Happy Audiobook Month! And to Celebrate Here Is a List of the 2016 Audie Winners – The Best in Audio Books!
June is Audiobook month - bet you did not know that - and, to celebrate, we bring you a list of the 2016 Audie Award winners. What are the Audie Awards you ask? Well, the Audie Awards recognize the best achievement in audiobook and spoken word production and presentation for the year. It is sponsored and run by the Audio Publishers Association, which is a not-for-profit trade association of audio production companies. The Audies have been given out at a presentation event for the last 21 years. When you listen to an Audie Winner, you are not only hearing good writing, you are also getting the best narration and production values the Audiobook and Spoken Word industry has created for the year. Here is a link to Audiofile Magazine’s overview of this year’s Audie Award Winners.
This year’s winners include:
Audiobook of the Year
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, read by Clare Corbett, Louise Brealey, and India Fisher
A psychological thriller about a woman who becomes emotionally entangled in a murder investigation because of something she witnesses on her daily commute.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
Autobiography/Memoir
Ghost Boy: The Miraculous Escape of a Misdiagnosed Boy Trapped Inside His Own Body by Martin Pistorius, read by Simon Bubb
January 1988. Martin Pistorius, aged twelve, fell inexplicably sick. First he lost his voice and stopped eating. Then he slept constantly and shunned human contact. Doctors were mystified. Within eighteen months he was mute and wheelchair-bound. Martin's parents were told an unknown degenerative disease left him with the mind of a baby and less than two years to live. Martin was moved to care centers for severely disabled children. The stress and heartache shook his parents' marriage and their family to the core. Their boy was gone. Or so they thought. Ghost Boy
the heart-wrenching story of one boy's return to life through the power of love and faith. In these pages, readers see a parent's resilience, the consequences of misdiagnosis, abuse at the hands of cruel caretakers, and the unthinkable duration of Martin's mental alertness betrayed by his lifeless body. We also see a life reclaimed, a business created, and a new love kindled.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Best Female Narrator
Wild Rover No More: Being the Last Recorded Account of the Life & Times of Jacky Faber by L. A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren
In 1809, just when it looks like Jacky Faber and her beloved Jaimy will finally find their romance, Jacky is accused of treason and must flee Boston while her friends attempt to clear her name. Of course that means wild adventures for our fun-loving heroine, who manages to secure a job as a governess--and run away with the circus.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
Best Male Narrator
The English Spy by Daniel Silva, read by George Guidall
Following the success of his smash hit "The Heist," Daniel Silva returns with another blockbuster - a powerhouse novel that showcases his outstanding skill and brilliant imagination, and is sure to be a must-read for both his multitudes of fans and growing legions of converts.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
Business/Personal Development
Wake Up Happy: The Dream Big, Win Big Guide to Transforming Your Life by Michael Strahan & Veronica Chambers, read by Michael Strahan
Michael Strahan distills the wisdom he's gleaned from: his childhood years in Europe where he grew up as the youngest child in a tight-knit community on a military base; his time with the NFL, where his sheer discipline and willpower made him a Hall-of-Fame, legendary football player; and his broadcast career, which puts him contact with the heartland of America every morning.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Excellence in Design
Locke & Key by Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez, read by Haley Joel Osment
Based on the bestselling, award-winning graphic novel series Locke & Key - written by acclaimed suspense novelist Joe Hill (NOS4A2, Horns) and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez - this multicast, fully-dramatized audio production brings the images and words to life. A brutal and tragic event drives the Locke family from their home in California to the relative safety of their ancestral estate in Lovecraft, Massachusetts - an old house with powerful keys and fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them. As siblings Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode Locke discover the secrets of the old house, they also find that it is home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all... Featuring performances by Haley Joel Osment (Entourage, The Sixth Sense), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Kate Mulgrew (Orange Is the New Black, Star Trek: Voyager), Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez, and Stephen King (The Stand, 11-22-63), as well as a cast of more than 50 voice actors, this audio production preserves the heart-stopping impact of the graphic novel's astounding artwork through the use of richly imagined sound design and a powerful original score.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Fiction
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, read by Polly Stone
