July 2020 Earphones Award Winners

The focus of this audiobook by a top financial journalist is the Winklevoss twins, Cameron and Tyler, the Harvard grads who claimed the idea for Facebook was stolen from them by fellow student Mark Zuckerberg. The brothers went on to become wealthy by promoting the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Narrating with subtle pitch and phrasing variations, Will Damron connects with every bit... Read More

Narrator Peter Lerman recounts the inevitable demise of Stetson-wearing Johnny Jenkins, former president of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America. Jenkins, an expert on Texas history and rare books, started out as a successful businessman in Austin. Lerman gives him outsized Texas charm and a good-old-boy accent. Listeners will have an exhilarating ride as he... Read More

Six narrators of Indian descent bring authenticity to this tragic debut fiction about a young Indian woman unjustly charged with terrorism over a Facebook comment. When Muslim Jivan criticizes the Indian government for mishandling a bombing incident, she doesn't think much about the possible consequences. However, her seemingly innocent comment lands her behind bars. With their... Read More

Holly Linneman's narration carries listeners into the whirlwind of 12-year-old Ellie's life. First, Ellie's family is disrupted when the Great Depression forces a move to the Maine woods; then their lives are torn apart when an accident leaves her father in a coma. Linneman defines Ellie's heartbreaking willingness to take responsibility for her family's survival even when it... Read More

Narrator Aoife McMahon is terrific delivering Naoise Dolan's impressive debut novel. Twenty-two-year-old Ava moves from Dublin to Hong Kong to teach English. There she meets Julian, an odd, self-involved banker. They start an unconventional relationship. She moves in. Julian picks up the tab. Eventually, they sleep together. They have great discussions. There are no emotional... Read More

With his seasoned voice and theatrical timing, narrator T. Ryder Smith presents this comprehensive study of the devastating 2018 Northern California fire, which killed 85 people and destroyed more than 14,000 homes. Smith utilizes dramatic pacing--speeding up during the nail-biting personal stories and slowing down when explaining the fire's causes (Pacific Gas & Electric... Read More

Narrators Andrea Bang and Yuta Takenaka add refreshing vitality to the voices in this eclectic collection of stories showcasing the perspectives of young Asian-Canadians. Bang's spritely tone gives her voice a youthful innocence that creates an interesting contrast when she spits out crisp expletives in a story called "God Damn, How Real Is This?" With precise articulation she... Read More

Narrator Alison Larkin's mellifluous voice and expressive tone are the perfect accompaniment to this acclaimed bildungsroman about "poor, plain and little" orphaned Jane Eyre and her eternally captivating romance with Edward Rochester. Larkin takes extraordinary care to elicit the full spectrum of emotions at play here, while conveying the gothic elements and psychological... Read More

Australian actor Luke Arnold narrates his debut fantasy novel in which a magical city shudders at the sudden loss of its magic. Fetch Philips takes odd jobs as a detective in Sunder City; his latest task is finding a missing teacher, a vampire whose body is slowly turning to dust without magic. Arnold portrays Fetch with pathos and differentiates the other characters, giving... Read More

Narrator Grover Gardner returns to breathe life into listeners' favorite dog-loving lawyer as Andy Carpenter defends a man declared dead in a boat explosion. Gardner makes listeners root for Andy as he becomes embroiled in the case when the supposedly dead man retrieves his beloved companion from Andy's dog-rescue charity. After the police charge the man with murdering his... Read More

Narrator Carrington McDuffie communicates the revolutionary spirit and intellectual depth behind spiritual teacher Marianne Williamson's most recent audiobook. With McDuffie's mature voice and thoughtful pacing, her sound has the stature needed to deliver this work, which blends the author's lyrical writing with ideas and sensibilities that seem to have come from the ancients.... Read More

James McAvoy leads an all-star cast in narrating this magnificent audio adaptation of Neil Gaiman's iconic graphic novel series, The Sandman. McAvoy, who portrays Morpheus, the King of Dreams, leans hard on his polished English accent, the embodiment of the Brits' determination to keep calm and carry on--no matter what. As listeners are swept up in a saga in which cats talk and... Read More

Shabazz Larkin delivers a lively and joyful audiobook companion to his picture book all about appreciating bees. Larkin narrates with warmth as he describes the important role that bees play in pollinating plants and making a picnic's worth of fruits grow. Legend and Royal add giggles, yelps, and exclamations, while Ashley Larkin's bright voice narrates headings and labels.... Read More

Humorist Mia Mercado's debut collection of self-deprecating, insightful essays drawn from her personal experiences is a must-listen for anyone wondering if their perceived idiosyncrasies are "normal." Suitable pauses between essays transition listeners through sections dedicated to various modes of being that millennials will find relatable. Mercado's essays combine humor and... Read More