Gesundheit!
Here’s a tissue. The pollen levels have been off the charts! I hope all of you allergy sufferers find relief soon. It’s almost late May—so the green stuff filling the air is about to die down and we’ll all be able to venture outside to enjoy the wonderful rewards of all of that pollination. May also brings Memorial Day—a cherished long weekend and the unofficial start to summer. Let’s not forget those who have served as we ready ourselves for beachgoing and long listening sessions in the sun.Happy Listening.
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The Murmur of Bees
- By: Sofia Segovia, Simon Bruni - translator
- Narrated by: Xe Sands, Angelo Di Loreto
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
From the day that old Nana Reja found a baby abandoned under a bridge, the life of a small Mexican town forever changed. Disfigured and covered in a blanket of bees, little Simonopio is for some locals the stuff of superstition, a child kissed by the devil. But he is welcomed by landowners Francisco and Beatriz Morales, who adopt him and care for him. As he grows up, Simonopio becomes a cause for wonder to the Morales family, because when the uncannily gifted child closes his eyes, he can see what no one else can - visions of all that’s yet to come, both beautiful and dangerous.
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One of the best books I listened to ever!
- By Vmcg on 05-11-19
A new listener favorite
This work in translation from acclaimed Mexican novelist Sofia Segovia is sheer audio perfection! Narrators Xe Sands and Angelo Di Loreto literally breathe life into Segovia’s lyrical prose. With its backdrop of the Mexican Revolution and the devastating influenza of 1918, this listen completely transported me in time and place and made me totally invested in what happens to Simonopio—the orphaned boy who is magically followed by bees.
Hear the Buzz
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The Island of Sea Women
- A Novel
- By: Lisa See
- Narrated by: Jennifer Lim
- Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Mi-ja and Young-sook, two girls living on the Korean island of Jeju, are best friends who come from very different backgrounds. When they are old enough, they begin working in the sea with their village’s all-female diving collective, led by Young-sook’s mother. As the girls take up their positions as baby divers, they know they are beginning a life of excitement and responsibility but also danger. This beautiful, thoughtful novel illuminates a world turned upside down, one where the women are in charge, engaging in dangerous, physical work, and the men take care of the children.
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Overly dramatic read
- By mary krause on 03-28-19
Celebrate Asian Pacific heritage
From modern-day family sagas like Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club, to debut author Elaine Castillo’s America Is Not the Heart, to Lisa See’s exploration of the little-known diving women of Jeju, South Korea in The Island of Sea Women, there’s no shortage of fiction that explores the rich cultures and influence of the Asia Pacific region.
Explore Now
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The Things They Carried
- By: Tim O'Brien
- Narrated by: Bryan Cranston
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Hailed by The New York Times as "a marvel of storytelling", The Things They Carried’s portrayal of the boots-on-the-ground experience of soldiers in the Vietnam War is a landmark in war writing. Now, three-time Emmy Award winner-Bryan Cranston, star of the hit TV series Breaking Bad, delivers an electrifying performance that walks the book’s hallucinatory line between reality and fiction and highlights the emotional power of the spoken word.
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Heavy Load
- By Mel on 10-28-13
A life-altering performance
To me, it’s not realistic to expect people to actually listen to war stories over the Memorial Day weekend. We’re busy, and if we’re honest, it’s not exactly the kind of feel-good activity we’re looking for. My suggestion: listen now, before the holiday. The Things They Carried is not an easy listen, but is an important one, and Bryan Cranston’s performance is among my top-five all-time favorites—of any genre.
Listen and Remember
New Releases
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The Overdue Life of Amy Byler
- By: Kelly Harms
- Narrated by: Amy McFadden
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Overworked and underappreciated, single mom Amy Byler needs a break. So when the guilt-ridden husband who abandoned her shows up and offers to take care of their kids for the summer, she accepts his offer and escapes rural Pennsylvania for New York City. Usually grounded and mild mannered, Amy finally lets her hair down in the city that never sleeps. She discovers a life filled with culture, sophistication, and - with a little encouragement from her friends - a few blind dates.
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Enjoyable narration. Story is an easy read.
