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| Serafina and the Twisted Staff by Robert Beatty; narrated by Cassandra Campbell Juvenile Fiction: Though she's firmly rooted in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Serafina is stuck between two worlds: in one, she's the Chief Rat Catcher at the grand, recently completed Biltmore Estate, but in the other, she's learning the ways of the wild from her mother, a shape-shifting catamount. When several unusual visitors arrive at the Estate just as the local animals begin acting strangely, Serafina realizes that it's up to her to figure out what's really going on. Narrator Cassandra Campbell quickly places readers in the "unrelenting action and excitement" (Booklist), but be sure to read Serafina's 1st adventure, Serafina and the Black Cloak (also voiced by Campbell) before you dive into this sequel. |
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| The Muse by Jessie Burton; narrated by Bahni Turpin and Maria Elena InfantinoAdult Fiction: An aspiring writer, Odelle Bastien arrives in London from Trinidad in the 1960s. Though literary success eludes her, she finds a job as a typist in a posh art gallery, where she becomes the protégée of eccentric Marjorie Quick. Thirty years earlier, painter Olive Schloss is living in Spain with her Viennese art dealer parents when she meets Teresa and Isaac Robles, half-siblings who will change her life forever. Connecting Odelle's and Olive's stories is a mysterious painting whose secrets are gradually revealed in this intricately plotted novel of intrigue. The Muse's complex female characters, strong atmosphere, and sparkling prose may appeal to fans of Dominic Smith's The Last Painting of Sara de Vos. |
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| The Fortunes by Peter Ho Davies; narrated by James ChenAdult Fiction: This absorbing journey through over 100 years of American history and culture is told by four Chinese Americans (three of whom are inspired by real people). From the building of the transcontinental railroad in the mid-19th century to a modern-day, biracial Chinese American visiting China to adopt a baby girl with his white wife, their thought-provoking perspectives tie fact and fiction together, providing insight into the Asian American experience. Themes of identity and belonging emerge throughout this thoughtful, perceptive novel, which narrator James Chen illuminates with his "understated portrayals" (AudioFile). |
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| Darktown: A Novel by Thomas Mullen; narrated by André Holland Adult Fiction: It's 1948: Atlanta's eight new African American police officers have severe restrictions (no driving a police car, no entering police headquarters, no policing white parts of town, etc.), and they face hostility from their white colleagues as well as distrust from their own community. One night on their beat, officers Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith see a white man driving a car erratically with a young African American woman inside. When the woman is found dead, the men investigate despite the risk to their careers and maybe their lives. Blending history with mystery, this gritty 1st in a planned new series has already been optioned for TV. Publishers Weekly and AudioFile both praise actor André Holland's evocative and steady narration. |
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| The Best Man by Richard Peck; narrated by Michael CrouchJuvenile Fiction: Some kids might feel weird about having their teacher marry their uncle, but sixth-grader Archer Magill just feels lucky. Besides his dad, his grandfather, and his Uncle Paul, Mr. McLeod (student teacher, National Guardsman, reluctant Twitter celebrity) is the person Archer admires most. And honestly, Uncle Paul and Mr. McLeod's wedding is just the most recent in the constant stream of changes Archer has been through lately, which include confronting school bullies, dealing with heartbreaking loss, and finally starting middle school. Narrator Michael Crouch is a "natural with kid voices" (AudioFile) while clearly differentiating among all the characters, child and adult. This funny, down-to-earth slice of life is hard to resist. |
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Contact your librarian for more great audiobooks!
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