The new crop of fall audiobooks is here, and they arrive in a continued era of plenty in the audio publishing segment. The latest news about the state of the audio industry sounds like, well, a broken record. But that’s a very good thing, because for the sixth year in a row, the industry showed double-digit year-over-year growth in 2017. According to the sales and consumer surveys released recently by the Audio Publishers Association, audiobook sales last year are estimated at $2.5 billion, up 22.7% from 2016, and just as impressively, audiobook unit sales are up 21.5%.
Our preview of the season to come spotlights audio publishers’ top offerings and hopefully provides a snapshot of the breadth of listening available these days. All the most popular genres, as determined in the APA’s most recent consumer survey, are represented: mysteries and thrillers, science fiction, and romance. Celebrity memoirs, investigative nonfiction titles, historical fiction, and #OwnVoices titles for adults and children also make a good showing. We hope you’ll peruse our list and find some entries that compel you to turn on your favorite audio device. Happy listening!
Adult
Blackstone Audio
John Woman by Walter Mosley (Sept., unabridged CD, $34.95, ISBN 978-1-982544-04-1). A boy grows up to reinvent himself as Prof. John Woman and spread the teachings and stories of his late father.
Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter, read by Kathleen Early (Aug., unabridged CD, $39.95, ISBN 978-1-5047-8003-2). When a trip to the mall turns violent, Andrea learns that her mother has been hiding her true identity for 30 years.
Small Fry: A Memoir by Lisa Brennan-Jobs (Sept., unabridged CD, $34.95, ISBN 978-1-982538-66-8). The daughter of late Apple founder Steve Jobs and artist Chrisann Brennan reveals what it was like growing up in a complex family splitting time between her two very different parents.
The Test by Sylvain Neuvel (Oct., unabridged CD, $24.95, ISBN 978-1-982527-84-6). In this dark tale, an immigration test is taken to extreme levels to prove just how loyal prospective citizens are to their new country.
A Town Divided by Christmas by Orson Scott Card (Nov., unabridged CD, $24.95, ISBN 978-1-5385-5301-5). A quarrel over which newborn should be the baby Jesus in a town’s Christmas pageant leads to a decades-long split in a community discovered by scientists who arrive to do a genetic study.
Brilliance Audio
#FashionVictim by Amina Akhtar (Sept., unabridged CD, $26.99, ISBN 978-1-9786-3013-0). This dark comedy about frenemies in the ranks at a fashion magazine is being developed as a TV series.
Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball, read by Lucie Arnaz (Aug., unabridged CD, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-5436-6681-6). Arnaz narrates her late TV star–mother’s memoir.
Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts, read by Julia Whelan (Dec., unabridged CD, $34.99, ISBN 978-1-5318-3453-1), continues the fantasy series featuring a young heroine training to become the warrior known as the One.
The Truth Has Changed by Josh Fox (Sept., unabridged CD, $39.99, ISBN 978-1-5436-2731-2). The Emmy-winning director of Gasland tells his story of our world in crisis, facing global warming, fracking, privacy issues, election fraud, and more.
Under Fire by April Ryan, read by Janina Edwards (Sept., unabridged CD, $25.99, ISBN 978-1-9786-3339-1). Veteran White House correspondent April Ryan gives her take on current events from inside the press briefing room, and as someone who has been targeted for asking probing questions.
ChristianAudio
I’d Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel, read by the author (Sept., unabridged, $12.98, ISBN 978-1-5459-0876-1). The host of the What Should I Read Next? podcast offers relatable reflections on the role reading plays in her life.
Not the Boss of Us by Kay Wills Wyma, read by the author (Aug., unabridged CD, $19.98, ISBN 978-1-5459-0367-4), reminds listeners that life’s stresses aren’t the boss of us, and that we can reframe them to good purpose.
Dreamscape Audio
Heart by Sandeep Jauhar (Sept., unabridged CD, $49.99, ISBN 978-1-974904-64-8) offers a social, cultural, and medical history of the human heart, told via the experiences of a cardiologist.
In the Galway Silence by Ken Bruen (Nov., unabridged CD, $59.99, ISBN 978-1-974920-34-1). Just as Jack Taylor is settling into contentment, a wealthy Frenchman asks him to investigate the double murder of his twin sons.
