If you enjoy listening to audiobooks, you should take a look at the winners of the Audies. The Audie Awards, considered the premier awards program in the United States for audiobooks, are designed to highlight the best in spoken-word entertainment, celebrating the talent and artistry of narrators, producers, and publishers. I've highlighted the winners from some of the categories, but make sure to take a look at all the Finalists and Winners. You may find your next great listen!
Descriptions and reviews provided by AudioFile.
Audiobook of the Year Winner
Sunrise on the Reaping, written by Suzanne Collins
Narrated by Jefferson White
Jefferson White shows remarkable skill balancing a youthful cast with the sobering reality they must face. Twenty-four years before Katniss's games, Haymitch, from District 12, must compete in the Hunger Games--with twice the tributes (competitors). White's perfect pacing adds intensity to the brutality of the games and lingering melancholy as Haymitch struggles to maintain his integrity as the people around him keep dying. White smoothly distinguishes a large cast of characters, including stuffy Capitol residents, tributes of all ages and genders, and familiar mentors that fans of the series will remember. Near the end, Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" is interspersed with the narrative, and White's emotional delivery enhances Haymitch's heartbreak, which is sure to bring listeners to tears.
Ensemble Performance Winner
The Correspondent, written by Virginia Evans
Narrated by Maggi-Meg Reed, Jane Oppenheimer, Carly Robins, Jeff Ebner, David Pittu, Chris Andrew Ciulla, Mark Bramhall, Petrea Burchard, Robert Petkoff, Kimberly Farr, Jim Seybert, Cerris Morgan-Moyer, Jade Wheeler, Peter Ganim, and Steve West
Maggi-Meg Reed is at the top of her game in her nuanced portrayal of Sybil Van Antwerp. Sybil shares her life in letters to friends and family, as well as strangers and authors she admires, including Joan Didion and Ann Patchett. However, there’s one mysterious letter she writes but never mails. A divorced septuagenarian, Sybil is slowly going blind. As an adoptee who has always wondered about her parentage, Sybil does a DNA test and begins a journey with stunning results. The thousands of letters she has written and received reveal lives connected by Sybil’s delicate thread. Thanks to outstanding narrations, responses to her letters allow each correspondent to emerge as a fully realized individual. Beautiful prose and amazing performances make this audiobook one listeners won’t want to miss.
Fantasy Winner
Anima Rising, written by Christopher Moore
Narrated by Mary Jane Wells
Narrator Mary Jane Wells's outstanding performance transports listeners to 1911 Vienna. When Gustav Klimt spies a nude woman floating in the Danube, he can't resist sketching her. But it turns out that she's alive, and he takes her to his studio. With a little help from Freud and Jung, she recovers her memory. She realizes that she's more than 100 years old and the involuntary bride of Dr. Frankenstein's monster. The pace of this novel is quick. Wells creates a daunting number of voices for characters of various ages, nationalities, and class. Distinguishing them through accents, pacing, and tone, she is an invaluable guide for the listener. And the dark humor is not subtle. This story is ideal for the audiobook format.
Fiction Winner
Atmosphere: A Love Story, written by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Nararted by Read by Julia Whelan and, Kristen DiMercurio
Julia Whelan and Kristen DiMercurio beautifully narrate a queer love story. Whelan, the main narrator, portrays Joan, a professor of astronomy with a quiet life. But her whole world changes when she's accepted as an astronaut candidate at NASA in 1980. Whelan's rich narration makes each character come to life for listeners, and she excels at portraying Joan's romance with her fellow astronaut Vanessa, a confident and charismatic engineer. In periodic flash-forwards, disaster strikes on Vanessa's shuttle mission, and DiMercurio narrates with an intensity that conveys Vanessa's fear and courage as she struggles to return to Earth with the survivors. Joan is Vanessa's guide from Mission Control, and Whelan's performance of her desperate hope and anguish at the dramatic conclusion is heartrending. An absolute must-listen.
History/Biography Winner
Baldwin: A Love Story, written by Nicholas Boggs
Narrated by Ron Butler
For more than 24 stunning hours, narrator Ron Butler immerses listeners in the world of writer James Baldwin. This detailed biography structures Baldwin's life around his greatest loves, the people who filled so many of his thoughts. Baldwin travels the globe and makes a name for himself as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, but he's always drawn back to the people he adored. When the biography quotes Baldwin, Butler evokes him by using Baldwin's intonation and sense of rhythm. Butler's narration is a master class in maintaining the listener's attention over the course of a lengthy audiobook. He makes every change in tone, volume, and pace with careful purpose, creating a seamless listening experience.
Thriller/Suspense Winner
Don't Let Him In, written by Lisa Jewell
Narrated by Richard Armitage, Joanne Froggatt, Tamaryn Payne, Gemma Whelan, Louise Brealey, Patience Tomlinson
Listeners must pay close attention to follow the many personas of this mystery's frighteningly sinister main character, expertly performed by Richard Armitage. The man shifts names, identities, and relationships as he jumps from one woman to another--each of whom he's conning, may be married to, or has children with. The women, all emotionally entangled, are masterfully voiced by an exceptional ensemble of narrators who bring nuance and credibility to their chapters. The twisting plot moves back and forth in time, adding to the complexity. Some listeners may question how intelligent women can fall for such manipulation--but the man's ability to make them feel seen and cherished is chillingly effective. Those who are willing to go along for the ride will find themselves glued to their earphones.
About the Author
Katherine is the Digital Marketing, Collections, and Communications Specialist and has been working at EPL since 2008. She loves books, especially ones with unique plots and those written so well that she can't put them down.