![Audible Editor - Tricia Ford](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/G/01/Audible/en_US/images/creative/CO-1037_TriciaDesktopHero._CB1581101171_.jpg)
AUDIBLE EDITOR
Tricia Ford
Tricia's Featured Reviews
The Prophets is a debut novel by a writer with an extraordinary gift for storytelling. Robert Jones, Jr.’s prose is lyrical, challenging, beautiful, and horrifying. This epic historical fiction tells the story of Samuel and Isaiah—two enslaved men in love on a Deep South plantation. They have always been known as an inseparable pair, but as their romantic love is revealed to others, they begin to find themselves in increasing danger. Told from the perspective of an array of characters, the narrative is largely in third person, with each chapter coming from a different perspective. Mixed in are chapters told in first person plural—where the old gods of Africa, watching over the descendants of those who worshiped them, share wisdom and serve as witnesses. This is where I became completely mesmerized by narrator Karen Chilton’s performance. I listened, and relistened, and will surely go back again to reexperience the profound beauty of this masterpiece.
Musical memoirs are all the rage here at Audible! So while I typically go for fiction finds when choosing my picks, I just had to jump on the bandwagon (get it, “band” wagon?) and join in on the fun. How lucky are we to have a new memoir—filled with personal stories, life wisdom, and yes, musical interludes—from the American treasure that is Dolly Parton!?! She frames her story through her songs—taking the listener on a real musical journey. Dolly is timeless. Her authenticity and talent shine through and she reminds me of all that is good in this world.
After unsuccessfully attempting to hold up a cashless bank, a desperate father accidentally creates a hostage situation after running headfirst into an apartment viewing. From our bumbling would-be robber, to the collection of “regular” folks locked in together, to the father–son cop team who lead the investigation, each character has a story to be told. What’s revealed is pure Backman truth-telling that perfectly captures the human experience with humor, tenderness, and wisdom. And the shining glory of this listen is narrator Marin Ireland’s performance. She simply nails it—all of it: Backman’s uncanny ability to get to the heart of things and in giving each and every quirky character a voice that resonates. I’m still smiling and can’t wait for the next Backman/Ireland collaboration!
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Writers & Lovers
- A Novel
- By: Lily King
- Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Blindsided by her mother’s sudden death and wrecked by a recent love affair, Casey Peabody has arrived in Massachusetts in the summer of 1997 without a plan. Her mail consists of wedding invitations and final notices from debt collectors. A former child golf prodigy, she now waits tables in Harvard Square and rents a tiny, moldy room at the side of a garage where she works on the novel she has been writing for six years. At 31, Casey is still clutching onto something nearly all her old friends have let go of: the determination to live a creative life.
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An absorbing listen
- By Barbara S on 03-08-20
Portrait of an artist as a young woman
Casey Peabody is the central character of this new novel by Lily King. She’s in her early 30s and living the kind of life some would argue should have ended in her 20s—most of her friends have moved on from the "artist’s" life and gotten "real" jobs, while Casey still waitresses, lives alone is what’s basically a potting shed, and has been working on her novel for the past six years. And while Casey is far from happy—she is reeling from her mother’s death and suffers debilitating anxiety—her life is in no way a cautionary tale, or a cliché. Casey is not perfect, or even 100% likable, but I felt intense empathy for her, and there were plenty of times when her musings made me laugh or even cringe a little bit with self recognition. Most strikingly, throughout the whole story she felt real—the result of a well-drawn character and stellar narration. For a story that’s so much about the internal voice of one woman, having the right person narrate is crucial, and Stacey Glemboski’s performance is an example of perfection in casting. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to see the world through Casey’s eyes for a time—King has masterfully captured the essence of one young(ish) woman making her way in the real world.
Tricia's Past Reviews
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Oona Out of Order
- A Novel
- By: Margarita Montimore
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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It’s New Year’s Eve 1982, and Oona Lockhart has her whole life before her. At the stroke of midnight she will turn nineteen, and the year ahead promises to be one of consequence....
