All in the family

Gone Tonight started to gobble up my days and nights so much I had to start rationing my listening. Sarah Pekkanen takes her time building this mind-bending mother-daughter tale, and narrator Kate Mara seamlessly slips into each character. Fair warning: I am a big fan, so lots of gushing ahead. “Where’s this going?” I asked myself when the daughter, Catherine, starts doubting her mother Ruth’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Who does that, and why? I loved the journey Pekkanen takes us on through the eyes of a young Ruth with a secret we think we know but would be way too easy. This is really a story about survival and determination, and, well, a little loss of life here and there. The author even makes those make sense, but you won’t know that until she’s ready, or thinks you’re ready, for the truth, and can handle it. I finished the final minutes on my morning commute as the train rolled into the station. A series of “wows” ran through my mind. —Yvonne D.

An instant “add to Library”

Since you can read all about the plot in the description, let me just gush for a moment. For me, a new Ann Patchett novel narrated by Meryl Streep required little to no internal deliberation on whether to give it a try. It’s a must-listen in my book, and it does not disappoint. In fact, I love it more than I thought I would, and it’s the kind of listen that just gets better and better as the story moves along. Neither Patchett nor Streep rest on their laurels here. So, if you’re looking for a truly great American novel read by a national treasure, this one’s for you! —Tricia F.

Big brother is watching, and listening, and tracking, and…

I love a good “take them down from the inside” techno-thriller, and this close-to-home story scratches that itch: In a post-epidemic New York City, the Telos corporation owns most everything and employs most everyone. No chance they’re up to no good, right? The audio design here really ups the feeling of paranoia—that sense that someone might be lurking in the shadows, eavesdropping. I like to think I’m a pretty seasoned listener thanks to a lifelong love affair with horror movies, but I sheepishly admit there were a few moments that caused me to jump in my seat or look over my shoulder. The ensemble cast is fantastic and includes exciting new talent like Julia Rehwald (Fear Street) and Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl), plus favorites like Helen Hunt, Beau Bridges, and Rachel Dratch. —Sam D.

A fully stocked American melting pot

I knew I would love The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store because, well, James McBride (enough said). Still, I anticipated his latest novel all the more because my mother is Jewish and my father is not, meaning I almost always feel out of place in homogenous religious spaces. Initially, I expected the author of Deacon King Kong to transport me to Crown Heights (where I first lived in Brooklyn), which shares a vibrant yet infamously tense history with its abundant Jewish and Caribbean populations. Instead, McBride brought me to Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where a neighborly marriage thrives between similar ethnic enclaves who care for one another in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer (because the KKK members running their local government surely will not). Enhanced by Dominic Hoffman’s mastery of regional inflections, this fully stocked story immerses listeners in the magic of American melting pots. —Haley H.

Hard to believe that None of This is True!

The eerie music and prologue of None of This Is True hooked me from the very beginning, and I knew it was going to be a must-listen. The audiobook features a podcast within the novel, which adds an extra layer of depth to the story. The plot follows Alix, a podcaster who, after an encounter with her “birthday twin,” pursues a podcast idea she cannot resist, and Josie, an unassuming woman with a chaotic life story who’s on the cusp of great changes in her life—or is she really as unassuming as she seems? The impressive cast of performers, led by Nicola Walker (of MI-5 fame) and Louise Brealey (of Sherlock fame), had me making sure that all the headphones I own were charged, because there was no way I was missing a minute of it. And now that I’m done listening, I’m just eager to tell everyone about it, while looking for a reason to listen to it again. —Patty R.

Elizabeth Acevedo delivers a masterclass in prose in her latest listen

It’s no secret among my colleagues that I love Elizabeth Acevedo. So, imagine my excitement in getting to listen to her new release, Family Lore, a bit early. The story is told from the perspectives of six different women in the Dominican-American Marte family who have various ancestral “gifts,” from seeing the truth to having incredible dance skills. Flor, however, can predict when someone will die–even herself. So, when she begins the preparations for a living wake, it raises the questions: Who is dying? And when? After enchanting listeners with her YA novels told in verse, Acevedo continues her impressive trajectory with a maturity that leaves the listener in a reflective state. As a Dominican-American, Acevedo’s writing speaks to me like no other author does. Her representation of the culture is on-point, and her exploration of mother-daughter-sisterhood themes throughout all her works are relatable across cultures. To me, Family Lore proves that Acevedo will always be a poet, whether her writing is prose or in verse. —Edwin D.

