suspense audiobooks, both new and old, that our listeners recommend:

 

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins.
In this addictive new thriller by NYT bestselling author, a single mother turns up dead at the bottom of a river. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged. 

 

 

“Doesn’t disappoint! Excellent story. Kept me guessing until the end. Good depth of characters. I did have to listen to the first hour or so twice in order to get the characters straight. I’d recommend this one highly. When I wasn’t able to listen to it (between chapters), I was thinking about the story and all the who-done-it possibilities.”
-Merritt C.

 

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
One night at a bar, Louise kisses a man. That Monday, she finds out that he’s her new boss. Then she meets Adele, his wife. If you think you know where this story is going, think again. As Louise is drawn into the couple’s orbit, she uncovers more questions than answers. The only thing that’s clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong. 

 

“Loved this book!!! I can usually guess the endings of the books I read which is irritating. I thought I had this one figured out but, I didn’t. It was a total shocker and surprise. I loved it!!! The narration was done very well. This book kept me interested all the way through!!”
-Jackie S.

 

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Fresh from a stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. Again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory. 

 

 

“Riveting! Flynn’s supple prose and fresh, insightful use of metaphor keep the somber events of the story afloat while embracing the muddiness of human intent and family dynamics. A complex mystery unfurls elegantly, and maintains suspense through to the last few pages.”
-Abigail L.

 

The Escape by David Baldacci
A combat veteran and special agent with the U.S. Army, Puller is the man they call to investigate the toughest crimes facing the nation. But all his training, all his experience, all his skills will not prepare him for his newest case, one that will force him to hunt down the most formidable and brilliant prey he has ever tracked: his own brother.

 

 

“David Baldacci continues to impress with third installment of the John Puller series. Although the book was written several years ago, he correctly predicted a real life horrible event that happened overseas this year. Both narrators are awesome at their different voices for each character so that you easily know who is talking, which makes for seamless listening.”
-Daniel W.

 

 

STAFF PICK: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

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Title: Homegoing
Author: Yaa Gyasi
Narrator: Dominic Hoffman

My listening choices tend to be quite random, but for this title I made the decision after it won the Audie Award for Literary Fiction. I haven’t previously chosen a book based on an award, but after this I’ll do it more often! Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi is a novel that takes you through seven generations of a family that’s separated in eighteenth-century Ghana. After the separation, one branch of the family continues living in war-torn Ghana, while the second branch endures slavery in America. I fully enjoyed the story told generation by generation, each touching on the impact of slavery and colonialism from a different perspective. Fourteen individual lives along the lineage casts light on 14 ways that the effects trickled down the family tree.

The narration is done by Dominic Hoffman, who beautifully performs different accents as the story switches from Ghana to America, and the voice changes from African tribe leaders to American slavers to British soldiers. When the accent transitions, I did not feel taken out of the story as is sometimes the case in other books – a talent I really value in a narrator.

I found the book touching and thought-provoking and it introduced me to a side of the story I’d never learned about. If you like fiction inspired by real history, this is a tale for you.

Listen to a sample of the audio here.

Behind the Scenes of The Dead Zone

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It’s almost Father’s Day! Listen to James Franco’s interview about every dad’s favorite author, Stephen King!

The Dead Zone recently came out in audio for the first time, read by James Franco. See some behind the scenes photos, listen to him discuss narrating then enjoy an extended excerpt of The Dead Zone audiobook!

Interview with James Franco

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Extended excerpt

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Have your cake – and listen, too! Why I love multitasking with audiobooks

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This is for all the busy bookworms out there whose reading lists are growing intimidating. You have a job. You have events. You need to eat, and work out, and do chores. Books may understandably fall down the list of priorities. But, your reading list doesn’t need its own time slot.

Cue audiobooks. Ever since I started my audiction (heh), my reading rate has soared, and with it my productivity. I am delighted to do hours of meal prep, engage in a full session of mopping or juggle multiple loads of laundry, because all the while I’m immersed in a story. I used to do chores with a show on in the background, but there is a relief in having entertainment that doesn’t involve my eyes. I don’t need to glance at the show to keep up with the audio, so my eyes can stay focused on the sharp knife moving dangerously near my fingers. Sound is all you need to absorb the information.

The multitasking perk is of course not limited to chores. It applies to any task that sucks away joy – think long, traffic-ridden drives, or getting ready in the morning. I hit play on my latest listen to wake me up and it keeps me captivated until I get to work. It also applies to tasks that do not suck away joy, like showering or eating alone. On my nerdiest days I’ve even been known to listen and knit. Audiobooks turn all solo activities up a notch. If you haven’t yet used audiobooks to multitask, I highly recommend it.

