Each month, AudioFile Magazine reviewers and editors handpick the best new audiobooks for BookTrib readers. As the crisp October air settles in and spooky season begins, there’s no better time to curl up with one of these top-notch audiobooks. Get a taste of each with a sample and find your perfect fall listen!
Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Read by Ben Allen | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Hachette Audio | 14 hrs.]
Ben Allen performs a thought-provoking science fiction story about a political dissident who is trying to survive on an alien planet that serves as a tyrannical empire’s prison. Allen’s clipped intonation complements the third-person prose wonderfully. He makes the immersive and imaginative story one to get lost in.
Somewhere Beyond the Sea: Cerulean Chronicles (Book 2) by TJ Klune
Read by Daniel Henning | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Macmillan Audio | 15.75 hrs.]
Narrator Daniel Henning brings his signature versatility, emotional connection, and perfect comedic timing to the latest in the acclaimed Cerulean Chronicles series. A new social worker is determined to find a reason that Arthur cannot safely care for his children, and he will need the help of his entire family, along with his community, to resist her.
The Horse by Willy Vlautin
Read by Willy Vlautin | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Harper Audio | 5.75 hrs.]
Willy Vlautin narrates his novel, a series of linked stories, with the gentle twang of a vintage Telecaster. His characters are woven into the settings of the American Southwest, around Las Vegas and Reno, in run-down hotels and casinos. Vlautin embodies all this with the loving detail of a true artist’s ear, bringing these deeply engaging stories to a place of heartbreaking humanity.
Death at the Sign of the Rook: Jackson Brodie (Book 6) by Kate Atkinson
Read by Jason Isaacs | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Random House Audio | 9.5 hrs.]
Jason Isaacs is clearly having a rollicking good time narrating Kate Atkinson’s latest Jackson Brodie novel. It’s jammed full of Agatha Christie tropes but they’re all turned on their heads. Isaacs develops a myriad of distinct accents with hugely appealing dashes of winking amusement and heart. He builds both the drama and the absurdist humor to a laugh-out-loud crescendo.
Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi
Read by Marc Vietor | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Audible, Inc. | 20.5 hrs.]
Marc Vietor narrates a dark fantasy epic about a family of merchant bankers and the prince who is poised to take over the kingdom. Davico di Regulai, armed with an ancient dragon eye and his own wits, steps up to control a vast banking empire. He soon learns that kindness is a weakness that will get him killed. Vietor’s narration illuminates a story of power and wealth in a dynamic world.
Wild With Happy by Colman Domingo
Read by Colman Domingo, Alex Newell, Sharon Washington, Tyler James Williams, Oprah Winfrey | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Audible, Inc. | 1.5 hrs.]
Multitalented playwright/director/actor Colman Domingo gathered an internationally acclaimed cast to hit this spirited blend of social satire, love, responsibility, and grief out of the park. When an out-of-work actor (a superb Domingo) returns home to face the heartbreak of burying his late mother, he receives all kinds of advice. This delightful roller coaster of a comedy features subtle sound effects and seamless musical cues—all of which illustrate how theater and the audiobook world can be wonderfully complementary.
The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night by Steven Banbury
Read by Alyssa Bresnahan | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Hachette Audio | 9.5 hrs.]
This spooky middle-grade audiobook has all the cozy comforts of autumn, and Golden Voice Alyssa Bresnahan sets the tone perfectly. When Eve runs away from the orphanage, she’s unexpectedly rescued and then adopted by the Pumpkin King, who takes her to Hallowell Valley, where she discovers that she’s the only living human among a bustling populace of scarecrows, witches, vampires, werewolves, skeletons, and other mysterious entities.
Storm Child: Cyrus Haven (Book 4) by Michael Robotham
Read by Joe Jameson | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Simon & Schuster Audio | 11 hrs.]
Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac are back in this psychological thriller, which allows narrator Joe Jameson to shine. Haven, a psychologist, and Evie, a troubled young woman in his care, find themselves getting closer to solving the mystery of Evie’s past. Jameson brings everything to life with his animated narration, elevating the story.
The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love: Dangerous Damsels (Book 4), Love's Academic (Book 1) by India Holton
Read by Elizabeth Knowelden | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Penguin Audio | 10.25 hrs.]
Elizabeth Knowelden will capture listeners’ hearts with her charming performance. Rival ornithologists are on the hunt for the death whistler bird, one the rare jewels in birding. Knowelden’s performance is so charismatic and detailed that listeners will laugh at every scoff and playful jab. With its winning romantic payoff, this performance is a crown jewel.
House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias
Read by Jean-Marc Berne, Daya Mendez | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Hachette Audio | 11 hrs.]
Jean-Marc Berne and Daya Mendez narrate a thrilling blend of horror and crime set during a terrifying hurricane. Bimbo’s on a quest for revenge after his mother’s murder in a dispute over drug territory. His friends initially try to stay out of the bloodshed, but after one of them is murdered, they find loyalty a difficult thing to honor.
This story appears through BookTrib’s partnership with AudioFile and contains material originating from the AudioFile website.
