November’s Top 10 Audiobooks.com Member Downloads

Posted on December 5, 2018 by Lena Yang

Listen to last month’s roundup of the top fiction and non-fiction titles downloaded by Audiobooks.com members.

Fiction

1. Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty, narrated by Caroline Lee

Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. They know they would have to put in some hard work, but it’s not long before every guest begins to question the pristine facade of Tranquillum House and its strange and charismatic owner.
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2. Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly, narrated by Titus Welliver and Christine Lakin

Harry Bosch teams up with LAPD detective Renée Ballard to solve the case of fifteen-year-old Daisy Clayton, a runaway on the streets of Hollywood who was brutally killed. Along the way, the two detectives forge a fragile trust, but this new partnership is put to the test when the case takes an unexpected and dangerous turn.
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3. Past Tense: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child, narrated by Scott Brick

Two Canadians trying to get to New York City are stranded at a lonely motel in the middle of nowhere. Before long they’re trapped in an ominous game of life and death. Meanwhile, Jack Reacher decides to visit the town where his father was born, only to be told no one named Reacher ever lived there. As these two stories begin to entwine, the stakes rise to impossible heights for Reacher.
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4. Fire & Blood 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones (A Targaryen History) by George R. R. Martin, narrated by Simon Vance

Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone. Fire & Blood begins their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart.
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5. Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci, narrated by Kyf Brewer and Brittany Pressley

Ever since her twin sister was abducted by a notorious serial killer at age five, Atlee Pine has spent her life hunting down those who hurt others. When she is called in to investigate the mutilated carcass of a mule found in the Grand Canyon and its missing rider, Atlee believes it may just be the key to unraveling a rash of other similar missing persons cases in the canyon.
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Non-Fiction

1. Becoming by Michelle Obama, narrated by Michelle Obama

In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. Read more and sample the audio.

2. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown, narrated by Brené Brown

When we dare to lead, we stay curious and ask the right questions. We don’t see power as finite and hoard it; we know that power becomes infinite when we share it with others. We don’t avoid difficult conversations and situations; we lean into vulnerability when it’s necessary to do good work. In Dare to Lead, Brown shows us how to put those ideas into practice so we can step up and lead.
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3. Killing the SS: The Hunt for the Worst War Criminals in History by Bill O’reilly, Martin Dugard, narrated by Bill O’reilly

Killing the SS is the epic saga of the self-styled ‘Nazi hunters.’ Among them were a French husband and wife team, an American lawyer who served in the army on D-Day, a German prosecutor who had signed an oath to the Nazi Party, and a death camp survivor. Over decades, these men and women scoured the world, tracking down the SS fugitives and bringing them to justice.
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4. How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie, narrated by Andrew Macmillan

You can go after the job you want…and get it! You can take the job you have…and improve it! You can take any situation you’re in…and make it work for you! For over 60 years the rock-solid, time-tested advice in this audiobook has carried thousands of now-famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.
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5. Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me by Charlamagne Tha God, narrated by Charlamagne Tha God

Being “shook” is more than a rap lyric for Charlamagne, it’s his mission to overcome. While it may seem like he’s ahead of the game, he is actually plagued by anxieties, such as the fear of losing his roots, the fear of being a bad dad, and the fear of being a terrible husband. Shook One chronicles his journey to beat those fears and shows a path that you too can take to overcome the anxieties that may be holding you back.
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5 New Christmas Audiobooks to Listen to This Holiday Season

Posted on December 5, 2018 by Michelle

If you’ve already listened to all of the classic Christmas audiobooks, treat yourself to these new Christmas stories that will warm your heart and make you believe in the magic of the holiday season all over again.

1. The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan, narrated by Mandy Weston

There is nothing like the holidays to bring family back together. I enjoyed the way this book deals with emotions, conflicts, and crisis all with the warmth of the season.
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2. Christmas at the Palace by Jeevani Charika, narrated by Carlyss Peer

I’m still revelling in the magic of the royal weddings this past year, so this was a perfect story to add to my Christmas reading. You’ll devour this delightfully modern Christmas romance.
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3. The White Christmas Inn by Colleen Wright, narrated by Samantha Desz

There are some books you just want to jump into and experience; this is one of those books for me. Filled with lovable characters — each pulling through their own difficulties — in a picture perfect setting, you’re sure to enjoy this lighthearted holiday read.
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4. A Nancy Drew Christmas by Carolyn Keene, narrated by Jorjeana Marie

This book transported me back to my much younger days of reading Nancy Drew as a young girl. For adults coming to Nancy Drew again, you will not be disappointed. For newcomers to Nancy Drew, you will enjoy this Christmas themed adventure.
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5. The Noel Stranger by Richard Paul Evans, narrated by Erin Mallon

It just wouldn’t be Christmas without reading Richard Paul Evans. He’s back and totally on Christmas spirit form with The Noel Stranger. While for me this one was a slight departure from his normal Christmas titles, you will still enjoy the true meaning of the holidays with this book and this is a not-to-be missed story.
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Page to Screen in December 2018

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Lena Yang

Going to the movies this December? Get the best experience by listening to the books they were based on before seeing the film adaptations.

