Though the memoir genre is always strong, numerous publishers are clearly hoping that memoirs and biographies of music icons will hit all the right notes with listeners this fall. There are no fewer than 10 titles featuring such legendary artists as Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Pete Townshend, and Willie Nelson sharing their artistry and life stories. Neil Peart, the drummer for rock band Rush, has written a novel based on his lyrics, and there’s an inside look at cable network MTV, too, which tackles another side of the music business.
There is an autumn bounty of fiction debuts for adults as well as younger readers, with a bent toward literary tales. The newcomers are joined by several highly anticipated titles from prolific authors: Michael Chabon, J.K. Rowling, Alice Munro, Zadie Smith. Fantasy-adventure—including forays into dystopian worlds, time travel, and paranormal phenomenon—is still prevalent among the children’s and young adult titles, and has inspired the launch of several new series starring dragons, angels, and souls adrift.
We’re sure that audiophiles will find plenty of comfort listening to their favorite authors in the perennially popular categories—mystery, thriller, sci-fi, romance. It’s all here for the taking—and giving—as the holiday season is just a few calendar pages away.
FICTION
Gold by Chris Cleave, read by Emilia Fox. The story of friends and rivals Zoe and Kate, world-class athletes competing against each other—and their own physical and emotional limits—in the London 2012 Olympics. (Simon & Schuster Audio, July)
Juliet in August by Dianne Warren, read by Cassandra Campbell. A look at the drama below the surface of the lives of inhabitants of a sleepy prairie town. Award-winning narrator Campbell has voiced more than 200 audiobooks. (Tantor Audio, July)
The Opal Desert by Di Morrissey, read by Kate Hood. An unlikely friendship is set in the opal fields of Australia. (Bolinda Audio, July)
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, read by Jim Broadbent. Harold Fry walks 600 miles to a hospice so he can say good-bye to a long-lost love in this debut novel. (Random House Audio, July)
Macbeth by William Shakespeare, interpreted and performed by Alan Cumming. The actor delivers a one-man presentation of the play as he performed it in limited stage engagements with the National Theatre of Scotland in Glasgow and at New York’s Lincoln Center. (Simon & Schuster Audio, July)
Shine Shine Shine by Lydia Netzer, read by Joshilyn Jackson. The recording of this debut novel exploring love, death, and what it means to be human includes original music composed by the author. (Macmillan Audio, July)
Vlad by Carlos Fuentes, read by Robert Fass. Vlad the Impaler takes up residence—and feasts on some residents—in modern-day Mexico City. (Dreamscape Audio, July)
When in Doubt Add Butter by Beth Harbison, read by Olagh Cassidy. The tale of a personal chef’s search for true love contains a bonus interview between author and narrator. (Macmillan Audio, Aug.)
You Don’t Want to Know by Lisa Jackson, read by Christina Traister. A stand-alone novel in which a mother’s worst fear turns into a terrifying reality. (Brilliance Audio, Aug.)
Lionel Asbo by Martin Amis. Lionel, who legally changed his surname to Asbo (anti-social behavior order) wins over a million pounds in the National Lottery and becomes an even bigger menace to society, much to the chagrin of his humble nephew. (AudioGO, Aug.)
A Hundred Flowers by Gail Tsukiyama, read by Simon Vance. A novel about a family facing extraordinary times at the start of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. (Macmillan Audio, Aug.)
What the Nanny Saw by Fiona Neill, read by Alison Larkin. This often comical chronicle of the urban wealthy elite stars a young nanny thrown into a complicated role she does not know how to play. (Tantor Audio, Aug.)
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks, read by Matthew Brown. Imaginary Budo recounts his friendship with eight-year-old Max, whom he helps save from a misguided teacher. (Macmillan Audio, Aug.)
Silver: Return to Treasure Island by Andrew Motion, read by David Tennant. The Hispaniola, an inn on the Thames kept by Jim Hawkins and his son, is the starting point for the sequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic. (Dreamscape Audio, Aug.)
Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple, read by Kathleen Wilhoite. Semple’s darkly comic mystery kicks off when 15-year-old Bee’s mother disappears after becoming agoraphobic and allergic to all her roles in a busy Seattle life. (Hachette Audio, Aug., download only)
NW by Zadie Smith, read by Karen Bryson and Nathan Stewart-Jarret. Smith’s tragicomic novel peers into the lives of three friends who grew up in a housing project in northwest London and 30 years later live just a few streets apart, but in very different worlds. (Penguin Audio, Sept.)
