Download the Popular Authors Audiobooks in Fiction, Contemporary

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Title: Woman at 1,000 Degrees

Author: Hallgrímur Helgason

Narrator: Suzanne Toren

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-11-18

Publisher: Recorded Books

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

"I live here alone in a garage, together with a laptop computer and a hand grenade. It's pretty cozy."

And...she's off. Eighty-year-old Herra Bjornsson, one of the most original narrators in literary history, takes listeners along with her on a dazzling ride of a novel that spans the events and locales of the 20th century.

As she lies alone in that garage in the heart of Reykjavik, waiting to die, Herra reflects - in a voice by turns darkly funny, bawdy, poignant, and always, always smart - on the mishaps, tragedies, and turns of luck that took her from Iceland to Nazi Germany, from the United States to Argentina and back to a post-crash, high-tech, modern Iceland.

Born to a prominent political family, Herra's childhood begins in the idyllic islands of western Iceland. But when her father makes the foolish decision to cast his lot with a Hitler on the rise, she soon finds herself abandoned and alone in war-torn Europe, relying on only her wits and occasional good fortune to survive.

For Herra is, ultimately, a fierce survivor, a modern woman ahead of her time who is utterly without self-pity despite the horrors she has endured. With death approaching, she remembers the husbands and children she has loved and lost, and tries, for the first time, to control her own fate by defying her family's wishes and setting a date for her cremation - at a toasty temperature of 1,000 degrees. Each chapter of Herra's story is a piece of a haunting puzzle that comes together beautifully in the book's final moments.

Originally published in Icelandic and based on a real person whom author Hallgrimur Helgason encountered by chance, Woman at 1,000 Degrees was a best seller in Germany, France, and Denmark, and has been compared to "John Irving on speed." But it is deeply moving as well, the story of a woman swept up by the forces of history.

With echoes of All the Light We Cannot See and The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, as well as European tours de force such as The Tin Drum, Woman at 1,000 Degrees is, ultimately, original, introducing a fresh new voice to American audiences.

Members Reviews:

An example of the genre of elderly-person-reflecting-on-life, this looks ...

An example of the genre of elderly-person-reflecting-on-life, this looks at a slice of the world most Americans don't know- Iceland. Helgason has created a fairly repugnant character in Herra and takes us through her life, especially focusing on the war years. So many of the characters in this genre are unlikable and she's no exception. Much as I hoped for a positive with this, as I've been to Iceland and follow news there, I found this not my cup of tea and DNF. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

a good premise, but the presentation falls short

"Woman at 1,000 Degrees" by Hallgrimur Helgason is a novel about an old woman, and the memories she chooses to share about her life, which involved travel and much experience. The author's style is somewhat clever and he tries to be wry and tongue-in-cheek as he speaks in the protagonist's voice, but it mostly comes off as just snarky and needlessly provocative. The author writes well, but the material fails to hit the mark.

Funny and Sarcastic.

I love this book. It's highly entertaining, clever and funny. The deathbed confession of a woman who lived her life way

ahead of her time.

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Title: The End of Summer

Author: Rosamunde Pilcher

Narrator: Jilly Bond

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-12-17

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

From beloved British author Rosamunde Pilcher comes a charming audiobook as warm and soothing as The End of Summer.

After years in the United States, Jane returns to the tranquil Scottish estate Elvie, where she spent a magical childhood. Memories of Elvie had always summoned the image of Sinclair, the rakish man Jane had once dreamed of marrying, but now that she is home, she finds Sinclair a different man. His charm has a purpose, and Jane can no longer trust him...or herself, in The End of Summer.

When you listen to a novel by Rosamunde Pilcher, you enter a special world where emotions sing from the heart. A world that lovingly captures the ties that bind us to one another - the joys and sorrows, heartbreaks and misunderstandings, and glad, perfect moments when we are in true harmony. A world filled with evocative, engrossing, and above all enjoyable portraits of people's lives and loves, tenderly laid open for us....

Critic Reviews:

"Her genius is to create characters you really care for." (

Daily Express)

Members Reviews:

good story again pilcher

good story again pilcher !!

so boring always the same thing artists and their daughters

I can't get past the first chapter....so boring always the same thing artists and their daughters..... :( maybe sometime in the future I will pick it up again.....