Open Your Eyes by Paula Daly (Oct., unabridged CD, $59.99, ISBN 978-1-974917-84-6). When Jane’s bestselling-thriller-author husband is brutally attacked in their driveway in front of their children, she must find out who would want to hurt him.
Paris Echo by Sebastian Faulks (Nov., unabridged CD, $59.99, ISBN 978-1-974922-98-7). An American historian and a Moroccan teenager form a connection in Paris as they both uncover shocking information about the City of Lights’ dark past.
Hachette Audio
Dopesick by Beth Macy, read by the author (Aug., unabridged CD, $35, ISBN 978-1-5491-9468-9), provides in-depth portraits of the families and first responders on the front lines of the opioid crisis in America.
I Might Regret This by Abbi Jacobson, read by the author (Oct., unabridged CD, $30, ISBN 978-1-5491-4258-1), features a collection of anecdotes, essays, and observations inspired by the Broad Citycocreator’s solo cross-country road trip.
In Pieces by Sally Field, read by the author (Sept., unabridged CD, $40, ISBN 978-1-5491-4307-6), is a literary memoir from the Academy Award–winning actress.
Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci (Nov., unabridged CD, $40, ISBN 978-1-4789-9929-4). Baldacci introduces a new thriller series with Atlee Pine, a young FBI criminal profiler with a dark secret in her past.
Transcription by Kate Atkinson, read by Fenella Woolgar (Sept., unabridged CD, $35, ISBN 9781549116650). In WWII-era England, 18-year-old Juliet is recruited by MI5 to monitor the comings and goings of British Fascist sympathizers.
HarperAudio
The Big Fella by Jane Leavy, read by the author (Oct., unabridged download, $34.99, ISBN 978-0-06-286579-3), is a biography of baseball legend Babe Ruth.
Dear America by Jose Antonio Vargas, read by the author (Sept., unabridged download, $26.99, ISBN 978-0-06-286461-1). Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and filmmaker Vargas, who founded nonprofit organization Define American, presents a memoir with a focus on immigration in America.
The Feral Detective by Jonathan Lethem (Nov., unabridged download, $26.99, ISBN 978-0-06-286659-2). Phoebe enlists an unusual partner to help her investigate the disappearance of a friend’s daughter in California desert country in this detective novel.
The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman, read by Cassandra Campbell (Sept., unabridged download, $20.99, ISBN 978-0-06-266195-1), is a true-crime investigation of the 1948 abduction of Sally Horner and how it served as inspiration for Nabokov’s Lolita.
Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver, read by the author (Oct., unabridged download, $26.99, ISBN 978-0-06-286550-2). When Willa investigates the history of her house, she finds a kindred spirit from 1880 who also faced challenges navigating a difficult family and an uncertain future.
Highbridge Audio
Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History by Keith O’Brien (Aug., unabridged CD, $39.99, ISBN 978-1-68441-258-7) profiles five women who triumphed at male-dominated airplane racing, with one becoming a champion in 1936.
The Kinship of Secrets by Eugenia Kim (Nov., unabridged CD, $34.99, ISBN 978-1-68441-454-3) is the story, told in alternating perspectives, of two sisters, one raised in the U.S. and one raised by extended family in South Korea during the Korean War.
Let It Bang by R.J. Young (Oct., unabridged CD, $29.99, ISBN 978-1-68441-414-7). This memoir looks at American gun culture from the inside and outside from a young black man’s point of view.
Richard Pryor Diaries by Richard Pryor (Oct., unabridged CD, $29.99, 978-1-68441-104-7). Unvarnished entries offer a rough draft of the late comedian’s life, with a foreword by Jennifer Lee Pryor, his widow.
What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape by Sohaila Abdulali (Nov., unabridged CD, $29.99, ISBN 978-1-68441-606-6) provides an honest examination of sexual assault and the global discourse on rape, by a survivor and activist.
Insatiable Audio
Face Off: Emile by Alicia Hunter Pace, read by Andrew Eiden (Sept., unabridged download, $19.95, ISBN 978-1-62461-534-4), launches the Nashville Sound sports romance series featuring favorite Pace characters finding true love.
