Simply The Best Audiobooks in Fiction, Contemporary to Listen Online

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Title: The Last Rock and Roll Show

Author: William Daniel White

Narrator: Stacey David

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-24-12

Publisher: White Holdings LLC

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

It's February 3, 1959 in Clear Lake, Iowa and Buddy Holly is in town for a big rock 'n roll show. To impress their dates, high school seniors and best friends, Billy and DJ, have "borrowed" a prized Cadillac belonging to Billy's uncle who is on vacation in Florida. It's the perfect time for DJ to try out his new, hand-held tape recorder and bootleg the highly anticipated show.

The next morning Billy and DJ hear the tragic news that Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper, while traveling to the next show, have been killed in a plane crash. The Day The Music Died.

In yet another twist of fate, the friends soon learn that the Cadillac has been stolen with the last recording of Buddy Holly still hidden under the front seat!

Billy and DJ embark on a nail-biting cross-country chase in a frantic hunt to find the stolen Cadillac and the priceless tapes, unaware that they are being hunted too... by rogue agents of the FCC. Along the way, Billy and DJ survive death-defying drag racing and narrowly escape tragedy at every turn, all the while, staying one step ahead of the crooked federal agents who want the tapes as badly as they do.

The whole mess is framed in the style of American Graffiti and is a must for classic car and rock 'n roll fans. This coming of age, family friendly nail-biter will keep you guessing through every bend and twisted turn in the road... right up to the end. Will the music live...or die?

Members Reviews:

great great story

great story love the way it was told really like the way every chapter just kept me wanting to lisn to the next one great book

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Titre: 1Q84 - Livre 1, Avril-Juin

Auteur: Haruki Murakami

Narrateur: Emmanuel Dekoninck, Maia Baran

Format: Unabridged

Durée: 16 hrs and 42 mins

Langue: Français

Date de publication: 02-05-12

Éditeur: Audiolib

Evaluation: 4.5 sur 5 sur 14 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Résumé de l'éditeur:

Le passé - tel qu'il était peut-être - fait surgir sur le miroir l'ombre d'un présent - différent de ce qu'il fut ?

Un événement éditorial sans précédent. Une œuvre hypnotique et troublante. Un roman d'aventures. Une histoire d'amour. Deux êtres unis par un pacte secret.

Dans le monde bien réel de 1984 et dans celui dangereusement séduisant de 1Q84 va se nouer le destin de Tengo et d'Aomamé...

L'auteur

Né à Kyoto en 1949,

est l'auteur de

qui lui a valu une consécration mondiale. Plusieurs fois pressenti pour le prix Nobel de littérature, il est aujourd'hui un auteur culte au Japon et son oeuvre est traduite dans plus de trente pays.

Les narrateurs

D'origine russo-polonaise,

est une jeune comédienne prometteuse qui vit en Belgique. Elle partage son métier entre le théâtre, des apparitions au cinéma et prête sa voix au doublage francophone de films, de séries télévisées et d'animation.

Interprète de théâtre reconnu et apprécié, metteur en scène et également compositeur de musique,

vit en Belgique.

© Belfond, un département de Place des Editeurs, 2011. Traduit du japonais par Hélène Morita, avec la collaboration de Yôko Miyamoto

© et (P) Audiolib, 2011

Revues par les critiques:

A propos de ce titre

Grand Prix du livre audio La Plume de Paon : Prix du Public Littérature contemporaine 2013.

La presse en parle

"Le charme opère : on est absorbé par cette lecture qui tient du manga et de l'uchronie, mais aussi et surtout par une atmosphère qui n'appartient qu'à Haruki Murakami."

Amélie Nothomb, Le Monde

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Title: Fanfare

Author: Renee Ahdieh

Narrator: Beth Richmond

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-15-11

Publisher: Revolution Publishing Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Cris Pereira hates starring in a cautionary tale. Alas, her recent heartbreak relegates her to this unbecoming fate. The only good thing about being dumped a foot from the altar is the newest layer to her punchy sarcasm. All she wants is a do-over, but this is not your average fairy tale, and wishes don't come true in the real world.

