The Best Audiobooks For Books Lovers Day

Posted on August 9, 2018 by Michelle

Sans the pressure of chocolates and roses, Book Lovers Day is the Valentine’s Day for bookish people around the world. Celebrate with these great audiobooks (and tell us in the comments what listens you’ve been loving lately!).

1. Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware, narrated by Imogen Church

On a day that begins like any other, Hal receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. She realizes quickly that the letter was sent to the wrong person, but also that she may be able to claim the money. Soon, Hal finds herself at the funeral of the deceased… where it dawns on her that there is something very wrong about this strange situation and the inheritance at the center of it.
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2. Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too by Gary Vaynerchuk, narrated by Gary Vaynerchuk, Rich Roll, Amy Schmittauer

In this lively, practical, and inspiring audiobook, Gary dissects every current major social media platform so that anyone will know exactly how to amplify their personal brand. He offers both theoretical and tactical advice on old standbys and emerging platforms. For those with more experience, Crushing It! provides innovative tips and tweaks proven to enhance more common tried-and-true strategies.
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3. The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson, narrated by Dennis Quaid

Uncertainty and fear grip the nation. There are whispers of cyberterror and espionage and a traitor in the Cabinet. Even the President himself becomes a suspect, and then he disappears from public view… The President Is Missing sheds a stunning light upon the inner workings and vulnerabilities of our nation. Filled with information that only a former Commander-in-Chief could know, this is the most authentic, terrifying novel to come along in years.
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4. Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis, narrated by Rachel Hollis

With wry wit and hard-earned wisdom, popular online personality and founder of TheChicSite.com founder Rachel Hollis helps readers break free from the lies keeping them from the joy-filled and exuberant life they are meant to have.
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5. Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman, narrated by Catherine Steadman

If you could make one simple choice that would change your life forever, would you? Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banked with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon in Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving, they find something in the water.
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6. Factfulness by Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling, and Anna Rosling, narrated by Richard Harries

When asked simple questions about global trends, we get the answers wrong. So wrong that a chimpanzee choosing answers at random will consistently outguess us. Factfulness reveals the instincts that distort our perspective. It turns out that the world, for all its imperfections, is in a much better state than we might think.
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7. I’ll Be Gone In The Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search For The Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara, narrated by Gabra Zackman

For more than 10 years, a mysterious and violent predator committed 50 sexual assaults in California before perpetrating 10 sadistic murders. Then he disappeared. Three decades later, true crime journalist Michelle McNamara was determined to find the violent psychopath she called “the Golden State Killer” by poring over police reports and interviewing victims.
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8. Iron Gold by Pierce Brown, narrated by John Curless, Tim Gerard Reynolds, Julian Elfer, and Aedin Moloney

Honor and betrayal fuel a caste-shattering revolution. Ten years after the events of Morning Star, Darrow and the Rising are battling the remaining Gold loyalist forces and are closer than ever to abolishing the color-coded caste system of Society for good. But new foes will emerge from the shadows to threaten the imperfect victory Darrow and his friends have earned.
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July’s Top 10 Audiobooks.com Member Downloads

Posted on August 1, 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 Outsider by Stephen King, narrated by Will Patton

An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens, Terry Maitland. Detective Ralph Anderson orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but the case seems ironclad. However, as the investigation expands, horrifying answers begin to emerge. Read more and sample the audio.

2. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, narrated by Ann Marie Lee

Reporter Camille Preaker must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her mother or to the half-sister she barely knows. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming. Read more and sample the audio.

3. The President is Missing by Bill Clinton, James Patterson, narrated by Dennis Quaid

There are whispers of cyberterror and espionage and a traitor in the Cabinet. Even the President himself becomes a suspect, and then he disappears from public view… Set over the course of three days, The President Is Missing sheds a stunning light upon the inner workings and vulnerabilities of our nation. Filled with information that only a former Commander-in-Chief could know, this is the most authentic, terrifying novel to come along in many years. Read more and sample the audio.

4. The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand, narrated by Erin Bennett

It’s Nantucket wedding season. The Otis-Winbury wedding promises to be an event to remember: the groom’s wealthy parents have spared no expense to host a lavish ceremony at their oceanfront estate. But it’s going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons after tragedy strikes: a body is discovered in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony—and everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect. Read more and sample the audio.

