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Did you know that May is Short Story Month? And what better way to enjoy it than having the king of horror himself, Stephen King, release a new anthology of dark and disturbing tales. You Like It Darker features 12 short stories, some new and some fan favorites, just in time to add frightful flair to my list of short stories to binge this month. As a longstanding fan of Stephen King, I was really excited to catch the mentions of popular characters like Cujo and well-established multiverse locations like Castle Rock and Derry, Maine. You Like It Darker is one of King’s longer anthologies, so take your time. You have the whole month of May to finish! —Nicole R.
Giving new meaning to “theater for the mind”
While I haven't had the privilege of seeing it performed, I'd venture to say that the brilliance of David Henry Hwang's Obie-winning and Pulitzer-nominated play Yellow Face is elevated by the removal of the visuals. In this acerbically funny semi-autobiographical comedy we hear but don't see the character of the playwright wrestle his way through the shifting motivations of an entertainment landscape that seems to constantly rewrite the expectations of Asians in American culture. The inspired casting of Daniel Dae Kim, Jason Biggs, Benedict Wong, Wendell Pierce, and Ashley Park delivers an immersive space for personal reckoning, leaving the listener to grapple with their own internal assumptions that exist in their minds' eyes about race, color, and the complexities of living in America and in a body you can't change. —Emily C.
Working her desk job may not have been Jolene’s dream, but now, caught in an HR debacle that has granted her access to all the nasty emails her colleagues have been writing about her, she is living a true corporate nightmare. And, as you can imagine, I Hope This Finds You Well found me with a satisfied smirk on my face because listening to petty (yet presumably private) grievances unfold among coworkers is always entertaining. In addition to offering hours of juicy gossip (that I couldn’t wait to share with my fellow editors in our own office space), Natalie Sue’s debut moved me with its unapologetically honest look at how human nature clashes with corporate culture. —Haley H.
The wild (queer) history of the American West
Hosted by Niecy Nash-Betts, this Audible Original podcast dives into the history of the Wild West and the LGBTQIA+ folks who have helped shape its culture. Having recently moved westward myself, I was particularly excited to learn more about the history and figures of my new home. From the gay Cherokee playwright behind Oklahoma! to the West’s history of gender nonconformity and two-spirit identities to the historical significance of gay rodeos and the queering of country music, it’s clear that there’s a lot of LGBTQIA+ history to celebrate. Whether you’re into the culture and iconography of the West, looking for more queer rep, or just into history in general, don’t wait for the dust to settle to give Queer West a listen. —Michael C.
I’ve been on a rom-com kick this year (every year?), but no matter what my listening mood, Christina Lauren is always an auto-download for me. This time, the best friend writing duo takes us to a private resort in Indonesia, where the setting serves as a luxurious backdrop to a fake-relationship plot, layered with complex family dynamics, corporate greed, and artistic ambitions. The love story is, of course, swoon-worthy, but I really appreciated our heroine Anna’s journey to trusting both her own voice and talents. Patti Murin and Jon Root perform their third CLo collaboration, giving voice to Anna and Liam in a dual POV, and I’m already hoping the whole gang reunites on a sequel featuring some of the other characters. I recently got to interview the authors, and their passion reinforced both my love of them and of the genre. There is something so special about HEAs and the authors that get us there. —Katie O.
Mark Sullivan has a knack for discovering the kind of stories that need to be brought into the light. He’s inspired by real-life people who have survived and thrived after enduring the worst of humanity—people who go on to serve as examples of the best of humanity. Anthony Opoka and Florence Okori are two profoundly good people striving for light in unimaginable darkness. While just teenagers, they are abducted and forced to become child soldiers for Joseph Kony’s cult-like regime in 1990s Uganda. With vivid detail, Sullivan tells the story of their capture, life under Kony, and their miraculous escape. Junior Nyong'o, an actor, musician, and DJ from Kenya, is a “new-to-me” narrator, and is perfectly cast to give voice to Anthony and Florence. All the Glimmering Stars is a love story at its core—and a call to action for us all to demand the end of using children in armed conflict anywhere in the world. —Tricia F.
A thrilling story transformed!
Michael Connelly’s 2012 short story “The Safe Man” is now a fast-paced, celebrity-performed audio drama, starring Jack Quaid and Titus Welliver. Hired to crack open an old safe in the home of a horror author, Brian Holloway realizes he may be releasing a lot more than hidden secrets or money. When paranormal events start to happen, he must hunt down exactly what was lying dormant within the safe. Whether this is your first or second time listening, experience “The Safe Man” like you’ve never experienced it before with fun sound design that intensifies the story as it plays out. —Nicole R.
