
15 Audiobooks Behind the Award Season Nominees
January 10, 2020
—Alanna, Audible Editor
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Little Women
- An Audible Original Drama
- By: Louisa May Alcott
- Narrated by: Emily Bauer, Laura Dern, Lauren Fortgang, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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This new Audible Original dramatisation of Little Women stars a full cast led by two-time Academy Award nominee, four-time Golden Globe winner, and Emmy winner Laura Dern (Little Women, Big Little Lies, Jurassic Park)....
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Enjoyable
- By Tanya D on 01-05-20
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Little Women
- An Audible Original Drama
- Narrated by: Emily Bauer, Laura Dern, Lauren Fortgang, Allison Hiroto, Carly Robins, Suzanne Toren
- Series: Little Women
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Release date: 12-23-19
- Language: English
- Some fans may think Greta Gerwig’s bighearted yet subversive take on Louisa May Alcott’s classic was largely snubbed this awards season, but those who can’t get enough of the March family can take solace in a new rendition of the beloved novel. This Audible Original adaptation of Little Women is infused with the same beauty, wit, and nostalgia that makes the film so affecting. Laura Dern, who portrays March matriarch Margaret in the recent release, brings her signature warmth and depth to narrate the audio drama alongside a full cast of talent.
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The Irishman (Movie Tie-In)
- Frank Sheeran and Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa
- By: Charles Brandt
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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The Irishman is an epic saga of organized crime in post-war America told through the eyes of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran, a hustler and hitman who worked for legendary crime boss Russell Bufalino alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th Century....
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Don't give up!
- By Grace Azul on 05-30-10
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The Irishman (Movie Tie-In)
- Frank Sheeran and Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
- Release date: 11-18-08
- Language: English
- Charles Brandt’s I Heard You Paint Houses, recently renamed The Irishman to match the film it inspired, has been hailed as a modern day epic of the dark underbelly of organized crime and of one of the most perplexing unsolved mysteries in American history—the disappearance of labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa. Film icon Martin Scorsese’s adaptation has been lauded by critics but this audiobook is just as praise-worthy, with a gritty, layered performance from Hall of Fame Narrator Scott Brick.
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The Senate Intelligence Committee Report on Torture (Movie Tie-In Edition)
- Executive Summary of the Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency's Detention and Interrogation Program
- By: Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 18 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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The Senate Intelligence Committee Summary Report on Torture" is a public document belonging to the American people, arising from the Senate investigation into the CIA’s Interrogation and Detention Program. Here, you can hear the report in its entirety....
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Redacted redacted and redacted.
- By Ms. J. Brown on 09-06-20
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The Senate Intelligence Committee Report on Torture (Movie Tie-In Edition)
- Executive Summary of the Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency's Detention and Interrogation Program
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 18 hrs and 58 mins
- Release date: 12-09-19
- Language: English
- This special audio edition of the bombshell 2009 report that made public the clandestine inner-workings of abusive CIA interrogation tactics is enlivened by a full cast comprised of The Report’s stars—including Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall, and Annette Benning (who received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance). For further insight into the groundbreaking tale of political intrigue behind the film, this listen also features an introduction from Daniel J. Jones, the lead investigator on the case.
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Where'd You Go, Bernadette
- A Novel
- By: Maria Semple
- Narrated by: Kathleen Wilhoite
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect....
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Epistolary form is frustrating for audio
- By Catherine on 11-25-16
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Where'd You Go, Bernadette
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Kathleen Wilhoite
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Release date: 08-14-12
- Language: English
- Cate Blanchett’s wily, mysterious portrayal of protagonist Bernadette Fox won her plenty of acclaim. But in this audio edition of Maria Semple’s quirky bestseller, it’s narrator Kathleen Wilhoite at the helm, expertly and enthusiastically navigating each of the story’s twists and turns (which unfold through varying documents, texts, and e-mails) while never straying far from the story’s heart: the bond between Bernadette and her whiz-kid daughter, Bee. The result is a lively and surprisingly moving listen that’ll stay with you long after it’s over.
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Fosse
- By: Sam Wasson
- Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
- Length: 21 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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We see Bob Fosse's legacy everywhere - from Broadway to "Billy Jean" to Beyoncé's moves in the "Single Ladies" video....
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High concept biography, well executed
- By Keith on 03-06-18
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Fosse
- Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
- Length: 21 hrs and 23 mins
- Release date: 11-05-13
- Language: English
- Bob Fosse is practically synonymous with musical theater—his revolutionary choreography and life have made him a cultural mainstay decades after his death. It’s this comprehensive biography of Fosse by Sam Wasson that served as the inspiration for the FX drama Fosse/Verdon, which followed the tumultuous relationship (both professional and personal) between Fosse and actress-dancer Gwen Verdon. The show racked up three Golden Globe nominations and a win for Michelle Williams’s portrayal of Verdon, but there’s something special about the audiobook that inspired it—and the articulate, expressive, performance of narrator Jim Meskimen.
