3 Literary Listens

Three audiobooks to add to your summer reading/listening list! 

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, which means it’s prime time for some summer reading—at least here at The Bookery. If you’re looking for a few audio books to add to your audio book library, we’ve got you covered with this edition of 3 Literary Listens. 

The Stolen Queen 

By Fiona Davis

A New York Times bestseller from one of our historical fiction favorites Fiona Davis, The Stolen Queen tells the story of Charlotte Cross, an associate curator at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, and Annie Jenkins, a 19-year-old who has somehow landed the opportunity to serve as an assistant to Diana Vreeland, who is planning the 1978 Met Gala. The novel follows the intersection of the two women’s lives, but also flashes back to Egypt in 1936 when Charlotte was a young anthropology student. When an important Egyptian artifact goes missing from the museum during the Gala, the two women combine forces to figure out what happened—which eventually leads them back to Egypt, the place Charlotte had vowed never to return.

While some of the plot lines get tied up a little too neatly, the story is still captivating, with plenty of adventure and Egyptian archaeology thrown in for good measure. Linda Jones narrates the audio book.

The Things We Cannot Say

Kelly Rimmer

The Things We Cannot Say came out in 2019, so it’s a little older, but definitely worth your time. A historical fiction novel, The Things We Cannot Say follows the story of Alina Dziak and her fiance, Tomasz, as the Nazi occupation begins in Poland, interweaving their story with that of Alice, Alina’s granddaughter, in modern times. After her grandmother suffers a stroke, Alice is dispatched to Poland to deal with some family business. What she discovers is a mystery of tangled identities and relationships that Alice never could have even imagined. Ann Marie Gideon and Nancy Peterson narrate the audio book. 

Mark Twain 

Rob Chernow

We haven’t listened to this one quite yet, but it’s on our list! Narrated by Jason Culp, Cherow’s book is meticulously researched and detailed, relying heavily on Twain’s letters and unpublished manuscripts—but it is pretty lengthy as a result. Reviews praise Culp’s ability to emulate Twain’s voice and tone. Cherow follows Twain’s rise as a journalist, satirist and lecturer before becoming a novelist as well as the experiences, decisions and tragedies that shaped his personal life, including a sojourn in Europe, the death of his wife and daughters and the sadness that marked his final years. 

What are you listening to? Tell us in the comments. 

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