Literary Fiction Audiobooks | Literature

Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love Audiobook

"Brought to you by Penguin. Funny, feelgood, heartlifting story about the power of intergenerational friendship and finding love in unexpected places - perfect for fans of The One Hundred Year-Old Man Who Climbed Through the Window and The Rosie Project Eddie Winston is 90 years old. He has lived and he has loved, but he has never been kissed. A true gentleman and incurable romantic, Eddie spends his days volunteering at a charity shop, where he sorts through the donations of the living and the dead, preserving letters and tokens of love along the way. And it is here that he meets Bella, a troubled young woman who, at twenty-four years old, has just lost the love of her life. When Bella learns that Eddie is yet to have his first kiss, she resolves to help him finally find love, sparking an adventure that will take them to unexpected places and, they hope, bring Eddie to the moment he has waited for all his life. A tale of friendship and kindness that reminds us that those we love are never forgotten and it is never too late to try again. As Bella helps Eddie and Eddie helps, well, everyone, an astonishing, soul-stirring story unfolds to show how those we love are never forgotten and it is never too late to try again. © Marianne Cronin 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024"

Marianne Cronin (Author), Clare Corbett, Kim Durham, Natalie Nightingale (Narrator)

Audiobook

Mina's Matchbox

"Brought to you by Penguin. On sleepless nights, I open the matchbox and reread the story of the girl who gathered shooting stars. After the death of her father, twelve-year-old Tomoko is sent to live for a year with her uncle in the coastal town of Ashiya. It is a year which will change her life. The 1970s are bringing changes to Japan and her uncle's magnificent colonial mansion opens up a new and unfamiliar world for Tomoko; its sprawling gardens are even home to a pygmy hippo the family keeps as a pet. Tomoko finds her relatives equally exotic and beguiling and her growing friendship with her cousin Mina draws her into an intoxicating world full of secret crushes and elaborate storytelling. Rich with the magic and mystery of youth, Mina’s Matchbox is an evocative snapshot of a moment frozen in time, and a striking depiction of a family on the edge of collapse. Praise for Mina's Matchbox 'I read Mina’s Matchbox like a besotted child, enraptured, never wanting it to end.' RUTH OZEKI, author of The Book of Form and Emptiness 'Dreamy and whimsical, Mina’s Matchbox traffics in the themes at which Ogawa always excels: memory, identity, and nostalgia' Esquire, Best Books of the Summer 'A conspicuously gifted writer. . . To read Ogawa is to enter a dreamlike state. . . She possesses an effortless, glassy, eerie brilliance' Guardian ©2024 Yoko Ogawa (P)2024 Penguin Audio"

Yoko Ogawa (Author), Nanako Mizhushima (Narrator)

Audiobook

Heart, Be at Peace

"Brought to you by Penguin. ‘I said it before. Madness comes circling around. Ten-year cycles, as true as the sun will rise…’ Some things can send a heart spinning; others will crack it in two. In a small town in rural Ireland, the local people have weathered the storms of economic collapse and are looking towards the future. The jobs are back, the dramas of the past seemingly lulled, and although the town bears the marks of its history, new stories are unfolding. But a fresh menace is creeping around the lakeshore and the lanes of the town, and the peace of the community is about to be shattered in an unimaginable way. Young people are being drawn towards the promise of fast money whilst the generation above them tries to push back the tide of an enemy no one can touch… A stunning, lyrical novel told in twenty-one voices, Heart, be at Peace can be read independently, or as a companion to Donal Ryan’s multi-award-winning novel, The Spinning Heart, voted ‘The Irish Book of the Decade’. PRAISE FOR DONAL RYAN: 'Beautiful, compassionate ... Donal Ryan at his inimitable best.' MAGGIE O'FARRELL 'One of the finest novelists writing today... a haunting, exquisite masterpiece.' RACHEL JOYCE 'The prose drips like honey off a spoon' SUNDAY TIMES ©2024 Donal Ryan (P)2024 Penguin Audio"

Donal Ryan (Author), Anne Marie Ryan, Ciaran O'brien, Donal Ryan, Eva Bartley, Gerry Howard, Killian Coyle, Roy Mcmillan, Toni O'rourke (Narrator)

Audiobook

Blood Like Mine: The book everyone is devouring. 'Neville might well be Stephen King's rightful heir

