Dark One: Forgotten

Forgotten is told in the podcast format. It works great as an audiobook. (It is currently an audiobook only release - I only added some of the narrators to the tags) An NYU student tries to trace the case of a forgotten virtuoso musician that everybody forgot about. Even her own mother can't remember her. As they dig into the case, the discover other artists that have died in LA and been totally forgotten. Eventually they discover the killer and music box of forgetting. Alas, they become forgotten also, yet not dead. This actually gives them special abilities. (What could you do if people would not recall your existence as soon as you left their sight?) 

Acts of Violet

Acts of Violet is an excellently produced audiobook. The novel centers around the life and disappearance of magician Violet Volk as told through past history and podcast segments. Each podcast is done like an actual podcast, complete with different voices being interviewed. It has the feel of a radio play.

Violet and her sister Sasha here daughters of Russian immigrants who grew up in suburban New Jersey. Sasha was also the more popular one. Violet retreated to magic. She became a super-famous, enigmatic celebrity magician who later pivoted into self-help guru. After a break, she appeared in a one-night spectacle. In the performance, she disappeared, never to appear again. A decade later, people are still trying to figure out what happened to her. A podcast host explores the story, connecting with many people that knew her. We also learn that her sister Sasha, while being the "normal" on also has occasionally found herself magically appearing somewhere else. Is it real life? Or is it fantasy?

The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design

There are many things in our built environment that we just take for granted. For example, stop signs. Why are they octagons? And why red? Turns out somebody thought that the number of edges was an indication of degree of danger. And red seemed like a good color for stop.

99% Invisible City attempts to explore many of the parts of the built environment that we see every day, yet often don't think about. There are sections on the inflatable "things" at car dealerships. Why are there no more metal fire escapes? Why tall buildings? What happened to all the mail order houses from Sears? There are so many good parts of this book, it is hard to put down. I will definitely check out the podcast