Author: Vanessa Diaz

Hola Audiophiles! How we holding up? Some days are better than others on my end and I imagine the same goes for you. I’ve recently started working on a puzzle every night with an audiobook in the background and a glass of wine on hand. It’s so calming and lovely, hope you’re finding a routine to keep your spirits up!

Enough ‘rona feels. Let’s audio.

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New Releases – April 21 (publisher descriptions in quotes)

Administrations of Lunacy: Racism and the Haunting of American Psychiatry at the Milledgeville Asylum by Mag Segrest, narrated by Hillary Huber (nonfiction) – In December 1841, the Georgia State Lunatic, Idiot, and Epileptic Asylum was founded. A hundred years later, it was the largest insane asylum in the world, housing over 10,000 patients and setting the stage for the intensely flawed and racist ideology of eugenics. Mab Segrest examines how modern psychiatry is still plagued by trickle-down effects of those practices.

Narrator Note: Hillary Huber has a pretty deep bench of audiobook work; notable performances include Furious Hours by Casey Cep, Final Girls by Riley Sager, and Elena Ferrante’s Neopolitan novels

The House of Deep Water by Jeni McFarland, narrated by Allyson Johnson, Adenrele Ojo, Jonathan McClain, and Andrew Eiden – Three women who couldn’t wait to get out of River Bend, Michigan each find themselves back in town when life doesn’t go as planned. Linda left her husband and needs a place to stay; her mother Paula hopes to secure a divorce from her long estranged husband; and Beth DeWitt, who grew up one of the only black girls in town, returns newly single and jobless with two children. Their paths collide under Beth’s father’s roof, and I do mean collide. Lots of love affairs, secrets, and scandal to go around as old, buried traumas are brought to the surface.

Narrator Note: Love an ensemble cast! While I’m sure all of these narrators are great, I have to shout out Andrew Eiden for the breadth of his catalog. It takes a certain talent to read everything from Disney’s Frozen to Bromance Book Club.

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha, narrated by Frances Cha, Sue Jean Kim, Ruthie Ann Miles, Jeena Yi (fiction) – This story set in contemporary Seoul centers on the lives of four women: one whose many cosmetic procedures have landed her a job at one of Seoul’s “room salons” where wealthy men seek drink and the entertainment of women; her roommate went to art school in New York before returning to Seoul and now has a very, very wealthy Korean boyfriend; a hair stylist whose two preoccupations are K-pop and a best friend saving up for the extreme cosmetic procedure she hopes will change her life; and a newlywed trying to conceive in spite of not knowing if she and her husband can even afford to raise a child. Their narratives are connected in this examination of class, patriarchy, inequality, and crippling beauty standards.

Narrator Note: I’m not familiar with any of these narrators’ work but I love what I heard in the sample, and again: love an ensemble cast. I do know that Ruthie Ann Kim is also a part of the ensemble cast of Lisa See’s The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane.

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown, narrated by Julia Whelan, Lauren Fortgang, Hillary Huber (mystery/thriller) – When Nina’s fancy liberal arts degree doesn’t result in the career of her dreams, she and her boyfriend Lachlan turn to the hustle she learned from her mother: stealing from rich kids in L.A. When her mom gets sick, Nina comes up with her riskiest scam yet. Vanessa is a privileged young heiress who set out to do some in the world, but ended up an Instagram influencer instead. But behind the façade of exotic travel and luxury is a life marked by tragedy. Vanessa retreats to Stonehaven, her family’s giant estate in Lake Tahoe. The mansion holds dark secrets not just from Vanessa’s past, but from that of troubled girl named… you guessed it, Nina.

