book review thank you for listening

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Thank You for Listening

Julia whelan.

432 pages, Paperback

First published August 2, 2022

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trigger warnings: suicide, having a relative with Alzheimer, death and living with a disability.

"Eventually, don't know when but eventually, you are going to have to stop thinking you're nothing more than a damaged version of yourself."

This entire book just hit way too hard and way too close to home in all the right places.

One of my favorite reads of this entire year.

What an incredible, original and full-hearted read. Emotional, heart-breaking and so romantically hilarious and so unbelievably realistic.

I feel like Julia has narrated enough books by Emily Henry that they literally have the exact same prose. I dare say Julia is better at it.

This is the story of two audiobook narrators who fall in love before they really know who the other one is in real life. It had absolutely everything I love in contemporary romances. A lot of flirty texts, believable characters, a relatable, hilarious and heart-breaking female main character.

This book dealt with life in the most amazing, unique and real way. I don't think I have enough words to express how real and touching this book was. I 100% recommend the audiobook that is narrated by Julia herself. I love her narration style and honestly, she rocks her male voice.

This is one of the best book I've read this year. Totally worth the ride.

Now, that was a smile. It rendered the cheesy line charming. Oh, God. Swan wasn't ready for this, this lanky-limbed, broad-shouldered, tanned wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, 8 o'clock shadowed, tall, iced umbrella cocktail of a man. … I was a fearless boy who became a fearful man. … We break, in many different ways, but it doesn’t mean we’re broken.

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Thank You For Listening

Sample of Award-Winning Audiobook Thank You For Listening

From the author of My Oxford Year , Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator — who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident — and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel.

For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger.

On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book — with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling — not after her own dreams were tragically cut short — and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.

As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more.

If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

“Although the romance is a standout, Sewanee’s journey of self-acceptance is the real star. A compulsively readable story about self-discovery with plenty of laughs and spice along the way.” — Kirkus (STARRED REVIEW)

“[A] poignant and charming novel. Whelan’s skillfully nuanced writing truly shines.” — Booklist (STARRED REVIEW)

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Review: Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan

Post published: November 11, 2022
Post last modified: November 11, 2022

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Content warnings for Thank You For Listening provided at the bottom of this post, for those who would find them useful. You can find further details on content warnings here .

Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan Summary

For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger. On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book–with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling–not after her own dreams were tragically cut short–and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her. As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more. If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan Review

I knew Julia Whelan’s name from all the audiobooks I’ve listened to her narrate. I haven’t tracked her reads specifically (I don’t do that for any audiobook performer, as her characters seem to do), but maybe I should because I’ve always ended up enjoying her voice. She’s a real talent, and it’s a gift that we get to listen to her read her own work.

In fact, I think the only way to read this one is by audio. I think I say that a lot (sometimes I feel like a broken record with these reviews), but that might just be a wonderful side effect of audiobooks increasing in both popularity and accessibility. I am, for better or worse, addicted to my libro.fm app, and I think publishers are learning that audio content is, in a way, it’s own art form. So yes, of course you need to listen to a book about an audiobook narrator on an actual audiobook.

Sewanee (named after the Tennessee town, which I appreciated) is a former actress that lost an eye in a tragic accident — I’ll leave it at that as the book reveals what happened, and I’m not going to spoil anything.

It’s not often that we see main characters with disabilities in a book that doesn’t specifically revolve around the disability. Instead, we see an accurate portrayal of living with Sewanee’s injury that doesn’t hide away any of the struggles she faces because of it — she is a multi-faceted person, and I think the book world often has the issue of reducing a character down to their disability. Thank You For Listening was a real success in my eyes. (Or should I say ears?)

Sewanee is a romance cynic, and those are the best kinds of romance characters. Because yes, this book is a romance. I’m picky about my romance books, and Sewanee is, too. She’s fallen out of love with the genre for many of the same reasons I never liked it in the first place, and by the end of the book, she hasn’t done some magical 180 — which I think most would expect if the plot followed the traditional course with these kinds of books. But no, there’s nuance in Thank You For Listening . It’s charming. It’s hilarious. And it’s heartrendingly real.

A definite recommend if you want a lighthearted narrative dealing with difficult topics.

Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan was released August 2, 2022. Although Avon Books and libro.fm provided me with a free review copy, this did not in any way affect my review.

CW: Mental illness, suicide, abuse, death or dying, kidnapping and other events that might be consider traumatic, self-harm

Review: The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose

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🙂 I would be honored if you read my book, “Haemi.” It’s a love story of Korean sea woman, that takes action on Jeju Island. It will be free on Kindle until November 13th. 🙂

Review: Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager, Libro.Fm for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

I have been loving books that feature characters in the entertainment industry and I had such a great time reading Thank You For Listening ! I loved Julia Whelan’s debut, My Oxford Year. It was one of my first forays into the Romance genre and before I knew Whelan’s background as an actor and audiobook narrator career. Her latest is on the more humorous side, with lots of nods to the Romance genre, but still pulls at your heartstrings like we expect from her writing.

“For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger. On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her. As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more. If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.”

What I Liked:

The Premise—I loved the premise of this book. It was so fun to follow an audiobook narrator and actor. It was a familiar enough world for me that it made me happy but also fun and exciting to explore a side of the industry I don’t know as much about.

The Humor—I laughed out loud at so many points. It was so funny! And still heartfelt and deeply emotional like My Oxford Year, but not as heartbreaking.

The Tongue-In-Cheek Romance References—I love “in the know” jokes about Romance. If you love the genre, you will find yourself snorting and giggling.

What Didn’t Work:

Contrast—I wasn’t quite expecting the deeply emotional moments because the tone was so funny at first. I think there could have been a little more built into the transitions, but I also suppose unexpected changes are part of life!

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Steam Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 4/5

Content warnings:.

Memory loss; Eye trauma & loss of vision; Death of a grandmother; suicide attempt

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Book Review: Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

Thank You for Listening is my first experience with Julia Whelan, both as an author and audiobook narrator, and I now understand the love!

Sewanee was poised to become the next It Girl in Hollywood until an accident left her physically and mentally scarred. Years later she’s a successful audiobook narrator, content in her life and career if not exactly thriving or chasing dreams any longer.

While normally eschewing romance books with their unrealistic HEAs Sewanee accepts an offer she can’t refuse to narrate a romance book for which she has been handpicked by a beloved novelist opposite Brock McKnight, a lusted after voice in romance narration whose real identity is a well kept secret and who has secrets and scars of his own. Over the course of their audiobook production Sewanee and Brock’s relationship develops from professional, to friendship, to something more.

I especially enjoyed the behind the scenes look at the audiobook wor ld Thank You for Listening provides and the way Whelan plays with common romance tropes within the story, and I always appreciate some witty repartee of which this story has plenty.

I listened to most of the book on audio and Whelan’s narration really does elevate the story. Having come to enjoy audiobooks somewhat reluctantly and relatively recently, this experience has given me new appreciation for the value a skilled narrator can add.

Julia Whelan has narrated more than 400 audiobooks and her catalog consists of many familiar bestsellers, very impressive!

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an advanced review copy and Libro.fm and HarperAudio for the advanced listening copy.

REVIEW: Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

Posted July 25th, 2022 by Sara @HarlequinJunkie in Blog , Contemporary Romance , HJ Recommends , Review / 0 comments

‘SEWANEE: You can’t just look at who someone is. You have to look at WHY someone is. Surface versus substance. That’s the difference between caricature and character. BROCK: I just figured out why you’re a better narrator than me. You’re an actress, aren’t you? SEWANEE: Was.’