LOVE Rosamunde Pilcher

LOVE Rosamunde Pilcher, I read her books at least 3 times a year! I wish she would have one more come out!

Wish she'd write more!!

I have read every thing Rosamund Pilcher has written - I love her books - I love that they are (mostly) set in Scotland. Recomended reading - not heavy - just enjoyable.

Five Stars

Rosamunde Pilcher is one of my favorite authors. The characters she creates are well-drawn, authentic, and believable.

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Title: Three Floors Up

Author: Eshkol Nevo, Sondra Silverston - translator

Narrator: Deepti Gupta, Neil Shah

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-10-17

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Set in an upper-middle-class Tel Aviv apartment building, this best-selling and warmly acclaimed Israeli novel examines the interconnected lives of its residents, whose turmoils, secrets, unreliable confessions, and problematic decisions reveal a society in the midst of an identity crisis.

On the first floor, Arnon, a tormented retired officer who fought in the First Intifada, confesses to an army friend with a troubled military past how his obsession about his young daughter's safety led him to lose control and put his marriage in peril.

Above Arnon lives Hani, known as "the widow", whose husband travels the world for his lucrative job while she stays at home with their two children, increasingly isolated and unstable. When her brother-in-law suddenly appears at their door begging her to hide him from loan sharks and the police, she agrees in spite of the risk to her family, if only to bring some emotional excitement into her life.

On the top floor lives a former judge, Devora. Eager to start a new life in her retirement, Devora joins a social movement, desperately tries to reconnect with her estranged son, and falls in love with a man who isn't what he seems.

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: The Burning Girl

Author: Claire Messud

Narrator: Morgan Hallett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-29-17

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 110 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A bracing, hypnotic, coming-of-age story about the bond of best friends, from the New York Times best-selling author of The Emperor's Children.

Julia and Cassie have been friends since nursery school. They have shared everything, including their desire to escape the stifling limitations of their birthplace, the quiet town of Royston, Massachusetts. But as the two girls enter adolescence, their paths diverge and Cassie sets out on a journey that will put her life in danger and shatter her oldest friendship.

Claire Messud, one of our finest novelists, is as accomplished at weaving a compelling fictional world as she is at asking the big questions: To what extent can we know ourselves and others? What are the stories we create to comprehend our lives and relationships? Brilliantly mixing fable and coming-of-age tale, The Burning Girl gets to the heart of these matters in an absolutely irresistible way.

Members Reviews:

Notable more for the ideas an insights than story.

A powerfully insightful view into the human, especially female experience; each alone but seeking others.

To what extent can we really know another?

The book explores the world of girls coming of age. It is honest in its exploration of the layers that females grow for protection and survival.

Not Very Captivating

I struggled to finish this book. There were several moments that sparked a curiosity within me, then the glimpse of an almost-intriguing plot would pass and I was left uninterested again. There were some moments that mildly captured my curiosity, but at no point was I impassioned. The climax to this book was lacking, and the performance was less than captivating. I wouldn't recommend.

Teenage angst

Teenage angst. That's really all this story is about, unfortunately. There just isn't enough story development.

This was a waste of time

NYT had high praise for this book so i ordered it. The plot was extremely thin.

The Times review said that anything with the word "girl" in the title seemed to do extremely well. That seems to be this book's only hook

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Title: Map of the Heart

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Susan Wiggs

Narrator: Christina Traister

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-22-17

Publisher: Harper Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 110 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Love and family. War and secrets. Betrayal and redemption.

New York Times best-selling author Susan Wiggs returns with a deeply emotional and atmospheric story that spans oceans and decades, from the present-day Delaware shore to the battlefields of WWII France.

Widowed by an unspeakable tragedy, Camille Palmer has made her peace with the past and settled into the quiet safety of life with her teenage daughter, Julie, in a sleepy coastal town. Then the arrival of a mysterious package breaks open the door to her family's secret past. In uncovering a hidden history, Camille has no idea that she's embarking on an adventure that will utterly transform her.

Camille, Julie, and Camille's father return to the French town of his youth, sparking unexpected memories - recollections that will lead them back to the dark days of the Second World War. And it is in the stunning Provençal countryside that they will uncover their family's surprising history.

While Provence offers answers about the past, it also holds the key to Camille's future. Along the way she meets a former naval officer who stirs a passion deep within her - a feeling that she thought she'd never experience again.

