Hot This Week: June 25

Three new movies this week are led by I Can Only Imagine, the story behind MercyMe's hit song. In music, the Dave Matthews Band's first new release in six years tops the week's chart. The President Is Missing and The Outsider hold strong in the top two fiction spots, with Mike Maden's new installation in Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Jr. series debuting at #3, while non-fiction sees just some minor reshuffling.

Movies

1. I Can Only Imagine (Blu-ray)
2. Death Wish (Blu-ray)
3. Sherlock Gnomes (Blu-ray)
4. A Wrinkle in Time (Blu-ray | 4K)
5. Game Night (Blu-ray)
6. The Strangers: Prey at Night (Blu-ray)
7. Black Panther (Blu-ray | 4K)
8. Red Sparrow (Blu-ray | 4K)
9. The Hurricane Heist (Blu-ray | 4K)
10. Annihilation (Blu-ray)

CD

1. Dave Matthews Band, Come Tomorrow
2. Dierks Bentley, The Mountain
3. Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys
4. The Greatest Showman Soundtrack
5. Shawn Mendes, Shawn Mendes
6. Sugarland, Bigger
7. Luke Combs, This One's for You
8. Maroon 5, Red Pill Blues
9. Post Malone, Stoney
10. Dance Gavin Dance, Artificial Selection

Fiction

1. The President Is Missing, James Patterson and Bill Clinton
2. The Outsider, Stephen King
3. Tom Clancy's Line of Sight, Mike Maden
4. The Pharaoh Key, Dougles Preston and Lincoln Child
5. Shelter in Place, Nora Roberts
6. The Death of Mrs. Westaway, Ruth Ware
7. The Fallen, David Baldacci
8. The Gray Ghost, Clive Cussler and Robin Burcell
9. When Life Gives You Lululemons, Lauren Weisberger
10. There There, Tommy Orange

Non-Fiction 

1. Calypso, David Sedaris
2. The Soul of America, Jon Meacham
3. Trump's America, Newt Gingrich
4. The Sun Does Shine, Anthony Ray Hinton and Lara Love Hardin
5. The Restless Wave, John McCain and Mark Salter
6. How to Change Your Mind, Michael Pollan
7. Lincoln's Last Trial, Dan Abrams and David Fisher
8. Three Days in Moscow, Bret Baier and Catherine Whitney
9. The World as It Is, Ben Rhodes
10. A Higher Loyalty, James Comey

Come See Us at ALA in New Orleans

Written by Jon Williams

The ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition is on the horizon, taking place in New Orleans June 21-26. We’ve made our travel plans, and we’re looking forward to connecting with our many library partners. So come see us! We’ll be at Booth #2852. You can get all the latest information on Midwest Tape, hoopla digital, and Dreamscape Media, including enhancements to our patented SoundSafe™ audiobook cases, our customized processing services, updates to our website, and more!

We’ll have a few special guests making appearances at our booth as well. Stop by and have a book signed!

Andrea Beaty is an acclaimed children’s author with a number of books to her name. Her recent books Ada Twist, Scientist; Rosie Revere, Engineer; and Iggy Peck, Architect are all perfect for STEAM programming, and are available in both audiobook and read-along video format from Dreamscape Media. She’ll be at our booth on Friday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Shea Fontana has written for the animated children’s TV show Doc McStuffins and the movie Twinkle Toes Lights Up New York, among many others. One other project she’s been involved with is DC Super Hero Girls, and her upcoming outing is the graphic novel Search for Atlantis, featuring the Teen Titans! You’ll find her at our booth on Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Emma Wunsch made her debut in 2016 with the hit young adult novel The Movie Version. Now she’s getting ready to release The Princess and the Absolutely Not a Princess, the first in her Miranda and Maude chapter book series about two unlikely friends! Stop by to meet her at our booth on Saturday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Jonathan Auxier won two prestigious Canadian children’s literary awards for his first novel, The Night Gardner. He has published two books and won more awards since then, and his new book, Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster, will be out this fall. He will be at our booth on Saturday from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Dates and times for these author appearances are subject to change, so be sure to stop by our booth ahead of time to make sure they still hold and find out about all the other fun and informative things we have going on. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

Hot This Week: June 18

This is a big week for new titles. The remake of the 1974 action classic Death Wish leads four new titles on the list, which also include the blockbuster adaptation of the beloved sci-fi novel A Wrinkle in Time. The week's biggest addition is in fiction, where bestselling author James Patterson teams up with former president Bill Clinton for a fascinating new novel. Four new non-fiction titles include a look at the current U.S. president as well as an examination of the former career for one of the most revered past presidents. The only exception is in music, where the lone debut is the new album from heavy metal band Ghost, which comes in at #2.

Movies

1. Death Wish (Blu-ray)
2. Game Night (Blu-ray)
3. Black Panther (Blu-ray | 4K)
4. Red Sparrow (Blu-ray | 4K)
5. The Hurricane Heist (Blu-ray | 4K)
6. A Wrinkle in Time (Blu-ray | 4K)
7. Annihilation (Blu-ray)
8. Gringo (Blu-ray)
9. The 15:17 to Paris (Blu-ray)
10. Peter Rabbit (Blu-ray | 4K)

CD

1. Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys
2. Ghost, Prequelle
3. Luke Combs, This One's for You
4. The Greatest Showman Soundtrack
5. Shawn Mendes, Shawn Mendes
6. Jason Aldean, Rearview Town
7. Maroon 5, Red Pill Blues
8. J. Cole, KOD
9. BTS, Love Yourself: Tear
10. Post Malone, Stoney

Fiction

1. The President Is Missing, James Patterson and Bill Clinton
2. The Outsider, Stephen King
3. Shelter in Place, Nora Roberts
4. The Death of Mrs. Westaway, Ruth Ware
5. The Fallen, David Baldacci
6. The Gray Ghost, Clive Cussler and Robin Burcell
7. When Life Gives You Lululemons, Lauren Weisberger
8. Us Against You, Fredrik Backman
9. Turbulence, Stuart Woods
10. Something in the Water, Catherine Steadman

Non-Fiction 

1. Calypso, David Sedaris
2. Trump's America, Newt Gingrich
3. The Sun Does Shine, Anthony Ray Hinton and Lara Love Hardin
4. How to Change Your Mind, Michael Pollan
5. The Soul of America, Jon Meacham
6. The World as It Is, Ben Rhodes
7. The Restless Wave, John McCain and Mark Salter
8. Lincoln's Last Trial, Dan Abrams and David Fisher
9. A Higher Loyalty, James Comey
10. Barracoon, Zora Neale Hurston

Hot This Week: June 11

Three new movies this week are led by the Jennifer Lawrence thriller Red Sparrow, which falls just short of unseating Game Night at the top. Shawn Mendes takes over the #1 spot in music, joined by new releases from CHVRCHES and J Balvin. Stephen King keeps his spot on the fiction list, trailed by four new titles, and a new book of essays from David Sedaris takes over in non-fiction.

Movies

1. Game Night (Blu-ray)
2. Red Sparrow (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. Black Panther (Blu-ray | 4K)
4. Annihilation (Blu-ray)
5. The 15:17 to Paris (Blu-ray)
6. 12 Strong (Blu-ray)
7. Peter Rabbit (Blu-ray | 4K)
8. Den of Thieves (Blu-ray)
9. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Blu-ray | 4K)
10. The Greatest Showman (Blu-ray | 4K)

CD

1. Shawn Mendes, Shawn Mendes
2. Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys
3. BTS, Love Yourself: Tear
4. The Greatest Showman Soundtrack
5. J. Cole, KOD
6. CHVRCHES, Love Is Dead
7. Post Malone, Stoney
8. Black Panther: The Album
9. Migos, Culture II
10. J Balvin, Vibras

Fiction

1. The Outsider, Stephen King
2. Shelter in Place, Nora Roberts
3. The Gray Ghost, Clive Cussler and Robin Burcell
4. The Death of Mrs. Westaway, Ruth Ware
5. To the Moon and Back, Karen Kingsbury
6. The 17th Suspect, James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
7. The Fallen, David Baldacci
8. By Invitation Only, Dorothea Benton Frank
9. The Cast, Danielle Steel
10. Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng

Non-Fiction 

1. Calypso, David Sedaris
2. The Restless Wave, John McCain and Mark Salter
3. A Higher Loyalty, James Comey
4. The Soul of America, Jon Meacham
5. How to Change Your Mind, Michael Pollan
6. Barracoon, Zora Neale Hurston
7. Facts and Fears, James R. Clapper and Trey Brown
8. I'll Be Gone in the Dark, Michelle McNamara
9. Educated, Tara Westover
10. Three Days in Moscow, Bret Baier and Catherine Whitney

2018 Audie Awards Announced

Written by Jon Williams

AudioFile, a magazine dedicated to reviewing audiobooks, calls the annual Audie Awards “the Oscars of the audiobook industry.” Since 1996, the Audio Publishers Association has handed out these prestigious awards to the best audiobooks of the year. This year’s gala was held at the New York Historical Society on May 31, hosted by Simon Vance, himself an Audie-winning narrator several times over.

The novel Lincoln in the Bardo (written by George Saunders and narrated by Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, and a star-studded full cast) took home the night’s biggest prize, the coveted Audiobook of the Year award. Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give (narrated by Bahni Turpin) scored wins in two categories: Young Adult and Best Female Narrator. Born a Crime by Daily Show host Trevor Noah (self-narrated) won for Best Male Narrator, while Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology won in the Narration by the Author category.

