Audiophiles have lots to look forward to this fall. The breadth and volume of audio publishers’ autumn lists reflects what the Audio Publishers Association’s most recent sales survey of its members revealed: audiobook production is on the rise. From 2007 to 2011, the number of new titles produced showed a whopping 135% jump.
The APA’s recent consumer survey additionally yielded information about who’s listening to what, and how. Mystery/thriller/suspense and general fiction remain tops in terms of genres that listeners prefer, and that’s evident in our list of new titles, which includes several debut novels and series launches, as well as numerous entries featuring murder, mayhem, intrigue, and action. The digital download revolution is helping to spur the industry’s growth, and a growing number of releases are available as download only.
We’ve noted some very familiar author and narrator names in our roundup, but have also gathered a sampling of what’s available outside of the top genres, so our list points to selections from the history, memoir, nonfiction, spirituality, and humor arenas as well. Whether you plan to be driving, working out, or just chilling in a chair in the months ahead, there are plenty of new offerings to keep you company this fall.
Fiction
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride. A boy born into slavery joins John Brown’s antislavery crusade and must pass as a girl to survive. (Dreamscape, Aug.)
Ask Bob: A Novel by Peter Gethers. A successful New York City veterinarian who writes an advice column could use some advice when dealing with his family, and coping with tragedy. (Blackstone Audio, Aug.)
The Returned by Jason Mott. In this debut, Jacob, who died on his eighth birthday in 1966, returns, in the flesh, and still eight years old, to his parents, who are now in their old age. (Brilliance Audio, Aug.)
Lookaway, Lookaway by William Barnhardt, read by Scott Shepherd. The humorous narrative of a stalwart Southern matriarch holding together a family on the brink of coming apart in changing times and dwindling fortunes. (Macmillan Audio, Aug.)
The Kill List by Frederick Forsyth, read by George Guidall. The head of the agency tasked with killing those who are seriously dangerous threats to the U.S. seeks the terrorist target who killed his father, in this thriller. (Penguin Audio, Aug.)
Approaching the Speed of Light by Victoria Lustbader. A man who suffered a hellish early childhood learns anew about trust and love. (AudioGO, Aug.)
The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara. A debut anthropological adventure story about a 1950 scientific expedition to a remote island in search of the source of the inhabitants’ fantastically long lives. (Dreamscape, Aug.)
The Gallery of Vanished Husbands by Natasha Solomons. Juliet, who has been a living widow and single mom in her Jewish community since her husband disappeared years ago, gets swept into the 1960s London art scene. (Blackstone Audio, Aug.)
Pamela by Samuel Richardson, read by Clare Corbett and cast, and Shamela by Henry Fielding, read by Corbett and cast. Richardson’s 1740 tale of a virtuous maidservant fending off the advances of her master gets a sendup in Fielding’s satire. Which characterization came more easily to Clare? “Perhaps I am somewhere in between,” she told Naxos sales and marketing manager William Anderson. (Naxos AudioBooks, Aug.; Sept.)
The Final Cut by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison launches a new series featuring special FBI agents Sherlock and Savich, and a new agent from Scotland Yard. (Brilliance Audio, Sept.)
Someone by Alice McDermott, read by Kate Reading. In her first novel in seven years, McDermott chronicles the twists and turns in the complex life—from childhood to old age—of an ordinary woman. (Macmillan Audio, Sept.)
Who Asked You? by Terry McMillan. Set in contemporary Los Angeles, this tale describes the struggles of a family stretched to the brink and how the disparate members come together. (Penguin Audio, Sept.)
The Ludwig Conspiracy by Oliver Pötszch, read by Simon Vance. An antiquarian bookseller is in danger when he discovers an encoded diary from the court of fairy tale King Ludwig II that other people will kill for. (HighBridge Audio, Sept.)
The Pink Canary by Yvonne Mason, read by Jaime Andrade. Lou, an unassuming detective by day and a drag queen by night, is on the trail of a murderer. (Brook Forest Voices, Sept.)
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, read by Morven Christie. Inspired by a true story, this debut chronicles the final days of a woman accused of murder in 1829 Iceland. (Hachette Audio, Sept.)
The Storycatcher by Ann Hite. The house servant and the pastor’s daughter join forces when the spirit of a dead woman haunts their home in this gothic novel set in Depression-era South. (AudioGO, Sept.)
The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton, read by Christina Delaine is a debut thriller from nonfiction author Norton. (Macmillan Audio, Sept.)