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Top of the Morning
- Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV
- By: Brian Stelter
- Narrated by: Brian Stelter
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Top of the Morning reveals the dish and dirt behind the polite smiles and perky demeanors of morning television....
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Worth Picking Up Again
- By Sarah Luongo on 03-31-19
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Top of the Morning
- Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV
- Narrated by: Brian Stelter
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Release date: 04-23-13
- Language: English
- Smash-hit Golden Globe nominee The Morning Show features Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon as a pair of rival television reporters sharing a desk at a fictional-but-recognizable daytime television show after a former host’s misconduct sends production into a tailspin. The timely and tense drama took inspiration from the inside-look Top of the Morning by journalist Brian Stelter, who also utilizes his background as a newscaster in his sharp, smart narration.
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Unbelievable (Movie Tie-In)
- The Story of Two Detectives' Relentless Search for the Truth
- By: T. Christian Miller, Ken Armstrong
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber, T. Christian Miller, Ken Armstrong
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists tell the riveting true story of Marie, a teenager who was charged with lying about having been raped, and the detectives who followed a winding path to the truth....
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Well written, well researched, and profound
- By Jessica on 02-15-18
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Unbelievable (Movie Tie-In)
- The Story of Two Detectives' Relentless Search for the Truth
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber, T. Christian Miller, Ken Armstrong
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Release date: 02-06-18
- Language: English
- Unbelievable, previously published in 2018 as A False Report, is an account written by two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists that follows the mishandling of sexual assault cases and the skepticism that survivors of rape often face at the hands of law enforcement. Like the Golden Globe-nominated Netflix series it inspired, this listen follows the case of an assaulted teenager who was charged with false reporting—and the detectives who faced a labyrinth of evidence and related cases in order to bring about justice. Audie nominee Hillary Huber brings a gentle starkness to her delivery of this painful but incredibly necessary tale.
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The Suspect
- An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle
- By: Kent Alexander, Kevin Salwen
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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A gripping insider account of the terrorist bombing at the 1996 Olympic Games that captured the world’s attention, and the heroic security guard-turned-suspect at the heart of it all....
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Kudos !
- By Tyree on 11-24-19
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The Suspect
- An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins
- Release date: 11-12-19
- Language: English
- In the summer of 1996, all eyes were on the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, where a remotely detonated bomb killed two people and wounded more than a hundred others. According to authorities, however, that tragedy would have claimed hundreds if not thousands of lives, if not for the watchful eyes of Richard Jewell, a humble, vigilant security guard who spied the suspicious object before it exploded. The Suspect, one of the contributing sources that inspired the film Richard Jewell, unravels Jewell’s journey from hero to suspect, all told in the deliberate, authoritative twang of actor Paul Michael.
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Codename Villanelle
- Killing Eve, Book 1
- By: Luke Jennings
- Narrated by: Laura Kirman
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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She is the perfect assassin. A Russian orphan, saved from the death penalty for the brutal revenge she took on her gangster father's killers....
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My favorite books I have bought from Audible!
- By Casey Digital Design Inc. on 05-13-19
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Codename Villanelle
- Killing Eve, Book 1
- Narrated by: Laura Kirman
- Series: Killing Eve, Book 1
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
- Release date: 12-27-18
- Language: English
- A favorite of fans and critics alike, Golden Globe nominee Killing Eve follows the elaborate cat-and-mouse game between sociopathic killer Villanelle and Eve, the MI5 officer dispatched to hunt her down. In Codename Villanelle, the first installment in the series that inspired the television adaptation, narrator Laura Kirman brings the pair to life, adding flair and nuance to the title character’s narration with her slow, deliberate delivery and realistic Russian accent.
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Big Little Lies
- By: Liane Moriarty
- Narrated by: Caroline Lee
- Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny, biting, and passionate; she remembers everything and forgives no one. Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare, but she is paying a price for the illusion of perfection....
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Oh, Calamity!
- By L. O. Pardue on 10-07-14
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Big Little Lies
- Narrated by: Caroline Lee
- Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins
- Release date: 07-29-14
- Language: English
- Still waiting with bated breath to hear whether or not a third season of Big Little Lies is on the horizon? In the meantime, check out the audio adaptation of the story that inspired the HBO hit. Liane Moriarty’s tangled tale of deceit, violence, and tragedy set against the backdrop of excess, wealth, and projected perfection is exquisitely performed by actress Caroline Lee. Her prim, clipped delivery carries the same tone and spirit as her on-screen counterparts, enlivening a cast of characters as flawed as they are fascinating.
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Catch-22
- By: Joseph Heller
- Narrated by: Jay O. Sanders
- Length: 19 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him....
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Stop randomly adding music
- By Kenneth S. Clark on 08-31-18
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Catch-22
- Narrated by: Jay O. Sanders
- Length: 19 hrs and 58 mins
- Release date: 08-29-17
- Language: English
- Catch-22’s John Yossarian is a reluctant soldier, to say the least. Frustrated with constantly being plunged into death-defying dogfights, he tries his best to avoid battle whenever he can, whether by feigning illness or sabotaging his own missions. The Golden Globe-nominated television adaptation of Joseph Heller’s landmark satirical classic has been cheered for its sharp handling of the novel’s humor and its exceptional cast—traits shared by the audiobook, which features a dynamic, pitch-perfect performance by Jay O. Sanders.
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A Game of Thrones
- A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1
- By: George R. R. Martin
- Narrated by: Roy Dotrice
- Length: 33 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King's Landing....
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Everybody is apparently a chain smoking old man.
- By Clarence on 11-04-13
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A Game of Thrones
- A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1
- Narrated by: Roy Dotrice
- Series: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1
- Length: 33 hrs and 46 mins
- Release date: 12-09-03
- Language: English
- A bonafide cultural phenomenon, Game of Thrones was perhaps one of the most talked-about shows of 2019, inspiring worldwide watch parties for the final season. If you’re missing your favorite weekly fantasy show—or if you weren’t satisfied with the show’s conclusion—check out the story that inspired the sensation. George R.R. Martin’s ongoing epic series provides more than a full week of immersive audio entertainment. The refined, celebrated talents of English actor Roy Dotrice are on full display as he seamlessly shifts among the diverse cast of characters, giving each of them a unique cadence, spirit, and tone.
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The Loudest Voice in the Room
- How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News - and Divided a Country
- By: Gabriel Sherman
- Narrated by: Erik Singer
- Length: 17 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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A revelatory journey inside the world of Fox News and Roger Ailes - the brash, sometimes combative network head who helped fuel the rise of Donald Trump....
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A Monumental Achievement
- By L. Kerr on 01-28-14
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The Loudest Voice in the Room
- How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News - and Divided a Country
- Narrated by: Erik Singer
- Length: 17 hrs and 36 mins
- Release date: 01-17-14
- Language: English
- Both The Loudest Voice and its lead, Russell Crowe, were up for Golden Globes this season—with good reason. The Showtime limited series is based on Gabriel Sherman’s biography, The Loudest Voice in the Room, which follows the meteoric rise of Roger Ailes and his influential television empire, Fox News. Dialect coach and voice actor Erik Singer brings a crispness to Sherman’s thorny world of media power, corporate corruption, and political collusion.
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Caging Skies
- By: Christine Leunens
- Narrated by: Steven Jay Cohen
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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An avid member of the Hitler Youth in 1940s Vienna, Johannes Betzler discovers his parents are hiding a Jewish girl named Elsa behind a false wall in their home. His initial horror turns to interest - then obsession. After his parents disappear, Johannes is responsible for her fate....
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A book with two separate personalities
- By Anonymous User on 11-30-19
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Caging Skies
- Narrated by: Steven Jay Cohen
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Release date: 08-06-19
- Language: English
- Taika Waititi’s irreverent anti-hate satire Jojo Rabbit was one of the year’s most unexpected successes, with critics hailing its mix of big laughs and gentle human moments. Waititi adapted his screenplay from Christine Leunens’s novel Caging Skies, which follows a young supporter of the Third Reich who faces a series of encounters that challenge his steadfast beliefs. Though Caging Skies is far bleaker and existential in tone, it carries the same glimpse of childhood innocence that its on-screen successor is built on, a spirit embodied by Steven Jay Cohen’s gentle, guileless narration.
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The Two Popes
- Francis, Benedict, and the Decision That Shook the World
- By: Anthony McCarten
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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From the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of Darkest Hour and The Theory of Everything comes the fascinating and revealing tale of two very different men - both of whom happen to live at the Vatican....
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Not Theologically Rigorous
- By persononearth on 02-04-20
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The Two Popes
- Francis, Benedict, and the Decision That Shook the World
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Release date: 01-29-19
- Language: English
- Before he penned the screenplay for the adaptation of the same name, author Anthony McCarten turned his incisive eye to the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the rise of his successor, Pope Francis. The Two Popes is a fascinating take on the shock announcement and rush to find a new supreme pontiff, focusing on the human aspects of the transition. Why did Benedict step down at the height of his reign? And how would the gentle, unostentatious Francis—the first non-European pope in more than 1,200 years—adjust to life in the Vatican? Audie Award-winning narrator John Lee lends his confident, authoritative tone to this listen, making this glittering narrative all the more engrossing.
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