Wishful Thinking: The Swann Sisters Chronicles, Book 1 by Evangeline Anderson, read by Mackenzie Cartwright (Sept., unabridged download, $19.95, ISBN 978-1-62461-550-4). Philomena Swann and her sisters are one-eighth fairy—just magical enough to earn them a godmother from hell. L.A. THEATRE WORKS
Spill by Leigh Fondakowski, performed by a full cast including Jane Kaczmarek and James Morrison (Aug., unabridged CD, $29.95, ISBN 978-1-68266-072-0), is a documentary-style drama exploring the lead-up to and aftermath of the Deep Water Horizon disaster of 2010.
Alison Larkin Presents
Terms of Engagement by Paul Alan Ruben, read by a full cast including George Guidall and Scott Brick (Nov., unabridged CD, $29.95, ISBN 978-1-982710-76-7). This debut collection features nine stories inspired by the evolving relationship between an estranged father and son trying to heal their emotional damage.
Macmillan Audio
The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle, read by the author (Sept., unabridged CD, $39.99, ISBN 978-1-250-29938-3). Serle ponders various aspects of the familiar challenge to name five people, living or dead, with whom one would like to have dinner.
Feared by Lisa Scottoline, read by Kate Burton (Aug., unabridged CD, $39.99, ISBN 978-1-4272-9713-6). When her firm is sued for reverse sex discrimination, Mary DiNunzio faces her nemesis, Nick Machiavelli, on a case that turns deadly.
The Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny, read by Robert Bathurst (Nov., unabridged CD, $39.99, ISBN 978-1-250-30812-2), is a new Chief Inspector Gamache novel.
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty (Nov., unabridged CD, $39.99, ISBN 978-1-4272-9914-7) follows nine people who are about to find out whether 10 days at a health resort can really change them.
A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts by Therese Anne Fowler, read by Barrie Kreinik (Oct., unabridged CD, $39.99, ISBN 978-1-4272-9920-8). In Gilded Age New York, Alva Vanderbilt used her iron will to help earn respect after marrying into the new-money, socially shunned Vanderbilt family by designing and building mansions, hosting grand events, and becoming a leader in the suffrage movement.
Naxos Audio
Dreaming of Jupiter by Ted Simon, read by Rupert Degas (Aug., unabridged download, $58.50, ISBN 978-1-78198-187-0). Simon retraced the route of the 64,000-mile round-the-world motorcycle road trip he first made nearly 30 years ago to create this travelogue of anecdotes and reflections.
Thomas Nelson
A Serial Killer’s Daughter by Kerri Rawson (Jan., unabridged download, $18.99, ISBN 978-1-4002-0177-8). The daughter of the BTK serial killer recounts her long journey of faith and healing after learning in 2005 that the loving father she knew had committed 10 murders.
Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan, read by Lauren Woodward (Oct., unabridged download, $27.99, ISBN 978-0-7852-1858-6), explores the relationship between author C.S. Lewis and his wife, poet and author Helen Joy Davidman Gresham, and how it inspired his work.
Racing to the Finish by Dale Earnhardt Jr., with Ryan McGee (Oct., unabridged download, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-7852-2150-0). The accomplished NASCAR driver reflects on his 2016 concussion and his decision to retire from full-time racing in the sport.
Unshakable Hope: Building Our Lives on the Promises of God by Max Lucado, read by Ben Holland (Aug., unabridged CD, $32.99, ISBN 978-1-9786-0725-5), is a source of encouraging, practical guidance for overcoming challenging circumstances, gaining inner peace, and building a better future.
Oasis Audio
The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King, read by LeVar Burton (Sept., unabridged CD, $28.99, ISBN 978-1-64091-085-0), draws from interviews, oral histories, and archival documents to complete a portrait of American icon Fred Rogers.
Once We Were Strangers by Shawn Smucker (Oct., unabridged CD, $17.99, ISBN 978-1-64091-088-1). In Lancaster, Pa., a middle-aged writer struggling to make a living and a Syrian refugee struggling to create a life for his family become friends, bonding over their experiences as fathers.
Penguin Audio
Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott (Oct., unabridged CD, $30, ISBN 978-0-525-64051-6). Lamott calls on listeners to find the bits of hope and wisdom in them to help make tomorrow better than today.