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Awful
- By M. Esposito on 03-02-20
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Oona Out of Order
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Release date: 02-25-20
- Language: English
- An uplifting joyride
- Imagine living your life out of order… What would it be like to be 19 years old on the inside forever? What would you do it you woke up tomorrow 30 years older than you are today? These are just a few of the questions you can’t help but ask yourself while listening to Oona—a delightful time travel novel that made me take my own trip down memory lane all while imaging various "what-if" scenarios for myself. How much fun would it be to have invested wisely (based on having already lived the future) and now have all of the money you could ever want or need? I’d have a Brownstone too, for sure. I also found myself immediately sympathizing with Oona—cringing at her many missteps and bad choices and reveling alongside her as she parties like a 27-year-old woman who’s already been a 51-year-old woman and is really only 19 years old on the inside. Narrator Brittany Pressley sounds exactly how I’d imagine Oona to sound—capturing the enthusiasm and hopefulness of a 19 year old who also holds a more tempered wisdom—something earned by having already lived so much of her later life.
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Nothing to See Here
- By: Kevin Wilson
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Lillian and Madison were unlikely roommates and yet inseparable friends at their elite boarding school. But then, Lillian had to leave the school unexpectedly in the wake of a scandal, and they’ve barely spoken since. Until now....
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Elevated art form.
- By KayMac on 10-30-19
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Nothing to See Here
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Release date: 10-29-19
- Language: English
- Such a great story to listen to!
- I've finally discovered Kevin Wilson and will diving into his backlist for sure! Having fallen for Marin Ireland's narration in Beartown (Fredrik Backman) I was immediately drawn to trying out more of her performances (fingers crossed that her audiobook resume will continue to grow). I adore her, and she is just too perfect for this quirky, heartfelt story filled with a wonderfully authentic cast of characters. The fact that there are children who spontaneously burst into flames (or occasionally more subtlety smolder if only slightly agitated) somehow only adds to its realness. You will care deeply for these people--you will laugh and you may cry. I did all of these things and I'm left with the overwhelming sense of satisfaction found in experiencing a story that is both entertaining and moving--the joy of time well-spent. 😊
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City of Girls
- A Novel
- By: Elizabeth Gilbert
- Narrated by: Blair Brown
- Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Beloved author Elizabeth Gilbert returns to fiction with a unique love story set in the New York City theater world during the 1940s....
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A strong story
- By Anita Kristensen on 06-08-19
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City of Girls
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Blair Brown
- Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins
- Release date: 06-04-19
- Language: English
- Looking back with no regrets
- Vivian Morris is a 95-year-old woman who looks back on her youthful indiscretions with zero regrets. Zero. From the time she arrived at her Aunt Peg's rundown Manhattan theater at age nineteen, escaping the rigor and elitism of 1940's Vassar, Vivian enthusiastically sought out the kind of life lessons best taught by show girls. She considered those years of youthful hedonism as the best of her life—living with intent and absolutely no shame—and (almost surprisingly) she was not destroyed by it! Narrator Blair Brown's performance is amazing. She captures the spirit of this dauntless NYC woman and a place and time forever immortalized in Gilbert's glittery prose.
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Where the Forest Meets the Stars
- By: Glendy Vanderah
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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After the loss of her mother and her own battle with breast cancer, Joanna Teale returns to her graduate research on nesting birds in rural Illinois. She throws herself into her work from dusk to dawn, until her solitary routine is disrupted by the appearance of a mysterious child....
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Enjoyable. Which "story" version is true...
- By Christina on 03-16-19
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Where the Forest Meets the Stars
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Release date: 03-01-19
- Language: English
- Real-life magic
- Where the Forest Meets the Stars is my favorite audiobook so far this year! As mesmerized as I became with this tale, you may be surprised to find out that there's no actual magic in this story. The whole thing is more tortuously real than fantastic. The magic is in connections forged between some very likable people. But before I give too much away, let's just say that it’s one of those stories that hooked me immediately, and kept me 100% invested through the bitter end (yes, there were tears). The characters will capture your heart—in large part due to Lauren Ezzo’s performance. My god, can she transition from adult to child with ease and skill. She will make you believe that eight-year-old Ursa is a very real little girl (and possibly a genius alien). Dare I say it's a near-perfect listen for fiction lovers? Yes, I do.
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Last Seen Wearing
- By: David Hewson
- Narrated by: Samantha Dakin, Stuart Milligan, John Guerrasio, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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It’s been two years since Dinah Collins left the NYPD in disgrace, forced out for digging too deeply into the sudden disappearance of a fellow cop - her brother, Danny. Now, scraping by as a PI, Dinah is hired to find a young woman, Lucy Fisher, who vanished on Halloween....
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A delightful listen!
