8 Audiobooks for Early Spring

My favorite part of spring is that the days are getting longer, which leaves me plenty of evening daylight for walking, yardwork, and (eventually) gardening. Of course, all that outdoor activity is prime time for listening to an audiobook. Despite this week’s snow, I’m optimistic that good weather is just days away. Fortunately, I don’t have to wait for a good audiobook. Here are 8 books for late-March listening.

• I’m looking forward to listening to Laura Thompson’s Agatha Christie: A Mysterious Life (Brilliance Audio; 20 hr, 46 min), read by Pearl Hewitt. This biography of the maven of mysteries is written by an experienced biographer (The Six) and read by an experienced narrator. I think Hewitt’s light British accent and clear diction will pull me in.
• Although I tend to like Anna Quindlen’s nonfiction more than her fiction, it’s hard to resist her new novel, Alternate Side (Brilliance Audio; 7 hr, 40 min), because it’s read by Ellen Archer. Archer’s wide range of voices and engaging delivery is sure to enliven to this story of a family coping with a neighborhood tragedy.
• Kate Rorick’s The Baby Plan (Harper Audio; 11 hr, 18 min) explores three different kinds of twenty-first-century pregnancies. Eva Kaminsky’s fun, expressive narration should bring out both the humor of the story and the frustrations of the women as they face the realities of their upcoming little miracles.
• It’s hard to believe that the Maisie Dobbs series is up to number 14! Narrator Orlagh Cassidy is back to perform To Die but Once by Jacqueline Winspear (Harper Audio; 10 hr, 29 min). Cassidy took over the series at audiobook 3, and fans say she is the voice of Maisie. I love her accents and engaging performances.

• Dennis Boutsikaris and Dagmara Dominczyk team up to perform the heartbreaking Every Note Played by Lisa Genova (Simon & Schuster Audio; 8 hr, 2 min). Boutsikaris and Dominczyk are known for rendering lively dialogue and impactful narrative, skills that should shine in this story of two pianists, a marriage, and a devastating illness.
• I’m a Scott Westerfeld fan and can't wait to listen to his new book, Peeps (Listening Library; 8 hr, 10 min), read by Joshua Swanson. Swason’s youthful voice and good comedic timing will be perfect for this story of a college student who becomes an unwitting vampire maker after encountering a strange woman.
• Women’s relationships, family, and cooking come together in The Recipe Box by Viola Shipman (Macmillan Audio; 10 hr, 18 min), read by Susan Bennett. Bennett is well able to create believable voices for characters of all ages and personalities, which makes it easy for listeners to make strong connections to the story.
• Set in Morocco, Christine Mangan’s Tangerine (Harper Audio; 9 hr, 28 min) is about a marriage, a friendship, life in a strange world, and the deep secrets we all keep. I have faith that veteran narrators Barrie Kreinik and Erin Mallon will build the appropriate unsettling mood for this atmospheric historical novel.