Editors Select: June 2026

Maggie O’Farrell is a sorceress

I’d follow the author of Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait anywhere, but from the very first scene of Land, I experienced it not just as a novel but as witchcraft. How else to explain O’Farrell channeling the historic tribulations of her ancestors from the image of a taciturn father and his reluctant son mapping the terrain of their country for the British as the cold rain poured over them? How else to account for the psychedelic visions of nature, whose marvelous descriptions are more thrilling than any action scene, and the mesmerizing story, which weaves back and forth so fluidly through time. All credit to Irish actor Dane Whyte O’Hara for his melodious, spellbinding delivery of a story, a history, and a message that beats forever in my heart.

A Mediterranean vacation

I’ve been patiently waiting for this listen to transport me to a much-needed mental vacation to the Mediterranean. Infused with an extra layer of sunshine from Edoardo Ballerini’s narration, Andrew Sean Greer’s latest novel seems heavily inspired by his time working at a writers’ residency under the oversight of a baronessa in Tuscany. According to the author, it was there that he learned his novel Less had won the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. He had just wrestled a pug into pajamas (a part of his unofficial role at the residency), and as the proud owner of a senior pug myself, I know that multum in parvo—the Latin phrase meaning “a lot in a small space”—is the perfect motto for these goofy little beasts. Likewise, Greer never fails to pack a lot of heart into his stories, and this listen proves it.

A luminous story, made even more powerful in audio

Ann Patchett's Whistler is a tender, revelatory novel about memory, family, and the stories we tell ourselves about our past. When Daphne encounters her long-lost stepfather Eddie at the Metropolitan Museum, she's confronted with childhood memories she thought she understood, only to discover how profoundly wrong she was about what happened and why. Patchett narrates the audiobook herself, adding an intimate, conversational quality full of wry humor, gentle wisdom, and emotional honesty, capturing both the pain of reexamining the past and the unexpected grace of second chances. For anyone who's still untangling their own complicated family relationships, Whistler offers something quietly profound and genuinely healing.

Come out, come out, wherever you are

There’s a compliment one Black person will pay to another who has prepared a delectable meal. They will say, “You put your foot in this food.” Phill Branch, you put your foot in this book! Plus, your heart, your soul, your intelligence, and your truth. I can go on and on about this book. It is a story about a boy who wanted to jump rope with the girls. (BTW, I never could jump Double Dutch. I was outed in a playground as being double handed. A no-no for a Black girl.) Branch was brutally chastised by his father, who didn’t want his son jumping rope. There it is, the rampant homophobia that still rages in the Black community. It was a painful obstacle for Branch, but fast-forward, he is just fine and has plenty to show for the work he put into realizing everything that was his to claim. For young people struggling with their identity and wanting to live their lives honestly and happily, this is your book, Branch is your people.

Joe before Joe

As a fan of the You series, I have grown to have a love/hate relationship with Joe Goldberg (and I think many would say the same). You catch yourself rooting for him, then hating yourself for it. In You First, the clock rewinds back to Y2K New York. It takes us into 17-year-old Joe’s mind as he’s shelving books in Mr. Mooney's shop, scanning Missed Connections ads, and constructing an elaborate web of lies to win over Vail Gunderson—a woman seven years his senior who has no idea what she's dealing with. Caroline Kepnes makes Joe's logic feel almost reasonable, even as the walls close in. Santino Fontana's narration delivers, his voice shifting between boyish charm and quiet menace seamlessly. If you’re as curious as I was to find out how it all began, take a listen.

An overflowing goblet of queer joy

I’ve never experienced anything quite like The Pansy Craze. Created and hosted by Mason Alexander Park (fresh off his run of Oh, Mary! in the West End), it’s a celebration of queer history that was originally staged at Audible's Minetta Lane Theatre in New York City. The live recording captures its cabaret-style energy. I was blown away by the blend of live music and storytelling in a variety show that deftly navigates eras of celebration with moments of LGBTQIA+ criminalization and commodification. Episodes feature a rotating cast of star-studded guests—including RuPaul's Drag Race star Sasha Velour, along with actors Lea DeLaria, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Laverne Cox. Come for the piano-bar vibes and learn a bit of hidden history along the way!