Narrator Note: Hillary Huber makes a second appearance! Also, Julia Whelan is another narrator I think I’ll be adding to my faves list; I loved her performance of Tara Westover’s Educated; other recent credits include The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Read, Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone, and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett, narrated by Tara Sands (fantasy) – Sancia Grado and her allies set out to ignite a magical-industrial revolution. The goal: to make scriving—the art of imbuing everyday objects with sentience—accessible to all citizens and not just the robber-baron elite. One of Sancia’s enemies has other plans: to resurrect a legendary immortal who’ll stop at nothing to remake the world in his horrifying image. If Sancia can’t stop this ancient power from wreaking havoc, she’ll be force to fight this god with one of her own.

Narrator Note: Tara Sands is another narrator with some range; one minute she’s a squeaky kid in a Meg Cabot book and then she’s an adult fighting robots in a James Patterson title.

Latest Listens – Homie by Danez Smith

I read an interview with Danez Smith at Them around the time of Homie’s publication calling it a love letter to Black queer friendship, “a book hellbent on envisioning a world where queer Black joy exists not as a release but as a constant reality, while still recognizing the current state of affairs.” I love that description of this collection; the joy is infectious and wonderful to observe.

The poem “saw a video of a gang of bees swarming a hornet who killed their bee-homie so i called to say i love you” is perhaps my favorite. It embodies the vibe of the whole collection for me: a certain playful delight in the power of love and connection plus a full-throated proclamation of truths both beautiful and terrible. One moment he’s deep in the exhaustion that comes with existing in a Black and queer body in this country, or the exquisite pain of losing the people you love. Then suddenly you hear “Dogs!” or “Friends!” signaling the start of a new poem with an excitement I generally reserve for talk of soft cheeses. These pivots made me smile every time.

Experiencing the poems on audio is almost essential, if you ask me; Danez Smith is after all a slam poet. His use of power and restraint in the moments that call for them got me thinking about his poems in a way that my poetry novice self might have missed in print. I “got it” without having to dissect too much; with that kind of delivery, who wouldn’t?

From the Internets

Join Libro.fm’s Virtual Bookstore Day Party! The big national Indie Bookstore Day has been postponed because of the pandemic, but Libro is keeping the party going online. You can even get two free audiobooks on April 25th!

Also, Libro.fm has apparently tripled its membership volume since February. Awesome!

Over at the Riot

5 Audiobooks Memoirs and Essay Collections by Bi+ Women of Color

3 Under 3: Audiobooks Under 3 Hours For Your One-Sitting Listening Pleasure (like Homie!)

New Poetry Audiobooks to Listen to During National Poetry Month

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Thanks for hanging with me today! Shoot me an email at vanessa@riotnewmedia.com with your burning book club questions or find me on Twitter and the gram @buenosdiazsd. Sign up for the Audiobooks newsletter, catch me once a month on the All the Books podcast, and watch me ramble about even more new books every Tuesday on our YouTube channel.

Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa

Hola Audiophiles! I’m back with another audiobook rundown from inside my Portland abode. Most days are pretty good, a few have me feeling like this guy, and while the internet is often scary, the creativity of the youth brings me hope. So much drama in the CDC! Brilliant.

Let’s move on to new releases and my latest listen, shall we? I swear I will move away from cozy stuff sometime soon, but that day is not today, friends. Join me in the cozy place!

Ready? Let’s audio.

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New Releases – April 14  (publisher descriptions in quotes)

Antigone Rising: The Subversive Power of the Ancient Myths by Helen Morales, narrated by Gabra Zackman – Mythology nerds, assemble!  This is in part a dissection of the ways in which myths and ancient texts have been used, often deliberately, to support harmful agendas like white supremacy and misogyny. Morales provides both a history lesson and modern parallels (like Beyonce and Ali Smith) to argue that mythology has always been of and fore the people, regardless of class, education, etc, and that we should reclaim these narratives in working towards a more just, equal, and accepting world.

Narrator Note: Go with me here, because this sounds like a diss, but isn’t! Gabra Zackman reminds me of a diluted January LaVoy. I love January, but her style isn’t for everyone. If you’ve ever heard a book read by her and wished it was perhaps a tiny bit less theatrical, look into Gabra Zackman! Her credits include I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, This Is How It Always Is, and Sadie.

