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novel sounds
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Now in Fiction
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Lately, I’ve been obsessing about three things: the best audiobooks of 2025 (watch this space, the list is coming soon!), my two newly adopted kittens, Phin and Philly, and something author/narrator Dominic Hoffman said when I interviewed him earlier this month.
Hoffman talks about how making art not only “provides a service to our souls, but makes space for our understanding of the world.” We all have the capacity to create art (painting, writing, singing, gardening…) and by acting on this—taking the time to do it—we can bolster ourselves against the fear and foreboding we sometimes feel in a rapidly changing world.
For me, listening to great stories ignites that creative urge. So, tonight, after a long day of debating with colleagues about the best audiobooks of the year and a marathon play session with two high-energy kittens, I’ll take a moment to feed my soul—maybe write a silly poem or journal entry—and feel better about this crazy world we all share.
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A look back on the best of 2024
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As we gear up for the best of 2025, now is a great time to get a little nostalgic and appreciate all the amazing books from last year. Whether it’s reminiscing about the stories we spent hours listening to, or a reminder to tap into that to-be-listened-to list, let’s give one last shout-out to 2024 as we await this year’s list (coming in November).
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A conversation with Dominic Hoffman
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I love short stories, so I was thrilled to listen to Late Rehearsals by Dominic Hoffman, a collection of “cool tales that will tickle your soul.” Hoffman is a multitalented artist—writer, actor, narrator—and it was an honor to chat with him about the importance of art and the power of storytelling. His aim is to entertain us—these stories, and his beautiful voice, are proof that he has succeeded.
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Somewhat surprisingly, I went with a paranormal romance for my October Editors Select pick—Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan are a pairing I could not resist, and Remain is exactly the listen I needed this spooky season. It’s a month of unexpected collaborations (looking at you, Reese and Harlan), along with more editor favorites you’ll want to explore.
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A stark warning, with delightful delivery
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Ian McEwan’s What We Can Know (perhaps my favorite of his since Atonement) is a novel set more than 100 years in the future that keeps poetry at its heart while delivering stark warnings around climate change and privacy. Hearing McEwan talk about all that went into this brilliant novel is a treat—he’s a literary master and an amazing conversationalist.
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Get outside your genre zone
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