"Pre-order BLOOD LIKE OURS, the thrilling new Stuart Neville novel coming in Summer 2025. THE BOOK EVERYONE IS DEVOURING . . . 'Stuart Neville at his considerable best . . . This is a book you will not forget in a hurry and which will leave you hungry for the next instalment' Mark Billingham 'Thrilling, heartbreaking, and completely compelling. My heart was in my throat the whole time' Alex North 'Bravo Stuart Neville! Utterly brilliant' Liz Nugent 'Stuart Neville at his very, very best - this book grabs your heart and doesn't let go' Ruth Ware What would you do if one night your whole life changed? If everything you thought you knew was suddenly turned on its head? If you had to take your child and keep moving. Away from the questions, away from the prying eyes, away from everyone you knew. Because it's your job to make sure that your daughter can survive. Even if it means becoming someone you never thought you'd be. And you know that whatever you do, wherever you go, people will be looking for you both. Because wherever you go, bodies are left behind. But you have no choice. Because you'd do anything to protect your child. Even if she's a monster . . . Let the Right One In meets Stephen King in this chilling thriller about a mother's love, a daughter's devotion, a man's obsession - and the darkness that lives within us all. 'Blood Like Mine is one of those books that once you read the first few pages, you simply cannot put it back down' Steve Cavanagh 'What a book! Exciting, propulsive and vivid. A thriller with real bite' Mark Edwards 'Beautiful and dark as all hell . . . Original, terrifying and horrifically tense. This book is your next obsession (and Neville might well be Stephen King's rightful heir)' Will Dean"

Stuart Neville (Author), Elizabeth Rodgers, Michael Braun (Narrator)

Audiobook

Cuckoo

"Brought to you by Penguin. After Nancy’s father dies, she is faced with two life-changing revelations. One: She has a half-brother she knew nothing about. Nancy’s world is punched inside out at the discovery of a mysterious new sibling. But she can’t help but feel curious about Oliver, this stranger who shares her DNA. Her sister Rita, on the other hand, is furious and wants nothing to do with their ‘cuckoo’ brother. Two: She’s pregnant. The father – Nancy’s not-quite-boyfriend from her not-quite-relationship – doesn’t want to commit any time soon. He isn’t even in the same continent as her right now. And with her mother and sister in shock about Oliver, Nancy’s struggling to find someone to turn to for support. In a tumult of grief, fear and hope, Nancy pushes herself into an uncertain future as she rethinks what really makes a family. But there’s one more thought in the back of her head… Is there space in her family for two more? © Nell Frizzell 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024"

Nell Frizzell (Author), Nell Frizzell (Narrator)

Audiobook

Dogs and Monsters

"Brought to you by Penguin. 'There is nothing more terrifying than the monster that squats behind the door you dare not open...' From the bestselling author of The Porpoise come eight mesmerising stories exploring what, ultimately, makes us human. Mark Haddon weaves ancient fables into fresh and unexpected forms, and forges new legends to sit alongside them. The myth of the Minotaur in his labyrinth is turned into a wrenching parable of maternal love – and of the monstrosities of patriarchy. The lover of a goddess, Tithonus, is gifted eternal life but without eternal youth. Actaeon, changed into a stag after glimpsing the naked Diana and torn to pieces by his hunting dogs, becomes a visceral metaphor about how humans use and misuse animals. From genetic engineering to the eternal complications of family, Haddon showcases how we are subject to the same elemental forces that obsessed the Greeks. Whether describing Laika the Soviet space dog on her fateful orbit, or St Anthony wrestling with loneliness in the desert, his astonishing powers of observation are at their height when illuminating the thin line between human and animal. 'A marvel of a collection' Kaliane Bradley 'In sentences as precisely cut as paper sculptures, Mark Haddon fits ancient myth to the cruelties and wonders of the present' Francis Spufford ©2024 Mark Haddon (P)2024 Penguin Audio"

Mark Haddon (Author), Christina Cole, Rachel Bavidge, Robert Bathurst, Steve John Shepherd (Narrator)

Audiobook

Fall of the Florios: A Novel

"The epic saga behind the Disney-produced Hulu series The Lions of Sicily The magnificent third installment of the Florio story–a sweeping, decadent, and romantic finale that tells the story of Italy’s most powerful and notorious family as it faces its dramatic end. After triumph and brilliance, the Sicilian Lions enter their fall . . . Glory is fleeting, fate sometimes cruel. For more than sixty years, the Florios have reigned supreme, establishing the city of Palermo as a European beacon of commerce, and making Sicily one of Italy’s most powerful regions. But now fate has taken a turn. As social and economic pressures erode the stability of a young Italy, the Florios—despite their wealth and power—must watch as their iron grip over the South begins to weaken. Following in the steps of the father he idolized, Ignazzidu, now Don Ignazio, finds himself commanding the Florio family’s interests and enterprises. Negligent, impetuous, and headstrong, he is everything his industrious father was not. But while he struggles to live up to the family name, his charming and loyal wife Franca rises to the occasion. A gracious and formidable host, Franca’s hospitality becomes unmatched across Europe, informally crowned the “Queen of Palermo” as she holds court with an esteemed coterie of luminaries from the womanizing Puccini to the scandalous Boldini. Yet as the tides of fortune change– economic hardships, war, and human loss- their relationship will be put to the test and Franca will find that even a love as devoted as hers may falter. But the biggest threat to their survival is the death of an heir. In losing the flesh of his flesh, Ignazio—who succeeded his father without the strength or conviction to do so—will ultimately oversee the collapse of an empire built by his family’s ambition, cunning, and sweat. What kind of future will the Florios have now? Will anything remain of their greatness? Translated from the Italian by Katherine Gregor and Howard Curtis."

