OCTOBER 25, 2019
The horror!
Ready for some spine-tingling listens? Queue up the latest episode of Audicted, which focuses on horror (and adjacently terrifying genres). You’ll learn about our picks in this delightfully creepy category and you’ll also learn, thanks to our resident purveyor of true-crime fun facts, Editor Kat, which movie adaptation of one of our all-time favorite horror listens features a real-life demon.And speaking of the macabre…
The Guardian reports that Dublin’s city council has put in a bid to exhume James Joyce’s remains and bring them back to Ireland. The Swiss Joyce Foundation opposes the plan, calling Zurich (where the author is buried alongside his wife Nora Barnacle) Joyce’slast refuge.But while Joyce’s work is inseparable from Dublin, it’s also true that his long exile was his decision. And can we really decipher a person’s wishes after their death? Perhaps Caitlin Doughty can explain it to us like we’re five, since we can’t exactly say the same for Ulysses.
We’re raising a glass to the first all-female spacewalk
Astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch made history last Friday when they walked into space to repair a battery charger outside the International Space Station. NASA had been forced to scrap earlier plans for an all-female spacewalk in February because they didn’t have enough spacesuits in the correct size, but now new and improved spacesuits are in the works that will fit more kinds of bodies. Meanwhile, we can all celebrate this history-making moment. Congrats to the lady astronaut team!Watching and learning
We love the power of art to educate as it entertains, and the premiere of the newest on-screen incarnation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel Watchmen last week was the first time many people learned about the Greenwood Massacre, known as the single worst act of racial violence in America. The wiping out of the Black residents and businesses in that Tulsa neighborhood is indicative of our country’s history of racial cleansing, much of it documented in Buried in the Bitter Waters. A part of our collective history we’d like to forget but cannot afford to.Bonjour, Senator
A recent profile of Mitt Romney brought to light that the one-time presidential nominee and current senator from Utah has an anonymous Twitter account, which he uses forlurking.Ashley Feinberg, sleuth extraordinaire and reporter for Slate, took it upon herself to uncover this secret account, and her findings led to one Monsieur Pierre Delecto. Romney joins a storied history of politicians using noms de plume to express their opinions, and even a more recent history of our nation’s leaders doing it on social media. While Romney’s pseudonym may not have brought us the Federalist Papers (a la James Madison), it did make us giggle, and in the words of Editor Kat: doesn’t everybody deserve a finsta?
…and au revoir, glacier (and island).
We were moved by a beautiful New Yorker essay about a memorial service held in remembrance of an Icelandic glacier. We've witnessed several attempts to honor everything we are losing—you can start with The Big Melt, in which we hear the sounds of the Thwaites Glacier melting—but these climate change images often feel deceptively far away, since few of us regularly visit the Arctic. But when the Chesapeake Bay Education Program on Virginia’s Fox Island announced it will close due to the literal disappearance of the island, Editor Emily—who grew up in the area and visited the site as a schoolgirl—was bereft and heartbroken. As poignantly recounted in Chesapeake Requiem, many of the people and wildlife inhabiting its small islands are having to move on, even as the rest of us struggle to.Also of note…
- Sometimes literary references come in the most unexpected of places. See: Harry Styles's tweet about his forthcoming song, which appears to nod at the post-apocalyptic Richard Brautigan title, In Watermelon Sugar.
- Sometimes poignant literary observations come from the most unexpected of minds. (See: a child’s revelation about the classic Goodnight Moon.)
- Cory Booker just finished reading the entirety of City of Thieves over the phone to girlfriend Rosario Dawson. Cory, you know where to find us if you ever want to come to our Newark HQ and record anything for posterity.
- 😮 = us upon hearing that the anonymous writer of a New York Times op-ed
I Am a Member of The Resistance Inside The Trump Administration
would be publishing a book (and audiobook, of course).
