Audiobooks narrated by Rebecca Stern

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2025

"A collection of the year’s best science fiction and fantasy short fiction selected by award-winning author of Death of the Author and the Binti Trilogy, Nnedi Okorafor, and series editor John Joseph Adams. The Best American series, launched in 1915, is the premier annual showcase for the country’s finest short fiction and nonfiction, and it is the most respected—and most popular—of its kind. Nnedi Okrafor selects twenty pieces that represent the best examples of the form published the previous year and explores the ever-expanding and changing world of science fiction and fantasy today."

John Joseph Adams, Nnedi Okorafor (Author), Cary Hite, Eunice Wong, Liz Femi, Rebecca Stern, Zach Villa (Narrator)

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Zephyr Trails

"Winner of the Independent Publishers Book Award! (IPPY) Winner of the Literary Titan Award! The fine line between friends and enemies blurs as Ellis Cady sets out to reach the new frontier of post-Civil War America. After waiting out winter at the Cady ranch in southern Missouri, hope blooms in the Spring of 1866. Ellis receives news of a mysterious man arriving in St. Louis. Will she find her father alive and well, or finally put his memory to rest? Grasping at the illusive promise of her father’s whereabouts, Ellis is distracted by the intrepid trick rider, Jimmie, a woman who rides with Levi Jack’s Wild West Exhibition. Then, talk of reinstating a messenger service akin to the Pony Express rekindles a faded dream. Since the war’s devastation, important letters and messages still need to get through a Western landscape governed by Indians and outlaws. When an untimely epidemic threatens, Ellis finds herself back in the saddle, a young woman and her horse on a perilous trail."

Nicki Ehrlich (Author), Rebecca Stern (Narrator)

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Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America

"This is the shocking true-life story of how PFAS—a set of toxic chemicals most people have never heard of—poisoned the entire country. Based on original, shoe-leather reporting in four highly contaminated towns and damning documents from the polluters’ own files, Poisoning the Well traces an ugly history of corporate greed and devastation of human lives. We learn that PFAS, the ‘forever chemicals’ found in everyday products, from cooking pans to mascara, are coursing through the veins of 97% of Americans. We witness the pain of families who lost sisters and daughters, cousins and neighbors after PFAS leached into their drinking water. We discover evidence that the makers of forever chemicals may have known for decades about the deadly risks of their products—because their own scientists have been documenting these dangers since the 1960s. And we see the failure of our government, time after time, to provide basic protections to its citizens. It is impossible to read this searing exposé without being infuriated by the recklessness of corporate America. But readers will also be awed by the spirit of ordinary people who, while fighting for their own lives, took it upon themselves to fix a broken regulatory system. Heart-wrenching and maddening, stirring and uplifting, Poisoning the Well offers a unique window into the worst and best of human nature. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about the unfettered power of industry and the invisible threat it poses to the health of the nation—and to each of us."

Rachel Frazin, Sharon Udasin (Author), Rebecca Stern (Narrator)

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Illusionist

"A contemporary crime thriller perfect for Louise Penny and Robert Dugoni fans, Illusionist presents PI McPherson with an impossible dilemma: kill an author at a writing retreat in the Pacific Northwest, or let a college student die. WHEN AN ILLUSIONIST joins the Pines & Quill writing retreat, one of the owners vanishes without a trace in the middle of everyone—but the surrounding would-be witnesses don’t see or hear a thing. That’s when crime boss Georgio Gambino makes a checkmate move against his nemesis, Sean McPherson—he attempts to blackmail a writer in residence into killing another writer and framing McPherson. In a video call, Gambino warns the writer, “If you don’t follow orders, your daughter will die.” Then he pans the camera to prove his access to her college dorm room. As he begins to investigate, McPherson discovers that Carmine Fiore, Gambino’s second in command, covets his boss’s role and is staging a coup. As Gambino’s soldiers traffic drugs, weapons, and humans, Fiore plants incriminating evidence against the notorious Sureños gang. Can McPherson leverage that knowledge for a temporary truce and the gang’s help? Even if he can, the Sureños gang won’t be enough alone. As the clock ticks down, McPherson gathers Pines & Quill’s writers in residence—a former NASCAR driver, a professional triathlete, an architect turned house flipper, and a world-renowned magician who may not be who she appears to be—to create the illusion of a lifetime."

