JULY 12, 2019

It’s that time again, friends—time to recap the week that was, from quiz shows to hard-hitting stories and the journalists who break them. Let’s crack this one open, shall we?

Welcoming the Army to the biz!

We’re here to give a hearty salute to the US Army as they arrive into the land o’ audiobooks. We learned last week that the military has cottoned on to the popularity of listening and is now going to be releasing some of their training textbooks and documents into audio. And it reminded us of when Editor Christina had the vision to get this little gem of an Army training pamphlet recorded. While contemporary soldiers may not find tactical advice here, pick it up—for free—for a nostalgic on-the-ground glimpse of Britain in the 1940s, and to learn how the US military educated its soldiers back in the day.

An evolving legacy.

We’ve long been reconciling the founding fathers’ paradoxical roles as both revolutionary leaders and slave owners (see: all things Thomas Jefferson and Monticello). There’s a new chapter in the tale as Highland, the estate of James Monroe, recently learned of the neighboring community that is full descendants of his slaves. Monroe supported abolition but is said to have enslaved about 250 people, and after emancipation, some of their descendants settled a town less than 10 miles away in Monroetown (yes, it’s literally called Monroetown). Now the museum at Highland is incorporating that part of his history into the programming and augmenting the narrative for the estate and a community.

The memoir list that had us all talking.

Editor Rachel could go on and on (and ON!) about why memoirs are on the rise, especially in audio. So when we spotted The New York Times Book Review cover story on The 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years, we were all over it. The list itself is a work of art: a great mix of beloved favorites, hidden gems, and a few controversial picks that got us all talking. Our 2018 Audiobook of the Year—Heavy by Kiese Laymon—got a well-deserved shout out, as did Audible’s very own Fierce Attachments, which won the list’s #1 spot.

Standing up to power.

The Jeffrey Epstein scandal deepens as further allegations about his underage sex ring (and high-profile associates) emerge. If it sounds like a true crime thriller—well, James Patterson and coauthors already wrote the book on the subject. But we’re especially interested in how the story was cracked open by the meticulous reporting of The Miami Herald’s Julie K. Brown. From Jim DeRogatis on R. Kelly to Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow on #MeToo, a new wave of investigative journalists is giving voice to victims of the powerful. We’re proud to spotlight the important work of two of these reporters, Mary Pilon and Carla Correa, whose comprehensive account of the Larry Nassar story releases later this month.

We’ll take Christina is awesome for $1,000, Alex!

Our very own Audible Editor Christina—she of the genius military pamphlet idea and all-around big brain—will be competing as a contestant on Jeopardy! this coming Monday night. We can’t believe one of our teammates got to pal around with Alex Trebek (while showing off how crazy intelligent she is). We’ll be having a viewing party at the office to celebrate, and we hope you’ll be watching and cheering for her right along with us. Go, Christina!
Till Next Week!
—the audible editors

Audiobooks in This Edition

Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain, 1942 Audiobook By U.S. War Department cover art
The Last Founding Father Audiobook By Harlow Giles Unger cover art
Heavy Audiobook By Kiese Laymon cover art
Filthy Rich Audiobook By James Patterson, John Connolly, Tim Malloy cover art
Soulless Audiobook By Jim DeRogatis cover art
Master of the Mountain Audiobook By Henry Wiencek cover art