The Hottest Audiobooks for Fall Listening

Posted on November 12, 2018 by Michelle

Whether you need a great new listen for your long weekend road trip or in between servings of turkey, the best books of fall (so far!) will leave you wanting seconds.

1. Elevation by Stephen King, narrated by Stephen King

Scott Carey is engaged in a battle with the lesbians next door. One of them is friendly; the other, cold as ice. Both are trying to launch a new restaurant, but the people of Castle Rock want no part of a gay married couple. When Scott finally understands the prejudices they face, he tries to help. Unlikely alliances and the mystery of his affliction bring out the best in people who have indulged the worst in themselves and others.
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2. Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon, narrated by Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon invites readers into her world, where she infuses the southern style, parties, and traditions she loves with contemporary flair and charm. Her heritage informs her life, and she loves sharing and reflecting on entertaining, decorating her home, and favorite traditions, from midnight barn parties to backyard bridal showers, magical Christmas mornings to rollicking honky-tonks.
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3. Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking, narrated by Ben Whishaw

Stephen Hawking was the most renowned scientist since Einstein, known for his groundbreaking work in physics and cosmology. Hawking turns his attention to the most urgent issues facing us. Will humanity survive? Should we colonize space? Does God exist? These are just a few of the questions Hawking addresses in this wide-ranging, passionately argued final book from one of the greatest minds in history.
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4. Family Trust by Kathy Wang, narrated by Joy Osmanski

For years, Stanley Huang has claimed he’s worth a small fortune. But the details of his estate will finally be revealed, and his family is nervous. As his death approaches, the Huangs are faced with challenges that upend them and eventually lead them to discover what they most value. A compelling tale of cultural expectations, career ambitions and relationships, Family Trust is a portrait of the modern American family.
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5. Dear Evan Hansen by Benj Pasek, Steven Levenson, and Val Emmich, narrated by Ben Levi Ross, Mike Faist, and Mallory Bechtel

When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family’s grief over their dead son, he’s given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie. No longer tangled in his once-incapacitating anxiety, Evan has a purpose, a website, and becomes a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing, until everything is in danger of unraveling.
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6. Heartland by Sarah Smarsh, narrated by Sarah Smarsh

Sarah Smarsh was born a fifth generation Kansas wheat farmer on her paternal side, and generations of teen mothers on her maternal side. Through her experience growing up on a farm 30 miles west of Wichita, we are given a unique and essential look into the lives of poor, working class Americans living in the heartland and examine the myths about people thought to be less because they earn less.
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7. I Might Regret This by Abbi Jacobson, narrated by Abbi Jacobson

When Abbi Jacobson told friends she planned to drive across the country alone, she was met with lots of questions and opinions: most commonly, why? On her way to Los Angeles, she mulled over the big questions — What do I really want? What is the worst scenario in which I could run into my ex? In this collection, readers will feel like they’re in the passenger seat on a fun and inspiring journey.
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STAFF PICK: Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society

Posted on November 9, 2018 by Jemma Wolfe

Title: The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
Author: Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Narrator: Various narrators

Here is a book that has languished on my (incredibly long) to-be-read list for years. It’s been recommended many times; indeed, you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who has read this book and not adored it. I’m here to say that if it’s been on your to-be-read list too, then read it now. And if it wasn’t on your radar before, then skip adding it to your to-be-read list, and just dive in immediately.

The year is 1946: Britain is recovering from the Second World War and the mail service has finally been restored to the previously German-occupied Channel Island of Guernsey. Dawsey, a pig farmer turned booklover, connects with Juliet, a recently successful London author looking for a new story to tell, all thanks to the inscription inside of an old book. A lively correspondence begins, and it doesn’t take long before Juliet is exchanging letters with all of Dawsey’s best friends and neighbours, and planning a trip to the small Channel Island to visit.

What ensues is mix of delightfully quaint small-town moments mixed with sobering recollections of the horrors of war. The Occupation lasted for five years in Guernsey, and its nuances are brought to life in the most human of ways by the author’s gorgeous writing and the talents of the narration cast. Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows wrote in epistolary form, i.e. storytelling through letters, diary entries and the like. Perspectives, and therefore narration, constantly rotate depending on the letter-writer. Far from being confusing, this narrative style is utterly compelling, and in the hands of such expert voice talent, make for a sparkling listening experience.

