Friday, July 31, 2009
THE MANUAL OF DETECTION by Jedediah Berry, read by Pete Larkin
If Kafka had a sense of humor, he might have written THE MANUAL OF DETECTION. Berry's absurd and fantastical situations are perfectly complimented by Pete Larkin's low-key performance.
Listen now. Time 2:34 
Download an excerpt as an mp3 file. Size: 1.5 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Comment here: Thursday, July 30, 2009
THE NEXT 100 YEARS: A Forecast for the 21st Century by George Friedman, read by William Hughes
The author's expertise in geopolitics, economics, and history generates his forecast of major events of the new century. Friedman's predictions are fascinating, and narrator Hughes captures his informal, perceptive tone that makes this great listening. Listen now. Time 2:54 Download an excerpt as an mp3 file. Size: 3.4 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
SAVAGE SEASON by Joe R. Lansdale, read by Phil Gigante
SAVAGE SEASON by Joe R. Lansdale, read by Phil GiganteHap and Leonard are the most original couple since Nick and Nora Charles started sleuthing. Their longstanding friendship is challenged when Hap's toxic ex-girlfriend, Trudy, makes them an offer they should refuse. Gigante's narration is sensational as he gets both Hap and Leonard.
Listen now. Time 2:41 Download an excerpt as an mp3 file. Size: 1.6 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Monday, July 27, 2009
SEA OF POPPIES by Amitav Ghosh, read by Phil Gigante
In a wildly fantastical adventure story, listeners are immersed in a confluence of the opium and slave trades, the caste and class systems, and the overarching themes involving race, gender, and spiritual equality. Phil Gigante delivers an exciting, touching, and beautifully paced reading. Listen now. Time 2:31 Download an excerpt as an mp3 file. Size: 1.5 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
SONS AND LOVERS by D.H. Lawrence, read by Paul Slack
Lawrence's first great novel was published in 1913. Its richly drawn characters are magnificently brought to life in this production. Narrator Paul Slack reads with flawless composure, subtly adjusting his resonant voice for each member of the Morel family and their circle. Listen now. Time 2:08 Download an excerpt as an mp3 file. Size: 2.5 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
TALES FROM THE PERILOUS REALM by J.R.R. Tolkien, performed by Michael Hordern and a Full Cast
This collection of four of Tolkien's short works, dramatized for BBC Radio, is performed by Michael Hordern, veteran of the radio version of LORD OF THE RINGS, along with others including Alfred Molina, who headlines in one of the stories. Exploring Tolkien's less-known work in this audio theater form will entertain fans and newcomers. Listen now. Time 2:44 Download an excerpt as an mp3 file. Size: 3.2 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
THIS FULL HOUSE by Virginia Euwer Wolff, read by Heather Alicia Simms
In this powerful conclusion to Wolff's Make Lemonade trilogy, Heather Simms uses extraordinary rhythm to project the free-verse form of the book. And, she excels at the up-and-down emotions of 17-year-old LaVaughn, who imagines a life for herself in medicine, and then discovers a secret that threatens her future. Great for young adult listeners. Listen now. Time 2:32 Download an excerpt as an mp3 file. Size: 3 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Monday, July 20, 2009
THE RETURN OF THE DANCING MASTER by Henning Mankell, translated by Laurie Thompson, read by Grover Gardner
In a departure from his Inspector Wallander series, Swedish author Mankell introduces Stefan Lindman, a young police officer. Gardner's performance transcends the dreary, sunless Swedish landscape, bringing just the right tone to Mankell's gritty police procedural. Listen now. Time 2:42 Download an excerpt as an mp3 file. Size: 3.1 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Friday, July 17, 2009
PANDORA'S STAR by Peter F. Hamilton, read by John Lee
In one of the most detailed futures ever presented in sci-fi, ideas flow during every minute of listening--on immortality, wormholes, colonization, new cultures, and human-machine hybrids. Narrator John Lee is engaged the entire time, providing a narration that never gets tiresome throughout the mammoth novel. Listen now. Time 2:37 Download now as an mp3 file. Size: 1.5 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
THE GOLD COAST by Nelson DeMille, read by Christian Rummel
This entertaining view of the sordid lives of the rich and famous of the Long Island Gold Coast was published in 1990 and is the prequel to DeMille's THE GATE HOUSE, published last fall. Narrator Rummel presents listeners with great accents throughout--from the “Locust Valley lockjaw” to streetwise banter. Listen now. Time 2:47 Download now as an mp3 file. Size: 3.2 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION by Sara Houghteling, read by Mark Bramhall
