Discover more listening recommendations from the Audible Editors.
I believe in family. Yes, the drama can be pretty annoying, but that’s why there’s Sally Hepworth. She knows what to do when it comes to domestic drama. Her stories satisfy my curiosity about families. They’re so rich with problems, personalities, and in Sally’s world—murder. In this thriller, we become observers of two couples: Pippa and Gabe, middle class and happy in their quaint house near a cliff in a coastal Australian town; the other, Amanda and Max, wealthy and enjoying their highfalutin lifestyle, it seems. The two couples have more in common than they need to know. But I really cared about them and their issues, such as bipolar disorder; I’ve seen that up close. But that’s no reason to hurt someone else. (How about that for a clue?) Narrators Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry are terrific—their performances are addictive and dare you to pull out your earbuds. —Yvonne D.
Listening to Emily Henry’s Happy Place made me think about my own happy place. Is it Martha’s Vineyard where I summered as a child, the Bahamas where most of my family still lives, or is it simply being at home with my daughter? For Harriet Kilpatrick, her happy place is the Maine cottage she and her college friends visit every summer. But Harriet’s happiness is short-lived when she discovers that her ex-fiancé Wyn Conner is also there for the week. Julia Whelan once again proves why she is the perfect narrator for a Henry novel. Her moving performance made my heart ache as we see Harriet and Wyn fall in love and then fall apart, and then slowly inch back together. Even Harriet’s lovable friend group comes to life under Whelan’s sparkling narration. —Margaret H.
He had me at genetically enhanced alien super-soldiers
I have been obsessed with Will Wight and Travis Baldree since I first encountered the Cradle series years ago. When this author and narrator get together, the results are completely consuming. The characters come alive, the action gets intense, and you’ll have goosebumps from the minute the story starts until its always-too-soon conclusion. So when I heard that Wight and Baldree were at it again with a brand-new space fantasy series, I was first in line to devour it. The Captain has everything a fantasy listener could want: wizards, a mythical starship, sun-eating extradimensional insects, and the most fun adventures imaginable. Get ready to listen over and over again. —Esther B.
Watch out Harvard, here comes Joe…
Joe Goldberg is taking his talents (writing, getting away with murder) to the esteemed campus of Harvard University. Author Caroline Kepnes and performer Santino Fontana join forces in Book 4 of the You series to deliver some hilariously contradicting soliloquies. Last time listeners heard from Joe, he survived Love’s last-ditch effort to save their relationship (in a till-death-do-us-part type of way) and had almost continued stalking, I mean wooing, Mary Kay before that ended in some unusual/usual disaster. Fast forward and the ever-so-lucky Joe has landed himself a writing fellowship among the crème de la crème, where he meets his next victim, I mean love interest, Wonder. Can Joe change his ways for the better while under the scrutiny of academia? I doubt it! —Nicole R.
A dark history brought to light
Having loved Timothy Egan’s Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher, I was excited to see this new release from him, which he narrates himself. I am endlessly fascinated by the turbulence of 1920s and ‘30s America. While I knew the KKK operated with extraordinary impunity in the ’20s, I didn’t realize just how much power they wielded, especially in Indiana. Apparently the “Grand Dragon,” D.C. Stephenson, had a private police force of 30,000 men, the governor in his pocket, and the enthusiastic support of much of the citizenry. It is an eye-opening, chilling, and thorough account from Egan, a National Book Award winner, who expertly paces this dark narrative of how one woman used her pain and sacrifice to bring Stephenson down and halt the hatred threatening to swallow America whole. —Phoebe N.
Abby Jimenez’s novels are always an emotional roller-coaster that leave fans joyful and begging for more. Her latest is no exception. Briana (from Part of Your World) is a take-no-nonsense ER doctor who’s dealing with the fallout of a failed marriage—and her rude new colleague, Jacob. Jacob is at a new hospital where he can’t do anything right and now his cute fellow ER doctor hates him, plus his ex-girlfriend is getting married (to his brother). After he apologizes, Briana agrees to assist him with his brother’s wedding. What ensues is an enemy-to-fake-dating-to-lovers rom-com with secondary characters that, as always, I wish were my friends. Excellently narrated by listener favorites Zachary Webber and Kyla Garcia, Yours Truly has left me wondering one thing: Who will the next book be about? Here’s hoping it's Justin 🤞. —Patty R.