Clockwork Angels by Kevin J. Anderson, read by Neil Peart. This collaborative novel is based on lyrics by drummer (and narrator) Neil Peart from power-rock group Rush’s latest album. (Brilliance Audio, Sept.)
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling. The first novel for adults by Harry Potter’s creator. (Hachette Audio, Sept.)
This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz, read by the author. Ten short stories about the heartbreak, passion, and joy of love. (Penguin Audio, Sept.)
The Malice of Fortune by Michael Ennis, read by Adrian Paul. Intrigue and murder in a novel of the Italian Renaissance, featuring Damiata, Machiavelli, and Leonardo da Vinci. (Random House Audio, Sept.)
Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon, read by Clarke Peters. Chabon’s epic story of the intertwined lives of two Oakland, Calif., families. (HarperAudio, Sept.)
Sutton by J.R. Moehringer. The author’s first novel, inspired by the life of America’s most successful—and beloved—bank robber, Willie Sutton. (Hyperion Audio, Sept.)
Breed by Scott Spencer as Chase Novak. Spencer’s first novel under this pseudonym is a horror story that takes place on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, starring a well-to-do couple desperate for a child. (Hachette Audio, Sept.)
Parade’s End by Ford Maddox Ford. An exploration of the English ruling class as it’s drawn into the chaos of WWI; tie-in to the five-part HBO miniseries. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Oct.)
This Book Is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don’t Touch It by David Wong. The sequel to the comic-horror cult hit John Dies at the End finds the bumbling protagonists investigating shape-shifting monsters. (Brilliance Audio, Oct.)
The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro. A young artist is drawn into intrigue surrounding the still-unsolved 1990 art heist at Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. (HighBridge Audio, Oct.)
Lawgiver by Herman Wouk. This epistolary novel centers on a group of people making a movie about Moses. The story emerges from all manner of modern communication, including letters, e-mails, news articles, Skype transcripts, tweets, and texts. (Simon & Schuster, Oct.)
The Hot Country by Robert Olen Butler. The first suspense novel, and first in a new series, by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author, set in Mexico just before WWI. (Mysterious Press-HighBridge Audio, Oct.)
Boneland by Alan Garner, read by Robert Powell. Garner completes the trilogy that he began with the children’s novel The Weirdstone of Brisingamen back in 1960 with this adult novel, featuring favorite characters all grown up. Actor Powell was handpicked by the author after Philip Madoc, who narrated the first two books, died earlier this year. (Naxos AudioBooks, Oct.)
The Viagra Diaries by Barbara Rose Brooker. Seventy-year-old Anny writes “The Viagra Diaries,” a weekly newspaper column about seniors seeking love. During some of her research she gets caught up in a torrid affair that provides grist for her work. The Viagra Diaries is being adapted into a series for HBO. (AudioGO, Oct.)
Does This Church Make Me Look Fat? by Rhoda Janzen, read by the author. From producer Amber Fairweather: “I grew up in the Mennonite church and this is the first time in my publishing career that I have ever worked with somebody with a similar background. Because of this, I connected to her material, but anyone else will, too—religious or not. In this memoir Janzen reads about her experience with breast cancer that occurred soon after she started a serious relationship and embarked on both a marriage and spiritual journey. We recorded in Grand Rapids, Mich., and I directed via phone patch in New York. The recording engineer brought his dog to the session, who calmly listened to Rhoda read. She was witty, funny, and I have to say I felt calm and uplifted after hearing her story.” (Hachette Audio, Oct.)
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver, read by the author. This suspenseful novel explores themes of catastrophe and denial. (HarperAudio, Nov.)
The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie, read by Simon Prebble. Actor-author Laurie personally chose Prebble to read his novel about a former Scots Guard–turned–hired gun who happens to be a nice guy. (HighBridge Audio, Nov.)
Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munro. A new collection of stories set in Munro’s familiar territory: the countryside and towns around Lake Huron. (Random House Audio, Nov.)