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing: A Novel by Hank Green (Sept., unabridged CD, $45, ISBN 978-0-525-64178-0). The debut novel of influential vlogger Green follows two young people who create a viral video that puts them at the center of an intense international media storm.
The Greatest Love Story Every Told: An Oral History by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, read by the authors (Oct., unabridged CD, $45, ISBN 978-0-525-64189-6). The television actors, who are married, share the story behind their romance via anecdotes, interviews, puzzles, and other features.
Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back) by Jeff Tweedy (Nov., unabridged download, $20, ISBN 978-0-525-64195-7) is a memoir from singer-songwriter-musician Tweedy, exploring his life and collaborations with a roster of notable music artists.
Look Alive Twenty-Five: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich (Nov., unabridged CD, $32, ISBN 978-0-525-50139-8). An all-star cast of characters joins Stephanie Plum’s investigation into the managers who keep disappearing from a Trenton, N.J., deli.
Random House Audio
Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance between Astrophysics and the Military by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Avis Lang (Sept., unabridged CD, $5 ISBN 978-1-984833-98-3) examines the intersection of science, technology, industry, and power.
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography by Eric Idle, read by the author (Oct., unabridged CD, $40, ISBN 978-1-984829-45-0). This memoir about the British comedian’s youth and coming-of-age as a writer and performer in the 1960s and ’70s includes anecdotes about a raft of famous friends and colleagues.
Beastie Boys Book by Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz (Oct., unabridged download, $25, ISBN 978-1-984828-21-7) traces the N.Y.C. band’s journey to hip-hop superstardom in the words of its two remaining members, as well as through contributions from such artists as Wes Anderson, Spike Jonze, and Amy Poehler.
Becoming by Michelle Obama, read by the author (Nov., unabridged CD, $45, ISBN 978-0-525-63367-9), is the highly anticipated memoir from the former first lady.
Daemon Voices: On Stories and Storytelling by Philip Pullman, read by the author (Sept., unabridged download, $35, ISBN 978-0-525-64330-2). The author of the His Dark Materials books explores his own fascination with story and expounds on the role of story in education, religion, and science.
Recorded Books
Dark Sentinel by Christine Feehan, read by Jim Fangione (Sept., unabridged CD, $39.99, ISBN 978-1-980007-20-3). When Lorraine heads to the woods to find solace after the loss of her entire family, she stumbles upon a scene of horrific violence.
Depth of Winter by Craig Johnson, read by George Guidall (Sept., unabridged CD, $34.99, ISBN 978-1-980008-00-2). The head of a Mexican drug cartel kidnaps Sheriff Walt Longmire’s daughter to auction her off to his worst enemies.
Desolation Mountain by William Kent Krueger, read by David Chandler (Aug., unabridged download, $29.99, ISBN 978-1-5019-9809-6). A father and son investigate the plane crash of a senator and the mysterious disappearance of several first responders.
Good Luck with That by Kristan Higgins, read by Xe Sands et al. (Aug., unabridged download, $29.99, ISBN 978-1-980010-59-3). Georgia and Marley’s best friend leaves a final wish for them when she passes away: to conquer their fears.
Vendetta by Iris Johansen, read by Elisabeth Rodgers (Oct., unabridged CD, $39.99, ISBN 978-1-980007-23-4), is a thriller focused on efforts to bring down a brutal terrorist.
Simon & Schuster Audio
Elevation by Stephen King (Oct., unabridged CD, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-5082-6047-9). A man’s mysterious affliction brings his small town of Castle Rock, Maine, together, in spite of some of the divisive challenges they struggle with.
Every Day Is Extra by John Kerry (Sept., unabridged CD, $59.99, ISBN 978-1-5082-6684-6). As former secretary of state, 2004 presidential candidate, five-term U.S. senator, and decorated Vietnam veteran, Kerry offers a revealing memoir that touches on many key events in our country’s recent history.
Katerina by James Frey (Sept., unabridged CD, $29.99, ISBN 978-1-5082-6045-5) is the love story of a model and a writer, alternating between 1992 Paris and contemporary Los Angeles.
Leadership by Doris Kearns Goodwin (Sept., unabridged CD, $49.99, (ISBN 978-1-5082-3295-7). This exploration of the early development, growth, and exercise of leadership is a culmination of Pulitzer Prize–winner Goodwin’s extensive and acclaimed studies in presidential history.
Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon, read by the author (Sept., unabridged CD, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-5082-5862-9), invites listeners into the world of Academy Award–winning actress and producer Witherspoon, which blends her treasured Southern style and traditions with contemporary flair.
Tantor Audio
Fryderyk Chopin: A Life and Times by Alan Walker (Oct., unabridged CD, $69.99, ISBN 978-1-977312-89-1) is a landmark biography of the Polish composer by a leading authority on the subject.
Gravity Dreams by L.E. Modesitt Jr., read by Eric Michael Summerer (Aug., unabridged download, $29.99, ISBN 978-1-977382-70-2). In Earth’s distant future, a rogue infection of nanotechnology transforms Tyndel into a demon who is then forced into exile.
The Lost Carousel of Provence by Juliet Blackwell, read by Xe Sands (Sept., unabridged CD, $44.99, ISBN 978-1-977310-71-2). An American photographer enchanted by a crumbling French estate and its antique carousel explores its history.
Zondervan
Brave Love: Making Space to Be You by Lisa Leonard (Jan., unabridged download, $18.99, ISBN 978-1-4002-0177-8). Jewelry designer Lisa Leonard shares the story of how she became overwhelmed trying to be the perfect wife, mother, and businesswoman and learned how to find more peace and joy.
Heaven: Your Real Home... from a Higher Perspective by Joni Eareckson Tada (Oct., unabridged CD, $26.99, ISBN 978-1-9786-2217-3) draws on Scripture in an effort to answer questions about what heaven will be like and who we will see there.
Children’s & YA
Blackstone Audio
The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston (Nov., unabridged CD, $34.95, ISBN 978-1-982501-44-0). Owen’s mother shows up at his elite New Orleans boarding school to tell him his privileged life has been funded by stolen money.
Mother Knows Best: A Tale of the Old Witch by Serena Valentino, read by Lucy Rayner (Aug., unabridged CD, $29.95, ISBN 978-1-982519-61-2), explores the origins of Mother Gothel, the villainous old witch from the Brothers Grimm tale “Rapunzel,” and Disney’s Tangled.
My Almost Flawless Tokyo by Rachel Cohn (Dec., unabridged CD, $34.95, ISBN 978-1-982530-16-7). On her 16th birthday, Elle discovers that her long-lost father is actually a Japanese hotel mogul and wants her to come live with him in Tokyo, where she adjusts to a prickly new family and attends an elite international school.
The Train to Impossible Places by P.G. Bell (Oct., unabridged CD, $34.95, ISBN 978-1-5385-4111-1) kicks off a new fantasy series about a girl aboard a magic train built by trolls that can defy all the laws of space and physics.
Brilliance Audio
The Bigfoot Files by Lindsay Eager (Oct., unabridged CD, $21.99, ISBN 978-1-9786-4438-0). Miranda goes on a creature hunt with her cryptozoologist mom, determined to prove that Bigfoot isn’t real.
Mammoth by Jill Baguchinsky (Nov., unabridged CD, $25.99, ISBN 978-1-9786-3336-0). Paleontology geek and plus-size fashion blogger Natalie earns an internship at an Ice Age dig in Texas, where one of her scientific heroes steals credit for one of Natalie’s discoveries.
Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina (Sept., unabridged CD, $21.99, ISBN 978-1-9786-4454-0) follows sixth-grader Merci, who is a scholarship student of humble means at an academy filled with wealthy students.
That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger (Aug., unabridged CD, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-9786-3272-1). A survivor of a high school shooting is the only one who knows the truth about how her best friend died in the attack and struggles with setting the record straight when the victim’s parents write a book.
ChristianAudio
Elisabeth Elliot: Do the Next Thing by Selah Helms (Aug., unabridged CD, $9.99, ISBN 978-1-5459-0864-8). This profile of late Christian writer and speaker Elisabeth Elliot, whose husband was killed doing missionary work, joins the line of Trail Blazers biographies of notable Christians.
Dreamscape Audio
Eleanor Roosevelt, Fighter for Justice by Ilene Cooper, read by Laurel Lefkow (Aug., unabridged CD, $39.99, ISBN 978-1-974921-94-2), is a biography of the influential first lady who championed those who did not have a voice.
Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome (Aug., unabridged CD, $39.99, ISBN 978-1-974907-02-1). During the Great Migration in 1946, a boy from segregated Alabama discovers the works of Langston Hughes in the welcoming public library in his new Chicago neighborhood.
Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Nov., unabridged CD, $39.99, ISBN 978-1-974905-45-4). In this series starter, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks agrees to move in with her estranged, wealthy grandmother in hopes of learning the identity of her high-society father.
Hachette Audio
Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel by Val Emmich, with Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul (Oct., unabridged CD, $25, ISBN 978-1-5491-1747-3). This novelization of the Tony-winning Broadway smash about an anxiety-riddled teen boy dealing with the death of a classmate contains new dialogue and other elaborations from the script.
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan (Nov., unabridged CD, $30, ISBN 978-1-4789-9269-1). This James Patterson Presents title is a palace intrigue thriller set in an Asia-inspired fantasy world.
Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor, read by Steve West (Oct., unabridged CD, $30, ISBN 978-1-5491-4265-9). In the sequel to Strange the Dreamer, Sarai and Lazlo are held hostage by dark-minded Minya following a tragedy.
The War Outside by Monica Hesse (Sept., unabridged CD, $25, ISBN 978-1-5491-4200-0) reveals the untold story of Crystal City, a “family internment camp” set up in 1944 Texas to house Japanese-Americans and Germans accused of colluding with the enemy.
HarperAudio
The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee (Oct., unabridged download, $26.99, ISBN 978-0-06-285594-7) is a globe-trotting follow-up to the queer historical fantasy novel The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue.
Ogre Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, read by January LaVoy (Oct., unabridged download, $20.99, ISBN 978-0-06-285561-9). In the world of Levine’s Ella Enchanted, a young healer is turned into an ogre by a meddling fairy and can only become human again if someone falls in love with her.
Pride by Ibi Zoboi, read by Elizabeth Acevedo (Sept., unabridged download, $20.99, ISBN 978-0-06-285504-6), remixes Austen’s Pride and Prejudice to feature all characters of color and a contemporary Brooklyn backdrop.
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi (Oct., unabridged download, $26.99, ISBN 978-0-06-288819-8). A hijab-wearing Muslim teen deals with Islamophobia and first love in this #OwnVoices story.
What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera (Oct., unabridged download, $26.99, ISBN 978-0-06-285509-1). This tale is focused on two very different boys in New York for the summer, who can’t tell whether the universe is conspiring to bring them together or keep them apart.
Listening Library
Bridge of Clay by Marcus Zusak (Oct., unabridged CD, $45, ISBN 978-0-307-71107-6). As the five Dunbar brothers raise each other in a world of their own rules, they discover the secret behind their father’s disappearance.
Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson, read by N’Jameh Camara and a full cast (Aug., unabridged CD, $45, ISBN 978-0-525-63910-7), celebrates the healing that can occur when students share their stories, feelings, and fears. Includes an exclusive author q&a, and Woodson’s daughter helps narrate.
Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo (Oct., unabridged CD, $35, ISBN 978-0-525-63393-8). After Louisiana’s Granny wakes her up to leave town in the middle of the night, she struggles to find a way back to her best friends and all she knows.
We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices, edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson, read by Bahni Turpin, Guy Lockard, and a full cast (Sept., unabridged download, $10, ISBN 978-1-984827-78-4). Such renowned, diverse children’s authors as Kwame Alexander, Jason Reynolds, and Jacqueline Woodson share their answers to the question, “In this divisive world, what shall we tell our children?”
Macmillan Audio
The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Oct., unabridged CD, $39.99, ISBN 978-1-250-29954-3) launches a new series featuring characters from the universe of the paranormal YA Lux books.
Mirage by Somalya Daud, read by Rasha Zamamiri (Aug., unabridged CD, $39.99, ISBN 978-1-250-29931-4). Daud’s debut is the fantastic, Morocco-inspired tale of a poor girl who must become the body double of a princess.
Sadie by Courtney Summers, read by Rebecca Stoler et al. (Sept., unabridged CD, $34.99, ISBN 978-1-250-30091-1). This audiobook is part of a tiered release with a podcast that launches in July. When Sadie’s sister is found dead in their isolated town, she is determined to identify the killer, and a radio personality creates a podcast to track Sadie’s journey.
