Editors Select | March 2021

Podcast

Timeless characters, all-new shenanigans

Before there were Buzzfeed quizzes and sorting hats—heck, before there were baby boomers, let alone millennials—there was Goofus and Gallant, the Highlights comic strip that’s been encouraging kids to relate to the iconic characters for more than 80 years. And while some may proudly identify with considerate Gallant or flippant Goofus, the genius of this timeless duo is that while they’re easily recognizable as archetypes, most real-life kids can see a bit of themselves in both. So I was thrilled to see the boys roar into 2021 with a brand-new podcast and a kid sister, Gigi—all the better for today’s kids to engage with the lively lessons. This fun, full-cast production stars Goofus, Gallant, Gigi, and pals in eight hijinks-filled episodes that are easy to listen to, but, as with the original strip, the lessons within could last a lifetime.

Kat J.

Editor Audible

YA | Fiction

Sister, sister

Yolk acquaints us with two sisters who lead starkly different lives but remain inextricably linked, not only through DNA but also through a history spanning the mundane and the unforgivable. In Jayne and June’s case, trauma creates another dynamic, fostering divides and decades of hidden and not-so-hidden resentments, judgments, and consequences. Their adversarial relationship is crystallized in their formative years while living in Texas after the family’s immigration from Seoul. Choi is so adept at crafting beautifully imperfect, real characters that I half expected to get a text from one of them while listening. When June is diagnosed with cancer, the sisters’ long-held beliefs about each other are tested, and deeper questions reveal themselves that they must unravel in the midst of crisis. Set in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and San Antonio, Yolk pulls you in with atmosphere and aching, emotional depth. As a sister myself, this is one that will stay with me for a long time for all the best reasons.

Kelley S.

Editor Audible

Literary Sci-Fi

Ishiguro’s triumphant return to sci-fi

I love Kazuo Ishiguro because he’s a literary writer who is not afraid to venture into genre fiction—in fact, he embraces it, elevates it, and shows just how meaningful and insightful it can be, as he did with previous novels Never Let Me Go (sci-fi) and The Buried Giant (fantasy). His latest novel takes on the very sci-fi themes of AI consciousness and free will (I’ll admit, sold. Anything to do with robots, sold). But these Big Ideas are ultimately couched within the story of a girl who just happens to be a robot named Klara—and her self-determined mission to save the girl who chose her as an AF, or “artificial friend.” Ishiguro unfolds the layers of his stories organically in a way that somehow satisfies even as it rips your heart out (in the best way). And narrator Sura Siu only adds to the experience with her vibrant performance. I didn’t realize how much I’d been searching for that feeling Never Let Me Go gave me years ago, but I think I’ve found it once again.

Sam D.

Editor Audible

Fiction

A worthwhile commitment

You can tell when a writer is good because the language they choose is imbued with a time and a place. It communicates experience without always relying on exposition. You can tell when a narrator is good when you believe the story is theirs; it’s told casually, effortlessly, as if you were sitting with them outside a café. With The Committed you get both a proven and excellent writer, and a performance that flows in stride with its content. Viet Thanh Nguyen has a talent for thrilling plot lines, but many of his best thrills are found in the meticulous imagery and tangential anecdotes that weave throughout The Committed. His characters carry a heritage, they explore a story that is more than their own, and their true motivations are realized in the miniscule—making for a thrilling timepiece that is founded in sensory experiences, and evocative on an almost primal level.

Michael D.

Editor Audible

Sci-Fi | LitRPG

Journey back to 199X in this listen that’s like a movie

This one brings together a bunch of elements I enjoy and creates what I call a “cinematic” audio experience. In addition to some of my favorite audio storytellers (Eric Jason Martin, director of Audible Original Heads Will Roll), it has voice talent from the worlds of animation (John DiMaggio, Bender on the sitcom Futurama), video games (Erika Ishii, Fortnite and Cyberpunk 2077), and Twitch streaming (Matthew Mercer, Critical Role). It’s got a fun “chiptune” soundtrack that recalls the catchy simplicity of early video games, and some tastefully done sound design that helps build a strong sense of the environment for the story. And, like many great films, this listen has a story that’s based in a world like ours but tweaked just enough to grab and hold your attention. In New Arcadia, it’s 2023 and most everyone is trapped, isolated, and on edge. An unlikely hero is tapped to journey back to 199X, beat up the bad guys, and maybe change the fate of the real world. If you’ve looked around lately and thought things are starting feel a little dystopian here on Earth, pop in your earbuds, drop in a quarter, and get ready for Stage One.