Bleeding Edge by Thomas Pynchon. The wild adventures of a hacker/fraud investigator in the early days of the Internet in 2001 New York City. (Penguin Audio, Sept.)
The Explanation of Everything by Lauren Grodstein. A biology professor still grieving the loss of his wife finds his world and belief system turned upside down when a student asks his help on an intelligent design project. (HighBridge Audio, Sept.)
The Wrong Girl by Hank Phillipi Ryan, read by Ilyana Kadushin. Ryan’s suspense novel presents the horrifying scenario of adoption agencies reuniting birth parents with the wrong children. (Macmillan Audio, Sept.)
Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford. A Chinese-American orphan boy in Depression-era Seattle becomes convinced that a film star is his mother and sets out to find her. (Random House Audio, Sept.)
My Notorious Life by Kate Manning. Inspired by a real person, this portrait of a midwife who became a hugely controversial figure in Victorian New York City shines a light on important women’s issues. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Sept., download only)
We Are Water by Wally Lamb. A chronicle of the reactions when Anna, after 27 years of marriage and three children, falls in love with and plans to marry another woman. (HarperAudio, Oct.)
The Book of Salt by Monique Truong. In 1934 Paris, the Vietnamese live-in cook for Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude Stein must decide whether to accompany his employers to America. (AudioGO, Oct.)
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, read by the author. After surviving the accident that kills his mother, a boy reinvents himself as he becomes obsessed with a painting that reminds him of her. (Hachette Audio, Oct.)
Actors Anonymous by James Franco is a blend of memoir and fiction that explores the additions of celebrity and acting. (Brilliance Audio, Oct.)
King's Mountain by Sharyn McCrumb. This Ballad novel sheds light on the little told history of a pivotal Revolutionary War battle as seen via historic characters’ points of view. (Recorded Books, Sept., download only)
The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon by Alexander McCall Smith, read by Lisette Lecat. Audie Award winner Lecat voices the latest No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency entry which finds Mma Ramotswe investigating the strange goings-on at a local salon. (Recorded Books, Nov.)
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. In this debut, a socially backward genetics professor uses a scientific approach to try and find a wife, and is thrown off guard when he meets a woman who doesn’t fit the profile he’s designed. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Oct.)
It’s Superman by Tom De Haven, performed by a full cast, is a reimagining of how shy Kansas farm boy Clark Kent grew up to be the Man of Steel. (Graphic Audio, Oct.)
S. by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst, read by Graeme Malcolm, Simon Prebble, and others. A multilayered literary puzzle of love and adventure, sparked by a book of mysterious provenance. (Hachette Audio, Oct.)
Guests on Earth by Lee Smith. Evalina, a brilliant but troubled young pianist, narrates an account of her years in a 1930s mental hospital where fellow patient Zelda Fitzgerald was a protective friend. (HighBridge Audio, Oct.)
The Tilted World by Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly. A story of murder, mystery, and romance set in 1927 Mississippi following a historic flood. (HarperAudio, Oct., download only)
Inherit the Dead by Lee Child, Lisa Unger, Lawrence Block, and others, edited by Jonathan Santlofer. A serial novel crafted by 20 top mystery writers. (Simon & Schuster, Oct.)
The Good Boy by Theresa Schwegel. After witnessing a shooting, a boy goes on the run with his father’s trusted police dog. (Macmillan Audio, Nov.)
The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan maps the complicated lives of three generations of women and explores the mystery behind a painting entitled The Valley of Amazement. (Brilliance Audio, Nov.)
The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg, read by the author. In this comic mystery, an Alabama woman seeking answers about her mother’s past discovers the five women who ran their family’s Phillips 66 gas station during WWII. (Random House Audio, Nov.)
Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson, performed by a full cast, is the first in a fantasy trilogy in which Kelsier uses his superhuman powers to defeat the dark Lord Ruler who has dominated the world for 1,000 years. (Graphic Audio, Dec.)
Carthage by Joyce Carol Oates. The disappearance of a young girl stuns a family and a community. (HarperAudio, Jan., download only)
Andrew’s Brain by E.L. Doctorow. As a man tells his life story, it calls into question what one knows about truth and memory, or the brain and the mind. (Random House Audio, Jan.)
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs. In the sequel to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Jacob and his friends flee to London and encounter a madman who happens to be Miss Peregrine’s brother. (AudioGO, Jan.)
