Audiobooks narrated by Jen Zhao

The Best Short Stories 2026: The O. Henry Prize Winners

"The prestigious annual anthology features prize-winning stories by an international array of talented writers, including Weike Wang, Colm Tóibín, Louise Erdrich, Samanta Schweblin, Jenny Xie, Kevin Wilson, Brandon Taylor, and Catherine Lacey. Continuing a century-long tradition of cutting-edge literary excellence, this year's edition contains twenty prizewinning stories chosen from the thousands published in magazines over the previous year. Guest editor Tommy Orange has brought his own refreshing perspective to the prize, selecting stories by an engaging mix of celebrated names and emerging voices. The winning stories are accompanied by an introduction by Orange, observations from the winning writers on what inspired them, and an extensive resource list of magazines that publish short fiction. THE WINNING STORIES 'Five Bridges,' Colm Tóibín 'Flowers and Their Meanings,' Marie-Helene Bertino 'American Realism,' Brandon Taylor 'The Hare,' Ismael Ramos, translated from the Galician by Jacob Rogers 'Where Are You and Where Is My Money,' Ucheoma Onwutuebe 'Love of My Days,' Louise Erdrich 'Stick Season,' Jenny Xie 'She-Bear,' Evgenia Nekrasova, translated from the Russian by Marianna Suleymanova 'This Time and the Next,' Noel Quiñones 'Pretend,' Mary Williams 'Case Study,' Weike Wang 'Inês,' João Pedro Vala 'Tender,' Sarah LaBrie 'Earshot,' Guka Han, translated from the French by Katie Shireen Assef 'The Masterclass,' William Pei Shih 'Welcome to the Club,' Samanta Schweblin, translated from the Spanish by Megan McDowell 'Waiting, a Quintet,' Kimberly Blaeser 'Muscle to Muscle, Toe to Toe,' Kim Samek 'All Stories,' Kevin Wilson 'The Ghost Coat,' Catherine Lacey"

Tommy Orange (Author), A'rese Emokpae, Erin Tripp, Gary Furlong, Ines del Castillo, Jen Zhao, Lee Osorio, Peter Ganim (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Psychology of Music: A Very Short Introduction

"Music has been examined from multiple perspectives: as a product of human history, for example, or a product of human culture. But there is also a long tradition, intensified in recent decades, of thinking about music as a product of the human mind. Whether considering composition, performance, listening, or appreciation, the constraints and capabilities of the human mind play a formative role. The field that has emerged around this approach is known as the psychology of music. Written in a lively and accessible manner, this volume connects the science to larger questions about music that are of interest to practicing musicians, music therapists, musicologists, and the general public alike. For example: Why can one musical performance move an audience to tears, and another compel them to dance, clap, or snap along? How does a 'hype' playlist motivate someone at the gym? And why is that top-forty song stuck in everyone's head?"

Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis (Author), Jen Zhao (Narrator)

Audiobook

Beyond the Bipolar Label: A Workbook to Overcome Self-Stigma, Break Free from Shame, and Live Authentically

"You are more than your bipolar disorder. Cultivate self-worth, reclaim your identity, and live fully with this innovative and proven-effective workbook. If you have bipolar, you may experience painful self-stigma that is driven by others' opinions, discrimination, and your own life experiences. Self-stigma can affect your self-esteem, relationships, and work—and can lead to more emotional distress and even trigger future episodes. So, how can you move past the shame and negative self-talk that stand between you and lasting recovery? Written with deep warmth by an expert in bipolar—who lives with bipolar herself—and based on her Overcoming Self-Stigma in Bipolar Disorder program, this step-by-step workbook offers innovative, proven-effective, and empowering tools to help you increase your well-being and sense of self. You'll learn to challenge negative messages about what it means to have bipolar, humanize your mental health struggles, and cultivate unwavering self-compassion and self-acceptance. Most importantly, you'll come to understand that you are so much more than your diagnosis. Discover validating activities and skills to: unmask shame and reclaim your identity; replace negative thinking patterns; navigate talking to others about your bipolar; and improve your confidence. Bipolar is a part of your life experience, but it doesn't have to define who you are. If you're ready to move beyond the pain of self-stigma, reclaim your self-worth, balance your moods, and live your best life, this workbook can help guide you, step by step."

