Hello Audiophiles! I’m back this week with even MORE audiobooks, of course. I feel myself settling in for some spooky fall listens paired with hot apple cider or a chai latte. The Corgis are enjoying the cooler weather as we spend a lot more time at the park. There are still toads to find and lizards to chase. Gwen’s first gotcha day is right around the corner, and I think it’s about time for an adorable fall sweater, don’t you?
Just as a reminder, as of 9/29, this version of the audiobooks newsletter will be coming to a close. But worry not, we still have you covered on the audiobooks front: we’re excited to announce our new Audiobooks Promotions Newsletter launching October 3rd! It will feature special offers, new products, and interesting listens from the world of audiobooks. If you sign up here, you’ll also be entered into a giveaway for a chance to win a 1-Year subscription to Audible!
Bookish Goods
It All Counts as Reading! T-Shirt by Biblio Fox
I ADORE this shirt! I read in a lot of different mediums and am exhausted by people asking me if ebook, audiobooks, or comic actually “count.” *eye roll* Of course it does! $26
New Releases
He Who Fights with Monsters 7: A LitRPG Adventure by Shirtaloon (AKA Travis Deverell) | Narrated by Heath Miller
Last year, I discovered He Who Fights with Monsters, a serial story turned audiobook sensation performed by Heath Miller. The story starts with Jason Asana, a biracial Japanese Australian young man thrown into another world by a mysterious portal. Now, dozens and dozens of listening hours later, author Shirtaloon (AKA Travis Deverel) is back with the latest installment. I had never listened to a serial story before, but I have quickly come to adore this series with each new volume.
Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place by Neema Avashia | Narrated by Jeed Saddy
Neema Avashia grew up in West Virginia as part of a family of Indian immigrants moving to America to make a new life. She spent her childhood feeling like a part of two worlds, but never fully in one or the other. She later came out as queer and moved to Boston, living a life very different from her childhood. And when Avashia returns to the place that in many ways her heart calls home, she begins to ponder the contradictions of loving a place that all too often doesn’t love you back.
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Riot Recommendations
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw | Performed by Janina Edwards
All-star audiobook narrator Janina Edwards performs Deesha Philyaw’s stunning short story collection The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. Each one of these stories features a Black woman connected to the church in some way. Some are young women and girls who attend with their mothers and grandmothers. One is the infamous “other woman.” Another is a queer woman who has left the South, and her church lady mother, far behind. Each one of these stories is a perfect, polished gem. They’re full of wit, emotional depth, and just brilliant storytelling. Edwards gives each protagonist such a unique narrative voice, making every story stand out.
Even As We Breathe by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle | Narrated by Kaipo Schwab
Cowney Sequoyah is a 19-year-old Cherokee man who’s just gotten a job as a groundskeeper at the historic Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. But with WWII ongoing, the inn is being used to hold diplomates from Axis countries. When a young Japanese girl goes missing, Cowney is brought in for questioning. This historical fiction novel is Clapsaddle’s debut, and I loved every second of it. It has family secrets, unrequited love, and a coming-of-age story all wrapped into one. Kaipo Schwab does a great job of performing the story from Cowney’s perspective.
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That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave or over on Instagram @kdwinchester. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE audiobook content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.
Happy listening, bookish friends!
~ Kendra