Editors Select | January 2021

Self Development

Meditation for busy skeptics

The thing with meditation, particularly for highly efficient, productive people, is it’s hard to justify giving up even five minutes of your day for something that doesn’t have a clear, immediate payoff. If the idea of a mini brain-vacation seems to have a dubious return on investment (and if you’re the kind of person who thinks about time in terms of “returns on investment”) you have met your match. Chris Bailey, whose works include The Productivity Project, makes a practical, woo-woo-free case for meditation to help you better focus on what matters—and even sneaks in a lesson or two to help “show not tell” how to do it.

Courtney R.

Editor Audible

Young Adult

Worth the wait

I have been waiting for Concrete Rose ever since Angie Thomas told me in a post-interview chat back in 2019 that she was working on Maverick’s story. And—no surprises here—it has been worth the wait. This is Thomas’s first novel from a male POV, but the authenticity in her storytelling remains unmatched. And Dion Graham’s performance is transportive—he effortlessly switches back and forth between '90s slang in dialogue (set in 1998, this is actually considered historical fiction) and the emotional inner monologue of a 17-year-old who’s just learned he’s a father. Thomas’s love for this character shines through as each chapter unfolds, and fans of The Hate U Give will appreciate learning more about Maverick’s origins as well as the origins of other people in Starr’s world—including Lisa, King, and even her Uncle Carlos.

Katie O.

Editor Audible

Science Fiction

A new hero for a new year

Nnedi Okorafor has a knack for writing extraordinary, young, female protagonists who ground us in the fantastical worlds she unfurls: from Binti to Akata Witch’s Sunny. But Remote Control may just be my favorite story from Okorafor yet, with its young hero, Sankofa—a girl who, at the age of six, discovers a strange and terrifying power within her that changes her life forever. It’s a stunning take on feminism, technology, and what defines identity. (There’s also a nod to the “2020 pandemic,” which gave me an odd amount of hope. If we can make it through and someone like Sankofa is on the other side, we’ll be okay.) Narrator Adjoa Andoh (who can currently be seen in the wildly popular Bridgerton!) is brilliant as always, lending authenticity and vivid personality to Sankofa through all stages of her life.

Sam D.

Editor Audible

Kids

Seeing and being seen

Jerry Craft’s New Kid won the Newbery Medal, and it was one of our picks for Best in Kids in 2019, so I’ve been eagerly anticipating Craft’s follow-up, Class Act, since its announcement. New Kid’s main character, Jordan, relinquishes the limelight to Drew, who is taller and has darker skin than Jordan. As the only two Black kids in an elite school, both grapple with racial issues involving their teachers, fellow students, well-intentioned but problematic diversity efforts, and the different ways the boys experience life with different skin tones. Rather than being didactic, the proceedings are deeply personal for each character, voiced by talented kid actors, which will encourage young readers to see and appreciate each other for the differences even more so than the similarities they share. Class Act might be even better than New Kid, so fans of the first will love this one.

Sean T.

Editor Audible

Fiction

The perfect mystery comedy for 2021

I have never read or listened to fewer books than I did in 2020. My ability to focus on anything other than what was happening in the world was pretty nonexistent. But in 2021, I’m making it a point to get back to my old ways. I needed a story that was going to excite me and remind me what I love about fiction. So when I came across Black Buck, I had high hopes and expectations—both of which were fully exceeded. Mateo Askaripour’s debut novel about a young Black man in New York climbing to the top of a very shady, cult-ish startup was exactly what I needed. This story, narrated perfectly by Zeno Robinson, is a satirical look at race and capitalism that could not have come at a better time. This is the perfect novel to start off your year.

Aaron S.

Editor Audible

Fiction

A must-listen for fans of Toni Morrison

The Prophets is a debut novel by a writer with an extraordinary gift for storytelling. Robert Jones, Jr.’s prose is lyrical, challenging, beautiful, and horrifying. This epic historical fiction tells the story of Samuel and Isaiah—two enslaved men in love on a Deep South plantation. They have always been known as an inseparable pair, but as their romantic love is revealed to others, they begin to find themselves in increasing danger. Told from the perspective of an array of characters, the narrative is largely in third person, with each chapter coming from a different perspective. Mixed in are chapters told in first person plural—where the old gods of Africa, watching over the descendants of those who worshiped them, share wisdom and serve as witnesses. This is where I became completely mesmerized by narrator Karen Chilton’s performance. I listened, and relistened, and will surely go back again to reexperience the profound beauty of this masterpiece.

