About Kelsi Morris

Devours audiobooks. Lives in video games. Loves black coffee, red wine, and dragons. She/her.

Nebula Award Finalists

The Nebulas, a prestigious science fiction award, has just announced the list of finalists for 2017, and the ballot is out of this world! Take a look at the full list of novels under consideration, with the results to be announced in May. I’ve already devoured all of them, and have no idea how they will ever decide. Give them a listen for yourself here, and feel free to leave your thoughts below!

 

Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly

“Trust no one with anything especially in Amberlough City.”

From author Lara Elena Donnelly, comes a debut spy thriller, Amberlough, where a gay double-agent schemes to protect his smuggler lover during the rise of a fascist government coup

Combining the espionage thrills of le Carré with the allure of an alternate vintage era, Amberlough will thoroughly seduce and enthrall you. Listen to a sample.

 

 

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss

 

“Now it is up to the monsters to finally triumph over the monstrous.”

Based on some of literature’s horror and science fiction classics, this is the story of a remarkable group of women who come together to solve the mystery of a series of gruesome murders–and the bigger mystery of their own origins.

Listen to a sample.

 

 

Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory 

 

“Hilarious, heartfelt and brimming with humanity.” -Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, author of The Nest

Harnessing the imaginative powers that have made him a master storyteller, Daryl Gregory delivers a stunning, laugh-out-loud novel about a family of gifted dreamers and the invisible forces that bind us all.

Listen to a sample.

 

 

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

“She has seen the evil of the world, and accepted what her mother will not admit: that sometimes what is corrupt cannot be cleansed, only destroyed.”

The remarkable conclusion to the post-apocalyptic and highly acclaimed trilogy that began with the multi-award-nominated The Fifth Season. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly suggest you drop everything and get on that immediately.

Listen to a sample.

 

 

Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty

 

“It was not common to awaken in a cloning vat streaked with drying blood.”

A space adventure set on a lone ship where the clones of a murdered crew awake with with no memory of how they died, and somehow must find their murderer — before they kill again.

Listen to a sample.

 

 

Jade City by Fonda Lee

“FAMILY IS DUTY. MAGIC IS POWER. HONOR IS EVERYTHING.”

Award-winning author Fonda Lee explodes onto the adult fantasy scene with Jade City , an epic saga reminiscent of The Godfather with magic and kungfu, set in an Asia-inspired fantasy metropolis. Lose yourself in this tale of family, honor, and those who live and die by the ancient laws of jade and blood.

Listen to a sample.

 

Autonomous by Annalee Newitz

From award winning tech-journalist and io9 founder Annalee Newitz comes a highly anticipated science fiction debut, 

Autonomous will pull listeners into a dark and dirty world that feels, at times, a bit too familiar to readers today. And underlying it all is one fundamental question: Is freedom possible in a culture where everything, even people, can be owned?

Listen to a sample.

 

 

Celebrating Love of all Kinds

This Valentine’s Day, we wanted to give a special shoutout to those of you who don’t feel represented by the protagonists of traditional romance novels. So, we’ve put together a list of audiobooks that celebrate love in all its forms, with representations of people of colour, protagonists with disabilities, LGBTQ love, non-monogamy, and so much more.

Check out this teaser of some of our favorite picks, then browse the full list here!

 

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Wedding Date, Jasmine Guillory

“What a charming, warm, sexy gem of a novel….One of the best books I’ve read in a while.” –Roxane Gay

Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn’t normally do. But there’s something about Drew Nichols that’s too hard to resist. Now they are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in this fun and flirty debut novel.

 

Jess, Chunk, and the Road Trip to Infinity by Kristin Elizabeth Clark

Jess, Chunk, and the Road Trip to Infinity, Kristin Elizabeth Clark

The last time Jess saw her father, she was a boy. Now she’s a high school graduate, soon to be on her way to art school. But first she has some unfinished business with her dad. So she’s driving halfway across the country to his wedding. He happens to be marrying her mom’s ex-best friend. It’s not like Jess wasn’t invited; she was. She just never told anyone she was coming. Surprise!

Luckily, Jess isn’t making this trip alone. Her best friend, Christophe – nicknamed Chunk – is joining her.

Along the way, Jess and Chunk learn a few things about themselves – and each other – which call their feelings about their relationship into question.

 

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Maybe Someday, Colleen Hoover

At twenty-two years old, Sydney is enjoying a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers that Hunter is cheating on her—and she’s forced to decide what her next move should be.

