Each month, AudioFile Magazine reviewers and editors handpick the best new audiobooks for BookTrib readers. As spring slowly approaches, take one of these great audiobooks out into the sun with you — or stay curled up inside with one, either way works!
BONDED IN DEATH: In Death, Book 60 by J.D. Robb
Read by Susan Ericksen | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Macmillan Audio | 13.75 hrs.]
Eve Dallas has trouble finding out who Giovanni Rossi really was, why he was killed, and how. Susan Ericksen’s portrayal of the tough-as-nails Dallas proves she hasn’t lost her appetite for this futuristic suspense series. She projects Dallas as her snippy, sarcastic self. And now her family is being threatened. The energy and artistry Ericksen puts into her presentation make for an exciting listen.
THE PERFECT HOME by Daniel Kenitz
Read by Michael Crouch, Amanda Stribling | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Simon & Schuster Audio | 9.75 hrs.]
Michael Crouch and Amanda Stribling team up to narrate this gripping thriller. Wyatt and Dawn Decker are an emerging home improvement couple on TV. Their on-screen personas project a sweet go-getter and a candid critic. Off-screen, however, Wyatt’s obsession with fame clashes with Dawn’s desire for authenticity. Crouch’s seemingly nonchalant tone and Stribling’s nuanced delivery heighten the story’s tension.
THE GRANDDAUGHTER by Bernhard Schlink, translated by Charlotte Collins
Read by Richard Burnip, Sarah Moule | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Harper Audio | 10.25 hrs.]
Bernhard Schlink’s new novel is an exceptional audiobook. The nuanced portrayals of the characters come through remarkably well for listeners. Both Richard Burnip and Sarah Moule are fine narrators who perform with an impeccable tempo, pace, and cadence. The mysterious plot concerns a Berlin bookseller, Kaspar, who engineered his wife Birgit’s escape from East Germany 40 years earlier. Schlink masterfully reveals the complexity of a reunified Germany.
THE HEART OF WINTER by Jonathan Evison
Read by Kimberly Farr | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Penguin Audio | 13.25 hrs.]
In a warm, comforting voice, award-winning narrator Kimberly Farr brings this epic love story to life, giving full attention and spirit to each character. Farr’s voices are easily distinguishable, and each one is perfectly suited to the person portrayed. Abe and Ruth Winter met on a blind date in college in the 1950s and moved through the ups and downs of marriage, children, relocation, debilitating illness, and family tragedies.
LISTEN TO YOUR SISTER by Neena Viel
Read by Kristolyn Lloyd, Eric Lockley, Zeno Robinson | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Macmillan Audio | 11.5 hrs.]
This fantastic ensemble of narrators excels equally at emotionally connecting to complicated emotional characters, elevating colloquial language, and enhancing mysterious, violent horrors. Kristolyn Lloyd portrays 25-year-old Calla, who would do anything to keep her brothers alive and safe, but neither sibling listens to her. And as Calla’s brutal nightmares come to life, the siblings must escape to a remote cabin in the woods. A chilling and addicting performance.
NORTH IS THE NIGHT: The Tuonela Duet, Book 1 by Emily Rath
Read by Khaya Fraites, Emily Lawrence | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Recorded Books | 18 hrs.]
Khaya Fraites and Emily Lawrence give spirited performances in this first of a rich duology based on Finnish fantasy. Aina and Siiri have been separated by the death gods as they work to survive a very harsh winter. Aina is sent to endure Tuonela, the underworld, and Siiri travels to save her. Action scenes are plentiful and strongly performed, creating anticipation for the next installment.
A FIVE-LETTER WORD FOR LOVE by Amy James
Read by Katie Koster | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Harper Audio | 9.5 hrs.]
Katie Koster will charm a wide audience with this fun romantic performance. Wordle enthusiast Emily daydreams at her dead-end job as a receptionist at a car shop. When her car’s alternator dies, her co-worker, John, comes to her rescue, and the bland mechanic suddenly becomes interesting when he shares his own enjoyment of Wordle. This classic romance about not judging a book by its cover is expertly performed.
GIVE ME BUTTERFLIES: Oaks Sisters, Book 1 by Jillian Meadows
Read by Jason Clarke, Victoria Connolly | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Harper Audio | 10.75 hrs.]
Narrators Victoria Connolly and Jason Clarke enchant listeners in this heartfelt contemporary romance. Millie loves her job as an entomology curator at a museum; now she has the opportunity to interview for the position of department director. Finn is learning how to handle his job at the museum while raising his nieces after the death of his sister. These two may need each other to make their dreams come true.
HOMESEEKING by Karissa Chen
Read by Katharine Chin, Kenneth Lee | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Penguin Audio (Audio) | 17.25 hrs.]
Narrators Katharine Chin and Kenneth Lee captivate with this 60-year saga. Childhood sweethearts Haiwen and Suchi grow up in the same Shanghai neighborhood before being torn apart by war and time. Suchi’s perspective, narrated by Chin, moves forward in time, while Haiwen’s, narrated by Lee, moves backward. As Haiwen and Suchi’s stories diverge and intersect at various points in their lives, Chin and Lee’s remarkable narration shines.
THE STRANGE CASE OF JANE O. by Karen Thompson Walker
Read by Jay Myers, Alex Sarrigeorgiou | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Random House Audio | 8.25 hrs.]
Jay Myers and Alex Sarrigeorgiou keep listeners hooked throughout this haunting novel. Psychiatrist Dr. Henry Byrd’s newest patient, Jane O., normally can recall every detail from the events of her life. However, she cannot remember what happened in the previous 25 hours, after having blacked out. The mysterious story unfolds through Dr. Byrd’s case notes and Jane’s journal. Both performers masterfully execute their respective unreliable narrators and grip listeners to the end.
