F. Murray Abraham Heads ‘Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales’ for Listening Library
For the newest Listening Library Classics entry, Academy Award-winning actor F. Murray Abraham (Homeland, Amadeus) leads a full cast narrating Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales. The collection contains such beloved stories as “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Little Mermaid,” as well as lesser-known works like “Luck Can Be Found in a Stick.” Fairy Tales was made available as a digital download March 27 in honor of International Children’s Book Day, which is celebrated each April 2, Andersen’s birthday. The CD edition will be released May 1.
‘Stranger Things’ Actress Cast in ‘Simon’ Sequel for HarperAudio
Shannon Purser, known for her acting roles on Stranger Things, Riverdale, and Rise, reads YA novel Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli for HarperAudio’s audiobook edition, due out April 24. Leah is the follow-up to Albertalli’s Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, which was recently adapted for the big screen as Love, Simon. Simon is about a high school boy struggling to come to terms with his sexuality and come out as gay.
FBI’s Comey Wraps ‘Loyalty’ at Macmillan
James Comey, the former FBI director who was fired by President Trump last May, recently stepped into the recording studio to read his memoir, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, for Macmillan Audio. The audio edition goes on sale April 17.
Imperioli’s ‘Perfume’ Lands at HighBridge
Actor and author Michael Imperioli, best known for his role on HBO’s The Sopranos, narrates his novel The Perfume Burned His Eyes for HighBridge Audio. The tale follows 16-year-old Matthew who, in the span of a few months in 1976, loses both his father and grandfather and then moves with his mother from Queens to Manhattan. On his bumpy journey to manhood he begins attending an elite prep school and befriends one of the neighbors: drug-addicted musician Lou Reed. The Perfume Burned His Eyes is set for an April 10 release.
Audible Studios Locks in Wheaton and Benson for New Scalzi Title
For John Scalzi’s new futuristic thriller, Head On, a standalone follow-up to his title Lock In, actors Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and Amber Benson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) were each behind the mic to record separate versions of the book. The duo also recorded different editions of Lock In, a novel in which the author does not identify the gender of the protagonist. As with Lock In, listeners will be able to choose either Wheaton’s or Benson’s narration for the audiobook of Head On, which releases April 17 on Audible.
Journalist Dobbs Reads ‘Life in the Wrong Lane’ for Brook Forest Voices
Greg Dobbs, a two-time Emmy-winning broadcast journalist and former correspondent for ABC News, shares behind-the-scenes stories from his assignments around the world as he reads his memoir, Life in the Wrong Lane: Why Journalists Go in When Everyone Else Wants Out for Brook Forest Voices. Dobbs has covered civil wars in Lebanon and Zimbabwe, the Iran-Iraq War, the Iranian Revolution and the occupation of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, the Watergate scandal, and the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Dobbs self-published the book about 10 years ago but it wasn’t released as an audiobook. The audio edition will be published on April 30.
Hachette Taps Tapper for ‘Hellfire Club’
Jake Tapper (The Outpost), CNN’s chief Washington correspondent and bestselling nonfiction author, recently took on the role of audiobook narrator for the first time, recording his debut political thriller, The Hellfire Club, for Hachette Audio. Tapper relates the story of how a fatal car crash sweeps Congressman Charlie Marder and his wife into a mystery involving a secret society and political machinations in 1950s Washington, D.C.