Soon, Sydney finds herself captivated by her mysterious and attractive neighbor, Ridge. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either. They soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one.

Her Two Dads by Ariel Tachna

Her Two Dads, Ariel Tachna

Srikkanth Bhattacharya is a quintessential gay bachelor–until a tragedy brings his best friend’s newborn daughter into his life.

His housemate and friend, Jaime Frias, volunteers to help, never guessing he’ll fall in love with both the baby and Sri. Everything seems perfect until a visit from Social Services sends Sri into a tailspin, feeling like he has to choose between his daughter and a relationship with the man he’s coming to love.

 

Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan

Archer's Voice, Mia Sheridan

When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first day there, her life collides with Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds a secret agony of his own. A man no one else sees.

Archer’s Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice.

 

A Word for Love by Emily Robbins

Word for Love: A Novel, Emily RobbinsA mesmerizing debut set in Syria on the cusp of the unrest, A Word for Love is the spare and exquisitely told story of a young American woman transformed by language, risk, war, and a startling new understanding of love.

With melodic meditation on culture, language, and familial devotion. Robbins delivers a powerful novel that questions what it means to love from afar, to be an outsider within a love story, and to take someone else’s passion and cradle it until it becomes your own.

 

 

 

Water Under Bridges by Harper Bliss

Water Under Bridges, Harper Bliss

Louise Hamilton has returned to Sydney after her long term relationship broke down in Brisbane, and she’s loving her new job and her new friends. She feels like her life is finally back on track. Until a figure from her past unexpectedly comes back to haunt her.

What happens when a dark past comes back to slap you in the face? And can people ever truly move on from a deeply traumatizing experience?

 

Browse the full list to your heart’s content right here!

We’re giving away FREE books!

We all know that today is Valentine’s Day, but did you know that February 14th is International Book Giving Day? Multiple holidays are rare, so to celebrate, we’re teaming up with our friends at the brand new imprint audiOMG! to offer these three FREE steamy romance audiobooks: https://www.audiomg.ca/launch

 

My Week With the Bad Boy by Kennedy Fox

Never trust a man who answers the front door wearing nothing more than a pair of low-cut jeans and a panty-melting smirk.”

Steamy love stories you can read in one sitting! After everyone goes to bed for the night, snuggle up with a Kennedy Fox Bedtime Read! These are full-length standalone novels that are filled with humor, insta-lust, blistering heat, and are faster-paced, but still have everything you love about a Kennedy Fox book!

 

 

Where Good Girls Go to Die by Holly Renee

“He was still my brother’s best friend, and he was more unavailable than ever. He looked every bit the bad boy I knew he was, covered in tattoos and a crooked smile. Guarding my heart from him was top priority because Parker James was where good girls go to die.

Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t a good girl anymore.”

This beautiful second-chance romance is addictive, loving, sensual, hot as heck, and is the kind of book you just can’t help but devour.

 

 

Jarek: Dragons of Preor by Celia Kyle as Erin Tate

“What’s hotter than an alien with scales? An alien with wings and scales, not to mention a hot body.”

At 457 Preor years old, Jarek sen Claron is a dragon ready for his final flight into the skies. This voyage to Earth as the War Master of the third fleet will be his final assignment.

That all changes when he meets Melissa. Human Melissa with her sparkling eyes, bright smile, and body that would make any hot-blooded male drool.

 

Let us share the love with these free reads, no strings attached: https://www.audiomg.ca/launch

 

And when you’re done with them, slide on into our Member Deals and meet your new book boyfriend(s) with your choice of any two audiOMG! titles for just one credit!

STAFF PICK DEAL: The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss

Oh my goodness, this is an absolute treasure of a book. The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss tells the story of monstrous women: characters from classic literature who were barely considered noteworthy, infused with lives and voices all their own. While the respectable Mary Jekyll and the untameable Diana Hyde begrudgingly explore what it means to have a sister so unlike yourself, they are joined by Catherine, the unlucky creation of Doctor Moreau; Justine, the would-be bride of Frankenstein’s monster; and Beatrice, the tragic daughter of the botanist Rappaccini. The women adventure throughout Victorian London with varying degrees of enthusiasm, trying to unravel the mystery of a secret society of alchemists that seems to hold the answers to each of their respective origins.

The book is narrated with all five distinct voices telling the same story, often interrupting themselves and each other in the margins to let us know exactly how vexing the process is. Goss manages to weave this together with a simple elegance that masks how ambitious and nuanced the writing style truly is. They bicker as fiercely as they support each other, in a way that feels purely human and heartwarming.

These “monstrous” women, all by-products of men with too much power and too little humanity, are brought together by the need for answers about their origins, and stay together with the bond of chosen family. With them, we walk through familiar male-dominated worlds of classic sci fi and horror, reanimated by the vibrancy, agency, and aspirations of these five beautifully well-rounded, engrossing characters who have finally been given the space to flourish.

And, until February 11th, The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter is on sale! You can get this book in a BOGO with Himself–another charming, quirky mystery that draws inspiration from classic folklore. Jump on the deal here, under “Inspired Fiction”!

And the winner is…

I enjoy a night curled up in blankets watching the Grammys as much as the next person… but more than the music, the fashion, and the hot takes on the state of the industry, I was on the edge of my couch cushion waiting to see who would take home the award for Best Spoken Word. And I was not disappointed! Here’s a round-up of the winner, the other nominees, and a surprise guest appearance during the award ceremony!

 

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher wins for Best Spoken Word!


Carrie Fisher has always been a personal hero of mine for a number of reasons, and it is so wonderful to see her work being acknowledged in this way. The Princess Diarist is as intimate as it is hilarious, as she reads through the journals she kept while filming A New Hope. There have always been rumours about what went on behind the scenes, but to hear her experience in her own words, read in her own voice, is an absolute treasure.

Find out for yourself what all the fuss is about here!

 

The Runners up for Best Spoken Word category are:

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry By Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in digestible chapters consumable anytime and anywhere in your busy day. While waiting for your morning coffee to brew, or while waiting for the bus, the train, or the plane to arrive, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will reveal just what you need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines.

 

 

Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In by Bernie Sanders

Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In, Bernie SandersPersonal experiences from the campaign trail, recounting the details of his historic primary fight and the people who made it possible. And for the millions looking to continue the political revolution, he outlines a progressive economic, environmental, racial, and social justice agenda that will create jobs, raise wages, protect the environment, and provide health care for all—and ultimately transform our country and our world for the better.

 

Born to Run By Bruce Springsteen

Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen

Writing about yourself is a funny business…But in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show the reader his mind. In these pages, I’ve tried to do this.” -Bruce Springsteen, from the pages of Born to Run

Over the past seven years, Bruce Springsteen hasprivately devoted himself to writing the story of his life, bringing to these pages the same honesty, humor, and originality found in his songs. 

 

And a surprise honourable mention:

Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolf

Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, Michael WolffBig names like Cher, Snoop, Cardi B, and Hillary Clinton were featured auditioning for next year’s Spoken Word submissions, reading excerpts from the explosive book with extraordinary inside access to the most controversial president of our time. Watch the sketch below, then check out the bestselling audiobook for yourself here!

 

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMLPBn506LY

 

 

 

 

2018 Academy Award Nominations

Now that the 2018 Academy Award Nominations have finally been announced, check out the audiobooks of the works that helped inspire these great films!

 

1.Call Me by Your Name by Andre Aciman

Call Me by Your Name is the story of a sudden and powerful romance that blossoms between an adolescent boy and a summer guest at his parents’ cliffside mansion on the Italian Riviera. During the restless summer weeks, unrelenting but buried currents of obsession, fascination, and desire intensify their passion as they test the charged ground between them and verge toward the one thing both already fear they may never truly find again: total intimacy. André Aciman’s critically acclaimed debut novel is a frank, unsentimental, heartrending elegy to human passion.

 

 

2. Darkest Hour: How Churchill Brought England Back from the Brink by Anthony McCarten

May 1940. Britain is at war, Winston Churchill has unexpectedly been promoted to Prime Minister, the horrors of Blitzkreig witness one western European Democracy fall after another in rapid succession. Facing this horror, with pen in hand and typist-secretary at the ready, Churchill wonders what words could capture the public mood when the invasion of Britain seems mere hours away.

It is this fascinating period that Anthony McCarten captures in this deeply researched and wonderfully written new book, The Darkest Hour. A day-by-day (and often hour-by-hour) narrative of this crucial moment in history provides a revisionist look at Churchill-a man plagued by doubt through those turbulent weeks-but who emerged having made himself into the iconic, lionized figure we remember.