One Sunday afternoon, she meets a movie star. Tom Abramson is intelligent, charming, and impetuous. In other words, he plays the role a bit too well. She isn't falling for it. She knows better. All British men are not descendants of Fitzwilliam Darcy, and movie stars are genetic mutations gone awry: X-Men with statistical disadvantages and emotional handicaps. Keep your knight in shining armor. A modern girl can rescue herself, thank you very much. After all, dreams are for the foolhardy, nightmares are just a part of life, and . . . this is not your average fairy tale.

Members Reviews:

Fanfare

Would you listen to Fanfare again? Why?

If I listened again it would be because, an exceptional narration makes a good book, better.

If you???ve listened to books by Renee Ahdieh before, how does this one compare?

never listened to anything else by Ahdieh.

What about Beth Richmond???s performance did you like?

Beth Richmond did an exceptionally good narration. Beth's voice is pleasing to the ears. I love the way she makes every character distinct and gives so much to the personalities.Richmond has a lovely voice, and does any age, male or female in a believable way. I personally love to listen to anything she narrates, and bought this book because she is the narrator. You won't go wrong buying anything Ms. Richmond narrates. Her narration, of Jinx Schwartz's, Hetta Coffey series, was so amazing, that I now seek out books she narrates.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No, but Beth Richmond made the entire book fun and possible.

Any additional comments?

I recommend this book for Young Adults and up.

TOM!!!!!!!!!!

Loved every single part of this book! I was sucked in from the very beginning and could not stop listening. The story flowed flawlessly with perfectly developed characters! I fell in love with Tom and loved how his fame didn't affect his true character and his loyalty. I WANT A SEQUEL! Renee is a fantastic story teller and her words are so beatiful!

Classic Fantasy

This story pulled out every fantasy I had as a young woman whenever I'd broken up with somebody. Meeting the perfect, imperfect guy -- becoming famous and knowing my ex would be forced to see me (looking fabulous) on magazine covers! The story is saved from just being trite however, by good characters and heroine's (Christina) best friends. The book is a lot of fun and it falls into that delightful category of "mind candy", which we all need sometimes. The narrator, Beth Richmond, really takes this book to a higher level. Her character voices are exquisite and she brings the scenes to life. I recommend as a fun read....

love can we ever know enough?

I'll read anything this author writes. she is a lays q great read. while at points hard to identify c with how distraught this character was the interactions carried it.

Skip this one

I was excited to read another book by Ahdieh, after reading The Wrath and the Dawn, which I really liked. This one is quite unremarkable.

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Title: Atticus

Author: Ron Hansen

Narrator: Ed Sala

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-18-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Ron Hansen has won an Award in Literature from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters for his rich writing and poetic style. Atticus begins in the vein of a contemporary western. As it unfolds, it includes an intriguing murder mystery and a dramatic parable of the prodigal son. For years, prosperous Colorado rancher Atticus Cody has tried to understand his rootless son, Scott, who is now living a marginal life in Mexico. When he learns that Scott is dead, apparently by suicide, Atticus travels to Mexico to claim the body. Instead, he discovers evidence of murder and a trail of clues that will lead him to a strange and wonderful epiphany. Suspense and conflict, love and forgiveness combine in this deft story of Atticus search for his son. Each character stands out, sharply etched, against the bright Mexican landscape.

Members Reviews:

An original, leisurely read for readers who enjoy descriptions and beautiful prose

I got this book because I love historical novels and I'd seen it on a list of the ten best historical novels of all times, and the subject matter intrigued me. In the end, I found it interesting in terms of the historical context and the psychology around the stigmata (how others reacted around Mariette), but it was really slow-going for me. I am a fast reader and I enjoy fast-paced books. This one is more of a leisurely read for people who enjoy descriptions and beautiful prose.

Beautifully written

Convent of Our Lady of Sorrows, Arcadia, New York, 1906-1907.