5. All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin, narrated by Catherine Taber, Dorothy Dillingham Blue, Milton Bagby

Nina Browning is living the good life. Her husband made a fortune selling his tech business, and their son has been accepted to Princeton. Tom Volpe is a single dad working multiple jobs who finally starts to relax after his daughter, Lyla, earns a scholarship to Windsor Academy, Nashville’s most prestigious private school. Then, one photograph, snapped in a drunken moment at a party, changes everything. Read more and sample the audio.

Non-fiction

1. Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be by Rachel Hollis, narrated by Rachel Hollis

2. Calypso by David Sedaris, narrated by David Sedaris

When he buys a beach house on the Carolina coast, David Sedaris envisions long, relaxing vacations spent playing board games and lounging in the sun with those he loves most. And life at the Sea Section, as he names the vacation home, is exactly as idyllic as he imagined, except for one tiny, vexing realization: it’s impossible to take a vacation from yourself. Read more and sample the audio.

3. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover, narrated by Julia Whelan

Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she decided to try a new kind of life when her brother attended college and came back with news of the world. Tara’s quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents to Harvard and Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home. Read more and sample the audio.

4. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain, narrated by Anthony Bourdain

Most diners believe that their sublime sliver of seared foie gras, topped with an ethereal buckwheat blini and a drizzle of piquant huckleberry sauce, was created by a culinary artist of the highest order, a sensitive, highly refined executive chef. The truth is more brutal. Read more and sample the audio.

5. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, narrated by Derek Perkins

One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one homo sapiens. What happened? From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be human. Read more and sample the audio.

STAFF PICK: I Can’t Date Jesus by Michael Arceneaux

Posted on July 27, 2018 by Michelle

Title: I Can’t Date Jesus
Author: Michael Arceneaux
Narrator: Michael Arceneaux

Equally hilarious as it is heartbreaking, Michael Arceneaux’s I Can’t Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé will become your new bible and saving grace.

Raised by a raging father and disapproving but well-meaning mother, Arceneaux’s life as a gay, black, sensitive man is made that much harder. His complex feelings with the religion that saved his mother gnaws at their fragile relationship as he navigates dating men who take advantage of his kindness. Desperately wanting to find his place in the world, Arceneaux’s journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance is bold, beautiful, and darkly humorous.

“clearly rusty on how to enter a church, much less one of this size, I grabbed my wallet and was about to pull out my ID to show it to the usher that stood before the doors. Yes, as if he were a club bouncer. Yes, as if I were trying to get in free before eleven and rush to the bar to enjoy that two-for-one drinks special.”

I laughed out loud so many times while listening to this audiobook that I often had to pause it and repeat the lines to those nearby. What made it even richer was hearing it in Arceneaux’s own voice. If you choose to read this book rather than listen to it, you’ll miss out on experiencing the extent of his unflappable humor and talent for storytelling. He also does an excellent job of educating the public about Beyoncé in a way that will send the Beyhive swarming with joy.

“A Beytheist is someone who denies the splendor of Beyoncé. I don’t get people like that… I’ve developed a rule to stop dating men who dislike Beyoncé. I have tried to respect other people’s religious beliefs, but sometimes the biases you develop are well-earned.“

Can I get an amen?

7 Chilling Summer Listens

Posted on July 13, 2018 by Michelle

If the air conditioner doesn’t give you goosebumps this summer, these thrillers will.

1. A Blood Thing by James Hankins, narrated by Timothy Andrés Pabon

Governor Andrew Kane, is at a public meet-and-greet when a stranger slips him a phone and whispers, “Keep this… you’re going to need it after the arrest.” Hours later, Andrew’s brother is framed for murder, and discovers there is only one way to free him: answer the phone and agree to a blackmailer’s demands. He complies, but the stranger isn’t done. He has another little condition. Then another. And another…
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2. Unwelcome Guests by Anna Willett, narrated by Cat Gould

A weekend getaway in an isolated country house is just what Caitlin needs to fix her relationship with husband Eli. Her spirits are up as they enter the retreat and cool off in the nearby lake. But her husband is cold and dismissive so Caitlin decides to drown her sorrows, and heads into the wine cellar. What she finds there will change their lives forever.
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3. Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding, narrated by Kirby Heyborne, Cassandra Campbell, Rebekkah Ross