 

3. Dunkirk: The History Behind the Major Motion Picture by Joshua Levine

The Battle of Dunkirk, in May/June 1940, is remembered as a stunning defeat, yet a major victory as well. The Nazis had beaten back the Allies and pushed them across France to the northern port of Dunkirk. In the ultimate race against time, more than 300,000 Allied soldiers were daringly evacuated across the Channel. This moment of German aggression was used by Winston Churchill as a call to Franklin Roosevelt to enter the war. Now, historian Joshua Levine explores the real lives of those soldiers, bombed and strafed on the beaches for days on end, without food or ammunition; the civilians whose boats were overloaded; the airmen who risked their lives to buy their companions on the ground precious time; and those who did not escape.

 

4. The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell

The Disaster Artist is Greg Sestero’s laugh-out-loud funny account of how Tommy Wiseau defied every law of artistry, business, and friendship to make “the Citizen Kane of bad movies” (Entertainment Weekly), which is now an international phenomenon, with Wiseau himself beloved as an oddball celebrity. Written with award-winning journalist Tom Bissell, The Disaster Artist is an inspiring tour de force that reads like a page-turning novel, an open-hearted portrait of an enigmatic man who will improbably capture your heart.

 

5. The Pentagon Papers: The Secret History of the Vietnam War by Neil Sheehan

Pentagon Papers: The Secret History of the Vietnam War, Neil Sheehan

The Pentagon Papers is a series of articles, documents, and studies published by The New York Times that revealed the true depth of US involvement in the Vietnam War for more than two decades starting in 1945, bringing to light startling conclusions about America’s role in that conflict. It won both a Pulitzer Prize and a ground-breaking Supreme Court decision.

With a foreword by James L. Greenfield, who coordinated the team that reported the series, this edition is sure to provoke discussion about freedom of the press and government deception, and shed light on issues that are still relevant now, more than four decades later.

 

6. Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

Mudbound, Hillary Jordan

Hillary Jordan’s mesmerizing debut novel won the Bellwether Prize for fiction. A powerful piece of Southern literature, Mudbound takes on prejudice in its myriad forms on a Mississippi Delta farm in 1946. City girl Laura McAllen attempts to raise her family despite questionable decisions made by her husband. Tensions continue to rise when her brother-in-law and the son of a family of sharecroppers both return from WWII as changed men bearing the scars of combat.

 

7. Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Wonder, R. J. Palacio

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school-until now. He’s about to enter fifth grade at Beecher Prep, and if you’ve ever been the new kid, then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie’s just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, despite appearances? R. J. Palacio has crafted an uplifting novel full of wonderfully realistic family interactions, lively school scenes, and writing that shines with spare emotional power.

 

8. The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

Breadwinner, Deborah Ellis

In this powerful and realistic tale, eleven-year-old Parvana lives with her family in one room of a bombed-out apartment building in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital city during the Taliban rule. Parvana’s father- a history teacher until his school was bombed and his health destroyed- works from a blanket on the ground in the marketplace, reading letters for people who cannot read or write. One day he is arrested for the crime of having a foreign education, and the family is left without someone who can earn money or even shop for food. As conditions in the family grow desperate, only one solution emerges. Forbidden by the Taliban government to earn money as a girl, Parvana must transform herself into a boy and become the breadwinner.

 

9. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

The Story of Ferdinand, Munro Leaf

With music and sound effects, this audiobook is perfect for those who love Ferdinand and those who have yet to meet him.

A true classic with a timeless message, The Story of Ferdinand has enchanted readers since it was first published in 1936. All the other bulls would run and jump and butt their heads together. But Ferdinand would rather sit and smell the flowers. And he does just that, until the day a bumblebee and some men from the Madrid bullfights give gentle Ferdinand a chance to be the most ferocious star of the corrida—and the most unexpected comic hero.

 

10. Victoria & Abdul (Movie Tie-in): The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant by Shrabani Basu

Victoria & Abdul (Movie Tie-in): The True Story of the Queen's Closest Confidant, Shrabani Basu

Drawn from never-before-seen first-hand documents that had been closely guarded secrets for a century, Shrabani Basu’s Victoria & Abdul is a remarkable history of the last years of the 19th century in English court, an unforgettable view onto the passions of an aging Queen, and a fascinating portrayal of how a young Indian Muslim came to play a central role at the heart of the British Empire.