Summer Stories

The Publishers Association is delighted to present our 2020 summer audio reading list for parliamentarians. All of the audiobooks included in this list have been nominated by our members to represent some of the most exciting titles launched this summer.

The list has been divided up into categories, so you can find a title to suit you. Whether you’re looking to learn, gasp, laugh or cry – there’s something for everyone.

Why Audio?

We were delighted to see the Chancellor fast track the removal of VAT on books and journals in May, but audiobooks have not been included in the scope of this measure.

Many readers have turned to books for solace, escapsim and education during lockdown meaning it has never been so important to make sure reading is accessible as possible. This is especially true given 58% of book buyers turned to audio during the pandemic, according to polling by Comres.

That’s why we’re calling on the government to axe the reading tax on audiobooks. VAT on audiobooks unfairly penalises those who prefer listening to books or need to, such as the two million people living with sight loss in the UK.

If you would like to learn more about the Axe the Reading Tax campaign, or show your support, please visit the website here.

Two Stories

Two stories about the uncertainties of attraction, from the acclaimed author of Normal People and Conversations with Friends.

Two Stories by Sally Rooney is published by Faber & Faber, and narrated by Aoife McMahon and Sam O’Mahony.

The Phone Box at the End of the World

We all have something to tell those we have lost… Based on an incredible true story, this sweeping, powerful novel is an international sensation.

The Phone Box at the End of the World by Laura Imai Messina is published by Bonnier Books UK and narrated by Yuriri Naka.

Emma

A Jane Austen classic, adapted to be accessible by a new generation of children and spark their love for literature.

Emma by Jane Austen and adapted by Gemma Barder is published by Sweet Cherry Publishing and narrated by Charlie Sanderson.

The Strange Adventures of H

Orphaned young, H is sent to live with her doting aunt in London. Forced to fend for herself, she is determined to gain back the life she lost.

The Strange Adventures of H by Sarah Burton is published by Bolinda Audio and narrated by Karen Cass.

Roxy & Jones: The Great Fairytale Cover-Up

A hilarious modern fairy-tale set in a world in which witches are real, magic is real and fairy tales are not only real… but recent history.

Roxy & Jones: The Great Fairytale Cover-Up by Angela Woolfe is published by Nudged Children’s Audiobooks and narrated by Bronwen Price.

1-2-3-4: The Beatles in Time

From the author of Ma’am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princes Margaret comes a fascinating, hilarious, kaleidoscopic biography of the Fab Four.

1-2-3-4: The Beatles in Time by Craig Brown is published by 4th Estate and narrated by Mark McGann, Kate Robbins, and Craig Brown.

Flyntlock Bones: The Sceptre of the Pharaohs

Orphaned Flynn applies for a job as cabin boy on the Black Hound. Once aboard, the dreadful reality sinks in – he’s on a pirate ship!

Flyntlock Bones: The Sceptre of the Pharaohs by Derek Keilty is published by Bolinda Audio and narrated by the author.

I Am Not Your Baby Mother

A thought-provoking, urgent and inspirational insight into life as a black mother.

I Am Not Your Baby Mother by Candice Brathwaite is published by Quercus and narrated by the author.

Wonderland

A searing exploration of mental health, gender and privilege, from the most addictive YA novelist in the UK today.

Wonderland by Juno Dawson is published by Hachette Children’s Books and narrated by the author.

The Economics of Belonging

A radical new approach to economic policy that addresses the symptoms & causes of inequality in Western society today.

The Economics of Belonging by Martin Sandbu is published by Princeton University Press and narrated by Stephen Perring.

The Vanishing Half

A powerful novel about the parallel lives of estranged twin sisters who choose to live in two very different worlds – one black and one white.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is published by Hachette Audio UK and narrated by Shayna Small.

Coming Undone

A powerful, raw and unflinchingly honest account of a life coming undone.

Coming Undone by Terri White is published by Canongate Books and narrated by the author.

Dominicana

Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, a poignant portrait of a Dominican girl’s arranged marriage and immigration to New York in the 1960s.

Dominicana by Angie Cruz is published by John Murray and narrated by Coral Peña.

The Pull of the Stars

A tender, gripping and deeply moving novel of a Dublin maternity ward during the height of the Spanish Flu.

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue is published by Picador and narrated by Emma Lowe.

All My Lies Are True

From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes the gripping sequel to emotional thriller The Ice Cream Girls.

All My Lies Are True by Dorothy Koomson is published by Headline and narrated by Adjoa Andoh, Julie Maisey, Luke Thompson, Maria Gbeleyi, and Nicky Diss.

Finders, Keepers

A brilliantly creepy and utterly mesmerising novel about the neighbours from hell, from the author of the bestselling Lie With Me.

Finders, Keepers by Sabine Durrant is published by Hodder & Stoughton and narrated by Juliet Stevenson.

The Other Passenger

How much is your life worth… to someone else? Listen to the twisty new thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Our House.

The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish is published by Simon & Schuster UK and narrated by Steven Mackintosh.

Wolf Hall

The exciting new rendition of Wolf Hall, the captivating first book in Hilary Mantel’s Booker Prize winning Thomas Cromwell trilogy.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel is published by W. F. Howes and narrated by Ben Miles.