Every month, AudioFile Magazine reviewers and editors select the best new audiobooks just for BookTrib’s readers. This month, listeners will exercise their minds with a history of women’s fitness trailblazers, feel charmed by Regency-era flirtation, travel to a UFO crash site and more. So, grab your earbuds and queue ’em up!
by Nita Prose | Read by Lauren Ambrose
Random House Audio | 9.5 hrs.
AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
Narrator Lauren Ambrose performs Nita Prose’s creatively crafted mystery featuring 25-year-old Molly Gray, a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, who, while cleaning the suite, finds a regular resident dead. The police think Molly killed the man since all the clues point to her. Ambrose’s narration is “perfection,” as Molly herself would say. The story is told by Molly, who loves being a maid, is verbally precise, lacks social skills, has a tendency to be obsessive and is rather naïve. She must save herself by solving the murder — but can she?
by Olga Tokarczuk, Jennifer Croft [Trans.] | Read by Gilli Messer, Allen Lewis Rickman
Penguin Audio | 35.5 hrs.
AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
Narrated with clarity and poise by Gilli Messer and Allen Rickman, this audiobook takes more than 35 hours but is worth it. Messer masterfully portrays the characters, delivers Hebrew authentically and uses accents — Yiddish, Polish and German — elegantly. Written by Polish Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk, this sprawling historical novel set in the 18th century tells the extraordinary story of Jacob Frank, a messianic figure who led a rebellion called the anti-Talmudists and was variously considered a holy man, sensualist and charlatan. Long but outstanding and compelling.
by David Wright Faladé | Read by James Shippy
Recorded Books | 9.25 hrs.
AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
James Shippy impeccably narrates this little-known event in Civil War history. One-armed abolitionist General Edward Wild led the African Brigade to rout Confederate irregulars and bushwhackers to free Virginians and North Carolinians who were still enslaved. Listeners meet Wild’s contingent of formerly enslaved people, including the highly educated Sergeant Richard Etheridge, the Black son of a white slaveholder. The action surges when Etheridge leaves the plantation to join Wild. Shippy flawlessly conveys diverse accents, personalities and conversations vital to the account. Audio enriches this sublime look at African-Americans in American history.
by Alexis Hall | Read by Nicholas Boulton
Brilliance Audio | 10.75 hrs.
AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
Narrator Nicholas Boulton narrates a delightful romp through romance tropes and genres. Trying to do the right thing, or whatever Valentine Layton, Duke of Malvern, understands that to be, has only landed him in upsetting situations, and Boulton perfectly captures his stiff formality. Being stuck with the deeply annoying (but also surprisingly charming) Bonaventure Tarleton grates on Valentine — until it doesn’t. On the surface, Bonny seems flighty and flirty, but Boulton gives him unexpected depths of compassion and insight into Valentine and the workings of the world at large. A delightful performance will leave listeners alternately cackling with glee and cringing in sympathy.
by Daphne Palasi Andreades | Read by Tashi Thomas
Random House Audio | 4.5 hrs.
AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
Narrator Tashi Thomas assuredly navigates this debut collection of vignettes. Told in seven parts, the audiobook explores the coming-of-age of young immigrant women of color as they grow up in vibrant Queens, NY. Thomas nails the collective choral voice of the girls, narrating the story through the first-person plural “we” with versatility and range. She captures the musicality in Andreades’ lyrical prose and skillfully conveys the girls’ frustrations and struggles in trying to reconcile their aspirations with their roots. Thomas elevates the work with a bold, resonant voice.
Let’s Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World
Written and read by Danielle Friedman
Penguin Audio | 9 hrs.
AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
It used to be frowned upon for women to exercise, sweat or build muscle — it was thought unbecoming and even dangerous. Danielle Friedman introduces us to a parade of fascinating trailblazers who championed women’s running and bodybuilding, created Jazzercise and Barre, and invented the sports bra and leotards. Her writing is exuberant and humorous, and her narration is joyful and engaging, too. With a lovely voice and sparkling wit, Friedman is vastly entertaining but also empathetic and relatable. Listen and learn about those women who helped us find our freedom to move.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess: Celestial Kingdom, Book 1
by Sue Lynn Tan | Read by Natalie Naudus
Harper Audio | 15 hrs.
