Each year, YALSA’s Amazing Audiobooks Blogging Team selects and annotates an annual list of notable audio recordings significant to young adults from those released in the past two years. Click on the title of each book to be taken to the blog post featuring a review, or browse all blog posts here. You can see previous lists on the YALSA website and on the Teen Book Finder app.
If you’d like to suggest a title, please fill out this form. Publishers: contact info for the coordinator of this list can be found at the bottom of this page.
New #AA2021 nominees are generally published to the Hub on Wednesdays.
#AA2021 Nomination Posts
Fiction:
- Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo; narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo and Melania-Luisa Marte
- How It All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi; narrated by Vikas Adam, Ali Afkhami, Nikki Massoud, and Nazanin Nour
- Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed; narrated by Soneela Nankani and Leila Buck
- Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold; narrated by January LaVoy
- Black Flamingo by Dean Atta; narrated by Dean Atta
- We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry; Narrated by Isabel Keating
- The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black, narrated by Caitlin Kelly
- Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley; Narrated by Bahni Turpin and Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
- The King of Crows by Libba Bray, narrated by January LaVoy
- A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown; Narrated by Jordan Cobb and A.J. Beckles
HarperAudio - Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare; Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky
- Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao; narrated by Emily Woo Zeller
- Caster by Elise Chapman; narrated by Emily Woo Zeller
- We Are Not Free by Traci Chee; narrated by: Scott Keiji Takeda, Dan Woren, Ryan Potter, Ali Fumiko, Sophie Oda, Andrew Kishino, Christopher Naoki Lee, Grace Rolek, Erika Aishii, Brittany Ishibashi, Kurt Sanchez Kanazawa, and Terry Kitagawa
- Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare; narrated by Finty Williams
- Dangerous Alliance: An Austentacious Romance by Jennieke Cohen; Narrated by Morag Sims
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins; narrated by Santino Fontana
- Suggested Reading by Dave Connis; narrated by Kyla Garcia
- All-American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney; Narrated by Priya Ayyar
- Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From by Jennifer De Leon; Narrated by Inés del Castillo
- Turtle Under Ice by Juleah del Rosario; narrated by Donnabella Mortel and Cassie Simone
- Legendborn by Tracy Deonn; Narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt
- Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo; Narrated by Jorjeana Marie
- Furious Thing by Jenny Downham; narrated by Jenny Downham
- Spellhacker by M.K. England; Narrated by Marisol Ramirez
- This Light Between Us: A Novel of World War II by Andrew Fukuda; narrated by Emily Ellet and Greg Chun
- Lobizona: The Wolves of No World, Book 1 by Romina Garber; narrated by Sol Madariaga
- Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardner; Narrated by Patricia Santomasso
- The Lightness of Hands by Jeff Garvin; narrated by Caitlin Kelly
- Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles; Narrated by Korey Jackson
- Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland; Narrated by Inés del Castillo
- Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales; Narrated by Mark Sanderlin
- Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo; Narrated by David Shih, Emily Woo Zeller
- All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace; narrated by Shayna Small
- Allies by Alan Gratz; Narrated by Jamie Cline, Vaneh Assadourian, PJ Ochlan, Matthew Frow, Marc Anthony Samuel, Norah Hunter
- A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green; narrated by Kristen Sieh, Joe Hempel, Jesse Vilinsky, Nicole Lewis, Kevin R. Free, Hank Green, Robert Petkoff, Angelo Di Loreto, Oliver Wyman, Hillary Huber, P.J. Ochlan, and Gabra Zackman
- Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall; narrated by Joe Jameson
- The How & The Why by Cynthia Hand; narrated by Phoebe Strole and Erin Spencer
- Throw Like A Girl by Sarah Henning; narrated by Devon Hales
- They Went Left by Monica Hesse; Narrated by Caitlin Davies
- Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko; Narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt
- Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland; narrated by Bahni Turpin and Jordan Cobb
- Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson; narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt
- This Is My America by Kim Johnson; Narrated by Bahni Turpin
- You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson; narrated by Alaska Jackson
- We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia; Narrated by Sunil Malhotra
- A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer; narrated by Kate Handford, Davis Brooks, and Matt Reeves
- The Year We Fell From Space by Amy Sarig King; Narrated by Stephanie Willing
- Six Angry Girls by Adrienne Kisner; Narrated by Khristine Hvam
- The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune; narrated by Daniel Henning
- The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune; Narrated by Michael Lesley
- The Bridge by Bill Konigsberg; narrated by Marin Ireland
- Unscripted by Nicole Kronzer; Narrated by Nicole Kronzer
- Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour; Narrated by Jorjeana Marie
- The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky by Mackenzi Lee; narrated by Christian Coulson
- The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller; Narrated by Caitlin Davies
- 19 Love Songs by David Levithan; narrated by David Levithan, Vikas Adam, Ron Butler, Elle Cohen, Lisa Cordileone, Michael Crouch, Nick Eliopulos, Michael Goldstrom, Graham Halstead, Daniel Henning, Aaron Landon, Rebecca Lowman and Alex McKenna
- The Grace Year by Kim Liggett; Narrated by Emily Shaffer
- The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones; narrated by Moira Quirk
- Skyhunter by Marie Lu; Narrated by Natalie Naudus
- Light It Up by Kekla Magoon; Narrated by Landon Woodson, Karen Chilton, Cherise Booth, Eevin Hartsough, Christopher Carley, Peter Jay Fernandez, T.Ryder Smith, Julian Thomas, Kevin R. Free, and Korey Jackson
- From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks; narrated by Bahni Turpin
- Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall; Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky, Robbie Daymond, and Rob Shapiro
- Where the World Ends by Geraldine McCaughrean; Narrated by Angus King
- Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis; narrated by Brittany Pressley
- Nameless Queen by Rebecca McLaughlin; narrated by Emma Galvin
- Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore; Narrated by Vikas Adam, Mia Barron & Almarie Guerra
- One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus; narrated by: Maria Liatis, Holly Linneman, Fred Berman, and Karissa Vacker
- Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher; Narrated by Paola Mendoza
- Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon; Narrated by Shiromi Arserio, Jason Carpenter
- Belle Révolte by Linsey Miller; narrated by Moira Quirk and Liz Pearce
- All the Things We Do in the Dark by Saundra Mitchell; Narrated by Kelly Pruner
- Gideon the Ninth: The Locked Tomb Trilogy, Book 1 by Tamsyn Muir; Narrated by Moira Quirk
- Harrow the Ninth, The Locked Tomb Trilogy, Book 2 by Tamysn Muir; Narrated by Moira Quirk
- Fireborne by Rosaria Munda; Narrated by Christian Coulson, Candice Moll, and Steve West
- Faith: Taking Flight by Julie Murphy; Narrated by Joy Nash
- 145th Street: Short Stories Anniversary Edition by Walter Dean Myers; Narrated by Brandon Gill, Almarie Guerra, Johnny Heller, Dominic Hoffman, Sullivan Jones, JaQwan J. Kelly, Adenrele Ojo, Paula Parker, Heather Alicia Simms, Bahni Turpin
- Burn by Patrick Ness; narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt
- The Left-Handed Booksellers Of London by Garth Nix; Narrated by Marisa Calin
- Layoverland by Gabby Noone; narrated by Sophie Amoss
- A Deadly Education (The Scholomance, Book 1) by Naomi Novak; Narrated by Anisha Dadia
- How To Build A Heart by Maria Padian; narrated by Almarie Guerra
- Charming as a Verb by Ben Philippe; Narrated by James Fouhey
- Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid; narrated by Nicole Lewis
- Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds; Narrated by Jason Reynolds, Heather Alicia Simms, Chris Chalk, Bahni Turpin, Adenrele Ojo, Kevin R. Free, J. D. Jackson, Guy Lockard, January LaVoy, and David Sadzin
- Early Departures by Justin A. Reynolds; Narrated by A.J. Beckles, Preston Butler III
- Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes; narrated by Barrie Buckner
- Forged in Fire and Stars by Andrea Robertson; narrated by Amy Shiels
- Where We Go From Here by Lucas Rocha; narrated by Christian Barillas, Anthony Lee Medina and Luis Selgas
- A Werewolf in Riverdale by Caleb Roehrig; narrated by Ramon de Ocampo
- Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell, narrated by Euan Morton
- Crying Laughing by Lance Rubin; Narrated by Katie Schorr
- We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez Narrated by Marisa Black
- Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon; narrated by Rebekkah Ross
- We Used to Be Friends by Amy Spalding; Narrated by Julia Whelan, Cassandra Morris
- Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Steifvater; Narrated by Will Patton
- Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz; narrated by Emily Bauer
- Shuri: A Black Panther Novel by Nic Stone; narrated by Anika Noni Rose
- Dear Justyce by Nic Stone; narrated by Dion Graham, Nic Stone
- Jackpot by Nic Stone, narrated by Nic Stone
- Illegal: Disappeared Book 2 by Francisco X. Stork; narrated by Roxana Ortega and Christian Barillas
- All the Things We Never Knew by Liara Tamani; Narrated by Preston Butler III, Joniece Abbott-Pratt
- The Paper Girl of Paris by Jordyn Taylor; narrated by Liza Seneca and Reba Burr
- Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas; narrated by Avi Roque
- All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban; narrated by Kate Rudd
- A Peculiar Peril by Jeff VanderMeer; narrated by Raphael Corkhill
- A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman; narrated by Padma Venkatraman
- The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White; Narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden
- Kent State by Deborah Wiles; Narrated by Christopher Gebauer, Lauren Ezzo, Christina DeLaine, Johnny Heller, Roger Wayne, Korey Jackson and David de Vries
- Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson; narrated by Marin Ireland
- Lux: The New Girl(Flyy Girls Book 1) by Ashley Woodfolk; Narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt
- Micah: The Good Girl (Flyy Girls Book 2) by Ashley Woodfolk; Narrated by Imani Parks
- When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk; Narrated by Imani Parks
- Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson; Narrated by Guy Lockard
- Parachutes by Kelly Yang; narrated by Cassie Simone and Karissa Vacker
- Fable by Adrienne Young; Narrated by Emma Lysy
- My Eyes Are Up Here by Laura Zimmermann; narrated by Kristen DiMercurio
Nonfiction:
- Spirit Run: A 6,000 Mile Marathon Through North American’s Stolen Land by Noé Álvarez; Narrated by Ramon De Ocampo
- Jane Against the World: Roe v. Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights
by Karen Blumenthal; narrated by Maggi-Meg Reed - Lifting as We Climb: Black Women’s Battle for the Ballot Box by Evette Dionne; Narrated by Karen Chilton
- This Is What I Know About Art: Pocket Change Collective by Kimberly Drew; Narrated by Kimberly Drew
- The New Queer Conscience:Pocket Change Collective by Adam Eli; Narrated by Adam Eli
- Say Her Name: Poems to Empower by Zetta Elliott; Narrated by Channie Waites
- The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh by Candace Fleming; narrated by Kirsten Potter
- We Had to Be Brave: Escaping the Nazis on the Kindertransport by Deborah Hopkinson; narrated by Lauren Irwin
- The Talk: Conversations About Race, Love & Truth edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson; Narrated by Fajer Al-Kaisi, Feodor Chin, Gisela Chípe, Michael Crouch, Janina Edwards, James Fouhey, Renata Friedman, Catherine Ho, Nicole Lewis, Omar Leyva, Guy Lockard, Jesus E. Martinez, and Lisa Renee Pitts
- When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed; narrated by a full cast
- Hood Feminism Notes from the Women that a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall; narrated by Mikki Kendall
- When The Call You a Terrorist; (Young Adult Edition) A Story of Black Lives Matter and the Power to Change the World by Patrisse Khan-Cullors, asha bandele, and foreword by Angela Davis; Narrated by Angela Davis, Patrisse Khan-Cullors
- Imaginary Borders: Pocket Change Collective by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez; Narrated by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez
- When the Stars Wrote Back by Trista Mateer; Narrated by Brittney Pressley
- Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi; Narrated by Jason Reynolds
- Sigh, Gone: A Misfit’s Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In by Phuc Tran; narrated by Phuc Tran
- Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menso; narrated by Alok Vaid-Menso
- Hope in the Mail: Reflections on Writing and Life by Wendelin Van Draanen; narrated by Wendelin Van Draanen
- The Other Side: Stories of Central American Teen Refugees Who Dream of Crossing the Border by Juan Pablo Villalobos; Narrated by: Tim Andres Pabon, Adriana Sananes
The 2021 Amazing Audiobooks Blogging Team is:
- Danielle Jones, coordinator
- Rachel Adams
- Emily Blaeser
- Jaimie Crawford
- Candace Fox
- Annie Jansen
- Kristin Kern
- Gina Kromhout
- Natalie LaRoque
- Heather Murfee
- Cathy Outten
- Allison Riendeau
- Beth Slade
- Kiera Vargas
- Tara Williams
Previous Years’ Blog Posts