Literary Fiction Audiobooks | Literature

"''Witty, tender, beautifully written, I loved being immersed in this powerful story of loss and forgiveness.'' —Emily Giffin, #1 New York Times bestselling author One perfect night. Forty years of buried hurt. One chance to make it right. Can the past ever be fixed? With humor, heart, and grace, USA Today bestselling author Juliette Fay delivers a poignant, propulsive novel about settling the past, rekindling lost friendships, and discovering love when you least expect it. “I’m wondering if we can be friends again.” When 58-year-old Helen Spencer reviews her life, what she sees are the mistakes. Over the years, things seemed to go sideways incrementally, one little wrong decision at a time. She can even pinpoint where it all started to go awry: a wonderous, romantic night in the woods her senior year of high school with a boy named Cal Crosby. A night she would soon work hard to forget. Forty years, one marriage, three children, and one grandbaby later, suddenly there he is—Cal Crosby!—right in front of her with grandchildren of his own in tow. The chance to finally get some answers and sort out what happened is within reach. But Helen would much prefer to keep that night and all the fury, hurt, and sorrow that followed tightly locked away where she doesn’t have to face it. Cal Crosby, however, is ready to talk. He has no idea of the can of worms he’s about to open. In fact, he doesn’t know the half of it."

Juliette Fay (Author), Jane Oppenheimer (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Weight

"A powerful coming-of-age novel about a twenty-something Black musician living in predominantly white Portland, Oregon, playing in a rock band on the verge of success while struggling with racism, romance, and the legacy of his strict religious upbringing. Julian Strickland is seemingly the lone Black man in the hipster dreamland of Portland, Oregon. To his friends, he's the coolest member of the scene: the soulful drummer from Chicago in an indie rock band that's just about to break through. But to himself, he's a sheltered Christian homeschool kid who used to write book reports on Leviticus. A virgin until the night of his marriage, divorced at twenty-four, he's still in disarray two years later—pretending to fit in, wondering if any of his relationships are real, estranged from his family, and struggling to reconcile his relationship with God. Then he meets Ida Blair, a Black painter at the start of a promising career. They begin a tentative relationship, and Ida seems to offer Julian relief from his confusion. But suddenly she stops responding to his texts. Things only get worse when Julian's best friend mysteriously turns on him, his house burns down, and the band considers breaking up on the eve of their most important show yet. It seems the only thing Julian has left—the only thing he's ever had, really—is the weight he is carrying. Jeff Boyd's beguiling first novel is a piercing exploration of faith, racial identity, love, and friendship—woven of acid humor, disarming vulnerability, and unforgettable poignance."

Jeff Boyd (Author), Jd Jackson (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Glass Palace

"The International Bestseller from the Man Booker Prize shortlisted author 'An absorbing story of a world in transition’ JM Coetzee 'A Doctor Zhivago for the Far East' The Independent Rajkumar is only another boy, helping on a market stall in the dusty square outside the royal palace, when the British force the Burmese King, Queen and all the Court into exile. He is rescued by the far-seeing Chinese merchant, and with him builds up a logging business in upper Burma. But haunted by his vision of the Royal Family, he journeys to the obscure town in India where they have been exiled. The story follows the fortunes – rubber estates in Malaya, businesses in Singapore, estates in Burma – which Rajkumar, with his Chinese, British and Burmese relations, friends and associates, builds up – from 1870 through the Second World War to the scattering of the extended family to New York and Thailand, London and Hong Kong in the post-war years."

Amitav Ghosh (Author), Ranjit Madgavkar (Narrator)

Audiobook

Oh, Sister: The powerful new novel from the author of Another Life

"Brought to you by Penguin. THE LIFE-AFFIRMING NOVEL ABOUT REAL-LIFE RELIGIOUS FANATICISM AND THE COURAGE OF THREE WOMEN WHO CONFRONT IT, FROM AUTHOR OF BBC2 BETWEEN THE COVERS PICK, ANOTHER LIFE HOW DO YOU LEAVE A CULT? Step into a world that lies behind the ordinary front doors of Britain. A place of loyal wives, obedient children, of faithful (and occasionally faithless) husbands. Meet Isobel, Jen and Zelda. They know how to please, and they know their place in this world is precarious. But what happens when they can longer be the person others want them to be – when they stop lying to themselves? Will each woman stay quiet and keep pleasing? Or will they stand up and fight? 'So movingly told' Good Housekeeping 'A touching novel about female friendship and finding strength when you need it most' Grazia ©2023 Jodie Chapman (P)2023 Penguin Audio"

Jodie Chapman (Author), Susannah Fielding (Narrator)

