JUNE 28, 2019
The NYC Pride Parade.
This Sunday, Audible is joining forces with our neighbors from the Queer Newark Oral History Project to get on a float, dance our little hearts out, and celebrate the stories of LGBTQIA+ Pride in the streets of Manhattan. Look for us on Sunday’s live TV broadcasts—we’ll be the ones in the fanny packs!The best bucket list.
We collectively adored this story about an elderly woman whose family arranged for her to be arrested, so she could check it off her bucket list. Grandmother Josie Birds, 93, had always been a do-gooder but wanted to experience being arrested in her lifetime—and the Greater Manchester police were more than happy to oblige. There’s been a recent surge in writing about finding meaning late in life but the best may be from Mary Pipher, who argues that women in particular can find transcendent joy in their later years. We certainly think Josie’s on to something: move over, Ove!A positive spin on the phrase eat sh*t.
One bit of science news this week was the perfect Venn diagram of two of editor Courtney’s obsessions: fitness and the stuff that happens in our guts (and what comes out, if we’re being fully transparent here). Researchers identified a bacteria from the microbiome (a.k.a. intestinal fingerprint) common among elite marathon runners and inserted it into the guts of lab mice. Guess what? The mice who ingested the bacteria strain lasted 16% longer on their tiny treadmills. The upshot? One day you may be able to take an athletic-performance-enhancing probiotic, just as you might be doing now to enhance your…bathroom performance.
File under: the feeling is mutual 😍👼
Actor Michael Sheen, who is killing it as Aziraphale on Amazon’s adaptation of Good Omens, is also an ardent supporter of fan art. Responding to a tweet critical of fanfiction, Sheen vehemently disagreed, touting the “joy and the warmth and the creativity of a community of people sharing something positive and beautiful and connective.” We love this sentiment (some pretty amazing listens are essentially fanfic, or were inspired by it) and we feel exactly the same way about Sheen—did you know he’s also an accomplished narrator?? We stan.People are talking about these Audible Originals.
We’ll spare you the false modesty—we’re feeling empowered by Jennifer Weiner’s takedown of the whole “I wrote a thing” trope. Three Audible Originals are in the spotlight this week and we couldn’t be prouder:- Stan Lee’s Alliances: A Trick of Light released yesterday, and comic book author Evan Narcisse considers how the new superhero tale reflects Lee’s incredible legacy.
- Also fresh out of the oven: Our Harlem, celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson’s glorious celebration of the food, culture, and spirit of Harlem.
- Patton Oswalt gave a shout-out to West Cork, a riveting true crime investigation set in Ireland, on the latest episode of My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark.
And last but definitely not least.
We as a team have been heartbroken about the conditions facing immigrant children at the border. If you, like us, have been wondering how to help, this article from the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights is a great place to start. We’ll be using our voices to try to help these children get reunited with their families.the audible editors
Audiobooks in This Edition
-
Valley of the Dolls 50th Anniversary Edition
- By: Jacqueline Susann
- Narrated by: Laverne Cox
- Length: 17 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 671
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars 612
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 609
At a time when women were destined to become housewives, Jacqueline Susann let us dream. Anne, Neely, and Jennifer become best friends as struggling young women in New York City trying to make their mark. Eventually, they climb their way to the top of the entertainment industry only to find that there’s no place left to go but down, into the Valley of the Dolls.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Horrible Narration...
- By Christiona D Toney on 11-08-18
-
Women Rowing North
- By: Mary Pipher
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 529
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 451
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 448
Women growing older contend with ageism, misogyny and loss. Yet as Mary Pipher shows, most older women are deeply happy and filled with gratitude for the gifts of life. Their struggles help them grow into the authentic, empathetic and wise people they have always wanted to be. In Women Rowing North, Pipher offers a timely examination of the cultural and developmental issues women face as they age.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The narrator is a distraction
- By Amazon Customer on 03-01-19
-
Gut
- The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ
- By: Giulia Enders
- Narrated by: Katy Sobey
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,602
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,015
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,972
Our gut is almost as important to us as our brain, yet we know very little about how it works. Gut: The Inside Story is an entertaining, informative tour of the digestive system from the moment we raise a tasty morsel to our lips until the moment our body surrenders the remnants to the toilet bowl. No topic is too lowly for the author's wonder and admiration, from the careful choreography of breaking wind to the precise internal communication required for a cleansing vomit.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Doctors opinion
- By KevinMcVeigh on 03-02-17
-
The Incomplete Book of Running
- By: Peter Sagal
- Narrated by: Peter Sagal
- Length: 5 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,084
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 970
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 965
At the verge of turning 40, Peter Sagal - brainiac Harvard grad, short, bald Jew with a disposition toward heft, and a sedentary star of public radio - started running seriously. And much to his own surprise, he kept going, faster and further, running 14 marathons and logging tens of thousands of miles on roads, sidewalks, paths, and trails all over the US and the world, including the 2013 Boston Marathon, where he crossed the finish line moments before the bombings.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absolutely excellent.
- By Ricky on 02-22-19
-
Good Omens
- By: Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
- Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 40,644
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35,510
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35,487
The world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday. Just before dinner, according to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing and everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
At long last!!
