Category Archives: Tantorian Favorites

New Nonfiction Listens for February

New Releases, ,

Read by: Gary Bennett

“Fans of Dateline will be interested in this work, which will likely only grow in popularity when the miniseries The Thing About Pam, starring Renée Zellweger, premieres in March 2022.” —Library Journal

The explosive, first-ever insider’s account of the case that’s captivated millions—the murder of Betsy Faria and the wrongful conviction of her husband.

Read by: Jonathan Yen

“Extreme North is an icily bewitching panorama of the dreams and fears, the fascination and the danger of the snowy limits of civilization.” —Philipp Blom, author of Nature’s Mutiny

An entertaining and informative voyage through cultural fantasies of the North, from sea monsters and a mountain-sized magnet to racist mythmaking.

Read by: Rachel Perry

Based on the self-help classic, Stop Walking on Eggshells, this essential guide offers powerful skills and strategies for parenting a child of any age with borderline personality disorder (BPD)—without sacrificing their family or themselves.

Read by: L. Malaika Cooper

“Stephanie Rose Bird’s emotionally liberating text champions the syncretism of diasporic healing motifs while enhancing the potency of eclectic African-centered folklore.” —Mawiyah Kai EL-Jamah Bomani, author of the plays Spring Chickens and Crows Feet

This is a fabulous resource for anyone who wants to understand African American spirituality, shamanism, and indigenous spiritual practices and beliefs.

Read by: Shaun Grindell

New York Times bestselling author

Investigative journalist John Glatt tells the true story of the murder of Greg DeVillers.

Read by: Joe Hempel

Hosts Mike Kalinowski and Brad Gilmore team up in this comprehensive breakdown of the longest running film series in the history of cinema. In Bond, James Bond, they explore the cinematic history of the James Bond collection to celebrate everything it got right and reflect on everything it got wrong.

Read by: Neil Gardner

“As Dennis Duncan’s charming book shows, though today they suggest fusty libraries, indexes were once a novelty.” —The Economist

A playful history of the humble index and its outsized effect on our reading lives.

Read by: Chris Sorensen

“Brad Steiger’s book does an excellent—indeed, essential—job of setting the scene and providing a foundation of the facts as they were known at the time it was written.” —Whitley Strieber

An astonishing collection of stories of extraterrestrial abduction, time travel, and extraterrestrial sex.

Picks of the Week-February 21

Tantorian Favorites, , , ,

We don’t know about you, but it’s cold out here and all we can think of is curling up next to a cozy fire with a great audiobook.

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.

Soul Love

Aja presents Book 3 in the Soulmates series. Contains mature themes.

Note: Author Aja gives spotlight to clairvoyant and enigmatic heroine Zoe in Soul Love, book 3 of the series Soulmates. Perceptive of her connection to the world and people, Zoe is confident that she could pick her soulmate from a crowd – despite having never met him. This is perfect for listeners that have been following the Soulmates series and enjoy gifted heroines discovering their fated love. – Desiree Lynch

Publishing Date: 2/15/2022

Written by: Aja

Read by: Leon Nixon, Shari Peele

Tide of Tricks

Ariana Nash presents Book 2 in the Shadows of London series. Contains mature themes.

Note: Book 2 in the new thrilling Shadows of London series by Ariana Nash will take you on a fantastical, mysterious adventure. – Kristen Hummel

Publishing Date: 2/22/2022

Written by: Ariana Nash

Read by: Cornell Collins

The Bachelor Bargain

Maddison Michaels presents Book 1 in the Secrets, Scandals, and Spies series. Contains mature themes.

Note: While waiting for the newest season of Bridgerton to release on Netflix, why not sink your teeth into Maddison Michaels’ newest historical romance series to quench your thirst? When Lady Olivia has had enough of scandals ruining lives, she and her friends decide to start an anonymous publication dishing the secrets of society’s most eligible bachelors. Using Sebastian as a partner, Olivia soon finds out they may be in over their heads… – Kelly Srubas

Publishing Date: 2/22/22

Written by: Maddison Michaels

Read by: Ashford MacNab

They Called Us River Rats: The Last Batture Settlement of New Orleans

They Called Us River Rats: The Last Batture Settlement of New Orleans is the previously untold story of perhaps the oldest outsider settlement in America, an invisible community on the annually flooded shores of the Mississippi River.

Note: They Called Us River Rats is the history of one of the oldest and most secret communities in America: The New Orleans Batture, the levy dwellers who reside along the river’s edge. Author Macon Fry , a self-proclaimed river rat, takes the listener to banks of the Mississippi with a flowing narrative full of characters and experience. This audiobook is the culmination of 20 years of research as Fry catalogs the history and myth of batture living and it’s significance to the region and culture of the Mississippi River. This audiobook is for all those who seek a contrarian lifestyle or insight into this unique and hardy community. – Nicholas Pouliot

Publishing Date: 02/22/2022

Written by: Macon Fry

Read by: Adam Barr

Everything, All the Time, Everywhere

Post-modernism stood for everything modernism rejected: fun, exuberance, irresponsibility. In his brilliant history of a dangerous idea, Stuart Jeffries tells a narrative that starts in the early 1970s and continues to today.

Note: Stuart Jeffries takes us on a journey through the history of Postmodernism. A crucial text for anyone who wants to better understand our fragmented culture, why we can’t seem to agree on objective reality, and how we got here. – Aaron Piccirillo

Publishing Date: 2/22/22

Written by: Stuart Jeffries

Read by: Jonathan Cowley

My Autobiography

My Autobiography offers dedicated Chaplin fans and casual admirers alike an astonishing glimpse into the heart and the mind of Hollywood’s original genius maverick.

Note: For the first time in audio comes the autobiography of film icon, Charlie Chaplin. Arguably the most recognizable comedic actor in cinema’s history, Chaplin tells in his own words of his upbringing in South London, his ascent to stardom as “The Tramp,” and his successes as a director, writer, producer, composer, and star of classics like “Modern Times,” “City Lights,” and “The Great Dictator” (to name a few). On display is Chaplin’s unrelenting wit, his idiosyncrasies, and his humanity in what the Chicago Tribune called “the best autobiography ever written by an actor.” – Sonia Brand-Fisher

Publishing Date: 2/28/2022

Written by: Charles Chaplin

Read by: Steve John Shepherd

Picks of the Week-February 7

Tantorian Favorites, , , ,

We don’t know about you, but it’s cold out here and all we can think of is curling up next to a cozy fire with a great audiobook.

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.

Gold:  How Gretzky’s Men Ended Canada’s 50-Year Olympic Hockey Drought

Gold is the definitive chronicle of how the men of Team Canada made history. Marking twenty years since the momentous victory, Tim Wharnsby delivers the inside story of how Gretzky built the team and Pat Quinn got them to the gold medal, featuring exclusive interviews with players, coaches, and personnel.

Note: Just in time for the 2022 Winter Olympics and the 20th Anniversary of Canada’s first Olympic gold medal in 50 years, re-live the story of The Great One and Coach Pat Quinn leading the country that invented ice hockey to that elusive gold.  Featuring exclusive interviews with the players, coaches, and staff you’re sure to learn something new even if you are the most ardent hockey buff. – Dan Totten

Publishing Date:  2/1/2022

Written by: Tim Wharnsby

Read by:  Barry Abrams

One Quarter of the Nation: Immigration and the Transformation of America

One Quarter of the Nation is an in-depth look at the many ways immigration has redefined modern America.

