10 Audiobooks for Late August

Summer isn't officially over for a few more weeks, even if county fairs and the return to school are saying otherwise. Get outside and enjoy the last days of warm weather, and be sure to take an audiobook along on your adventures. Here are 10 suggested listens, all of which will be published next week.

• Louise Penny's Glass Houses (Macmillan Audio; 13 hr, 32 min) is the thirteenth book in her much-loved Three Pines series and the third one read by Robert Bathurst, who replaced the late Ralph Cosham. This installment starts at Halloween and ends in the summer and involves a murder, folk lore, and a trial. The novel has won several starred reviews, and Bathurst's performances have won over Penny's fans. (mystery)
• Claire Messud's The Burning Girl (Recorded Books; 6 hr, 38 min) is performed by Morgan Hallett, who is known for good pacing and consistent characterizations. The story focuses on two childhood girlfriends who drift apart when they reach adolescence. Hallett is a good pick for this thoughtful look at the choices we make when we're young and full of dreams and light on experience. (coming-of-age)
• Gabriel Tallent's My Absolute Darling (Penguin Audio; 15 hr, 47 min), performed by Alex McKenna, masterfully examines the tough, disturbing issue of child abuse. McKenna, who has experience portraying teens, is said to have hit the emotional heart of this audiobook (see AudioFile magazine). The novel is an Indie Next pick for August. (general fiction)
• Kathryn Miles's Quakeland: On the Road to America's Next Devastating Earthquake (Penguin Audio; 12 hr, 10 min) is read by veteran narrator Bernadette Dunne. Dunne's voice should be well suited to this piece of investigative journalism that takes listeners on a tour of the U.S. infrastructure and examines the projected aftermath of a large earthquake on levees, mines, nuclear plants, and major economic hubs. (nonfiction)

• Ashley Shelby's South Pole Station (Dreamscape Media; 12 hr, 42 min), performed by Rebecca Gibel, should be on everyone's listening list. Do you have what it takes to live and work in the isolated small community of scientists who conduct research in Antarctica? Gibel, who is widely liked by listeners, takes on this sometimes funny story of a woman's experiences after receiving an artists and writers grant to spend a year at the South Pole. Perfect for those who like quirky characters. (general fiction)
• Jennifer Ryan's Montana Heat: Escape to You (Harper Audio; 9 hr, 30 min), performed by Coleen Marlo, is the first full novel in a new series featuring male DEA agents and the women they get to know and love. Based on Marlo's narration of a Montana Men novella, romance fans are in for a treat. This story involves an actress who escapes a kidnapping and receives protection from a handsome agent. (romance)
• Erin Carlson's I'll Have What She's Having: How Nora Ephron's Three Iconic Films Save the Romantic Comedy (Hachette Audio; 10 hr, 41 min) is performed by Amy Tallmadge. Tallmadge is an expressive narrator who is easy on the ears and should be a good match for this behind-the-scenes look at three hit movies. Written by a journalist, this audiobook contains interesting trivia but also explores the more serious issue of Hollywood's poor treatment of women. (nonfiction)
• Cutis Craddock's An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors (Macmillan Audio; 18 hr, 21 min), narrated by Erin Bennett, is the first in a fresh new fantasy series set in a world of airborne continents. Bennett's vocal skills will likely shine in this debut story of magic, court politics, adventure, and musketeer protectors. The novel has been earning starred reviews and critical praise. (fantasy)

• Cherise Wola's The Resurrection of Joan Ashby (Macmillan Audio; 19 hr, 20 min) has two narrators: Gabra Zackman and Michael Dickes. The story centers on the question of what happens when a brilliant young writer has an unplanned pregnancy and is talked into becoming a mother. This appears to be Dickes's first outing as an audiobook performer, so I can't comment on his skills, but Zackman's deep experience and strength as a narrator promise to make this an enjoyable listening experience. (general fiction)
• Kelly Simmons's The Fifth of July (Blackstone Audio; 7 hr, 16 min), read by a full cast, focuses on the fate of a well-off family in the aftermath of a tragedy. Told from six viewpoints, each with a different narrator, this story reminds us that money can't always bury our secrets. Listeners will quickly be caught up in this Nantucket drama. (women's fiction)