Editors Select | January 2018

If Cannonball Run was an audiobook movie starring a countrified Jon Hamm

Lovers of 70s road trip movies will be delighted and entertained by this fictionalized romp through Bicentennial America. It’s the story of an equally fictional cult-classic film about a trucker named Stinker (Jon Hamm) whose mission is to deliver a six-pack of Schlitz beer to the president. If the concept alone doesn’t pique your interest, the voices in it surely will: Andy Richter (Conan), Philip Baker Hall (Magnolia), Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul), and Paul F. Tompkins (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) deliver unforgettable performances.

Courtney R.

Audible Editor

The stories that inspired the series

I’ve long been a fan of Philip K. Dick’s classic sci-fi novels, but at risk of losing some of my cred, I must admit I haven’t delved much into his vast catalog of short stories before now. This collection seemed like the perfect excuse to start: it consists of the ten tales that served as the inspiration for the upcoming Prime Original anthology series Electric Dreams. Narrated by a top-notch cast narrators that includes Luke Daniels and Peter Berkrot, the stories are classic trippy, mind-bending, and just plain genius PKD—exploring themes that range from AI to politics to the nature of reality itself. Each is prefaced by an introduction written by one of the show’s writers or creators, which made me even more eager to see how the themes and plots play out in the series. Now I’m inspired to start exploring even more PKD short stories—many of which also inspired big-screen adaptations like Total Recall and The Minority Report.

Sam P.

Audible Editor

Let the purge begin

From the country that gave us extremely efficient furniture (IKEA) and impeccable pop (ABBA) comes the most strangely motivating idea ever: death cleaning. As morbid as it sounds, the Swedish custom of paring down your belongings (thus sparing your family this onerous job) will appeal to anyone who has faced that task—or even just moved. The macabre title adds a level of urgency compared to the slow, slightly sensuous, Container Store joy of Marie Kondo’s method. And when Margareta Magnusson (in the hushed voice of Juliet Stevenson) tells you that having less makes you live more freely, you feel liberated already.

Maggie M.

Audible Editor

Beyond the veil

The twists and turns keep coming in this complex domestic thriller that will have you questioning everything you think you know about the lives of one woman, her Master-of-the-Universe ex-husband, and her replacement (his new fiancée). Julia Whelan deftly handles the narration as it shifts between POVs, intensity, and time frames; her nuanced performance gives the action a heightened sense of pressure as it barrels toward the explosive and satisfying conclusion.

Abby W.

Audible Editor

Louisa is back

A few weeks ago I had my husband vote on the book that I ugly cried over the most, and he determined that Me Before You by Jojo Moyes just edged out The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I will inhale anything that Moyes writes—her writing is beautiful and human and so easy to connect with. The sequel to Me Before You, After Me, didn’t break me the way the first book did, but I was just grateful to be back in the world of Louisa Clark. I’ve just begun the third book in the series, Still Me, and I’m afraid my husband is going to need to have the tissues handy again. This feels more like Will’s Louisa, as she settles into a new life as a caretaker in NYC. I can’t wait to see where Moyes takes one of my all-time favorite characters.

Katie O.

Audible Editor

Timing is everything

Daniel H. Pink (#1 New York Times best-selling author of Drive and To Sell Is Human) explores why, how, and, yes, when timing really does matter. If you’ve ever asked yourself, "What time should I go to sleep? Is it better to be the first person interviewed, or the last? Am I going through a mid-life crisis? When should I get married? What time of day should I schedule my surgery? Why do I procrastinate so much?" or even, "What are my chances of making it to the next round in a national singing competition?" then this book is for you. Pink’s writing isn’t just informative and backed by leading research in psychology, biology, and economics, it’s eerily relatable—like listening to the plot of what your life could be if only you were in all the right places at all the right times. So, when should you listen to this book? Now.

Rachael X.

Audible Editor

A twist in every chapter

On the cusp of identifying a cell of Russian "sleepers" in the US, CIA analyst Viv Miller also wishes she could spend more time with her husband and four children. To give away more of the plot would be to spoil some of the surprise, but this smart thriller has a twist in every chapter. Mia Barron’s measured, sympathetic performance conveys the struggle of a working mom whose chance of "work/life balance" disappears in a miasma of espionage.

Christina H.

Audible Editor

Following in the footsteps of The Handmaid’s Tale

Red Clocks swept me up into a future America where abortion is once again illegal. Set in a tiny Oregon fishing town, it follows five women whose loosely intertwined lives have been affected by the new “personhood” laws in very different ways. I grew to love all the characters, especially Ro, a sweetly bumbling high school teacher who’s writing a biography of a nineteenth century polar explorer and is trying to have a baby on her own. Like The Handmaid’s Tale and other great speculative fiction, Red Clocks is smart but personal, taking big philosophical and ethical concerns and making them feel very human. The excellent dual narration by in-house favorite Erin Bennett and newcomer Karissa Vacker brings extra warmth and dimension to each woman’s story.