Note:  An in-depth look at the many ways immigration has redefined modern America.  Nancy Foner dives deep to explain the impact immigration has had on the United States over the past two centuries, specifically when it comes to race and social order.  It reminds us that immigration has long been a part of American society, and shows how immigrants and their families continue to redefine who we are as a nation. – Scott Smith

Publishing Date: 2/1/2022

Written by: Nancy Foner

Read by: Laurel Merlington

Fortune: How Race Broke My Family and the World—and how to Repair it All

Fortune helps listeners understand how America was built upon systems and structures in ways that blessed some and cursed others, allowing Americans of European descent to benefit from the colonization, genocide, enslavement, rape, and exploitation of people of color.

Note: Lisa Sharon Harper, a leading Christian activist, explores how societal systems and structures constructed in America around race have broken families of color. This is an eye-opening account for anyone looking to know more about and heal the world from the destruction of systemic racism. – Kara Stebbins

Publishing Date: 2/8/2022

Written by: Lisa Sharon Harper

Read by: Lisa Sharon Harper

Bright Midnight

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Nordic King and Racing the Sun comes a wildly romantic STANDALONE about a young American abroad in Norway who runs into the man who broke her heart eight years ago. Contains mature themes.

Note: The author that brought you A Nordic King and The Pact is back with another book, a cute second chance romance that is completely swoon-worthy. Shay is traveling around Europe, seeing everything she can see, the one place she still has yet to visit, Norway. She wants to see the land of the midnight sun, however, she does not want to run into the boy who broke her heart eight years before… You don’t want to miss Karina Halle, new to audio, Bright Midnight. -Jordan Spellman

Publishing Date: 2/8/22            

Written by: Karina Halle

Read by: Nina Archer and Tristan James

The Chrysanthemum and the Sword

The Chrysanthemum and the Sword is a revealing look at how and why our societies differ, making it the perfect introduction to Japanese history and customs.

Note: Anyone interested in the cultural history of Japan cannot afford to miss this landmark piece of anthropology by Ruth Benedict.  – Greg Souza

Publishing Date: 2/8/2022

Written by: Ruth Benedict

Read by: Cindy Kay

New Fiction Listens for January

New Releases, ,

Read by: Jeffrey Kafer

A freelance reporter struggling to get into the “big time” . . . A rookie officer starting her career in public safety . . . A cargo ship captain trying to outlive a terminal illness that has no cure . . . A bounty hunter returning a long-hunted fugitive to Earth . . . A terrible plague that threatens to destroy the human race . . . The twenty-fifth century is not starting off very well.

Read by: Amy Melissa Bentley

USA Today bestselling author

Where the Crawdads Sing meets The Four Winds as award-winning author Donna Everhart immerses readers in a unique setting—a turpentine camp buried deep in the vast pine forests of Georgia during the Great Depression—for a captivating story of friendship, survival, and three vagabonds’ intersecting lives.

Read by: Sara Sheckells

Publishers Weekly bestselling author

Lynette Eason is back with another high-octane tale of close calls, narrow escapes, and the fight to bring a nefarious criminal to justice.

Read by: Carly Robins and Emily Durante

New York Times bestselling author

Curse weaver Kennedy Bennett has resettled into her beloved hometown and opened a shop selling previously hexed antiques. When she fails to win an online auction for a notoriously cursed painting, Aiden Connolly—the wealthy and swoon-worthy luck worker she is not dating—swoops in to buy it for her.

Read by: Brian Holden

The cycle of dragons has changed Ashan. Now he must use it to save the kingdom.

Read by: Grace Grant

New York Times bestselling author

I love Dash Black, but he terrifies me. I believe he feels the same about me. And I’m not sure where that leaves us or what comes next.

Read by: Corey M. Snow

Modern times. Genius physicist Artyom Kuchaev found himself facing the darker side of the world we live in. Integrity is met with a laugh, the rat race instead full of people out to grab whatever they can.

Vasily Mahanenko’s new LitRPG series set in the universe of his World of the Changed!

Read by: Kirsten Potter

New York Times bestselling author

Ava has always been different. She lives a very isolated life until she is offered a job with an obscure network that aids powerful Immortal Guardians in their quest to protect humanity from the psychotic vampires who prey upon them.

New Nonfiction Listens for January

New Releases, ,

Read by: Shaun Grindell

“A white-knuckle page-turner.” –Publishers Weekly Starred Review

In The Doomsday Mother, bestselling true crime author John Glatt tells the twisted tale of Lori Vallow, accused of having her two children murdered to start a new life with her new husband, doomsday prepper Chad Daybell.

Read by: Terrence Kidd

“A vivid history revealing the extraordinary bravery and crucial roles of blacks in the American military.” –Kirkus

In this enlightening account, Michael Lee Lanning explores African Americans’ crucial part in military history over two centuries, beginning in the Revolutionary War and stretching to recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Read by: Christopher Douyard

“A thought-provoking exploration.” –Olivia Judson, author of Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation

An urgent plea for a broader understanding and awareness of the unconsidered dangers of new genetic technologies.

Read by: The authors

“A wonderfully engaging blend of wit, enthusiasm, clarity, and knowledge.” –Bill Bryson

Both rigorous and playful, The Complete (Short) Guide to Absolutely Everything is a celebration of the weirdness of the cosmos, the strangeness of humans, and the joys and follies of scientific discovery.

Read by: Christina Delaine

“An intimate and deeply moving meditation on trauma, healing, hope, and the criminal justice system . . . a must-read.” –Publishers Weekly Starred Review

Sensitive, singular, and powerful, effortlessly bridging memoir, essay, and legalese, The Uninnocent is a reckoning with the unimaginable, unforgettable, and seemly irredeemable.

Read by: Sara Sheckells

“A memoir, a legal thriller, and a heartening perspective on law enforcement at its best and brightest.” –Kirkus Starred Review

Insider details from the takedown of Backpage, the world’s largest sex trafficker, by the prosecutor who led the charge.

Read by: Suzanne Toren

“This book was written more than 40 years ago and the woman it deals with lived more than 170 years ago, but the story of Rahel Varnhagen survives the passage of time.” –The New York Times

Rahel Varnhagen: The Life of a Jewish Woman is the biography of a remarkable, complicated, troubled, passionate woman, an important figure in German romanticism.

Read by: Michael Butler Murray

International bestseller

Teach Like a Champion 3.0 is the long-awaited update to Doug Lemov’s highly regarded guide to the craft of teaching. This book teaches you how to create a positive and productive classroom that encourages student engagement, trust, respect, accountability, and excellence.

Picks of the Week-January 24

Tantorian Favorites, , , ,

We don’t know about you, but it’s cold out here and all we can think of is curling up next to a cozy fire with a great audiobook.

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.

The Pastor

A thought-provoking, existential novel—as Liv searches for meaning and identity in her own life, she must find the words to connect, comfort and lead others.

Note: From the winner of the 2019 PEN Translation Prize comes a darkly satisfying novel about a new pastor in a remote Norwegian village confronting both her reality and her past. Named one of the Best Books of 2021 in Fiction by Publisher’s Weekly, The Pastor grapples with humanity, the fragility of consciousness, and the echoes of historical suffering that are contained within the book’s stark and brutal landscape.  – Sonia Brand-Fisher

Written by: Hanne Orstavik

Read by: Madeline Dauer

Publishing Date: 1/25/2022

Coronavirus Criminals and Pandemic Profiteers

Modeled on a famous 1940 bestseller—a pamphlet exposing appeasers of Nazi Germany—Guilty Men shows how the coronavirus crisis has been stoked by the callous and opportunistic decisions of powerful men.

Note: The death toll from Covid-19 in the United States inches ever closer to one million people. Could the response have been better? Did those at the top intentionally downplay the crisis? Were there bad actors who made moves intended only to line their pockets? John Nichols unpacks these questions and more as he shows how those at the top mishandled and profited off of the worst pandemic in generations.- Aaron Piccirillo

Publishing Date: 1/25/22

Written by: John Nichols

Read by: Patrick Lawlor

Merchant Kings: When Companies Ruled the World, 1600–1900

A blend of biography, corporate history, and colonial history, this book offers a panoramic, new perspective on the enormous cultural, political, and social legacies, good and bad, of this first period of unfettered globalization.

