A record field, standout dual narration and our predictions — what we are hearing in this year's audiobook honors race.
Shortlists are out, and our listening queue is full. This year's audiobook honors drew a record field — literary fiction, memoir, mystery and a surge of multilingual productions — and several Saltmarsh-directed titles made the cut.
Our picks to watch: a two-narrator family saga with seamless chapter handoffs, a memoir read by its author with disarming candor, and a thriller whose dual-timeline structure demanded two distinct vocal ages from one artist. Each earned its place through casting discipline and direction that served the text first.
We will be listening alongside you and breaking down what makes these performances work — pacing, breath control, character separation — in next month's craft notes. Until then, our full shortlist predictions and where to hear each title are below.