Being offered a very lucrative narrating deal upon her arrival home to Hollywood has Swan contemplating if the extra cash could make her lovable grandmother more comfortable as her health declines. It also gives Swan the chance to work with legendary narrator Brock McNight–someone who was chosen specifically by the late author, June French, to be her long distance partner on the project. As she and Brock trade first emails, then texts, and really hit it off, Swan wonders if the same would happen if they met in real life. Then there’s her sexy Irishman she can’t stop thinking about even though they never traded contact info. A surprise twist worthy of a rom-com is soon thrown into the mix, sending Swan spiraling, wondering if anything she’s figured out about her life is accurate and where to go from here.

“He said I need to stop thinking I’m nothing more than the damaged version of myself. That who I was is who I am… And it made me think: we break, in many different ways. But it doesn’t mean we’re broken.”

A smartly written romance featuring a delightfully unexpected plot twist and an audiobook narrator who doesn’t believe in HEAs, Thank You for Listening was clever, funny, and extremely heartfelt. And I would expect nothing less from Julia Whelan’s captivating storytelling.

‘It was novel, having this strong a connection with someone she’d never seen. Who’d never seen her. Then again, maybe that’s what made it possible.’

Trigger warning: View Spoiler » Stages of dementia in detail, suicide attempt (secondary character). « Hide Spoiler

I became a fan of Julia Whelan’s right away after reading her debut novel, My Oxford Year. That story tore my heart to shreds in certain passages and then had me giggling like mad at other times–something that’s typically difficult for authors to do convincingly. But that magical combination was something quite prevalent in Thank You for Listening as well–although in a completely different setting and with a bit older main characters this time. (In their early thirties) And I loved it all: from the laugh-out-loud scene on the plane to the epic texts between Sewanee and Brock to her awesome bestie Adaku and so much more.

Sewanee (pronounced swan-ee) was actually a really cool heroine to follow. A former actress turned audiobook narrator, she was still not completely 100% physically, emotionally, or even mentally after a nearly deadly accident seven years prior. I won’t spoil the details of what happened but will say Oh. My. Word. Why? It was kind of senseless how it took place, but obviously accidents do happen unfortunately. It certainly did mean that Swan’s whole world changed. Acting was off the table for a while–and just when she was on her way up the ladder in Hollywood, too. So at this point, she was still hanging on with everything she had, wanting to be her *old* self and not embracing who she was *now*. Something I think a lot of us can relate to. Narrating brought out enough of the actress in Sewanee to just barely fill that void in her life. And it was obvious in the best of ways that Whelan, being an audiobook narrator herself, added details and nuances to Swan’s work that made it come alive on the page.

It was Swan’s personal life–and the two men she met, Nick and Brock–that took the most twists and turns. While it was sort of a love triangle (you’ll see why I say sort of when reading the book), there was no cheating, but there was a lot of soul searching and even some angst. Poor Sewanee was also trying to help her absolutely wonderful grandmother, whom she called BlahBlah, through her declining health. It was sad. It had me nearly crying a few times. But the joy Swan brought to Blah’s life and vice versa was something to cherish. Oh, how I adored their relationship. And the terrific people surrounding Blah at the assisted living facility were top notch, rounding out the cast of characters I think readers will fall in love with quickly.

QOTD: Are you an audiobook lover? If so, have any favorite narrators we should check out?

From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel.

On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.

If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

Caffeinated Reviewer

🎧 thank you for listening by julia whelan.

September 12th, 2022 Kimberly Review 19 Comments

Narrated by the author herself, Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan delivered a heartfelt, romantic women’s fiction story with characters you’ll remember long after the audio ends….

From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel. For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger. On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her. As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more. If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

I adored Whelan’s debut My Oxford Year which tugged at my emotions, so naturally, I was eager to listen to Thank You For Listening . In this romantic women’s fiction Sewanee Chester, an award-winning narrator who gave up a promising acting career after a tragic accident, returns to the romance genre where her audiobook career began. Reluctantly, but it’s a journey that will change her. Sewanee is flawed, stubborn and genuine. I adored her and quickly slipped into the story.

5 Reasons to Listen to Thank You For Listening

The Characters – Whelan’s characters are complex, multi-dimensional and love them or hate them, you’ll connect. Sewanee began her narrating career in the romance genre and was successful before moving on to other genres. Romance isn’t her jam. Call her jaded if you must, but she doesn’t believe in the happily ever after thing. When her friend needs her to fill in at an audio convention, she does it. Her relationship with her grandmother and feelings towards relationships tugged at my heartstrings. Brock McNight, the sultry voice behind so many romance novels, hides himself. Besties, friends, business associates, and family added depth as secondary characters.
The Romance – While the story falls more towards women’s fiction, the hook-up at the convention and the buildup to the romance through email & text conversations will all leave you swooning. I was so eager for their meet and worried it wouldn’t happen. This one is a slow build and delicious.
Conflicts & Character Growth – From the care of the elderly to finding yourself, Whelan explores many topics through her characters. It’s raw, honest, enlightening and completely captures the listener.
The Narration – Julia Whelan was/is one of my favorite female narrators from Stephen King’s horror to fantasy she brings her A game. These are her words and characters, so she gets them and that transferred directly to the listener.
The Story – From what drew these characters together to their baggage, the story had depth. The plot was tightly written. Whelan peeled back these characters’ layers and build up a romance with sizzling chemistry and friendship that felt genuine.

I highly recommend you grab your earbuds and listen to Thank You for Listening . Brilliantly done, Ms. Whelan.

Amazon | Audible

About Julia Whelan

Julia Whelan is a screenwriter, life-long actor, and award-winning audiobook narrator. She graduated with a degree in English and Creative Writing from Middlebury College and Oxford University. While in England, her flirtation with tea blossomed into a full-blown love affair, culminating in her eventual certification as a tea master. When not writing her own books, you can find her reading other people’s out loud into a microphone.

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About Kimberly

By Julia Whelan

19 Responses to “🎧 Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan”

Saundra Butler

Does anyone have any book club questions for Thank You for Listening

Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature)

I love Julia Whelan’s narration so I definitely want to give her book a try. This one sounds so good and all the reviews I’ve read seem to feel that way. Great review!

Yes, she is a wonderful narrator. I hope you listen!

Rachel @Waves of Fiction

This was a 5-star read for me too, Kimberly. Julia Whelan is so talented both as a narrator and writer. I’ve long be a fan of her audio performances but had no idea she was an amazing writer too.

I couldn’t agree more. I met her once in person and she was very sweet.

This is high up on my TBR and it sounds absolutely wonderful. I definitely need to pick up the audio for this one.

Enjoy Katherine!

Debbie Haupt

Oh Kim I saw this and really wanted it but it wasn’t in my budget for last month but now because of your review and the fact that I LOVE Julia’s narrating cha ching 😉

Totally worth the credit Debbie. Enjoy!

Wonderful review, I loved this one too, and it’s best to listen to Julia narrate it.

Agreed Wendy!

Anne - Books of My Heart

Wonderful review! I loved this and it gets all the hearts from me.

Absolutely. One of my favorites this year 🙂

I loved My Oxford Year and couldn’t wait for the release. Had no idea it was already out but I am waiting for it from my library. Glad you loved it!

Enjoy Lorna.

This book is on my TBR list.. good to hear you liked it so much.

Enjoy Hena!

Lover of Romance

Great review you have here. I am glad that this one was such a win and I love seeing a narrator turn into an author. So fun!

Agreed and she does it so well.

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That Voice You’re Hearing? It Might Be Hers.

Julia Whelan is one of the most in-demand audiobook narrators working today. With her novel, “Thank You for Listening,” she’s telling a story of her own.

By Katherine Rosman

Listen to This Article

Julia Whelan climbed into the double-walled, foam-insulated booth in her home office near Palm Springs, Calif. In preparation, she had refrained from alcohol the night before, had avoided dairy since waking at 6 a.m. and had run through the humming and vocalizing of her warm-up exercises.