Note:  In an age when giant tech firms are gaining power and influence over the everyday lives of people everywhere in the world author Stephen Bown offers a look back at a time when the first monopolies formed and pushed commerce into the age of exploration. Merchant Kings looks at history through the lens of the first big businesses and outlines the history and global power of such as the Dutch West India Company, the Hudson Bay Company, and English East India Company. Each with its own sphere of influence and exploitation this audiobook provides the listener insight into how big business took control of global resources and shaped the world we live in today. – Nicholas Pouliot

Publishing Date: 1/25/2022

Written by: Stephen R. Bown

Read by: Malcolm Hillgartner

The Norse Queen

Johanna Wittenberg presents Book 1 in the Norsewomen series. Contains mature themes.

Note: New year, new historical fiction trilogy! And even better, one based on the story of a real person – Viking Queen Åsa of Tromøy is a name unknown to most people, but here Johanna Wittenberg brings her to life with a strongly researched novel that weaves together pivotal moments in her life. Book 2, The Falcon Queen, to follow soon! – Lindsey Wood

Publishing Date: 1/25/22

Written by: Joanna Wittenberg

Read by: Amy Landon

Tied Up in Knotts

In Tied Up in Knotts, a loving daughter provides a full-life narrative of her father.

Note: An uplifting and heartfelt biography of comic legend Don Knotts written and read by his beloved daughter Karen.  Following Don throughout all the highs and lows of his remarkable career, including some never-told stories behind the scenes at the Andy Griffin Show and Three’s Company.  Tied Up In Knotts delves beyond Barney Fife nostalgia to tell the life story of a man and father. – Scott Smith

Publishing Date: 1/31/2022

Written by: Karen Knotts

Read by: Karen Knotts

Picks of the Week-January 17

Tantorian Favorites, , , ,

We don’t know about you, but it’s cold out here and all we can think of is curling up next to a cozy fire with a great audiobook.

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.

Showing Up: How Men Can Become Effective Allies in the Workplace

Showing Up is a revolutionary step-by-step guide—by and for men—to ending toxic masculinity and leveraging men to enact heart-based leadership, increase diversity, bolster the bottom line, and create a culture so everyone in the workplace wins.

Note: “A revolutionary step-by-step guide – by and for men – to ending toxic masculinity” especially, in the workplace. For men to embrace healthy masculinity in leadership roles in a company, while also identifying unhealthy masculine behaviors. How to build up and be inclusive for underrepresented groups in the workplace. This book is one that every man should give a listen to, you just might learn something.- Jordan Spellman

Publishing Date: 1/4/22            

Written by: Ray Arata

Read by: Steven Bowlby

Season of the Witch

This epic cultural and historical odyssey unearths the full influence of occult traditions on rock and roll—from the Beatles to Black Sabbath—and shows how the marriage between mysticism and music changed our world.

Note:  The fascinating connection between Occultism and Mysticism and the roots of rock ‘n’ roll is explored in this analysis of rock through the years.  Gildart Jackson expertly narrates our journey from those early days up to today.  This one is sure to grab you if you have any interest in music or the supernatural. – Dan Totten

Publishing Date:  1/18/2022

Written by:  Peter Berbegal

Read by:  Gildart Jackson

Cheese Sex Death

Filled with audacious prose, Cheese Sex Death is a delightfully approachable guide to artisan cheese that will make just about anyone worship at the altar of Cheesus.

Note: Erika Kubick brings her passion for cheese to this delectable artisan guide. A must-listen for the cheese obsessed! – Kara Stebbins

Publishing Date: 1/18/2022

Written by: Erika Kubick

Read by: Erika Kubick

The 10,000 Year Explosion

A provocative and fascinating new look at human evolution that turns conventional wisdom on its head, The 10,000 Year Explosion reveals the ongoing interplay between culture and biology in the making of the human race.

Note: Gregory Cochran and Henry Harpending offer a unique, modern perspective on human evolution’s relationship to civilized life. – Greg

Publishing Date: 1/18/2022

Written by: Gregory Cochran, Henry Harpending

Read by: Jonathan Yen

Ball of Fire

In Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball, Stefan Kanfer goes beyond the icon to examine the difficult life and enduring work of the most influential woman in modern American comedy.

Note: Author Stefan Kanfer examines the life and legacy of one of the most beloved comics and television stars of all time-Lucille Ball. – Kristen Hummel

Publishing Date: 1/18/2022

Written by: Stefan Kanfer

Read by: Nan McNamara

New Fiction Listens for December

New Releases, ,

Read by: Gildart Jackson

National bestselling series

Alex Verus must keep his friends close—and his enemies closer—in the epic conclusion to the bestselling urban fantasy series about a London-based mage.

Read by: Mason Lloyd and Felicity Munroe

New York Times bestselling author

Crulden the Ruiner is the name of a fierce gladiator who’s broken the rules . . . and broken anyone that approaches. It’s my name.

Read by: Stephanie Rose and Nelson Hobbs

From the New York Times bestselling author of Forever My Girl: The Motion Picture, Heidi McLaughlin delivers a contemporary romance that will leave you dancing in the end zone!

Read by: Amy Landon

New York Times bestselling author

When Ella is mysteriously attacked on her way home from a party, her entire life changes as she finds herself at the center of an attempted murder investigation.

Read by: David Shih

“Stellar . . . a flawless blend of police procedural and fair-play detection.” —Publishers Weekly Starred Review

Detective Galileo, Keigo Higashino’s best-loved character from The Devotion of Suspect X, returns in Silent Parade, a complex and challenging mystery—several murders, decades apart, with no solid evidence.

Read by: Tatiana Sokolov

USA Today bestselling author

Charlene Hartnady presents the much-awaited sequel to the bestselling Chosen by the Vampire Kings.

Read by: Joe Hempel

Fists, fangs, and fury. It’s all a matter of balance when Jimmy Black, Charlotte’s Vampire Master of the City, is tasked with discovering why a mostly bloodless, decapitated body shows up in a dumpster. 

Read by: Rachel Woods

New York Times bestselling author

Finally out of rehab and desperate for a fresh start, Wyatt rejoins his mega-platinum rock band Shaken Dirty as they prepare for their world tour. But Wyatt’s demons are never far behind, always nipping at his heels for one. More. Fix.

New Nonfiction Listens for December

New Releases,

Read by: Mike Lenz

“Diligently researched, perceptive and well-written.” —Classic Rock

The first full-length biography of Eddie Van Halen—a searching, affectionate, and in-depth look at the remarkable life of a genuine musical virtuoso who changed the course of rock ‘n’ roll.

Read by: Christa Lewis

“There is sincerity and dedication behind this work.” —Paul Newman

Patricia Neal: An Unquiet Life is the first critical biography detailing the actress’s impressive film career and remarkable personal life.

Read by: Danny Campbell

Based in proven-effective cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Instant Anger Management is a take-anywhere guide for managing anger—whenever and wherever you are.

Read by: Leslie Howard

In Botanical Curses and Poisons, Fez Inkwright returns to folkloric and historical archives to reveal the fascinating, untold stories behind a variety of lethal plants, witching herbs, and funghi.

Read by: Mia Ellis

Edited by Roxane Gay

A definitive selection of Audre Lorde’s “intelligent, fierce, powerful, sensual, provocative, indelible” (Roxane Gay) prose and poetry, for a new generation of listeners.

Read by: Nancy Wu

“Readers seeking to go beyond the headlines about China will learn much from this account.” —Publishers Weekly

Be captivated and inspired by one man’s remarkable journey of survival through the upheavals that have shaped modern China.

