Swimsuits, sunburns, sunglasses, and ice cream dripping in your hand…
Summer is in full swing (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, that is) which for a lot of people means their favorite time of year to read! We could make a pretty strong argument for why summer reading is the best type of reading, but surely we don’t have to. We can all agree that nothing beats days spent poolside or at the beach with toes buried in the sand. Audiobooks are also a great way to read while jet-setting to new places, road-tripping across states, or simply exploring the sunny outdoors.
Below, we’ve shared our audiobook picks perfect to enjoy in the summer sun this July, whether you’re traveling to new places—both fictional and real—or staying closer to home.
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Rifts and Refrains
Written by Tiye, narrated by Benjamin Charles and iiKane
Releases July 16!
It all starts with a song… Amara Johnson, an aspiring songwriter/musician, uncovers a hidden legacy of love, betrayal, and music after the death of her estranged grandfather.
While singing at her grandfather’s burial, Amara’s musical talent attracts an offer from Jake Barnes, a seasoned music executive. As Amara delves into her family’s past with the help of Jake, she not only unravels the truth but also discovers love amidst the melodies of life in the heart of Nashville’s country music scene. Rifts and Refrains is perfect for fans of Kennedy Ryan and Tia Williams.
Rifts and Refrains is exclusively available in audio.
Learn more >
Antiracism as Daily Practice
Written and narrated by Jennifer Harvey
Releases July 17!
From the New York Times bestselling author of Raising White Kids (2018), this inspirational and wise step-by-step guide illustrates the many ways white Americans can choose behaviors in their everyday lives to grow racial justice. Full of real life stories, this book shows how vital it is for white people to engage in and with our families, through our social networks, in our neighborhoods, and at our jobs to make antiracism a daily living commitment.
Perfect for readers of White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, So, You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo, and Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Antiracist, who are ready for next steps.
Ne’er Duke Well
Written by Alexandra Vasti, narrated by Mhairi Morrison
Releases July 23!
This first in a steamy regency romcom series from the author of the Halifax Hellions trilogy.
Lady Selina is determined to find the Duke of Stanhope the perfect wife, but matchmaking doesn’t go according to plan. Peter’s siblings run rampant on Bond Street. Selina ends up in the Serpentine. And worst of all, the scorching chemistry between Peter and Selina proves impossible to resist. For the disreputable duke and his unpredictable matchmaker, falling in love just might be the ultimate scandal.
Bitter House
Written by Kiersten Modglin, narrated by Lauren Ezzo and Melanie Carey
Releases July 9!
Vera Bitter is dead, but her secrets have yet to be buried…
Years ago, Bridget tried and failed to find sanctuary inside the shadowy halls of Bitter House. Bridget inherits the family manor, forcing her to confront the feelings, questions, and people she’s been running from since Grandma Vera kicked her out…and as she struggles to imagine a future there now, she discovers a terrifying truth: behind the iron gate and stone walls of the old estate, nothing is quite what it seems. Bitter House has secrets and, if she can’t decide whom to trust, danger lies in wait.
From million-copy bestselling author Kiersten Modglin comes a bone-chilling, compulsively page-turning, and achingly addictive thriller set within the walls of a mysterious old manor with a sinister secret.
The Honourable Schoolboy (George Smiley, book 6)
Written by John le Carré, narrated by Simon Vance
Releases July 9!
The mole has been purged from the Circus, and George Smiley, newly-made chief of the agency, has both rebuilding and revenge in his sights. To fully eradicate the threat, Smiley must trace back the treachery to its very roots.
The Honourable Schoolboy, sequel to the best-selling Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, continues Smiley’s hunt for the Soviet spymaster Karla. With a richly drawn plot and characters that are destined to be “burned on the brain of the reader” (The New York Times), the sixth George Smiley novel serves as both thriller and gripping examination of the costs of espionage.
Learn more about the George Smiley series >
Looking for a more… exotic vacation destination this summer? Travel out-of-this-world with a new sci-fi or fantasy audiobook!
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Return of the Wand Mage
Written by Outspan Foster, narrated by Dillon Sickels
Releases July 2!
The world is ending. Only a powerful mage can prevent it. When he awakens ten years in the past, Kiden Coldsteel dedicates his second chance to becoming a legendary mage to prepare for the terrors to come, when the Acolytes of the Old Gods are destined to shroud the world in darkness forever.
Kiden does not have the benefit of years of training as a mage. His martial skills aren’t enough alone. He must rely on his method of Law of the Opposites, approaching magic in a way that goes against every established theory. Until then, he must locate the strongest mage humanity has ever produced and earn his support, or else humanity won’t stand a chance…
Outspan Foster returns with this action packed LitRPG adventure about one man’s quest to prevent the coming apocalypse. Can Kiden save everything and everyone he loves?
Immortality Starts With Generosity 2
Written by Plutus, narrated by J.S. Arquin
Releases July 17
Book 2 of an epic Xianxia Cultivation Progression Fantasy Series, from debut author Plutus, that features detailed world-building, slice of life elements, three-dimensional characters, a unique progression system starring an MC who gains power through gifting things to others, and so much more!
The Digital Aesthete: Human Musings on the Intersection of Art and AI
Written by Alex Shvartsman and Ken Liu, narrated by David Bendena; Lauren DePorre; Mark Owen; Nick Mondelli; Psalm Morant, Hope Shangle; Aimee Reid; Jackie Meloche; and Lesa Lockford
Releases July 2!
Today’s software can only imitate art, but what about tomorrow?
Will true artificial intelligences be able to appreciate or even create art? Explore dystopian societies, where AI generates most of the content and human artists must eke out an existence, and utopias, where artificial minds help unlock and enhance human creativity.
Delve into the minds of robot painters, AI poets, drone forgers, and electronic theater curators. These and other possible futures are imagined by award-winning and bestselling human authors from the USA, UK, China, Ukraine, Chile, Japan, Madagascar, Brazil, Czech Republic, and Sri Lanka.
Warbreaker’s Risk: A LitRPG Apocalypse Adventure
Written by Troy Osgood, narrated by J.S. Arquin
Releases July 17!
Perfect for fans of Defiance of the Fall, Life in Exile, and Apocalypse: Generic System, Warbreaker’s Risk is book 2 of an epic LitRPG Apocalypse series from the bestselling author behind Sky Realms Online. This action-packed system invasion series features a father forced to survive this new world while also protecting and building a new home for his family.