Other Notable Fiction
The Wurst Is Yet to Come: A Bed-and-Breakfast Mystery by Mary Daheim, read by Lindsay Ellison (Dreamscape Audio, July); Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner, read by Olivia Thirlby (Simon & Schuster Audio, July); The Roots of the Olive Tree by Courtney Miller Santo, read by Stephen Perring (HarperAudio, Aug., download only); The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant, read by Erik Steele (AudioGO, Aug.); Kingmaker’s Daughter by Philippa Gregory, read by Bianca Amato (Simon & Schuster Audio, Aug.); The Other Woman by Hank Phillipi Ryan (Macmillan Audio, Sept.); One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper, read by John Shea (Penguin Audio); The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom (Hyperion Audio, Sept.); The Cocktail Waitress by James Cain (HarperAudio, Sept.); Red Rain by R.L. Stine (Simon & Schuster Audio, Oct.); Astray by Emma Donoghue, read by Khris Hvam, Suzanne Toren, and others (Hachette Audio, Oct.); The Racketeer by John Grisham (Random House Audio, Oct.); The Black Box by Michael Connelly (Hachette Audio, Nov.); Safe House by Chris Ewan, read by Simon Vance (AudioGO, Dec.)
NONFICTION
Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard, read by Ann Marie Lee. This memoir is about falling in love, redefining success, and discovering what being at home truly means. (Tantor Audio, July)
Love Is the Cure by Elton John, read by the author. Superstar John’s super busy schedule required that Hachette bring the studio to him. A recent New York City visit found the producer, director, and engineer setting up a portable recording studio in a conference room at the St. Regis Hotel so that John could record his memoir. (Hachette Audio, July)
The Fish That Ate the Whale by Rich Cohen, read by Robertson Dean. The story of how colorful, driven immigrant Samuel Zemurray became a mogul after starting as a banana peddler and working to build the mighty United Fruit Company. (Dreamscape Audio, July)
Confessions of a Scary Mommy: An Irreverent Look at Motherhood—the Good, the Bad, and the Scary by Jill Smokler, read by the author. Smokler has crafted essays from her popular blog (scarymommy.com) into a book and audiobook. (Brilliance Audio, Aug.)
Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child by Bob Spitz, read by Kimberly Farr. The biography of one of the food world’s most beloved icons. (Random House Audio, Aug.)
January First by Michael Schofield, read by Patrick Lawlor. An account of a father’s fight to save his child from an extreme case of mental illness. (Tantor Audio, Aug.)
Paterno by Joe Posnanski. The biography of the legendary Penn State football coach by a writer who spent the last two years of Paterno’s life with him, as scandal broke and illness encroached. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Aug.)
Scott & Amundsen: The Race to the South Pole by Roland Huntford, read by Tim Pigott-Smith. A dual biography that chronicles these explorers’ 1911–1912 expeditions; includes an interview with the author. (CSA Word, Aug.)
Three Famines by Thomas Keneally, read by Peter Byrne. Keneally lays bare the tragic cost of famine at the level of the individual who starves and the nation that withers. (Bolinda Audio, Sept.)
The Art of Procrastination by John Perry. The author and cohost of public radio program Philosophy Talk based this book on the essay for which he won the parodic Ig Nobel Prize in Literature. (HighBridge Audio, Sept.)
The Voice Is All: The Lonely Victory of Jack Kerouac by Joyce Johnson. This portrait of Kerouac as a young artist was penned by a former girlfriend, author of the memoir Minor Characters. (Tantor Audio, Sept.)
Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth, read by Nicola Barber. Worth shares stories of her life as an apprentice midwife in the East End slums of 1950s London. The BBC adaptation will air as a miniseries on PBS in September. (HighBridge Audio, Sept.)
Hidden America by Jeanne Laskas, read by Jamie Heinlein. The stories behind the people who truly make America work—coal miners, truckers, migrant laborers, air traffic controllers—the people that most Americans barely notice. (Penguin Audio, Sept.)
Argo by Antonio Mendez and Matt Baglio, read by Dylan Baker. The authors chronicle the true story of how Hollywood and the CIA teamed up to perform an audacious rescue involving six Americans who secretly escaped the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. (Penguin Audio, Sept.)
I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution by Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum. A look at the first decade—the all-video golden era—of the cable network. (Brilliance Audio, Oct.)
Who I Am by Peter Townshend, read by the author. A memoir from the Who’s guitarist and accomplished singer-songwriter. (HarperAudio, Oct.)
In Search of Cleo: How I Found My Pussy and Lost My Mind by Gina Gershon, read by the author. Film and TV actress—and self-professed cat lady—Gershon tells of the quirky characters she met during an intensive two-month search all over L.A. for her assistant’s beloved cat. (AudioGO, Oct.)