Read by: Rebecca Mitchell

New York Times bestselling author

A popular in-depth exploration of the runes, reissued with a new chapter on rune divination, now part of the Weiser Classics series.

Read by: Christopher Douyard

“This book unites two compelling subjects in one remarkable narrative.” —Nicholas J. Cull, coauthor of Projecting Tomorrow

Superheroes, Movies, and the State deploys a thematic framework to analyze how five of the key themes of our time manifest in the superhero genre, and the role of the government in molding narratives around these topics.

Picks of the Week-December 27

Tantorian Favorites, , ,

We don’t know about you, but it’s cold out here and all we can think of is curling up next to a cozy fire with a great audiobook.

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.

A Question of Freedom: The Families Who Challenged Slavery from the Nation’s Founding to the Civil War

A Question of Freedom tells the story of the longest and most complex legal challenge to slavery in American history.

Note: In this critically acclaimed winner of the Mark Lynton Prize in History and the SHEAR Best Book prize, listeners learn the history of the “freedom suit,” where enslaved individuals could file lawsuits against slaveholders to claim their freedom. This thoroughly researched account vividly brings to life the efforts of five generations of enslaved families in Prince George’s County, Maryland, whose fight brought them up against a powerful assembly of slaveholders, as well as the Supreme Court. – Sonia Brand-Fisher

Publishing Date: 12/14/2021

Written by: William G. Thomas III

Read by: David Sadzin

Under A Falling Star

A must-listen romance. Contains mature themes.

Note: Perfect for those who love both romance and Christmas, you don’t want to miss this office romance by Jae. Austen is an employee at an international games company and her first job is to decorate the Christmas tree in the lobby. While doing this, Austen’s boss gets hit in the head by the tree topper and she takes her to the ER. Dee has an instant attraction towards Austen but she does not know that Austen is technically her employee. -Jordan Spellman

Publishing Date: 12/21/21       

Written by: Jae

Read by: Abby Craden

Unchained: The Eddie Van Halen Story

The first full-length biography of Eddie Van Halen—a searching, affectionate, and in-depth look at the remarkable life of a genuine musical virtuoso who changed the course of rock ‘n’ roll.

Note: The first full-length biography of Eddie Van Halen—a searching, affectionate, and in-depth look at the remarkable life of a genuine musical virtuoso who changed the course of rock ’n’ roll.  Brannigan goes in-depth to explore the highs and lows of the Eddie Van Halen story.  A must-listen for any music fan! – Scott Smith

Publishing Date: 12/28/2021

Written by: Paul Brannigan

Read by: Mike Lenz

Black Cowboys of the Old West

A long overdue testament to the courage and skill of black cowboys, Black Cowboys of the Old West finally gives these courageous men their rightful place in history.

Note: There’s a lot of American history that, while not hidden, is not widely known. That so many cowboys of the Old West were actually Black could be a surprise to many; Hollywood (and history books) has always shown us a white majority presentation of cowboys, yet one-fourth of their number were Black. Jesse Stahl, Nat Love, and Charley Willis are just a few of the cowboys that we should know more about, and Tricia Martineau Wagner handily provides a strong introduction here. – Lindsey Wood

Publishing Date: 12/28/2021

Written by: Tricia Martineau Wagner

Read by: Allyson Johnson

Tomb of the Queen

Joss Walker presents Book 1 in the Jayne Thorne, CIA Librarian series. Contains mature themes.

Note: Writing under the pen name, Joss Walker, New York Times bestselling thriller author J.T. Ellison delivers a powerful debut paranormal fantasy. Cowritten with USA Today bestselling fantasy author Alisha Klapheke, the Jayne Thorne, CIA Librarian series is perfect for fans of A Discovery of Witches. – Kim Budnick

Publishing Date: 12/31/2021

Written by: Joss Walker

Read by: Erin Moon