Other Notable Fiction
The First Affair by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus (Brilliance Audio, Aug.); Enon by Paul Harding, read by the author (Random House Audio, Sept.); MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood (Random House Audio, Sept.); Dissident Gardens by Jonathan Leth-em (Random House Audio, Sept.); Henry and Rachel by Laurel Saville (Brilliance Audio, Oct.); Rasputin’s Shadow by Raymond Khoury, read by Richard Ferrone (Penguin Audio, Oct.); Soy Sauce for Beginners by Kirstin Chen (Brilliance Audio, Nov.); Lion Plays Rough by Lachlan Smith (HighBridge Audio, Jan.); The Days of Anna Madrigal by Armistead Maupin (HarperAudio, Jan., download only)
Nonfiction
Shirley Jones: A Memoir by Shirley Jones, read by the author. The Oscar-winning actress and singer offers anecdotes from her personal and professional lives. (Tantor Audio, July)
Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink. Pulitzer Prize–winner Fink’s six years of investigative reporting inform this piece of narrative nonfiction that recreates the days at a New Orleans hospital ravaged by post-Katrina floodwaters, where patients died. (Random House Audio, Aug.)
Balance: A Story of Faith, Family, and Life on the Line by Nik Wallenda and David Ritz. An inspirational memoir from one among the seventh generation of the tightrope-walking Great Wallendas. (AudioGO, Aug.)
The Book of Immortality: The Science, Belief, and Magic Behind Living Forever by Adam Leith Gollner, read by Adam Verner. Verner, who has recorded more than 100 titles performs this exploration of the universal human obsession with living forever. (Tantor Audio, Aug.)
Everybody’s Brother by Cee Lo Green, read by the author. The flamboyant pop star reveals his personal story. (Hachette Audio, Sept.)
Hollywood Said No! by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, read by the authors and a full cast. The actor/comedian authors enlisted numerous friends to record this humorous look at their various scripts and projects that didn’t get green-lighted. (Hachette Audio, Sept.)
Wild Tales by Graham Nash. A memoir from a founding member of the bands Crosby, Stills & Nash and the Hollies. (Random House Audio, Sept.)
Turn Toward the Beautiful: Creativity as a Path of Liberation by Jack Kornfield. Through poetry and story, this recording encourages listeners to reawaken childlike wonder and see the beauty hidden in all things. (Sounds True, Sept.)
The Witness Wore Red by Rebecca Musser and M. Bridget Cook. The account of a girl who escaped the polygamous compound controlled by FLDS prophet Rulon Jeffs, now in prison. (Hachette Audio, Sept.)
League of Denial by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru looks at brain injury and football. (Random House Audio, Sept.)
Geekpriest: Confessions of a New Media Missionary by Fr. Roderick Vonhogen, read by the author. A collection of stories and anecdotes about how the author uses new media to evangelize and reach out to others. (Franciscan Media, Sept.)
The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance That Changed the World by Greg King and Sue Woolmans. Unpublished letters and other primary sources help tell the story of the tragic romance and killing that ignited WWI. (Blackstone Audio, Sept.)
Masterminds and Wingmen by Rosalind Wiseman. The author of Queen Bees and Wannabes decodes the inner lives of boys, explaining what they are experiencing and how parents can form stronger connections with their sons. (Random House Audio, Sept.)
Still Foolin’ ‘Em by Billy Crystal, read by the author. The actor-comedian reflects on his life and career. (Macmillan Audio, Sept.)
The Private War of J.D. Salinger by David Shields and Shane Salerno. This biography of the author is based on eight years of research and exclusive interviews with more than 200 people, and is being published in coordination with the release of a documentary film from the Weinstein Company. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Sept.)
An Appetite for Wonder: The Making of a Scientist by Richard Dawkins, read by the author. Dawkins reminisces about his family, friends, education, religion, and other personal influences that spurred his intellectual pursuits. (HarperAudio, Sept.)
Simple Dreams by Linda Ronstadt, read by the author. The singer recalls her beginnings in Tucson, Ariz., and the trajectory of her career. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Sept.)
Wilson by A. Scott Berg, read by Jeremy Bobb. An award-winning biographer offers a closer look at this president and his presidency. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Sept.)
Slimed by Mathew Klickstein, read by a full cast, offers a history of Nickelodeon, the first TV network for kids. (Brilliance Audio, Sept.)