Scott J.

Editor Audible

Thriller

Dust off your black books…

James Patterson has been captivating readers (including me!) for quite some time. Whether it was a fast-paced thriller or one of his fantastic YA series, he does it well. So I was thrilled when I discovered that he has an amazing new Audible Original, The Coldest Case, available in Audible Plus. A prequel to The Black Book, this drama follows Detective Billy Harney on another dangerous assignment. Joined by Kate, his new partner, as well as his sister, Harney just might be able to bring down the huge drug ring sweeping the Windy City. Performed by a star-studded cast including Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Krysten Ritter (Marvel’s Jessica Jones), and Nathalie Emmanuel (Maze Runner), The Coldest Case is the listen of my spring!

Nicole R.

Editor Audible

Fiction

One town. Two unforgettable families.

Naima Coster’s sophomore novel, What’s Mine and Yours, is just the listen I needed right now. At its heart, this sweeping, multigenerational saga is about finding ways to move forward when the dreams for our lives are interrupted, whether because of heartbreaking tragedy or circumstances beyond our control. Set in Piedmont, North Carolina, two mothers find themselves on opposite ends of a high school integration debate, and it’s their children who are caught in the crossfire. Jade wants to make sure her son Gee, a sensitive young Black man, is able to have a good life despite everything that has already been taken away from him. Lacey May works hard to protect her daughters from the influence of their father, who struggles with addiction. What happens at that high school—the bonds that are made, strained, and broken—haunt these two families for decades. Bahni Turpin’s performance is gorgeous. Her voice makes the book’s rangy time line, jumping backward and forward from the early 1990s to present day, feel effortless. As these families become irreparably intertwined, their lives are marked with a great deal of loss, but also a sense of hope.

Margaret H.

Editor Audible

YA | Fantasy

Better than it will be on the screen. There, I said it.

I’ve been a fan of Leigh Bardugo since Shadow and Bone. With a TV adaptation on the horizon, it seems like everyone is a Grishaverse fan these days, and so I know I’m not alone in my anticipation of Rule of Wolves, the second book in the King of Scars duology. That’s okay, of course; there’s plenty to love in a world that feels like the perfect YA offspring between the imaginative realms of Naomi Novik and George R. R. Martin. But television, as a medium, has a high bar to aim for if it wants to match the energy and storytelling momentum of Lauren Fortgang’s narration. She is the voice of everything Grisha in the Grishaverse: the characterizations, the suspense, and the hard-won triumphs.

Christina H.

Editor Audible

Arts & Culture

Another standout from a contemporary favorite

If you’ve had a conversation with me lasting longer than five minutes, it’s entirely possible that I’ve recommended the work of Hanif Abdurraqib. A poet and essayist with a radical capacity for empathy, Abdurraqib’s writing on music and art transcends mere commentary. Instead, in highlighting the connection between what we love and who we are, he finds memories, politics, and family nestled in the liner notes. In A Little Devil in America, Abdurraqib wields his lyrical writing style to craft a bright, breathing portrait of Black performance and artistry, putting these landmark cultural moments in conversation with historical context and personal anecdote alike. The essays span in focus from Merry Clayton’s iconic belt in The Rolling Stones’s “Gimme Shelter” to Whitney Houston’s rendition of “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” at the 1988 Grammys to the loss and enduring legacy of greats like Aretha Franklin, contemplating instances of Black joy and grief in equal measure. Alternating between poetic stream of consciousness and an academic’s attention to detail, but never faltering in heart and authenticity, this is Abdurraqib at his very best.

Alanna M.

Editor Audible

Romance

Animal lovers unite

I am an avowed cat person, so when I started listening to this story about Matt Mazola and his insta-famous doggo, “Sir Bruno,” I wasn’t sure how much I was going to get into it. But—as with so many romance titles I’ve been listening to of late—this one took me on a trip I didn’t know I needed. Matt is in a funk. His life revolves around his sweet pup and the cush lifestyle of an influencer, but something is missing. Lucky for him a podcast episode sets him on a totally-not-internet-stalking path to Hugo (a British transplant and veterinarian), whose daughter Raven (about to leave for college) pleads his case on said podcast. Lots of kismet missed connections, one horse saved, and a book written later, they meet up in real life. How fun does this story get? Fun. Very fun.

