Welcome to Brian’s Book Blog’s weekly New and Notable Audiobooks Post for the Week of October 31st.
Comment below on any I missed or what you’re excited about!
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The Salvage Crew by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
Narrated by Nathan Fillion
Podium Audio
Award-winning actor Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Castle, The Rookie) brings to life a snarky artificial intelligence you won’t soon forget. Don’t miss his hilarious performance in a story perfectly crafted for sci-fi fans of The Martian, Red Dwarf, and We Are Legion (We Are Bob).
They thought this was just another salvage job. They thought wrong.
An AI overseer and a human crew arrive on a distant planet to salvage an ancient UN starship. The overseer is unhappy. The crew, well, they’re certainly no A-team. Not even a C-team on the best of days. And worse? Urmahon Beta, the planet, is at the ass-end of nowhere. Everybody expects this to be a long, ugly, and thankless job.
Then it all goes disastrously wrong. What they thought was an uninhabited backwater turns out to be anything but empty. Megafauna roam the land, a rival crew with some terrifyingly high-powered gear haunts the dig site, and a secret that will change humanity forever is waiting in the darkness.
Stuck on this unmapped, hostile planet, lacking resources, and with tech built by the cheapest bidder, the salvage crew must engineer their way to payday…and beat Urmahon Beta before it kills them all.
Gateway to War by Christopher Hopper, J.N. Chaney
Narrated by R.C. Bray
Podium Audio
Hunted by the Republic. Desperate to stop the enemy.
Lieutenant Magnus survives the harrowing rescue of his unit only to find himself charged with treason by the very military he’s pledged his allegiance to. Now, he must attempt to escort Piper to the Luma, homeward of Worru before dark forces discover her otherworldly abilities.
But once there, Magnus finds himself confronting new enemies in the place he least expects to find them.
Meanwhile, Awen uncovers a new plot that threatens to upend order throughout the galaxy. She and Magnus find their way to an alien world where they must work together to build a new team from the ruins of the warriors who remain loyal to the cause of galactic freedom.
Can Magnus survive the wave of violence heading his way? Will Awen be able to help a young prodigy harness an unthinkable new power found in the Unity?
Find out in the third installment of this best-selling military sci-fi epic that has captivated the imaginations of fans around the world.
In the Deep by Loreth Anne White
Narrated by Sarah Zimmerman
Brilliance Publishing
I hope you don’t find him. And if you do, I hope he’s dead and that he suffered….
Real-estate mogul Martin Cresswell-Smith is the best thing that has ever happened to Ellie. After her daughter’s devastating death, a divorce, and an emotional breakdown, he’s helped her move as far as possible from the grief, the rage, and the monsters of her past. Ellie imagines her new home with Martin in an Australian coastal town will be like living a fairy tale. But behind closed doors is another story – one that ends in Martin’s brutal murder. And Ellie seems almost relieved….
Naturally, everyone thinks Mrs. Cresswell-Smith is guilty.
Senior Constable Lozza Bianchi has reasonable doubt. She sees evidence of a twisted psychological battle and a couple who seemed to bring out the worst in each other – adultery, abuse, betrayal, and revenge. If anything Ellie says can be believed, that is. As the case takes twist after spiraling twist, Lozza can’t shake the gut instinct that she’s being manipulated. That Ellie is hiding something. That there are secrets yet to surface. Lozza has no idea.
First Strike by Scott Moon
Narrated by Peter Berkrot
Aethon Audio
Joining the fight for the Galaxy isn’t required. It’s a choice.
The United Galactic Government is mired in a decade-long war for control of a key planet. Weakened by overextension and political intrigue, they could lose everything.
When a child of privilege gives up everything to enlist and fight for what is right, he learns what it means to become part of a team. He encounters refugees, aliens he never expected to empathize with, and the loss of comrades. In the end he must develop the courage to stand up, not only to aliens and governments, but his own family.
Packed with military science fiction on par with Galaxy’s Edge, Terms of Enlistment, and Starship Troopers, the Brothers in Arms trilogy will deliver listeners into the jaws of the toughest fight the galaxy has ever known.
Back to Ruby’s by KC Luck
Narrated by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker
Self Published
Check out my review of the first book Welcome To Ruby’s
The bar is open and all your friends at Ruby’s are back.
Christmas is usually Rey Madrona’s favorite time of year, but with eviction from her apartment looming and problems at the hospital where she works, Rey’s only bright spot in life is her friends at Ruby’s – especially her sexy roommate, Marty.
When Marty Heath finds herself in Rey’s arms under the mistletoe, her wishes about her roommate seem ready to be fulfilled. At least until her phone rings to ruin the moment and sends her life spinning out of control.
Rey and Marty are the best of friends…but could they someday be more? And what will it take to finally bring them together? Maybe a place like Ruby’s.
A Solitude of Wolverines: A Novel of Suspense by Alice Henderson
Narrated by Eva Kaminsky
HarperAudio
The first book in a thrilling series featuring a wildlife biologist who courts trouble as she saves endangered species…and a mysterious killer who buries his dead in the land she helps preserve – a fast-paced, action-driven tale of suspense with the atmosphere and propulsive tension of works by Jane Harper, C. J. Box, William Kent Krueger, and Nevada Barr.
While studying wolverines on a wildlife sanctuary in Montana, biologist Alex Carter is run off the road and threatened by locals determined to force her off the land.