- By L. M. Roberts on 01-31-19
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Last Seen Wearing
- Narrated by: Samantha Dakin, Stuart Milligan, John Guerrasio, Laurence Bouvard, Vaughn Johseph, Martin T. Sherman, Adela Leiro, Jared Zeus, Danielle Lewis, Lorelei King, Thomas Stroppel, Paul Panting, Lachele Carl
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Release date: 01-10-19
- Language: English
- Created especially for Audible
- Author David Hewson is behind some of my favorite "audio-first" projects like Macbeth: A Novel and Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel in which he and co-creator A. J. Hartley brilliantly re-imagined two of Shakespeare's classics. Last Seen Wearing is something quite different and is even more audio-centric. Here, Hewson, in this full-cast production, takes on NYC with a crime story unlike anything else you've listened to. If you're a fan of TV shows featuring cops, PI's, and detectives you'll want to check this one out. Warning: If listening while driving, take care to ignore random sirens and car horns—you're not (likely) getting pulled over by the fuzz or being tailgated by an 18-wheeler.
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A Ladder to the Sky
- A Novel
- By: John Boyne
- Narrated by: Richard E. Grant, Richard Cordery, Nina Sosanya, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Maurice Swift is handsome, charming, and hungry for fame. The one thing he doesn’t have is talent - but he’s not about to let a detail like that stand in his way. After all, a would-be writer can find stories anywhere. They don’t need to be his own....
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This is a very smart book
- By Johnnie Terry on 01-05-19
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A Ladder to the Sky
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Richard E. Grant, Richard Cordery, Nina Sosanya, Laurence Kennedy
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Release date: 11-13-18
- Language: English
- A literary psychodrama
- A Ladder to the Sky is set in the supposedly genteel world of writers. But where do writers get their ideas from? For one particularly dark, ambitious, and cunning writer who has skill but lacks imagination...he steals them. The story is told is three distinct parts, each wonderfully performed by a different narrator and from the perspective of three separate characters: the successful author with a secret past who takes on a young Maurice as a protégé, Maurice's author-wife, and finally from an aged Maurice himself. It's a full-circle reveal of a very bad man.
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Milkman
- By: Anna Burns
- Narrated by: Bríd Brennan
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Middle sister, our protagonist, is busy trying to keep her mother from discovering her maybe-boyfriend and to keep everyone in the dark about her encounter with Milkman. But when first brother-in-law sniffs out her struggle and rumors start to swell, middle sister becomes "interesting"....
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Like the writing, not the audio issues
- By Criticalthinker on 12-31-18
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Milkman
- Narrated by: Bríd Brennan
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Release date: 12-04-18
- Language: English
- Winner of the 2018 Man Booker Prize
- Every once in a while I like a challenge and Milkman is that in spades. But one well-worth taking on because it's oh-so-smart, and well written, and it got in my head and made me think differently. It didn't change my mind about the political and social implications of the Troubles in Northern Ireland in the '70s—but it altered how I saw the world for a while after I finished listening. The 18-year-old female protagonist may be unnamed, but boy is she a unique and brilliantly drawn character. It's through her eyes, and the unflinching performance of narrator Bríd Brennan, that I came to see what happens in a world where illogical, even absurd, lines are made between us and them—and almost no one thinks to question it.
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The Witch Elm
- A Novel
- By: Tana French
- Narrated by: Paul Nugent
- Length: 22 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Toby is celebrating with friends when the night takes a turn - he surprises two burglars who beat him. Struggling to recover, he takes refuge at his family's ancestral home to care for his dying uncle Hugo and soon learns his past may not be what he has always believed....
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Wow!
- By Beth on 10-11-18
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The Witch Elm
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Paul Nugent
- Length: 22 hrs and 7 mins
- Release date: 10-09-18
- Language: English
- A satisfying slow burn
- I'm a huge fan of Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series, so I was more than excited for her first-ever stand-alone novel, The Witch Elm. What it shares with her other books is that knack she has for creating an amazing sense of place: always modern-era Ireland, but so much more precise than just that. Narrator Paul Nugent is new to me, but he’s quickly become a favorite. He gives a very clear picture of the book’s central character, Toby—a 20-something year old who (up until now) seems to have been blessed with good luck in all things. When something terrible happens to him, this completely likable-enough guy goes through physical and emotional challenges, to say the least. As he recovers from his own trauma, he finds himself back at the old family compound, Ivy House, to care for his ailing uncle. True to form, French turns Ivy House into a character in and of itself. It’s not your typical haunted house, but is equally as unnerving, especially after a skull is discovered hidden in the hollow of a witch elm in the backyard. Toby’s former sense of ease in life has been obliterated, and now he must confront the fact that he may have had it all wrong his entire (privileged) life.
