Audiobook Reviews & Recommendations |
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August Audiobook Picks
Whether you’re savoring the last warm days of summer or dreaming of crisp fall days, we have recommendations for audiobooks you’ll love. Happy listening!
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“It was so much fun to return to the story of Luc and Oliver and all their weird and wonderful friends and family. Alexis’s characters are a dream to bring to life. All I have to do is remember the voices I used!”
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Narrator Joe Jameson appealingly inhabits protagonist Luc's snarky, sardonic (and also quite smitten) point of view. In BOYFRIEND MATERIAL, Luc and Oliver went from being fake boyfriends to real ones; in this sequel, they've been happily together for two years, and attending a series of weddings gives them, or at least Luc, an idea. Author Hall deftly balances the many laugh-out-loud funny moments with weighty questions about identity, family, expectations, and what comes next.
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Photo by Quincy Surasmith
“The cozy illustrations of Grace Lin's THANKING THE MOON made me feel like I was drinking a mug of hot tea in a warm blanket and celebrating in the moonlight, and I wanted to bring that feel to my narration. Working with Kris Koscheski (director) and Amber Beard (producer) was also a pleasure.”
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Narrator Elaine Wang beautifully illuminates the dreamy quiet of a mid-autumn Moon Festival celebration. A Chinese American girl tells how she travels out into the darkness with her family to string up lanterns, eat traditional sweets and fruits, and give thanks to the moon for happiness and togetherness. Wang uses round, deliberate tones to echo the circular illustrations meant to evoke the moon.
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“This is a magnificent debut by the incredible multidisciplinary artist Blitz Bazawule. I'm really knocked out by this book. Evocative and full of intrigue, it places us in a moment in time in world history that still resonates. The characters, America, Ghana, magical realism — all unfolding like a potent unforgettable dream. Wow! I loved bringing it to life.”
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Narrator Dion Graham delivers Bazawule's debut novel about an African American couple who flee the U.S. to avoid prosecution for defending themselves during a confrontation in the 1960s. Melvin and Bernadette board a plane headed to Ghana to seek asylum during this volatile period in American history. Unknown to them, CIA Agent Hughes is hot on their trail. Graham builds tension as Melvin's options narrow and Bernadette protects a secret.
AudioFile Earphones Award
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Dive into the world of haute couture with Amy Odell's biography of fashion icon Anna Wintour. Imogen Church, wearing Vivienne Westwood (of course!) and joined by her dog Snowy, tells AudioFile listeners about narrating ANNA. Watch the video.
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MORE NEW RELEASES TO EXPLORE
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Karin Slaughter, read by Kathleen Early
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Narrator Kathleen Early steps up to the challenge of voicing teenage boys and girls and then switching to an imperious female judge and a feisty female U.S. marshal. In this second book in the Andrea Oliver series, the plot moves back and forth from the troubled life of teenager Emily Vaughn in the 1980s to Oliver's first assignment as a U.S. marshal in the present day. Early's talent for evoking characters' ages, genders, cultural backgrounds, and personalities shines through and will keep listeners glued to their earbuds.
AudioFile Earphones Award
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Silvio Moreno–Garcia, read by Gisela Chìpe
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Gisela Chìpe deftly captures the spirit of these richly defined characters and the mood of mounting dread. Set in the Yucatán peninsula during the 1800s, Moreno–Garcia's audiobook is a recasting of H.G. Wells's mysterious scientist who builds animal-human hybrids. When the truth behind this disturbing story becomes clear, it threatens to upend the lives of Dr. Moreau's family. Chìpe effectively voices the theatrical, action-filled story's combination of science fiction and coming-of-age excitement.
AudioFile Earphones Award
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Emma Donoghue, read by Aidan Kelly
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Aidan Kelly's performance expresses the complex emotional experiences of three monks who are seeking solitude on a deserted island. Set in seventh-century Ireland, this work of historical fiction follows three monks who feel called by God to make a spiritual haven set apart from the temptations of the rest of the world. As time passes, their leader, Artt, becomes more and more insistent about their calling, while Cormac and Trian slowly fill with doubt. Kelly's Irish accent takes us to another place and time. |
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