Whiskey, whispers, and trouble

When Victoria Wilder mentioned the upcoming Whiskey Women series during our Bourbon & Proof conversation, I was immediately intrigued—and Rumors & Whiskey delivered. Wyn returns home after mysteriously being away for three years, only to come face-to-face with Julian, a man she thought she knew. What follows is a mix of family drama, small-town gossip, buried secrets, and romantic suspense that kept me completely locked in. The tension between Wyn and Julian was perfection, and I loved watching their back-and-forth slowly give way to trust. Samantha Brentmoor and Connor Crais bring every moment of that chemistry to life in their duet performance.

Who you leave behind

What if immigrants left a version of themselves behind in their country of origin? Not a metaphorical self, but a true doppelgänger who stays to experience the road not taken. That’s the brilliant concept of this compulsive, genre-bending debut novel, which is drawing comparisons to the acclaimed TV show Severence. The book indeed tackles many of the same concerns about identity and ethics, but through the lens of the immigrant experience. Michelle H. Lee's and Major Curda's performances are masterful, with each adding understated shifts in cadence between the dual versions of their characters, and author Isabel J. Kim's use of second-person POV amplifies the unmoored, uncanny experience for listeners.

Long live the queens

Heir Apparent comes in hot. This fantastical story is one-part Princess Bride and three-parts Monty Python on speed. Here, the holy grail is a baby, which bad-to-the-bone Queen Mortuana must have or she will lose her throne. Kate McKinnon and sister Emily Lynne co-wrote and co-starred in this sequel to their highly successful Audible Original Heads Will Roll, leading a cast of comedy greats in a sprawling tale that underscores not even a queen is spared the indignity of chasing a biological clock. The McKinnon sisters’ madcap repartee will turn you into loyal subjects.

Obsession-worthy romantic fantasy

Lynette Noni’s Shadow Reaper is the YA fantasy I didn’t know to hope for this year. An intricate magic system, effortless world-building, pithy dialogue, and plot twist ... after plot twist ... after plot twist. (Seriously, if you think you have it figured out, think again). Performed by Abigail Reno, Alex Knox, and Imani Jade Powers, you will get lost in Viri’s quest to take down the reapers plaguing the city of Aravell—and avenge her parents’ deaths in the process. A ship-worthy, enemies-to-lovers storyline complements the high-stakes plot. And don’t worry about the cliffhanger—Noni has declared this to be a duology.

Mother may I

Currently playing on my summer listening list is the latest from Mary H.K. Choi, a novel that dives headlong into messy mother-daughter dynamics alongside a study in grief and longing. Her rich prose pairs portraits of a family trying to make ends meet in LA with mind-meltingly articulate captures of the mundane. Joy Osmanski, who has narrated several of Choi’s titles, delivers these multidimensional characters so thoughtfully and boldly that they feel wrenchingly real. Filled with melancholy and maternal ache, the most shocking part of this powerful depiction of a relationship full of sharp edges and blind spots is not the pain, addiction, or regret. It’s the inescapable primal bond.

Just as satisfying as its namesake song...

There seems to be a strange correlation between how over-the-top the premise of a rom-com is and the likelihood that I will be sobbing big, fat, emotional tears by the story's end. This fun and heartfelt YA romantic comedy is chock-full of tropes, laughs, and perfectly timed tear-jerking moments. It's a particularly cathartic romp for those of us who wish we had sapphic YA stories to enjoy while we were growing up. But that’s the beauty of YA—you’re never too old to be young again.

A love letter to a music icon

When George Michael died on Christmas Day in 2016 at the age of 53, I was heartbroken like so many other fans who grew up with his songs. Sathnam Sanghera's joyous re-evaluation of the misunderstood icon is sure to revive his fandom and spark new debates about his pop genius. By now, most know his biography—growing up in a conservative Greek-Cypriot immigrant family in Britain and navigating addiction and intense tabloid homophobia—but there's plenty of new insights to glean from this celebration of his legacy. And it requires "No More Tears" since narrator Homer Todiwala brings a warm empathy to the audiobook, pivoting from wry comedy to a poignant, respectful gravity.