Some wine, maybe a nibble of cheese, a book that prompts juicy discussions—these are the ingredients for a successful book club. Add an audiobook to the mix, and everyone has even more to talk about, such as the specific choices of the narrator’s performance and how the narration affects the overall reading experience. If some people in the group have listened and some have read the book in print, it can also be fun to discuss how the book translates in each format. Here are a few titles that would be good candidates to talk about in your own audiobook club:
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (Random House Audio, 2025): This word-of-mouth phenom has been a mainstay on the bestseller lists, and you’ve probably seen at least one person recommending it on your social media feeds. What makes the audiobook of this epistolary novel so interesting is how well the production utilizes the audio format, with an ensemble of many different voices. Maggi-Meg Reed gives a nuanced portrayal of protagonist Sybil Van Antwerp, a septuagenarian who writes letters to friends, family, and strangers. More than a dozen additional voices narrate the various letters that Sybil receives in return. Our Earphones Award review says, “Thanks to outstanding narrations, responses to her letters allow each correspondent to emerge as a fully realized individual.”
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Random House Audio, 2025): The Artemis II lunar mission and recent big-screen adaptation of Project Hail Mary have rekindled interest in space exploration. Narration from Julia Whelan and Kristen DiMercurio amps up the thrills in Reid’s novel about female astronauts at Reagan-era NASA. It’s both a love story and an action-packed adventure, and as our Earphones review says, “Whelan’s rich narration makes each character come to life for listeners, and she excels at portraying Joan’s romance with her fellow astronaut Vanessa,” while “DiMercurio narrates with an intensity that conveys Vanessa’s fear and courage.” As an audiobook, it’s “an absolute must-listen.”
Livonia Chow Mein by Abigail Savitch-Lew (Simon & Schuster Audio, April 21): Lew’s debut novel is also performed by two narrators. Our review praises the way they give voice to a family and a community in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn: “Katharine Chin splendidly guides listeners through four generations of Wong/Chin family history, inviting listeners to imagine the daily lives of this Chinese American family,” while “Keyonni James portrays a wide array of neighborhood residents and especially shines as Lina, a Black Puerto Rican activist.” Their joint performance “illuminates immigration, family, gentrification, and community activism with depth and empathy.”
The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives by Elizabeth Arnott (Penguin Audio, March 3): Good Morning America picked this novel for its book club, but narration from yet another talented duo elevates the audiobook in which three women in 1960s California form a close bond after their husbands are all convicted of murder. As our Earphones review raves, “Demonstrating remarkable range, [Saskia] Maarleveld perfectly portrays a variety of characters, from West Coast suburbanites to English expats, East Coast transplants, and stone-cold killers.” Once narrator Karissa Vacker joins the performance, listeners won’t be able to press pause.
Jennifer Dowell is the audiobooks editor.