Andrea B. Vassilev PsyD (Author), Jen Zhao (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Trees Are Speaking: Dispatches from the Salmon Forests

"Ancient and carbon-rich, old-growth forests play an irreplaceable role in the environment. Their complex ecosystems clean the air, purify the water, cool the planet, and teem with life. In a time of climate catastrophe, old-growth and other natural forests face existential threats caused by humans―and their survival is crucial to ours. In a bicoastal journey, environmental journalist Lynda V. Mapes connects the present and future of Pacific Northwest forests to the legacy forests of the northeastern United States. Beginning in Oregon and Washington, where old growth supports, and is supported by, the region’s salmon, we meet Jerry Franklin, who led scientists in recognizing and studying the distinctiveness of these majestic spaces. From there, we journey to Vancouver Island, where Indigenous activists and scientists strive to preserve the health of Nuu-chah-nulth traditional homelands amid continued clearcutting. On the East Coast, we see the corduroy patterns of lands that have been logged for generations, leaving industrial carnage along formerly life-filled waterways. Mapes invites us to understand the world where trees are kin, not commodities. The Trees Are Speaking is a must-listen for those with a deep interest in environmental stewardship, Indigenous land rights, and the urgent challenges posed by climate change."

Lynda V. Mapes (Author), Jen Zhao (Narrator)

Audiobook

New Skin

"A piercing and provocative debut about the myth of beauty and assimilation in modern day America, told through the lense of a tumultous mother-daugther relationship. 'Horror, crime, and coming-of-age . . . inventive and brilliant' - Chris Kraus 'A page-turner that feels equal parts cinematic romp and serrated analysis of the most important issues of our day' - Maggie Nelson 'Intense, engaging, original and hilarious' - Colm Tóibín When Linli Feng returns home to LA after a three-year absence, she is shocked to find her mother, Fanny, unrecognizable. In her endless quest to achieve the 'right' kind of beauty, Fanny has spent the intervening years having bargain procedures in basement beauty parlours. But even as Linli tries to wean Fanny off her addiction, Fanny has another secret in store. She has won a spot on America's Beauty Extreme, a reality television competition in which botched plastic surgery addicts compete for reconstructive surgery. In Linli's attempt to rescue her mother from the sinister subculture that has claimed her face, she must at last confront the corrosive reality of the American dream at the heart of their relationship."

Sarah Wang (Author), Jen Zhao (Narrator)

Audiobook

Play It Again: A Novel

"“Classic small-town, homecoming rom-com goodness! I laughed, I gasped, and I wished I could be in the front row of the community theater. You’ll want this one in your beach bag!”—Lyla Sage, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Done and Dusted and Soul Searching When four former theater kids reunite after twenty years, forgotten crushes, unresolved tension, and fresh chemistry steal the spotlight in this charming queer ensemble rom-com. Love always deserves an encore. As teens, Annie, Lola, Vicky, and Dylan stole the show in a legendary gender-swapped version of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Two couples, one unforgettable summer—until the closing-night party tore them apart, and not all of them knew why. Now, with lives that look nothing like they imagined, the foursome is called home by their beloved director for a one-night-only revival to save the theater and the town. Returning to Rhodes means facing everything they left behind: long-buried secrets, undeniable chemistry, and the chance to write a brand-new ending—together. Brimming with nostalgia, wit, and small-town sparkle, Play It Again is a heartwarming story of first love, second chances, and the magic of finding your way back to the stage—and to the ones who knew you best."

