We suggest: 2021 audiobook award winners

By Collection Management Librarian Kathy

Love listening to audiobooks? Each year the best of the best are honored at the Audie Awards, a ceremony held to recognize distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment. Check out a selection of winners that were announced at this year’s virtual event, held on March 22.

The Audies & their narrators


The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

The category is: Fantasy and Best Female Narrator; narrated by Robin Miles. You might recognize Miles' voice from Caste by Isabel Wilkerson.

Description: This first book of an exciting new series by a Hugo Award-winning author takes readers into the dark underbelly of New York City, where a roiling, ancient evil stirs in the halls of power, threatening to destroy the city and her six newborn avatars.

Stream & download with: Media on Demand/Libby (ebook, digital audiobook)

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Fair Warning by Michael Connelly

The category is: Mystery; narrated by Peter Giles. You might recognize Giles' voice from several of Michael Connelly's other audiobooks.

Description: When a woman with whom he shared a one-night stand is found brutally murdered, veteran reporter Jack McEvoy tracks a serial killer who has been operating under the radar. 

Stream & download with: Media on Demand/Libby (ebook, digital audiobook)

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When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

The category is: Thriller/Suspense; read by Susan Dalian and Jay Aaseng. You may recognize Aaseng's voice from the kids' series Queenie and Arthur by Spencer Quinn.

Description: Finding unexpected support from a new friend while collecting stories from her rapidly vanishing Brooklyn community, Sydney uncovers sinister truths about a regional gentrification project and why her neighbors are moving away.

Stream & download with: Media on Demand/Libby (ebook, digital audiobook)

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The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

The category is: Literary Fiction & Classics; narrated by Yetide Badaki and Chukwudi Iwuji. You might recognize Badaki's voice from Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor and Iwuji's voice from An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma. 

Description: In the wake of a southeastern Nigerian mother's discovery of her son's body on her doorstep, a family struggles to understand the enigmatic nature of a youth shaped by disorienting blackouts, diverse friendships, and a cousin's worldly influence.

Stream & download with: Media on Demand/Libby (ebook, digital audiobook)

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A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost

The category is: Humor; narrated by Colin Jost. 

Description: In a collection of humorous essays, the Saturday Night Live head writer and Weekend Update co-anchor tells the story of his life so far. 

Stream & download with: Media on Demand/Libby (ebook, digital audiobook)

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More Myself by Alicia Keys

The category is: Narration by the Author; narrated by Alicia Keys with cameo appearances from a host of famous folks. Besides her Grammy-winning albums, you might recognize Keys' voice from Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesa Cavallo where she reads the story about Nina Simone.

Description: The 15-time Grammy Award-winning music artist traces her journey from self-censorship to full expression, describing her complicated relationship with her father, the people-pleasing nature that characterized her early career, and her struggles with gender expectations.

Stream & download with: Media on Demand/Libby (ebook, digital audiobook)

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His Truth is Marching On by Jon Meacham

The category is: History/Biography; narrated by JD Jackson and Jon Meacham. You might recognize Jackson's voice from The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead.

Description: The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Hope of Glory presents a timely portrait of veteran congressman and civil rights hero John Lewis that details the life experiences that informed his faith and shaped his practices of non-violent protest.

Stream & download with: Media on Demand/Libby (ebook, digital audiobook)

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Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

The category is: Young Adult and Multi-Voiced Performance; narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo and Melania-Luisa Marte. You might recognize Acevedo's voice from the audiobooks of her other novels, The Poet X and With the Fire on High. 

Description: An evocative novel in verse by the National Book Award-winning author of The Poet X follows the experiences of two grieving sisters who navigate the loss of their father and the impact of his death on their relationship.

Stream & download with: Media on Demand/Libby (ebook, digital audiobook)

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Librarian Kathy

About Kathy

Kathy is a Collection Management Librarian who loves reading, sharing, and talking about books. Her missions in life are to: create communities of readers, convince folks that her official title should be "Book Pusher," and refute that "disco" is a dirty word.