Her glass Ball jar filled with water, her Vaseline lip therapy at hand, she was ready to work. So was the man wielding the jackhammer in her backyard, a not-subtle reminder of what it means to be a victim of your own success.

Whelan, 38, is the soothing, assured female voice behind Gillian Flynn’s thriller “Gone Girl,” Tara Westover’s memoir “Educated” and more than 400 other audiobooks, as well as the narrated versions of many articles for New York, The New Yorker and other magazines. She has been so prolific that she and her husband splurged on a backyard remodel, which included blasting a hole in the ground for a swimming pool. The problem is that in her business, quiet is an occupational necessity . “I’m done trying to dodge noise,” she said, removing the “cans” (headphones) from her ears.

A former child actress, Whelan was 15 when she was cast in the ABC drama “ Once and Again ,” Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz’s follow-up to “ Thirtysomething .” Then as a 30-something herself, Whelan found she could more successfully blend personal happiness and professional achievement if she moved her performances from the stage to the page.

She has emerged as one of Audible’s most popular narrators, said Diana Dapito, the audio company’s head of consumer content. “You have a lot of driveway moments with Julia,” she said, meaning that you can’t turn off the car and stop listening, even once you’ve arrived home.

Taylor Jenkins Reid , the best-selling author of “Daisy Jones & the Six” and “Malibu Rising,” became friends with Whelan when she narrated Reid’s 2015 novel, “Maybe in Another Life.”

A few years later, when plans were underway for the audio version of her 2017 book “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” Reid let her publisher know that she wanted Whelan for one of the characters. She was told “don’t hold your breath,” that Whelan was so sought after that six months’ notice was required.

This delighted Reid. “Who doesn’t like to see their friends in such high demand?” she said. (Reid called in a favor and booked her friend to help narrate the book.)

The range of Whelan’s work is sweeping. Between bursts of construction, she recorded “pickup” for an article that would appear in The Atlantic. This means that she had already narrated the piece but was redoing a few sentences in which she had misread or mispronounced words, including one about Russia’s justification for invading Ukraine. “This was not genocide,” she said, and paused. “It was defense against genocide perpetrated by the Kyiv regime.”

Then she turned to the narration of a forthcoming book. It is a novel Whelan herself has written, “Thank You for Listening,” which is set in the audio industry and centers on a successful woman who lives her life mostly by voicing the words and experiences of others — that is, until she gets paired to read a famous romance novelist’s final book with Brock, an enigmatic male audiobook narrator.

“Question,” Whelan said into her microphone, speaking as Sewanee, her female protagonist, who is texting Brock. “Any interest in doing something other than romance? A friend is casting a Clancy-esque book and needs an alpha assassin sound.” She stopped the recording, hit rewind and reread a passage she garbled.

Her narrating voice, slightly different from her regular speech, is crisp and low-pitched. There is no singsong, no upspeak. Her narration is a raised eyebrow and a tilt of the head.

“I have an absolute voice crush on her,” said Olivia Nuzzi, New York magazine’s Washington correspondent whose work has been narrated by Whelan. “There is some Joan Didion quality to her voice, detached but not uninterested, with a conspiratorial tone that makes her a very compelling storyteller.”

‘Narrating a book really is a performance.’

Whelan wanted to write “Thank You for Listening,” due out from Avon on Aug. 2, because the heard-but-not-seen dynamics of audio is, she said, “perfect for rom-com material.”

It also was an opportunity to peek into the audiobook world. “It wasn’t until I got into the recording process that I realized just how meta the whole thing is,” she said.

As Whelan spoke, her tone shifted from conversational to controlled, from chatty to narration. “This is what happens when I get into storyteller-mode,” she said.

Once she has taken on a project, she reads through the book once or twice, deciding on themes to highlight when she gets into the recording booth by using different tones and accents, and emphasizing certain words. “Narrating a book really is a performance,” she said, “and it can be harder to do than acting, because I can’t use my eyes or a facial expressions to convey something to the audience.”

Whelan grew up in Salem, Ore., the daughter of a firefighter father who served in the Oregon House of Representatives for two years and a homemaker mother. They divorced when she was a teenager.

An only child, young Julia devoured books and lost herself in make believe. By the time she was five, she was acting in local theater productions.

She began to travel to Los Angeles. In 1999, she auditioned for the “Once and Again” creators Herskovitz and Zwick. After she did a reading as Grace Manning, the teenage daughter of a suburban Chicago divorced woman (played by Sela Ward), Zwick said they knew they had found their young actress. “We looked at each other and said, ‘Check that box: Done,’” he said.

“There are people who you meet at an early age who you know understand things that cannot be taught,” Zwick added, mentioning actors like Claire Danes and Evan Rachel Wood, whom he also worked with when they were children. “Julia is one of them.”

Whelan played Grace for three seasons until the show was canceled in 2002.

As a working child actress, Whelan had been primarily home-schooled and tutored, so when the show ended during her late teens, she decided to embrace a traditional educational experience. She attended Middlebury College in Vermont and spent her junior year in a study-abroad program at Oxford University.

Returning to Los Angeles in 2008 after a hoped-for Rhodes Scholarship didn’t pan out, she thought she would pick up her career as she had left it. She booked movie-of-the-week roles, a guest spot on shows including “NCIS” and “The Closer,” but the big auditions didn’t work out and she felt a lack of momentum.

At her Middlebury graduation, she had been approached by a friend’s mother who worked for Brilliance, an audio publisher. The woman told Whelan of the opportunities in the expanding medium of audiobooks. After a year back in Los Angeles, Whelan called the woman and said she’d like to give narrating a try.

‘Putting little curls on certain words.’

Whelan began taking on audio projects and got her big break in 2012 with “The Witness,” a best-selling novel by Nora Roberts. It was the first of more than five books (and counting) written by Roberts that Whelan would narrate.

A second breakthrough came when Whelan landed a gig to narrate the female main character of a thriller written by Flynn. The book was “Gone Girl.” After reading it, Whelan said, “I thought, ‘This book is going to be huge.’”

Flynn had been familiar with Whelan because she had been a fan of “Once and Again.” “There aren’t a lot of actors that I think could do Amy,” Flynn said, referring to the “Gone Girl” antiheroine Amy Dunne, particularly an audio-only version of her. “Julia has a way of putting little curls on certain words,” she said.

The book became a blockbuster, and the success of the audio version made Whelan start to take her side hustle more seriously.

Also in 2012, while she was filming a Hallmark movie, “The Confession,” her father died after suffering a heart attack, bringing on a period of grief and self-reflection.

Whelan was 27 and decided that she would give herself until she was 30 to find a firm career path. In 2014, just before the milestone birthday, she was cast in a pilot for a television series, but when it wasn’t picked up, she felt ready to change focus.

About five years ago, she became romantically involved with Geof Prysirr, who had been her acting coach and guardian when she was living in Los Angeles as a teenager. She is aware how that comes off. “It sounds more sensationalistic than it is,” she said. “This is a good man who kept me very safe in this ridiculous industry. And then I fell in love with him in my thirties.” They bought a house near Palm Springs and moved there full time. They married in 2018.

As she spent time subsuming herself in the writing of others, she began to think more about her own creative ambitions. She had been hired to rework an existing screenplay that was set at Oxford University. After that, at the suggestion of film producers, she went on to write a novel, “My Oxford Year,” about a Midwestern student on a Rhodes Scholarship. It was published in 2018.

That year she was also contacted by an entrepreneur who was working on a start-up called Audm, which offered audio narrations of long-form magazine articles. Whelan began to narrate for the company and was later hired as head of production. (The New York Times Company acquired Audm in 2020.) Whelan no longer works for Audm, though she frequently narrates articles as a freelance contributor.