Vanessa H.

Editor Audible

Fiction

An important listen about the meaning of home and family

Patricia Engel’s newest novel tells the story of a Colombian family divided between the US and Colombia due to immigration policy and the struggle of their daughter, Talia, to be reunited with her family. More than anything, Engel strives to examine the senseless nature of immigration policies, the true meaning of “home” and nationality, and the way that laws on paper have flesh-and-blood consequences. Like Talia’s family in Infinite Country, my family emigrated to the US from Bogotá when I was a young girl. Bogotá and the US have been as important parts of my life as they are Talia’s. Engel captures the experience of Bogotá exactly. From her setting descriptions to the way that each generation of Colombians relates to violence differently, listening to Infinite Country felt familiar and unknown at the same time. My family had a very easy immigration process compared to what Talia’s family faces, but key parts of their experience immediately resonated with me: her parents’ sense of otherness upon arrival, their longing for the parts of Colombia that they loved (the mountains, the myths, the movement of Bogotá), and their realization that “no country was safer than any other.” This is a short but important listen that packs deep emotion and stinging insight into the immigrant experience in the US, into each of its four hours.

Mariana P.

Editor Audible

YA | Fantasy

A gripping reimagining of the Peter Pan fairy tale

I was a big fan of Peter Pan growing up, so when I read the description of Aiden Thomas's take on the fairy tale, I had to listen. Lost in the Never Woods sets up a nightmarish scenario: children are vanishing in a small town in Oregon where, several years earlier, Wendy Darling and her two brothers also went missing—but only she was found. This new spate of disappearing kids not only triggers memories of her missing brothers but also a sense of duty to try to save them. Then, Peter arrives. Thomas masterfully plays on Peter Pan lore, with a special focus on Wendy, Peter, and Peter’s missing shadow—now a literal phantom menace. Deep within, it’s a story about coming to terms with grief and complicated family dynamics brought on by Wendy’s trauma from years earlier. Thomas does a fantastic job mixing adventure with these darker themes, and narrator Avi Roque offers a balanced voice to light and dark parts equally. For those who are coming in after having consumed Thomas’s hit debut, Cemetery Boys, this will be a very different kind of listen. More serious in tone, it's still addictive—and full of twists and turns that make it virtually unpausable.

Edwin D.

Editor Audible

Self Development

Change your perspective

Finding the sacred in the everyday requires you to look at things differently, and what better way to do that than to get in the head of Russell Brand for a while? Brand certainly has his own way of approaching the world—one that I found both challenging (in a good way) and oddly fun. Listening to his musings, and meeting the cast of real-world characters he introduces, is a kind of mental exercise wrapped up in entertainment. Yes, it gets deep, but I laughed a lot too. And while I’ve never looked at Russell Brand as someone I identified with personally, I was left feeling more connected to and curious about this great big world, my small part of it, and our shared human experience.

Tricia F.

Editor Audible

Interview Spotlight

Marie Benedict and Kate Quinn Champion History's Hidden Heroines

In Smoke Signal, best-selling historical fiction writers Marie Benedict and Kate Quinn imagine the story of how Agatha Christie crossed paths with one of Britain's top secret code breakers in the throes of World War II.

Podcast

Goofus and Gallant

Classic

YA | Fiction

Yolk

Most human book I’ve read about this inhuman time

Literary Sci-Fi

Klara and the Sun

Well Worth Having Waited For!

Fiction

The Committed

Clever, Ironic, Repetitive

Sci-Fi | LitRPG

New Arcadia: Stage One

Ready..Player..Yawn!

Thriller

The Coldest Case: A Black Book Audio Drama

Rizzoli & Isles, minus Isles, and starring Frankie

Fiction

What's Mine and Yours

Wonderful book!!

YA | Fantasy

Rule of Wolves

All is forgiven, Ms. Bardugo

Arts & Culture

A Little Devil in America

Magical

Romance

Sleepless over You

Confused

Fiction

Infinite Country

Disappointed

YA | Fantasy

Lost in the Never Woods

I had to read the physical copy of the book

Self Development

Revelation

Just what I needed

Interview SpotlightMarie Benedict and Kate Quinn Champion History's Hidden Heroines

Interview Spotlight

Marie Benedict and Kate Quinn Champion History's Hidden Heroines