Cue the ugly crying

Kristin Hannah has the unique ability to take a well-known historical event and intimately weave it with such a deeply human story that it turns everything you thought you knew on its head. In The Women, Hannah pays tribute to the nurses who served in the Vietnam War, using her heroine Frankie McGrath as a vessel. Frankie begins the story as a naive young woman, full of misplaced optimism, but quickly becomes the sort of steady and focused nurse you’d want in your corner. I love Frankie. I feel like I know Frankie. And as I’ve come to expect with Kristin Hannah, each time Frankie’s heart got broken—whether it was in war, in love, or in homecoming—mine did as well. The incomparable Julia Whelan performs this sweeping and poignant novel that has settled in my chest and refuses to leave, even though it’s been weeks now since I heard the final words. —Katie O.

Tommy Orange is back to make us think, weep, and marvel

Tommy Orange made a huge splash with his debut novel, There There, an intense, polyphonic chronicle of intersecting Native Americans in Oakland that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Five years later, he returns with a follow-up that’s every bit as lyrical and even more ambitious than its predecessor. Building off the tragic climax of There There, Wandering Stars serves as both prequel and sequel, tracing shooting victim Orvil Red Feather’s bloodline back to the family’s instigating trauma, the brutal Sand Creek Massacre of 1864, followed by the forced assimilation of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School and several characters’ struggles with addiction (alcohol, laudanum, opiates) that echo through generations. With rich historical detail and a multicast performance, Wandering Stars challenges listeners while rewarding them again and again with beautiful prose and heartbreaking truths that give texture and immediacy to the ongoing repercussions of America’s brutal history. —Kat J.

A love letter to Harlem

In A Love Song for Ricki Wilde, bestselling author Tia Williams unspools an enchanting, time-bending romance where a recent transplant to modern-day Harlem meets a mysterious stranger who changes her world in ways she could have never imagined. Featuring dual narration from Mela Lee and Preston Butler, I fell under the spell of this magical listen that beautifully ties together Black love, Harlem Renaissance history, and the found family who make us whole. In my interview with Tia I asked her about the inspiration for her story, how she picked her narrators, and why she chose Harlem as the setting for Ricki and Ezra’s once-in-a-lifetime love. Read it here. —Margaret H.

Just ask: Do you want to be helped, hugged, or heard?

Charles Duhigg rocked my world eight years ago when I first listened to The Power of Habit. I was just starting out in my career then, and the things I learned about habit from him shaped my working life. In Supercommunicators, Duhigg again does what he does best: He shows you what you already knew but didn’t realize, and then he tells you how to harness those skills. This time, it’s about communication. Something we can all get better at in our divided world. I can see how the lessons I’ve learned here will help me in my career for the next 10 years and beyond. Plus, he narrates it himself this time, so I think his communication comes through all the more clearly. —Melissa B.

Give me the ole razzle-dazzle!

A Gatsby-inspired debut about Black high-society in Chicago during the roaring 1920s—performed by Bahni Turpin—and a gorgeous Art Deco cover. Sometimes, all I need to know about a listen to make it an immediate “add-to-Library” is a compelling setting, who the narrator will be, and, for good or bad, I can be sold by an appealing cover. Luckily, in the case of The Mayor of Maxwell Street, these cues led me to a brilliant discovery! Debut novelist Avery Cunningham has given us a shining example of historical fiction with all the right twists—full of mystery, extravagance, danger, a vibrant setting, a dash of romance, and a wholly different perspective on the American dream. —Tricia F.

Philippa Gregory at her best

The queen of British historical fiction is back, but this time, Philippa Gregory delivers a remarkable work of historical nonfiction. Covering more than 900 years of history, Normal Women is possibly Gregory’s most ambitious project so far. And better yet, the audio is equally ambitious for the genre, featuring a multicast performance led by Gregory herself. But much like her repertoire of historical fiction, Normal Women still approaches history through the eyes of women. From queens to beggars, housewives to pirates, and even witches, Gregory excels at refocusing British history through the extraordinary accomplishments of ordinary women. It’s an important addition to the historical record and a must-listen for history buffs and fans of historical fiction. —Michael C.

Grow your self-worth to reach your goals

Former Denny’s waitress-turned-founder and CEO of the billion-dollar brand IT Cosmetics Jamie Kern Lima knows firsthand the effects that self-worth can have on success. In her latest listen, Worthy, Lima offers 20 life-changing steps for increasing your self-worth to break through your ceilings and accomplish your wildest dreams—or, you know, your realistically attainable goals that you keep self-sabotaging for some reason. I experienced many “a-ha” moments while listening to Worthy—insights such as knowing the difference between self-confidence and self-worth (hint: you need both) left me floored. Listen to this if you know what you want but are holding yourself back. —Rachael X.