Tricia F.

Editor Audible

Memoir

The true face of family and allyship

This touching memoir from Ruth Coker Burks tells the reality of the AIDS epidemic as it was actually experienced. As a single mother in her 20s advocating for AIDS awareness and safe sex practices in 1980s and '90s Arkansas, Coker Burks put her and her daughter’s safety on the line to help hundreds of queer men when they needed it most. Nicknamed the “Cemetery Angel,” Coker Burks cared for AIDS patients in their final moments when their biological families refused to. She and her work left a bright spot on one of the darkest times for LGBTQIA+ folks. Though it’s a story filled with tragedy and loss, hearing Coker Burks tell her and her guys’ stories infuses some much-needed joy, humor, and spots of optimism where it’s needed most—both past and present.

Michael C.

Editor Audible

Story Writing

George Saunders Does No Wrong

Nobody does it like George Saunders. If you haven’t already listened to Lincoln in the Bardo, I highly suggest you give it a shot; it’s a one-of-a-kind experience. And if you are, like me, interested in how Saunders does it, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain is one of the most enjoyable explorations of writing technique out there. Saunders takes us through four highly refined and compelling pieces of Russian fiction, each narrated by a celebrity. In fact, the narration across the board is way better than it has any business being. I’ve always loved Saunders’s performances especially. Akin to a gentle grandfather reading you a story (his voice reminds me of spritelier Peter Falk from The Princess Bride), he interjects at precisely the right cadence. Even if you aren’t planning on writing the next great Russian novel, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain is an immersive exploration of storytelling, perfect for anyone who loves good fiction.

Michael D.

Editor Audible

Thriller

Can you trust your own ears?

Ben H. Winters, author of Inside Jobs and Underground Airlines, is back at Audible with a new mind-boggling psychological thriller, Q&A! Now let me first say, I’m usually pretty darn good at figuring out a mystery, but when you can’t even trust what you “know”, that’s where it can get complicated. So when a writer begins digging into an old case for his new legal thriller, he unknowingly happens upon decades of lies and a possible deeper conspiracy. However, everyone is not as they appear to be, and the once-convincing evidence becomes more and more suspicious. Packed with a full cast and a bunch of lies, Q&A will have you guessing until the very end!

Nicole R.

Editor Audible

Memoir

A study in Black excellence

Icon Cicely Tyson graces us with her hard-won wisdom and indefatigable spirit in her autobiography, almost a century in the making. In Just as I Am, Tyson takes us on the journey of her lifetime, revisiting her youth and the work of honing her craft, forging a path as a legendary actress in a time rife with racism and limitations. Tyson shares her perspective on how she selected roles after coming face-to-face with deep racial divides while doing press for her Academy Award-nominated turn as Rebecca in Sounder in 1972. She took the position that “her art had to mirror the times and propel them forward.” It was her mission to choose parts with the intention “to change the way Black women were perceived, by reflecting our dignity.” And she did just that. Narrated by Viola Davis and Robin Miles, with the introduction provided by Tyson herself, their performances are elegant and illuminating. How lucky we are that this legend gave us a glimpse of her beautiful soul in this powerful account of a life so well lived.

Kelley S.

Editor Audible

Fiction

“Boys can break your heart more than men”

As with An American Marriage and Half Light, Tayari Jones has the ability to tell stories about the Black experience that are refreshingly nuanced, intimate, and relatable. In her latest short story, Dispossession, performed beautifully by Gabrielle Union, Cheryl is a divorcée who has an uncomfortably distant relationship with her only son. After taking on a job at a moving company, Cheryl finds herself having to collect the items of someone who’s been evicted, which causes her to reflect on memories of her own family getting put out several times when she was a young girl, and how that has impacted her life since then. My heart ached for this woman, who, like most mothers, struggles with how to do the right thing for her child.

Valerie B.

Editor Audible

Self Development

How to Train Your Mind

Started Listening By Accident

Young Adult

Concrete Rose

Five Starr!

Science Fiction

Remote Control

Afrofuturist Sci/Fantasy Fairytale

Kids

Class Act

Great book for all ages

Fiction

Black Buck

A struggle to finish

Fiction

The Prophets

LOVED IT

Memoir

All the Young Men

If you listen to one book this year. THIS IS IT.

Story Writing

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain

Go Deeper

Thriller

Q&A

Amazing performance, overworked plot

Memoir

Just as I Am

A Legend and National Treasure

Fiction

Dispossession

Wanted more