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Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree
- By: Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, Viviana Mazza - afterword
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Based on interviews with young women who were kidnapped by Boko Haram, this poignant novel by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani tells the timely story of one girl who was taken from her home in Nigeria and her harrowing fight for survival. Includes an afterword by journalist Viviana Mazza....
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Captivating
- By Amanda Butler on 01-09-21
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Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Release date: 09-04-18
- Language: English
- Harsh truths revealed in fiction
- This is an artfully executed blend of fact and fiction told from the perspective of a teenaged girl in Nigeria who is abducted by the radical group, Boko Haram. Presented in short vignettes, each chapter highlights what her life is like in the small village where Christians and Muslims have lived together peacefully—aware of but not threatened by their differences—where her focus is on school, family, and her best friend. Everything changes when Boko Haram charges into the village and she's ripped from her family, but her indelible spirit remains strong. Narrator Robin Miles embodies this spirit with an impassioned and authentic performance that gives this unnamed girl a voice to be remembered.
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The Ruin
- By: Dervla McTiernan
- Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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It's been 20 years since Cormac Reilly discovered the body of Hilaria Blake in her crumbling Georgian home. But he's never forgotten the two children she left behind....
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Exceptional Debut
- By Louanne on 07-18-18
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The Ruin
- Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
- Series: The Cormac Reilly Series, Book 1
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Release date: 07-03-18
- Language: English
- For fans of Tana French
- Because it's one of my favorite places in the world, I could not resist the Galway locale of The Ruin, even if it might reveal a disturbing side of life in this otherwise idyllic Irish city. Not unexpectedly, the setting does add a distinct air of Irish melancholy that permeates the story, but dare I say it's in a "good" way? In the end, the unnerving themes explored in this cleverly composed police procedural speak mostly to the universal demons that haunt so many people—just in an Irish accent. Debut author Deverla McTiernan makes full use of her Irish upbringing, legal training, and calculating mind to create the perfect tale for those who like their mysteries on the darker side. Brace yourself, but don't let it keep you from visiting Galway!
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Calypso
- By: David Sedaris
- Narrated by: David Sedaris
- Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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With Calypso, Sedaris sets his formidable powers of observation - and humor - toward middle age and mortality....
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Excellent, as always
- By Ruthie on 05-31-18
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Calypso
- Narrated by: David Sedaris
- Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins
- Release date: 05-29-18
- Language: English
- Why would you name a house "Sea Section"?
- We're all getting older, I suppose. Even David Sedaris. And with age comes . . . even more darkly funny, laugh-out-loud humor. The kind of humor I personally like to share with my family—my perfectly imperfect siblings and their offspring. This is why Calypso is the book my sister and I will be listening to on our road trip to our own (rented) beach house which, like David's, is also on the Carolina Coast and also has a unique name. The Sedaris clan has "Sea Section" to congregate in, and my clan will gathering at "Perfect Peace" where naps will be taken, waves ridden, and resentments both fostered and forgotten. (I’ll let David tell you where he got the name for his house.)
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Us Against You
- By: Fredrik Backman
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland
- Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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After everything that the citizens of Beartown have gone through, they are struck yet another blow when they learn that their beloved local hockey team will soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players take in that fact....
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What happened??? I LOVE all of Fredrick Backman's
- By Christopher C. Meredith on 08-29-18
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Us Against You
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland
- Series: Beartown, Book 2
- Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins
- Release date: 06-05-18
- Language: English
- What happens in Beartown . . .
- I spent a week last spring listening to Marin Ireland perform Fredrik Backman's Beartown and became completely engrossed in its Swedish small-town setting and the characters that filled it. So, when I saw that Marin would be returning to narrate the sequel it was an easy pick for me. I knew this would be more time well spent, and I was right. The inevitable fallout from the tragic event at the center of Beartown plays out in expected and unexpected ways. There are revelations and secrets revealed. Each character's reaction sheds light on the ways politics, homophobia, racism, and sexism play out in this remote northern village, and by extension, in small towns and big cities everywhere.