Nightflyers by George R. R. Martin, narrated by Adenrele Ojo
Expected release date: December 2

When a scientific expedition is launched to study a mysterious alien race, the ship tasked with this expedition is the Nightflyer, the most advanced ship ever built. But when terrifying and violent events start to occur, the team and crew begin to question themselves, each other, and their reclusive captain.
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Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy, narrated by Eileen Stevens
Expected release date: December 7

Things have always worked out for Willowdean Dickson—the plus-sized daughter of a former beauty queen—until recently. Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her new relationship with boyfriend, Bo, Will has started to doubt herself. So, she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant.
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Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally, narrated by Ben Kingsley
Re-release date: December 7

In the shadow of Auschwitz, a flamboyant German industrialist grew into a living legend to the Jews of Plaszow. He was a womaniser, a heavy drinker and a bon viveur, but to them, he became a savior. This is the extraordinary story of Oskar Schindler, who used his enormous fortune to build a factory near the Plaszow concentration camp and saved the lives of over 1,300 Jews.
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Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve, narrated by Barnaby Edwards
Expected release date: December 14

Emerging from its hiding place in the hills, the great Traction City is chasing a terrified little town across the wastelands. Soon London will feed. In the attack, Tom Natsworthy is flung from the speeding city with a murderous scar-faced girl. They must run for their lives through the wreckage—and face a terrifying new weapon that threatens the future of the world.
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Mary Poppins (Film Adaptation: Mary Poppins Returns) by P.L. Travers, narrated by Sophie Thompson
Expected release date: December 19

It all starts when their new nanny is blown by the east wind onto the doorstep of the Banks house, carrying a parrot-headed umbrella and a magic carpetbag. She becomes a most unusual nanny to Jane, Michael, and the twins. A day with Mary Poppins is a day of magic and make-believe come to life!
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Selection Day by Aravind Adiga, narrated by Sartaj Garewal
Expected release date: December 28

Manjunath Kumar is fourteen and living in a slum in Mumbai. He knows he is good at cricket—if not as good as his older brother, Radha. When Manju meets Radha’s great rival, a mysterious Muslim boy privileged and confident in all the ways Manju is not, everything in Manju’s world begins to change.
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5 Hanukkah Audiobooks for Kids

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Michelle

Celebrate Hanukkah by listening to an audiobook with your children that will educate, entertain, and inspire.

1. Hanukkah Bear by Eric Kimmel, narrated by Laural Merlington

A bear wakes to wonderful smells that leads him to the house of Bubba Brayna. Bubba Brayna makes the best latkes in the village, but at 97, she doesn’t hear or see well. When the bear arrives at her door, she believes he is her rabbi. Bubba Brayna and the bear light the menorah, play the dreidel game, and eat all the latkes.
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2. Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel, narrated by Gildart Jackson

On the first night of Hanukkah, a traveler named Hershel of Ostropol eagerly approaches a village. But when he arrives, not a single candle is lit. A band of frightful goblins has taken over, and the villagers cannot celebrate. Hershel vows to help them. But can one man alone save Hanukkah, and live to tell the tale?
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3. Dreidels on the Brain by Joel Ben Izzy, narrated by Joel Ben Izzy

Joel, a magician who dreams of being a superhero, fails miserably at making himself disappear at school. Home isn’t any better, with a family that’s embarrassing and broke. That’s why he’s betting everything on these eight nights, to see whether it’s worth believing in God or miracles or anything at all. He’s scrambling to come to terms with the world he lives in — from hospitals to Houdini to the Holocaust — before the last of the candles burns out.
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4. Latke, the Lucky Dog by Ellen Fischer, narrated by Kirby Heyborne

Rescued from an animal shelter on the first night of Hanukkah, Latke the puppy joins the family just in time for the celebrations. Although he has trouble learning the house rules, he is one lucky dog! Told from the pup’s point of view, this sweet Hanukkah song is perfect for little ones.
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5. In The Month Of Kislev by Nina Jaffe, narrated by Theodore Bikel

In The Month Of Kislev.

