Narrated

Whether it’s a wardrobe, a tornado, or the second star to the right; portal fantasies have long allowed protagonists and reader to escape to and explore new worlds. Lisa and Scott discuss a range of portal fantasies and the common themes that immerse us in their stories. References: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland [Audible Plus] The Wonderful Wizard of Oz [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible Plus] Peter Pan [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible Plus] The Chronicles of Narnia [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] The Phantom Tollbooth [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] / [Episode 53] Tales of Magic (Series) by Edward Eager Howl’s Moving Castle [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Wrinkle in Time [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Wayward Children (Series): Lost in the Moment and Found [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Haroun and the Sea of Stories [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Coraline [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Akata Witch [Libro.fm

Age of Vice is a thriller, written by Deepti Kapoor and narrated by Vidish Athavale, that follows different POVs surrounding a late night accident and a powerful family. Thank you to Libro.fm ALC Program and Penguin Random House Audio for providing a review copy of Age of Vice for this episode Review & discussion with Shachi, Lisa, and Scott. Age of Vice [Libro.fm]   The Green Bone Saga (Series): Jade City [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible]

Whether you are trying audiobooks for the first time, or looking to change how you currently listen, we discussed some of our top audiobook listening tips and explored the many listening options available to audiobook listeners. Review & discussion with Shachi, Mark, Lisa, and Scott. Audiobook Services Referenced: * Overdrive * Libby * Hoopla * Libro.fm [Episode 49] * Audible * Scribd [Episode 31] * Chirp [Episode 60] * LibriVox * Spotify * Speechify * Kobo [Episode 41] * Audiobooks.com [Episode 56] * Downpour * Overcast Other References: Kate Reading & Michael Kramer  [Episode 87] Boston Public Library  [Episode 47] Book Rack  [Episode 129] Stellarlune  [Episode 183] State of Sanderson 2022

As 2023 begins, we took a look at some of the audiobooks we are looking forward to in the new year. Discussion with Shachi, Lisa & Scott. Round 1: Shachi: Age of Vice (Written by: Deepti Kapoor / Narrated by: Vidish Athavale): January 3, 2023 [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Lisa: The Deep Sky (Written by: Yume Kitasei / Narrated by: TBA): July 18, 2023 [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Scott: Brandon Sanderson’s Secret Projects (Written by: Brandon Sanderson / Narrated by: Michael Kramer & TBA): January 1; March 1; June 1; and Sep 1, 2023 Round 2: Shachi: Victory City (Written by: Salman Rushdie / Narrated by: Sid Sagar): February 7, 2023 [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Lisa: The Terraformers (Written by: Annalee Newitz / Narrated by: Emily Lawrence): January 31, 2023 [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Scott: The Mimicking of Known Successes (Written by: Malka Older / Narrated by: TBA): March 7, 2023 [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Round 3: Shachi:

As 2022 comes to a close, we (Shachi, Lisa, and Scott) take a look back at some of our favorite audiobooks from 2022. Round 1: Shachi: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow [Libro.fm] / [Episode 164] Lisa: The Ballad of Perilouis Graves [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Scott: Legends and Lattes [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] / [Episode 150] Round 2: Shachi: Trust [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Lisa: Dead Collections [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Scott: The Mountain in the Sea [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] / [Episode 172]  Round 3: Shachi: The Book of Goose [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Lisa: Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Scott: Ogres [Audible] / [Episode 170] Additional Picks: Shachi: My Government Means to Kill Me; The Colony; The Last White Man; Recitatif Lisa: Bloodmarked; mulberry down!!; Babel; Kaiju Preservation Society; Mistborn (series); The

Stellerlune, written by Shannon Messenger and narrated by Caitlin Kelly, is the latest installment in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. Lisa & Mark are joined by middle grade readers Colin and Ren to discuss the beloved series (including some spoilers). Stellerlune [Audible] What If? 2 [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] /  [Episode 175]  Wonder [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] /  [Episode 2]  Exploring Narrators[Episode 142]