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Travel as a Political Act
- By: Rick Steves
- Narrated by: Rick Steves
- Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Change the world one trip at a time. In this illuminating collection of stories and lessons from the road, acclaimed travel writer Rick Steves shares a powerful message that resonates....
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Powerful
- By Caralyn on 08-06-18
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Travel as a Political Act
- Narrated by: Rick Steves
- Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
- Release date: 02-06-18
- Language: English
- Travel transforms
- Way back when, I worked for an educational tour company—sending groups of American students and teachers on European adventures with the goal of creating a "living" classroom. To keep us up-to-date, the documentary series Rick Steves' Europe was required watching for staff (we had a library of VHS tapes to choose from). Many years later, Rick Steves is still making documentaries and writing books, but now there’s also a nifty audiobook app that allows me to listen to this 3rd edition (updated for 2018) of the industry classic Travel as a Political Act, in Rick's distinct voice. It’s a welcome reminder of how simply leaving the U. S. and experiencing the world beyond my bubble—meeting actual people, in real life—is a kind of political act. At the very least, it’s a great first step.
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The Chalk Man
- A Novel
- By: C. J. Tudor
- Narrated by: Euan Morton
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1986, Eddie and his friends are on the verge of adolescence, spending their days biking in search of adventure. The chalk men are their secret code, stick figures they draw for one another as hidden messages. But one morning, the friends find a chalk man leading them to the woods....
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Sufficiently interesting and fast paced
- By Aquakittie on 01-16-18
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The Chalk Man
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Euan Morton
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Release date: 01-09-18
- Language: English
- Beware the chalk men
- Just a few chapters into C. J. Tudor's debut thriller I could understand why this book sparked a nine-way publisher auction with early chatter of a future film. It's simply that gripping. With all the charm and nostalgia of 80s movie favorites like Stand By Me and The Goonies, The Chalk Man is a perfect combination of richly created characters and a super twisty plot that hooks you. Summer 1986: Anderbury England. 4 friends. Eddie "Munster" Adams, Fat Gav, Metal Mickey, Hoppo, and Nicky are 12 years old and spend their days getting into mischief on their bikes, having fun, and creating a secret way of communicating through chalk men symbols. 30 years later, the chalk men game restarts—with terrifying consequences. Narrator Euan Morton's performance moves seamlessly between the 12-year-old Eddie and the 40-something Eddie, with every flashback and return a perfectly natural transition—making The Chalk Man all the more compulsively listenable.
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Beartown
- By: Fredrik Backman
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink....
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Miserable
- By Dee Garza on 06-12-17
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Beartown
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland
- Series: Beartown, Book 1
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Release date: 04-25-17
- Language: English
- Teen Angst and Parental Fear
- I'm so happy that Fredrik Backman has become a prolific writer! For me, A Man Called Ove created a kind of book-itch I never had before, the Backman itch. Luckily, his several newer novels have satisfied this new literary requirement for me. But Beartown is different and sparks something new. It’s darker, almost YA in feel, and broader in scope. It's a "hockey" book, but, like TV's Friday Night Lights, it's about more than youth sports. Marin Ireland’s performance perfectly captures the overarching teen angst as well as the parental fear that permeates the story (having a female narrate was a very daring choice for a "hockey" book, and it works!). Beartown is a coming-of-age novel, a morality play, and a witnessing of groupthink. Like all of Backman’s books, it resonates and lingers–coming to mind months later when you least expect it.
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Manhattan Beach
- A Novel
- By: Jennifer Egan
- Narrated by: Norbert Leo Butz, Heather Lind, Vincent Piazza
- Length: 15 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Anna Kerrigan, nearly 12 years old, accompanies her father to the house of a man who, she gleans, is crucial to the survival of her father and her family....
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Love !!
- By MNC on 10-28-17
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Manhattan Beach
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Norbert Leo Butz, Heather Lind, Vincent Piazza
- Length: 15 hrs and 16 mins
- Release date: 10-03-17
- Language: English
- Historic Brooklyn Brought to Life
- In contrast to her Pulitzer Prize-winning and very modern A Visit From the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan's Manhattan Beach is traditional historical fiction in every way. Obviously impeccably researched, it's a sweeping novel steeped in the atmosphere of NYC, in particular the seaport neighborhoods of Brooklyn, from the Great Depression to WWII. Adding to Egan's brilliantly descriptive prose are the outstanding performances by narrators Norbert Leo Butz (two-time Tony Award winner), Heather Lind (TURN: Washington's Spies), and Vincent Piazza (Jersey Boys, Boardwalk Empire). This trio "ups the ante" so to speak, making listening a truly immersive experience.
