Susan Cain does a spectacular job of communicating her argument that sorrow and pain can enhance beauty and contribute to creativity. Cain's voice is beautiful, full of empathy and expression. Her timing is impeccable and even a bit musical--which seems totally appropriate for the idea that sad music can be moving and cathartic for both singer and listener, a recurring theme.... Read More

In this essay collection, author and narrator Mary Laura Philpott brings to life the worries, absurdities, and challenges that arise from loving people through life's transitions. Philpott's perceptive presentation invites listeners to hear her inner dialogue as she reflects on parenting a child diagnosed with epilepsy, as well as dealing with aging parents, the loss of beloved... Read More

Julia Whelan's dynamic performance will have listeners savoring every literary reference and word in this romance novel. Nora is unlucky in romantic love, but she loves her work as a book agent, New York City, and her sister, Libby. As Libby persuades Nora to vacation with her in rural North Carolina, her plan is to find Nora a man. But things go awry when Nora runs into... Read More

Narrator Edoardo Ballerini's confident, masculine voice is well suited to narrate this 1950s murder whodunit featuring private eye Aloysius Archer. Visiting an aspiring actress friend in Los Angeles, Archer is approached by a screenwriter who fears for her life, and then disappears. His investigation leads him beyond glamorous Hollywood to Chinatown and the surrounding desert,... Read More

Actor Viola Davis doesn't mince words. Her audiobook captures the voice of a woman with a fascinating, heartbreaking lived experience. Davis's performance here is essentially a one-woman show, bringing listeners in close from the first moments. While she was growing up in a condemned property, her family struggled with poverty. But her hard work and talent brought her to the... Read More

Natalie Naudus brings a sardonic tone as high school senior Chloe Green. Queer Chloe, who moved from California to Alabama with her moms, chafes against the repressive rules at Willowgrove Christian Academy even as she competes for valedictorian against her nemesis, "golden girl" Shara Wheeler. When Shara kisses Chloe and then disappears just a few weeks before graduation,... Read More

Poet Elizabeth Acevedo's narration of her groundbreaking spoken-word poem resonates with love, understanding, and heartbreak. Originally titled "Hair," the work achieved viral fame during her 2014 poetry slam circuit. With a thrumming rhythm and exquisitely placed pauses, Acevedo celebrates the beauty and import of Black hair. Her voice dips in sorrow as she notes that too many... Read More

Richard Ferrone, the gravelly voiced narrator of the long-running Lucas Davenport series, performs the debut of a new tough, smart, funny Davenport--Letty, the adopted daughter of Lucas and his wife, Weather. Letty, just 24, is sent with her partner, John Kaiser, by the Department of Homeland Security to investigate what's behind some disappearing Texas oil. A militia is... Read More

Billie Fulford-Brown narrates this contemporary British coming-out story. Eighteen-year-old Georgia has never kissed anyone, much less dated, had sex, or fallen in love. In fact, she's never truly wanted any of those things. As she begins her first year at Durham University, however, Georgia can't surrender her dream of a "normal" university experience--romance included. It's... Read More

Narrator Carolyn Kang sounds appropriately young and earnest as Ning, a teenager determined to save her sister's life in this historical fantasy inspired by Chinese culture and mythology. She's sick from the same poison that killed their mother, and Ning believes that her only hope for an antidote is to follow in her mother's footsteps and compete to become Princess Zhen's... Read More

Musician and actor Janelle Monáe adds author and narrator to her considerable list of accomplishments with this story collection based on the themes of her 2018 album DIRTY COMPUTER. In this Afrofuturist dystopia, the totalitarian entity New Dawn seeks to hunt down and strip away all perceived deviance from humanity. Monáe's narration of the eponymous first story is softly... Read More

Get ready for ALL of the feelings. Narrators Huw Parmenter and Sam Newton bring listeners up close and personal with British prep school boyfriends Charlie and Nick in this novella set after the events of the HEARTSTOPPER graphic novel series. It's the end of the school year--and the more Nick talks about being excited to go to university, the more Charlie, who has another year... Read More

It's never a surprise to fans of the Leaphorn/Chee/Manuelito series when any one of the characters stumbles across a dead body--but this installment involves two characters and two bodies. Nonetheless, listeners won't be confused by the dual plotlines. At the outset, Navajo Tribal Police detective Jim Chee's vacation is interrupted by his discovery of a corpse while hiking. At... Read More

Simu Liu is a natural narrator, conversational and appealing as he shares his engaging story of pursuing acting and finding eventual stardom as the headliner of a Marvel superhero movie. What makes this much more than a celebrity memoir is that Liu also tells his parents' stories of growing up in China during and after the Cultural Revolution. While Liu spent his first years... Read More

Bestselling author and journalist Anna Quindlen knows the importance of the written word, and the recording of experiences. Her casual yet persuasive performance is a call to action for anyone who thinks their life stories aren't worth sharing. Quindlen reflects on literary letters, diaries, and the people who have impacted her writing, and emboldens listeners to value their... Read More

Erin Bennett narrates this insider history of a New York institution-- the famed Jewish deli Zabar's--with the right blend of appreciation and conviction. She takes on the tone of a loving family member. The late Lori Zabar, who passed away earlier this year, the granddaughter of immigrant founders Lou and Lilly, shares the past, warts and all. They started the business in 1934... Read More