Grief Is the Thing With Feathers by Max Porter review – a bravura rendering of bereavement
Audiobook of the week
Honey by Imani Thompson audiobook review – a darkly entertaining campus thriller
May 2026
Audiobook of the week
The Book of Birds by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris audiobook review – a love letter to our feathered friends
Audiobook of the week
The Pretender by Jo Harkin audiobook review – sprightly historical political skulduggery
April 2026
Audiobook of the week
Overnight by Dan Richards audiobook review – an immersive journey into the night worker’s world
From bakers in London to night ferry operatives in Aberdeen, the author narrates atmospheric behind-the-scenes stories of the people who work while the world sleeps
March 2026
Audiobook of the week
Strange Beach by Oluwaseun Olayiwola audiobook review – a debut that dances with passion
Audiobook of the week
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley audiobook review – a topical time-hopping romance
February 2026
Beijing condemns Dalai Lama’s Grammy win as ‘anti-China political manipulation’
Buddhist spiritual leader wins best audiobook and says he sees win ‘as a recognition of our shared universal responsibility’
January 2026
Is listening to an audiobook as good as reading?
Queen tells reading campaign that listening counts too – and the publishing industry increasingly agrees
Audiobook of the week
H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald audiobook review – a soaring journey through grief
The author brings introspection and humour to their inspiring account of how a young goshawk helped them cope after the loss of their father
Audiobook of the week
The Bright Side by Sumit Paul-Choudhury review – a hymn to positivity
The science writer pragmatically shows how optimism can bring about real improvements in everyday life and change in the wider world
December 2025
Audiobook of the week
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell audiobook review – the life and loss of the woman behind the Bard
The wife of William Shakespeare takes centre stage in a rich, sensitive examination of parental grief, sensitively narrated by Jessie Buckley
Audiobook of the week
The Dead of Winter by Sarah Clegg audiobook review – haunting Christmas tales
From horse skulls and Yule cats to Icelandic ogres, a celebration of the dark side of Christmas
Audiobook of the week
All My Precious Madness by Mark Bowles review – a deliciously sweary, prize-winning monologue
The actor Paul Hilton brilliantly inhabits the character of a ranting working-class academic in this debut novel
November 2025
Audiobook of the week
A Particularly Nasty Case by Adam Kay audiobook review – a wayward doctor turns detective
Andy Serkis revels in his narration of the first murder mystery from the author of This Is Going to Hurt, which showcases Kay’s signature pitch-black humour
Ncuti Gatwa leads star winners at first Speakies awards for audio storytelling
The actor won best performance for BBC drama Gatsby in Harlem at the inaugural British Audio awards, while Nicola Coughlan’s narration of Juno Dawson’s Queen B clinched best sci-fi audiobook
Audiobook of the week
Feminist History for Every Day of the Year by Kate Mosse review – the women who helped change the world
The bestselling author champions female trailblazers in an enjoyable anthology for all ages
October 2025
Audiobook of the week
Theft by Abdulrazak Gurnah audiobook review – coming-of-age saga in Tanzania
Three young people step boldly into their adult lives in this elegantly narrated novel from the Nobel laureate
Audiobook of the week
The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovits audiobook review – an American road trip with a twist
A law professor leaves his failing marriage and faltering career and hits the open road in this Booker-shortlisted novel of midlife turmoil
Lyra’s last story – exclusive extract from Philip Pullman’s final instalment in The Book of Dust trilogy
Thirty years ago, The Northern Lights introduced the world to Lyra Belacqua. Now, Pullman completes her story in The Rose Field – plus listen to an audiobook extract read by Michael Sheen