For music lovers and mystery buffs
The more I learn about Brendan Slocumb , the more I like him—as a person and a storyteller. He’s an educator, musician, founder of a nonprofit, and a heck of a writer. The Violin Conspiracy was his breakout debut, and Symphony of Secrets is just as good (no sophomore slump here). Slocumb combines historical mystery with suspense and intrigue to create a tale about the 1920s New York music world, racism, and the extraordinary lengths some people are willing to go to in their quest for fame. It’s clever, fun, addictive, and beautifully performed by narrator Chanté McCormick. After listening, you’ll be in a musical mood, so why not harness its power with Slocumb’s podcast How Music Can Save Your Life? —Tricia F.
As a huge fan of HBO’s juggernaut series Succession, I have spent the past few years enthralled in the Roy family’s squabbles over the throne of a legacy media company. Imagine my surprise when I picked up Bitter Blood: Murdoch vs. Murdoch and realized that the parallels between the Murdoch family and the fictional Roys are more than skin deep. Brought to life in a brilliant performance by Alan Ruck (Connor Roy of Succession), this podcast series details the history of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, from comparatively humble beginnings owning newspapers in Australia to the historic Disney deal, complete with all of the backstabbing and infighting you can imagine. Some people say that truth is stranger than fiction, and in this case they would absolutely be right. —Seth H.
Another smash hit for David Grann
Nothing grabs my attention quite like a disaster story set at sea. Offer me a cannibalistic saga of shipwreck, sabotage, and buried gold written by bestselling author David Grann of Killers of the Flower Moon and believe me, I’m all ears. Now, add in the fact that powerhouse narrator Dion Graham brings this tempestuous tale to life, and I just have to say: Could I even ask for a more sublime audiobook? The Wager props open a fascinating portal into hidden maritime history, examining everything from 18th century amputation procedures to the oceanic origins of common English expressions including “three sheets to the wind.” It is truly narrative nonfiction at its finest. —Haley H.
A rich vision of post-Earth humanity
I first fell in love with Emily Tesh’s writing in an MFA class on sci-fi & fantasy novellas. We were assigned her novella Silver in the Wood, and I was spellbound by not only the lovely prose but her achingly beautiful depiction of queer love and longing. To hear she is publishing her first full-length novel—a queer space opera no less—practically made me swoon. Some Desperate Glory delivers a rich, terrifying vision of post-Earth humanity and a misguided hero whose redemption you can’t help but root for. Sena Bryer is a newer narrator—but wow, does she have my attention. Here, she delivers such a nuanced and emotionally charged performance of Tesh’s complex characters, human and nonhuman alike. I cannot wait to hear more from her. —Sam D.
The mysterious woman who warned of Oklahoma City
As we approach the 28th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, journalist Jon Ronson debuts a new series that disrupts what we think we know about America’s worst act of domestic terrorism. It’s also, as Ronson fans will expect, an endlessly enigmatic and entertaining listen. At the center is Carol Howe, a pretty former debutante who fell in with a group of violent neo-Nazis before turning federal informant embedded in the racist enclave of Elohim City and warning of a coming attack on Oklahoma City. Who was Howe, how deep were Elohim City’s ties with convicted bomber Timothy McVeigh, and why didn’t feds act on Howe’s information? With his signature curiosity and anxious allegiance to the truth, Ronson sheds new light on a tragedy and ideology whose implications are more urgent than ever. —Kat J.
As a child, I’d spend long minutes staring at the color of the sky, or analyzing the exact temperature and flavor of strawberry ice cream in an attempt to capture memories so strong I would be able to transport myself back in time as an adult. You see, a grown-up once told little me that older people don’t know how to enjoy life, and I was determined not to forget what it felt like to experience the world as a kid. It turns out, my younger self may have been on to something. Bestselling author of The Happiness Project Gretchen Rubin explores the benefits of connecting to the physical world in Life in Five Senses. Drawing on science, philosophy, and literature, as well as her own experiences, Rubin’s latest listen just might prove that savoring joyful moments holds the key to long-term contentment after all. —Rachael X.
You had me at “This is Audible.”
Curtis Sittenfeld’s joyously clever Romantic Comedy checks all my boxes. My favorite rom-coms are built on complicated leads who are fully realized characters before their love interest enters the scene. The most compelling tension in love stories is not conflict within the relationship, but the emotional strain of insecurity and self-doubt. Our heroine, Sally Milz, works at an SNL-esque sketch TV show, where she notices the trend of her mediocre male colleagues winning big both professionally and romantically. While she considers winning big at love an impossibility for your average everywoman, her assumption is shattered when she meets, and subsequently falls for, musician Noah Brewster. What follows is a deft exploration of gender, celebrity, self-worth, and beauty, wrapped up in a feel-good love story well worth rooting for. —Alanna M.