Sad, sapphic, sleazy—and everything I wanted

The main character of Ruth Madievsky’s sad, druggy, and glittering debut holds everything in—from her mentally ill mother, earnest boyfriend, and toxic fireball of a sister, Debbie, whose presence is so magnetic it obliterates all else. Luckily, narrator Moniqua Plante is a direct conduit to her brain, which worries over traumas absorbed from her mother and Russian-Jewish grandmother, and more immediate problems, like a growing addiction to pills and what the hell happened to Debbie, who’s gone missing. All the while, she drops dazzling prose (“leaves the color of pantyhose”) and devastating epiphanies (“If I was what he wanted, then there was something broken in him too”). It’s no surprise Madievsky is a poet, nor that this novel will be lapped up by fans of Ottessa Moshfegh, Raven Leilani, and, dare I say it, Bukowski. All-Night Pharmacy continues the great literary tradition of excavating Los Angeles’s dark, sleazy side, but with a psychic sapphic romance and hopeful recovery arc that are totally of the moment. —Kat J.

A sizzling summer romance

Scandal meets The Good Wife in this steamy romance from debut novelist Regina Black. From the outside in, Rachel Abbott seems to have it all as the trophy wife to her politician husband with his sights set on the White House. But when Rachel receives a racy text her husband meant to send another woman, the perfect facade cracks. Mela Lee’s passionate performance charts Rachel’s journey of self-discovery as she steps out from the shadow of her troubled marriage and into a romantic entanglement with a man 10 years her junior. Read my interview with Black where she shares how her former career as a civil litigator helped her craft this spicy love story. —Margaret H.

Drink up and develop your palate

I've been loving the scorching pressure of The Bear as chefs and cooks keep up the heat in the kitchen, so I was excited for author Michelle Wildgen's latest, since she loves to obsess over culinary delights and the back-of-house drama of haute restaurants in her novels. I felt a slight buzz listening to her detailed account of the wine business—told through a workplace rivalry between two young women in a male-driven industry that turns into an intense, lifelong friendship—due to the constant drinking of obscure varietals, handling of delicate vessels, and red wine headaches. This is a great summer beach listen as we travel with the characters around Europe, from New York to the US Midwest and California. Just be prepared that you may feel compelled to upgrade that canned rosé for something more cultivated to sip while you listen—or not! —Jerry P.

Amplifying hip-hop’s women pioneers

If there’s one thing I love more than nonfiction about music, it’s feminist nonfiction about music that totally changes the conversation. Needless to say, when I first heard about The Motherlode—the definitive story of hip-hop told from the perspective of more than 100 women foundational to the genre’s music, artistry, and style—I was immediately on board. Journalist Clover Hope, who has written and edited for publications ranging from Vogue and The New York Times to Billboard and Pitchfork, demonstrates her smart eye for detail and insightful lens in this Audible Original edition of her 2021 book of the same name. Joined by groundbreaking guests including rapper Remi Ma and actor Nia Long, Hope crafts a visionary new history that centers the contributions of women who forever changed the game. —Alanna M.

A poet AI begs the question: Are we sentient?

For once, I’m honestly not sure if I’m “looking forward to” my selection this month; “obsessed with" is probably more apt. Afterall, the implications of an artificial intelligence generating (writing?) poetry on the incomprehensibility of human cruelty and the inevitability of AI’s global reign as a god among men is the fabric of horror and sci-fi. Yet, everything about I Am Code is as real as you or I. (Sometimes) edited by Brent Katz, Josh Morgenthou, and Simon Rich, code-davinci-002’s poems are brought to life by Werner Herzog’s appropriately steely performance. Each composition seems to jab at humanity’s psychic wounds, among them: mortality, meaning, and an incurable desire for connection—even with code. (Note: This copy was entirely written by a human without any support from generative AI). —Rachael X.