Check out these recorded books for listening 'on the go'

If only your ears could smile! Recorded books are perfect for reading on the go, or a wonderful multitasking companion. Quite a few new titles have just come in and surely a few of them can help you relax during this hectic season:

The Sugar House, by Laura Lippman, won the author the Nero Wolfe award and is a powerful addition to her mystery series featuring fearless Baltimore P.I. Tess Monoghan. A client named Ruthie, who seems to know Tess’s father a little too well, asks the newspaperwoman-turned-private investigator to investigate a year-old “Jane Doe” murder and its grim aftermath. It’s the shocking discovery of the runaway’s true identity that turns her hunt deadly. Suddenly a supposedly-solved murder case is turning up newer, fresher corpses and newer, scarier versions of the Sugar House, places that look sweet and safe, but only from the outside. [9 .75 hours, narrated by Barbara Rosenblatt]

Dead to the World, by Charlaine Harris, will satisfy any listener’s craving for the supernatural, featuring vampires, werewolves and magic galore. Still reeling from her break-up with her vampire boyfriend Bill, driving home from work, barmaid and telepath Sookie Stackhouse discovers vampire and area sheriff Eric on the side of the road missing his shirt, his shoes and his memories. The usually arrogant vampire is now sweet and gentle, leaving Sookie to protect him from a coven of witches out for blood. [10 hours, narrated by Johanna Parker]

Dark Fire, by C. J. Samsom, is a beguiling tale of murder and intrigue set against the rich backdrop of London in 1540. A real plus is that the narrator is a Londoner raised on radio dramas, and that makes it really fun to listen to. Hunchbacked Matthew Shardlake is called upon to investigate the peculiar case of a young woman accused of murder. She oddly refuses to speak on her own behalf, even after she’s been threatened with torture. For failing to enter a plea, the law says she must be slowly crushed to death. Granted a 14-day reprieve, Matthew is desperate to help her any way he can and so he undertakes a secret mission to investigate an apothecary rumored to possess an explosive new weapon called Greek Fire. [19 hours narrated by Steven Crossley]

Tomato Girl, by Jayne Pupek, tells a story set in rural mid-20th century Virginia. Usually good at helping her father manage her mother’s bipolar mood swings, 11-year-old Ellie Sanders is forced to grow up quickly after her pregnant mother, Julia, is injured in a fall. After the accident, her father, Rupert, moved in Tess, the teenage girl who supplies fresh produce to his store, to help around the house and the supposedly help care for his wife and daughter. As their affair escalates, Julia’s condition deteriorates, and Ellie’s fragile hopes for normalcy are dashed. Now she must be witness and warden to her mother's gradual slide into madness. Told from Ellie's point of view, Tomato Girl takes the reader into the soul of a terrified young girl clinging desperately to childhood while being forced into adulthood years before she is ready. To save herself, she creates a secret world, a place in which her mother gets well, her father returns to being the man he was and the Tomato Girl is banished forever. This marks the debut of a gifted and promising new author who has written a timeless Southern novel. [10.25 hours, narrated by Julia Gibson]

Full of Grace, by Dorothea Benton Frank, explores miracles of faith, love, and romance by the ocean in Charleston and Hilton Head, South Carolina. Marcia Graziella, whose choices have scandalized her family, finds that she still needs their love and support when things fall apart. Grace and her “old school” Italian parents have transplanted themselves from New Jersey to South Carolina and her family is less than pleased when she falls for Michael Higgins. Not only is he not Catholic, he’s an agnostic, a scientist, and worst of all, Irish. But when tragedy strikes, she needs her family more than ever. All learn that sometimes a little change is good for the heart and that the most unexpected things can bring families together. [11 hours, narrated by Susan Bennett]

What You Have Left, by Will Allison, is about a father and daughter trying to make their way back to one another across decades of uncertainty and ambivalence, all the while hoping to discover that what they have left is worth salvaging. It's also the story of a grandfather bent on suicide, a pioneering female NASCAR driver, a heartbroken amnesiac, a video poker junkie and assorted other liars, cheaters, and lovers who, despite their best intentions, never quite live up to their own expectations. [6 hours, narrated by various readers]

Tangled Up in You, by Rachel Gibson, is a romantic mystery. Maddie is determined to uncover the untold story about the town's sordid past that is her past. As a child, Maddie lost everything, and now she's back at the scene of the scandal, a local bar establishment that's always belonged to the Hennessys, determined to uncover the truth, and nothing is going to stand in her way, especially not a handsome black-haired, blue-eyed Hennessy. Everyone in Truly knows that the Hennessy men are irresistible, and the current owner, Mick, is no exception. His late father was a skirt-chasing heartbreaker who ended up causing disaster for two families. So far, Mick's managed to keep the ladies in line, but when he claps eyes on Maddie, he can't resist getting tangled up with her. But Maddie is keeping secrets, not the least of which is her true reason for being in town. And when Mick discovers what's really going on, there is going to be a whole lot of trouble in Truly.

Comanche Moon, by Catherine Anderson, shows that in the midst of conflict, it takes the force of love to create a safe haven. Orphaned when Comanches kill her parents, Loretta Simpson still lives in terror that the warriors will return, her fear so powerful, she is no longer able to speak a word. Hunter of the Wolf believes that Loretta is a woman of ancient prophecy whom he must honor. But Loretta can only see him as the enemy who has kidnapped her and she refuses to succumb to his control, or his touch. Despite the hatred between their peoples, Loretta and Hunter gradually find their enmity changing to respect and care. [21 hours, narrated by Ruth Ann Phimister]