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MARCH 8, 2019

Happy Friday! If you’ve made it this far, you’re almost through the work week. And there’s more good news—after a rocky year at the Nobel Foundation, we’re getting not one but two Nobel Prizes in Literature this year. And here’s what else we’re talking about this week…

A major medical breakthrough strikes again.

For just the second time in recorded history, an HIV patient has been reportedly cured! The first patient was cured almost exactly 12 years ago, and doctors have been trying—without success—to replicate the treatment ever since. But now a new patient, known only as “the London patient,” has received a bone marrow transplant that was intended to treat cancer but unexpectedly cured his HIV too. Although a cure felt like a fantasy at the height of the ’80s AIDS epidemic, which Rebecca Makkai evokes in her novel The Great Believers, it’s beginning to look more like a promising reality.

Time (and bored rich kids) can be cruel.

Every year another pop culture anniversary highlights our march to the grave. Okay, editor Abby admits she’s being dramatic. But the 20th anniversary of the movie Cruel Intentions came as a bit of a blow. She still loves it for the wickedly good performances of its cast (such as the brave and wonderful Selma Blair, who recently walked the red carpet for the first time since announcing her MS battle), and is chagrined to remember that the movie was how she came to know the original Dangerous Liasons, which it’s based on. Since then, she’s been drawn to other retellings of the story, such as Unforgivable Love, and can’t kick her John Malkovich attraction based on another adaptation. That’s fitting as it’s a bit of a feminist take on sexuality despite the misogyny of that culture; as we celebrate Women’s History Month, here’s to embracing all aspects of womanhood. Possibly with less cruelty, though.

Bedtime stories, 2.0.

It’s an understatement to say we know the value of being read aloud to, which is why we nearly stood up and applauded when we heard about Dr. Belinda George, the Beaumont, TX elementary school principal who reads stories via Facebook live, in her PJs, every Tuesday night at 7:30. After cheerfully greeting students who tune in, she dives into children’s favorites like Clark the Shark. Can’t make it to her live-reads? Many teachers advocate for audiobooks know to help struggling readers, which are a wonderful companion to live experiences like this one—Cookie Monster PJs optional.

Trolls banished by royal decree.

In the digital age, cyberbullying has only become more and more prevalent (even in fiction). Earlier this week, the British royal family made an unprecedented (and decidedly 2019) move and announced their own social media guidelines for their followers. The hope is that the new rules will deter the trolls that have been plaguing their accounts for months, specifically targeting the Duchess of Sussex and the Duchess of Cambridge. We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed.

Good things are worth waiting for.

...like the time editor Kat brought One Hundred Years of Solitude on a long flight and her seatmate patiently waited hours for her to finish it so they could discuss the ending. And so it is that even amid a constant stream of adaptations, the news that Gabriel García Márquez’s famous novel is coming to the screen is a Major Event. It is in currently development as a Spanish-language series on Netflix, with the author’s sons as executive producers, marking the first time ever that the sweeping tale of the Buendía clan will be adapted. As one reviewer said of the John Lee-narrated audiobook, This story is meant to be listened to. We can’t wait to see how it works for our eyes, too.
Till next week!
—the audible editors

Audiobooks in This Edition

The Great Believers Audiobook By Rebecca Makkai cover art
Les Liaisons Dangereuses Audiobook By Choderlos de Laclos cover art
Unforgivable Love Audiobook By Sophfronia Scott cover art
Breakfast of Champions Audiobook By Kurt Vonnegut cover art
I Am Yours Audiobook By Reema Zaman cover art
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl Audiobook By Anne Frank cover art