Every month, AudioFile Magazine reviewers and editors give “Earphones Awards” to the best new audiobooks — the listens that combine blow-you-away narrations with standout writing. BookTrib, thanks to our partnership with AudioFile, offers this month’s picks of the newest do-not-miss titles — memoirs and bios first, some fiction, and a history book that reads like the best thriller. Don’t forget your earbuds.
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Author and narrator Lindy West is at her incendiary best in her latest collection of essays, The Witches Are Coming (Hachette Audio), which unpack the bizarre, broken and infuriating mess of current American politics. This is a must-listen for anyone who cares about the future of the country — and the planet.
Narrator Scott Brick brings the story of William Kent Krueger’s This Tender Land (Recorded Books) to life as the voice of Odie, an old man who reflects upon his childhood in Minnesota and the life-changing year of 1932. Krueger himself introduces and closes this modern-day Odyssey, which also serves as a wink at Huck Finn.
Narrator Simon Vance works his magic on Long Flight Home (HighBridge Audio) by Alan Hlad, a well-written WWII novel inspired by the contributions made to the war effort by homing pigeons. Not to worry — listeners will also find plenty of action scenes, terror behind enemy lines and a sweet romance.
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The Fountains of Silence (Listening Library) by Ruta Sepetys is a harrowing yet hopeful story of young people caught in the midst of Spain’s fascist regime in the 1950s, superbly rendered by Maite Jáuregui and an ensemble cast. The love story between aspiring photojournalist Daniel, a wealthy Texan teen, and Ana, a young hotel maid who is the daughter of executed anti-fascists, slowly uncovers the terrifying underbelly of Spanish life under fascist rule.
Those who have been following narrator David Shaw-Parker’s journey through Anthony Trollope’s Palliser novels have come to expect excellence, and they will not be disappointed with this concluding installment, The Duke’s Children (Naxos AudioBooks). The Duke of Omnium is now a widower and there is a new assortment of interesting characters for Shaw-Parker to bring to life. And he does so marvelously.
Codename Villanelle (Recorded Books/Clipper Audio) by Luke Jennings is the basis for the riveting television series Killing Eve and does not stray far from its counterpart. Narrator Laura Kirman deserves the lion’s share of credit for making this captivating audiobook so irresistible.
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Gerard Doyle is simply wonderful narrating A Bitter Feast (Harper Audio), Deborah Crombie’s exciting 18th outing with the crime-solving couple Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James. Mysterious deaths, secrets and motives going back decades, combined with Doyle’s impeccable performance, make this a mystery worth hearing.
Colleen Prendergast’s strong, nuanced voice takes listeners to a village by the sea in northwest England in Paula Daly’s Clear My Name (Dreamscape). This feminist thriller explores the various manifestations of motherhood and the psychology of murderers, and the plot is compelling.
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Narrator Elizabeth Knowelden handles the witty, rapid-fire wordplay of T E Kinsey’s mystery, Death Beside the Seaside (Brilliance Audio), as Lady Hardcastle and her lady’s maid, Florence, take a holiday at the seaside, only to become embroiled in international intrigue. Knowelden will keep listeners laughing out loud.
Narrator Nicholas Boulton adopts a diverse collection of accents and personalities as he portrays magical creatures, vampires, soldiers and other things that haunt the paranormal worlds in The Affair of the Mysterious Letter (Penguin Audio) by Alexis Hall. Sherlock Holmes lovers will enjoy this imaginative story.
The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West
Author and narrator Lindy West is at her incendiary best in her latest collection of essays, The Witches Are Coming (Hachette Audio), which unpack the bizarre, broken and infuriating mess of current American politics. This is a must-listen for anyone who cares about the future of the country — and the planet.
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Narrator Scott Brick brings the story of William Kent Krueger’s This Tender Land (Recorded Books) to life as the voice of Odie, an old man who reflects upon his childhood in Minnesota and the life-changing year of 1932. Krueger himself introduces and closes this modern-day Odyssey, which also serves as a wink at Huck Finn.
Long Flight Home by Alan Hlad
Narrator Simon Vance works his magic on Long Flight Home (HighBridge Audio) by Alan Hlad, a well-written WWII novel inspired by the contributions made to the war effort by homing pigeons. Not to worry — listeners will also find plenty of action scenes, terror behind enemy lines and a sweet romance.
The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
The Fountains of Silence (Listening Library) by Ruta Sepetys is a harrowing yet hopeful story of young people caught in the midst of Spain’s fascist regime in the 1950s, superbly rendered by Maite Jáuregui and an ensemble cast. The love story between aspiring photojournalist Daniel, a wealthy Texan teen, and Ana, a young hotel maid who is the daughter of executed anti-fascists, slowly uncovers the terrifying underbelly of Spanish life under fascist rule.
The Duke’s Children by Anthony Trollope
Those who have been following narrator David Shaw-Parker’s journey through Anthony Trollope’s Palliser novels have come to expect excellence, and they will not be disappointed with this concluding installment, The Duke’s Children (Naxos AudioBooks). The Duke of Omnium is now a widower and there is a new assortment of interesting characters for Shaw-Parker to bring to life. And he does so marvelously.
Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings
Codename Villanelle (Recorded Books/Clipper Audio) by Luke Jennings is the basis for the riveting television series Killing Eve and does not stray far from its counterpart. Narrator Laura Kirman deserves the lion’s share of credit for making this captivating audiobook so irresistible.
A Bitter Feast by Deborah Crombie
Gerard Doyle is simply wonderful narrating A Bitter Feast (Harper Audio), Deborah Crombie’s exciting 18th outing with the crime-solving couple Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James. Mysterious deaths, secrets and motives going back decades, combined with Doyle’s impeccable performance, make this a mystery worth hearing.
Clear My Name by Paula Daly
Colleen Prendergast’s strong, nuanced voice takes listeners to a village by the sea in northwest England in Paula Daly’s Clear My Name (Dreamscape). This feminist thriller explores the various manifestations of motherhood and the psychology of murderers, and the plot is compelling.
Death Beside the Seaside by T E Kinsey
Narrator Elizabeth Knowelden handles the witty, rapid-fire wordplay of T E Kinsey’s mystery, Death Beside the Seaside (Brilliance Audio), as Lady Hardcastle and her lady’s maid, Florence, take a holiday at the seaside, only to become embroiled in international intrigue. Knowelden will keep listeners laughing out loud.
The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall
Narrator Nicholas Boulton adopts a diverse collection of accents and personalities as he portrays magical creatures, vampires, soldiers and other things that haunt the paranormal worlds in The Affair of the Mysterious Letter (Penguin Audio) by Alexis Hall. Sherlock Holmes lovers will enjoy this imaginative story.