Seventeen year-old Mariette Baptiste enters the convent as a postulant to become a nun following in the steps of her blood sister Annette who is known as Mother Superior Celine. Mariette is pious, virtuous, and very pretty, which garners her general approval. As months pass by, Mariette integrates fully to the religious life, but soon after her first three months are up, tragedy strikes and Mariette starts experiencing preternatural phenomena such as having the injuries of Christ during the Crucifixion, otherwise known as stigmata...But is Mariette's ecstasy real or the product of a disturbed mind?

I liked Mariette in Ecstasy by Ron Hansen. The book is written beautifully, but in a non-traditional style, integrating descriptive passages with inquiries about the true nature of Mariette's experience as seen and understood by members of her religious order. I happen to think that Mariette's ecstasy was real even when I had moments of doubt. I understood completely the attitude of her convent mates towards her: some were in awe, infatuated even, while others felt envious and repelled.

Mariette in Ecstasy doesn't have a happy ending, at least a conventional one as we would like. It is the worst of human nature that prevails here as so often happens.

In summary, Mariette in Ecstasy is beautifully written if a little unconventional both in style and in topic, but the reader will be better off after immersing in Mariette's experience.

The Gift of Mariette in Esctasy

What a treasure! Mariette in Esctasy is more than a novel; it is a work of art. Ron Hansen not only tells the story of Mariette, a 17 year old postulant in a cloistered convent in 1906, he transports us there.

The language is simple, beautiful, and perfect.

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Title: Christmas at Timberwoods

Author: Fern Michaels

Narrator: Tanya Eby

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-27-11

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 54 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Its the most wonderful time of the yearand for Heather Andrews, security manager at Timberwoods Mall, undoubtedly the busiest. But this Christmas, Heather has more to contend with than frazzled parents and disgruntled Santas. Angela Steinhart, a young woman who designed the malls spectacular holiday displays, has had a premonition that tragedy will strike on Christmas Eve. And Angelas visions have a habit of coming true.

Heather would love to dismiss the warning as holiday stress. But the more she gets to know the quiet, lonely Angela, the more she trusts her. In Lex, her boss, Heather finds an ally - and the glimmer of something more profound. And as the days count down, it will take all of her wits, hope, and unflagging courage to stop someone from destroying the season in one split second....

Members Reviews:

Should have been Halloween at Timberwoods

What would have made Christmas At Timberwoods better?

This wasn't the Christmas story that I expected. This story would have been more appropriate for Halloween. For a thriller, it moved too slowly.

Has Christmas At Timberwoods turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.

What three words best describe Tanya Ebys performance?

Her performance was excellent.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Christmas At Timberwoods?

I would have condensed the story into an action-packed adventure. I would have cut much of the second half of the book.

Boring

I finally got through this listen, it was really a slow read. For what the book was about, it could have wrapped up the story in half the time. Very long a drawn out....

Fern Michaels does it again

never a dull moment, edge of your seat, go Fern, waiting on the next book

Great Story, even if not December

Michaels has some good series, even if this stands alone it is a good story. Has some action and some love.

Excellent audio book

Would you consider the audio edition of Christmas At Timberwoods to be better than the print version?

yes. the way the Tanya read it makes the book that much better.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the entire story.

Have you listened to any of Tanya Ebys other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but would like more by her.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

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Title: Lessons of a Lowcountry Summer

Author: Rochelle Alers

Narrator: Sharon Washington

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-31-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 31 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Rochelle Alers is an Essence best-selling author and winner of two Gold Penn Awards. Lessons of a Lowcountry Summer, another shining example of her exciting work, is a testament to her reputation as one of the most popular authors of romantic literature. Disturbing circumstances bring together three people to sultry, secluded McKinnon Island where each gives the others the courage to make life-altering decisions. Modern women will find inspiration in the independent characters and realistic social challenges.

Members Reviews:

Great read

Great read, enjoyed how the author intertwined the characters. The narrator did a great job as well. She took her time with the book and thoughtfully brought the story to life.

um!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes it was a good read. a lot of info

What was one of the most memorable moments of Lessons of a Lowcountry Summer?

the end

What three words best describe Sharon Washingtons voice?

boring

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

gulla island

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Title: Letters from Home

Author: Jo Barrett

Narrator: R. E. Chambliss

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-27-11

Publisher: AudioLark Audio Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 128 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

After his grandmothers death, John Caldwell appreciates the sweet letters and cookie care packages her friend Aunt Bee sends during his tour of duty in Iraq. When he returns home, he decides to visit the elderly lady and thank her in person. Aunt Bee is no spinster in sensible shoes, however. Shes young, smart, kind, luscious Pheobe Hunnicut, and when John meets her face to face, her delicious cookies arent the only things he wants to sample.