Finally, we offer hearty congratulations to our friends at Dreamscape Media, who produced the winner in History/Biography. Written by Patricia Hruby Powell and narrated by Adenrele Ojo and MacLeod Andrews, Loving vs. Virginia is the tale of a landmark civil rights case that went all the way to the Supreme Court. Well done to everyone involved!

Click here for our collection of all the Audie Award-winning audiobooks, or see the list below for individual titles.

Audiobook of the Year: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (narrated by full cast)

Audio Drama: Brother Francis by Paul McCusker (various narrators)

Autobiography/Memoir: Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen (narrated by the author)

Best Female Narrator: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (narrated by Bahni Turpin)

Best Male Narrator: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (narrated by the author)

Business/Personal Development: Peak Performance by Brad Stullberg and Steve Magness (narrated by Christopher Lane)

Erotica: Claim & Protect by Rhenna Morgan (narrated by John Lane)

Fantasy: The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss (narrated by Kate Reading)

Fiction: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (narrated by Cathleen McCarron)

History/Biography: Loving vs. Virginia by Patricia Hruby Powell (narrated by Adenrele Ojo and MacLeod Andrews)

Humor: Carpet Diem by Justin Lee Anderson (narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies)

Inspirational Fiction: Catching the Wind by Melanie Dobson (narrated by Nancy Peterson)

Inspirational Non-Fiction: Fire Road by Kim Phuc Phan Thi (narrated by Emily Woo Zeller)

Literary Fiction: House of Names by Colm Toibin (narrated by Juliet Stevenson, Charlie Anson, and Pippa Nixon)

Middle Grade: See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng (narrated by full cast)

Multi-Voiced: Restart by Gordon Korman (various narrators)

Mystery: The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye by David Lagercrantz (narrated by Simon Vance)

Narration by the Author: Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Non-Fiction: American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee (narrated by Mark Bramhall)

Original Work: Romeo and Juliet: A Novel by David Hewson (narrated by Richard Armitage)

Paranormal: Curse on the Land by Faith Hunter (narrated by Khristine Hvam)

Romance: The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare (narrated by Mary Jane Wells)

Science Fiction: Provenance by Ann Leckie (narrated by Adjoa Andoh)

Short Stories: The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo (narrated by Lauren Fortgang)

Thriller/Suspense: The Fourth Monkey by J.D. Barker (narrated by Edoardo Ballerini and Graham Winton)

Young Adult: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (narrated by Bahni Turpin)

Young Listeners: Trombone Shorty by Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews (narrated by Dion Graham)

Hot This Week: June 4

We're moving ever closer to full summer, and as the weather heats up, so do these titles. In movies, the dark comedy Game Night bumps the blockbuster Black Panther down to #2. BTS brings the K-pop genre to the top of the music chart for the first time. In fiction, horror master Stephen King's latest novel tops the list, while non-fiction is headed up by a new book from longtime senator John McCain.

Movies

1. Game Night (Blu-ray)
2. Black Panther (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. 12 Strong (Blu-ray)
4. Peter Rabbit (Blu-ray | 4K)
5. Den of Thieves (Blu-ray)
6. Fifty Shades Freed (Blu-ray | 4K)
7. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Blu-ray | 4K)
8. The Greatest Showman (Blu-ray | 4K)
9. Maze Runner: The Death Cure (Blu-ray | 4K)
10. Early Man (Blu-ray)

CD

1. BTS, Love Yourself: Tear
2. Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys
3. Five Finger Death Punch, And Justice for None
4. The Greatest Showman Soundtrack
5. J. Cole, KOD
6. Black Panther: The Album
7. Post Malone, Stoney
8. Migos, Culture II
9. Jason Aldean, Rearview Town
10. Taylor Swift, Reputation

Fiction

1. The Outsider, Stephen King
2. The Cast, Danielle Steel
3. The 17th Suspect, James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
4. The Fallen, David Baldacci
5. By Invitation Only, Dorothea Benton Frank
6. Beach House Reunion, Mary Alice Monroe
7. Warlight, Michael Ondaatje
8. The High Tide Club, Mary Kay Andrews
9. Twisted Prey, John Sandford
10. Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng

Non-Fiction 

1. The Restless Wave, John McCain and Mark Salter
2. The Soul of America, Jon Meacham
3. Facts and Fears, James R. Clapper and Trey Brown
4. How to Change Your Mind, Michael Pollan
5. Barracoon, Zora Neale Hurston
6. A Higher Loyalty, James Comey
7. Three Days in Moscow, Bret Baier and Catherine Whitney
8. I'll Be Gone in the Dark, Michelle McNamara
9. Educated, Tara Westover
10. Robin, Dave Itzkoff