Natalie Naudus narrates a sweeping romantic saga inspired by Chinese mythology. Xingyin, who was raised on the moon by her mother, Chang’e, makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom to try to obtain her mother’s freedom. Naudus beautifully portrays Xingin’s fear at being alone in a new world and her determination to succeed in her quest. When Xingyin is ultimately made companion to Crown Prince Liwei, Naudus captures her blossoming confidence and growing strength. Secondary characters from a variety of unique and distinct backgrounds are performed with finesse.
South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation
Written and read by Imani Perry
Harper Audio | 16.5 hrs.
In this intricate, insightful and deeply moving work of nonfiction, author/narrator Imani Perry explores the South and the crucial role it has played in American history and mythology. Her musical narration is as beautifully assured as her prose, full of the rhythm and cadences of her native Alabama. Though much of the audiobook is a reckoning with racism and white supremacy, it is also a gorgeous, complicated love letter — love you can hear in every sentence Perry speaks. Overflowing with urgent stories and narrated with so much passion and grace, this is a must-listen.
Diablo Mesa: Nora Kelly, Book 3
by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child | Read by Cynthia Farrell
Hachette Audio | 12 hrs.
Cynthia Farrell is the perfect narrator for this action-packed audiobook featuring homicide, government conspiracy and maybe UFOs. Farrell delivers both male and female voices with aplomb and adds the appropriate urgency when archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Special Agent Corrie Swanson land in trouble. Lucas Tappan, a really, really rich guy, hires Nora and her brother to excavate a site in Roswell, NM, the site of a supposed UFO crash. The dig uncovers two corpses. Farrell keeps the subsequent adventure, peril and romance as real as possible, and thoroughly engaging. Strap yourself in and enjoy the ride.
Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our Thinking
by Leonard Mlodinow | Read by Dan John Miller
Random House Audio | 8 hrs.
AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
Narrator Dan John Miller’s wonderful voice and lyrical phrasing make this audiobook sing with warmth and clarity. He’s also believably engaged with these fascinating perspectives from a theoretical physicist who has a gift for storytelling and explaining neuroscience. Mlodinow says that we are in the midst of a revolution in the way we understand the role of emotion in the human brain. He shows how all kinds of affective signals can be useful tools of rational thought and how we can harness their power in everyday life. Miller’s excellent delivery extracts every bit of charm and practical value from this writing.
This story appears through BookTrib’s partnership with AudioFile and contains material originating from the AudioFile website.
The Maid by Nita Prose
AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
Narrator Lauren Ambrose performs Nita Prose’s creatively crafted mystery featuring 25-year-old Molly Gray, a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, who, while cleaning the suite, finds a regular resident dead. The police think Molly killed the man since all the clues point to her. Ambrose’s narration is “perfection,” as Molly herself would say. The story is told by Molly, who loves being a maid, is verbally precise, lacks social skills, has a tendency to be obsessive and is rather naïve. She must save herself by solving the murder — but can she?
The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk, Jennifer Croft
AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
Narrated with clarity and poise by Gilli Messer and Allen Rickman, this audiobook takes more than 35 hours but is worth it. Messer masterfully portrays the characters, delivers Hebrew authentically and uses accents — Yiddish, Polish and German — elegantly. Written by Polish Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk, this sprawling historical novel set in the 18th century tells the extraordinary story of Jacob Frank, a messianic figure who led a rebellion called the anti-Talmudists and was variously considered a holy man, sensualist and charlatan. Long but outstanding and compelling.
Black Cloud Rising by David Wright Faladé
AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
James Shippy impeccably narrates this little-known event in Civil War history. One-armed abolitionist General Edward Wild led the African Brigade to rout Confederate irregulars and bushwhackers to free Virginians and North Carolinians who were still enslaved. Listeners meet Wild’s contingent of formerly enslaved people, including the highly educated Sergeant Richard Etheridge, the Black son of a white slaveholder. The action surges when Etheridge leaves the plantation to join Wild. Shippy flawlessly conveys diverse accents, personalities and conversations vital to the account. Audio enriches this sublime look at African-Americans in American history.
Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall
AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
Narrator Nicholas Boulton narrates a delightful romp through romance tropes and genres. Trying to do the right thing, or whatever Valentine Layton, Duke of Malvern, understands that to be, has only landed him in upsetting situations, and Boulton perfectly captures his stiff formality. Being stuck with the deeply annoying (but also surprisingly charming) Bonaventure Tarleton grates on Valentine — until it doesn’t. On the surface, Bonny seems flighty and flirty, but Boulton gives him unexpected depths of compassion and insight into Valentine and the workings of the world at large. A delightful performance will leave listeners alternately cackling with glee and cringing in sympathy.
Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades
AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
Narrator Tashi Thomas assuredly navigates this debut collection of vignettes. Told in seven parts, the audiobook explores the coming-of-age of young immigrant women of color as they grow up in vibrant Queens, NY. Thomas nails the collective choral voice of the girls, narrating the story through the first-person plural “we” with versatility and range. She captures the musicality in Andreades’ lyrical prose and skillfully conveys the girls’ frustrations and struggles in trying to reconcile their aspirations with their roots. Thomas elevates the work with a bold, resonant voice.
Let's Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World by Danielle Friedman
AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
It used to be frowned upon for women to exercise, sweat or build muscle — it was thought unbecoming and even dangerous. Danielle Friedman introduces us to a parade of fascinating trailblazers who championed women’s running and bodybuilding, created Jazzercise and Barre, and invented the sports bra and leotards. Her writing is exuberant and humorous, and her narration is joyful and engaging, too. With a lovely voice and sparkling wit, Friedman is vastly entertaining but also empathetic and relatable. Listen and learn about those women who helped us find our freedom to move.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess: Celestial Kingdom, Book 1 by Sue Lynn Tan
Natalie Naudus narrates a sweeping romantic saga inspired by Chinese mythology. Xingyin, who was raised on the moon by her mother, Chang’e, makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom to try to obtain her mother’s freedom. Naudus beautifully portrays Xingin’s fear at being alone in a new world and her determination to succeed in her quest. When Xingyin is ultimately made companion to Crown Prince Liwei, Naudus captures her blossoming confidence and growing strength. Secondary characters from a variety of unique and distinct backgrounds are performed with finesse.
South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry
In this intricate, insightful and deeply moving work of nonfiction, author/narrator Imani Perry explores the South and the crucial role it has played in American history and mythology. Her musical narration is as beautifully assured as her prose, full of the rhythm and cadences of her native Alabama. Though much of the audiobook is a reckoning with racism and white supremacy, it is also a gorgeous, complicated love letter — love you can hear in every sentence Perry speaks. Overflowing with urgent stories and narrated with so much passion and grace, this is a must-listen.
Diablo Mesa: Nora Kelly, Book 3 by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
Cynthia Farrell is the perfect narrator for this action-packed audiobook featuring homicide, government conspiracy and maybe UFOs. Farrell delivers both male and female voices with aplomb and adds the appropriate urgency when archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Special Agent Corrie Swanson land in trouble. Lucas Tappan, a really, really rich guy, hires Nora and her brother to excavate a site in Roswell, NM, the site of a supposed UFO crash. The dig uncovers two corpses. Farrell keeps the subsequent adventure, peril and romance as real as possible, and thoroughly engaging. Strap yourself in and enjoy the ride.
Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our Thinking by Leonard Mlodinow
AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
Narrator Dan John Miller’s wonderful voice and lyrical phrasing make this audiobook sing with warmth and clarity. He’s also believably engaged with these fascinating perspectives from a theoretical physicist who has a gift for storytelling and explaining neuroscience. Mlodinow says that we are in the midst of a revolution in the way we understand the role of emotion in the human brain. He shows how all kinds of affective signals can be useful tools of rational thought and how we can harness their power in everyday life. Miller’s excellent delivery extracts every bit of charm and practical value from this writing.