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez, narrated by Zachary Webber and Erin Mallon – It’s been two years since Sloane lost her fiancé, but things are looking up when she finds an adorable pup with a “don’t you wanna take me home?” face. She tries to contact his owner but never hears back, so she decides to keep the pooch and falls in love with him, only for the owner to finally send her a text that’s all, “My bad, I’m a musician on tour in Australia, but like… I want my dog back, thanks!” Sloane is like, “Funny story! He’s mine now.” After a lot of back and forth, the messages and calls start to get a little flirty. Could there be something there? Or is Sloane just asking to get hurt again?

Narrator Note: Zachary Webber is a romance audio veteran; he’s the voice the Fifty Shades of Grey books told from Christian’s perspective, lots of Colleen Hoover’s books, and more. Erin Mallon read Abby Jimenez’ The Friend Zone and narrates a ton of Lauren Blakely’s work, plus a ton of Audible originals.

The Unsuitable by Molly Pohlig, narrated by Esther Wane – Yesss gothic fiction! Iseult Wince is a Victorian woman who is quickly approaching spinsterhood. She’s plain and awkward, and oh yes, one more thing: she believes that the mother who died giving birth to her lives in a scar on her neck. Iseult’s cruel and abusive father keeps trying to marry her off, but Iseult scares away suitor after suitor. Then at last, her father finds someone desperate enough to take Iseult off his hands, but Iseult’s (literal) pain-in-the-neck mother becomes more volatile and demanding as the wedding approaches. FYI: I haven’t read this yet, but Liberty covered it with me on this week’s All the Books and gave a strong trigger warning for self-harm.

Narrator Note: Esther Wane also performs Daisy Johnson’s Everything Under and wheeeeeew child, if you haven’t read that flip of the Oedipus myth, do it.

Latest Listens

After reading and loving the first eight of ten books in Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series in print, I avoided the last two books in a sad and stubborn attempt to make the magic last. My tantrum paid off, because the universe knew precisely when I would need the rest of this cozy series to soothe me in these troubled times.

Set in the 50s in and around a small English village called Bishop’s Lacey, this series’ protagonist and amateur sleuth is of course 12-year-old Flavia de Luce. She lives in a dilapidated mansion with her two older sisters and widowed father, opting to live in the cold eastern wing of the house because it contains a big, bad chemistry lab built by her great Uncle Tar. Some of my favorite scenes in the book involve Flavia sitting around the lab swathed in a blanket heating her toast and a soft boiled egg on a Bunsen burner. The best! Flavia has followed in her uncle’s footsteps with her great passion for science, potions, and poison. She’s effortlessly funny, whip smart, and possesses that Marplesque wisdom that comes from keen observation of quotidian life.

I finally listened to everyone who’s ever raved about these books on audio and downloaded the ninth book in the series, The Grave’s A Fine and Private Place. The whole series is read by Jane Entwhistle and she is just a gem! She manages Flavia’s cool, snarky, precociousness in all her glory, delivering her awesome one-liners and smoothly veiled insults just as I always imagined Flavia would. If you’re looking for something relatively low stakes, funny, and overall delightful, check this series out.

 

From the Internets

Nerdist rounded up a list of ways to audio for free.

I was not aware of the so-called tax on audiobooks in the UK; read this piece if you aren’t aware of its implications either.

Over at the Riot

Four Great YA Audiobooks Narrated by Actors

More Than a Trend: Making Audiobooks Accessible

29 Free Audiobooks for Kids, Or Anyone Else

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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, catch me once a month on the All the Books podcast, and watch me ramble about even more new books every Tuesday on our YouTube channel.

Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa

Hola Audiophiles! Are you tired of all the “what day is it?” jokes yet? Because I’m honestly still note sure of the answer to that half the time. I’m overall in good spirits though and the sun in Portland probs has something to do with that. My face mask, Libby and Libro apps, and I have been going for walks in the sunshine every day and it’s glorious! I hope you’re all staying strong, safe, and healthy, too.

Ready? Let’s audio.

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New Releases – April 7, 2020  (publisher descriptions in quotes)

The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan, narrated by Polly Lee (historical fiction) – This story of a centuries-long clash between two magical families is historical fiction set in Gilded Age New York. Harriet, descended from a long line of witches, uses her magic to help women with a variety of needs. Her cousin Frances, who used her wiles and witchcraft to claw her way out of poverty and then married full rich, is now scheming to arrange a glorious aristocratic match for her stepdaughter Annis, too. Dun dun DUN: she’ll do so by any means necessary.

Narrator Note: Polly Lee reads Louisa Morgan’s A Secret History of Witches and popular series like the Queen of the Tearling books.

Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth, narrated by Dakota Fanning (fantasy) – Fifteen years ago, an evil force knows as the Dark One leveled cities and killed thousands. Five teens singled out by a prophecy take him down, giving everything they have to do so. Everything goes back to normal for everyone but the chosen ones, who feel sort of lost in the aftermath after years of living and breathing this quest. Then on the 10th anniversary of the Dark One’s defeat, something unthinkable happens: one of the Chosen Ones dies. It turns out the Dark One’s ultimate goal was much bigger than anyone could have foretold.

Narrator Note: Oh hey, Dakota Fanning! My, how you’ve grown.

Sin Eater by Megan Campisi, narrated by Shiromi Arserio (fantasy) – In this historical novel, fourteen-year-old May is serving a life sentence as a Sin Eater—a shunned woman who must hear the final confessions of the dying, then eat foods that are symbolic of those sins (um eww). This act is seen as an absolution of the confessors and allows their souls access to heaven. Sweet deal, bruh. When the Sin Eater that May is apprenticed to is imprisoned, tortured, and killed for refusing to eat a deer heart that appears on the coffin of someone who didn’t confess to the awful sin it represents (whew, what a mouthful), May sets out to figure out where the heart came from and why.

Narrator Note: Shiromi Arserio reads all sorts of things! Most recently, her work has included Sandhya Menon’s Of Curses and Kisses and Thorn: Dauntless Path by Intisar Khanani.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix, narrated by Bahni Turpin (horror) – This work of horror set in the 90s is pitched as Steel Magnolias meets Dracula… just take my money then! Patricia’s one bit of escape from her ho-hum life is her book club, a group of Charleston women who love them some true crime. One evening after book club, Patricia is viciously attacked by an elderly neighbor, and the attack brings that neighbor’s nephew James into Patricia’s life. She’s sort of besotted with him until children on the other side of town start to go missing and she suspects James is involved. Patricia realizes James may be a little less Brad Pitt and little more Ted Bundy.

Narrator Note: Bahni-Bahni-Bahni-Bahni… BAHNI! (Sung to the tune of The O’Jay’s For the Love Of Money, of course).

Latest Listens

I’m so excited to share an adorable middle grade read called Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano, narrated by Kyla Garcia. Funny story: I recommended this to a friend and told her to read “Love Sugar Sex Magic,” because my brain thought it was a good idea to mash up a lovely, sugary-sweet book about a young bruja and her family’s panaderia with an album from the 90s by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Moving on!

This is the first book in the Love Sugar Magic series and our main character is Leonora “Leo” Logroño, an 11-year-old girl who feels left out of everything (no fair!). She decides she’s had enough when she’s excluded from a meeting at the family business, Amor y Azucar Panadería (Love and Sugar Bakery), so she goes there to spy on her five sisters, aunt, and parents. And wouldn’t you know it: she finds out her family is magical, and that she herself is a witch! Eager to prove that she’s grown and not the child everyone acts like she is, she tries to help her BFF at school with a boy problem. Pero… turns out she’s not so great at this magic thing yet and she mucks it all up.