Now this hugely popular author has created her biggest, most powerful story yet - a beautiful and heartfelt novel that celebrates the bonds of family and pays homage to the sacrifices of the past.

Members Reviews:

Great story

Deep, rich story! Amazing narrator-male, female, old young, French voices. Blending of history and contemporary story, with heartbreak of loss and fulfillment of love and family.

interesting

So this is the typical "chick flick" type of book i.e widow afraid to love is brought back to life and love when she meets her perfect man. everyone even the teenager is happy in the end. really? in this day and age? but the book is interesting

Too much fluff and nonsense

Could only make it through first three chapters to get to the story but gave up.

Loved it!

Another wonderful story that hit home on so many levels. The characters were unique, and endearing, I can only hope this is a series!

Great Read!

Not vintage Wiggs, but better than some of her more recent books

I thought Susan Wiggs's early books were really great. In this book she gets back towards those early efforts. The book is not as formulaic as some from her Lakeside series. But it still lacks the gritty real life characteristics of her first novels.

The narrator is weak. I was able to continue listening. But she doesn't have very good read them or sensitive matching her voice to the level of intensity of the passage in the book. And her male voices need a lot of help.

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Title: The Bookshop at Water's End

Author: Patti Callahan Henry

Narrator: Andi Arndt, Lauren Fortgang, Shannon McManus, Dorothy Dillingham Blue

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-11-17

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 70 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The women who spent their childhood summers in a small Southern town discover it harbors secrets as lush as the marshes that surround it....

Bonny Blankenship's most treasured memories are of idyllic summers spent in Watersend, South Carolina, with her best friend, Lainey McKay. Amid the sand dunes and oak trees draped with Spanish moss, they swam and wished for happy ever afters, then escaped to the local bookshop to read and whisper in the glorious cool silence. Until the night that changed everything, the night that Lainey's mother disappeared.

Now in her early 50s, Bonny is desperate to clear her head after a tragic mistake threatens her career as an emergency room doctor, and her marriage crumbles around her. With her troubled teenage daughter, Piper, in tow, she goes back to the beloved river house, where she is soon joined by Lainey and her two young children. During lazy summer days and magical nights, they reunite with bookshop owner Mimi, who is tangled with the past and its mysteries. As the three women cling to a fragile peace, buried secrets and long ago loves return like the tide.

Members Reviews:

Very satisfying

Why Read it? Do you need to ask? It has bookshop in the title what other reason do I need! I have listened to at least one other by this author and liked it as well.

Plot. Two summer friends end up back at the beach house they knew as children. Lainey lost her mother there when she was 13 yrs and has never got over it - lost as in went missing. Bonnie is a doctor who had something go wrong in the emergency room and she is awaiting the outcome. And she has just left her husband. As well there is her daughter Piper who has a few issues. Mimi runs the bookshop and she knows what her buyers need to read, not what they might want.

What Appealed to me? I loved this story of three women, lost somewhat, at turning points in their lives. It was thought provoking as well. It was about loss and love, making mistakes, finding out who you really are. I listened to the audio version of this book and the three narrators were excellent. I think this will be one of my favourite books of 2017.

Almost a really good book

I had read another book by this author, The Stories We Tell, and liked it, and was looking forward to this one. I liked the female characters, their very real anxieties, foibles, and struggles with authenticity. But as with many books of this genre, I find the male characters sorely lacking in depth. They may have depth, but they just arent fleshed out. They seem to be foils for the female protagonists, love interests who are rather one-dimensional. With a little more attention to their stories, I think this could have been an even better book.

Wonderful

loved it. Bonnie s voice was my favorite. so smooth and clear . recommend this book to all women

half good

the first half of the book was good a nd then it became sloop slow and boring

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Title: Ginny Moon

Author: Benjamin Ludwig

Narrator: Em Eldridge

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 05-02-17

Publisher: Harlequin Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 138 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

READ THE BOOK CRITICS ARE RAVING ABOUT!

A brilliant debut. Graeme Simsion, New York Times bestselling author of The Rosie Project

A heartwarming and unforgettable page-turner. Booklist, starred review

A powerful affirmation of the fragility and strength of families. Publishers Weekly, starred review

At once captivating and heart-wrenching. Ginny's is a unique and compelling voice. Ginny Moon is original, revealing and timely. And, with any luck, it will spark much-needed conversations around foster care, adoption and autism. The Toronto Star

Full of great big heart and unexpected humor, Ludwig's debut introduces the lovable, wholly original Ginny Moon who discovers a new meaning of family on her unconventional journey home.

Ginny Moon is exceptional. Everyone knows ither friends at school, teammates on the basketball team, and especially her new adoptive parents. They all love her, even if they don't quite understand her. They want her to feel like she belongs.

What they don't know is that Ginny has no intention of belonging. She's found her birth-mother on Facebook, and is determined to get back to hereven if it means going back to a place that was extremely dangerous. Because Ginny left something behind and she's desperate to get it back, to make things right.

Benjamin Ludwig's whip-smart, unforgettable novel is an illuminating look at one girl's journey to find her way home and one of the freshest debuts in years.

Critic Reviews:

"Ginny Moon is a brilliant debut.... I was unable to put the book down.... This novel has all the elements for critical and popular success!" (Graeme Simsion, New York Times best-selling author of The Rosie Project)

Members Reviews:

Wonderful

As a social worker who works with children at risk I found this to be a very truthful account. It deals with things not only from the parent perspective but from the child perspective, who in this case is a child who has autism. Very informative read with a great storyline!

Great story, easy listening

This book was great, I enjoyed listening from the perspective of an autistic mind. There was a little mystery about "her baby" and I liked the twists and turns. Kept me interested and an easy read.

Frustrated Me as a Reader

I waffled between rating this book 3 and 4 stars. Years ago, I read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and had a similar 3-star reading experience. Both books are critically acclaimed, loved by readers, and told from the perspective of an autistic child. Bottom line: I did not love either of these books but I am happy I read them. I appreciate Ginny Moon as a work of art based on the experiences of the author, and trust its accuracy in capturing the thought and speech patterns of a 14-year old autistic girl. I understand that my frustrations with this narrator are mostly unfounded - but I was still a frustrated reader most of the time. Readers up for the challenge should proceed with caution - but this could be a very satisfying journey for some.

Wow, just wow!

I have never read a better book about a person with autism. The voice of Ginny, the fourteen-year-old, is perfectly portrayed by both author and narrator. They capture the disconnect between the world in Ginny's mind and the outer world where she doesn't feel that she belongs.

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Title: I Love Dick

Author: Chris Kraus, Eileen Myles - foreword

Narrator: Teri Schnaubelt, Susan Ericksen, David de Vries

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-21-17

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 44 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In I Love Dick, published in 1997, Chris Kraus, author of Aliens & Anorexia, Torpor, and Video Green, boldly tore away the veil that separates fiction from reality and privacy from self-expression. It's no wonder that I Love Dick instantly elicited violent controversies and attracted a host of passionate admirers. The story is gripping enough: in 1994 a married, failed independent filmmaker, turning forty, falls in love with a well-known theorist and endeavors to seduce him with the help of her husband. But when the theorist refuses to answer her letters, the husband and wife continue the correspondence for each other instead, imagining the fling the wife wishes to have with Dick. What follows is a breathless pursuit that takes the woman across America and away from her husband and far beyond her original infatuation into a discovery of the transformative power of first person narrative. I Love Dick is a manifesto for a new kind of feminist who isn't afraid to burn through her own narcissism in order to assume responsibility for herself and for all the injustice in the world and it's a book you won't put down until the author's final, heroic acts of self-revelation and transformation.

Members Reviews:

Almost Had To Abandon Entirely

This book is awful. The main character is so pretentious with almost no redeeming qualities so you have no reason to care about her or what happens to her. The obsessing over Dick and inability to get out of her head and vapid desires on top of trying to be over the top academic makes the story and characters completely unrelatable. Worst book purchase in a very long time.

Pretentious nonsense/not my cup of tea

I was not impressed by the authors effort to impress me. The whole scenario was ridiculous rather than interesting or amusing or intelligent. Audible gave me my credit back. Thank you audible. Possibly the tv show is better but I don't see Kevin bacon as a sex symbol (and I don't know any women who do).

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Title: The Horse Dancer

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Jojo Moyes

Narrator: Fiona Hardingham

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-11-17

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 241 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A quintessential Jojo Moyes novel about a lost girl and her horse, the enduring strength of friendship, and how even the smallest choices can change everything.

