Lucas, the young introvert at the center of this short story, just wants to be left alone--like the protagonist of Backman's novel A MAN CALLED OVE. Narrator Stacy Gonzalez captures Lucas's ennui and exasperation, deepening her voice and slowing the pace of the dialogue perfectly. The folks that inhabit Lucas's apartment building, alas, are conspiring to deprive him of the... Read More

Nancy Wu's inviting narration brings listeners into the world of the first four families who move into a twelve-unit government housing complex outside of Seoul, South Korea. The story shifts among the perspectives of the four mothers, with primary focus on the newest resident, Yogin, and her neighbor, Hyonae. Wu portrays Yogin's efficient persona and contemplative nature as... Read More

This strange yet relatable story of identity and desire is narrated by Eunice Wong. Taiwanese American Vi is struggling with dropping out of college, a breakup, and working as a hotel receptionist when she finds a mysterious slime blob. Wong captures Vi's apathy and loneliness in her low voice. Smoothly switching between characters, Wong adds a tone of humor to her narration.... Read More

Oscar-winning actor, respected singer, and self-declared icon whose comebacks and reinventions have had their own comebacks and reinventions, Cher offers the first volume of her memoir. She alternates narrating with actor and friend Stephanie J. Block--who portrayed Cher in a short-lived Broadway musical biography. Both narrators are charming, effective, and pleasing to the... Read More

This audiobook defies easy labels, and narrator Brian Nishii is well suited to this type of material. His soft voice assumes an earnest, intense air as he follows the unnamed narrator through an alternate world. The plot is ethereal and fantastical, and the dreamy tone Nishii adopts seems appropriate as the narrator's thoughts meander. Lost love, exiled shadows, dream... Read More

Glory Edim, founder of the Well-Read Black Girl book club, performs her eloquent new memoir with charm and enthusiasm. The memoir is structured around the books that have been significant in her life, particularly those written by Black authors: Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde, and more. Growing up in Arlington, Virginia, the child of Nigerian... Read More

The warmth of Shamaan Casey's baritone surrounds listeners just as words envelop young James Baldwin in this biography. Quartez Harris's text shifts between a straightforward account and an ecstatic celebration. Casey navigates these tonal transitions with ease, expressing "Jimmy's" fascination with language in occasional meditative recitations of words and phrases. Sorrowful... Read More

Gail Shalan's narration provides a lighthearted tone to Beth Kander's clever and insightful story, which will allow listeners to empathize with her protagonist and enjoy this take on the difficulties of grief. Eve is overwhelmed with her life, dealing with worries about potential layoffs at work; her upcoming 40th birthday, which will coincide with her younger sister's wedding;... Read More

Scott Brick is the voice of ex-military cop Jack Reacher in this 29th installment in the series. Here Reacher is suffering from memory loss following a car accident that killed the driver. He awakens strapped to a table by people who think he's the driver's accomplice. He then becomes embroiled with four thieves, each of whom is trying to outwit and double-cross the others.... Read More

Sebastian Humphreys delivers an enthusiastic performance of a delightful cast of characters in this mystery. Chef Paul Delamare steps in as a culinary teacher to help his injured friend, celebrity chef Christian Wagner, and finds himself in the middle of a kitchen disaster. Humphreys's warm, pleasant voice and English accent pair perfectly with Paul's empathetic personality.... Read More

Catherine Ho narrates a thriller featuring a practical joke gone awry. Old friends May, Lauren, and Kelsey spend a holiday weekend together in the Hamptons, but after a drunken prank goes horribly wrong, their friendship is tested in unexpected ways. May is eager to see her friends in person for the first time in several years, and Ho capably balances her eagerness and anxiety.... Read More

Hannah van der Westhuysen gives a quiet, melancholic performance of this contemplative, grief-filled reimagining of KING LEAR. Set in a vague future of half-drowned cities and constant rain, the story revolves around three queer sisters after the death of their famous father, an architect. Estranged from him and each other, the three women navigate their romantic relationships,... Read More

Rosa Escoda's performance captures the essence of this magical and emotional story. Serin is a lonely young woman who enters a magical market where she must choose her perfect life within a week--or risk vanishing forever. Escoda's voice draws listeners into this enchanting world, skillfully rendering each character in their own distinct tone, making their interactions feel... Read More

Jen Zhao delivers an insightful performance of this novel, which is structured around several family vacations. College sweethearts Keru and Nate have never fit in with their families and have made their own family with their sheepdog, Mantou. Cultural differences between Keru's cautious immigrant parents and Nate's boisterous American parents have created an additional... Read More

This sequel to THE VERIFIERS more than lives up to the first audiobook in the series. Claudia Lin is juggling dysfunctional relationships with her mother and her siblings; an attraction to her co-worker Becks, as well as a crush on a woman she meets as part of a case; and investigating the death of a man who came to her company for help. Narrator Eunice Wong is so engaged with... Read More

Author and narrator Robin Wall Kimmerer, who is Potawatomi, gently guides listeners through this thoughtful exploration of gift economies and cultures of reciprocity. Using the framing device of an outing to gather serviceberries, which are also popular with the local birds, Kimmerer traces the pathways of mutual obligation and abundance seen in nature and in many traditional... Read More

Narrator Zoë Chao takes listeners on a darkly humorous, violent fantasy ride. This fast-paced contemporary reimagining of Chinese mythology follows immortal sisters Su and Emerald, who were originally born as snakes. After a thousand years, they have drifted apart, with Su living a reserved married life in Singapore and Emerald living a wild life in New York City. Chao keeps... Read More

Charlotte Cross is an assistant curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City in 1978. She's quietly conducting Egyptology research that harkens back to her only experience in Egypt, which took place before WWII. Linda Jones's excellent narration reflects Charlotte's ambivalence: She's determined to prove her controversial theory about an Egyptian ruler but fearful... Read More

Fans of Baldacci's Travis Devine series will find everything they've come to expect: a multilayered plot, high-stakes action, and bodies dropping everywhere. Narrator Zach Villa leads as Travis Devine, supported by a well-matched cast who heighten the listening experience. This time, Devine must protect 12-year-old Betsy Odom in Seattle. A complex web of conspiracies draws in... Read More

Cindy Kay sweeps listeners away with this memorable otherworldly story. On the day Hana is due to inherit her family's pawnshop, where people from our world can trade away their greatest choices and regrets, she wakes to find it ransacked. Also, her father is missing, and one of their precious choices is gone. Kay's narration balances a story that alternates between being... Read More