Audiobook

Not Alone

"IN A DYING WORLD, HOW FAR WILL A MOTHER GO TO SAVE HER CHILD? 'Not Alone kept me breathless with tension.' - Emma Donoghue, bestselling author of Room 'Intensely moving, genuinely gripping, plausible and absorbing' - Charlotte Mendelson, author of The Exhibitionist Five years ago, a toxic microplastics storm killed most of the population. Now Katie, a young mother, must forage and hunt the few surviving animals for meat as she attempts to feed her little boy, Harry. At a time when stepping outside could kill you, Harry is kept indoors at all costs, never venturing beyond the door to their one-bedroom flat. The bodies begin to build up around them and layers of poisonous dust hang heavily in the air, seeping into the soil and slowly killing anything attempting to cling onto the natural world. Then, after years without human contact, Katie and Harry are terrified by the unwelcome arrival of another survivor. Katie realises she must undertake a previously unthinkable journey in search of the man she was supposed to marry and a new life for her son. But outside their safe haven, Katie and Harry encounter a dangerous world that is forever changed . . ."

Sarah K. Jackson (Author), Helen Keeley (Narrator)

Audiobook

Pineapple Street

"Brought to you by Penguin. This unputdownable debut follows three women in an old Brooklyn Heights clan: one who was born with money, one who married into it, and one who wants to give it all away. Darley, the eldest daughter in the well-connected, carefully-guarded Stockton family, has never had to worry about money. Darley followed her heart, trading her job and her inheritance for motherhood, sacrificing more of herself than she ever intended. Sasha, Darley's new sister-in-law, has come from more humble origins, and her hesitancy about signing a pre-nup has everyone worried about her intentions. And Georgiana, the baby of the family, has fallen in love with someone she can't (and really shouldn't) have, and must confront the kind of person she wants to be. Shot through with the indulgent pleasures of life among New York's one per centers - glittering parties, weekend homes and hungover brunches - Pineapple Street is a scintillating, escapist novel that sparkles with wit and wry humour. Full of recognisable, loveable if fallible characters (and a few appalling ones!), it's about the peculiar unknowability of someone else's family, the miles between the haves and have-nots and everything in between. © Jenny Jackson 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022"

Jenny Jackson (Author), Marin Ireland (Narrator)

Audiobook

Greek Lessons

"Brought to you by Penguin. The unforgettable novel from Booker International Prize winner Han Kang, author of The Vegetarian. In this compelling and beautifully-patterned novel, Han Kang tells the interwoven stories of a Greek instructor who is losing his sight and a woman who refuses to speak. Uniquely involving, and thoughtful, it explores the depths and limits of human connection. A remarkable and timeless writer, Han Kang's words and stories go to the heart of what it means to be human - to be a species capable of both utmost violence and utmost love. With enormous tact, clarity and tenderness she examines the lives of the overlooked and the little seen, affording them a grace and dignity which makes them unforgettable. 'Han Kang is what most writers spend their lives trying to be: a fearless, unsentimental teller of human truths' Lisa McInerney 'Han Kang's vivid and at times violent storytelling will wake up even the most jaded of literary palates' Independent ©2023 Han Kang (P)2023 Penguin Audio"

Han Kang (Author), Earl T. Kim, Greta Jung (Narrator)

Audiobook

Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl

"It's 1938, and a young woman selling face cream out of a New York City beauty parlor is determined to prove she can have it all. Her name is Estée Lauder, and she's about to take the world by storm, in this dazzling new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces and Park Avenue Summer. In New York City, you can disappear into the crowd. At least that's what Gloria Downing desperately hopes as she tries to reinvent herself after a devastating family scandal. She's ready for a total life makeover and a friend she can lean on-and into her path walks a young, idealistic woman named Estée. Their chance encounter will change Gloria's life forever. Estée dreams of success and becoming a household name like Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, and Revlon. Before Gloria knows it, she is swept up in her new friend's mission and while Estée rolls up her sleeves, Gloria begins to discover her own talents. After landing a job at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York's finest luxury department store, Gloria finds her voice, which proves instrumental in opening doors for Estée's insatiable ambitions. But in a world unaccustomed to women with power, they'll each have to pay the price that comes with daring to live life on their own terms and refusing to back down."

Renée Rosen (Author), Hillary Huber (Narrator)