Just before the pandemic, she began “Thank You for Listening,” combining her writing with the experiences she has collected as a narrator.

Writers say that Whelan has helped them understand their own work. “When I listen to Julia read my stories, it sounds like she is calling you over to tell you a great story,” Nuzzi said. “When I write now, I try to think like that, that I am calling a reader over to tell them a great story. It has completely changed my approach.”

When Flynn was preparing to write the screenplay for the film adaptation of “Gone Girl,” she decided against rereading the book, opting instead to listen to the narration. “Julia gave me the benefit of listening to Amy and seeing the world through her eyes,” Flynn said.

Whelan said that she also learns about her writing when she experiences it as a narrator. “There is something about it that changes when you’re performing it,” she said. “I read the book out loud during every stage of its revisions but it’s different when you sit down and have the microphone in front of you, when I finally am inhabiting all the characters and the story comes to life.”

Audio produced by Tally Abecassis .

Katie Rosman is a reporter for the Metro desk, contributing narratives and profiles about people, events and dynamics in New York City and its outer reaches. More about Katherine Rosman

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About the Book

From the author of MY OXFORD YEAR, Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator --- who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident --- and her journey of self-discovery, love and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel.

On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book --- with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling --- not after her own dreams were tragically cut short --- and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.

If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

Audiobook available, read by Julia Whelan

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

Publication Date: August 2, 2022
Genres: Comedy , Fiction , Humor , Romance , Women's Fiction
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Avon
ISBN-10: 0063095564
ISBN-13: 9780063095564

Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan (Review by Caitlin Winkler)

Rating: 5/5 ⭐

Wow! This is the story I needed to round out my summer! I have been listening to Julia Whelan on Audible for quite some time now! It seems that all my favorite audiobooks are narrated by her. When I heard she was writing a book that had a love connection through audiobook narrating, I knew I had to read it. I am so glad that I did as it truly did not disappoint.

Sewanee Chester is an audiobook narrator, which she loves of course but is far from where she saw her life taking her. Beginning as an actress but making a shift following a trauma, she is highly successful in her field and truly enjoys bringing stories to life. When her boss asks her to attend Bibliocon to partake in the romance novel panel, she unexpectedly-at the urging of her best friend and new it-girl actress Adaku-has a true Vegas evening with a complete, yet charming, stranger. Upon returning home, Sewanee, who has sworn off narrating romances under her pseudonym Sarah Westholme, learns that a well-beloved writer specifically requested she narrate her final novel before passing away. While Sewanee no longer believes in the HEA, or happily ever after for those out of the biz, she agrees to read for her late friend. Joining with hit romance narrator Brock McKnight, she begins to fall again for the tropes she once loved in a good romance novel. But when anonymity is removed and secrets come out in the open, will she embrace her potential HEA or ignore the feelings that are growing.

Told through chapters reflecting typical romance novel ‘tropes’, this story unfolded in the best way and kept me feeling all the emotions a great romance should make you feel, while also poking fun at the fact that it is pretty standard for a romance novel to evoke those emotions. The most unacceptable part of reading this story was when I finished it and realized I would not be hearing anymore from these two incredible characters. Highly recommend this novel and I will be reading all future Julia Whelan books for sure.

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eARC Review: Under the Oak Tree: Volume 1 (The Novel) by Suji Kim

Fantasy (not romantasy) Books on My Radar for Fall 2024

Jul 14, 2022

ALC Review: Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

Release date: 2 August 2022

Rating: 3.75/5

Narrator: Julia Whelan

Book boxes: None yet—if this isn’t in one, I’ll be shocked.

Synopsis: From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel.

On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.

If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

Though derivative and quite predictable for me, Whelan’s sophomore novel, Thank You for Listening delivers great humor and perfect dialogue to complement exceptional characters. I don’t think I’ve read a contemporary novel that entertained me with character interaction quite like this for a long time. I listened this partly while doing yard work, and I laughed so hard at some parts that I had to stop operating the lawn mower until I calmed down enough.

“Sewanee hadn’t known then how quickly a dream could become a thing that mocked you.”

Sewanee Chester, a former romance novel audio book narrator, and film star, has a terrible accident before the book begins that leaves her basically (and for the lack of a better term for how Hollywood treats performers of certain body types) damaged goods. To keep her toe in the water of performing arts, she turns to audiobook narrating and gets her start in romance novels, which bug her to no end but must be read, according to this book, in order to break into the audiobook market and make it big. She does, and this book follows her plight while she navigates one more go at romance novels in order to be able to make bank and provide support for her ailing grandmother, whose dementia has progressed rapidly lately and now requires her to have more intense, more expensive care at the facility where she has grown comfortable.

Most ardently, I loved the characters and dialogue in this book. 1,000 stars for those. The old people are awesome in it as well, much like an earlier read on my list this year, Flying Solo . Like Holmes, Whelan’s treatment of seniors is nothing less than stellar, and these folks take the spotlight any time they are on the page. I have a soft spot for funny old people who have lost their filter and get away with saying and doing pretty much anything because they’ve put up with the world’s crap long enough and they deserve to have one less thing to worry about. The one drawback to Whelan’s narrative is that the stories, though humorous in the telling, are breathtakingly sorrowful in overall arc.

Additionally, the fact of how spot on this book is about all the bookish/audiobookish stuff is absolutely amazing. I could not believe how relatable all of the scenarios were for conventions (even though I’ve only been to and presented at academic ones) and romance/book/audiobook/general bookish fans. I definitely have a preferred voice style and can relate to the references about sultry man voices in the romance book world.

The romance in this book is not quite as spicy—I’d give it around 2 peppers. Sewanee and her love interest have incredible chemistry and their conversation is witty and intelligent, a true feat in romance. I enjoyed the banter and smirked at the snark.

Overall, TYFL is well written while still presenting a generic love story. If one put a plain white dust jacket over the cover and handed it to a well-versed romance reader, the book would read like any other, such as an Emily Henry or the like, hence the lower rating despite the gushing over the characters and the dialogue. I could also have done without the obligatory social and political commentary that I can’t stand but nevertheless expect from most contemporary novels.

As always, Whelan’s voice lends a certain quality to the telling of the story and nothing less than 5 stars. Fantastic.

My thanks to libro.fm and HarperCollins via Avon Books for the ALC, for which I give my own, honest opinion.

#thanksforlistening #justjuliawhelan #harperaudio #harpercollins #avonbooks #contemporaryromance #lgbt #audiobook

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Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

2022 Publication Date: August 2

T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW

An uplifting story of love and self-discovery.

Are you looking for uplifting best contemporary romance novels full of self-discovery, love, and acceptance? Look no further than Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan. This captivating romance novel tells the story of Sewanee Chester, a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator. After a tragic accident caused her to lose sight of her dreams, she agrees to narrate one last romance novel — with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest voice.

Let’s take a closer look at why this book may be a match for you...

The Characters

Julia Whelan does an amazing job of crafting this story by creating characters that feel real and believable. Her writing is very detailed and paints vivid pictures that bring these characters to life.

The main characters are beautifully developed with unique personalities that make them stand out from one another while still having commonalities that draw them together like strong bonds we all wish to have in our own lives.

Sewanee Chester is the main character in Thank You for Listening . She’s a talented and hardworking former actress who discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book — with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest and most secretive voice. In fact, no one knows who he is!

The anonymity between the two characters encourages unfettered witty banter and a relaxing of the characters' defenses which certainly nurtures an interesting dynamic. This refreshing character development continued to make me wonder how it would be to enter a relationship within these same parameters!