Seeking Heaven: Sound Journeys into the Beyond by Eben Alexander, read by the author. In this original audio program, neurosurgeon Alexander guides listeners through meditations to recreate the state of blissful consciousness needed to glimpse the truths he describes in his million-copy bestseller Proof of Heaven. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Sept.)
Unlabel: Selling You Without Selling Out by Mark Ecko, read by Ecko and others. The designer and entrepreneur describes his success and offers his formula for authentic brand building. (Brilliance Audio, Sept.)
The Squared Circle: Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling by David Shoemaker explores the history and cultural impact of pro wrestling from the early 1900s to the present. (Blackstone Audio, Oct.)
This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett, read by the author, is a collection of autobiographical essays. (HarperAudio, Oct.)
Paddle Your Own Canoe by Nick Offerman, read by the author, presents humor and opinionated rants from the actor/comedian. (Penguin Audio, Oct.)
Survival Lessons by Alice Hoffman, read by Xe Sands, suggests how readers might still find beauty in life, even during tough times, coping with illness or loss. (HighBridge Audio, Oct.)
Smokin’ Joe: The Autobiography of a Heavyweight Champion by Joe Frazier with Phil Berger. Reminiscences from boxing’s heavyweight champ from 1970 to 1973. (AudioGO, Oct.)
David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell, read by the author, explores what shapes the balance between the weak and the mighty. (Hachette Audio, Oct.)
The Men Who United the States: America’s Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics and Mavericks, and the Creation of One Nation, Indivisible by Simon Winchester, read by the author, is a popular history profiling some of the men who helped create our country. (HarperAudio, Oct.)
Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin, read by Edward Herrmann. A profile of Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Era. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Oct.)
Writers Between the Covers: The Scandalous Romantic Lives of Legendary Literary Casanovas, Coquettes, and Cads by Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon, offers a look at the relationships of such authors as Agatha Christie, Norman Mailer, Leo Tolstoy, and Simone de Beauvoir. (Tantor Audio, Oct.)
Duke by Terry Teachout is a narrative biography of jazz maestro Duke Ellington. (Penguin Audio, Oct.)
My Story by Elizabeth Smart and Chris Stewart, read by Smart. Ten years after the horrible crime, the author reveals how she survived her abduction from her home in Salt Lake City. (Macmillan Audio, Oct.)
Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson by Jeff Guinn, read by Jim Frangione. Previously undiscovered source material sparks a biography of the convicted and imprisoned killer. (Recorded Books, Aug., download only)
The Cave and the Light: Plato Versus Aristotle and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization by Arthur Herman. An account of how the rivalry between these ancient thinkers helped shape the pillars of our culture. (Recorded Books, Sept., download only)
Writing on the Wall: Social Media—The First Two Thousand Years by Tom Standage, traces the story of social media from Ancient Rome to the Arab Spring and beyond. (Tantor Audio, Oct.)
Eminent Heroes by Donald Fagen, read by the author. The cofounder of rock band Steely Dan offers tales from his life and times and recalls his cultural heroes. (Penguin Audio, Oct.)
A Call to Resurgence: Will Christianity Have a Funeral or a Future? by Mark Driscoll provides a look at the current state of this religion. (eChristian, Nov.)
Doctor Who by Alan Kistler, read by the author. Pop culture historian Kistler provides a history of the sci-fi TV show. (Brilliance Audio, Nov.)
The Tell: The Little Clues That Reveal Big Truths About Who We Are by Matthew Hertenstein. A psychologist explains how people can make better decisions by homing in on the right details. (HighBridge Audio, Nov.)
A Story Lately Told by Anjelica Huston, read by the author. In volume one of a two-part memoir, Huston describes her unconventional childhood in Ireland and teen years in London and the early days building a modeling and acting career in New York. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Nov.)
Ten Days Without: Daring Adventures in Discomfort That Will Change Your World and You by Daniel Ryan Day chronicles Day’s experiences in deprivation and challenges listeners to move from apathy to action while raising awareness and funds for charitable organizations. (eChristian, Dec.)
Other Notable Nonfiction
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King (Simon & Schuster Audio, Sept.); Inside the Real Area 51: The Secret History of Wright Patterson by Thomas Carey and Donald Schmitt, read by Paul Boehmer (Tantor Audio, Aug.); Killing Jesus by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, read by O’Reilly (Macmillan Audio, Sept.); One Summer by Bill Bryson (Random House Audio, Oct.); I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai (Hachette Audio, Oct.); Heart by Dick Cheney and Jonathan Reiner (Simon & Schuster, Oct.); The Map and the Territory by Alan Green-span (Penguin Audio, Oct.); Undisputed Truth by Mike Tyson with Larry Sloman (Penguin Audio, Nov.); This Land That I Love: Irving Berlin, Woody Guthrie, and the Story of Two American Anthems by John Shaw (Blackstone Audio, Nov.)