Frances Metcalfe thought her troubled son getting accepted into an elite school would change their lives. But after an incident that ostracizes the Metcalfes, she feels more alone than ever. Until she meets Kate Randolph. Kate is everything Frances is not: beautiful, wealthy, powerful, and confident. As they bond, a secret erupts. One of these women is not who she seems. Her real name is Amber Kunik. And she’s a murderer.
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4. The Cabin At The End Of The World by Paul Tremblay, narrated by Amy Landon

Seven-year-old Wen and her parents are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet lake. As Wen catches bugs, a stranger appears. Leonard is the large, young, and friendly. Leonard and Wen talk and play until Leonard abruptly apologizes and says, “None of what’s going to happen is your fault.” Three more strangers arrive, beginning a gripping tale of paranoia, sacrifice, apocalypse, and survival.
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5. Half Moon Bay by Alice Laplante, narrated by Gabra Zackman

Jane loses everything when her teenage daughter is killed in an accident. Devastated, she makes one tiny stab at a new life: she moves to the tiny seaside town of Half Moon Bay. She is able to cobble together some version of a job, friends, and peace. And then, children begin to disappear. As the disappearances continue, her neighbors wonder is if it is Jane herself who has unleashed the horror of loss.
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6. The Fifth To Die by J.D. Barker, narrated by Edoardo Ballerini and Graham Winton

Detective Porter has been pulled from the hunt for Anson Bishop, the Four Monkey Killer, by the feds. When the body of a young girl is found beneath frozen waters, she is identified as Ella Reynolds, missing three weeks. But how did she get there? The lagoon froze months earlier. More baffling? She’s found wearing the clothes of another girl, missing less than two days.
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7. Last Girl by J. G. Hetherton, narrated by Laura Jennings

Fired from the Boston Globe, Laura Chambers takes a job with the local paper. The work is boring – at least until a missing girl turns up dead. Years earlier, child after child disappeared, a reign of terror the town desperately wants to forget. Now that terror has returned to seize another girl. And another. And another. She dives deeper into a case, only to discover the truth may be far closer to home than she could have imagined.
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STAFF PICK: From The Corner Of The Oval

Posted on July 10, 2018 by admin

Post by Pam Campbell

Title: From The Corner Of The Oval
Author: Beck Dorey-Stein
Narrator: Beck Dorey-Stein

Thanks to Beck Dorey-Stein and her book From the Corner of the Oval, I know with absolute certainty that I don’t have the stamina or the party animal ability to work for the White House.

After answering a Craigslist add online, Dorey-Stein lands the job of a lifetime (and yes, the White House really did put a job posting on Craigslist) working as a stenographer for the 44^th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. She takes us inside the daily lives of the lucky individuals who travel around the world with the president and it is nothing short of a whirlwind: a high-flying, up-and-down party that is mixed in with hard work, and long hours. Dorey-Stein and her colleagues are dedicated to their jobs, but that doesn’t stop them from letting loose on a regular basis.

This is not a tell-all book of the president’s or nation’s secrets. You will not get any dirty gossip about Obama. This book is in fact a front row seat to a woman discovering who she is while she is learning the ropes of her new job in a high stakes working environment. She makes mistakes – professionally, yes, but mostly personally – and I found myself wanting to shake her and say “NO! Not again! Stop.” But just when you think you can’t keep up with the full throttle pace of her life, Dorey-Stein gifts the listener with moments of stillness, reflection, and exhalation.

Most of these moments come from her interactions with Obama himself or her watching his interactions with others. We learn of the heartfelt moments that Obama shares with survivors, we learn of his genuine kindness and more importantly we see the proof that the kindness, leadership, and grace of one person can have a profound impact on those around them. It was these moments throughout the book that really resonated with me. Knowing that in the midst of the very loud, adventurous, chaotic everyday comings and goings, your actions, your words, and attitude can have a positive impact both directly and indirectly.

So while this is a memoir of a stenographer for the 44^th President of the United States of America, it is so much more than that. While Dorey-Stein’s story unfolded in a most amazing setting, at a daily pace much faster than the average person, it is easy to relate to her; to her setbacks, her triumphs and her doubts. The fact that Dorey-Stein narrates herself lends to the personal nature of the audiobook experience. I found myself not only cheering her on, but also enjoying her eloquent and witty perspective on navigating life.

