Sponsored by Serial Box, a premium audio and reading entertainment platform, and narrated by Janina Edwards
Over their year as clerks, four recent law school graduates—Charlotte, Odessa, Gabriel, and Jack—will influence the way our biggest issues of today—from the death penalty to voting rights—are settled, all while navigating love, life, and what justice means to them. And there’s more at stake for these young clerks than just policy and debate in this ripped-from-the-headlines political page-turner. Nothing is hypothetical anymore, and tensions run high. By the time the final verdict is reached, they will be very different people from who they were when they began this journey. (Use promo code ‘firststreetbr’ for 10% off the entire series!)
Hola Audiophiles! Welcome to another week of audio love. I’ve been over here preparing for the snow that was promised never really came this week in Portland, which is probs for the best since I probably would have embarrassed myself if it had. But enough about me; let’s dive into this week’s new releases and notes on my latest listen.
Ready? Let’s audio.
New Releases – January 14, 2019
A World Without Work: Technology and Automation and How We Should Respond by Daniel Susskind, narrated by the author – For as long as technology has been a thing, humans have been filled with a certain level of “it’s going to overrun our lives!” angst. Susskind’s argues that a) this time is different because A.I. has arrived, b) this can actually be a good thing and solve an age-old economic problem, but c) the good can only happen if we first confront the economic disruption it will cause. Eek/yikes/okay great.
Narrator Note: I know Daniel Susskind from a TED talk and love his style. Look it up if you want more of this sort of tech talk.
Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey, narrated by Charlotte North – Rosie and Dominic are high school sweethearts whose marriage is perfect until it isn’t. Rosie decides she wants to realize a dream of opening a restaurant, but first: she wants to go to marriage boot camp. She suggests her plan to Dominic, assuming the ex-soldier and very “manly man” type will turn her down. He shocks her when he’s not only into the idea but jumps in with both feet, completing every hilarious task suggested by a weed-smoking hippie (lol). Rosie will have to confront her role in the breakdown of the marriage, as well as a secret that Dominic is keeping…
Narrator Note: Charlotte North has narrated other Tessa Bailey books from her Hot & Hammered series, works by Maya Rodale, and more.
Night Theater by Vikram Paralkar, narrated by Raj Ghatak – A surgeon flees the city when a scandal ruins his medical career and accepts a job in a remote village’s clinic. One night, a teacher, his pregnant wife, and their young son walk into the clinic asking for his help. The twist? They’re all dead (but not dead?), and say an angel will give them a second chance at life if the surgeon can heal their wounds by sunrise. Author Vikram Paralkar is a doctor himself and “takes on the practice of medicine in a time when the right to health care is frequently challenged. Engaging earthly injustice and imaginaries of the afterlife, he asks how we might navigate corrupt institutions to find a moral center.”
Narrator Note: You may recognize Raj Ghatak from books by Amitav Ghosh and sooooo many of James Patterson’s titles!
The Better Liar by Tanen Jones, narrated by Lisa Flanagan, Karissa Vacker, and Kristen Sieh – Robin and Leslie’s recently deceased father left them a big, fat inheritance, one that Leslie could really super very much use right about now. The problem? The inheritance will be disbursed to both sisters or not at all and Robin was just found dead. Then Leslie meets Mary, a woman with a striking resemblance to Robin who has nothing to lose. They concoct one of those “how could this possibly go wrong??” plans: Mary will pretend to be Robin so they can claim the money. But then! Secrets.
Narrator Note: All three of these narrators were part of ensemble cast for Sara Shepard’s Reputation and have a ton of narration credit to their names individually as well; Lisa Flanagan is known for thrillers by Liz Moore and Lisa Lutz; Karissa Vacker did Red Clocks by Leni Zumas and Krysten Ritter’s Bonfire; Allyson Ryan narrates Long Bright River by Liz Moore, which happens to be my latest listen!
Latest Listens
Long Bright River by Liz Moore – Set in a Philadelphia neighborhood ravaged by the opioid crisis, once inseparable sisters Kacey and Mickey are now estranged. Mickey is a cop and a single mom and Kacey is an addict who lives on the streets. Kacey goes missing, then a string of mysterious murders pops up in Mickey’s district that might explain her disappearance. Mickey becomes obsessed with solving the murders and finding Kacey, putting her job and her life in danger.
My guesses as to the culprit of the murders and Kacey’s fate kept bouncing around here. I thought I’d figured it out about 12 times but the actual end result had me going, “Oh word??” I mentioned previously how Allyson Ryan’s voice has a certain apathetic tone and I stand by that as being a good thing! It’s very measured when it needs to be, especially in this book where the first person narrator has been hardened by life and has issues with feelings. She is also really great and dialects and accents, and making a kids’ voice charming and not gimmicky. I really enjoyed this one! Tip: I think this one reads best at 1.25 speed.
From the Internets
The first batch of Marvel original audiobooks is here with more to come later in 2020.
Laura Linney’s performance of My Name Is Lucy Barton, a monologue play by Rona Munro adapted from Elizabeth Strout’s best-selling novel, will soon be an audiobook.
Remember that Amazon copyright lawsuit? Looks like they’ve settled.
AudioFile’s interviewed narrator powerhouse Robin Miles. If you have managed not to know her work yet, consider this a homework assignment!
Over at the Riot
A really cool list of audiobooks by Native, First Nations, or Indigenous authors
A listening pathway to narrator Dion Graham, who I absolutely loved in several of Nic Stone’s books and Dave Eggers’ The Monk of Mokha
That’s all I got today! Shoot me an email at vanessa@riotnewmedia.com with audiobook feedback & questions or find me on Twitter and the gram @buenosdiazsd. Sign up for the In The Club newsletter, peep the Read Harder podcast, and watch me booktube every Tuesday and Friday too!
Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa