New Year, New Audiobooks!

Before the break, I mentioned I was reading Cloud Cuckoo Land, so here’s an update! The novel features several storylines of different characters across time. They each are connected by a manuscript, which is the story about a man turned into a donkey as he looks for a place called Cloud Cuckoo Land. Typically, I love watching several storylines come together, creating a complete picture at the end of the novel. But I have to admit, I felt the middle bogged down with a lot of extraneous details that could have been trimmed. Even as their stories echoed the story of Cloud Cuckoo Land included in the text, the characters’ experiences felt too drawn out.

After giving myself a break from the audiobook, I came back to it and enjoyed seeing the different characters’ stories connect. I ended up enjoying the book by the end, but overall, I think trimming it could have taken this audiobook from a good novel to a great one.

Marin Ireland performs the audiobook beautifully, and even when I was wanting the story to move a little faster, it was never because of Ireland’s performance. She kept all of these characters straight in my mind, which is an incredible feat over 15 hours! Simon Jones narrates the Cloud Cuckoo Land segments that are placed between sections of the novel. Ever since I listened to the Bartimaeus Trilogy back when I was a kid, Simon Jones has been a favorite of mine, and I couldn’t have been more delighted to hear his voice again through my headphones.

Jean Chen Ho starts the year out strong with Fiona and Jane, a linked short story collection that follows the friendship of two Taiwanese American women. All-star narrator Natalie Naudus performs the audiobook.

Narrated by Natalie Naudus

As they wait for the arrival of their son, Hadi and Sama are devastated to learn that Hadi’s father suddenly dies. On his way back for the funeral, Hadi is detained and questioned at the border. Will Sama ever see her baby’s father come home?

Narrated by Fajer Al-Kaisi, Ali Andre Ali, and Suehyla El-Attar

Powerhouse Gina Apostol is back with another novel, Bibliolepsy, which won the Philippine National Book Award. The publisher describes it as “a love letter to the written word and a brilliantly unorthodox look at the rebellion that brought down a dictatorship.” Yes, please—where do I sign up?!

Narrated by Rachel Coates

Camila’s sister is killed by a hurricane, and Camila carries her to Memoria, an organization that claims to be a utopia. But of course, there’s more going on with Memoria than what appears on the surface.

Narrated by Diana Pou, Vico Ortiz, María Victoria Martínez, Gil René Rodríguez, Jesús E. Martínez, Gabriel S. Rivera Vázquez, and Yetta Gottesman

The author of Black Girl Unlimited returns with another young adult memoir, this time focusing on her experience being a first-generation Ivy league student. Dartmouth claims to be an inclusive, open-minded place, but Echo finds her reality very different than what she was told it would be.

Narrated by Echo Brown and Joniece Abbott-Pratt