Rachel S.

Audible Editor

The Golden Rule, with tips from the Oval Office

My mom always said everyone should work a service job at some point in their life—not only will it give you an appreciation and understanding of what people who serve to live go through, but it will impart invaluable skills for how to be a good human. She’s right, but it’s a tall order for clumsy people like me, who certainly set a new low for waiting tables. This book achieves the same result, without the spilled drinks and inescapable hamburger grease. The writers, who served in the Bush and Obama White Houses, provide useful takeaways with every anecdote from behind the scenes of the world’s most famous address. Their 12 practices are insightful and aha-inspiring. From how to build confidence (hint: wearing the right outfit helps) to the power of humor (self-deprecation is best), it’s an equally satisfying listen for presidential voyeurs and for those seeking ways to be better at their jobs and in life.

Courtney R.

Audible Editor

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.

Tricia F.

Audible Editor

A master of short fiction—an all-star cast of narrators

Denis Johnson passed last year, but left us with this one last beautiful example of his wonderful writing. His stories are so refined, and transition so effortlessly, that there is often no noticeable distinction between the emotions they elicit. You might find yourself laughing at death, or worried for one of Johnson’s characters' untimely success. In this subtle way Johnson shocks his listeners into what I would guess is awareness, or clarity. At the very least, you can tell a book is good when it gets this many all-star narrators (Nick Offerman, Michael Shannon, Dermot Mulroney, Will Patton, and Liev Schreiber). They leave no stone of Johnson’s lyrical prowess unturned or unpolished.

Michael D.

Audible Editor

From the award-winning author of Bud, Not Buddy

One of my all-time favorites, Christopher Paul Curtis, can make me laugh and cry in the same sentence. Twelve-year-old Charlie, son of a white sharecropper, gets swindled into joining an evil plantation overseer on a journey to capture escaped slaves. Charlie is a product of his environment, yet bravely struggles to do right in the face of the evil he sees. Based on an actual incident, this story is sometimes brutal, but redemptive and even funny in a way that only Curtis can manage. It begs to be listened to so kids can hear Charlie’s dialect as it was meant to sound.

Sonja C.

Audible Editor

Another thing of beauty from Rachel Joyce

How I love Rachel Joyce. In The Music Shop we meet Frank, an eternal optimist who knows about almost nothing except music, and who believes his vinyl record shop—which is struggling to remain relevant amidst the rise of CDs in 1980s Britain—is his venue by which to help the world. He has the intuitive ability to know what records people need to hear, and has even saved a marriage or two through his almost magical curation skills. Music geeks will eat this up (who doesn't want to hear Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata described as "punk?"), but as in all of Joyce's stories, the true elegance comes through her identification of the turning points in a person's life. What are those micro-traumas that set a child on their seemingly accidental path in life; what was that moment of (in)decision that changed everything? As a parent, Joyce's prescience terrifies me, but I also can't look away. As a bonus track (pun!) Steven Hartley's narration—Google him, you know this guy—is masterful: in turns obsessively enthusiastic and heartbreaking, especially amazing given that it’s his first turn behind the mic.

Emily C.

Audible Editor

Audiobook Categories

Lists & Collections

Featured

Stinker Lets Loose!

Live performance at end is worth it!

If Cannonball Run was an audiobook movie starring a countrified Jon Hamm

Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams

I Enjoy P K

The stories that inspired the series

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning

Home like story, very vivid. I found it practical

Let the purge begin

The Wife Between Us

NOT that confusing! Gone Girl + Last Mrs. Parrish

Beyond the veil

Still Me

better than 2, not quite as good as 1

Louisa is back

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing

Fun. Enlightening. Fast Paced.

Timing is everything

Need to Know

Great Read!!

A twist in every chapter

Red Clocks

Need to read it in print

Following in the footsteps of The Handmaid’s Tale

Treating People Well

A Fun-filled and Much Needed Guide to Civility

The Golden Rule, with tips from the Oval Office

The Chalk Man

Losing One’s Head

Beware the chalk men

The Largesse of the Sea Maiden

RIP Denis Johnson

A master of short fiction—an all-star cast of narrators

The Journey of Little Charlie

From the award-winning author of Bud, Not Buddy

The Music Shop

A 3.75 Star Experience

Another thing of beauty from Rachel Joyce