The Story Collector: A New York Public Library Book by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb (Aug., unabridged CD, $34.99, ISBN 978-1-250-30088-1). This middle grade mystery is inspired by the real-life story of Viviani Joffre Fedeler, who was born in 1917 and raised in an apartment inside the New York Public Library, where her father was superintendent.
Oasis Audio
A Nancy Drew Christmas by Carolyn Keene (Sept., unabridged CD, $9.99, ISBN 978-1-64091-091-1). Nancy is spending her holiday at a beautiful Montana ski resort, but all is not as jolly as it appears.
Spooksville: The Wicked Cat by Christopher Pike (Oct., unabridged CD, $9.99, ISBN 978-1-64091-067-6). Strange things begin to happen when a black cat follows Adam and his friends around Spooksville.
Recorded Books
The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke, read by Saskia Maarleveld (Nov., unabridged download, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-5019-7935-4). A group of mercenary girls tries to give up their kill-for-hire work and use their skills to save a nearby town from an unstoppable monster instead.
Dactyl Hill Squad: Rescue Run by Daniel José Older, read by Channie Waites (Nov., unabridged download, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-980006-10-7). Dinosaurs roam the streets of New York City in 1863 as the Civil War rages between armies on raptorback in the South.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown by Jeff Kinney, read by Ramon de Ocampo (Oct., unabridged CD, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-980008-03-3). When a snow day closes Greg Heffley’s middle school, his neighborhood transforms into a wintry battlefield.
Wonderland by Barbara O’Connor, read by Nina Alvama (Nov., unabridged download, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-980006-39-8). Mavis hopes that she’ll finally make a best friend when her flighty mom takes a job as a housekeeper for a family in a new town.
Scholastic Audio
City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab, read by Reba Buhr (Sept., unabridged download, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-338-31080-1). Cass, who can pull back the Veil that separates the living and the dead, travels with her parents to Edinburgh, Scotland, where she meets a girl with her same “gift” and plenty of ghosts.
Grenade by Alan Gratz, read by Todd Haberkorn and Andrew Eiden (Oct., unabridged CD, $39.9, ISBN 978-1-338-31100-6). The sequel to Refugee centers on a young American Marine and a young Japanese soldier who each try to stay alive on Okinawa in 1945.
Imposters by Scott Westerfeld, read by Therese Plummer (Sept., unabridged CD, $34.99, ISBN 978-1-338-31113-6). Frey’s father sends her in place of her twin sister as collateral in a dangerous deal in the kick-off to a new series set in the world of the Uglies books.
Soof by Sarah Weeks, read by Talitha Bateman (Oct., unabridged CD, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-338-02923-9). Aurora knows that other people think she’s weird, but with enough “soof” (a family word for love), she finds the confidence to stand her ground.
Simon & Schuster Audio
Blended by Sharon M. Draper (Nov., unabridged CD, $29.99, ISBN 978-1-5082-5877-3). Eleven-year-old Isabella, who is biracial, feels pressure as she’s pulled between two worlds, and two identities, when she alternates between her divorced parents’ very different homes.
Dork Diaries 13 by Rachel Renée Russell (Aug., unabridged CD, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-5082-5411-9). The latest installment in the bestselling series focuses on Nikki Maxwell’s birthday.
Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman, read by Neal Shusterman et al. (Oct., unabridged CD, $39.99, ISBN 978-1-5082-6308-1). A teen girl is forced to make life-and-death decisions for her family when a drought in California escalates to a crisis point.
Nate Expectations by Tim Federle, read by the author (Sept., unabridged CD, $29.99, ISBN 978-1-5082-6111-7). After his run on Broadway comes to an end, Nate Foster returns home to Jankburg, Pa., to face his biggest challenge yet—high school—in this conclusion to the trilogy that celebrates theater kids.
Zondervan
Swing by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess (Oct., unabridged download, $24.99, ISBN 978-0-310-76192-1). Written in verse, this tale follows 17-year-old Noah as he tries to woo his crush with anonymous notes styled after a discovered cache of love letters from the 1950s expressing the rhythms of love and jazz.
Correction: In the listing for What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape, the author's name was misspelled and has been corrected.