Children's and YA
The Rise and Fall of the Hotel Dumort by Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson. Magnus Bane watches his favorite 1920s hot spot fall into disrepair and vampires take it over in one of the 10 short stories of the Bane Chronicles. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Aug., download only)
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Twelve-year-old Willow copes with the sudden loss of her parents, feeling like an outsider, and discovering the true meaning of family. (Penguin Audio, Aug., download only)
With a Mighty Hand by Amy Ehrlich, read by Kate Udall and Francis J. Spieler, is an adaptation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, the Torah. (Brilliance Audio, Aug.)
The Time Fetch by Amy Herrick, read by Luci Christian. Edward accidentally picks up a sleeping Time Fetch (he thought it was a rock) and alters the fabric of time and space. (HighBridge Audio, Aug.)
Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block, read by Julia Whelan. Pen navigates a dark postapocalyptic Los Angeles looking for a home after she loses everything. (Brilliance Audio, Aug.)
Ghost Hawk by Susan Cooper. A tale of adventure and the friendship between a Native American boy and a young colonial New England settler. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Aug.)
Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff kicks off a new series in which Boy Nobody perennially shows up in a new high school in a new town with a new identity and hangs around until someone in his new friend’s family dies of “natural causes.” (AudioGO, Aug.)
The Hypnotists, Book One by Gordan Korman, read by Ramón de Ocampo. Jackson, descended from a powerful hypnotist bloodline, must use his special power to save his parents, friends, and government. (Scholastic Audio, Aug.)
Growing Up Muslim by Sumbul Ali-Karamali, read by the author. This candid firsthand account of one girl’s experiences also provides an introduction to Islam. (Listening Library, Aug.)
The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson. A memoir from one of the youngest children to survive the Holocaust on Oskar Schindler’s list. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Aug., download only)
Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan. In this story inspired by true events, two teen boys take part in a kissing marathon to set a new world record, which is narrated by a Greek chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS. (Listening Library, Aug.)
Treasure Hunters by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein. In the first volume of a new series, four globe-trotting siblings who have grown up in a family of treasure hunters must follow clues and fend off pirates to find their missing parents. (Hachette Audio, Sept.)
Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts. Three teens decide their fates as an asteroid hurtles toward Earth. (AudioGO, Sept.)
The Fantastic Family Whipple by Mathew Ward. Eleven-year-old Arthur is the only one of 13 siblings who hasn’t broken a world record for anything—yet. (Recorded Books, Aug., download only)
Perfect Ruin (The Internment Chronicles #1) by Lauren DeStefano. Launch title of a fantasy series set on a long-idyllic floating city that is rocked by a murder. (Recorded Books, Oct., download only)
In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters. The 1918 Spanish flu epidemic is the backdrop for Winters’ romantic ghost story-mystery. (Recorded Books, Oct., download only)
Somebody Up There Hates You by Hollis Seamon, read by Noah Galvin. The story of a teen with terminal cancer and his friends in the hospital ward. (HighBridge Audio, Sept.)
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is a coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family, and first love. (Listening Library, Sept.)
Spirit Animals #1: Wild Born by Brandon Mull, read by Nicola Barber, begins a multiplatform series about four children who have undergone a mysterious ritual and emerged in the form of a wolf, a leopard, a panda, and a falcon. (Scholastic Audio, Sept.)
All the Truth That’s in Me by Julie Berry, read by Kathleen McInerney. A girl who has been unable to speak since experiencing a great trauma must decide if she can recover her voice to save her threatened close-knit community. (Penguin Audio, Sept., download only)
Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones. Wild Boy, cruelly raised as a sideshow freak in Victorian London, uses his deductive skills to clear himself of a murder for which he’s been falsely accused. (Brilliance Audio, Sept.)
Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell. A girl in search of her past discovers a secret rooftop world in Paris. (Simon & Schuster Audio, Sept.)
Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston begins the Heart of Dread fantasy series about a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out of frozen New Vegas. (Penguin Audio, Sept., download only)
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black. Tana must go to the heart of Coldtown to save herself, her ex-boyfriend, and a mysterious boy—the only survivors of a bloody massacre. (Hachette Audio, Sept.)
The Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech, read by Heather Henderson. A couple welcomes into their family a boy unable to speak who they find asleep on their porch. (HarperChildren’s Audio, Sept., download only)
Skin by Donna Jo Napoli, read by Whitney Dykhouse. A 16-year-old girl panics when white splotches affecting her skin make people see her differently. (Brilliance Audio, Sept.)
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman. A dad’s trip to the market for milk turns out longer than planned when he gets abducted by aliens. (HarperChildren’s Audio, Sept., download only)
The Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman. Five survivors of the killing day are the only ones who can save their small Kansas town from destroying itself. (Listening Library, Sept.)
Fallout by Todd Strasser. In the summer of 1962, Scott’s family is the only one in the neighborhood with a bomb shelter when the unthinkable happens. (Brilliance Audio, Sept.)
The Darkest Path by Jeff Hirsch, read by Dan Bittner. Two brothers are on the run after the murder of a commander in the militant religious compound where they have been forced to live for six years. (Scholastic Audio, Oct., download only)
The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes recounts the adventures of second-grader Billy. (HarperChildren’s Audio, Sept., download only)
The Girl Who Soared over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two by Catherynne M. Valente. In a third Fairyland adventure, 12-year-old September must retrieve a talisman from the enchanted woods for the marquess. (Dreamscape Audio, Oct.)
Reality Boy by A.S. King. A teen boy copes with the anger he still feels about his days as a former child star of a reality TV series. (Hachette Audio, Oct., download only)
Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud begins a detective series of supernatural thrillers featuring the three teen members of the Psychic Detective Agency. (Listening Library, Oct.)
Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender, read by Erin Spencer and Elea Oberon. During a class trip to Paris, Colette spies the ghost of Marie Antoinette, and learns she is killing the descendants of those who caused her beheading. (Scholastic Audio, Oct., download only)
Anton and Cecil: Cats at Sea by Lisa Martin and Valerie Martin. Cat brothers looking for adventure end up on different ships on the high seas. (HighBridge Audio, Oct.)
The President Has Been Shot! by James L. Swanson, read by Will Patton, offers a dramatic account of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. (Scholastic Audio, Oct.)
All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin. Envious of her smart and popular older sister, Thea wickedly spins the truth to win some attention. (Listening Library, Oct.)
The Eye of the Minds by James Dashner begins the Mortality Doctrine series set in a world of hyper-advanced technology, cyber terrorists, and gaming. (Listening Library, Oct.)
The Living by Matt de la Peña. A boy’s summer job on a cruise ship becomes a fight for survival when he’s at sea and a massive earthquake hits California. (Brilliance Audio, Nov.)
Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher. In a series of letters addressed to a death row inmate, Zoe confesses how she got involved with two boys and killed one of them. (Hachette Audio, Nov., download only)
Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab by Science Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith. In this debut, siblings Nick and Tesla join their brilliant inventor uncle to search for their parents, who have disappeared. (Brilliance Audio, Nov.)
Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando. The summer before college, Elizabeth bonds with her assigned freshman roommate Lauren via e-mail. (Hachette Audio, Dec., download only)
The Copernicus Legacy: The Forbidden Stone by Jeff Brown, read by Tony Abbott. In this multiplatform series listeners join the audiobooks’ protagonists on a quest that could earn them a stake in a real-life relic hunt. (HarperChildren’s Audio, Jan.)
Other Notable Children’s Fiction and YA
If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan, read by Negin Farsad (HighBridge Audio, Aug.); Fantastic Mr. Fox and Other Animal Stories by Roald Dahl, read by Chris O’Dowd, Quentin Blake, Stephen Fry, and Hugh Laurie (Penguin Audio, Sept.); Boy by Roald Dahl, read by Dan Stevens (Penguin Audio, Sept.); Pretenders by Lisi Harrison (Hachette Audio, Oct., download only); Confessions: The Private School Murders by James Patterson (Hachette Audio, Oct.); Allegiant by Veronica Roth, read by Emma Galvin (HarperChildren’s Audio, Oct.); Champion by Marie Lu, read by Steven Kaplan and Mariel Stern (Penguin Audio, Nov., download only); Winter Sky by Patricia Reilly Giff (Listening Library, Jan.); Port Chicago 50 by Steve Sheinkin (Listening Library, Jan.)