Tread of Angels is a stand alone murder mystery novella, written by Rebecca Roanhorse and narrated by Dion Graham, that explores the mining town of Goetia and its Elect and Fallen residents. Review & discussion with Lisa and Scott. Tread of Angels [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Even Though I Knew the End [Libro.fm] /  [Episode 180] The Sixth World (series) [Audible] Between Earth and Sky (series): Black Sun [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] / [Episode 82] The Nineties [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] / [Episode 162] Concrete Rose [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] / [Episode 98] No Gods, No Monsters [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible]

The Lost Metal, written by Brandon Sanderson and narrated by Michael Kramer concludes Era 2 of The Mistborn Saga and promises much more to come in future eras of the series and in the broader Cosmere. Review & discussion with Lisa and Scott. The Lost Metal [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible]   The Mistborn Saga (Series): The Final Empire [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Stormlight Archive (Series): The Way of Kings [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Narrators Kate Reading & Michael Kramer [Episode 87] A Half-Built Garden [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible]

Even Though I Knew the End, written by C.L. Polk and narrated by January LaVoy follows a magical detective lured into one last case set in a magical 1940s Chicago with noir vibes. Thank you to Libro.fm ALC Program and Recorded Books for providing a review copy of Even Though I Knew the End for this episode Review & discussion with Lisa and Scott. Even Though I Knew the End [Libro.fm] Exploring Narrators[Episode 142] The Cemeteries of Amalo (Series): The Witness for the Dead [Libro.fm] /  [Episode 116] Murder and Magic (Series): The Conductors [Libro.fm] /  [Episode 95]

My First Popsicle: An Anthology of Food and Feelings, edited by Zosia Mamet and narrated by A Full Cast, explores the varied emotions, memories, and connections that we each have with food. Thank you to Libro.fm ALC Program and Penguin Random House Audio for providing a review copy of My First Popsicle for this episode Review & discussion with Shachi, Lisa and Scott. My First Popsicle [Libro.fm] Libro.fm Holiday Audiobook Credit Bundles Other Referenced Works: Channel Kindness: Stories of Kindness and Community [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Episode 86] The Korean Vegan Cookbook [Libro.fm] In the Kitchen: Essays on Food and Life [StoryGraph]

The World We Make, is the engaging conclusion to The Great Cities duology, written by N.K. Jemisin and narrated by Robin Miles. Review & discussion with Lisa and Scott. The World We Make [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive] / [Audible] The City We Became [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible]   The Broken Earth (Series): The Fifth Season [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Ring Shout [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible]   Siren Queen [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] / [Episode 153]

From Martian invaders, to signals from space, and ancient alien spaceships; first contact between humans and extraterrestrial life is a key element in many science fiction favorites. Lisa and Scott discuss some of these stories and what these stories may show us about how we recognize sentience, how we interact with other species, and what that interaction can tell us about humanity.   References: War of the Worlds [Libro.fm - John Banks] / [Overdrive/Libby - Simon Vance] / [Audible - Simon Vance] War of the Worlds (Radio) [Overdrive/Libby] Childhood’s End [Audible] Xenogenesis (Series): Dawn [Audible] The Wordwood Trilogy (Series): Rosewater [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Lagoon [Audible] Speaker for the Dead [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Stories of Your Life and Others [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Arrival (2016) [IMDb] Axiom’s End [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] A Half-Built Garden [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Space Opera [Libro.fm] / [Overd

The Spare Man, written and narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal, is an enjoyable and entertaining murder mystery set aboard a space cruise liner on its way to Mars. Review & discussion with Lisa and Scott. The Spare Man [Audible]   The Lady Astronaut Universe (Series) [Audible] / [Episode 73: The Relentless Moon with Mary Robinette Kowal]  Station Eternity [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive] / [Audible] The Mimicking of Known Successes [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive] / [Audible] Six Wakes [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive] / [Audible] The Aleph Extraction [Audible] / [Episode 70] Far from the Light of Heaven [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive] / [Audible]