I want to pass this book out to young girls everywhere, and to hop in the time machine and give myself this book when no one looked or sounded like me in the books I was reading. I love how much Spanish is woven into the story and all the beautiful bits of Mexican culture tossed into what’s ultimately a universal story about wanting to belong. The Dia de Los Muertos celebration and the descriptions of all the scrumptious creations whipped up at the bakery were so soothing (and hungry-making). It was just lovely and delicious comfort for my anxious soul.

Narration is actually pretty great, though I do (once again) have a tiny quibble with Kyla Garcia’s pronunciation. In one of the recipes, it sounds like she’s saying arena over and over instead of harina, which would mean the recipe calls for sand instead of flour. Argh! Overall though, she does a great job of voicing all the different roles, from the five sisters to the mother to Leo’s bestie with a strawng Texas accent.

From the Internets

Reminder that Libro.fm hosts monthly audiobook clubs! Select titles go on sale for under $10, some as little as $3.99. Click here for a breakdown of the clubs offerings or on the image below!

Over at the Riot

Don’t forget about Book Riot’s hub for continued updates on COVID-19 updates from the bookish world. Of particular interest: Scribd’s catalog is free for 30 days and Audible is offering lots of free content for kids and teens.

Check out these audiobooks by Canadian women authors.

How audiobooks are getting this reader through COVID-19. Saaaaame, sister. Same.

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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

Hola Audiophiles! It is I, Vanessa, from day Idunnowhat in isolation thanks to our unwelcome guest, the ‘rona. I’m overall in good spirits all things considered, though I do certainly have moments that look a little something like this. Hope you’re all hanging in okay too!

Let’s talk new audiobooks and how I accidentally listened to a book that hits a little too close to home.

Ready? Let’s audio.

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New Releases – March 31, 2020  (publisher descriptions in quotes)

The Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag, narrated by Adjoa Andoh (fantasy) –  Four half sisters meet in the Everwhere as children, a strange world they can only reach in their dreams where they practice their elemental magics. When they’re suddenly cut off from the dreamscape at age thirteen, they lose their powers and all memories of each other. Five years later as their 18th birthday approaches, the sisters begin to feel a mysterious pull toward one another and uncover the dark secret of their births. They determine they must return to the Everwhere, but what they don’t know might kill them: they’re about to be subjected to a gladiatorial fight for their lives.

Narrator note: Adjoa Andoh is the voice of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah as well as The Power by Naomi Alderman, not to mention the work of Ann Leckie, Talia Hibbert, Nnedi Okorafor, and more. You may recall that I didn’t 100% love the accent work in Ann Leckie’s The Raven Tower, but the rest of Andoh’s narration is beautiful, rich, and regal.

More Myself by Alicia Keys, narrated by a whole buncha people (autobiography) – I’ve been a fan of Ms. Keys since “I keep on falling…. IIIIIIIIIIIiiiIIIIiiiIIIIIIiiiiiin… in loooove… with-uh-you!” This book is all about the talented musician and songstress’ journey, part autobiography and part narrative documentary, “revealed not only through her own candid recounting, but also through vivid recollections from those who have walked alongside her. The result is a 360-degree perspective on Alicia’s path, from her girlhood in Hell’s Kitchen and Harlem to the process of growth and self-discovery that we all must navigate.”

Narrator Note: Look, I need Alicia Keys to narrate sleep stories for the meditation app I’m leaving on heavy these days. The silken perfection of her voice is just gah! I was already pumped to hear she was narrating her own audiobook and then saw the list of folks making guest appearances: America Ferrera, Bono, Clive Davis, Jay-Z, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Swizz Beats, and more. Okay then!

Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer, narrated by Sarah Zimmerman – It’s 1926 in Cairo, Egypt at the Mena House Hotel. A young, independent American widow named Jane Wunderly is found standing over the body of Anna Stainton, a beautiful spotlight-obsessed socialite and Jane’s unintentional rival at the hotel. With her innocence at stake in a foreign country, Jane must determine who, if anyone, she can trust as well as who committed this brutal murder.

Narrator Note: I could have sworn I’d listened to a few books narrated by Sarah Zimmerman, but I can’t find the titles to save my life! I do know she’s the voice of N.K. Jemisin’s Dreamblood duology and the last book in Charlie N. Holmberg’s Paper Magician series.

Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby, narrated by the author – Samantha Irby is 40 and examining how life has changed since she’s published some popular books, and moved in with a woman in a blue town in a red state where life is a lot less “Girls Gone Wild” and a lot more “Girls Gone Mild.” Irby “discusses the actual nightmare of living in a rural idyll, weighs in on body negativity (loving yourself is a full-time job with shitty benefits) and poses the essential question: sure sex is fun but have you ever googled a popular meme?”

Narrator Note: I can’t imagine anyone narrating Samantha Irby’s work but Samantha Irby.

Latest Listens 

So I did a thing: I queued up a book that I’d heard Jenn Northington (and lots of Rioters) rave about tons of times without really knowing too much about the plot. WELL. I somehow managed not to know that I, newly bound to my home in the middle of a pandemic, unsure of when I’d next find rice, beans, or toilet paper for purchase, was diving headfirst into a post-apocalyptic novel where a small northern Anishinaabe community goes dark. Winter is coming (great!) panic ensues (sounds familiar), and all the people on the reservation go bananas buying up all the food and supplies as sickness and death ravage their people (um excuse me, que?!). Cool cool cool.

That book was Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice, narrated by Billy Merasty. I was folding laundry when I finally figured out what was going on, pausing with a pair of workout leggings in mid air as I questioned my life choices. Eerie coincidence aside, the book was fantastic! You’ll feel Rice’s vivid descriptions of the bitter cold deep in your bones, not to mention the slow but steadily mounting despair that sets in as you approach what you just know is something rull, rull bad. It’s a slow burn for sure, but never once boring. Don’t be surprised if you have to physical pry your shoulders away from your ears when you’re done.

Finally, the narration by Billy Merasty was spot on. Merasty is an Aboriginal Canadian actor and writer of Cree descent who’s tone and pacing kept the suspense going the entire time.

From the Internets

Great Sci-Fi and Fantasy Audiobooks Read By Celebrities (Nerdist)

Ok, so you know how a lot of us are turning to puzzles right now? Well someone over at Macmillan put together these landing pages with puzzles of audiobook covers of some pretty cool audiobooks. Now you can listen to the audiobook and do the puzzle at the same time! Check out the selections below.

• The Night Country by Melissa Albert, read by Rebecca Soler and James Fouhey – puzzle here
• Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center, read by Therese Plummer – puzzle here
• Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews, read by Kathleen McInerne – puzzle here
• Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell, read by Euan Morton – puzzle here
• Summoned to the Thirteenth Grave by Darynda Jones, read by Lorelei King – puzzle here
• Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, read by Ramon de Ocampo – puzzle here

Over at the Riot

Find Book Riot’s continued coverage of COVID-19 updates from the bookish world here.

Where to get free audiobooks for kids!

Did you hear about Harry Potter at Home? One of the resources newly made available is free access to the ebook and audiobooks of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on audiobook narrated by Stephen Fry.

We have a ton of awesome giveaways going on! Enter for your chance to win a gift card to Barnes & Noble or Amazon, a copy of Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue, and more!

We also give away tons of books over on Instagram. Follow us there if you don’t already.

A listening pathway to the work of Ramon de Ocampo (Okay, that’s three unintentional mentions in one newsletter. I really need to get to Red, White & Royal Blue, don’t I?)

5 Food Memoirs For Your TBR – yes please.

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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