Hachette Audio Productions Win Recognition from the American Library Association
2019 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults:
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan, read by Stephanie Hsu
Circe by Madeline Miller, read by Perdita Weeks
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, read by Caitlin Kelly
Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles, read by Jaqwan J. Kelly
ALSC Notable Children’s Recording:
The Wild Robot Escapes, by Peter Brown and read by Kathleen McInerney
RUSA Listen List for Outstanding Audiobook Narration:
The House of Broken Angels, written and read by Luis Alberto Urrea
New York, NY — February 1, 2019
The American Library Association released a number of influential recommendation lists and accolades at their annual midwinter gathering this past week. Six titles, adult and YA, published by Hachette Audio and based on titles published in hardcover by Little, Brown & Company and Little, Brown for Young Readers, were singled out for various honors.
The Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults List, curated by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), is comprised of titles that “range the gamut from adult nonfiction that appeals to teens, to social justice, fantasy, sci-fi, and realistic fiction.” The committee named four productions released by Hachette Audio to the list: The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan, read by Stephanie Hsu – “Hsu’s narration is emotionally connected and immersive in this tale of magical realism;” The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, read by Caitlin Kelly – “Kelly narrates the vicious fey with sharp voices and edges, perfect for an otherworldly tale;” Circe by Madeline Miller, read by Perdita Weeks – “Weeks’ narration appropriately lyrical as a narrator of an epic; whilst, her character narrations are befitting their mood, tone, and divine status;” and Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles, read by Jaqwan J. Kelly – “The narration really helps the reader to feel as though they are friends with Marvin and inside his head allowing the reader to ache and grieve right alongside Marvin throughout this audio.”
Hachette Audio is also proud to share that The Wild Robot Escapes, written by Peter Brown and read by Kathleen McInerney, has been named to the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Notable Children’s Recordings list, which touts “recordings for children 14 years of age and younger of especially commendable quality.” ALSC notes in particular “a plethora of sound effects and Kathleen McInerney’s ‘mechanical’ narration” that make this production stand out.
In adult audiobook news, The House of Broken Angels, written and read by Luis Alberto Urrea, made the 2019 Listen List for Outstanding Audiobook Narration from the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA). The Listen List recognizes narration that “creates a new experience with an outstanding performance… offering listeners something they could not create by their own visual reading.” While this year’s RUSA Listening List committee evaluated 261 titles, “the final deliberation produced a list of thirteen winners. This juried list, designed for both avid listeners and those new to the pleasures of stories read aloud, includes fiction and nonfiction and features voices that enthrall, delight, and inspire.”
RUSA goes on to praise The House of Broken Angels: “With a knowing smile in his voice and a leisurely, welcoming cadence, author-narrator Urrea skillfully delivers a celebration that is a riot of laughter, sorrow, and redemption.”
Hachette Audio titles named as “Listen-Alikes,” which match the tone, theme or style of Listen List honorees are: Delicious Foods, written and read by James Hannaham (List title: The House of Broken Angels); Dopesick, written and read by Beth Macy (List title: A False Report); and Circe by Madeline Miller, narrated by Perdita Weeks (List title: The Silence of the Girls).
Read more about YALSA’s Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults List here.
Read more about ALSC’s Notable Children’s Recordings list here.
Read more about RUSA’s Listen List for Outstanding Audiobook Narration here.
Hachette Book Group is a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest trade and educational publisher in the world.
Hachette Audio is a publisher of a variety of popular genres in audio form, which matches HBG material with talented actors, composers, and producers to find its fullest expression. Their audiobooks are primarily based on material published in print and online by Grand Central Publishing; Little, Brown and Company; FaithWords; Center Street; Orbit; JIMMY Patterson; Hachette Books; Black Dog & Leventhal; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; and Perseus Books, and have been recognized for the highest quality of content and production with numerous GRAMMY, Audie, Listen Up! And Earphone awards. Unabridged and abridged titles are available on CD and as digital downloads.