Sewanee is thrown into a whirlwind of emotions as she begins work on the book with Brock but never sees him in person. She discovers that Brock isn't what he seems beneath his guarded exterior — but nor is she!

The Writing Style

Julia Whelan's writing style will keep you hooked until you finish reading this lovely novel. Sewanee's journey is told in an engaging way that draws readers in with its honest portrayal of love, acceptance, and overcoming personal obstacles.

The story unfolds slowly as small details are revealed and secrets are unveiled throughout the book. It's impossible not to be moved by Whelan's powerful writing as she paints vivid scenes and characters who come alive on paper.

Themes and Messages

Throughout Thank You for Listening , readers are reminded about never giving up on themselves or their dreams... even when it feels like all hope has been lost.

The themes explored range from learning to accept yourself no matter what life throws at you to appreciating life’s simple pleasures and finding beauty even in the most difficult of circumstances.

These important messages make this novel an inspiring read that will leave readers feeling uplifted and empowered after finishing it!

If you're looking for an inspiring read about self-discovery and love, then Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan should be your next choice!

Perfect for readers looking for an inspiring read about self-discovery and love, beautifully written characters and immersive scenes that draw readers into the story.

Thank You For Listening is an uplifting story that will leave you feeling inspired by its characters’ journeys and the endearing connection between them both.

Julia Whelan has crafted a beautiful tale where two people come together despite all odds, finding solace in each other’s company while discovering new things along the way which ultimately leads them to a deeper exploration of accepting themselves for who they are no matter what life throws at them.

This book is sure to leave readers feeling warmhearted with its compelling plot line full of emotion guaranteed to touch your soul!...✨😎✨

Genre: Best Contemporary Romance Book

Sub-Genre: Hidden Identity Romance

T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating:️ 🌶 (Mild Spicy)

Time Period: Present Day

Location: Las Vegas | Los Angeles (US)

Publisher: Avon Books | Harper Voyager US

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…

Book: With Love from Wish & Co. by Minnie Darke ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

BOOK SYNOPSIS:

A heartwarming story about love, self-discovery, and acceptance...

Sewanee Chester had given up on her dream of becoming an actress after a tragic accident changed her life forever. She became an audiobook narrator instead, but she was still struggling to accept herself when the world's most beloved romance novelist asked her to perform her last book — with Brock McNight, the industry's hottest and most secretive voice.

With no face-to-face interaction between them, they forge a real connection hidden behind the comfort of anonymity as they never see each other.

As Sewanee begins work on the book with Brock, their relationship develops and blossoms into something more than just recording sessions. They share stories about their lives and learn more about each other through their conversations.

As time goes on, their friendship deepens as Sewanee starts to open up and accepts herself despite the challenges she's faced in life.

Can the solace they find in each other's company forge a real connection that changes both of their lives forever?

Julia Whelan delivers an emotional rollercoaster ride filled with important messages about never giving up on our dreams no matter how difficult life can get at times... So grab your copy today — you won't regret it!

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION:

Self-discovery is essential for personal growth.

The power of human connection — even behind the comfort of anonymity — can bring solace during difficult times and ultimately change.

Never give up on your dreams no matter the obstacles you face or even when it feels like all hope has been lost.

BOOK QUOTE:

"If I don't hear back from you, I'll find another way." — Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

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Thank You For Listening

If you’re a fan of contemporary romances in audio, chances are you’re already familiar with Julia Whelan’s work behind the microphone. After turning her hand to writing romance in 2019 with My Oxford Year , she’s back with Thank You For Listening , an emotionally gripping, touching and yet fun story about two audiobook narrators who unexpectedly fall in after a chance encounter.

The amazingly-named Sewanee – Swan – Chester is proud of her job as an audiobook narrator, especially as it allows her to stretch her acting muscles while looking after her dementia-stricken grandmother. She’s largely given up on acting in the physical realm after an on-set injury killed her rising acting career, but being a famous personality in the audiobook world means personal appearances, which also means going to conventions to promote her talent. When a handsome man sweeps her off of her feet for a one-night stand in Las Vegas, she thinks that that’s all there’ll be to it.

Sewanee is surprised to be offered the chance to narrate a romance novel by a recently-deceased bestselling author. She normally rejects romance novel jobs because her first love ended tragically, but then she learns the man who’ll be voicing her character’s love interest is none other than Brock McNight. Brock is a popular voice with a mysterious past and a face the public has never seen. Sewanee naturally wants to find out more about him, so she decides to join the project. But when she learns Brock’s real identity, she’s thrown for a loop.

If you know anything about romance novels, you already know how Sewanee’s one-night stand and Brock’s mysterious self come together, but Thank You For Listening builds up a steamy, banter-filled and spicy-fun romance between them so quickly that it doesn’t matter if you get there before the story does. At least for the first half of the book. I liked Sewanee, but it was hard for me to like ‘Brock’ after a while; I mean, the man’s a non-reader who narrates books for a living! When they stooped to jumping to the worst conclusions about one another because it’s romance and ‘tis the plot, I had to groan. I wanted more of everything I liked about their relationship to stretch deeper into the book.

Also problematic is the sheer amount of plot in the book. There’s a lot going on – Sewanee’s career, her grandmother’s illness, her unresolved trauma. Add on career issues, stuff going on with her parents and a whole lot of other baggage, and it’s really too much. It could have done with being around a hundred pages shorter, which would have prevented the odd end-of-book crash. But even with that factored in, Thank You For Listening is a pretty satisfying ride overall.

Buy it at: Amazon , Audible or your local independent retailer

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Lisa Fernandes

Review – Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

Posted August 2, 2022 by Carole in Reviews / 9 Comments

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review – Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

From the author of My Oxford Year , Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel. For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger. On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her. As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more. If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

I loved this book! I was a huge fan of Julia Whelan’s first book, The Oxford Year, so when an opportunity to read this book presented itself, I couldn’t say yes fast enough. I was even more excited by the chance to listen to the author and narrator extraordinaire read the book. Once I started listening to this one, I did not want to stop. It was so easy to get swept away by Sewanee and Brock’s story.

Sewanee is an audiobook narrator. She started out narrating romance novels after acting became a not-so-viable option. She now narrates more literary works under a different name. She thinks that she is done with romance but when an offer falls in her lap that will pay enough to take care of her grandmother, she can’t say no. I loved the parts of the book that dealt directly with the process of narrating a book and some of the challenges that narrators face. For the romance that Sewanee is working on, she is paired up with Brock. They don’t see each other but do message each other to help each of them narrate their parts of the book but before long they start talking about things other than the book.

I really liked Sewanee, Brock, and the rest of the characters. Sewanee has had some pretty big challenges in her life and is dealing fairly well with them. I really appreciated her relationship with her grandmother and thought that the descriptions of dementia affecting her grandmother were well done. I thought that the romantic aspect of the book was very well done. I loved getting to see Sewanee and Brock slowly get to know each other while they worked on the book and couldn’t wait for the day when they would eventually meet face to face.

The narration was phenomenal. Since the author has narrated a ton of books, I feel that she knows how to present this story in a way that nobody else ever could. She is one of my favorite narrators and her work on this book was top-notch. I loved the various character voices and the emotion she express in her reading. I will definitely be recommending this one to others. Julia Whelan once again proves that she knows how to write ’em and how to read ’em.

I received a review copy of this book from Avon Books and Harper Audio.

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9 responses to “ Review – Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan ”

I don’t know why I thought it was a grandfather in this book. I have to pull my ARC up because it seems like an odd detail for me to mix up. Anyhow, I adored all the characters and this book too. Whelan is a very talented narrator. I actually looked her up to see which of her books I have listened to. It was a high number.

I only ever read on book where the main character was an audiobook narrator and this was before audiobooks became so popular. I don’t even remember the name of the book just now.