After fleeing the Nazi occupation of Paris, Max Berenzon, son of a prominent art dealer, returns in 1944 to discover that his father's fabulous collection of fine art has been looted by the Germans. Houghteling's austere prose feel like poetry—lyrical, eloquent, and controlled. Listen now. Time 2:20 Download now as an mp3 file. Size: 1.4 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
FIDEL'S LAST DAYS by Roland Merullo, read by Patrick Egan
The Cuban backdrop makes the thriller something special as a baroque assortment of plotters seek to end Castro's rule, or to be sure he governs forever. Narrator Egan lets a hint of accent lightly flavor the voices of the Cuban characters. Listen now. Time 2:32 Download now as an mp3 file. Size: 3 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Monday, July 13, 2009
GLASS by Ellen Hopkins, read by Laura Flanagan and IMPULSE, by Ellen Hopkins, read by Laura Flanagan, Jeremy Guskin, and Steve Coombs
Hopkins's gritty YA novels are written in free verse, which can act as a buffer to the powerful material in print. As audio productions, they are much more immediate. The honest, searing performances of Laura Flanagan and others are as addictive as the topics. GLASS chronicles the strangle hold of crystal meth, and IMPULSE follows three teens at a psychiatric hospital. Listen now. Time 3:57 Download now as an mp3 file. Size: 4.6 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Friday, July 10, 2009
WHISPER TO THE BLOOD by Dana Stabenow, read by Marguerite Gavin
Stabenow’s long-running mystery series, set in cold, wintry Alaska, acquaints listeners with Aleutian P.I. Kate Shugak; her boyfriend, state trooper Jim; and their adopted son, 16-year-old Johnny. Narrator Gavin's precise narration captures Kate's independence and strength. Listen now. Time 2:07 Download an excerpt as an mp3 file. Size: 2.5 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
DROOD by Dan Simmons, read by Simon Prebble
Charles Dickens and his friend and sometime-collaborator, Wilkie Collins, follow the trail of the elusive Mr. Drood. Prebble's impeccable speech and rich characterizations are a perfect match for this sinister Dickensian tale. Listen now. Time 2:37 Download an excerpt as an mp3 file. Size: 3.1 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
CALCULATING GOD by Robert J. Sawyer, read by Jonathan Davis
An alien named Hollus arrives at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto looking for a paleontologist with whom to discuss the mysteries of the universe—specifically, the scientific evidence for the existence of God. Jonathan Davis keeps a steady pace and reflects the intellectual engagement of both characters. Listen now. Time 2:30 Download an excerpt as an mp3 file. Size: 1.5 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
PROMISES IN DEATH by J.D. Robb, read by Susan Ericksen
Eve Dallas, New York City's top cop, and her team, including her sexy husband, the incomparable Roarke, must solve a case involving the murder of a colleague, as the killer tells Eve she may be next. Ericksen brings the story alive smoothly and convincingly. This audio may just make you a DEATH fan for life. Listen now. Time 2:05 Download an excerpt as an mp3 file. Size: 1.5 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Monday, July 06, 2009
LOWBOY by John Wray, read by Paul Michael Garcia.
A mother desperate to find her erratic schizophrenic son teams up with a missing persons specialist to track him down. Narrator Garcia sounds involved from the beginning and never allows even the slightest moment of it to slip away from him. Listen now. Time 2:23 Download an excerpt as an mp3 file. Size: 2.8 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
THE MIGHTY QUEENS OF FREEVILLE: A Mother, a Daughter, and the Town That Raised Them by Amy Dickinson, read by the author
In a memoir as entertaining as it is touching, the advice columnist of "Ask Amy" offers a loosely chronological collection of personal essays. She narrates her story deftly yet matter-of-factly, as though talking over a cup of coffee. Never lingering too long over any moment, whether funny or sad, she just moves steadily on, like life itself. Listen now. Time 2:54 Download an excerpt as an mp3 file. Size: 1.7 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
THE ODYSSEY by Homer, read by Tim McInnerny, Amanda Redman and a Full Cast
Urgent, poetically earthy, and extremely listenable, BBC Radio's full-cast dramatization of Odysseus's treacherous ten-year journey home is outstanding audio theater. Listen now. Time 3:09 Download an excerpt as an mp3 file. Size: 3.7 MBSoundReview support comes from Harper Audio,
Scholastic Audio, Hachette Audio, and Full Cast Audio.
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