- By Mike From Mesa on 11-21-09
-
The Second Mountain
- How People Move from the Prison of Self to the Joy of Commitment
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,744
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,482
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,475
Author David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity and beauty of dependence. He gathers their wisdom on how to choose a partner, how to pick a vocation, how to live out a philosophy, and how we can begin to integrate our commitments into one overriding purpose.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Pursue meaning, reject hyper-individualism
- By Adam Shields on 05-07-19
-
Valley of the Dolls 50th Anniversary Edition
- By: Jacqueline Susann
- Narrated by: Laverne Cox
- Length: 17 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 671
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars 612
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 609
At a time when women were destined to become housewives, Jacqueline Susann let us dream. Anne, Neely, and Jennifer become best friends as struggling young women in New York City trying to make their mark. Eventually, they climb their way to the top of the entertainment industry only to find that there’s no place left to go but down, into the Valley of the Dolls.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Horrible Narration...
- By Christiona D Toney on 11-08-18
-
Women Rowing North
- By: Mary Pipher
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 529
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 451
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 448
Women growing older contend with ageism, misogyny and loss. Yet as Mary Pipher shows, most older women are deeply happy and filled with gratitude for the gifts of life. Their struggles help them grow into the authentic, empathetic and wise people they have always wanted to be. In Women Rowing North, Pipher offers a timely examination of the cultural and developmental issues women face as they age.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The narrator is a distraction
- By Amazon Customer on 03-01-19
-
Gut
- The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ
- By: Giulia Enders
- Narrated by: Katy Sobey
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,602
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,015
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,972
Our gut is almost as important to us as our brain, yet we know very little about how it works. Gut: The Inside Story is an entertaining, informative tour of the digestive system from the moment we raise a tasty morsel to our lips until the moment our body surrenders the remnants to the toilet bowl. No topic is too lowly for the author's wonder and admiration, from the careful choreography of breaking wind to the precise internal communication required for a cleansing vomit.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Doctors opinion
- By KevinMcVeigh on 03-02-17
-
The Incomplete Book of Running
- By: Peter Sagal
- Narrated by: Peter Sagal
- Length: 5 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,084
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 970
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 965
At the verge of turning 40, Peter Sagal - brainiac Harvard grad, short, bald Jew with a disposition toward heft, and a sedentary star of public radio - started running seriously. And much to his own surprise, he kept going, faster and further, running 14 marathons and logging tens of thousands of miles on roads, sidewalks, paths, and trails all over the US and the world, including the 2013 Boston Marathon, where he crossed the finish line moments before the bombings.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absolutely excellent.
- By Ricky on 02-22-19
-
Good Omens
- By: Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
- Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 40,644
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35,510
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35,487
The world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday. Just before dinner, according to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing and everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
At long last!!
- By Mike From Mesa on 11-21-09
-
The Second Mountain
- How People Move from the Prison of Self to the Joy of Commitment
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,744
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,482
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,475
Author David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity and beauty of dependence. He gathers their wisdom on how to choose a partner, how to pick a vocation, how to live out a philosophy, and how we can begin to integrate our commitments into one overriding purpose.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Pursue meaning, reject hyper-individualism
- By Adam Shields on 05-07-19
-
City of Bones
- The Mortal Instruments
- By: Cassandra Clare
- Narrated by: Mae Whitman
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6,456
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,718
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,734
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Six of one, half-dozen of the other
- By B on 06-04-14
-
After
- After, Book 1
- By: Anna Todd
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Louise
- Length: 16 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,979
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,723
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,733
There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there’s everything After... Life will never be the same. #Hessa... Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She’s got direction, ambition, and a mother who’s intent on keeping her that way. But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
✫✫ 4 Stars ✫✫
- By ❤️Cyndi Marie❤️🎧Audiobook Addicts🎧 on 01-14-18
-
Carry On
- By: Rainbow Rowell
- Narrated by: Euan Morton
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,179
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4,750
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,758
Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen. That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right. Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon's face.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
So glad I stumbled into this
- By JM on 10-11-15
-
Stan Lee's Alliances: A Trick of Light
- By: Stan Lee, Kat Rosenfield, Created by Stan Lee, and others
- Narrated by: Yara Shahidi
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6,821
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 6,243
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,236
What is more real? A world we are born into or one we create for ourselves? Legendary creator, master storyteller, and cultural icon Stan Lee sets off into a new universe in search of answers to some of the most pressing questions of our time! The only question left: Will you join him on this journey?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
About the narrator....
- By Helen on 07-03-19
-
Our Harlem
- Seven Days of Cooking, Music and Soul at the Red Rooster
- By: Marcus Samuelsson
- Narrated by: Marcus Samuelsson
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,307
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,973
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,965
To hear Ethiopian and Swedish chef, TV personality, and restauranteur Marcus Samuelsson cook with special guests at the Red Rooster restaurant is to make an audio pilgrimage to Harlem. Listeners will get to know the iconic neighborhood, Marcus’ home, through its food, its history, and - most importantly - its people.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A fascinating listen for foodies & history buffs!
- By Elle on 07-05-19
-
Eligible
- A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice
- By: Curtis Sittenfeld
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,937
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 2,631
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,638
This version of the Bennet family - and Mr. Darcy - is one that you have and haven't met before: Liz is a magazine writer in her late 30s who, like her yoga instructor older sister, Jane, lives in New York City. When their father has a health scare, they return to their childhood home in Cincinnati to help - and discover that the sprawling Tudor they grew up in is crumbling, and the family is in disarray.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Where are my beloved characters? Not in here
- By Canadian eReader on 04-22-16