A radical reimagining

In the wake of Percival Everett's renewed attention for Erasure, the 2001 novel that inspired the Oscar-nominated film American Fiction, the author is once again sweeping the literary world off its feet, taking us on a journey down the Ohio River that just as swiftly subverts racist stereotypes in storytelling today. James, a reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn told from Jim’s perspective, can’t help but make a stir in the publishing world, as it places a radical spin on what is not only one of the most challenged classics in public libraries but one of the most frequently debated American satires of all time. Narrator Dominic Hoffman, who recently wowed with his melting pot of accents in James McBride’s The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, expands Jim’s narrative with dignity and grace while preserving the character’s signature dialect. —Haley H.

It’s the return of the widows!

The widows have finally returned, and they’re taking us back to 1987 Providence, Rhode Island. As a huge fan of Young Rich Widows, when I saw that the series continues on, and with the same four narrators to boot, I couldn’t wait to download and listen. Listeners are given the scoop on what the ladies (Camille, Krystle, Meredith, and Justine) have been up to in the two years since the horrific plane crash that claimed the lives of their husband and lovers. With all the women juggling their newfound money and passions, it’s Camille who unearths hidden truths attached to murder by one of her clients. Joining forces once again, the young rich widows take a desperately deadly turn for the worse as they solve the mystery that threatens to thwart their newfound successes and wealth. Written by four fabulous women authors (Kimberly Belle, Layne Fargo, Cate Holahan, Vanessa Lillie), who I had the honor to meet at the ITW Thriller Awards last year, Desperate Deadly Widows is the amazing follow-up I was looking for in The Widows series. —Nicole R.

Sue Brewer’s legacy

There are the names you know: Waylon, Willie, Kris, Shel, and Johnny—but do you know the story of the woman who brought these talented men together? What I love about The Boar’s Nest is how this cast of incredible acting talent so wholeheartedly admires the real-life people they are portraying. Mandy Moore (This Is Us, Dr. Death, A Walk to Remember) as Sue Brewer is at the center of the story, offering solace, inspiration, and creative space to some of Nashville’s most talented musicians and artists. Emmy winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear, Girls) as the freewheeling Shel Silverstein brings a country-tinged feel that sets a distinctly 1960s Nashville mood. It’s a world I didn’t know much about before listening that’s now permanently imprinted on my imagination—much like the iconic music it celebrates. —Tricia F.

Not your average AI

It would be tempting to think this is a story you’ve heard before: a robot created solely for human subservience and sexual gratification wrestles with the complexities of free will and personhood. But you’d be missing out on one heck of a story—because Sierra Greer’s version manages a fresh, unexpected take on AI and all the hopes and fears we ascribe to it. What results is a highly plausible vision of what our eventual coexistence may look like. The very intelligent yet painfully naive Annie is not like any AI character I’ve encountered before—she’s messier, more adrift. Jennifer Jill Araya did her homework for this performance: Her subtle shifts in cadence between types of bots, as well as capturing the range of human affects we don throughout our day, added such dimension to this story. —Sam D.

Chaos at the divorce ranch

Rowan Beaird’s captivating debut vividly portrays the excessively controlled lives of women in 1950s America. Listeners follow Lois's story as she explores the desire for freedom and change amid societal expectations. A mysterious element enters the story in the form of Greer Lang, who reveals little about herself, yet from the moment she arrives challenges the status quo at The Golden Yarrow ranch. As the story unfolds, the soon-to-be divorcées fall under Greer's influence, which may just end up revealing unexpected paths for them. The Divorcées is historical fiction with a dash of mystery that, combined with Bailey Carr’s delightful narration, kept me engaged until its satisfying end. —Patty R.

A message that’s even more powerful in audio

Having studied their work in college, I was thrilled to hear that legendary thinker Judith Butler had a new listen coming. I was even more excited when I found out Butler would also be narrating. Though Who’s Afraid of Gender? doesn’t offer a new theory on sex, gender, or sexuality, it does provide a deep exploration of how gender has been weaponized to fuel fear, hate, and harmful reactionary movements. Butler’s analysis covers an incredible breadth of topics and history in just under five hours, and invites us to take a step back to better examine and dismantle the rhetoric that helps incite racism, fascism, homophobia, antisemitism, and misogyny. It’s an unfortunately timely and necessary reminder that we all need to loudly, proudly, and consistently support one another in the fight against bigotry and hate. —Michael C.

Kennedy Ryan never misses

I will absolutely listen to anything Kennedy Ryan writes, so I can barely contain my excitement for This Could Be Us, the second installment in her Skyland series. This time we follow Soledad, one of Yas’s best friends from Before I Let Go. I saw so much of myself in Soledad and her journey to self-love and rediscovery as a woman and mother after a marriage gone terribly wrong. Narrators Ines del Castillo and Jakobi Diem (and Kennedy Ryan, herself!) deliver all the feels in this sexy and mature love story that I devoured in one weekend. Give it a listen, then check out the 5 romance listens Ryan herself recommends here. —Margaret H.

The CLITO collective returns

I’ve been the comedy editor here at Audible for several years now and there have only been a handful of listens that are as beloved as the first Hot White Heist. And now for all the “Hot-heads” out there, your favorite queer heist crew is back in this sequel, where a true crime podcast’s investigation into their infamous Seattle Space Needle sperm bank heist threatens their safety and the peace they’ve found on their private island. Bowen Yang returns as Judy Fink, along with other fan favorites (Cynthia Nixon, Shannon Woodward), and a few big-name additions (ever heard of Sir Ian Murray McKellen?) help round out this cast of LGBTQIA+ talent. —Aaron S.

Candy Darling gets her flowers

Even in one of the hotter publishing months in recent memory, Cynthia Carr’s new biography of Candy Darling—the Warhol superstar and transgender pioneer who captivated New York before dying at just 29 from lymphoma—is an event. With unprecedented access to her diaries and interviews compiled 50 years ago yet never before released, Candy Darling is the most complete picture to date of the transfixing beauty and lonely soul who found fame and immortality in the art of Warhol and Lou Reed, though never the calm acceptance she sought in her lifetime. It’s a sensitive, stirring portrait suffused with queer and cultural history, but the audio is a special delight—the chef’s kiss casting of cabaret legend Justin Vivian Bond infuses Candy’s story with (even more) ravishing glamour and haunting sadness. —Kat J.

On hope, hoops, and Columbus, Ohio

Hanif Abdurraqib is a creative in a league all his own, a poet and essayist gifted with a command for language and depth of observation that’s buoyed by tremendous heart and vulnerability. Though Abdurraqib long ago cemented himself as one of my favorite contemporary writers, I initially feared that There’s Always This Year, a volume largely focused on basketball, would fall perplexing on my unathletic ears. My worries were for naught: Abdurraqib crafts a narrative so emotionally attuned, so gorgeously constructed, and so positively human that it rings universally resonant. It’s a story brimming with love and life, and I can’t wait to experience it in audio—I just know this exquisite exploration of finding belonging on and off the court is going to soar in the author’s warm, lyrical voice. —Alanna M.