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NonfictionAudioHistory

The Wager

Review by Anna Zeitlin

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder (8.5 hours), the latest work of narrative nonfiction from David Grann (Killers of the Flower Moon), details the gruesome experiences of 18th-century British sailors who were marooned on an island off the coast of Patagonia, living for months on the verge of starvation. Their harrowing tale of survival, which plummets to the very depths of desperation, is rendered with such visceral realism that you feel a hair’s breadth from experiencing it for yourself. Only a fraction of the original crew survived to return to Britain to tell their story, which became a source of inspiration for centuries of fictional shipwreck narratives. 

Grann reads the author’s note and acknowledgments, but the rest of the audiobook is performed by prolific narrator and actor Dion Graham (Malcolm X, “The Wire”), whose clear, powerful voice provides a strong backbone for the story. As an American, he could be seen as representing the modern historian looking back on this captivating saga.

Read more: David Grann reveals why a disastrous shipwreck from the 1740s struck him as a parable for our own turbulent times.

This harrowing tale of survival at sea is rendered with such visceral realism that you feel a hair’s breadth from experiencing for yourself.
FictionAudioShort Stories

White Cat, Black Dog

Review by Deborah Mason

The seven reimagined fairy tales in Kelly Link’s White Cat, Black Dog (8 hours) are so convincing that we don’t merely suspend our sense of disbelief; rather, we drop it like a hot potato. We accept without question, for example, the enchanted prince and the extraordinarily resourceful cat because Link makes the implausible seem utterly natural.

The audiobook’s seven narrators (Rebecca Lowman, Dan Stevens, Dominic Hoffman, Kristen Sieh, Ish Klein, Tanya Cubric and Patton Oswalt) understand how important this plausibility is to making Link’s fairy tales work. In these performances, the fact that a bear might be telling a story matters far less than the story being told, and therein lies the wonder of a fairy tale. All of the actors do an excellent job, but Lowman, Stevens and Oswalt stand out for their ability to convince the listener that the magic is real—and the real, magical.

In the audiobook of Kelly Link’s story collection, the fact that a bear might be telling a story matters far less than the story being told, and therein lies the wonder of a fairy tale.
FictionAudio

Yellowface

Review by Tami Orendain

Athena Liu and June Hayward are fellow Yale University graduates and authors, but while Athena’s debut novel soars to the top of bestseller lists, June’s quietly fades into obscurity. June feels like everything is stacked against her until, by accident, she is present at Athena’s death—and in the chaotic aftermath, she steals Athena’s final manuscript to edit and publish as her own. In Yellowface (8.5 hours), R.F. Kuang tells a darkly funny story about culture and media that will resonate with readers and writers alike.

Helen Laser’s narration brings June’s cutting inner voice to life, immersing listeners in her bitter emotions about a writer’s role in contemporary publishing. Laser’s performance of June’s frantic, defensive first-person perspective renders the sarcasm so biting, the reasoning so desperate, that listeners will find it difficult to turn away from the scandal of the story. 

Outrageous and highly relevant, Yellowface is a provocative listen that turns a critical eye on modern publishing. As listeners barrel through this audiobook, they’ll find themselves asking the core question of the novel: Who has the right to tell a story, and why.

Read our starred review of the print edition of Yellowface.

Helen Laser’s performance of R.F. Kuang's frantic, defensive first-person narrator will make it difficult for readers to turn away from this scandalous story.
Sponsored
Mystery & SuspenseAudio

All the Sinners Bleed

Sponsored by Macmillan Audio

Titus Crown is the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County, Virginia. In recent decades, quiet Charon has had only two murders. But after years of working as an FBI agent, Titus knows better than anyone that while his hometown might seem like a land of moonshine, cornbread, and honeysuckle, secrets always fester under the surface.

Then a year to the day after Titus’s election, a school teacher is killed by a former student and the student is fatally shot by Titus’s deputies. As Titus investigates the shootings, he unearths terrible crimes and a serial killer who has been hiding in plain sight, haunting the dirt lanes and woodland clearings of Charon.

With the killer’s possible connections to a local church and the town’s harrowing history weighing on him, Titus projects confidence about closing the case while concealing a painful secret from his own past. At the same time, he also has to contend with a far-right group that wants to hold a parade in celebration of the town’s Confederate history.

Charon is Titus’s home and his heart. But where faith and violence meet, there will be a reckoning.

Titus Crown is the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County, Virginia. In recent decades, quiet Charon has had only two murders. But after years of working as an FBI agent, Titus knows better than anyone that while his hometown might seem like a land of moonshine, cornbread, and honeysuckle, secrets always fester under the surface. Audiobook read by Adam Lazarre-White.
NonfictionAudioHumor

Quietly Hostile

Review by Norah Piehl

Humorist Samantha Irby’s fourth collection of essays, Quietly Hostile (9.5 hours), delivers another winning blend of hilarious observations and emotional insights, combined with a charming aura of disbelief over no longer being just a humble blogger. According to hate mail from angry fans, she’s now ruining the “Sex and the City” reboot as one of its newest writers. 