Laurie Buchanan (Author), Rebecca Stern (Narrator)

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Postcards to Hitler: A German Jew’s Defiance in a Time of Terror

"Benno Neuburger, a modest land investor from Munich and Anna Einstein daughter of a cattle dealer from Laupheim, marry in 1907. They begin their lives together with great hope. It is a relatively prosperous time and a very optimistic one for German Jews who are enjoying a social renaissance in the industrializing, urbanizing rising star that is Germany. It’s not clear that this good fortune might begin to unravel. Even as news of an assassination in an “obscure” Balkan corner of the continent passes like a cold wind through Munich on a warm beer-garden July day, people shudder but feel no great alarm. Yet what follows is a war provoked by inter-colonialist competition. It is prolonged and bloody, giving way to German defeat, revolution, a brief socialist interlude in Munich, a merciless counter revolution, and the pitiless demagoguery of defeated generals. So marks the commencement of an era of nearly relentless distress and turmoil for Germany. The lives of Benno and Anna and their extended families are amid this swirl—trying to make a life as they struggle to survive, as they cling to the hope of a peaceful resolution to crisis. But to no avail. Munich becomes the epicenter of German fascism fed by nationalist resentment and racial madness – an offspring of European rivalries and colonialism. In the 1920s the brown shirts of Germany’s former African colonial army become the uniform of a domestic legion of terror. In the 1920s Benno, Anna and their children live as close neighbors to the demagogue who will become the Nazi leader. A slow-moving horror show envelops them in the years that follow. In the 1930s and 1940s: Emigrating children, a pogrom, a new war, evictions, “resettlement” via a train ride east . . . desperate acts of resistance, arrest, trial – as the holocaust plays out— all up close and personal: A human story told through the voices of those who lived it."

Bruce Neuburger (Author), Becky Parker, Bruce Neuburger, Elias Khalil, Heather Tracy, Jason Lasky, Keith O'Brien, Ken Teutsch, Kerr Lordygan, Peter Borys, Rebecca Stern, Samantha Cooper, Tristan Wright (Narrator)

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Ageless Aging: A Woman’s Guide to Increasing Healthspan, Brainspan, and Lifespan

"We are in the midst of a longevity revolution. And that’s particularly true for women: -Women can expect to live five years longer than men. -A 50-year-old woman can expect to live another 35 years, on average. -Women comprise 80% of centenarians, now the fastest growing segment of the world’s population. But despite these incredible statistics showing how women are living longer, women are not living well. Women typically spend the last 14 years of their lives in a cascade of poor health. And while current research suggests that some 70 to 90% of your health and longevity is under your control, rather than at the mercy of the genes you were born with, the reality is that most women are not taking advantage of the measures that could lead to a longer and better life. Ageless Aging presents a pioneering new way for women to age—an ascent that includes feeling youthful and vital while gaining wisdom, resilience, and experience. It provides a holistic plan that helps women take advantage of the scientific, medical, psychological, and spiritual tools available to them as they grow older. Women are at the forefront of the longevity revolution, and they need a trusted resource to help them thrive in old age. With her finger on the pulse of all the research, science, and information about longevity, aging, and the specific issues women face, Maddy Dychtwald is the perfect guide. She shows you how to take control of what you can control to create your best future self."

Kate Hanley, Maddy Dychtwald (Author), Rebecca Stern (Narrator)

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Iniquity

"Crime boss Georgio Gambino abducts Sean “Mick” McPherson’s pregnant wife, Emma, and his friend’s two daughters and contracts to sell them and another group of women—some into forced labor, others as sex slaves, and a few for their organs. Gambino confines three best friends—Mick, a PI; Joe, a homicide detective; and Rafferty, an FBI special agent—to Pines & Quill writing retreat and pits them against each other with a warning: “Mick, if you try to save Emma, I’ll kill Joe’s daughters. Joe, if you try to save your daughters, I’ll kill Emma. And Rafferty, if you help Mick or Joe, I’ll kill your fiancée, Ivy.” With help from the writers in residence—a fiction novelist, a retired maritime pilot, the granddaughter of a legendary pearl diver, and a prior mountain climber now double-amputee—Mick, Joe, and Rafferty manage to sneak away and journey to Mount Baker, where the captives await transport. Along the way, the three best friends learn the lines they’ll cross to save the people they love."

Laurie Buchanan (Author), Rebecca Stern (Narrator)

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Stockholm: A Novel

"“Hilarious, refreshing, tightly plotted, and vividly written. An irresistible read.”—Jonas Jonasson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared “A seriously funny take on death and dying.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review An ingeniously plotted dark comedy by Noa Yedlin, ''a master at tone'' (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) about aging and friendship following a tight-knit circle of seniors as they attempt to hide the death of one of their best friends so he can win the Nobel Prize for Economics. Avishay is up for the Nobel Prize for Economics. There’s just one problem—he’s dead. His four closest friends agree that the well-earned prize must stay within his grasp, and so conspire to conceal Avishay’s corpse until the committee’s announcement. The potential of a glorious legacy for their late friend – and by extension, for them all – is only a mere eight days away. What could go wrong? Each member of the quartet has their own motive for the scheme. Zohara, Avishay’s longtime secret lover, needs her widowhood acknowledged through an inheritance. Amos, a less successful academic than his late friend, is proving he can overcome his jealousy. Insecure magnate Yehuda needs the association to promote his own upcoming book. And Nili, a divorcee chafing against her grandmotherly expectations, thrills at the adventure. Their plan starts out simple: turn up the AC, take shifts watching the apartment, forge texts and emails on the deceased’s behalf. But as the days pass, they are confronted with surprise visitors, hidden motives, deep-seated resentments and the devices of nature herself. How far will this foursome go to help their friend die a winner? Packed into a drama-filled week, bristling with insight and dark humor, Stockholm offers a refreshingly honest consideration of the age when we begin to measure the sum of our lives."