Do you multitask with audiobooks? When is your ideal time to listen?  Share your listening tips!

Abridged vs. Unabridged

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Have you ever been browsing our library and wondered, “Why is the exact same book – same author, same narrator, same publisher, and same cover art – available twice?” Usually if you look a little closer, you’ll notice that they actually have different lengths. One will be the full-length version, while the other will be shortened, or “abridged”.

For all the benefits audiobooks provide, there is one trade-off: we read with our eyes faster than anyone can read to us with their voice. Some may feel like a novel is taking a while when it otherwise wouldn’t. To abate this, many publishers will offer an abridged version of the audiobook, where the story line remains intact but certain sections are cut to shave a few hours off the recording. The majority of our listeners opt for the full version but others feel that an abridged audiobook is easier to handle. This is especially the case with lengthy classics, which were written back when our patience and attention span were a little longer.

There are certainly pros and cons, and I’m often guilty of finding myself in the middle of a classic waiting for the plot to progress. However, I still prefer the unabridged version; if I’m going to enjoy an author’s work, I want to listen to the whole production!

Plus, with Audiobooks.com’s variable speed narration tool, it’s easy to change your listening from 1.0 to 1.25, 1.5 or even 1.75 times normal speed. To access this feature, tap the “1x” text at the bottom left corner of the audio player screen in the app.

Are you an abridged or unabridged listener? Tell us your thoughts!

Three listens for a better you

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Three listeners rave about their favorite self-help audiobooks, and why you’ll be raving too.


Book: The Code of the Extraordinary Mind, by Vishen Lakhiani
Narrator: Vishen Lakhiani
Reviewer: Mohamed A.

“I loooooooved this book!! Vishen Lakhiani is an amazing author and speaker (I listened to the audiobook) and I was inspired and engaged throughout the entire book. One of the best self growth books I’ve ever read.

The book is about questioning the cultural and environmental rules that has been passing for years from a generation to generation and we tend to follow a lot of them without questioning them just because. This book goes deep into some of these “brules” and makes you process them on a personal level and re-evaluate them. It goes on into many topics such as gratitude, forgiveness, meditation, spirituality, religion, and so many similar deep philosophical topics. And it’s the kind of book that you finish and start all over again. It has so many exercises and practices that can live with you for the rest of your life.

I’d strongly recommend this book to everyone and any one.”

 


Book: Never Split the Difference, by Chris Voss with Tahl Raz
Narrator: Michael Kramer
Reviewer: Justin A.

“This is one of the best books on business, negotiations, emotional intelligence, and productive dialogue that I’ve ever read/listened to. What’s so encouraging, is that the principles were born, tested, refined & proven in real life situations, by real, working professional people. (As opposed to an academic theory born in a classroom.) There is lots of practical advice on what drives peoples behaviors, and how to get inside their decision making progress to achieve a positive outcome. It’s full of several real-world examples, some gut-wrenching, and some downright hilarious.

Not only is the content excellent, but the book is written & arranged very well. I generally prefer to hear the writer narrate the book, but in this case the narrator is PERFECT for this book. (Especially for the late night, FM D.J. voice.)

Not only is the content great, but the book is wonderfully entertaining as well. It is very easy to listen to multiple times over, and will be one of the best business books for quite a long time. I can’t recommend this book enough.”

 


Book: You Are a Badass, by Jen Sincero
Narrator: Jen Sincero
Reviewer: Tamara P.

“A game changer. Life changer. I’m one to stay in a comfortable routine. 30 years young and working for the same company over 10 years. Different roles, different states, all of which I excelled in growth-wise but never financially comfortable not to mention not a single one of these roles fulfilled a true sense of purpose in my life which is otherwise fucking awesome.

Maybe 2-3 chapters into listening to this book, I made the decision to walk my ass with a less than mediocre career into a business that I’ve wanted to work for since in the womb and didn’t blink to realize that I’m not necessarily even qualified for this career but planned to win then over with my charm and good looks. I did it. Miss live in doubt and take no risk…I introduced myself, dropped off my resume aaaaaand I start next month. Many thanks to Jen Sincero and this badass book.”
These featured reviews were written by Audiobooks.com customers. Have a favorite audiobook? Review it! If it gets featured, you get a free credit to use on any book in our library.