You make this sound so good. I’m glad you liked it so much.

The Oxford Year was good! I’m glad to hear this one is just as enjoyable. 🙂

I have this coming up in Sep. Yay that it is good

Looks like a goodie! It would be great if you would share this with everyone over at Books You Loved: August edition. Cheers from Carole’s Chatter

This sounds really good and I love that the main character is an audiobook narrator especially since the author has narrated audio books and knows how the business works. Definitely need to add this one to my TBR!

Could you please for the love of God tell me the grandmothers name. BLAH? Makes me insane listening .

They call her Blah. Her name is Barbara but Sewanee couldn’t say that when she was young and she became Blah.

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On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.

If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

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Love At First Listen: Romance Audiobooks to Fall in Love With

I like to think of myself a bit as a hopeless romantic. I love a good rom-com and a happily ever after, though sometimes a bit of drama keeps things interesting. Add in a little mystery and some action too. And let’s not forget sports (yay sports!). I decided it was time to broaden my […]

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Bill Maher on his new book reflecting on decades of comedy and commentary

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Bill Maher is often a controversial figure in the world of politics and culture. He’s positioned himself as the ultimate truth-teller who takes equal pleasure in punching at the left and the right. Maher is taking stock of his decades of commentary in his new book, “What This Comedian Said Will Shock You.” Geoff Bennett sat down with Maher for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

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Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.

Geoff Bennett:

We now turn to my conversation with comedian and talk show host Bill Maher.

An often controversial figure in the world of politics and culture, Maher is taking stock of his decades of commentary in this consequential presidential election season. It's part of our arts and culture series, Canvas.

Bill Maher's unique blend of comedy and commentary sets him apart in the world of late-night television. Over three decades, first with "Politically Incorrect," and now with HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher," he's positioned himself as the ultimate truth-teller, who takes equal pleasure in punching at the left.

Bill Maher, Host, "Real Time With Bill Maher": It's not my fault the party of FDR and JFK is turning into the party of LOL and WTF.

And the right.

Bill Maher:

When did we start insisting that our presidents be smart? Like these (expletive deleted)

We're back on.

While his views have sparked controversy and criticism, Maher says he's not afraid to provoke.

I'm going to be late for work, something you protesters on the bridge seem to have the luxury of not having to worry about, which seems kind of privilege-y.

Offend or challenge the status quo.

Let me go on record and say I'm against breast cancer, but I'm trying to escape for a few hours. Can I just watch the game without thinking about cancer?

These commentaries are how he concludes every broadcast of his HBO show, and they're also the basis of his latest book, "What This Comedian Said Will Shock You."

We spoke at his Los Angeles TV studio after a recent Friday taping about what he discovered after revisiting more than 20 years of editorials for this new compilation.

When you did that deep dive, what did you find about the ways in which our politics and our culture has changed?

Well, that's what I was looking for. I wanted to answer the question in my own mind, is it mostly me who's changed, or is it the politics that has changed? Because I heard in the last five, six, seven years, people say to me more, you make fun of the left more, to which I say, yes, I do, because they got funnier.

And that's what I wanted to make sure I was right about. And I think mostly that is the case.

In what ways?

Well, I mean, I guess the general term would be wokeness that we didn't have before. I guess the term was there. And its original meaning is certainly good. Alert to injustice is certainly something everybody should be for, but it migrated to something very different.

So there's a host of really bad ideas, I think, that the left has embraced, the far left. I don't think its the normal Democratic voter. But that didn't exist in 2010. I mean, President Obama was terrible for comedy, which was great for the country. But he didn't do anything crazy. And the Democrats basically didn't.

I quote him in the introduction, where he says something like, Americans don't think we should remake the whole system. They just want to not see crazy stuff.

And I sort of present that as the dilemma that were facing. The Republicans, definitely, who no longer seem to believe in democracy, are the greater threat. But how do you balance that against the crazy doctrine theory? Lots of people see there's a lot of crazy stuff, ideas about race and gender and children and free speech, that they just think is crazy.

And so, as one guy said to me, what you don't get about Trump is, we don't like him either, but we will vote for him.

What do you think accounts for the durability of Donald Trump as a political figure? By any objective or rational standard, the challenges facing him, the scandals, the criminal trials, all of that should be disqualifying. And yet he's competitive.

Competitive? He's winning. I mean, he's…

Yes, the polls — some polls have him ahead, yes.

Most polls do, and in the states that matter. I mean, if I had to bet on this election — well, I wouldn't, but — I mean, I wouldn't. Yes, I wouldn't, because I couldn't bet against him.

Certainly, it's at least a 50/50 that he's going to beat Biden. That's a great question, if only someone would write a book about Donald Trump.

I mean, some of it is just insanity. I truly believe he's insane, in the sense that people talk about the malignant narcissism as if its some sort of quirk. It's more than a quirk. It's a real thing.

But as a friend of mine always says, insanity photographs. You can't you can't take your eyes off it. There is a certain charisma quality to that, when somebody is just nuts,. And he is. He doesn't really ever think about what he's going to say. People give him credit for plotting this. He doesn't plot.

Everything is just as it comes out of his mouth. One of the great advantages he has as a political candidate is that no one takes him seriously on policy pronouncements, because he just says anything and always has and always will. So, it's like, well, we can't really take it seriously. When he gets into office, hell probably do the right thing. We like him. He's our kind of guy.

So, that's actually kind of a great advantage when you are a politician.

Why is now the right time for a book like this?

Well, now because I wrote it now.

That's really the answer.

That's the best answer.

I don't know. People have been asking me to write it for a long time. They say — for years, they have been saying, you should collect these editorials at the end. I think it's a good — I think the timing is right, because the theme of it is kind of I'm tired of the hate.

There's a lot for both sides to like in this book. I mean, if you just want to read half of it and ignore the half that attacks your side, you can have a great time. I think most people are in the middle. I think — I call them the normies. I didn't coin that phrase, but I have heard it, and I like it, just normal people who are not part of this extremism of either side, and they don't like it.

And I don't like it. I don't want to hate half the country, and I don't hate half the country. The last chapter is — it's called "Divorce," and its just about how a lot of people talk these days about maybe America should split up, you know, civil war. Let's do this thing.

Yes, it sounds fun. I don't want to. And it's never going to work, because half the country, even if they lose an election, they're not going anywhere. They're not self-deporting. They're here and they're going to stay here, and you're going to have to learn to live with them.

We have to learn to live with, sit with, mingle with people who don't think like you. They're not raised like you. They weren't from a part of the country that you're from. And that's OK.

It's not false. It's a fact.

Maher's direct approach and willingness to tackle tough topics over the years have brought backlash. His critics view his outspokenness as intolerance, pointing to what they see as a pattern of offensive comments on a range of issues from gender to religion to race.

Clearly, racism is simply no longer everywhere. It's not in my home. And it probably isn't in yours.

Over the course of your career, your critics have said, that you are homophobic, transphobic, Islamophobic, xenophobic, sexist, fatphobic, ableist.

What do you make of all that?

Well, I tell the truth as I see it, and I don't pull punches. That's always been the bond with my audience. People are hypersensitive, and I mean, I could go down that list. I don't think we have time. And I don't think you really want to get into every one of them.

But they're all not true. I mean, I like all people. But there are things that have to be said about Islam. There are things that have to be said about health in America. There are things that have to be said about gender and what we're teaching children about it that are valid.

And I think this is what the normies appreciate in me, is that most people just shy away from even going near those issues because they're third rails. As I say in the book, one of the problems we have is, nobody ever gets canceled for being too woke.

One person who doesn't have to worry about being canceled, Maher himself. HBO has picked up two more years of "Real Time," which will take the long-running show through 2026.

