Maggie Murphy

Whether your summer plans involve a sandy beach, a pristine pool, or the AC on blast, summer is all about the fundamentals. And that includes a great beach read or listen, which usually means something frothy, fast, and fictional. Instead, this year, listeners are switching things up as nonfiction is the genre of choice for summer 2026.

Join us in New York for a conversation featuring Helen Laser, Saskia Maarleveld, Soneela Nankani, and Tim Gerard Reynolds. Earlier in the year, we celebrated the Year of the Fire Horse. But around here at Audible, it’s also shaping up to be the year of the narrator. In early April, we inducted a new class of voices into the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame. It was an especially rewarding moment to appreciate the craft, charisma, and magic of truly memorable performances.

The famed R&B duo Sam & Dave made it a hit. Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi adopted it as The Blues Brothers’ theme song. But it was David Porter who co-wrote the iconic “Soul Man,” and countless other tunes, with long-time writing partner Issac Hayes. In a new memoir aptly titled The Soul Man, Porter looks back on his storied career, the history of Stax Records, and the memorable road he’s been on. Maggie Murphy: Writing a book at 84 is so impressive.