Vianne and Isabelle have always been close despite their differences. Younger, bolder sister Isabelle lives in Paris while Vianne lives a quiet and content life in the French countryside with her husband Antoine and their daughter. When World War II strikes and Antoine is sent off to fight, Vianne and Isabelle's father sends Isabelle to help her older sister cope. As the war progresses, it is not only the sisters' relationship that is tested, but also their strength and their individual sense of right and wrong. With life as they know it changing in unbelievably horrific ways, Vianne and Isabelle will find themselves facing frightening situations and responding in ways they never thought possible as bravery and resistance take different forms in each of their actions.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
History/Biography
A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts by Andrew Chaklin, read by Bronson Pinchot
Image 8 (Left with text wrapped)
A celebration of the first moon landing in July 1969 offers an accessible history of the Apollo space program from its less-than-auspicious beginnings, through its greatest triumphs, to its untimely end. Based on in-depth interviews with twenty-three of the moon voyagers.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Humor
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book about Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson, read by Jenny Lawson
In Furiously Happy, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lawson explores her lifelong battle with mental illness. A hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety? That sounds like a terrible idea. But terrible ideas are what Jenny does best. Furiously Happy is about "taking those moments when things are fine and making them amazing, because those moments are what make us who we are, and they're the same moments we take into battle with us when our brains declare war on our very existence. It's the difference between ‘surviving life’ and ‘living life.’ It's the difference between ‘taking a shower’ and ‘teaching your monkey butler how to shampoo your hair.’ It's the difference between being ‘sane’ and being ‘furiously happy.’
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
Inspirational/Faith-Based Fiction
To Win Her Favor by Tamera Alexander, read by Melba Sibrel
A gifted rider in a world where ladies never race, Maggie Linden is determined that her horse will become a champion. But the one man who can help her has vowed to stay away from thoroughbred racing for good. An Irish-born son far from home, Cullen McGrath left a once prosperous life in England because of a horse racing scandal that nearly ruined him.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Literary Fiction & Classics
Little Big Man by Thomas Berger, read by Scott Sowers, David Aaron Baker, Henry Strozier
The story of Jack Crabbe, raised by both a white man and a Cheyenne chief. As a Cheyenne, Jack ate dog, had four wives and saw his people butchered by General Custer's soldiers. As a white man, he participated in the slaughter of the buffalo and tangled with Wyatt Earp. This novel was made into a movie starring Dustin Hoffman, back in 1970.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Middle Grade
Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan, read by Mark Bramhall, David de Vries, MacLeod Andrews, Rebecca Soler
Lost in the Black Forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and finds himself entwined in a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica--and decades later three children, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California, find themselves caught up in the same thread of destiny in the darkest days of the twentieth century, struggling to keep their families intact, and tied together by the music of the same harmonica. From a Children’s Novel.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
Multi-Voiced Performance
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff, read by Lincoln Hoppe, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Jonathan McClain, and a Full Cast
The planet Kerenza is attacked, and Kady and Ezra find themselves on a space fleet fleeing the enemy while their ship's artificial intelligence system and a deadly plague may be the end of them all. From a Young Adult Novel.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Mystery
Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith, read by Robert Glenister
When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman's severed leg. Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible, and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality. With the police focusing on one of the suspects, Strike and Robin delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
Narration by the Author or Authors
Born With Teeth by Kate Mulgrew, read by Kate Mulgrew
A star known for her strong female roles in Star Trek: Voyager and Orange Is the New Black offers a deeply moving account of the price and rewards of a passionate life.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Non-Fiction
Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America by Jill Leovy, Read by Rebecca Lowman
Jill Leovy, crime reporter for the LA Times, examines the hundreds of murders that occur in Los Angeles each year, and focuses on the story of the dedicated group of detectives who pursued justice at any cost.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Original Work
The Starling Project: An Audible Drama by Jeffery Deaver, read by Alfred Molina and a Full Cast
An aborted raid targeting a major arms dealer. A hostage standoff at a bank that may not be what it seems. A plot to spring a former African dictator from prison. What is the threat that connects them all? And just who is the mysterious mastermind, The Starling?