The Law of Superheroes by James Daily and Ryan Davidson. The attorney team behind LawandtheMultiverse.com shares a comedic exploration of the hypothetical legal ramifications of comic book tropes, characters, and powers—e.g., could Superman sue if someone exposed his identity as Clark Kent? (Brilliance Audio, Oct.)
Luck or Something Like It by Kenny Rogers. The country music legend shares stories of his rise to stardom. (HarperAudio, Oct.)
That Is All by John Hodgman, read by the author and a celebrity cast. The Resident Expert from Comedy Central’s Daily Show delivers the finale to his Complete World Knowledge trilogy. (Penguin Audio, Oct.)
Makers: The New Industrial Revolution by Chris Anderson. An exploration of how manufacturing has changed in the time of economic crisis, and what the picture will look like for the next 10 years. (Random House Audio, Oct.)
Beautiful by Katie Piper, read by Emilia Fox. Piper’s account of being brutally attacked by a man she met online, and her journey to recovery. (Bolinda Audio, Oct.)
In the Pleasure Groove: Love, Death and Duran Duran by John Taylor, read by the author. A memoir from the bassist and cofounder of the British band that became a pop phenomenon in the 1980s. (Penguin Audio, Oct.)
Paul and Jesus: How the Apostle Transformed Christianity by James Tabor. The story of how Paul broke with Jesus’ followers to spread his own message, which became Christianity as it is known today. (Tantor Audio, Nov.)
The Deepest Acceptance: Radical Awakening in Ordinary Life by Jeff Foster. Six lessons from an up-and-coming teacher focus on abiding peace, presence, and “just OK-ness.” (Sounds True Audio, Nov.)
Bruce by Peter Ames Carlin. Music critic Carlin delves into the life and long-running career of singer/songwriter Bruce Springsteen. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Nov., download only)
Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter by Melissa Francis. A former child actress and current Fox Business Network anchor, Francis delivers a candid behind-the-scenes memoir. (Brilliance Audio, Nov.)
The Dude and the Zen Master by Jeff Bridges and Bernie Glassman, read by the authors. The inspiring, amusing dialogue between the Oscar-winning actor and his longtime spiritual guru. (Penguin Audio, Nov.)
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham. Drawing on archives in the U.S., the U.K., and France, as well as unpublished Jefferson papers, Meacham delivers a portrait of the third president. (Random House Audio, Nov.)
Kitchen Round Table by Marja Samsom. This audio-exclusive program features candid conversations with such luminaries of the food world as Lidia Bastianich, Madhur Jaffrey, and Judith Jones. Available only from AudioGO. (AudioGO, Nov.)
Waging Heavy Peace by Neil Young. The singer/songwriter/musician/activist discusses his life and career. (Penguin Audio, Nov.)
In Spite of Myself by Christopher Plummer, read by the author. Plummer recounts his privileged childhood, early days on Broadway, and long career as a lead actor in film and on stage—with marriages and affairs mixed in. (Random House Audio, Dec.)
Living with Honor by Sal Giunta. This memoir recounts the realities of war and harrowing acts of bravery that won the soldier from Iowa the Medal of Honor. He is the first living person since the Vietnam War to receive the distinction. (Simon & Schuster, Dec.)
Other Notable Nonfiction
Cemetery John: The Undiscovered Mastermind Behind the Lindbergh Kidnapping by Robert Zorn, read by Sean Runnette (Tantor Audio, July); Some Remarks: Essays and Other Writings by Neal Stephenson (Brilliance Audio, Aug.); Purpose: An Immigrant’s Story by Wyclef Jean with Anthony Bozza (HarperAudio, Sept., download only); Presumed Guilty by Raffaele Sollecito and Andrew Gumbel (Simon & Schuster Audio, Sept.); God Believes in Love: Straight Talk About Gay Marriage by Gene Robinson, read by the author (Tantor Audio, Sept.); Overdiagnosed by Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, Dr. Lisa M. Schwartz, and Dr. Steven Woloshin (HighBridge Audio, Sept.); I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I’ve Ever Had by Tony Danza, read by the author (Brilliance Audio, Sept.); Total Recall by Arnold Schwarzenegger (Simon & Schuster Audio, Oct.); Never a Dull Moment: My Autobiography by Rod Stewart (Random House Audio, Oct.); Untitled Memoir by Courtney Love (HarperAudio, Oct., download only); America Again (Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren’t) by Stephen Colbert, read by the author with guests (Hachette Audio, Sept.); Meet Me at Emotional Baggage Claim by Lisa Scottoline and Frances Serritella, read by the authors (Macmillan Audio, Nov.); The Troublemaker by Willie Nelson with Kinky Friedman (HarperAudio, Nov., download only); Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan (HighBridge Audio, Nov.); Elsewhere: A Memoir by Richard Russo (Random House Audio, Nov.)