When Sarah's grandfather gives her a beautiful horse named Boo - hoping that one day she'll follow in his footsteps to join an elite French riding school, away from their gritty London neighborhood - she quietly trains in the city's parks and alleys. But then her grandfather falls ill, and Sarah must juggle horsemanship with school and hospital visits.

Natasha, a young lawyer, is reeling after her failed marriage: her professional judgment is being questioned, her new boyfriend is a letdown, and she's forced to share her house with her charismatic ex-husband. Yet when the willful 14-year-old Sarah lands in her path, Natasha decides to take the girl under her wing.

But Sarah is keeping a secret - a secret that will change the lives of everyone involved forever.

Members Reviews:

Sorry when it ended!

I absolutely adored this story! Mojo Moyes has an uncanny sense of human nature and emotions and uses them so subtly to make her characters entirely real! As a horsewoman myself, I especially appreciated the equestrian side of the story and could easily relate to the Saras feelings and experiences. Superb storytelling!

The best book I have ever read.

The best book I have ever read. It's touched me in the way no other audiobook did. Beautiful story. Beautifully narrated. Highly recommend it to anyone who is unafraid to feel emotions.

Not the best by JoJo Moyes, but still ok

Characters were good, narration good but storyline just dragged out to long. If ur a fan of the author it's worth a listen, if this is ur first JoJo book - try the others they are SO much better.

Meh.

Sad and slooooow. I love Jojo Moyes - but this was a swing and a miss.

Great book

Great horse book but you can also enjoy it even if your not a horse person and I loved the ending of the book.

Only criticism is they speak French in parts and do not translate it...

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Title: Almost Missed You

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Jessica Strawser

Narrator: Therese Plummer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-28-17

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 251 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Violet and Finn were "meant to be", said everyone, always. They ended up together by the hands of fate aligning things just so. Three years into their marriage, they have a wonderful little boy, and as the three of them embark on their first vacation as a family, Violet can't help thinking that she can't believe her luck. Life is good.

So no one is more surprised than she when Finn leaves her at the beach - just packs up the hotel room and disappears. And takes their son with him. Violet is suddenly in her own worst nightmare and faced with the knowledge that the man she's shared her life with she never really knew at all.

Caitlin and Finn have been best friends since way back when, but when Finn shows up on Caitlin's doorstep with the son he's wanted for kidnapping, demands that she hide them from the authorities, and threatens to reveal a secret that could destroy her own family if she doesn't, Caitlin faces an impossible choice.

Told through the alternating viewpoints of Violet, Finn, and Caitlin, Jessica Strawser's Almost Missed You is a powerful story of a mother's love, a husband's betrayal, connections that maybe should have been missed, secrets that perhaps shouldn't have been kept, and spaces between what's meant to be and what might have been.

Members Reviews:

AMAZING!

Original story.

Amazing narration

I connected with all the characters!

Absolutely loved this book!

Absolutely!

Different kind of love story

I wasn't sure where this book was leading but I enjoyed the trip. I liked how it was quite a different plot and it kept you guessing. I felt the build up didn't quite match the reveal - would have liked more intensity. Overall, well narrated and interesting enough to keep me listening.

Violet and Finn's past come back to haunt them

This book was definitely a page turner. I had no idea what to expect and I listened to the entire audiobook in one sitting. At the center of this book was a missing three-year-old boy and his frantic mother desperately looking answers to help her find him.

Violet and her husband Finn took their three-year-old son Bear to Florida for their first big family vacation. Finn takes Bear out so Violet can catch some sleep but when she wakes up, Finn and Bear have vanished. The question became, why would Finn take Bear and disappear.

I knew something wasnt right after I heard how perfect Violet and Finn were. Those kinds of comments foreshadow some unfortunate revelation that the only insiders would be privy to know. Then there was Caitlin, Finns best friend but also a close friend to Violet who was caught in the middle.

The author weaved this tale using the viewpoints of Violet, Finn and Caitlin both using the past as well as the current situation. I was able to follow the audio without getting lost because each person has different voice and different motive. As the secrets began unraveling, the true fear and driving force behind each characters actions were exposed.

This story reminds me that communication is the foundation of any lasting relationship. These characters didnt divulge some seriously important facets of their pasts and those secrets came to threaten their shallowly built future. It was well written and completely absorbed in the story.

I was desperately trying to figure out what the mystery at the heart of the abduction of a little boy.