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
Romance
The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne, read by Derek Perkins
Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, is a ruthless villain. Scarred and hard-hearted, Dorian is one of Victorian London's wealthiest, most influential men, who will stop at nothing to wreak vengeance on those who've wronged him and will fight to the death to seize what he wants. The lovely, still innocent, widow Farah Leigh Mackenzie is no exception--and soon Dorian whisks the beautiful lass away to his sanctuary in the wild Highlands, but Farah is no one's puppet.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Science Fiction
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, read by Scott Brick
An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Creatures once extinct now roam Jurassic Park, soon to be opened as a theme park. But something goes wrong, and science proves a dangerous toy.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
Thriller/Suspense
The Patriot Threat by Steve Berry, read by Scott Brick
The 16th Amendment to the Constitution legalized federal income tax, but what if there were problems with the 1913 ratification of that amendment? Problems that call into question decades of tax collecting, and could even bring down the US economy. There is a surprising truth to this possibility - a truth wholly entertained by Steve Berry, a top-ten New York Times bestselling writer, in his new thriller The Patriot Threat. His protagonist Cotton Malone, once a member of an elite intelligence division within the Justice Department known as the Magellan Billet, is now retired. But when his former boss, Stephanie Nelle, asks him to track a rogue North Korean who may have acquired some top secret Treasury Department files - the kind that could bring the United States to its knees - Malone is vaulted into a harrowing twenty-four-hour chase that begins on the water in Venice and ends in the remote highlands of Croatia. With appearances by Franklin Roosevelt, Andrew Mellon, and a curious painting that still hangs in the National Gallery of Art, Steve Berry's trademark mix of history and suspense is 90% fact and 10% exciting speculation. A provocative thriller that poses a dangerous question. What if the federal income tax is illegal?"--Publisher.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
Young Adult
Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray, Read by January LaVoy
After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O'Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. Meanwhile, mysterious deaths have been turning up in the city, victims of an unknown sleeping sickness. Can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld and catch a killer?
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
Young Listeners
The Little Shop of Monsters by R.L. Stine & Marc Brown, read by Jack Black
The narrator of this children’s tale invites the reader to meet a vast array of pet monsters, such as the Yucky Mucky twins, and choose one to take home. Available in Playaway format only.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
This year’s winners include:
Audiobook of the YearThe Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, read by Clare Corbett, Louise Brealey, and India Fisher
A psychological thriller about a woman who becomes emotionally entangled in a murder investigation because of something she witnesses on her daily commute.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
Ghost Boy: The Miraculous Escape of a Misdiagnosed Boy Trapped Inside His Own Body by Martin Pistorius, read by Simon Bubb
January 1988. Martin Pistorius, aged twelve, fell inexplicably sick. First he lost his voice and stopped eating. Then he slept constantly and shunned human contact. Doctors were mystified. Within eighteen months he was mute and wheelchair-bound. Martin's parents were told an unknown degenerative disease left him with the mind of a baby and less than two years to live. Martin was moved to care centers for severely disabled children. The stress and heartache shook his parents' marriage and their family to the core. Their boy was gone. Or so they thought. Ghost Boy
the heart-wrenching story of one boy's return to life through the power of love and faith. In these pages, readers see a parent's resilience, the consequences of misdiagnosis, abuse at the hands of cruel caretakers, and the unthinkable duration of Martin's mental alertness betrayed by his lifeless body. We also see a life reclaimed, a business created, and a new love kindled.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Wild Rover No More: Being the Last Recorded Account of the Life & Times of Jacky Faber by L. A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren
In 1809, just when it looks like Jacky Faber and her beloved Jaimy will finally find their romance, Jacky is accused of treason and must flee Boston while her friends attempt to clear her name. Of course that means wild adventures for our fun-loving heroine, who manages to secure a job as a governess--and run away with the circus.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
The English Spy by Daniel Silva, read by George Guidall
Following the success of his smash hit "The Heist," Daniel Silva returns with another blockbuster - a powerhouse novel that showcases his outstanding skill and brilliant imagination, and is sure to be a must-read for both his multitudes of fans and growing legions of converts.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
Wake Up Happy: The Dream Big, Win Big Guide to Transforming Your Life by Michael Strahan & Veronica Chambers, read by Michael Strahan
Michael Strahan distills the wisdom he's gleaned from: his childhood years in Europe where he grew up as the youngest child in a tight-knit community on a military base; his time with the NFL, where his sheer discipline and willpower made him a Hall-of-Fame, legendary football player; and his broadcast career, which puts him contact with the heartland of America every morning.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Excellence in Design
Based on the bestselling, award-winning graphic novel series Locke & Key - written by acclaimed suspense novelist Joe Hill (NOS4A2, Horns) and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez - this multicast, fully-dramatized audio production brings the images and words to life. A brutal and tragic event drives the Locke family from their home in California to the relative safety of their ancestral estate in Lovecraft, Massachusetts - an old house with powerful keys and fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them. As siblings Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode Locke discover the secrets of the old house, they also find that it is home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all... Featuring performances by Haley Joel Osment (Entourage, The Sixth Sense), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Kate Mulgrew (Orange Is the New Black, Star Trek: Voyager), Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez, and Stephen King (The Stand, 11-22-63), as well as a cast of more than 50 voice actors, this audio production preserves the heart-stopping impact of the graphic novel's astounding artwork through the use of richly imagined sound design and a powerful original score.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, read by Polly Stone
Vianne and Isabelle have always been close despite their differences. Younger, bolder sister Isabelle lives in Paris while Vianne lives a quiet and content life in the French countryside with her husband Antoine and their daughter. When World War II strikes and Antoine is sent off to fight, Vianne and Isabelle's father sends Isabelle to help her older sister cope. As the war progresses, it is not only the sisters' relationship that is tested, but also their strength and their individual sense of right and wrong. With life as they know it changing in unbelievably horrific ways, Vianne and Isabelle will find themselves facing frightening situations and responding in ways they never thought possible as bravery and resistance take different forms in each of their actions.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts by Andrew Chaklin, read by Bronson Pinchot
Image 8 (Left with text wrapped)
A celebration of the first moon landing in July 1969 offers an accessible history of the Apollo space program from its less-than-auspicious beginnings, through its greatest triumphs, to its untimely end. Based on in-depth interviews with twenty-three of the moon voyagers.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book about Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson, read by Jenny Lawson
In Furiously Happy, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lawson explores her lifelong battle with mental illness. A hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety? That sounds like a terrible idea. But terrible ideas are what Jenny does best. Furiously Happy is about "taking those moments when things are fine and making them amazing, because those moments are what make us who we are, and they're the same moments we take into battle with us when our brains declare war on our very existence. It's the difference between ‘surviving life’ and ‘living life.’ It's the difference between ‘taking a shower’ and ‘teaching your monkey butler how to shampoo your hair.’ It's the difference between being ‘sane’ and being ‘furiously happy.’