Georgia Clark (Author), Elena Rey, Georgia Clark, Jen Zhao, Kristen Sieh, Patti Murin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Their Summer Rescue & Serving Up a Second Chance

"THEIR SUMMER RESCUE Saving the turtles… Leads to finding each other Dr. Nyla Dávila is devoted to protecting the turtles in Soledad Bay, her small community on the coast of Florida. So when her sea turtle research and education center falls victim to a cyberattack, she'll do whatever it takes to make sure she can continue her work for the animals-even if that means enlisting the alluring hacker Olivia Navarro. With the reputation of her company on the line, the last thing Olivia needs is to be distracted by the center's passionate director. But the more the two work together, the deeper Olivia falls under the spell of Soledad Bay-and Nyla. Can she rescue Nyla's dream and still keep her own heart safe? Soledad Bay Book 1: A Summer to Start Over Book 2: Their Summer Rescue SERVING UP A SECOND CHANCE A Sapphic Small-Town Romance with Cozy Farm Charm, a One-Night-Stand Reunion, Second Chances, and the Recipe to Love Rosie Franklin-Smith, junior editor at Savorist Magazine, dreams of writing award-winning features-but right now, she's stuck chasing stories like how to make a great soup stock. When an exclusive with reclusive celebrity chef Nicola Kim drops into her lap, Rosie has a shot at finally proving herself as a writer. Nicola recognizes Rosie's name on the interview request…as someone she had a one-night stand with ten years ago. As soon as Rosie arrives at Sugar Maple Farm, the chemistry between them burns back to life. But it's complicated. Rosie needs the real story behind Nicola's disappearance-and when she crosses a line, her actions threaten to destroy the fragile trust of their growing romance. Short, sweet, and cozy-Sugar Maple Farms delivers Canadian small-town romances that promise a guaranteed Happily Ever After, perfect for fans of Carley Fortune and Elsie Silver (but without the spice). Sugar Maple Farms Book 1: Her Fairy-Tale Farmer Book 2: Autumn Nights, Holiday Lights Book 3: Serving Up a Second Chance From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness. "

Elle Douglas, Sera Taíno (Author), Angel Pean, Jen Zhao (Narrator)

Audiobook

Nothing to My Name

"Bloomsbury presents Nothing to My Name by Kangkang Li Kovacs, read by Jen Zhao ‘Lyrical, haunting and profoundly moving, Nothing to My Name is a story of survival, identity and the fragile hope that passes from mother to daughter’ Jean Kwok ‘Nothing to My Name lives honestly in its history – foolhardy and loving and yet uncharted. A formidable and astonishing new voice’ T. Kira Madden ‘A gripping story of family bonds, redemption and triumph. A masterful debut!’ Marcela Fuentes 1948, Zhoushan, China. Twelve-year-old Ah Xue watches her mother earn a living combing the hair of the wealthy women in their small fishing village, as reports of civil war and the rising Communist revolution grow closer to home. Years later, Mimosa grows up in the shadow of her parents’ struggles, while the looming tension of the Cultural Revolution threatens to pull her family apart. And Fei, raised as a boy by the activist father she can’t help but idolise, grapples with her identity in the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Spanning four decades and three generations, Nothing to My Name braids an unforgettable story of the ordinary women caught in the tides of societal upheaval, but bound by an insuppressible instinct to survive. From an astonishing new writer, it explores with remarkable tenderness the enduring repercussions of trauma, the search for stability in disorder, and the often contradictory nature of familial love. P 2026 Penguin Random House LLC C 2026 Kangkang Li Kovacs"

Kangkang Li Kovacs (Author), Jen Zhao (Narrator)