What If? 2, written by Randall Munroe and narrated by Wil Wheaton, explores scientific answers to increasingly absurd questions. Review & Discussion featuring Raven and Nate with Lisa, Mark, and Scott. What If? 2 [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive] / [Audible]   What If? [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive] / [Audible]   How To [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive] / [Audible] / [Episode 48] Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words [The Book Rack] / [OverDrive]   The Book Rack [Website] / [Episode 129] Ready Player Two [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] / [Episode 84] Still Just A Geek: An Annotated Memoir [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible]  The Kaiju Preservation Society [Audible] / [Episode 144] Timelines of Everything [The Book Rack] / [OverDrive]  

The Golden Enclaves is the third installment in The Scholomance trilogy, written by Naomi Novik and narrated by Anisha Dadia. Review & discussion with Lisa, Mark, and Scott. The Golden Enclaves [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] A Deadly Education [Overdrive/Libby]  / [Audible] / [Libro.fm] / [Episode 90] The Last Graduate [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] / [Episode 125] ”The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” [Overdrive/Libby] Babel [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] / [Episode 169] The Mountain in the Sea [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] / [Episode 172]  Ogres  [Audible] / [Episode 170] Gideon the Ninth [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible]   Stardust [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] / [Episode 6] The Magicians [Netflix ] Wednesday [Netflix ]

The Nova Incident is the latest installment in the Galactic Cold War written by Dan Moren and narrated by Victor Bevine. Review & discussion with Mark & Scott. The Nova Incident [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible]   The Caledonian Gambit  [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] The Bayern Agenda [Audible] / [Episode 34] The Aleph Extraction [Audible] / [Episode 70] Other Referenced Works: The Vorkosigan Saga (Series) [Overdrive/Libby] / [Libro.fm] / [Audible]

The Mountain in the Sea, written by Ray Nayler and narrated by Eunice Wong, is an engaging story of contact with an intelligent octopus species that balances thrills and reflections on consciousness. Review & discussion with Lisa & Scott. The Mountain in the Sea [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible]   Other Referenced Works: A Psalm for the Wild-Built  [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Arrival [IMDb] Stories of Your Life and Others  [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] The Galaxy, and the Ground Within with Author Becky Chambers [Episode 97] Children of Time [Audible] When the Sparrow Falls  [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Babel [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] ”Proof by Induction” [Uncanny Magazine]

Nona the Ninth is the latest installment in The Locked Tomb series, written by Tamsyn Muir and narrated by Moira Quirk Review & discussion with Lisa & Scott. Nona the Ninth [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Additional Time Travel References: Predestination [IMDb] Lightning [Audible] The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O [Overdrive/Libby] Time Cat [Overdrive/Libby] Dark [Netflix ] Other Referenced Works: Gideon the Ninth [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible]   Harrow the Ninth [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible]   The Kingston Cycle (Series): Stormsong [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Bluebird [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible]

This time we discussed two recent novellas: Travel By Bullet, written by John Scalzi and narrated by Zachary Quinto and Ogres, written by Adrian Tchaikovsky and narrated by Emma Newman Review & discussion with Lisa & Scott. Travel By Bullet [Audible] The Dispatcher (series) [Audible] /  [Kindle] The Last Emperox with Author John Scalzi [Episode 66] The Kaiju Preservation Society [Audible] / [Episode 144] Lock In (series) [Audible] Ogres  [Audible] Elder Race [Overdrive/Libby] (Not available as an audiobook) The Past is Red [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] / [Episode 117]

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of The Oxford Translators' Revolution, written by R. F. Kuang and narrated by Chris Lew Kum Hoi & Billie Fulford-Brown is a superbly crafted historical fantasy novel centered around the power of language in an alternate 1800s Oxford. Review & discussion with Lisa & Scott. Babel [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] 2022 Hugo Awards: Results Narrated 2022 Hugo Episodes: 139: 2022 Hugo Nominations 152: 2022 Hugo Finalists - Best Novella 158: 2022 Hugo Finalists - Best Novel 159: 2022 Hugo Finalists - Best Series 163: 2022 Lodestar Finalists   Other Referenced Works: A Psalm for the Wild-Built [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] / [Ep 113] Hugos There Podcast Black Water Sister [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Perhaps the Stars [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] / [Ep 134]   Hugo, Girl! The Kingston Cycle (Series): Witchmark [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] A Master of Djinn [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libb