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
To Win Her Favor by Tamera Alexander, read by Melba Sibrel
A gifted rider in a world where ladies never race, Maggie Linden is determined that her horse will become a champion. But the one man who can help her has vowed to stay away from thoroughbred racing for good. An Irish-born son far from home, Cullen McGrath left a once prosperous life in England because of a horse racing scandal that nearly ruined him.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Little Big Man by Thomas Berger, read by Scott Sowers, David Aaron Baker, Henry Strozier
The story of Jack Crabbe, raised by both a white man and a Cheyenne chief. As a Cheyenne, Jack ate dog, had four wives and saw his people butchered by General Custer's soldiers. As a white man, he participated in the slaughter of the buffalo and tangled with Wyatt Earp. This novel was made into a movie starring Dustin Hoffman, back in 1970.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan, read by Mark Bramhall, David de Vries, MacLeod Andrews, Rebecca Soler
Lost in the Black Forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and finds himself entwined in a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica--and decades later three children, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California, find themselves caught up in the same thread of destiny in the darkest days of the twentieth century, struggling to keep their families intact, and tied together by the music of the same harmonica. From a Children’s Novel.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff, read by Lincoln Hoppe, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Jonathan McClain, and a Full Cast
The planet Kerenza is attacked, and Kady and Ezra find themselves on a space fleet fleeing the enemy while their ship's artificial intelligence system and a deadly plague may be the end of them all. From a Young Adult Novel.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith, read by Robert Glenister
When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman's severed leg. Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible, and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality. With the police focusing on one of the suspects, Strike and Robin delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
Born With Teeth by Kate Mulgrew, read by Kate Mulgrew
A star known for her strong female roles in Star Trek: Voyager and Orange Is the New Black offers a deeply moving account of the price and rewards of a passionate life.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America by Jill Leovy, Read by Rebecca Lowman
Jill Leovy, crime reporter for the LA Times, examines the hundreds of murders that occur in Los Angeles each year, and focuses on the story of the dedicated group of detectives who pursued justice at any cost.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
The Starling Project: An Audible Drama by Jeffery Deaver, read by Alfred Molina and a Full Cast
An aborted raid targeting a major arms dealer. A hostage standoff at a bank that may not be what it seems. A plot to spring a former African dictator from prison. What is the threat that connects them all? And just who is the mysterious mastermind, The Starling?
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne, read by Derek Perkins
Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, is a ruthless villain. Scarred and hard-hearted, Dorian is one of Victorian London's wealthiest, most influential men, who will stop at nothing to wreak vengeance on those who've wronged him and will fight to the death to seize what he wants. The lovely, still innocent, widow Farah Leigh Mackenzie is no exception--and soon Dorian whisks the beautiful lass away to his sanctuary in the wild Highlands, but Farah is no one's puppet.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, read by Scott Brick
An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Creatures once extinct now roam Jurassic Park, soon to be opened as a theme park. But something goes wrong, and science proves a dangerous toy.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
The Patriot Threat by Steve Berry, read by Scott Brick
The 16th Amendment to the Constitution legalized federal income tax, but what if there were problems with the 1913 ratification of that amendment? Problems that call into question decades of tax collecting, and could even bring down the US economy. There is a surprising truth to this possibility - a truth wholly entertained by Steve Berry, a top-ten New York Times bestselling writer, in his new thriller The Patriot Threat. His protagonist Cotton Malone, once a member of an elite intelligence division within the Justice Department known as the Magellan Billet, is now retired. But when his former boss, Stephanie Nelle, asks him to track a rogue North Korean who may have acquired some top secret Treasury Department files - the kind that could bring the United States to its knees - Malone is vaulted into a harrowing twenty-four-hour chase that begins on the water in Venice and ends in the remote highlands of Croatia. With appearances by Franklin Roosevelt, Andrew Mellon, and a curious painting that still hangs in the National Gallery of Art, Steve Berry's trademark mix of history and suspense is 90% fact and 10% exciting speculation. A provocative thriller that poses a dangerous question. What if the federal income tax is illegal?"--Publisher.
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray, Read by January LaVoy
After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O'Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. Meanwhile, mysterious deaths have been turning up in the city, victims of an unknown sleeping sickness. Can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld and catch a killer?
Link to BCD Books on CD version.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
The Little Shop of Monsters by R.L. Stine & Marc Brown, read by Jack Black
The narrator of this children’s tale invites the reader to meet a vast array of pet monsters, such as the Yucky Mucky twins, and choose one to take home. Available in Playaway format only.
Link to PAD Playaway version.
-Larry McNamara
Rich post. Thanks for the wonderful suggestions of what to listen to next.
ReplyDelete