In 17 short essays, Irby addresses topics that range from her unapologetic love for the Cheesecake Factory and the Dave Matthews Band to her misadventures in pandemic pet adoption. Some essays—especially those focused on her parents and her estranged brother—are emotionally affecting, while others (such as one essay consisting of her descriptions of various porn video tags, or another structured as an FAQ about bathroom etiquette) are gleefully crude. Regardless of the mood of each piece, Irby’s narration, with matter-of-fact delivery and flawless comic timing, amps up the intended effect, making the listener feel like they’re just having a nice long hang with their funniest friend.

Read our review of the print edition of Quietly Hostile.

Samantha Irby’s narration, with matter-of-fact delivery and flawless comic timing, makes listeners of her fourth essay collection feel like they’re having a nice long hang with their funniest friend.
NonfictionAudioFood & Drink

Raw Dog

Review by Maya Fleischmann

There’s a conversational charm to Jamie Loftus’ narration of her book, Raw Dog (9.5 hours), in which she shares the results of her travels around the United States, one hot dog at a time.

The history of the hot dog is rich and filled with surprises, from its European roots as wienerschnitzel to its iconic status at Coney Island and baseball games. Loftus gives advance warning about the book’s discussion of slaughterhouses and how hot dogs are made, but even with such unsavory topics, there’s something terribly irresistible about her narration, which is often incredibly funny. In addition to offering a unique glimpse at the hot dog’s impact on Americana, Loftus provides much food for thought about the people and places that have contributed to its ability to transcend socioeconomic levels, as its appeal ranges from affordable meal to gourmet delicacy. 

This is an ideal listen for those who enjoy the frank food truths of Mark Bittman’s Animal, Vegetable, Junk and Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation.

Read our review of the print edition of Raw Dog.

Even when discussing unsavory hot dog-related topics, there’s something irresistible about Jamie Loftus’ narration, which is often incredibly funny.
Mystery & SuspenseAudioThriller

The Eden Test

Review by Maya Fleischmann

Narrator Carlotta Brentan performs an engrossing story of marital mind games in the audiobook of Adam Sternbergh’s taut thriller The Eden Test (10.5 hours). Daisy, an actor with questionable intentions, wants to save her marriage, so she surprises her husband, Craig, with a couple’s retreat. But the Eden Test isn’t just a getaway; it’s a marriage therapy program that promises “Seven Days, Seven Questions, Forever Changed.” Brentan solidly captures Craig’s vacillating feelings about Daisy as he heads out to meet her at a remote, idyllic cabin in upstate New York, all the while considering how to make time for his mistress. As secrets surface, Brentan’s narration takes on a certain breathlessness, which helps to sustain the story’s edginess all the way through to its tidy finale.

Read our review of the print edition of The Eden Test.

Carlotta Brentan narrates Adam Sternbergh’s thriller with a certain breathlessness, which helps to sustain the story’s edginess.
FictionAudioHistorical Fiction

The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece

Review by Anna Zeitlin

Tom Hanks’ first novel, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece (16 hours), is an appropriately star-studded audiobook. Hanks narrates most of the story, with additional narration provided by actors Rita Wilson, Holland Taylor, Ego Nwodim, Nasim Pedrad and more.

The novel tells the story of the troubled present-day production of a new superhero film, going back to the 1970s comics that inspired the movie, and then further back to the World War II-era source material that led to the comics. As someone who’s worked on about a hundred movies (but ironically, no superhero films) as an actor, producer, writer and director, Hanks has insider knowledge of the film industry that makes him perfectly equipped to write about it in a cynical but loving way. His narration is ideally suited to the stylized dialogue; he sounds like a folksy dad pretending to be a noir detective.

Read our review of the print edition of The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece.

As someone who’s worked on about a hundred movies as an actor, producer, writer and director, Tom Hanks has insider knowledge of the film industry that makes him perfectly equipped to write about it in a cynical but loving way.
NonfictionAudioMemoir

This Isn’t Going to End Well

Review by Deborah Mason

Daniel Wallace (Big Fish) idolized his brother-in-law, William Nealy—an artist, author, outdoorsman and renegade—until the day he died by a meticulously planned suicide in July 2001. In This Isn’t Going to End Well: The True Story of a Man I Thought I Knew (6.5 hours), Wallace paints a double portrait of his friend: the heroic mask he presented to the world, and the traumatized, troubled man behind it.

This story is painful. The audiobook begins with information on how to contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), and listeners should be prepared for a frank exploration of Nealy’s lifetime of suicidal ideation. But Wallace’s tale of loss, anger and absolution is also redemptive and beautiful, and Audie Award winner Michael Crouch’s sensitive and convincing narration gently leads the reader toward Wallace’s reconciliation with his beloved friend.