Audiobook

Only the Beautiful

"A Best Historical Fiction of Spring Pick by Amazon, PopSugar, AARP, and BookBub! A heartrending story about a young mother's fight to keep her daughter, and the terrible injustice that tears them apart, by the USA Today bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things and The Last Year of the War. California, 1938-When she loses her parents in an accident, sixteen-year-old Rosanne is taken in by the owners of the vineyard where she has lived her whole life as the vinedresser's daughter. She moves into Celine and Truman Calvert's spacious house with a secret, however-Rosie sees colors when she hears sound. She promised her mother she'd never reveal her little-understood ability to anyone, but the weight of her isolation and grief prove too much for her. Driven by her loneliness she not only breaks the vow to her mother, but in a desperate moment lets down her guard and ends up pregnant. Banished by the Calverts, Rosanne believes she is bound for a home for unwed mothers. But she soon finds out she is not going to a home of any kind, but to a place that seeks to forcibly take her baby - and the chance for any future babies - from her. Austria, 1947-After witnessing firsthand Adolf Hitler's brutal pursuit of hereditary purity-especially with regard to "different children"-Helen Calvert, Truman's sister, is ready to return to America for good. But when she arrives at her brother's peaceful vineyard after decades working abroad, she is shocked to learn what really happened nine years earlier to the vinedresser's daughter, a girl whom Helen had long ago befriended. In her determination to find Rosanne, Helen discovers a shocking American eugenics program-and learns that that while the war had been won in Europe, there are still terrifying battles to be fought at home."

Susan Meissner (Author), Jorjeana Marie, Xe Sands (Narrator)

Audiobook

Preloved: A sparklingly witty and relatable debut novel

"'Lauren Bravo is one of my very favourite writers' Dolly Alderton Gwen is coasting through life. She's in her mid-thirties, perpetually single, her friends are busy procreating in the countryside and conversations with her parents seem to revolve entirely around the council's wheelie-bin timetable. And she's lonely. But then, isn't everyone? When she's made redundant from a job she hardly cares about, she takes herself out for a fancy dinner. There she has the best sticky toffee pudding of her life and realises she has no one to tell. She vows to begin living her life fully, reconnect with her friends and family, and finally book that dentist's appointment. Gwen decides to start where all things get a second chance: her local charity shop. There, with the help of the weird and wonderful people and donated items bursting with untold stories, Gwen will find a way to move forward with bravery, tenacity, and more regular dental care. Dazzlingly witty, Preloved is a tale about friendship, loss and being true to yourself no matter the expectations. Lovingly celebrating the enduring power and joy of charity shops. Praise for Preloved 'An absolute gem of a novel' Sarra Manning 'I think I've been waiting for a novel like Preloved for my whole reading life' Daisy Buchanan 'Preloved is full of sharp observations on life, loss, regret and self-preservation' Julietta Henderson, author of The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman 'Just like that once-in-a-lifetime charity shop find, Preloved is a gleaming prize to be treasured' Caroline O'Donoghue, author of Promising Young Woman 'Preloved has taken up residence in my heart and I will be recommending it to everyone I know . . . I'm officially obsessed' Lucy Vine 'Laugh-out-loud funny but also poignant and tender' Laura Price, author of Single Bald Female"

Lauren Bravo (Author), Jane Collingwood (Narrator)

Audiobook

Small Animals Caught in Traps: A Novel

"For readers of Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone and David Vann’s Legend of a Suicide, C. B. Bernard’s debut novel shows a father and a daughter fighting toward hope through a traumatic past. In the town of Disappointment, Oregon, washed-up boxer Lewis Yaw makes ends meet as a fishing guide. He’s lived a life of violence, but doesn’t understand real strength until he meets Janey, who can see good in even the most damaged things—including him. When she gives birth to their daughter, Grayling, Lewis worries that he’ll mess her up as badly as his father did him. But he also sees a chance to right the wrongs of the past. By high school, Gray has become his apprentice guide, his sparring partner, and his pride and joy. Life in their small town is nothing short of challenging—there’s a marauding bear roaming the streets, a rival guide trying to kill Lewis, and a poacher littering deer carcasses along the river—but he is closer to happiness than he ever thought possible. When tragedy strikes, Lewis can’t break free of his past, leaving Gray to fight to save the only thing she has left: her family."

C. B. Bernard (Author), Chris Henry Coffey (Narrator)

Audiobook

First Comes Summer: A Novel

"The spellbinding story of a young woman's dangerous passion as it plays out over the course of an eerie summer In their remote Viking settlement, Folkví and her brother, Áslakr, have always been close-unnaturally close. They've grown more intimate still as Folkví learns her shaman mother's craft, as men regard her with newly devouring eyes. Then illness carries off their parents, and the nest of home is shattered. Áslakr sets off on his first expedition, abandoning Folkví to the dark of an endless winter. When he returns, he's done the unthinkable: He's found someone else to love. Sick with grief, Folkví rages to the gods where they sit at the foot of an ancient tree, contemplating the twisted passions of humans that play out in the face of an ever-approaching end of days. Will none of them save her now? Very well, Folkví will save herself. The wedding date is set. But first comes a fateful summer. . . Deeply unsettling and brilliantly imagined, First Comes Summer captures the terror of losing the world you've always known-and the uncanny extremes to which you might go to hold on to it."

Maria Hesselager (Author), Elizabeth Evans (Narrator)

Audiobook

Literary Fiction Audiobooks in Literature