DREAM STATE by Eric Puchner, read by MacLeod Andrews

Jefferson White shows remarkable skill balancing a youthful cast with the sobering reality they must face. Twenty-four years before Katniss’s games, Haymitch, from District 12, must compete in the Hunger Games—with twice the tributes (competitors). AudioFile’s Alex Richey and host Jo Reed discuss how White’s perfect pacing adds intensity to the brutality of the games and lingering melancholy as Haymitch struggles to maintain his integrity as the people around him keep dying.  Read our review of the audiobook at our website Published by Scholastic Audiobooks Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Natalie Naudus embodies anxiety and fear of the supernatural with razor-sharp precision. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cora Zeng’s sister, Delilah, is murdered in a hate crime: The killer shouts “bat eater” before pushing her in front of a train. Now Cora is a crime-scene cleaner, and she’s noticed an increase in the unexplained murders of Asian women whose bodies are staged with bat corpses. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alex Richey discuss the way that Naudus’s meticulous pacing and authentic depiction of Cora’s fears will keep listeners deliciously on edge. Read our review of the audiobook at our website Published by Harlequin Audio Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gem Carmella narrates a magical novella inspired by traditional ballads. Sisters Esther and Ysabel use their musical talents to tend the enchanted willow their family has honored for generations. When an unwanted suitor appears, everything they love is suddenly at risk. AudioFile contributor Alex Richey and host Jo Reed discuss how Carmella’s narration perfectly blends the fantastical elements of fairy tales with the macabre elements of traditional murder ballads. Musical effects combine with Carmella’s singing at key moments, making fraught scenes utterly devastating but ultimately more powerful. A stunning performance. Read our review of the audiobook at our website Published by Macmillan Audio Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Laura Rossi highlight three recent Earphones Award-winning audiobooks. AudioFile awards Earphones to exceptional audio experiences—it’s our version of a starred review, specifically for the audiobook. Laura and Jo discuss Rachel Syme’s fun “Guide to Modern Correspondence,” SYME’S LETTER WRITER, read by the author; Curtis Sittenfeld’s short story collection SHOW DON’T TELL, performed by seven narrators including the author; and Patti Callahan Henry’s novel THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND, narrated by Golden Voice Julia Whelan and Theo Solomon. They share why these audiobooks won Earphones, and why they are well worth your listening time.  Read our reviews of the audiobooks at our website:  SYME’S LETTER WRITER Published by Random House Audio SHOW DON’T TELL Published by Random House Audio THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND Published by Simon & Schuster Audio Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listeners don't just experience a fascinating historical drama—they also become steeped in a bloody gothic Western. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Stephen Cummings discuss the stellar performances that are the center of this compelling listening experience. Narrator Marin Ireland fully embodies the beleaguered humanities professor who, while deep diving into the campus archive, discovers the story of her ancestors. Complete with creative production touches, the result is a dark, satisfying listen.  Read our review of the audiobook at our website Published by Simon & Schuster Audio Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrator Angel Pean's stand-out performance is essential here. AudioFile’s Stephen Cummings and host Jo Reed discuss how her storytelling skill fully embodies these characters and the detailed and occasionally magical world they inhabit. Junie, an enslaved girl in 1800s Alabama, lives with the loss of her sister, Minnie, whose death is a weight on her conscience. An encounter with Minnie's ghost changes Junie's life, opening a new path that could include escaping her captors. The rich listening experience envelopes listeners in the powerful story.  Read our review of the audiobook at our website Published by Random House Audio Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listeners don't need to be superfans of ice skating to be drawn into this audiobook. The world of pairs skating competition provides the setting for a story of young, elite athletes who are fighting for Olympic gold. AudioFile’s Stephen Cummings and host Jo Reed discuss how the narrations are uniformly exceptional in this audiobook structured as an oral history. Standouts include Christine Lakin as the complicated lead; her voice captures a mix of focused competitiveness and messy relationships.   Read our review of the audiobook at our website Published by Random House Audio Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and contributor Stephen Cummings discuss how Dion Graham continues his stellar work with Mosley's Joe King Oliver series, bringing heart and rough edges in equal measure. Here, the private investigator's Grandma B has a dying wish: Locate her long-missing son. Oliver's complicated relationship with his father is heightened as the search brings new insights into the man. Graham, in top form, captures the grit of this New York City noir, embodying the wide cast of suspects, cops, and confidants. His delivery is so vivid it’s cinematic.  Read our review of the audiobook at our website Published by Hachette Audio Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AudioFile’s Aurelia Scott and host Jo Reed discuss this clever historical mystery with a fabulous twist. It’s centered around Charlotte Holmes, a young woman with a gift for "discernment" and getting into trouble, who has secrets worth protecting. Golden Voice Narrator Kate Reading is masterful in her portrayals. Reading's aristocratic British voices are spot-on, and her acting is outstanding. She depicts all types of characters—funny, touching, romantic, suspenseful, haughty, old, young, wealthy, or poor—with the same believability. This is an exceptionally fine audio experience, with a story that will grab listeners from the get-go.  Read our review of the audiobook  A STUDY IN SCARLET WOMEN Published by Blackstone Audio Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This audiobook begins with plans for a wedding and goes on to include . . . nearly everything else. AudioFile’s Leslie Fine and host Jo Reed discuss MacLeod Andrews’s excellence as a narrator: gentle, funny, sharp, and intuitive. When Cece and Charlie's special day—officiated by Charlie's troubled friend, Garrett—moves in an unexpected direction, Andrews captures the characters' interactions without dramatic excess. Andrews maintains a warm and reliable voice that rewards the listener who spends time with these three people and their choices. DREAM STATE will inspire melancholy, surprise, and laughter.   Read our review of the audiobook at our website Published by Random House Audio Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices