Category Archives: Tantorian Favorites

Native American Heritage Month: Indigenous Fiction

An epic quest fantasy debut that is the Tlingit indigenous response to The Lord of the Rings.

A novel that that moves between past and present, the Native and the non-Native, history and myth, and tradition and survival.

Two lost sisters find family, and themselves, among the voices of an Ojibwe reservation.

A fifty-year-old mystery converges with a present-day struggle over family, land, and history.

In this must-listen thriller, Dawn recons with trauma and violence, loss and reclamation in an unsettling world where spirit realms entwine with the living—and where it is humans who carry out the truly monstrous acts.

Fall Into a Fantasy

Fantasy Romances Perfect for Fall

Magic is real, and Viola is going to prove it!

Jamie is harboring a deep secret. Sure, he’s been in love with his best friend since high school, but he’s also a werewolf.

Return to Scotland where a tale of passion, revelations, and new beginnings unfolds.

A city girl who’s inherited a small town magical storefront, the minotaur single dad next door, and a rivalry that’ll drive them both wild.

An arranged marriage to a grim reaper? Whatever keeps me on this side of the dirt.

Picks of the Week — January 28th

The Woods All Black is equal parts historical horror, trans romance, and blood-soaked revenge, all set in 1920s Appalachia. 

tags: historical, romance, lgbtq+, fantasy

Movingly written by her own daughter, this captivating and intimate biography chronicles the astonishing courage of Andrée Griotteray, a teenage girl in Nazi-occupied Paris who would become a hero of the French Resistance through her harrowing work as an underground intelligence courier.

tags: biography, history, women

The Blind Woodsman is a compelling true story that will give hope and inspiration to those dealing with disabilities, mental health struggles, addiction, chronic illness, and the anxieties and stresses in our everyday lives.

tags: memoir, self-help, woodworking, disabilities

In love with Katushka—a beautiful prostitute who may be his ally or his betrayer, Stone, an American agent trained in the most sophisticated methods of debriefing, must uncover every detail about the life of Kulakov, a highly placed Russian courier who wants to defect to the United States.

tags: fiction, action, thriller, espionage

A refreshing, insightful, sacrilegious take on African American history, Crazy as Hell explores the site of America’s greatest contradictions.

tags: history, biography, black studies

Picks of the Week – November 26

The true story of a man whose life is transformed when he takes an unlikely caretaking job for a disabled 87-year-old who is more than he seems.

“Readers will be warmed and inspired by his story.” —Candace Smith,  Booklist

tags: self-help, biography, memoir

In this gripping, high-stakes novel of World War II, the bestselling author of Before the Storm draws on real events to tell the story of one woman’s daring role in the Dutch resistance as part of a most unusual task force.

tags: historical, fiction, women, military

Family history, modern genetics, and well-kept secrets collide as Angie Bier is drawn into a search for a stranger’s birth father hidden somewhere in her own family tree. The search leads to dusty archives, clues hidden in plain sight, and the cutting edge of commercial genetic testing.

tags: mystery, family, autobiography, adoption

In The Kremlin’s Noose Amy Knight tells the riveting story of Vladimir Putin and the oligarch Boris Berezovsky, who forged a relationship in the early years of the Yeltsin era.

“A chilling, compellingly written exploration of Russian politics.” —Kirkus Reviews Starred Review

“Putin casts a larger shadow over Russia’s fate than anyone expected when he became president and so do those who got him to the Kremlin. Berezovsky first among them. Their roles in Russia’s history must be investigated. A veteran Russia watcher, Amy Knight is perfectly equipped to do this.” —Andrei Soldatov, The Compatriots

tags: history, Russia

When a notorious art thief surfaces, warring detective exes reunite for the hunt. A second-chance lesbian romantic suspense that fuses the fine line between love and hate.

tags: lesbian, romance, mystery, detectives

Nicole Fox presents Book 2 in the Groza Bratva series. I’m taking our baby and I’m running. Let him try to catch us if he can.

tags: romance, contemporary

Picks of the Week -September 16

Performed by Hannah Altagracia and Ash Beverly

The ten years separating Stella Cruz and I matter a whole hell of a lot. She has a year of college left and I have another Cup to win. Hockey leaves no room for anything else, not even someone as incredible as Stella. So, I left her in my bed. Out of sight, out of . . . sight. Because I damn sure can’t get her out of my mind.

Mandi Beck presents Book 1 in the FU HOCKEY series.

Performed by Janina Edwards

Gods and lawyers battle for the soul of the world in the action-packed second volume of Max Gladstone’s Craft Wars, an epic fantasy like no other.

Performed by Kim Niemi

Bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and podcaster Allison Carmen’s new audiobook, Maybe Everything is Okay: A Parent’s Guide to Less Stress and Worry, offers parents a powerful and uplifting tool called the “Maybe mindset” to help them navigate the unknown with greater ease and renewed hope.

Performed by Lauren Elkin

A novel of Paris, desire, love, psychoanalysis, and the turbulent affairs of two couples across time.

Performed by Brian Telestai

In this rich and engrossing guide for music lovers everywhere, you’ll discover how a single song can make history.

Picks of the Week-August 22

We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to listen to all of the new audiobooks releasing this month!

We understand that at times it could be a challenge narrowing down your next listen, so we had our acquirers narrow down a few of their top picks for you. Roadtrips, poolside, or beachside? We’ve got you covered!

Wraithforged

S. M. Boyce presents Book 2 in the Wraithblade series. Outlaw. Assassin. Aspiring warlord. Connor Magnuson’s been called many names, but which of them are true?

Note: The Wraithblade saga continues!  Return to the story of Connor as he struggles with god-like powers, even as new adversaries loom. – Greg

Publishing Date: 8/23/2022

Written by: S.M. Boyce

Read by: Wayne Mitchell

Lie To Me

A must-listen contemporary romance from #1 New York Times bestselling author Natasha Preston.

Note: Natasha Preston is known as the queen of YA thrillers, however, her contemporary romances are just as good as her thrillers! And you don’t want to miss this new to audio new adult romance. In this story, Savannah and Kent meet for the first time and can’t stand each other. One hates liars and the other is holding nothing but secrets…- Jordan

Publishing Date: 8/23/22          

Written by: Natasha Preston

Read by: Stevie Zimmerman and Dan Calley

The Timepiece and the Girl Who Went Astray

A must-listen historical time-travel story from O. R. Simmonds.

Note: For fans of Jerry Merritt, a brand new whirlwind historical time-travel mystery that will captivate you from beginning to end. – Kristen Hummel

Publishing Date: 8/30/2022

Written by: O.R Simmonds

Read by: Joel Froomkin

Picks of the Week-August 8

We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to listen to all of the new audiobooks releasing this month!

We understand that at times it could be a challenge narrowing down your next listen, so we had our acquirers narrow down a few of their top picks for you. Roadtrips, poolside, or beachside? We’ve got you covered!

How to Stay Smart in a Smart World

How to stay in charge in a world populated by algorithms that beat us in chess, find us romantic partners, and tell us to “turn right in 500 yards.”

Note: Is AI really coming after your job? After your way of life? In How to Stay Smart in a Smart World, Gerg Gigerenzer explores the areas that AI succeeds in and where it still falls short and will likely continue to. The author removes the panic and technology jargon from the conversation, leaving a level-headed book that all of us can look to for an idea of what the future holds for Human-AI interactions. – Jenn Eschrich

Publishing Date: 8/2/2023

Written by: Gerd Gigerenzer

Read by: Joel Richards

Violets      

By Man Asian Literary Prize winner Kyung-Sook Shin, “a moving delve into a lonely psyche” that follows a neglected young woman’s search for human connection in contemporary Seoul (YZ Chin).

Note: An isolated young woman confronts her own loneliness and personal desires as she navigates a bustling city, a new job in a flower shop, and unwanted social pressures. Atmospheric in its prose, Kyung-Sook Shin’s Violets examines the perspective of a marginalized woman and the society that ignores her, in 1990s Seoul. – Sonia Brand-Fisher

Publishing Date: 8/2/22

Written by: Kyung-Sook Shin

Read by: Cindy Kay

Like Water: A Cultural History of Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee revolutionized martial arts by combining influences drawn from around the world. Uncommonly determined, physically gifted, and artistically brilliant, Lee rose to fame as part of a wave of transpacific globalization that bridged the nearly seven thousand miles between Hong Kong and California. Like Water unpacks Lee’s global impact, linking his legendary status as a martial artist, actor, and director to his continual traversals across the newly interconnected Asia and America.

Note: A detailed look at the cultural impact of Bruce Lee, both in Asia and throughout the rest of the world.  A unique blend of cultural history and biography, Like Water, unearths the cultural strands that Lee intertwined in his rise to a new kind of global stardom.  A wonderful retelling of the legacy of the first Asian-American superstar.- Scott Smith

Publishing Date:8/9/2022

Written by: Daryl J. Maeda

Read by: David Lee Huynh

Zelensky

A must-listen biography on Volodymyr Zelensky.

Note: The first English-language biography of Volodymyr Zelensky.– Aaron Piccirillo

Publishing Date: 8/9/22

Written by: Serhii Rudenko

Read by: Mike Lenz

Picks of the Week-July 25

We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to listen to all of the new audiobooks releasing this month!

We understand that at times it could be a challenge narrowing down your next listen, so we had our acquirers narrow down a few of their top picks for you. Roadtrips, poolside, or beachside? We’ve got you covered!

That Time in Paris

Logan Ryles presents Book 1 in the Wolfgang Pierce series.

Note: For fans of the Jack Ryan series and Gray Man series, Wolfgang Pierce is a multi-city espionage series that will keep you on your toes. All 6 books will be releasing from Tantor in 2022, so get ready to binge! – Jenn Eschrich

Written by: Logan Ryles

Read by: Kyle Tait

Publishing Date: July 19, 2022

Can’t Go Home

Melinda Di Lorenzo presents Book 1 in the Trinity Calhoun Mystery series. Contains mature themes.

Written by: Melinda Di Lorenzo

Read by: Nikki Zakocs

Publishing Date: 7/19/22          

Note: The first book in a new mystery series by Melinda Di Lorenzo and you do not want to miss this one! Trinity rushes back to her hometown when she finds out there was disappearance that is awfully similar to one from 20 years ago. Will Trinity be able to keep a clear head and figure it out or will she let her judgment get in the way? –Jordan Spellman

American Urbanist: How William H. Whyte’s Unconventional Wisdom Reshaped Public Life

This biography offers a rare glimpse into the mind of William H. Whyte, an iconoclast whose healthy skepticism of the status quo can help guide our efforts to create the kinds of places we want to live in today.

Note: Touted by The New York Times as “A marvelous new biography” American Urbanist tells the story of the work and genius of William Whyte, the urbanist and author who was an early leader in the environmental conservation and urban preservation movements. Author Richard Rein offers the listener a comprehensive biography that fully explains the influence Whyte’s ideas and writing had on American’s everyday life. From his advocacy against groupthink in corporate America to his push to preserve farmland to his ideas about public spaces in urban centers Whyte managed to shape the discourse of today’s economy, contemporary city management, and occupational innovation and creativity. This audiobook is a must-have for those seeking insight into urban planning, social issues, and the actual working order of the modern world. – Nick Pouliot

Publishing Date: 07/19/2022

Written by: Richard K. Rein

Read by: Tom Lemmon

As You Look

Verónica Gutiérrez presents Book 1 in the Yolanda Ávila Mystery series.

Note: Book One in a new series from Verónica Gutiérrez that’s full of suspense, mystery, and twists that will keep you guessing! -Kristen Hummel

Publishing Date: 7/26/2022

Written by: Verónica Gutiérrez

Read by: Kyla García

The Mind of a Bee

Exploring an insect whose sensory experiences rival those of humans, The Mind of a Bee reveals the singular abilities of some of the world’s most incredible creatures.

Note:  A groundbreaking look into the intelligence of bees, leading biologist and bee expert Lars Chittka takes listeners on a journey into the world of bees, showing beyond any reasonable doubt that bees have awareness, memories, basic emotions, intelligence, and personalities.  This book is a game-changer on how one perceives the actual intelligence of one of the most important insects in the animal world.- Scott Smith

Publishing Date: 7/26/2022

Written by:  Lars Chittka

Read by: Michael Butler Murray

Picks of the Week-July 18

We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to listen to all of the new audiobooks releasing this month!

We understand that at times it could be a challenge narrowing down your next listen, so we had our acquirers narrow down a few of their top picks for you. Roadtrips, poolside, or beachside? We’ve got you covered!

Predictive Astrology: Tools to Forecast Your Life and Create Your Brightest Future

A groundbreaking work that offers deep insights and astrological techniques for bringing the future to light.

Note: The new edition of this groundbreaking guide is perfect for those curious about parsing the future and interpreting their destiny. Bernadette Brady draws on her decades of expertise to invite new and experienced practitioners alike into the world of predictive astrology. – Sonia Brand-Fisher

Publishing Date: 7/1/22

Written by: Bernadette Brady

Read by: Rosemary Benson

Goddess of Filth

One hot summer night, best friends Lourdes, Fernanda, Ana, Perla, and Pauline hold a séance. It’s all fun and games at first, but their tipsy laughter turns to terror when the flames burn straight through their prayer candles. As Father Moreno’s obsession with Fernanda grows, Lourdes enlists the help of her “bruja Craft crew” and a professor, Dr. Camacho, to understand what is happening to her friend in this unholy tale of possession-gone-right. Contains mature themes.

Note: Castro delivers a gorgeously crafted horror story and a powerful coming-of-age tale that explores female sexuality, the bonds of friendship, and spiritual self-discovery. Fans of Mexican Gothic will love Goddess of Filth. – Kim Budnick

Publishing Date: 07/12/2022

Written by: V. Castro

Read by: Stacy Gonzalez

America’s Great-Power Opportunity

In this timely intervention, Ali Wyne offers the first detailed critique of great-power competition as a foreign policy framework, warning that it could render the United States defensive and reactive.

Note: Since 1945, America has exerted great power and influence across the world. But over the last two decades, China and Russia have increasingly challenged that influence. How should the United States respond? Ali Wyne argues that rather than seeing this as an insurmountable challenge, it is in fact an opportunity to revitalize the nation’s global power and stature. – Aaron Piccirillo

Publishing Date: 7/12/22

Written by: Ali Wyne

Read by: Tristan Morris

Victory at Sea:  Naval Power and the Transformation of the Global Order in World War II

A sweeping, lavish one-volume history of the rise of American naval power during World War II.

Written by: Paul Kennedy

Read by:  James Cameron Stewart

Publishing Date:  4/12/2022

Note: Perfect for World War II buffs as well as those interested in international relations.  Kennedy looks at the rise (America) and falls (German, Japanese, French, Italian) of the navies involved in World War II.  Through this lens, he shines a light on the power balance in the world coming out of the war and through the years following it.- Dan Totten

Mobfather: The Story of a Wife and a Son Caught in the Web of the Mafia

In Mobfather, George Anastasia exposes what it really means to be married to the mob—and fathered by it. Based on years of reporting, thousands of pages of court testimony, and extensive interviews, Mobfather takes the listener deep into the heart of corruption. Contains mature themes.

Written by: George Anastasia

Read by: Tom Beyer

Publishing Date: 7/12/2022

Note: Summer is truly the perfect time for a new true crimes audiobook to sink into. Oftentimes though, you don’t learn about the family behind the mafia man; here, George Anastasia shares the story of a doomed marriage and a family life that fell apart as Tommy Del rose in the mafia. – Lindsey Wood

Picks of the Week- June 27

Summer is officially here! We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to listen to all of the new audiobooks releasing this month!

We understand that at times it could be a challenge narrowing down your next listen, so we had our acquirers narrow down a few of their top picks for you. Roadtrips, poolside, or beachside? We’ve got you covered!

Age of Bronze

Jez Cajiao presents Book 2 in the Rise of Mankind series.

Note: Jez Cajiao’s Rise of Mankind series continues in another fast-paced epic fantasy full of conflict inside and out. – Greg

Publishing Date: 06/28/2022

Written by: Jez Cajiao

Read by: Neil Hellegers

The Return of the Russian Leviathan

In this book, Sergei Medvedev argues that this new wave of Russian nationalism is the result of mentalities that have long been embedded within the Russian psyche.

Note: The Return of the Russian Leviathan is for anyone looking to understand contemporary Russia and its relationship to both its neighbors and the West. But this is not simply a history of Russia, it is an exploration of the psyche and motivations of a political regime rooted in a nostalgia for empire.- Aaron Piccirillo

Publishing Date: 6/28/22

Written by: Sergei Medvedev

Read by: Christopher Douyard

The World’s Greatest Detective

Caroline Carlson, author of the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates series, returns with The World’s Greatest Detective, a story of crime, tricks, and hilarity for those who know that sometimes it takes a pair of junior sleuths to solve a slippery case.

Note: When a detective is found murdered before Hugh Abernathy’s crime-solving contest for all of Detective’s Row, two amateur sleuths step up to try to crack the case. The problem is, Toby is not a very good sleuth, and his friend Ivy isn’t allowed in the elite circle of high-ranking investigators. Will they be able to solve what comes to be known as the World’s Greatest Mystery? Young fans of Nancy Springer and Trenton Lee Stewart will enjoy the twists, turns, and surprises of The World’s Greatest Detective. – Sonia Brand-Fisher

Publishing Date: 6/28/2022

Written by: Caroline Carlson

Read by: Kitty Kelly