10 Ways to Listen to Audiobooks This Summer

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Michelle

Whether your calendar is already filled up for the summer months with beach days, backyard BBQs, weddings, or carving out time to relax, we’ve got 10 great audiobooks to help you make the most of summer.

Tell us in the comments how you’re spending your summer and what you’ll be listening to!

At the beach

The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews, narrated by Kathleen McInerney

The queen of beach reads is back with a delicious audiobook about an eccentric heiress, a young lawyer, and a group of former friend who reunite in a southern beach town. Brewing friendships, murder, love, secrets, and stunning scenery together, this juicy summer listen doesn’t disappoint.
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On a roadtrip

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman, narrated by Catherine Steadman

BBQing

Dinner: A Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach, narrated by Dara Rosenberg

Jenny Rosenstrach and her husband regularly cook dinner for their family every night. Even when they work long days. Even when their kids’ schedules pull them in 18 different directions. With simple strategies and common sense, Jenny figured out how to break down dinner — the food, the timing, the anxiety, from prep to cleanup so that her family could enjoy good food, time to unwind, and simply be together.
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Walking your dog

My Patients and Other Animals by Suzy Fincham-Gray, narrated by Rebecca Harper

The pursuit of a childhood dream has taken Suzy Fincham-Gray on a journey in veterinary medicine, with thousands of rewarding and emotionally challenging stories collected along the way. Like many physicians, Fincham-Gray tends to see her patients at often life-or-death moments. Her stories expand into deeper explorations of our complex, profound relationships with the animals in our lives.
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Gardening

Honey Farm Dreaming by Anna Featherstone, narrated by Rebecca Harper

Funning, moving, and engrossing, you’ll be transported to a world where one family tries to keep it all together as they juggle a farmyard full of animals, thousands of tourists in the garden, backpackers, millions of bees, and their commitment to the environment and each other. Discover more about the ‘simple life’ and enjoy a good laugh from this well-reviewed memoir.
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Fishing

The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger, narrated by Richard M. Davidson

Man’s struggle against the sea is a theme that has created some of the world’s most exciting stories. Now, in the tradition of Moby Dick, is a New York Times best-seller destined to become a modern classic. Written by journalist Sebastian Junger, The Perfect Storm combines an intimate portrait of a small fishing crew with fascinating scientific data about boats and weather systems.
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Berry picking

Dead and Berried by Karen MacInerney, narrated by Rebecca Mitchell

Developers have returned to Cranberry Island, and this time, they’re planning to wipe out a natural cranberry bog, along with the island’s namesake berries, to build a luxury subdivision. Natalie Barnes isn’t sweet on the idea of commercial interests souring their cozy oasis, but the innkeeper has other problems on her plate. Worst of all, there’s a killer on the loose, picking off people like ripe fruit.
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Star gazing

Light of the Stars: Alien Worlds and the Fate of the Earth by Adam Frank, narrated by Kevin Pariseau

Light of the Stars is science at the grandest of scales tells a radically new story about what we are: one world in a universe awash in planets. Astrophysicist Adam Frank shows that not only is it likely that alien civilizations have existed many times before, but also that many have driver their own worlds into dangerous eras of change.
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Getting ready for a wedding

By Invitation Only by Dorothea Benton Frank, narrated by Susan Bennett, Sarah Naughton, and Courtney Patterson

By Invitation Only follows two families and their only children who are recently engaged: Shelby, a privileged daughter from Chicago, and Fred, the son of hard-working peach farmers. Shelby’s parents care most about her happiness but cannot help but worry about what their social circle will think, while Fred’s mother worries that her son will soon be lost to her forever.
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Lazing in a hammock

In Praise of Wasting Time by Alan Lightman, narrated by Alan Lightman

In this timely and essential book that offers a fresh take on the qualms of modern day life, Professor Alan Lightman investigates the creativity born from allowing our minds to roam freely, without attempting to accomplish anything and without any assigned tasks. Break free from the idea that we must not waste a single second, and discover how sometimes, the best thing to do is to do nothing at all.
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Tag Archives: Non-Fiction

July’s Top 10 Audiobooks.com Member Downloads

10 Ways to Listen to Audiobooks This Summer

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