I love doing what I do. I'll do it as long as I'm not hard to look at on TV. That could happen at some point. Hopefully, A.I. will fix that.

And as long as my brain is still working. I mean, I have a dead worm in there right now, but I seem to be OK.

You could run for president.

I could. Apparently, you can.

Whether it's his own plans or presidential politics, Bill Maher never loses sight of the punchline.

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If you loved ‘Crazy Rich Asians,’ Kevin Kwan’s latest won’t disappoint

“Lies and Weddings” is another chapter in Kwan’s fantasy of conspicuous transnational consumption and love against the odds.

In the opening pages of Kevin Kwan’s new novel, “ Lies and Weddings ,” a man is impaled on a crystal chandelier. Even in the act of reading that, I was wondering how it could happen. Somebody, I figured, could be crushed by a chandelier or else impaled by a chandelier, if it landed just so, but impaled on a chandelier? Where would the pointy bits even go?

I spent some time trying to picture it — I even Googled to see if it had happened to anybody ever — but, of course, I was missing the point. In Kwan’s universe, things happen for the plain and happy reason that he wants them to. Pose an objection, he’s already galloping on, and if you want to go along for the ride — as millions of readers have — you have to suspend your private laws of probability, and once you do, it will all be over quickly and sunnily.

“Lies and Weddings,” in short, is another chapter in Kwan’s fantasy of conspicuous transnational consumption and love against the odds. The basic template is familiar to anyone who has read “Crazy Rich Asians” or seen its indecently entertaining film version. Hong Kong-born Arabella, the Countess of Greshamsbury, has made it her mission in life to arrange advantageous dynastic marriages for her three English Chinese children. She is particularly keen on landing a princess for her only son and heir, a hot and feckless wannabe artist named Rufus.

In Arabella’s path lie three formidable obstacles, none of which she yet knows about. Her global chain of luxury hotels is mortgaged to the brink. Decades of unchecked family spending have emptied the Gresham trusts. And Rufus has long since consecrated his heart to the girl next door: Eden Tong, daughter of the Gresham family doctor and a kind and conscientious physician herself. She is also (unless you count her father and the myriad servants) the only not-rich person in the entire book, which makes her by default its heroine.

The action proper begins in Hawaii, where Arabella’s oldest daughter is set to marry a half-Norwegian prince in a wedding for the ages. Things go wrong almost from the start. Eden throws up during a whale-watching expedition. Rufus discloses his true feelings over a hot mic. And a truly inconvenient volcanic eruption sends the A-list crowd scurrying. (Joan Collins chips a nail.) From that disaster, “Lies and Weddings” swivels toward fresh disasters, from London to Paris to Marrakesh to L.A. to Texas to Venice to — well, I lost track at some point, but Kwan fans will recognize the arc. Alliances are made and unmade. Fortunes are won and lost. Rich people, trying to get richer, outwit themselves. Poor girls, armed with only their own stubborn integrity, stake a claim on happiness.

Summer reading

And the laugh lines arrive punctually. “Maxxie’s father is down to his last Bacon and the mama only has a ranch full of useless llamas.” “Come on, you know alcoholics only exist in America.” “We had Fran Lebowitz to dinner, don’t you remember? If we can charm her, we can bloody well charm anyone.” “You always think you’re having a stroke, but unfortunately you never actually do!”

A photographer in his previous life, Kwan has a gimlet eye for how fat cats strut: the Earl of Greshamsbury, for instance, in his “perfectly pressed ruby-red corduroy trousers and a pale blue Ede & Ravenscroft Sea Island cotton shirt rolled up to the elbows.” Kwan knows where all his characters have been to school, what they drive, how their rooms are furnished, and whatever he can’t squeeze into the text he folds into a stream of cheeky meta-footnotes: “The Princess of Wales has made it known that she prefers to be called Catherine, so for God’s sake please stop calling her Kate Middleton.” (Which he just has.) “In Los Angeles, complete strangers will give you a full-body hug upon meeting you for the first time. … You will never, ever see them again.”

One might expect all this taxonomy to bring Kwan’s characters to more dimensional life, but if anything, it pins them more fiercely to the page, prisoners of their coordinates (as used to happen to Tom Wolfe’s characters). The rich may be different from you and me, but, in “Lies and Weddings,” they’re awfully alike, whether they’re walking about on heated Portoro marble floors or mounting weddings with 50 hot-air balloons or organizing very intimate affairs with 150 of their closest friends.

Are we to revel in or recoil from their unheeding hedonism? Behind every great fortune, it has been said, there is a crime, and Kwan makes a point of noting what wealth can wreak — poverty, racism, exploitation, environmental degradation — but he’s too canny a showman to let any of these critiques linger. In the world of rom-com fantasy, being wealthy has always been a hell of a lot more fun than being poor. If some guy’s going to be impaled on a chandelier, please God, let it be crystal.

Louis Bayard, a Book World contributing writer, is the author of several novels, including “Jackie & Me” and the upcoming “The Wildes.”

Lies and Weddings

By Kevin Kwan

Doubleday. 448 pp. $29

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Check out our coverage of this year’s Pulitzer winners: Jayne Anne Phillips won the fiction prize for her novel “ Night Watch .” The nonfiction prize went to Nathan Thrall, for “ A Day in the Life of Abed Salama .” Cristina Rivera Garza received the memoir prize for “ Liliana’s Invincible Summer .” And Jonathan Eig received the biography prize for his “ King: A Life .”

Best books of 2023: See our picks for the 10 best books of 2023 or dive into the staff picks that Book World writers and editors treasured in 2023. Check out the complete lists of 50 notable works for fiction and the top 50 nonfiction books of last year.

Find your favorite genre: Three new memoirs tell stories of struggle and resilience, while five recent historical novels offer a window into other times. Audiobooks more your thing? We’ve got you covered there, too . If you’re looking for what’s new, we have a list of our most anticipated books of 2024 . And here are 10 noteworthy new titles that you might want to consider picking up this April.

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Interview highlights

Stephen king's new story took him 45 years to write.

Mary Louise Kelly

Courtney Dorning

Stephen King says finishing one of his stories decades after he started it felt like "calling into a canyon of time." Francois Mori/AP hide caption

Stephen King says finishing one of his stories decades after he started it felt like "calling into a canyon of time."

Stephen King is out with a new collection of short stories.

As you might expect from the reigning King of Horror, some are terrifying. Some are creepy. Others are laugh-out-loud funny. And one of them took him 45 years to write.

The book is a collection of 12 stories, called You Like it Darker .

Stephen King's legacy of horror

Over the course of his decades-long career as a writer, King has learned there's no taking a story too far.

"I found out – to sort of my delight and sort of my horror – that you can't really gross out the American public," King told NPR.

He spoke with All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly about the book, destiny and getting older.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Mary Louise Kelly: I want to start by asking you about the story, The Answer Man . You began it when you were 30. You finished it when you were 75. What the heck happened?

Stephen King: Well, I lost it. What happens with me is I will write stories and they don't always get done. And the ones that don't get done go in a drawer and I forget all about them. And about five years ago, these people started to collect all the stuff that was finished and all this stuff that was unfinished and put it in an archive. They were going through everything – desk drawers, wastebaskets underneath the desk, every place. I'm not exactly a very organized person. My nephew John Leonard found this particular story, which was written in the U.N. Plaza Hotel back in the '70s, I think. And he said, "You know, this is pretty good. You really ought to finish this." And I read it and I said, "You know, I think I know how to finish it now." So I did.

Kelly: Well give people a taste. The first six or so pages that you had written back in the hotel, it becomes a 50-page story. What was it that you decided was worth returning to?