Every night during Hanukkah, the Mendel children stand outside the window of a wealthy and arrogant merchant to enjoy the delicious smell of golden latkes. When Faivel, the merchant, discovers the children on the eighth night of Hanukkah, he is outraged. He insists they face Rabbi Yohah for judgement, and takes the family of a poor peddler to court. It is here that he learns the true meaning of Hanukkah.
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STAFF PICK: Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Michelle

Title: Beartown
Author: Fredrik Backman
Narrator: Marin Ireland

Nestled deep within a lush Swedish forest lies a small town experiencing what feels like an inevitable death. The factory workers who founded the town once had big dreams of Beartown becoming a hockey haven, and with it, an abundance of jobs and a booming economy. But the costs that accompany those dreams are higher than anyone could have anticipated.

The junior ice hockey team is gearing up for the national semi-finals — and they actually have a shot at winning. In one fell swoop, the future of a dying town lies on the shoulders of teenage boys, and in the same breath, threatens to unravel the secrets, violence, and callousness of those we thought we knew, and who we wanted them to be.

Within the first few chapters, Fredrik Backman joined the ranks of being one of my favorite authors. So rarely do I find a book as beautiful as it is devastating, so powerful that I never want it to end, yet so damn satisfied when it does.

Backman’s ability to bring to light the small details about each character, even those in the shadows, allowed me to resonate with the entire town — those who went against the grain, those who created the trauma that ripples throughout, those whose shoes I never hope to be in. In Beartown, no one is unaffected. Everyone’s vulnerability is uncovered, and no small character truly exists in this story.

“small towns need a head start if they’re going to have any chance in the world… people are standing in silent lines with their eyes half opened and their minds half closed, waiting for their electronic punch cards to verify their existence… if they keep quiet, they can hear it in the distance: bang. bang. bang. bang. bang.”

Marin Ireland does a fabulous job of narrating the story in an appropriately moody tone. Her ability to bring out the emotions of the characters transported me into their town, their lives, their dreams, and their demons.

STAFF PICK: Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Lena Yang

Title: Broken Things
Author: Lauren Oliver
Narrators: Sarah Drew, Saskia Maarleveld, and Erin Spencer

Five years ago, when Summer Marks was found stabbed to death in a ritualistic killing, suspicion immediately fell on her two best friends, Mia and Brynn, who had described the exact crime in a co-written sequel to a book all three girls were obsessed with, The Way into Lovelorn. Although there wasn’t enough evidence to convict, the town nevertheless pointed fingers at Mia and Brynn, who consequently became ostracized from the community.

In the aftermath, Mia transferred to another school in hopes of outrunning her classmates’ vicious remarks, while Brynn deliberately prolonged her stint in rehab to avoid rejoining society. However, when Mia makes a strange discovery about Summer, she resurrects the mystery of Summer’s death and begins her hunt for answers alongside Brynn, Owen Waldmann—an old friend and Summer’s then-boyfriend, and Abby—a teenage YouTube sensation whose need for homeschooling brought her and Mia together.

Lauren Oliver unfolds her story through alternating chapters from Mia and Brynn’s perspectives that shuffle between ‘then’ and ‘now.’ Slowly, snippets from the past coalesce with the present narrative to form a story of two young girls brought together by the enigmatic Summer Marks, who had always seemed undeniably perfect to Mia and Brynn—until they begin to examine her life in retrospect.

The characters leap off the page with excellent narration from Sarah Drew, Saskia Maarleveld, and Erin Spencer, whose passionate performances kept me captivated and utterly unable to press pause.

Shortly after the novel opens, Mia and Brynn’s hometown, Twin Lakes—a name that conjures the shadowy, atmospheric intensity of Twin Peaks—is ravaged by a hurricane. As the girls meet for the first time since Summer’s murder—in a community on the precipice of chaos and recovery, no less—old wounds and dark memories are dredged up. Before they can begin to heal and stitch their lives back together, Mia and Brynn must unravel the mysterious circumstances of Summer’s murder so they can close this chapter of their lives and clear their names.

The heart of the mystery revolves around fictional author Georgia C. Wells’ The Way into Lovelorn, which inexplicably ends mid-sentence, and its unofficial sequel Return to Lovelorn, which spawned from the girls’ obsession with the original text. In excerpts peppered between chapters, The Way into Lovelorn and Return to Lovelorn unfold like Narnia-esque tales with a sinister undercurrent. As Wells’ fiction creeps into reality, gripping the minds of three young, impressionable girls, I can’t help but recall the Slender Man stabbing in 2014 wherein two girls lured their friend into the woods and stabbed her to impress the fictional Slender Man.

The mystery will keep you hooked, but Broken Things is much more than that. It’s about the complexities of friendship, the meaningful bonds stories can forge, and how long and complicated the road to healing can be. Broken Things is an unmissable entry from one of today’s most prolific voices.

Tag Archives: audiobooks

November’s Top 10 Audiobooks.com Member Downloads

Page to Screen in December 2018

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