Full-cast audiobooks

“Saunders' first novel has a steep entry curve. It's not a novel that reveals itself quickly and easily, but if you give it your attention, if you burrow deep into the book, you'll be eminently rewarded. There is a richness and depth of humanity here. There is the strange and wonderful. There is love and grief and mystery all brought together in the story of Abraham Lincoln's dead son, the Civil War, and what may happen to us all after we leave the mortal coil. It's a beautiful and moving book that will stay with you for a long, long while.”

“How did she manage to create this gorgeous family saga in less than 200 pages? Told through a chorus of five different voices, family members fill in the puzzle of their lives piece by piece and generation by generation. Told out of sequence, we learn how these lives intersected, arrived in Brooklyn, and navigated their way through the racial complexities of the 20th and 21st centuries. We experience how they face timeless issues of family, love, identity, race, and class. The poetic language along with full audio cast makes for a moving and spell-binding listen.”

“The story of a band that experiences a meteoric rise and then comes apart. A great listen - the cast is fantastic. I wonder whether I would have enjoyed reading it as much as I did listening because the cast does such a great job.”

“There There is the kind of book that grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go, even after you’ve turned the last page. It is a work of fiction, but every word of it feels true. Tommy Orange writes with a palpable anger and pain, telling the history of a cultural trauma handed down through generations in the blood and bones and stories of individual lives. He also writes with incredible heart and humor, infusing his characters with a tangible humanity and moments of joy even as they are headed toward tragedy. There There has claimed a permanent spot in my heart despite having broken it, or maybe because it did. I think this may be the best book I’ve ever read.”

“This was a blast to read. Kate and Dan Holland have an opportunity to move into an eco-friendly community called Greenloops in the shadow of Mt. Rainier. Kate’s therapist asks her to keep a journal, and this is how their story is preserved. Because after Mt. Rainier erupts, horrible things happen at Greenloops. Really horrible things…”

“Inspired by the movie Black Panther and the people of Wakanda, Brittney Morris went home and wrote and wrote and wrote this novel in less than a month. A debut young adult novel, Slay is about a young black teenager who code switches fluently and is the secret game developer of the multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. Imminently relatable for anyone who has compartmentalized and/or hidden a part of themselves from the world for fear of being mocked or misunderstood, this book reminds us all about the dualities that live within us and how to embrace the complexities of our true selves. For ages 13+.”

“A family vacation to a Caribbean island goes terribly wrong and the tragedy casts a pall over the life of Claire, who is only seven years old when this mesmerizing novel begins. We follow Claire into adulthood and along her pursuit of truth and resolution, while her life becomes increasingly affected by her obsessive search for the answers to the mystery that occurred on Saint X. You will not be able to put down this startlingly accomplished novel, and it will sneak into your dreams! I envy anyone who has it to look forward to.”

“Each chapter is a different voice in the audiobook, with the final chapter read by Jason Reynolds himself (which is perfect, because it is the most poetic, as well). I adored this book, and my students are loving it, too! The little clues throughout about the bus, and the way the characters subtly interact without realizing it is masterful. ”

“Steeped in the glory of Hollywood when marriages were made for reasons other than love and could be slipped on and off like a fine dinner jacket, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo reveals the behind-the-scenes stories of lives full of hunger, self-pity, jealousy, and rage, as well as lost love. This is a story that could have been pulled from the pages of fan magazines of the '50s. It's so entertainingly real that you will be wondering why you can't remember the great star Evelyn Hugo and the movies she made famous. Read for pure pleasure, and you'll be tempted to play the game of, 'Who is this about, really?' What fun!”

“I cannot get over how thoroughly I enjoyed this book. So much so, that I accidentally took a 45 minute detour on a route I know like the back of my hand, because I was so utterly engrossed in it (It's true, ask my family who were wondering why I was so delayed). Stamper has perfectly captured the space race of the 50s & 60s and brought it into our modern social media ethos. And that just barely scratches the surface. You've got one of the sweetest romances I've ever read between Cal & Leon, a super believable bad guy (screw you, Josh), and convincing & ever-evolving family dynamics. But most striking to me was the conversation surrounding mental health (depression in particular) and how incredibly relatable Cal's need to fix things was. His mother's words "Don't aim to fix people. Fixing seems so permanent, so absolute. Like there's no room for error. Aim to make things better.” continue to stick with me long after the last page (or minute rather, since I listened on Libro.fm). I could go on, but you're better off just reading it yourself. ”

“For lovers of An American Marriage comes a thoughtful debut about family, secrets, and the damage one’s choices can cause to those you love. Told from many perspectives within one complex family, this novel tugged at me from all angles. I found myself understanding and empathizing with all the characters at different times, even though their choices and the consequences of those choices were vastly in contrast to one another. A very strong debut.”

“Tangled secrets and dark, haunting pasts unravel at the posh wedding of celebrities Will and Jules. As the tension mounted and more was revealed, I couldn’t stop listening until I knew not only “whodunnit”, but to whom it was done. Foley tells her tale from alternating viewpoints, bringing us gradually and suspensefully into the minds and hearts of her characters. A riveting psychological thriller and murder mystery, The Guest List presents a story as dark as the stormy remote island on which it unfolds.”

“Engrossing, thrilling and original. The story alternates between a podcast format and Sadie’s voice. Sadie is a compelling protagonist - strong, determined and on a mission. Fantastic listen!”