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The Golden House
- A Novel
- By: Salman Rushdie
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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On the day of Barack Obama’s inauguration, an enigmatic billionaire from foreign shores takes up residence in the architectural jewel of “the Gardens,” a cloistered community in New York’s Greenwich Village. The neighborhood is a bubble within a bubble....
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PERFECTION
- By ilene on 09-28-17
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The Golden House
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Release date: 09-05-17
- Language: English
- Rushdie Tackles Our Current Reality
- A new book by Salman Rushdie is always a literary event, so The Golden House has been on my radar since I first heard rumors of an upcoming “Trump-themed” Rushdie novel. Then Vikas Adam (Lion) was announced as narrator, and it quickly went to the top of my to-listen list. With its plethora of mythic, literary, and pop culture references, this book is a challenge – but one well worth taking on. It deftly explores issues of the day (and eternity, apparently), from love, immigration, class, and gender identity to family, history, and yes…politics. At times mesmerizing, often confounding, but always verbose and beautiful,The Golden House is Rushdie doing realism (rather than magical realism) with the skill of a master storyteller.
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Homegoing
- A Novel
- By: Yaa Gyasi
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Two half sisters, Effia and Esi, unknown to each other, are born into different villages in 18th-century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman and will live in comfort....
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A Novel in Stories
- By Daryl on 06-19-16
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Homegoing
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Release date: 06-07-16
- Language: English
- A Brilliant Debut
- An epic tale that follows two sisters from Ghana to America and back again, Homegoing beautifully captures a shared history of Africa and the US and the ties that bind these two seemingly opposite worlds. It's the perfect kind of historical fiction: a book that transports you through time and place while keeping you personally connected to each character. It's stunningly real and otherworldly at the same time, and while I didn't want it to end, the ending was one of the most satisfying I've heard in a very long time. Narrator Dominic Hoffman is a vocal genius, shifting from character to character, adapting his tone, accent, and cadence effortlessly. I'm so happy to have discovered this gem and cannot wait to hear more from Yaa Gyasi.
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Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
- Reese's Book Club (A Novel)
- By: Gail Honeyman
- Narrated by: Cathleen McCarron
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she's thinking....
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Please be warned
- By N. Thompson on 06-20-17
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Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
- Reese's Book Club (A Novel)
- Narrated by: Cathleen McCarron
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Release date: 05-09-17
- Language: English
- The Perfect Narrator For a Very Special Book
- Eleanor Oliphant is the kind of literary character who absolutely shines in audio. She is distinctly cranky, uniquely out of touch with the trends of the day, and has warped ideas about proper social etiquette. Thanks to the brilliant performance by narrator Cathleen McCarron, we get to hear Eleanor's hysterically deadpan inner dialogue with the Scottish brogue it deserves (as opposed to the American version I would have imagined while reading). In a chance encounter, Eleanor finds unlikely friends who help her slowly break through mental and emotional barriers that at one time served the very necessary purpose of self-preservation. As her past is revealed and remembered, Eleanor becomes an even richer character and all the more a lovable weirdo you can't help but root for.
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When the English Fall
- A Novel
- By: David Williams
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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When a catastrophic solar storm brings about the collapse of modern civilization, an Amish community in Pennsylvania is caught up in the devastating aftermath....
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Read for the characters and community
- By Michelle on 07-31-17
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When the English Fall
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins
- Release date: 07-11-17
- Language: English
- Amish Dystopia
- As a kid, Amish Country was a vacation destination for my family (Lancaster, PA was far enough away to make it an overnight and close enough to make it a regular thing). Looking back, it does seem a little strange, but those trips were mostly all about the drive itself, the furniture shops, and delicious breakfast foods. Then came the 1985 movie, Witness, and my slight obsession with anything Amish was solidified. Whatever the reason, I was immediately drawn to David Williams' debut, which he refers to as: Post-apocalyptic Amish fiction. I'm also a fan of the epistolary novel, so this story told in a series of journal entries written by Amish farmer, Jacob, further piqued my interest. Without attempting a put-on Amish accent, narrator Eric Michael Summerer beautifully captures Jacob's calm affect and unassuming piousness. When the upheaval that's hit the outside world eventually arrives on Jacob's doorstep, his reaction and the final consequences are utterly fascinating to follow.
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