Every month, AudioFile Magazine reviewers and editors select the best new audiobooks just for BookTrib’s readers. These award-winning October audiobooks are sure to keep you captivated!
This story appears through BookTrib’s partnership with AudioFile and contains material originating from the AudioFile website.
The Sandman: Act III by Neil Gaiman, Dirk Maggs
| Read by Neil Gaiman, James McAvoy, K.J. Apa, Kat Dennings, Shruti Haasan, David Harewood, Regé-Jean Page, Kristen Schaal, Wil Wheaton and a Full Cast
[Audible, Inc. | 11.5 hrs.]
AudioFile Earphones Award
Neil Gaiman lends his enchanting voice to the narration of this acclaimed graphic novel series. This epic drama, written by Gaiman and adapted by audio producer Dirk Maggs, plunges listeners into a fully realized world with dynamic sound effects and impressive vocal performances from a five-star cast. James McAvoy flawlessly portrays Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, as he and Delirium search for their elusive brother, who renounced his role in the Endless. Each episode may enlighten, amaze, or appall but will undoubtedly entertain.
Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora
| Read by Javier Zamora
[Random House Audio | 17.5 hrs.]
AudioFile Earphones Award
Javier Zamora narrates his memoir with a singular power. His account of his childhood migration from El Salvador to the U.S. provides listeners the truly heartbreaking first-person experiences of a child in the midst of a life-or-death struggle. In 1999, Zamora traveled thousands of miles, with a group of strangers, through Central America and Mexico. His parents, already in the U.S., had no ability to contact him, and Zamora misses his parents and longs to hear their voice. Zamora conveys this heartrending listening experience with quiet, beautiful humanity.
Maybe We'll Make It by Margo Price
| Read by Margo Price
[Dreamscape | 10.25 hrs.]
AudioFile Earphones Award
Singer-songwriter Margo Price writes lyrics with the soul of a poet, and this gift carries over to her prose. Sentences like “It’s not that the house was large inside, but the love in it was” and “Sometimes the wind would bring stories from distant places” appear frequently. Price’s clear voice makes her narration easy on the ears, and her pacing is good. She shows emotion frequently—you can almost see her smile as she recounts humorous stories from musical tours. Happily, snippets of her music add dimension to the work that one can’t get from the printed page.
Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese
| Read by Saskia Maarleveld
[Macmillan Audio | 9.75 hrs.]
AudioFile Earphones Award
Saskia Maarleveld delivers a beautiful performance in Hester, an imagined story of the inspiration for Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter. Isobel and Edward Gamble arrive in Salem, Massachusetts, but Edward immediately takes off to sea again. Master seamstress Isobel has to be careful — she sees letters as colors — and in 1829 Salem, years after the infamous witch trials, that can still be dangerous. Nat’s attraction to Isobel is instantaneous. Maarleveld provides the necessary electricity, the yearning, the longing, and, of course, the guilt. This well-written, well-researched, and masterfully performed novel provides satisfying listening.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
| Read by Charlie Thurston
[Harper Audio | 21 hrs.]
AudioFile Earphones Award
David Copperfield is the starting point for this audiobook, but it’s not a template. Narrator Charlie Thurston’s fine regional accent takes listeners to southwest Virginia, a place that dives deep into the truths of rural poverty. Damon Fields tells his own story, as in the Dickens novel, but he faces difficulties beyond what the English author imagined. Thurston manages to suggest all the major characters with subtle shifts of timbre, and he keeps Damon’s sad narrative from sounding like whining. The novel is depressing yet gripping, and its conclusion, at least, is hopeful.
Jacqueline In Paris by Ann Mah
| Read by Caroline Hewitt
[Harper Audio | 13 hrs.]
AudioFile Earphones Award
History buffs and Francophiles alike will enjoy this expertly narrated fictionalized account of Jacqueline Bouvier’s year of study abroad. Caroline Hewitt captures the magic of postwar Paris with her adept handling of French, German, and New Jersey accents. Mah’s novel weaves copious historical details and incomparable descriptions of Parisian culture, showing both the fragility of post-occupation France and the brilliant promise of its revitalization. The vibrancy of this novel is beautifully brought to life in Hewitt’s interpretation.
We Refuse To Forget: A True Story of Black Creeks, American Identity, and Power by Caleb Gayle
| Read by Caleb Gayle
[Penguin Audio | 7 hrs.]
AudioFile Earphones Award
This audiobook reminds us that those who precede us are often forgotten — or their stories are never told from their perspective. The Black Creek Nation, whose history includes the ownership of slaves and the granting of full citizenship to Black tribespeople, is one such group. Their gripping history, including conflict both internal and external, is delivered with passion by author Caleb Gayle. The stories are fascinating, and Gayle’s narration brings every aspect of the Creek world to life.
A Place In The World: Finding the Meaning of Home by Frances Mayes
| Read by Cassandra Campbell
[Random House Audio | 7.75 hrs.]
AudioFile Earphones Award
Cassandra Campbell’s melodious tone and deliberate pace seem created for the figurative language and lyricism of this audiobook. Her eloquent intonation syncs beautifully with Mayes’s philosophical musings on place, home, and family. Mayes built her considerable reputation as a memoirist by sharing her wanderlust and love of all things Tuscan, especially in her memoir Under The Tuscan Sun. In this new work, her memories sail from her Southern roots to her passion for restoration, and she includes fine asides on Southern writers and cucina povera (poor cooking). Campbell shares Mayes’s recipes and soul-enhancing stories, while capturing her warm heart.
If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery
| Read by Torian Brackett
[Macmillan Audio | 8 hrs.]
AudioFile Earphones Award
Torian Brackett’s skillful narration fully embodies the family at the center of this moving audiobook. Escoffery’s short stories include issues of identity and survival, as well as difficult family relationships. Trelawny is the child of Jamaican parents who fled violence and went to Miami in the 1970s. Upon moving to the Midwest for college, he experiences culture shock; then when he returns to Florida, he finds he’s seen as overeducated. Brackett’s performance captures Trelawny’s family members and his wry, clear-eyed humor. Brackett voices the complexities of the characters perfectly.
People Person by Candice Carty-Williams
| Read by Danielle Vitalis
[Simon & Schuster Audio | 10 hrs.]
AudioFile Earphones Award
Danielle Vitalis delivers a stunning performance of this family drama set in London, which will have listeners hanging on every word. Cyril Pennington’s five children barely know each other, but when one of them, aspiring social influencer Dimple, seems to have accidentally killed her boyfriend in self-defense, all four of her half-siblings show up to help. Vitalis captures their distinct dialogue, giving each a unique sound that enhances their personality. Vitalis deftly moves from heartfelt to funny, sometimes in a single sentence. A definite must-listen of the year.