Daniel Wallace shares more about his discovery that writing a memoir is “very, very, very hard.”

Daniel Wallace’s tale of loss, anger and absolution is painful yet redemptive, and Audie Award winner Michael Crouch’s sensitive and convincing narration gently leads the reader toward Wallace’s reconciliation with a beloved friend.
Audio

Warrior Girl Unearthed

Review by Tami Orendain

Perry Firekeeper-Birch wants nothing more than a relaxing summer, but when she’s forced into an internship, she discovers that a state college is using legal loopholes to withhold Anishinaabe ancestral remains. She rounds up family, friends and fellow interns to pull off a daring heist—but there may be more to the conflict than meets the eye. In Warrior Girl Unearthed (11.5 hours), Angeline Boulley expands on her bestselling debut novel, Firekeeper’s Daughter, with a deep and layered mystery.

Actor Isabella Star LaBlanc, a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota tribal nation who lent her voice to Firekeeper’s Daughter, also narrates Warrior Girl Unearthed. She excels at leading the reader deeper into the story with a tone that exudes both intriguing mystery and genuine emotion. LaBlanc’s narration helps us hear Perry’s wit and snark, her sister Pauline’s anxious perfectionism and her supervisor Cooper Turtle’s wistful wisdom. From heart-pounding to heart-wrenching moments—and the quotidian in between—LaBlanc’s lyrical performance is both smooth and striking, making it a compelling listen for all who enjoy a good mystery.

Read our interview with Isabella Star LaBlanc on her performance in Warrior Girl Unearthed.

Isabella Star LaBlanc’s lyrical performance is both smooth and striking, making Warrior Girl Unearthed a compelling listen for all who enjoy a good mystery.
Audio

Fatherland

Review by Deborah Mason

In Fatherland: A Memoir of War, Conscience, and Family Secrets (9 hours), New Yorker staff writer Burkhard Bilger recounts his search for the truth about his grandfather, Karl Gönner, a former Nazi party chief who was credited with shielding an Alsace village from Nazi reprisals—and also accused of being a war criminal who ordered the death of an innocent man.

Bilger’s narration of his book reflects the ambiguity of his family’s history. Raised in Oklahoma by German immigrant parents, Bilger has a barely perceptible Oklahoma twang, softened by years spent away from his birthplace. He also speaks fluent German, a clear legacy from his extended family that sometimes inflects his spoken English. Like Karl, Bilger’s voice is neither purely one thing nor another, but rather an unexpected amalgam reminding the listener that human stories are not drawn in black and white but in complex and varied shades of gray.

Read our starred review of the print edition of Fatherland.

New Yorker staff writer Burkhard Bilger’s narration of his book reflects the ambiguity of his family’s history.
Audio

Zero Days

Review by Emma Rosenberg

Actor Imogen Church’s voice is inextricable from Ruth Ware’s thrillers, consistently keeping the emotions high through each adrenaline-filled novel. Church returns once again to voice Zero Days (14 hours), the story of two hired hackers whose assignment to test a corporation’s security system goes badly awry. Madly in love, Jack and her husband, Gabe, cannot stop flirting with each other, but Church balances their passion with a strong sense of tension as they attempt to outsmart both physical and cyber security systems. When Gabe turns up dead, Jack becomes the main suspect for her husband’s murder and must go on the run while trying to find the real killer.

Church’s female voices are particularly strong, and her British accents keep the highest intensity moments—which are filled with hurled insults—especially entertaining. Church narrates at the pace of a racing heartbeat, mirroring the moment-by-moment chase as the action unfolds—and leaving the listener hanging onto every last word.

Read our interview with Ruth Ware about Zero Days.

Imogen Church narrates Ruth Ware’s thriller at the pace of a racing heartbeat, mirroring the moment-by-moment chase as the action unfolds—and leaving the listener hanging onto every last word.
Audio

The Covenant of Water

Review by Emma Rosenberg

With a friendly, warm voice and clear, well-paced performance, Abraham Verghese narrates his second novel, The Covenant of Water (31.5 hours), which follows three generations of a South Indian family from 1900 to the late 1970s. The tale begins with 12-year-old Mariamma, who is arranged to be married to a 40-year-old man whose family members have a “condition” that leads to water-related deaths. Verghese poetically weaves the family’s faith with their mysticism as they search for an explanation for these losses. As Mariamma’s father says, “Faith is to know the pattern is there, even though none is visible,” and likewise the reader will find themselves seeking providential clues.

There’s no denying that this ambitious novel and its many subplots make for a very long audiobook, but Verghese gives voices to his ensemble cast that reveal the deep tenderness he has for their experiences and will carry listeners through the whole tale.

Read our starred review of the print edition of The Covenant of Water.

There’s no denying that this ambitious novel and its many subplots make for a very long audiobook, but Abraham Verghese’s performance will carry listeners through the whole tale.

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