—the audible editors
Audiobooks in This Edition
-
Ep. 25: The Horror! The Listens That Scare Us
- By: The Audible Editors
- Length: 44 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 54
We love works that give us that rush of terror – from horror to suspense to the creepy clowns, in this episode, the Audible Editors talk about what types of listens bring them to the edge of their seats. Plus: a special excerpt of our interview with R.L. Stine, author of Camp Red Moon.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Fewer recommendations than expected
- By Kindle Customer on 10-19-19
-
The Calculating Stars
- A Lady Astronaut Novel
- By: Mary Robinette Kowal
- Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,458
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,048
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,040
On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the East Coast of the US, including Washington, DC. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the Earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space and requires a much-larger share of humanity to take part in the process. Elma York’s drive to become the first lady astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions of society may not stand a chance against her.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Never achieves lift off
- By Richard Bruno on 10-01-18
-
Buried in the Bitter Waters
- The Hidden History of Racial Cleansing in America
- By: Elliot Jaspin
- Narrated by: Don Leslie
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 161
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 128
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 128
"Leave now, or die!" From the heart of the Midwest to the Deep South, from the mountains of North Carolina to the Texas frontier, words like these have echoed through more than a century of American history. The call heralded not a tornado or a hurricane, but a very unnatural disaster: a manmade wave of racial cleansing that purged black populations from counties across the nation.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
a compelling read with a disappointing conclusion
- By Gregory on 12-16-07
-
No Apology
- The Case for American Greatness
- By: Mitt Romney
- Narrated by: Mitt Romney
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 303
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 191
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 189
In No Apology, Mitt Romney asserts that American strength is essential—not just for our own well-being, but for the world’s. Governments such as China and a newly-robust Russia threaten to overtake us on many fronts, and Islam continues its dangerous rise. Drawing on history for lessons on how great powers collapse, Romney shows how and why our national advantages have eroded.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
You can like this book without being a Republican.
- By michael on 01-12-12
-
The Big Melt
- A Journey to Antarctica’s Doomsday Glacier
- By: Jeff Goodell
- Narrated by: Jeff Goodell
- Length: 2 hrs and 58 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 174
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 156
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 155
In The Big Melt, Rolling Stone contributing editor and leading environmental journalist Jeff Goodell takes the listener up close and personal to one of the world’s most remote locations—Western Antarctica—and to the foot of the staggeringly important Thwaites Glacier.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Another great book from Jeff Goodell
- By Nancy LaPlaca on 01-31-22
-
Ulysses
- By: James Joyce
- Narrated by: Jim Norton
- Length: 27 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,394
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,940
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,909
Ulysses is regarded by many as the single most important novel of the 20th century. It tells the story of one day in Dublin, June 16th 1904, largely through the eyes of Stephen Dedalus (Joyce's alter ego from Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man) and Leopold Bloom, an advertising salesman. Both begin a normal day, and both set off on a journey around the streets of Dublin, which eventually brings them into contact with one another.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Ulysses (Unabridged)
- By Peter Deane on 01-22-09
-
Ep. 25: The Horror! The Listens That Scare Us
- By: The Audible Editors
- Length: 44 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 54
We love works that give us that rush of terror – from horror to suspense to the creepy clowns, in this episode, the Audible Editors talk about what types of listens bring them to the edge of their seats. Plus: a special excerpt of our interview with R.L. Stine, author of Camp Red Moon.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Fewer recommendations than expected
- By Kindle Customer on 10-19-19
-
The Calculating Stars
- A Lady Astronaut Novel
- By: Mary Robinette Kowal
- Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,458
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,048
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,040
On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the East Coast of the US, including Washington, DC. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the Earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space and requires a much-larger share of humanity to take part in the process. Elma York’s drive to become the first lady astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions of society may not stand a chance against her.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Never achieves lift off
- By Richard Bruno on 10-01-18
-
Buried in the Bitter Waters
- The Hidden History of Racial Cleansing in America
- By: Elliot Jaspin
- Narrated by: Don Leslie
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 161
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 128
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 128
"Leave now, or die!" From the heart of the Midwest to the Deep South, from the mountains of North Carolina to the Texas frontier, words like these have echoed through more than a century of American history. The call heralded not a tornado or a hurricane, but a very unnatural disaster: a manmade wave of racial cleansing that purged black populations from counties across the nation.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
a compelling read with a disappointing conclusion
- By Gregory on 12-16-07
-
No Apology
- The Case for American Greatness
- By: Mitt Romney
- Narrated by: Mitt Romney
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 303
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 191
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 189
In No Apology, Mitt Romney asserts that American strength is essential—not just for our own well-being, but for the world’s. Governments such as China and a newly-robust Russia threaten to overtake us on many fronts, and Islam continues its dangerous rise. Drawing on history for lessons on how great powers collapse, Romney shows how and why our national advantages have eroded.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
You can like this book without being a Republican.