Noa Yedlin (Author), Neil Hellegers, Rebecca Stern (Narrator)

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Impervious

"In the village of Fairhaven—nestled between Washington state’s Bellingham Bay and the Cascade Mountains, home to writers’ retreat Pines & Quill—friends and family have gathered for the union of Sean McPherson and Emma Benton. Sean has been working with the FBI and local police to help solve crimes, particularly murders bearing the mark of crime boss Georgio “The Bull” Gambino. Emma, who has just learned to walk again, has begun to feel at home and hopes to one day raise a family. But just as the festivities begin and corks fly, an explosion shatters everything, killing one and injuring others. From Bellingham to San Francisco and New Orleans, the chase is on to discover who’s dead set on ensuring the newlyweds don’t live happily ever after. The writers currently in residence at Pines & Quill include a vineyard owner, a Bryn Mawr College professor, a special education teacher accompanied by her seeing-eye dog, and an intuitive who can’t—or won’t—identify the killer. Gambino has a knack for finding people in even the most inaccessible places to do his bidding. Could one of the writers be on his payroll?"

Laurie Buchanan (Author), Rebecca Stern (Narrator)

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Dear Jacob

"On October 22, 1989, in the small town of St. Joseph, Minnesota, eleven-year-old Jacob Wetterling was kidnapped at gunpoint. Twenty-seven years later, Danny Heinrich led authorities to the boy’s remains. What lies between is the riveting story of the search for Jacob, told by his mother, Patty. With down-to-earth candor, she details the investigation as it unfolds, discusses her family’s struggles, and shows how she maintained her energy and optimism. For her own survival, Patty chose to focus on hope. She became a speaker, trainer, and national advocate for missing children. Her lobbying work took her to Washington, DC, where in 1994 Congress passed the Jacob Wetterling Act, establishing a national sex offender registry. In 2013, the Wetterlings were joined on their quest for answers by two unlikely allies: local blogger Joy Baker and plumber Jared Scheierl. Baker convinced Scheierl to come forward and share his story about being kidnapped from a nearby town and sexually assaulted the same year as Jacob. Together, Baker and Scheierl uncovered a string of similar assaults that had never been fully investigated. The combined efforts of this foursome led to the breakthrough that solved the case. Dear Jacob offers not only a behind-the-scenes account of one of America's most notorious crimes but also a historical account of what has been done in the years since to combat the problem of missing and exploited children."

Joy Baker, Patty Wetterling (Author), Rebecca Stern (Narrator)

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Iconoclast

"Burdened by the pressing weight of survivor’s guilt, Sean McPherson, an ex-cop, is desperate for redemption. At Pines & Quill, a writer’s retreat in the Pacific Northwest, he and his fiancée, Emma Benton, are planning their lives together. He wants to go back into law enforcement. She plans to walk again. Georgio “The Bull” Gambino, head of a Seattle-based crime family, has a long reach. Like cockroaches, his minions infiltrate even the most inaccessible of places to do his bidding. With Seattle to the south, the Canadian border a stone’s throw to the north, and Bellingham Bay—a gateway to the Pacific Ocean—immediately to the west, Bellingham is the ideal location for the Gambino crime family to traffic drugs, weapons, and humans. But McPherson’s in Gambino’s way, which means he must be eliminated. The writers in residence at Pines & Quill include an Afghanistan War veteran, a professional photographer, a civil rights attorney, and a gourmet chef. But McPherson suspects that there’s more going on than the joy of creating plot twists. Is one of them conspiring murder outside the pages of their manuscript?"

Laurie Buchanan (Author), Rebecca Stern (Narrator)

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The Map Colorist: A Novel

"In 1660, Amsterdam is the trading and map-printing capital of the world. Anneke van Brug is one of the colorists paid to enhance black-and-white maps for a growing number of collectors. Her artistic talent brings her to the attention of the Blaeu printing house, and she begins to color for a rich merchant, Willem de Groot. But Anneke is not content to simply embellish the work of others; she longs to create maps of her own. Cartography, however, is the domain of men—so it is in secret that she borrows the notes her father made on a trip to Africa in 1642 and sets about designing a new map. Anneke hopes to convince the charismatic de Groot to use his influence to persuade Blaeu to include her map in the Atlas Maior, which will be the largest and most expensive publication of the century. But family secrets, infidelity, and murder endanger her dream. Will her map withstand these threats, or will it be forever lost?"

Rebecca D'harlingue (Author), Rebecca Stern (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Rebecca Stern