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Every year the Audio Publishers Association presents the Audie Awards in numerous categories. The Audie Awards is the premier awards program in the United States recognizing distinction in audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment. Whether you are an avid audiobook listener or considering giving audiobooks a try, these are a great place to look for your next great listen. Some of the category winners for 2023 are: 

Audiobook of the Year:

Finding Me by Viola Davis
Narrated by the author

In Finding Me, Viola Davis tells her story from growing up in a dilapidated apartment in Central Falls, Rhode Island to finding her authentic self and the courage to put herself out there. Viola Davis narrates her own story which gives it the feeling of sitting down with the author and having a conversation about her life. 

Fantasy:

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope
Narrated by Shayna Small

In order to pay her debt to the spirit world, Clara Johnson must pull off a heist. She must steal a magic ring from the wealthiest woman in the district. Set in 1925 Black Washington DC, this novel weaves together African American folk magic, history, and romance. 

Fiction:

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
Narrated by the authors, Carrie Coon, and Key Taw

Olivia moved her son Asher to her hometown when her marriage fell apart and established herself at the family home taking over her father’s beekeeping business. Life was rough, but safe. When Asher fell for the new girl at school, Lily, they started dating and this new beginning seemed to be just what they needed… until tragedy struck and secrets long held started to reveal themselves. I read this as a book and enjoyed it, as much as one enjoys a Picoult book. They tend towards the depressing. With multiple narrators, I may have to pick this up for a listen as well.

Non-fiction:

The Ransomware Hunting Team by Renee Dudley and Daniel Golden
Narrated by BD Wong

When I saw this title was narrated by BD Wong, I immediately went to check it out. I don’t actually even care what it’s about. I love BD Wong. Luckily though, this book is about an elite group of code-cracking techies that offer their services pro-bono to those that the FBI and other government agencies are unwilling to help. For me personally, the added bonus for this title is that my son has a degree in cybersecurity, so I can ask him lots of questions from my limited knowledge and make him roll his eyes at me. 

Romance:

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake
Narrated by Kristen DiMercurio

Delilah Green never wanted to return to her hometown, but when her step-sister convinces her to be the photographer for her wedding, she reluctantly steps foot in Bright Falls. She expects to be in and out as quickly as possible, but then she meets Claire Sutherland. After years of raising her daughter alone and running a bookstore, Claire is ready for a life without surprises, but somehow Delilah is a surprise she can’t turn away. 

Science Fiction

Intergalactic Exterminators, INC by Ash Bishop
Narrated by Scott Brick and Suzanne Elise Freeman

Finding a rare artifact in your grandfather’s possessions shouldn’t get you targeted by ferocious aliens from a distant planet or forced to join a team of intergalactic exterminators, but unfortunately, this seems to be the fate for Russ Wesley. Some books just end up being better as an audiobook, and it seems this debut by Ash Bishop is one of them. 

Other 2023 Audie Award winners you may enjoy include: 

Happy-Go Lucky by David Sedaris; Narrated by the author

Sparring Partners by John Grisham; Narrated by Jeff Daniels, Ethan Hawke, January LaVoy, and John Grisham

Greenwich Park by Katherine Fuller; Narrated by Laura Kirman

Sarah Johnson is a collection librarian at Mid-Columbia Libraries. She reads more than 120 books a year. In her free time, she teaches fitness classes, gardens, and brews kombucha.