CHILDREN’S AND YA
The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer, read by the author. Michele McGonigle, director of production, noted that the Glee star and debut author’s first run at recording the audio version of his fantasy adventure went very smoothly. (Hachette Audio, July)
Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy, read by Ariana Delawan. Reedy’s debut novel introduces Zulaikha, a girl in Afghanistan discovering new friends and new opportunities after the Taliban are defeated. (Scholastic Audio, July)
Angelfall by Susan Ee, read by Caitlin Davies. Ee’s debut launches the Penryn and the End of Days series; it was a finalist for the Cybils Bloggers’ Award for Best YA Fantasy & Sci-fi Book of the Year 2011. (Brilliance Audio, Aug.)
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher, read by David Tennant. In this debut, 10-year-old Jamie shares the tragedy that has torn his family apart—and how he keeps things together. (Hachette Audio, Aug., download only)
Wake by Amanda Hocking, read by Nicola Barber. The first installment of the Watersong series, which features a trio of modern-day sirens. (Macmillan Young Listeners Audio, Aug.).
Infinity Ring #1: A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner, read by Dion Graham. First in a new multiplatform series about best friends who stumble upon the secret to time travel: a hand-held device called an Infinity Ring. Narrator/actor Graham has won multiple Audie and Odyssey Awards. Book #2, Divide and Conquer by Carrie Ryan, follows in November. (Scholastic Audio, Aug.)
Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead, read by Jesse Bernstein. Two new friends are determined to become spies and a neighbor in their apartment building is their first target. (Listening Library, Aug.)
Every Day by David Levithan, read by Alex McKenna. Every day, A wakes up in the body of a different person and faces a monumental struggle when he falls in love with a person he wants to be with. (Listening Library, Aug.)
Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian. Three girls join in an unlikely alliance to exact revenge on the people who have done them wrong in high school. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Sept.)
Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, read by Emma Galvin. A teen detective series entry about the mysterious and wealthy Angel family. (Hachette Audio, Sept.)
Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama. A thriller that spotlights evil mermaids, ghosts, and a century-old curse. (Macmillan Young Listeners Audio, Sept.)
The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech. Two character pairs, Sybil and Nula (now estranged sisters who grew up in Ireland) and Naomi and Lizzie (modern-day orphan girls in the U.S.) unravel mysteries about family and identity. (HarperChildren’s Audio, Sept., download only)
Personal Effects by E.M. Kokie. Lawyer-author Kokie offers a portrait of life in a military family after a soldier is killed. (Candlewick on Brilliance Audio, Sept.)
The Creature from the Seventh Grade: Boy or Beast by Bob Balaban. Everything turns weirdly upside down when bully magnet Charlie Drinkwater morphs into a giant mutant dinosaur one day at school and his parents act like it’s perfectly normal. (Penguin Audio, Sept.)
Safekeeping by Karen Hesse. In this futuristic tale, a 16-year-old girl must find a way to survive on the run in an America on the verge of anarchy. (Macmillan Young Listeners Audio, Sept.)
Third Grade Angels by Jerry Spinelli, read by Johnny Heller. Third-grader George, aka “Suds,” tries to win the halo, awarded to the kindest, best-behaved student in class. An interview with the author is included. (Scholastic Audio, Sept.)
Neversink by Barry Wolverton, read by Emrhys Cooper. A debut epic tale of survival, friendship, and fish, featuring a cast of animal characters inhabiting an arctic island. (Listening Library, Sept.)
Gravediggers: Mountain of Bones by Christopher Krovatin. Three kids become separated from their backpacking group in the Montana wilderness and find themselves stranded in zombie country. (HarperChildren’s Audio, Sept., download only)
The Diviners by Libba Bray. The first mysterious tale in a new series set in 1920s New York City. (Listening Library, Sept.)
Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Johnson, read by Sarah Jessica Parker, music by the Seattle Symphony. The picture book about the genesis of this ballet is paired with a performance of the original music. (Brilliance Audio, Sept.)
What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang. The debut novel penned by college junior Zhang is set in an alternate reality where a girl must keep the existence of her second soul a secret or be forced into imprisonment by the government. (HarperChildren’s Audio, Sept., download only)
Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz and Ron Bass, read by Jessica DiCicco and Emma Galvin. Two very different teen girls have never met, but have known each other forever because each one dreams she has the other’s life. (Penguin Audio, Oct.)