Link & LaVoy are an otherwordly pair

It feels strange to call The Book of Love a debut—Kelly Link is, after all, a highly accomplished, Pulitzer-nominated short story writer with several collections to her name. And sure enough, this ambitious fever dream of a tale demonstrates her enormous range, signature wit, and uncanny knack for illuminating truth in the magical. The shifting perspectives could have easily been a job for a multicast—and no doubt that listening experience would have been good as well—but kudos to Link and the casting team for trusting in January LaVoy’s ability to carry this performance solo. Fantastical tales like this were meant to be heard, and LaVoy absolutely enchants. —Sam D.

A raw portrait of loss and longing

Recently, a close friend had asked me to recommend a feel-good listen unmarred by major heartache or tragedy. It took a while to drum one up, as the opposite is pretty much my speciality. Strange as it sounds, I consider myself somewhat of a grief memoir connoisseur, and I’ve found some of the most human stories are those that deal with our universally inevitable end. The reality is that to live and love is to grieve. And it’s a reality that writer Sloane Crosley knows well. In this moving, thoughtful, and wry eulogy for a beloved late friend, she considers how to carry on alongside such gutting absence. As she explores the depthless void wreaked by loss, be it by death or burglary, she offers a new perspective on how to move forward in the face of the unfathomable. It's such a deeply touching story, made all the more affecting in Crosley's own voice. —Alanna M.

Equal parts adventure and fantasy

Seeing Miranda Raison (who exceptionally narrated one of my favorites, Lessons in Chemistry) as the performer, plus the stunning cover in The Book of Doors was all the convincing it took for me to download the title. The story is centered on Cassie Andrews, a bookstore employee who inherits a mysterious book with strange inscriptions from an elderly customer who was very dear to her. Shorty after Cassie discovers how to use the book—which can open a door to anyplace she desires—she’s approached by Drummond Fox, a librarian who not only claims that there is danger coming for Cassie, but that he is the only one who can help. The Book of Doors is equal parts adventure and fantasy that, combined with Raison’s stellar performance, has left me wondering if we will hear more about other “books” from debut author Gareth Brown. —Patty R.

A new kind of family memoir

As a long-time lover of essays penned by women (think Joan Didion, Jia Tolentino, Roxane Gay, and so many more) I became an immediate fan of Leslie Jamison and her luminous, world-broadening collections Make It Scream, Make It Burn and The Empathy Exams. Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story is her first memoir, and in it, she brings an almost shocking candidness to what could have otherwise been a cut-and-dried tale of love and loss. As she simultaneously falls in love with her newborn daughter and out of love with her husband, Jamison develops a unique reckoning with “fairy tales with unhappy endings,” which she wrote as a child. How does one balance an all-consuming love for a child with the heartbreak, betrayal, and devastation of divorce? How does our parents’ experience of love influence our own? Jamison’s narration is also superb, telling her story as a friend would over coffee, recounting the grand-yet-ordinary moments of life. —Sarah U.

Two historical-fiction queens join forces

Ever since her 2017 novel The Alice Network, Kate Quinn has been an automatic download for me (with The Rose Code being a particular favorite). Her stories are based on real people, are super well-researched, always have heroines that I’m rooting for within the first 10 minutes of listening, and are masterfully structured to maximize suspense. I was intrigued to see that for her latest she has a co-author for the first time, Janie Chang, a fellow bestselling historical fiction writer. This listen was my first by Chang, but after this one—about the colliding lives of several fascinating women amid the 1906 San Francisco earthquake—I’ll be digging more into her catalog for sure. This story didn’t miss a step of what I’ve come to expect from Quinn, and these two minds working together only made the work richer. —Phoebe N.

Dulcé Sloan has gained a fan in me

I’ve always enjoyed memoirs because they make me feel more connected to the author (who I typically already have an interest in). I hadn’t known much about Dulcé prior to listening to Hello, Friends!, but after hearing her narration, I’m eager to catch her in a live performance. Dulcé’s tone, verbiage, and performance style is entertaining, unique, and inviting. She is a comedian and doesn’t hesitate to give all of her truths through humor. Within the first few minutes, I felt connected to her. I understood her struggles and even began to understand some of my own similar challenges better. If you’ve ever felt misunderstood or misrepresented, this is a story you should hear. No fear, this is a happy story, with a happier ending! Just so damn relatable. Five stars from me, Ms. Sloan! Signed, your new fan. —Disha M.