- By Em Jay Reads on 07-18-19
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The Flight Portfolio
- By: Julie Orringer
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 19 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The long-awaited new work from the best-selling author of The Invisible Bridge takes us back to occupied Europe in this gripping historical novel based on the true story of Varian Fry's extraordinary attempt to save the work, and the lives, of Jewish artists fleeing the Holocaust. In 1940, Fry - an American journalist - traveled to Marseille carrying $3,000 and a list of imperiled artists and writers he hoped to rescue within a few weeks. Instead, he ended up staying in France for 13 months, setting up an underground railroad that led over the Pyrenees, into Spain....
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Not finishing . . , writing is not good enough
- By Bonny on 12-12-19
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Resistance Women
- A Novel
- By: Jennifer Chiaverini
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 20 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
From the New York Times best-selling author of Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, an enthralling historical saga that recreates the danger, romance, and sacrifice of an era and brings to life one courageous, passionate American - Mildred Fish Harnack - and her circle of women friends who waged a clandestine battle against Hitler in Nazi Berlin.
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One of THE best historical fiction WW2 books!
- By JeanAnn Trombley on 06-04-19
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Red Birds
- By: Mohammed Hanif
- Narrated by: David Bendena
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
An American pilot crash-lands in the desert and finds himself on the outskirts of the very camp he was supposed to bomb. After days spent wandering and hallucinating from dehydration, Major Ellie is rescued by one of the camp's residents, a teenager named Momo, whose entrepreneurial money-making schemes are failing as his family is falling apart: his older brother, Ali, left for his first day of work at an American base and never returned; his parents are at each other’s throats; his dog, Mutt, is having a very bad day; and an earthy-crunchy aid worker has shown up....
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Horrible
- By kphotos on 09-10-21
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The Overdue Life of Amy Byler
- By: Kelly Harms
- Narrated by: Amy McFadden
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Overworked and underappreciated, single mom Amy Byler needs a break. So when the guilt-ridden husband who abandoned her shows up and offers to take care of their kids for the summer, she accepts his offer and escapes rural Pennsylvania for New York City. Usually grounded and mild mannered, Amy finally lets her hair down in the city that never sleeps. She discovers a life filled with culture, sophistication, and - with a little encouragement from her friends - a few blind dates.
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Enjoyable narration. Story is an easy read.
- By Em Jay Reads on 07-18-19
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The Flight Portfolio
- By: Julie Orringer
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 19 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The long-awaited new work from the best-selling author of The Invisible Bridge takes us back to occupied Europe in this gripping historical novel based on the true story of Varian Fry's extraordinary attempt to save the work, and the lives, of Jewish artists fleeing the Holocaust. In 1940, Fry - an American journalist - traveled to Marseille carrying $3,000 and a list of imperiled artists and writers he hoped to rescue within a few weeks. Instead, he ended up staying in France for 13 months, setting up an underground railroad that led over the Pyrenees, into Spain....
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Not finishing . . , writing is not good enough
- By Bonny on 12-12-19
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Resistance Women
- A Novel
- By: Jennifer Chiaverini
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 20 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the New York Times best-selling author of Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, an enthralling historical saga that recreates the danger, romance, and sacrifice of an era and brings to life one courageous, passionate American - Mildred Fish Harnack - and her circle of women friends who waged a clandestine battle against Hitler in Nazi Berlin.
-
-
One of THE best historical fiction WW2 books!
- By JeanAnn Trombley on 06-04-19
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Red Birds
- By: Mohammed Hanif
- Narrated by: David Bendena
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An American pilot crash-lands in the desert and finds himself on the outskirts of the very camp he was supposed to bomb. After days spent wandering and hallucinating from dehydration, Major Ellie is rescued by one of the camp's residents, a teenager named Momo, whose entrepreneurial money-making schemes are failing as his family is falling apart: his older brother, Ali, left for his first day of work at an American base and never returned; his parents are at each other’s throats; his dog, Mutt, is having a very bad day; and an earthy-crunchy aid worker has shown up....
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Horrible
- By kphotos on 09-10-21
About the Editor
Tricia listens to discover characters and voices that transport her, not to a fantasy world, but to the heart of what it is to be human in this world. Follow her on Twitter @tricia___ford.