Poison Princess by Kresley Cole. Sixteen-year-old Evie learns that her horrifying hallucinations are visions of the future, and that she’s not the only one in town with special powers related to an ancient prophesy. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Oct.)
Kiss & Make Up by Katie D. Anderson. Anderson’s debut YA novel stars a girl obsessed with lip gloss who discovers she can read the thoughts of anyone who kisses her. (Brilliance Audio, Oct.)
Skinny by Donna Cooner, read by Elizabeth Morton. Fifteen-year-old Ever has weight-loss surgery, which helps her shed pounds, but may never get rid of Skinny, the cruel, self-esteem–crushing voice that lives inside her head. (Scholastic Audio, Oct.)
Sanctum by Sarah Fine. Book 1 in the Guards of the Shadowlands series in which Lela ventures through the gates of hell to rescue her best friend’s soul. (Brilliance Audio, Oct.)
Dark Star by Bethany Frenette. A debut fantasy novel tells of demons who have escaped from Beneath and the girl who is fated to stop them. (Hyperion Audio, Oct., download only)
The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver. Twelve-year-old Liza braves a fantastical underworld to rescue her younger brother, who has been stolen by the evil, fearsome spindlers. (HarperChildren’s Audio, Oct., download only)
Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch, read by Marc Thompson and Donna Feingold. When Glenn’s father is arrested for his scientific work on the Project, Glenn and her only friend are on the run through the Rift—the fence holding back a world of magic and witchcraft. (Scholastic Audio, Oct.)
Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow. Trent comes into manhood while coordinating a brilliant rebellion against political tyranny. (Listening Library, Oct.)
“Who Could That Be at This Hour?” by Lemony Snicket. First in Snicket’s new series, and the first time Hachette has worked with Handler. (Hachette Audio, Oct.)
Son by Lois Lowry. The long-awaited conclusion to The Giver canon. (Listening Library, Oct.)
Eve and Adam by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant. A dual point-of-view romantic, sci-fi thriller from the husband and wife author team. (Macmillan Young Listeners Audio, Oct.)
Fishtale by Hans Bauer and Catherine Masciola. This debut novel stars a band of adventurers scouring the bayou for the smartest, biggest, and meanest catfish in the Yazoo River. (Brilliance Audio, Nov.)
Colin Fischer by Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz, read by Jesse Eisenberg. Colin, who has a severe case of Asperger’s syndrome, is school bully Wayne’s only hope of proving he’s innocent of a serious infraction. (Penguin Audio, Nov.)
The Lying Carpet by David Lucas, read by Nicholas Bell. A philosophical fairy tale about a girl who finds herself turned into a statue. (Bolinda Audio, Nov.)
Will Sparrow’s Road by Karen Cushman. Twelve-year-old Will Sparrow’s adventures in 16th-century England. (Listening Library, Nov.)
Marble Queen by Stephanie J. Blake. Set in 1959, this debut features a girl who dislikes all things girly and is determined to beat the boys at her favorite game: marbles. (Brilliance Audio, Dec.)
Other Notable Children’s Fiction and YA
Demonglass: Book Two in the Hex Hall series by Rachel Hawkins, read by Cris Dukehart (Tantor Audio, July); Starling by Lesley Livingston (HarperChildren’s Audio, Aug.); Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin (Macmillan Young Listeners Audio, Sept.); The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, read by Will Patton (Scholastic Audio, Sept.); Dodger by Terry Pratchett (HarperChildren’s Audio, Sept., download only); The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini (HarperChildren’s Audio, Sept., download only); The High-Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate by Scott Nash (Brilliance Audio, Sept.); One Year in Coal Harbor by Polly Horvath (Listening Library, Sept.); Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier (Macmillan Young Listeners Audio, Oct.); October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Lesléa Newman (Brilliance Audio, Oct.); The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, read by Brook Shields with an intro. by Paul Rudd (Listening Library, Oct.); Julie Andrews’ Treasury for All Seasons by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton, read by the authors (Hachette Audio, Oct.); The Heroes of Olympus, Book Three: The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan, read by Joshua Swanson (Listening Library, Oct.); Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (Hachette Audio, Oct.); Witch World by Christopher Pike (Simon & Schuster Audio, Nov., download only); Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (Penguin Audio, Dec.)
