This month’s AudioFile Earphones Award winners deliver unforgettable performances, bringing stories to life with cinematic flair. From epic fantasy to gripping thrillers and heartfelt historical dramas, these audiobooks showcase the power of exceptional narration.
Wind and Truth: Stormlight Archive, Book 5 by Brandon Sanderson
Read by Kate Reading, Michael Kramer | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Macmillan Audio | 62.75 hrs.]
The endearing husband-and-wife team of Kate Reading and Michael Kramer continue their stunning narration of the Stormlight Archive series. Reading and Kramer switch off narrating—with both bringing special touches to their performances. The narration coupled with the fascinating fantasy epic is a must-listen for series fans—and will keep newcomers intrigued by its deep world-building.
Something Extraordinary: Something Fabulous, Book 3 by Alexis Hall
Read by Ell Potter, Steve West | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Brilliance Audio | 14.25 hrs.]
Narrators Ell Potter and Steve West are a dynamic duo escorting listeners through a bombastic adventure. Despite being gay, Sir Horley has pledged to marry a lovely woman, but his best friend, Arabella, won’t have it. As Arabella whisks Horley away on his wedding night, their unbreakable bond is tested against silly challenges and the cold, hard truths that come with being queer in Regency England.
Presumed Guilty: Presumed Innocent, Book 3 by Scott Turow
Read by Grover Gardner | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Hachette Audio | 20.25 hrs.]
It’s been 38 years since we first met Rusty Sabich in PRESUMED INNOCENT. Narrator Grover Gardner, one of the best in the business, affects a smooth and evocative tone as he reminds us how Rusty was found innocent of murdering his mistress. Now he’s entering the third act of his life with his engagement to the loving and insightful Bea. Rusty must return to court to defend his fiancée’s son — and his last chance for love.
More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova
Read by Tessa Albertson | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Simon & Schuster Audio | 9.5 hrs.]
Narrator Tessa Albertson captures the turmoil experienced by Maddy, a college student who is grappling with a recent diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Albertson’s youthful timbre and expressive intonation perfectly convey Maddy’s myriad symptoms, which include obsessional thinking and self-harm. Perceptive writing and a thoughtful performance.
Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray
Read by January LaVoy, Jeremy Carlisle Parker, Major Curda | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Macmillan Audio | 16.5 hrs.]
A trio of narrators portray teens from different eras and settings. January LaVoy transitions smoothly from the accented dialogue of Hanna and Sophie, two Polish teens, to their risk-taking amid Hitler’s threats in 1939. Jeremy Carlisle Parker transitions listeners to 1980 West Berlin, where Jenny adjusts to her family’s move from Dallas. Parker also portrays passionate, German-accented Lena, a queer punk rocker, whom Jenny comes to love. Major Curda communicates the growth of Brooklynite Miles, who solves the mysterious disappearances of two girls sixty years earlier.
The Islanders by Lewis Robinson
Read by Evan Sibley | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Vibrance Press | 10.5 hrs.]
Set on an island off the coast of Maine, this compelling coming-of-age novel captures the listener’s attention. Evan Sibley performs this audiobook with narrative drive, a convincing tone, and a sure sense of the unfolding drama. The setting is a posh but remote club on fictional Whaleback Island — just the place to retrain young misfits to work hard on land and sea to please the billionaires who have founded this Outward-Bound-style experience to fight against the “soft” youths of today.
Been So Wrong It Feels Like Right: King Oliver, Book 3 by Walter Mosley
Read by Dion Graham | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Hachette Audio | 8 hrs.]
Dion Graham continues his stellar work with Mosley’s Joe King Oliver series, bringing heart and rough edges in equal measure. Here, the private investigator’s Grandma B has a dying wish: Locate her long-missing son. Oliver’s complicated relationship with his father is heightened as the search brings new insights into the man. Graham, in top form, captures the grit of this New York City noir, embodying the wide cast of suspects, cops, and confidants. His delivery is so vivid it’s cinematic.
The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens
Read by Ilvana Muratovic | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Hachette Audio | 8.25 hrs.]
Narrator Ilvana Muratovic’s Bosnian heritage adds power to Eskens’s extraordinary historical novel of the 1990s War in Bosnia and its repercussions. Muratovic gives Hana Babic, a Bosnian now living in Minnesota, a subtle accent. It soon becomes clear that Hana’s secret past, buried for the last 30 years, threatens to resurface and upend her quiet life.
The Shutouts by Gabrielle Korn
Read by Gail Shalan | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Macmillan Audio | 10 hrs.]
In the sequel to Korn’s YOURS FOR THE TAKING, narrator Gail Shalan captures the desperation of two women as each works to survive in a world changed by politics and climate. Shalan’s compelling pacing works well with the range of emotions and nuances she provides for the characters and storylines—including a child-abusing cult leader, repressed lovers, and the search for a stolen child.
Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Read by Malcom Gladwell et al. | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Hachette Audio | 8.5 hrs.]
Malcolm Gladwell once again shows that audio is the ideal medium for someone who excels at both long-form journalism and podcasting. In this follow-up to his iconic debut, The Tipping Point, Gladwell explores the bleaker side of how things go viral. His unmistakable delivery has become more animated after years at the mic, and as he’s done in previous audiobooks, he uses snippets of recorded interviews to give authentic voices to many of his subjects.
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