Audiobook

Double Happiness: A Novel

"Caught between a relentless tech job, her adoring fiancé, and an unexpected new flame, Mei must learn what it means to choose herself. When Mei Li runs into Alexandre Brodeur at a family function, there's no denying their chemistry. It turns out Alexandre, whose brother is married to Mei's younger sister, is back in New York rebuilding his life after two decades toiling away in academic research. Somehow, Alexandre's different from the young scientist Mei met years ago. His intelligent eyes and quiet air of mystery have a magnetic effect, drawing her in like never before. But Mei's carefully constructed life has no room for Alexandre. She's engaged to Joey, a fellow Queens native who keeps her grounded as she pulls eighty-hour weeks at Livin, the tech world's hottest startup. After a childhood marked by financial and emotional turmoil, Mei finally has the stability she's always craved. In Mei's brief moments away from her crushing workload, Alexandre is an uncomfortably enticing presence. It doesn't take long for their thoughtful conversations and his electric gaze to get under her skin, leaving Mei to wonder what she really wants in work, life, and love. With her wedding date fast approaching, Mei has to make an impossible choice between two very different men. And after she does, she still must figure out what it truly means to have it all."

Heather Eng (Author), Jen Zhao (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Room with a View

"Joanna Ho, New York Times bestselling author of Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, returns with another sweet, funny book about summertime outdoor adventures and the unforgettable memories often made along the way. Mama's decided it's time for their next big outdoor adventure, but Oliver's not so sure. He's no fan of bazillion-mile, brain-melting car rides, sleeping someplace with bears, bugs, and bats, or the sticky, icky food! Blech! Mama may be convinced that memories are best made outdoors, but Oliver's determined to make this adventure his last. But is it all that bad? After hide n' seek, hiking, and s'mores, Oliver realizes that there just might be fun times and unforgettable moments to treasure after all. New York Times bestselling author, Joanna Ho, returns with another touching and hilarious story that highlights nature and family, and reminds us that the best views are the ones we share with those we love. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook."

Joanna Ho (Author), Jen Zhao (Narrator)

Audiobook

Serving Up a Second Chance

"A Sapphic Small-Town Romance with Cozy Farm Charm, a One-Night-Stand Reunion, Second Chances, and the Recipe to Love Rosie Franklin-Smith, junior editor at Savorist Magazine, dreams of writing award-winning features-but right now, she's stuck chasing stories like how to make a great soup stock. When an exclusive with reclusive celebrity chef Nicola Kim drops into her lap, Rosie has a shot at finally proving herself as a writer. Nicola recognizes Rosie's name on the interview request…as someone she had a one-night stand with ten years ago. As soon as Rosie arrives at Sugar Maple Farm, the chemistry between them burns back to life. But it's complicated. Rosie needs the real story behind Nicola's disappearance-and when she crosses a line, her actions threaten to destroy the fragile trust of their growing romance. Short, sweet, and cozy-Sugar Maple Farms delivers Canadian small-town romances that promise a guaranteed Happily Ever After, perfect for fans of Carley Fortune and Elsie Silver (but without the spice). Sugar Maple Farms Book 1: Her Fairy-Tale Farmer Book 2: Autumn Nights, Holiday Lights Book 3: Serving Up a Second Chance"

Elle Douglas (Author), Jen Zhao (Narrator)

Audiobook

My Dear You: A playful, tender and profound new collection from the bestselling author of Goodbye Vitamin and Real Americans

"Brought to you by Penguin. From the author of the New York Times bestselling REAL AMERICANS comes a playful, richly inquisitive collection exploring the connections and disruptions which define us. Throughout MY DEAR YOU, normal people go through extraordinary transformations. A government injects its people with a drug that makes them see everyone else as members of their own race and gender. A factory worker develops an unlikely friendship with the artificially intelligent sex doll she is tasked with training. God decides that humanity is a lost cause and gives each person 24 hours to decide in which animal form they will spend the rest of their days. Along the way, characters are confronted with supernatural and otherworldly interventions, as well as the earthly, human concerns that shape our daily lives: capitalism and race, intimacy, memory, and mortality. Playful and tender, dark and witty, each of these stories is infused with a profound sense of compassion. They express a powerful curiosity about the human experience, and the inescapable choices that meet us all: to have or not have children; to pursue connections with others in spite of life’s impermanence; how to live – and live well. © Rachel Khong 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026"

Rachel Khong (Author), Annie Q. Riegel, Jen Zhao, Jialing Pan, Rachel Khong (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Jen Zhao

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