What We're Listening To: The ACX Team

We like to think of our heroes as superhuman. We tell ourselves that prominent creative people have access to a life that isn’t possible for us mere mortals. We use that logical fallacy to assume that we aren’t capable of doing great things. Daily Rituals: How Artists Work pulls back the curtain to share the daily habits of people like Agatha Christie, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Andy Warhol, Charles Darwin, and many others. From that fly-on-the-wall perspective into their lives, I realized that much of their accomplishments fit this equation: time + perseverance – giving in to the impulse to quit = success. Even if you’re not the sort of person who needs a kick in the pants to get creative, this book is a great listen because it’s very humanizing of its subjects. The narration by Adam Verner is soothing and informative and really polishes this audiobook as something you should listen to while you’re getting started on your next artistic endeavor. –Coleen, ACX Rights Evangelist

I recently listened to this ACX title, Organization: The Top 100 Best Ways to Organize Your Life, by Ace McCloud. It's a short book that gives real, practical information on how to organize various areas from your home to your office to even your digital life. I especially liked that the author suggested additional online resources and YouTube videos to learn more on the topic. This is only one of a number of short books he's written, and I'm excited to dive into his other titles. –Sam, ACX Business Analyst

Last year, this got on my radar because it was on the Audible Best Sellers list for two weeks in a row. J.D. Barker is an innovative author who got the one and only Stephen King to allow him to use the character Leland Gaunt from Needful Things as a character in Forsaken. J.D. was also approached by Dacre Stoker to cowrite a prequel to Dracula using Bram Stoker’s own notes! Expect great things out of J.D. Barker, but be sure to start with Forsaken -- not least because of Christina Delaine’s smooth and engaging performance. –Coleen, ACX Rights Evangelist

Easily one of the best series I’ve ever listened on Audible, and a great ACX success story. Author Chris Philbrook wades into a saturated genre but puts a new spin on it: Everything is written as a diary entry that represents the hindsight, emotional stress, and thought process of the protagonist, as well as the repercussions of his actions. Narrator James Foster is an amazing voice talent and probably one of the best working with ACX. He truly brings Adrian to life, making you feel the stress and turmoil that he’s experiencing as he tries to navigate the apocalypse and attempts to keep those around him alive. You can hear the triumph in his victories and the sorrow in his failures. Keep an eye out for more from this team: Chris Philbrook's new series, Reemergence, is going to be produced by Audible Studios and narrated by James Foster. –Patrick, ACX Support

You by Caroline Kepnes scared the pants off me -- not just because it’s a thrilling horror novel, but because it uses the second-person storytelling technique to describe the action. Effectively, you, the listener, are Joe’s desire, obsession, and prey. Santino Fontana’s unctuous narration had me glancing over my shoulder and questioning every stranger’s glance as I rode the subway in New York, where You’s action takes place. I don’t want to give away too much about where this story goes, but the ending makes you question the nature of love and if opposites really do attract. –Hannah, Senior Manager, ACX Marketing & Communication

I think this book is a gem for anyone looking to awaken the entrepreneurial spirit. It’s in the same Venn diagram as "work smarter" pros like Tim Ferriss. The advice seems particularly useful if you are freelance writer, so I personally got a lot out of it. Because it’s 21 hours, I listened to it in segments and found I absorbed the information better that way. Narrator Julie Eickhoff has a good energy — necessary for a book with no dragons in it — she’s narrated several other ACX titles, too. –Taj, ACX Support

I just finished this Pulitzer Prize-winning book. The sprawling story visits 1930s Prague, New York City during WWII, and the Arctic tundra of northern Canada. Our heroes escape the Holocaust, stake their claim in the burgeoning comic book industry, and encounter the censorship panic of the 1950s. David Colacci’s narration impressively embodies the variety accents and dialects native to long-ago Europe and New York. This 26-hour epic is well worth a credit and the time spent listening. –Scott, ACX Marketing Manager