Members Reviews:

SWEET CUTE STORY.

THIS IS A REALLY GOOD BOOK. ITS PRETTY GIRLY BUT SWEET. IVE LISTENED TO THIS BOOK A FEW TIMES. THE STORY LINE IS AMAZING, AND THE CHARACTORS ARE GREAT.

The Home Coming

What a sweet heart-warming story about a soldiers visit to an elderly lady who didnt forget him. Sometimes kind acts can bring special bonuses. Imagine his surprise when he met Aunt Bee. For me the story was bitter sweet, having a son in the military reminds me of their hours of loneliness, and isolation they have to endure in the midst of war. This tender story was really heartfelt and I got more for my money with this one.

The narrator was just ok, sounded kinda young.

Heartwarming

I really loved this story, especially with the twists and turns and the happy ending. It's a great pick me up story. So heartwarming. I laughed and cried with the characters. Please get more from this author.

ENJOYABLE & LIGHT

Loved this audio. Good story line, great characters and a twist to boot. This audio is sweet, light and enjoyable. enjoy.

An excellent reading for a reasonable price

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this audiobook to a friend who was seeking a romance that wasn't going to change their life, but would be a lighter read to fill a few hours. R.E. Chambliss read the story well, changing tone and pitch to keep the characters unique.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Letters from Home?

I don't want to give away the story, even if it is a bit predictable, but I think the premise of the misunderstanding in the beginning of the book and John's reaction when he realized his incorrect assumption about Phoebe. There's just something special about a military man rendered speechless and totally off-guard by a young lady.

What about R. E. Chamblisss performance did you like?

Ms. Chambliss's dialogue reading was wonderful. I could easily identify the charcter speaking - young, old, men, women - she has a great range of voice. She had a slight Southern accent that helped place the book in the regional setting.

Who was the most memorable character of Letters from Home and why?

I enjoyed Agatha, even though she wasn't in the story, she brought the story into being. Sophie was a charming, disarming addition.

Any additional comments?

Generally this is a sweet romance with just one intimate scene that is short. I would recommend the book with these notes: It is a bit predictable and the two main characters each had an issue that was repeated a bit too often.

Ms. Barrett may have set the stage for a second book about John's military buddy who was injured, but I haven't seen it yet.

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Title: The Last Warner Woman

Author: Kei Miller

Narrator: Kei Miller

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-14-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Adamine Bustamante is born in Jamaica, inside one of the islands last leper colonies. When she goes to a Revivalist Church, she discovers her gift of warning. But no one has bothered to warn Adamine that when she migrates to England her prophecies of hurricanes and earthquakes will no longer be respected. People will think she is crazy and lock her away in a mental hospital. Now, an old woman, Adamine wants to tell her own story but she must compete with Mr. Writer Man, the novelist who is twisting her words for his own book, and Adamine doesnt know why. In a story about magic and migration, about stories and story-telling, we discover it is never one person who owns a story, or who has the right to tell it.

Members Reviews:

Not full book.

I bought this audiobook believing that it would narrate the entirety of "The Last WarnerWoman" and was disappointed to learn that it ended a little more than half way through. Not worth your money at all.

Tough listen

I wanted to like this book because it came highly recommended, but I was disappointed. I found the story disjointed and difficult to follow and the characters didn't draw me in. I did listen to this book, so I do wonder if the narration, which was done with an appropriate Caribbean accent, was what caused me to not enjoy the book.

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Title: The Borrower

Author: Rebecca Makkai

Narrator: Emily Bauer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-09-11

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 36 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Lucy Hull, a young childrens librarian in Hannibal, Missouri, is unsure where her life is headed. That becomes more than a figure of speech when her favorite patron, ten-year-old Ian Drake, runs away from home and Lucy finds herself in the surprise role of chauffeur.