King: Well, I like the concept: This young man is driving along, and he's trying to figure out whether or not he should join his parents' white shoe law firm in Boston, or whether he should strike out on his own. And he finds this man on the road who calls himself the Answer Man. And he says, "I will answer three of your questions for $25, and you have 5 minutes to ask these questions." So I thought to myself, I'm going to write this story in three acts. One while the questioner is young, and one when he's middle aged, and one when he's old. The question that I ask myself is: "Do you want to know what happens in the future or not?"

Kelly: This story, like many of your stories, is about destiny – whether some things are meant to happen no matter what we do, no matter what choices we make. Do you believe that's true?

King: The answer is I don't know. When I write stories, I write to find out what I really think. And I don't think there's any real answer to that question.

Books You Love

'carrie' turns 50 here are the best stephen king novels — chosen by you.

Kelly: You do describe in the afterword of the book that going back in your seventies to complete a story you had begun as a young man gave you, and I'll quote your words, "The oddest sense of calling into a canyon of time." Can you explain what that means?

King: Well, you listen for the echo to come back. When I was a young man, I had a young man's ideas about The Answer Man . But now, as a man who has reached, let us say, a certain age, I'm forced to write from experience and just an idea of what it might be like to be an old man. So yeah, it felt to me like yelling and then waiting for the echo to come back all these years later.

Kelly: Are there subjects you shy away from, where you think about it and think, "You know what, that might be one step too creepy, too weird?"

King: I had one novel called Pet Cemetery that I wrote and put in a drawer because I thought, "Nobody will want to read this. This is just too awful." I wanted to write it to see what would happen, but I didn't think I would publish it. And I got into a contractual bind, and I needed to do a book with my old company. And so I did. And I found out – sort of to my delight and sort of to my horror – that you can't really gross out the American public. You can't go too far.

Kelly: It was a huge bestseller, as I recall.

King: Yeah, it's a bestseller and it was a movie. And yeah, the same thing is true with It , about the killer clown who preys on children

Kelly: Who still haunts my nightmares, I have to tell you. You've written how many books at this point?

King: I don't know.

King: Really? In our recent coverage of you, we've said everything from 50 to 70.

King: I think it's probably around 70, but I don't keep any count. I remember thinking as a kid that it would be a really fine lifetime to be able to write 100 novels.

Kelly: Oh my gosh. Well you sound like you're still having a lot of fun, so I hope you have quite a few more novels for us to come.

King: That'd be good.

Stephen King
Short stories

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COMMENTS

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
Dubbed "The Adele of Audiobooks" by The New Yorker, Julia Whelan is a writer, lifelong actor, and acclaimed audiobook narrator. Her performance of her own debut novel, the international bestseller My Oxford Year, garnered a Society of Voice Arts award. Her 2022 novel, Thank You For Listening, was a Best-of-the-Year pick at Amazon, Audible, and ...
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author's note at the end that explains Hoover's personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read. Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors. 883.
Thank You for Listening: A Novel
Thank You for Listening: A Novel. Paperback - August 2, 2022. From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan's uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to ...
Thank You for Listening
Thank You for Listening. by Julia Whelan. Publication Date: August 2, 2022. Genres: Comedy, Fiction, Humor, Romance, Women's Fiction. Paperback: 432 pages. Publisher: Avon. ISBN-10: 0063095564. ISBN-13: 9780063095564. When audiobook narrator Sewanee Chester arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, she unexpectedly spends a ...
Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan's uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator — who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident — and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel. For Sewanee Chester, being an ...
Review: Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan
It's hilarious. And it's heartrendingly real. A definite recommend if you want a lighthearted narrative dealing with difficult topics. Purchase from Bookshop.org. Love, Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan was released August 2, 2022. Although Avon Books and libro.fm provided me with a free review copy, this did not in any way affect my ...
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
Despite a limited cast of characters and very few setting changes, the narrative manages to remain both fast-paced and engaging. The conclusion leaves a few too many loose ends, but the chemistry between the characters and unexpected twists throughout make for a satisfying read. A unique story of transcendent love. An audiobook narrator and ...
Review: Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan
Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager, Libro.Fm for my copy! All thoughts are my own. I have been loving books that feature characters in the entertainment industry and I had such a great time reading Thank You For Listening! I loved Julia Whelan's debut, My Oxford Year.
Book Review: Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
Thank You for Listening is my first experience with Julia Whelan, both as an author and audiobook narrator, and I now understand the love! Sewanee was poised to become the next It Girl in Hollywood until an accident left her physically and mentally scarred. Years later she's a successful audiobook narrator, content in her life and career if ...
REVIEW: Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
In Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan, Sewanee"Swan" Chester graduated alongside her best friend Adaku Obi with dreams of them becoming A-list Hollywood actresses. It was just when she was set to star in a big film that Swan's life took a tumble, changing everything in an instant. Seven […]
Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
Narrated by the author herself, Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan delivered a heartfelt, romantic women's fiction story with characters you'll remember long after the audio ends…. Thank You for Listening. by Julia Whelan. Narrator: Julia Whelan. Length: 11 hours and 16 minutes.
That Voice You're Hearing? It Might Be Hers.
With her novel, "Thank You for Listening," she's telling a story of her own. Julia Whelan, at her home near Palm Springs, Calif., is the soothing, assured female voice behind Gillian Flynn ...
Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
Thank You for Listening. by Julia Whelan. Publication Date: August 2, 2022. Genres: Comedy, Fiction, Humor, Romance, Women's Fiction. Paperback: 432 pages. Publisher: Avon. ISBN-10: 0063095564. ISBN-13: 9780063095564. When audiobook narrator Sewanee Chester arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, she unexpectedly spends a ...
Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan (Review by Caitlin Winkler
When her boss asks her to attend Bibliocon to partake in the romance novel panel, she unexpectedly-at the urging of her best friend and new it-girl actress Adaku-has a true Vegas evening with a complete, yet charming, stranger. Upon returning home, Sewanee, who has sworn off narrating romances under her pseudonym Sarah Westholme, learns that a ...
ALC Review: Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
Release date: 2 August 2022. Rating: 3.75/5. Narrator: Julia Whelan. Book boxes: None yet—if this isn't in one, I'll be shocked. Synopsis: From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan's uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident ...
Review
Look no further than Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan. This captivating romance novel tells the story of Sewanee Chester, a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator. After a tragic accident caused her to lose sight of her dreams, she agrees to narrate one last romance novel — with Brock McNight, the industry's hottest voice.
Thank You for Listening: A Novel
An Amazon Best Book of August 2022: Julie Whelan, the much-loved, real-life audiobook narrator, is back with her second book, Thank You for Listening.I'm not sure I trust anyone else to tell this funny and heartwarming story centered around Sewanee, an award-winning audiobook narrator who loves her job, as long as it doesn't include one specific genre, romance.
Romance novelist pokes fun at genre while writing it, in 'Thank You for
Julia Whelan pokes fun at romance genre while honoring it in new novel : NPR's Book of the Day Author and audiobook narrator Julia Whelan says narrating her own second book, Thank You for ...
Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan : All About Romance
If you're a fan of contemporary romances in audio, chances are you're already familiar with Julia Whelan's work behind the microphone. After turning her hand to writing romance in 2019 with My Oxford Year, she's back with Thank You For Listening, an emotionally gripping, touching and yet fun story about two audiobook narrators who unexpectedly...
Review
I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan. Narrator: Julia Whelan. Published by Avon Books, HarperAudio on August 2, 2022. Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary. Length: 11 hours 15 minutes.
Thank You for Listening: A Novel|Paperback
Pure magic." — Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Wish You Were Here "A compulsively readable story about self-discovery with plenty of laughs and spice along the way." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Thank You For Listening is a delight from start to finish. Julia Whelan takes readers behind the scenes of the ...
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