A laugh-out-loud, heartbreakingly bittersweet modern classic, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a testament to and a celebration of the power of books.

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STAFF PICK: Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

Posted on November 7, 2018 by Jemma Wolfe

Title: Unsheltered
Author: Barabara Kingsolver
Narrator: Barbara Kingsolver

Of the many books I have read in 2018, this one takes the cake. Literary without being too self-important or cerebral; long enough to completely fall in love with all the characters and short enough to be bitterly sad that it’s over; incredibly relevant to today’s political climate while managing to be timeless; full of laugh-out-loud funny moments but also poignant truisms that took my breath away. In short: an extraordinarily excellent novel.

Unsheltered centers around two families, in two different centuries, who occupied the same house in Vineland, New Jersey. The house, which is a character as much as our 21^st and 19^th century protagonists, is falling apart. It was beginning to in the 1880s when Thatcher Greenwood, a science teacher with a passion for Darwin, moved in with his in-laws, and it’s literally starting to crumble in 2015 when Willa Knox, a journalist thrust into a caregiver role, moves her complicated family into the historic home.

Through dual storylines told in alternating chapters, both families navigate their own personal traumas – a suicide, a miscarriage, infidelity – in the context of intense political and cultural upheaval. Thatcher struggles with a town that isn’t ready for the truth-bomb that is the Theory of Evolution but finds companionship in one of history’s real heroines of science: the botanist Mary Treat. Willa can’t comprehend the wave of nationalism overtaking America in the lead-up to the 2016 election but finds escape in researching the history of her property with the offbeat local museum curator.

Both centuries have a host of fully-developed and fabulously nuanced characters, full of quirk and charm and artfully narrated by the author herself. There’s Willa’s foul and feeble Greek father-in-law and her stubborn but saving-grace of a daughter. There’s Thatcher’s staunchly oppositional headmaster and his small-minded wife. All are brought to life, first by Barbara Kingsolver’s arresting prose, and then by her narration.

Sweeping in its scope and yet intensely personal, Unsheltered reminds us that change – large, small, welcome or dreaded – is tremendously difficult but entirely fundamental to the human experience. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Unsheltered.

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STAFF PICK: Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Michelle

Title: Nine Perfect Strangers
Author: Liane Moriarty
Narrator: Caroline Lee

How much can 10 days at a remote health resort really change you? Nine perfect strangers are about to find out when they embark on what originally sounds like a dreamy experience. It sounded dreamy to me, at least — but not for long.

In Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers, nine people gather at an Australian resort to lose those last 10 stubborn pounds, revamp their lives, and face their demons head-on. Despite being in a luxurious resort that practically oozes mindfulness and meditation, everyone is expected to put in hard work in order to return home a better version of themselves.

When Frances Welty, a formerly best-selling romance novelist arrives at Tranquillium House, she is suffering from a bad back and a broken heart. The reviews she’s read of the resort are either full of praise or threats to sue the resort for ruining their lives. With a cast of characters that have little in common besides their painful pasts and high hopes of transformation, Nine Perfect Strangers is Liane Moriarty at her best — chock-full of suspense, tension, and unwavering wit.

There’s little I love more than a book that’s so cleverly written that I struggle to press pause, and this book certainly falls into that category. In fact, I was so enthralled in the story that I sat in my driveway for an extra five minutes after my commute home because I needed to finish the chapter I was on.

Caroline Lee does a fantastic job of narrating the story and left me hanging on every word. Her Australian accent made the story more authentic, and her storytelling abilities made this tantalizing listen even more addicting.

Nine Perfect Strangers will make you question every character, relationship, interaction, and motive. Throughout the book, I questioned whether Frances’ doubts were an overreaction or whether she should’ve made a run for it, wondering what I would’ve done if I were in her position. As the characters come to realize, no one truly knows what their lives can be until they are pushed to the brink.