Stefania Auci (Author), Hollis Mccarthy (Narrator)

Audiobook

Swallow the Ghost: A Novel

"Swallow the Ghost traces the impact of a violent event on three different lives, each interconnected story further complicating the truth. Things are going well for Jane Murphy, or so it seems. She's making it in New York, a sort of wunderkind at the social media marketing startup where she works. She's put an experimental writer, Jeremy Miller, on the map by helping him concoct a viral internet novel, told in fragments through various fake social media accounts. But privately, Jane feels trapped, ruled by her routines and her compulsions, caught up in an endless cycle of soothing and punishing herself. There is so much that she has to keep hidden, especially from Jeremy as their professional relationship transforms into something more. But then, tragedy strikes, and the story changes track. As the perspective shifts, so too does our image of Jane and those in her orbit as what we think we know begins to unravel. Audacious, emotionally precise and head-spinning in its ingenuity, Swallow the Ghost interrogates our public identities and private realities through the kaleidoscopic portrait of one woman's life. "

Eugenie Montague (Author), Dan Bittner, James Fouhey, Jennifer Pickens, Matt Godfrey (Narrator)

Audiobook

Welcome to Glorious Tuga

"Brought to you by Penguin. SET SAIL FOR A TROPICAL PARADISE THIS SUMMER How far do you need to travel to find home? Zoologist Charlotte Walker has taken up a year-long fellowship on the tiny, remote island of Tuga de Oro to study the endangered gold coin tortoises in the jungle interior. She is warmly embraced by the tight-knit community of islanders – and their animals – who are keen to adopt Charlotte as Tuga’s first vet. But Charlotte has a family secret that connects her to the island. She is determined to solve the mystery: she just needs to make sure she stays focused on her research, and absolutely does not fall in love with the first man she meets… ’The perfect holiday read’ NIGELLA LAWSON Warm, clever, thoughtful, funny, moving and brilliantly written’ ELIZABETH DAY ‘A magical novel, so uplifting, heartwarming, funny’ MARIAN KEYES ‘Brilliantly and thoroughly imagined. I didn't want to go home’ NICK HORNBY ‘Sparkling and sophisticated’ JESSIE BURTON ©2024 Francesca Segal (P)2024 Penguin Audio"

Francesca Segal (Author), Kristin Atherton (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Man in the Moon

"Are all aspiring stand-up comics as tragic as Baby Reindeer? If William is anything to go by, the answer is possibly ‘yes’. Nostalgic, razor-sharp and deliciously peculiar, this is a weird but wonderful comedy of manners by the award-winning author of The Tap Dancer. William is a lonely young man on the loose in the late 1960s. A disastrous appearance as a stand-up comic in a pub called The Man In the Moon is only the start of his adventures, in which he consorts with theatrical types, frenzied advertising men and accident-prone lodgers. William’s exploits lead him eventually to the consulting rooms of a Harley Street psychiatrist, where his delusions that he is a comic genius can finally be laid bare. Andrew Barrow’s second – and so far last – novel, first published in 1996, is a hilariously bittersweet comedy that follows in the footsteps of last year’s sensational reissue of The Tap Dancer, which drew praise from Alan Bennett (‘my favourite novel’), Craig Brown (‘sublime comedy’) and India Knight (‘hilariously funny’)."

Andrew Barrow (Author), John Sackville (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Booklover's Library

""A must-read for booklovers." -Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of Next Year in Havana A heartwarming story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of books that bring them together, by the bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London. In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job. She and her beloved daughter Olivia have always managed just fine on their own, but with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she's left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots' Booklover's Library to take a chance on her with a job. When the threat of war in England becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. In the wake of being separated from her daughter, Emma seeks solace in the unlikely friendships she forms with her neighbors and coworkers, and a renewed sense of purpose through the recommendations she provides to the library's quirky regulars. But the job doesn't come without its difficulties. Books are mysteriously misshelved and disappearing and the work at the lending library forces her to confront the memories of her late father and the bookstore they once owned together before a terrible accident. As the Blitz intensifies in Nottingham and Emma fights to reunite with her daughter, she must learn to depend on her community and the power of literature more than ever to find hope in the darkest of times. "

Madeline Martin (Author), Saskia Maarleveld (Narrator)

Audiobook

Giovanni's Room

"Brought to you by Penguin. David, a young American in 1950s Paris, is waiting for his fiancée to return from vacation in Spain. But when he meets Giovanni, a handsome Italian barman, the two men are drawn into an intense affair. After three months David's fiancée returns and, denying his sexuality, he rejects Giovanni for a 'safe' future as a married man — a decision that will bring tragedy, longing and regret. 'Audacious... remarkable... elegant and courageous' Caryl Phillips 'Exquisite, a feat of fire-breathing, imaginative daring' Guardian 'Gorgeous, fearless, tempered by dark knowledge and pain ... the greatest American prose stylist of his generation' Colm Tóibín 'A layered exploration of queer desire ... It is electric' Hilton Als ©1956 James Baldwin (P)2024 Penguin Audio"

James Baldwin (Author), Kevin Young, Matthew Bomer (Narrator)

Audiobook

Literary Fiction Audiobooks in Literature