Undeterred in her mission to help save this threatened species, Alex tracks wolverines on foot and by cameras positioned in remote regions of the preserve. But when she reviews the photos, she discovers disturbing images of an animal of a different kind: a severely injured man seemingly lost and wandering in the wilds.
After searches for the unknown man come up empty, local law enforcement is strangely set on dismissing the case altogether, raising Alex’s suspicions. Then another invasive predator trespasses onto the preserve. The hunter turns out to be another human – and the prey is the wildlife biologist herself. Alex realizes too late that she has seen too much – she’s stumbled onto a far-reaching illegal operation and now has become the biggest threat.
In this wild and dangerous landscape, Alex’s life depends on staying one step ahead – using all she knows about the animal world and what it takes to win the brutal battle for survival.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
The Sensation: The Salvation Series, Book II by Amanda Bridgeman
Narrated by Lyssa Browne
Angry Robot Books
A series of brutal murders has the homicide division of San Francisco’s Hub 9 working overtime. But as the bodies mount, they begin to question whether the attacks are random or somehow connected.
When one of their own falls victim, Detective Salvi Brentt and her homicide team join forces with the narcotics and cyber divisions to track down those responsible. They soon discover that a volatile new drug-tech experience, involving black market neural implants, has hit the streets, causing the epidemic of violence and missing persons.
With the clock ticking and the bodies piling up, Salvi must go deep undercover in the seedy Sensation club scene to find out who is behind it. But in the secretive playgrounds of the rich and powerful, some will stop at nothing to protect their empire….
Kill for Satan! by Bryan Smith
Narrated by Sean Duregger
Self Published
2019 Splatterpunk Award Winner for Best Horror Novella
On the night before Halloween, a Satanic mass is held deep in the woods outside a small American town. Followers of the dark faith are assigned a mission in a message delivered by the devil himself. On Halloween, they must deliver a bounty of pure souls to their dark master. By killing virgins.
As Halloween begins, so does the all-day horror movie marathon hosted by Count Victor von Gravemore on Channel 39. Many will be watching as real horror invades their lives and screams ring out all over town.
Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
Narrated by Andrew Eiden
Penguin Audio
“[A] catchy premise with surprising wisdom and specificity.” (New York Times Book Review on The Bromance Book Club)
A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Title
A hacktivist and a cat café owner decode the friend zone in this romantic comedy from the author of Undercover Bromance.
Alexis Carlisle and her cat café, ToeBeans, have shot to fame after she came forward as a victim of a celebrity chef’s sexual harassment. When a new customer approaches to confide in her, the last thing Alexis expects is for the woman to claim they’re sisters. Unsure what to do, Alexis turns to the only man she trusts – her best friend, Noah Logan.
Computer genius Noah left his rebellious teenage hacker past behind to become a computer security expert. Now he only uses his old skills for the right cause. But Noah’s got a secret: He’s madly in love with Alexis. When she asks for his help, he wonders if the timing will ever be right to confess his crush.
Noah’s pals in The Bromance Book Club are more than willing to share their beloved “manuals” to help him go from bud to boyfriend. But he must decide if telling the truth is worth risking the best friendship he’s ever had.
Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella
Narrated by Fiona Hardingham
Recorded Books
From the number one New York Times best-selling author of I Owe You One, an utterly delightful novel about a woman who ditches her dating app for a writer’s retreat in Italy – only to find that real love comes with its own filters.
Call Ava romantic, but she thinks love should be found in the real world, not on apps that filter men by height, job, or astrological sign. She believes in feelings, not algorithms. So after a recent breakup and dating app debacle, she decides to put love on hold and escapes to a remote writers’ retreat in coastal Italy. She’s determined to finish writing the novel she’s been fantasizing about, even though it means leaving her close-knit group of friends and her precious dog, Harold, behind.
At the retreat, she’s not allowed to use her real name or reveal any personal information. When the neighboring martial arts retreat is canceled and a few of its attendees join their small writing community, Ava, now going by “Aria”. meets “Dutch”, a man who seems too good to be true. The two embark on a baggage-free, whirlwind love affair, cliff-jumping into gem-colored Mediterranean waters and exploring the splendor of the Italian coast. Things seem to be perfect for Aria and Dutch.
But then their real identities – Ava and Matt – must return to London. As their fantasy starts to fade, they discover just how different their personal worlds are. From food choices to annoying habits to sauna etiquette…are they compatible in anything? And then there’s the prickly situation with Matt’s ex-girlfriend, who isn’t too eager to let him go. As one mishap follows another, it seems while they love each other, they just can’t love each other’s lives. Can they reconcile their differences to find one life together?
The Stand-In by Lauren Campbell
Narrated by Brooke Bloomingdale
Podium Audio
Ten months ago, my kiss saved him from jail. Now, it’s his turn to save me.
But when it’s time to go our separate ways, he makes me an offer I can’t refuse – an interview with my dream company and 10 grand in cash. All I have to do is pretend to be his girlfriend for the week. Easy peasy.
It isn’t until he takes me home to meet his parents that I realize he left out some major details. But there’s too much at stake for me to back out now; I must play the part. Only…it won’t be quite the one he’s expecting.
Worst Fake Girlfriend: scene one, take one.
- Disease X by N.J. Croft (Narrated by Joshua Saxon) - December 1, 2023
- A Purrfect Gift by Jae (Narrated by Anastasia Watley) - November 30, 2023
- Wraith King (Wraith Knight #3) by C.T. Phipps (Narrated Narrated by Samuel E. Hoke) - November 28, 2023