When the journey is the destination
In classic David Nicholls style, his new sure-to-be-bestseller deftly builds rich character and connection through conversation, an approach that's absolutely perfect for audio. Performed in alternating-ish chapters by the amazing Lydia Leonard and Lee Ingleby, You Are Here provides the listener a real fly-on-the-wall effect (or perhaps in this case, fly-on-the-rucksack). What differentiates this one from some of Nicholls's other hits, and especially One Day, is the vivid, reeling moment of midlife loneliness that the two protagonists, Marnie and Michael, find themselves mired in—a state remarkably relatable to anyone of a certain age, even the most touched out, partnered parent. Organized by geography, the stretch of land ahead paves the way for the mental meanderings that come with walking. You come to know—and care for—these characters deeply, and I daresay you'll be as sorry as I was when these two finally reach their destination. —Emily C.
The idea of an afterlife has long been the domain of either religion or the New Agey, crystal-collecting corners of culture. I subscribe to neither, but as a human who is going to die someday, I’m naturally curious about what that will entail. And the mere pinprick of a possibility that it’s not a sheer cliff drop into nothingness is a comfort. So I was excited to see a writer of Sebastian Junger’s caliber take this question on in the wake of his own near-death experience, in which he was visited by his dead father. As a war reporter, Junger has danced around mortality his whole career, but this, he says, was the first time he confronted death on its terms. That he narrates this highly personal and profound story himself makes it all the more engrossing. Dipping between memoir, biology, history, and, yes, quantum physics, it didn’t give me any definitive answers on where my soul is headed—but it sure enriched it. —Phoebe N.
Maybe This Time is a charming rom-com that has left me in awe of Cara Bastone’s talent in combining humor and romance with a dash of whimsy to give us a story that I fall in love with every single time. When a solar flare causes a high school English teacher, June, to fall through a wormhole, she lands 85 years in the future with no idea how to get home. When her cell phone picks up a signal, she is able to call back to the present, only to find out that her arch nemesis, gym teacher Mikey Shannon, is on the other line. As future June and Mikey work together to prevent present June from falling into the wormhole, their friendship and chemistry becomes more and more palpable, and both begin to wonder what succeeding in the present will mean for their future. Zoë Chao and Noah Reid’s performances were perfection, and were only further enhanced by the full cast, leaving me so captivated that I pressed play again once the listen was over. —Patty R.
I’ve been anticipating playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker, and author LaDarrion Williams’s first novel for months. This fantasy series opener takes us on a journey following teenager Malik, who is searching for his true identity while reconciling with his past, which includes a magical lineage. In Blood at the Root, Black characters take center stage in a genre that has room to grow in terms of representation and inclusion, which is very exciting to me. I can’t wait to discover the magical HBCU his mother attended, meet all of the characters he encounters, and get lost in what is sure to be one of my favorite listens of the summer. —Kelley S.
A romantic summer listen with a charming setting
Carley Fortune writes a vacation romance like no other. In This Summer Will Be Different, she transports us to Prince Edward Island, the beautiful backdrop to a forbidden love story between Lucy and Felix, her best friend’s brother. AJ Bridel’s tender performance perfectly complements this heartfelt story. Alternating between present day and flashbacks to the summers the couple clandestinely spent together beneath the soaring red cliffs and golden sun of PEI, we become deeply invested not only in their sexy romance, but also the special relationship Lucy has with her friend Bridget. I listened to this story while on vacation and nearly devoured it in one sitting. I can’t recommend this one enough for your next trip to the beach, the pool, or even the grocery store, for a truly satisfying escape. —Margaret H.
Is your calendar overloaded? Are you the first to volunteer (even when you don’t really have the time or interest)? Do you find yourself saying “yes” or “sure” to every request (and cringing a little each time)? This next pick is for you. Viral life coach Hailey Magee helps listeners identify the patterns that hold them back from addressing their own needs, and adopt a new approach to letting go of what doesn’t serve them. Through a refreshing approach that utilizes psychology and hands-on coaching exercises, listeners will learn how to make time for themselves, discover pleasure, and put an end to prioritizing others’ needs over their own. Stop People Pleasing is for anyone who wants to learn how to set boundaries and stop harmful codependent behaviors from holding them back. —Rachael X.
A Russian classic whose moment is now
In a parallel version of May, where my listening life as an Audible Editor is uninterrupted by a stream of buzzy new releases, I’m spending the month with the bicentennial edition of The Brothers Karamazov, one of the great works of world literature and one of a tiny handful of books I personally call “life-changing.” Twenty-odd years ago I named my dog after one of the sons in Dostoevsky’s final, exquisite masterpiece (Mitya, whose name felt cutest for a canine, though Alyosha and Vanya stole my heart in the novel). But to finally immerse myself in it again is a milestone and a gift, especially in the now-definitive Pevear/Volokhonsky translation, sublimely read by actor Ben Miles (The Crown). And so perhaps I don’t need the permission of an imaginary scenario to experience it. Life is short, the distractions unending. My future self will thank me for making time, and I’m willing to bet yours will too. —Kat J.