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October’s Top 10 Audiobooks.com Member Downloads

Posted on November 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. The Reckoning by John Grisham, narrated by Michael Beck

Pete Banning was Clanton, Mississippi’s favorite son—a decorated World War II hero, the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbor, and a faithful member of the Methodist church. Then one cool October morning he shot and killed his pastor and friend, the Reverend Dexter Bell.
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2. A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult, narrated by Bahni Turpin, Jodi Picoult

The day starts like any other at the Center—a women’s reproductive health services clinic—its staff offering care to anyone who comes. Then, in late morning, a gunman bursts in and opens fire, taking all inside hostage. After setting up a perimeter around the scene, Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, finds out that his fifteen-year-old daughter, Wren, is inside the clinic.
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3. Juror #3 by James Patterson, Nancy Allen, narrated by Megan Tusing

The murder of a woman from one of Rosedale’s oldest families has the town’s upper crust howling for blood, and the prosecutor is counting on newcomer Ruby Bozarth’s inexperience to help him deliver a swift conviction. Ruby’s client is a college football star who has returned home after a career-ending injury, and she is determined to build a defense that will stick.
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4. Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks, narrated by Vanessa Johansson, Sean Cameron Michael

Hope Anderson is at crossroads. Looking for a break, she escapes to her family’s cottage in Sunset Beach, North Carolina to think things over. Tru Walls has never visited North Carolina but is summoned to Sunset Beach by a letter from a man claiming to be his father. When the two strangers cross paths, their connection is as electric as it is unfathomable…
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5. Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand, narrated by Erin Bennett

When Irene Steele’s husband is killed in a plane crash on the distant Caribbean island of St. John, her idyllic life is shattered. After Irene and her sons arrive at this faraway paradise, they make a shocking discovery: her husband had been living a secret life. As they untangle a web of intrigue and deceit, they have to face the truth about their family, and about their own futures.
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Non-Fiction

1. 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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2. Fear: Trump in the White House by Bob Woodward, narrated by Robert Petkoff

Bob Woodward reveals in unprecedented detail the harrowing life inside President Donald Trump’s White House and precisely how he makes decisions on major foreign and domestic policies. Woodward draws from hundreds of hours of interviews with firsthand sources, meeting notes, personal diaries, files, and documents.
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3. Ship of Fools: How a Selfish Ruling Class Is Bringing America to the Brink of Revolution by Tucker Carlson, narrated by Tucker Carlson

In Ship of Fools, Tucker Carlson tells the truth about the new American elites, a group whose power and wealth has grown beyond imagination even as the rest of the country has withered. The people who run America now barely interact with it. Left and right are no longer meaningful categories; rather, the rift is between those who benefit from the status quo and those who don’t.
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4. 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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5. Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking, narrated by Ben Whishaw

Stephen Hawking not only unraveled some of the universe’s greatest mysteries but also believed science plays a critical role in fixing problems here on Earth. Now, as we face immense challenges on our planet—including climate change, the threat of nuclear war, and the development of artificial intelligence—he turns his attention to the most urgent issues facing us.
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STAFF PICK: Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah Mccoy

Posted on October 23, 2018 by admin

Post by Pam Campbell

Title: Marilla of Green Gables
Author: Sarah Mccoy
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell

As I was getting ready to begin Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy for the first time and get lost in Avonlea life, I suddenly became nervous. Would this story live up to my love and appreciation for the classic Anne of Green Gables stories? What if it didn’t? (This has happened to me before and it’s heartbreaking.) Within the first few minutes of listening, I breathed a huge sigh of relief and settled in for the long haul as I knew I would listen to this book in one go.

Readers are transported back to Avonlea to meet Marilla Cuthbert at the tender age of 13, where she brings us into her life and the lives of those around her. We meet a shy, teenaged Matthew, who wears his heart and morals on his sleeve. Miss Rachel Lynde is just as strong-willed and free-speaking as ever in her teenage years, and we finally get to know the story behind Marilla and John Blythe’s much alluded to romance. We get a glimpse into the reasons for adult Marilla’s hard exterior, but we are so lucky to see her hopes, dreams, trials, triumphs, and, most importantly, her heart as a young lady.

Sarah McCoy did a wonderful job of keeping the integrity, heart, and soul of these beloved characters. To add to this delight, Cassandra Campbell narrates the audiobook, and she does not disappoint. Her delivery of such tender sentences such as, “June arrived in a torrential downpour of sunshine,” is sure to take you back to the beautiful tone, pacing, and style of the original stories. Thankfully, McCoy has crafted many more of these captivating sentences throughout the book for Campbell to bring to life.

Marilla of Green Gables is a delightful imagining of one of literature’s greatest female characters. Anne would be so proud to see Marilla’s story come to life. It truly is a long awaited hug from a kindred spirit.

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Tag Archives: Fiction

October’s Top 10 Audiobooks.com Member Downloads

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