The precocious Ian is addicted to reading, but needs Lucys help to smuggle books past his overbearing mother, who has enrolled Ian in weekly antigay classes with celebrity Pastor Bob. Lucy stumbles into a moral dilemma when she finds Ian camped out in the library after hours with a knapsack of provisions and an escape plan.

The odd pair embarks on a crazy road trip from Missouri to Vermont, with ferrets, an inconvenient boyfriend, and dubious family history thrown in their path. But who is actually running away? And from what?

Editorial Reviews:

Rebecca Makkai's debut is remarkably bold, and so is the audiobook narration. Emily Bauer lays it on thick as flaky yet ferocious children's librarian Lucy Hull. Lucy does not like to think much about where her own life is headed, so she deflects by thinking about her favorite little avid reader, an ambiguously gay 10-year-old boy with decidedly religious parents. As evidence of Ian Drake's oppression at the hands of fundamentalist Christians begins to pile up, Lucy's slow and sympathetic simmering is suddenly jarred into idealistic action. The kid wants to run away, and Lucy is in the mood to do the same. Bauer's sweet public servant voice is a little on the sugary side, but listeners are not meant to like Lucy too much. After all, she did kidnap a child and take him on a trip half way across the country.

Still, Makkai's novel rings true as a deeply liberal and ultimately enjoyable fantasy, parallel in psychology to Quentin Tarantino's much less sentimental film Inglourious Basterds. This is just about saving one lisping kid from persecution, not about assassinating Hitler, but Makkai does cast the net wide by including a thread that contemplates Lucy's father, a small-time mobster who immigrated to Chicago in order to escape Stalinism. Here, too, Emily Bauer pushes the limit of comedic interpretation for the Russian accent. The father is a very funny character with serious political implications, and in this way is emblematic of the larger narrative structure.

Lucy may be able to save Ian, or maybe Ian doesn't really need saving. Lucy may be a heroic figure who represents a call to real political action, or maybe Lucy is getting fired and going to jail. The plotlines are cute and the ideas are big. Appropriately, the voices are cute and the accents are big. Whatever you make of the book's ultimate argument, all listeners will agree with one fundamental truth faithfully clung to by the left-wing librarian and her young friend: that if there are answers, we will find them in books.

Critic Reviews:

A splendid first novel that cleverly weaves telling references to childrens books into her whimsically patchwork plot. Larger-than-life characters and an element of the picaresque add to the delights. (Booklist)

Rarely is a first novel as smart and engaging and learned and funny and moving as The Borrower. Rebecca Makkai is a writer to watch, as sneakily ambitious as she is unpretentious. (Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author)

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: Alice Bliss

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Laura Harrington

Narrator: Kate Rudd

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-02-11

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

When Alice learns that her father is being deployed to Iraq, shes heartbroken. Matt Bliss is leaving just as his daughter blossoms into a full-blown teenager. She will learn to drive, shop for a dress for her first dance, and fall in love, all while trying to be strong for her mother and take care of her younger sister. Alice wears her dads shirt every day, even though the scent of him is fading, and his phone calls are never long enough. Life continues without him, but nothing can prepare Alice for the day two uniformed officers arrive at their door with news.

Alice Bliss is a gorgeous, transforming novel about the support of a small town looking after its own in times of loss; the love between an absent father and his daughter; the complicated love between Alice and her mother Angie; and first love between Alice and the boy-next-door. Its a universal story, yet touches on something very personal: these characters struggles amid uncertain times echo our own, lending Alice Bliss an immediacy and poignancy that are both relevant and real.

Members Reviews:

Surprisingly realistic and deep.

This is one of those great young adult books which adults would enjoy immensely. It's the story of a wonderful, close relationship between a father and a 15-year-old daughter. It's also a story of what happens when a loved one makes a decision to go away, and how we handle grief and loss. The characters stay true to their natures throughout, no matter what happens. It's a gem, that I would highly recommend to teenagers and adults alike who are drawn to stories that deal with real life difficulties.