Lorrie Moore's new novel, for which fans have waited more than 10 years, is a lyrical and edgy examination of growing up American. In it, we follow Tassie, a Midwestern college student, through the joys, tribulations, and all-out strangeness of being 20. Moore, a poet, has Tassie tell her own story in a voice that, like many English majors, is both naive and self-consciously elegiac. Narrator Mia Barron reads unhurriedly, emphasizing the eloquence of the words. This sounds just as Tassie might sound reading it aloud to herself, proud of the beauty of the text. While this irritates occasionally, it also seems right, and makes this an interesting novel read intriguingly and well.
Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2009
Duration: 12 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A resonant listening experience rich with biting social commentary.
Narrator Katharine Chin elevates this contemporary coming-of-age story featuring four Asian American friends. Diana, Justin, Errol, and Vivian all attended great schools and earned good grades, but in the aftermath of graduating into the Great Recession of 2008, they find themselves unemployed and living at home. Grace, a former classmate, makes a YouTube video about the group and their failure to meet expectations called “Bad Asians.” The video goes viral, upending their lives in the early days of the internet. Chin brings each character distinctly to life through subtle tonal shifts. Her reflective tone conveys the story’s thought-provoking exploration of identity, cultural expectations, and the meaning of success.
A resonant listening experience rich with biting social commentary.Pub Date: today
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250433244
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2026
Narrated by an ensemble cast, this audiobook explores the lives, successes, failures, and frailties of a half-dozen friends from the early 2000s to 2024. The novel's narrators are all talented and capture the millennial characters' struggles well. Jill Paice performs Mia, a writer who is the only single person in the group, with fine tempo and pacing while conveying her angsty tone. Santino Fontana is equally impressive as the brilliant Marco, and Christian Barillas nails the complex alcoholic Richie. The stories unfold during a series of parties, events, and celebrations (New Year's, wedding, birthday, Halloween, funeral) that reveal the characters' issues and relationships over their two decades since graduating from Penn. A meaningful look at millennial lifestyles and a worthwhile listen.
Pub Date: today
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797194356
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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