- By michael on 01-12-12
-
The Big Melt
- A Journey to Antarctica’s Doomsday Glacier
- By: Jeff Goodell
- Narrated by: Jeff Goodell
- Length: 2 hrs and 58 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 174
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 156
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 155
In The Big Melt, Rolling Stone contributing editor and leading environmental journalist Jeff Goodell takes the listener up close and personal to one of the world’s most remote locations—Western Antarctica—and to the foot of the staggeringly important Thwaites Glacier.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Another great book from Jeff Goodell
- By Nancy LaPlaca on 01-31-22
-
Ulysses
- By: James Joyce
- Narrated by: Jim Norton
- Length: 27 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,394
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,940
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,909
Ulysses is regarded by many as the single most important novel of the 20th century. It tells the story of one day in Dublin, June 16th 1904, largely through the eyes of Stephen Dedalus (Joyce's alter ego from Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man) and Leopold Bloom, an advertising salesman. Both begin a normal day, and both set off on a journey around the streets of Dublin, which eventually brings them into contact with one another.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Ulysses (Unabridged)
- By Peter Deane on 01-22-09
-
Chesapeake Requiem
- A Year with the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier Island
- By: Earl Swift
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 200
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 170
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 170
A brilliant, soulful, and timely portrait of a 200-year-old crabbing community in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay as it faces extinction from rising sea levels - part natural history of an extraordinary ecosystem, starring the beloved blue crab; part paean to a vanishing way of life; and part meditation on man’s relationship with the environment - from the acclaimed author, who reported this story for more than two years.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great reporting, fascinating story, sloppy narrating
- By Phoenixgirrl on 01-08-19
-
In Watermelon Sugar
- By: Richard Brautigan
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 2 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 375
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 323
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 323
iDEATH is a place where the sun shines a different color every day and where people travel to the length of their dreams. Rejecting the violence and hate of the old gang at the Forgotten Works, they lead gentle lives in watermelon sugar. In this book, Richard Brautigan discovers and expresses the mood of the counterculture generation.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Shout Out To My English Professor
- By Alyx on 05-25-21
-
Goodnight Moon
- By: Margaret Wise Brown
- Narrated by: Buffy Allen
- Length: 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,109
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 873
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 861
A little rabbit is lulled to sleep surrounded by all that he knows and loves best in the great green room of his house.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Great book, but...no syncronized images???
- By L. M. Maggio on 09-10-11
-
City of Thieves
- A Novel
- By: David Benioff
- Narrated by: Ron Perlman
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6,829
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,572
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,561
From the critically acclaimed author of The 25th Hour and When the Nines Roll Over and co-creator of the HBO series Game of Thrones, a captivating novel about war, courage, survival - and a remarkable friendship that ripples across a lifetime.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Great story . . . too much lowbrow writing
- By Amazon Customer on 11-30-09
-
A Warning
- By: Anonymous
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,980
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,437
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,419
In time for the 2020 presidential election, Anonymous returns to expand on their "must read" (Time), number-one best-selling behind-the-scenes "scathing portrait" (USA Today) of the Trump presidency with new words of warning for Americans everywhere.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
A Warning about 'A Warning'
- By Buretto on 11-20-19
-
Harry: For Every True One Direction and Harry Styles Fan
- By: Jessica Lyttle
- Narrated by: Louise V. Bond
- Length: 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 74
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 42
Harry Styles. You think you know EVERYTHING about him? Think again!
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Real Deal About Harry Styles
- By Tracy H on 05-31-16