Lots of people loved NEW KID, the graphic novel written and illustrated by Jerry Craft. It was the first graphic novel to win the Newbery Medal. One thing that makes the audiobook so special is the full cast and scene-setting sound effects that really bring the illustrations to life and make listeners feel like they are experiencing a movie. If you are looking for more immersive audiobooks about friendship and family for ages 8 and up, here are a few of my recommendations. Read more…
In the last decade, author Lauren Blakely has produced more than 50 of her own audiobooks, collecting acclaim for her work: BIRTHDAY SUIT was a 2020 Audie Awards finalist for Audio Drama, and WANDERLUST was a 2019 Audie finalist in the Romance category. I was excited to talk with Lauren and get the behind-the-scenes scoop about being an audio producer as well as an author, and to learn more about her brand-new audiobook, A GUY WALKS INTO MY BAR.
AudioFile: Can you talk about your journey from writer to producer? Read more…
It should be obvious now that we ALL need to be having conversations with our children about antiracism and how unjustly Black people have been treated in America. This collection of fiction and nonfiction audiobooks from authors and/or narrators of color shows Black people as heroes of their own stories. These audiobooks are all perfect for family listening to spark important discussions about fairness in America, a concept which all children inherently understand. Read more…
What do you listen to when you’ve heard all of the Harry Potter and Rick Riordan audiobooks multiple times? We’ve paired up 16 excellent audiobooks for ages 8-12+, titles that share a theme, subject matter, or narrative style. Each of these “listen-alikes” is a great choice for middle graders looking for fresh listening. Read more…
The Audies Gala dazzled—the gowns, the world of audiobook stars, the excitement, the energy! All this turned me into a super gawking fan girl. Read more…
It’s Audie Awards season. The Audie Gala, where the winners will be announced, will be held March 2 in New York City. In preparation for the 25th anniversary of the annual awards, I want to share with you the finalists in the categories of Mystery and Thriller/Suspense. Read more…
Author Nic Stone and narrator Dion Graham make a powerful team. Stone’s newest audiobook CLEAN GETAWAY came out this winter, and it’s another Earphones Award winner narrated by Dion Graham. We thought this was the perfect opportunity to revisit our conversation with the author and narrator duo. Host Jo Reed spoke with both Stone and Graham when their audiobook DEAR MARTIN first released. Stone’s moving young adult audiobook allows listeners to reflect on the trauma and impacts of racial profiling as her characters ask the questions we would in their situations. Listen to their conversation below.
“The best way to reach young people through literature is to reflect actual young people who mess up, who do good, who do bad, who have good things that they are a part of, who maybe have some things that they shouldn’t be a part of.”—Author Nic Stone
It’s a special pleasure to share AudioFile’s list of the best science fiction, fantasy, and horror audiobooks of 2019. Wildly different from each other — the list includes magical storybooks and possessed trucks — they all take listeners on unique and fantastic voyages (“Fantastic voyages” being my homage to the first sci-fi movie I ever saw, that iconic 1966 film that featured miniaturized scientists battling white blood cells from inside a body). Read more…
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Happy cooking, cleaning, traveling, laughing, stressing-out, hanging-out, gossiping, tippling, eating. My advice — forget politics for the day or weekend, and agree to disagree about pumpkin pie. In between and during — well, maybe not while carving the turkey or tofu, there’s nothing like an audiobook to calm, divert, and amuse. I’ve found five listens that are perfect for dipping in and out of as time permits. Read more…
Golden Voice narrator Dion Graham gives listeners insights into one of this year’s biggest fantasy novels as he introduces us to the first in Marlon James’s new trilogy, BLACK LEOPARD, RED WOLF. In this African-inspired epic, the protagonist’s powerful sense of smell leads him through dangerous cities and wild lands in pursuit of a child he has been hired to find. Watch the video below.
“It’s an incredible piece of work about life, death, loss, love, urges, wants, desires, needs, and the pursuit of happiness.”—Narrator Dion Graham
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