BEST VOICES OF 2008- FICTION & CLASSICS

Richard Poe — Richard Poe’s reading of Per Petterson’s OUT STEALING HORSES is an example of one of his true strengths as a narrator--the ability to disappear into the story. His nuanced portrayals always enhance the text, providing the perfect conduit from story to listener.

John Lee
The Solitude of Thomas Cave by Georgina Harding
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Wanda McCaddon
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackery

Robin Miles
The Pirate’s Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson

Lorna Raver
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Maggi-Meg Reed
Home by Marilynne Robinson

Janet Song
After Dark by Haruki Murakami
The Commoner by John Burnham Schwartz

Jeff Woodman
The Air We Breathe by Andrea Barrett
The Little Book by Selden Edwards

BEST VOICES OF 2008 - CHILDREN & FAMILY LISTENING

Katherine Kellgren — Katherine Kellgren is a marvel with accents. When she’s narrating the adventures of Sherlock Holmes’s young sister in THE CASE OF THE BIZARRE BOUQUETS, she mirrors Enola’s skill at disguises: “She speaks the accent of a street urchin and turns a shopkeeper’s posh accent to Cockney in a tirade.” And when she’s relating the seafaring excitement of Mary “Jacky” Faber’s life in the Royal Navy, she believably inhabits officers, sailors, and ship’s boys alike. “Kellgren has us convinced of Mary’s gutsy nature, and we’re not a bit surprised when, at 13, she takes to the high seas, hiding her female identity on a Navy ship, becoming ‘brave Jacky.’” L.A. Meyer, author of the Bloody Jack series, finds Katy’s narration to be spot-on. “I hadn’t realized how difficult this is until I had to do a reading,” he says. “I found the accent incredibly difficult to read aloud, so when I heard Kellgren’s reading, I was enthralled.” This year’s CURSE OF THE BLUE TATTOO is the second in the series and finds Jacky in the dangerous waters of an elite Boston school for young ladies. Katy Kellgren’s energy and dedication make this series can’t-miss listening--she is definitely a narrator to keep an ear out for.

Daniel Bostick
The Great Christmas Kidnapping Caper by Jean Van Leeuwen

Jim Dale
James Herriot’s Treasury for Children, James Herriot
The Shoe Bird by Samuel Jones, Eudora Welty

Johnny Heller
Dracula vs. Grampa at the Monster Truck Spectacular by Kirk Scroggs

Christina Moore
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz

BEST VOICES OF 2008 - MYSTERY & SUSPENSE

Simon Vance — Simon Vance astounds us again and again, and AUDIOFILE’s review of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO says it all: “His voices are so natural and fit so well with their characters that the listener is completely transported into the story.” What more could an avid audiobook listener ask from a narrator? Bravo, Simon.

Orlagh Cassidy
An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear

C.J. Critt
Mummy Dearest by Joan Hess
Southern Discomfort by Margaret Maron

William Dufris
The Black Dove by Steve Hockensmith
Blackman’s Coffin by Mark de Castrique

Richard Ferrone
Dead Street by Mickey Spillane

Dion Graham
Chasing the Devil’s Tail by David Fulmer

George Guidall
The Ghost War by Alex Berenson
Innocence by David Hosp

Lorelei King
Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich

Will Patton
Swan Peak by James Lee Burke

Barbara Rosenblat
Lady Killer by Lisa Scottoline
The Laughter of Dead Kings by Elizabeth Peters
Winter Study by Nevada Barr

Scott Sowers
Down River by John Hart
Kill Zone by Jack Coughlin, Donald A. Davis
Quiver by Peter Leonard

BEST VOICES OF 2008 - NONFICTION & CULTURE

Marc Cashman — Marc Cashman has caught our ear, skillfully interpreting nonfiction for audio on diverse topics ranging from evolution (YOUR INNER FISH) to our modern affliction, traffic (he narrates the unabridged version of TRAFFIC). We’ll be listening for more!

Dennis Boutsikaris
The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston, Mario Spezi

Anthony Heald
Screwed by Thom Hartmann
The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes

Ray Porter
The Black Hole War by Leonard Susskind

Alan Sklar
The Way of the World by Ron Suskind

Oliver Wyman
Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman
Juggling Elephants by Jones Loflin, Todd Musig
Leading Change by John Kotter

BEST VOICES OF 2008 - BIOGRAPHY & HISTORY

Robin Miles — Robin Miles has recorded four of Jamaican author Edwidge Danticat's works--THE DEW BREAKER; BREATH, EYES, MEMORY; KRIK? KRAK!, and this year’s BROTHER, I'M DYING. A master of accents and dialects, Robin says, “You have to give yourself over and let the music of the words play through you.” Instead of being over the top, Robin is always in harmony with the text she’s narrating, as AUDIOFILE’s review of BROTHER, I'M DYING praises: “Her performance is controlled and understated, thereby heightening the family’s personal strength and heartfelt connections. Danticat’s elegantly crafted prose and Miles’s graceful reading make this a stunning listening experience.”

Richard Allen
The Bond by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, et al.

Norman Dietz
Touch and Go by Studs Terkel

Nelson Runger
Nixon and Kissinger by Robert Dallek

Henry Strozier
Myself & Strangers by John Graves

BEST VOICES OF 2008 - AUTHOR-READERS

Neil Gaiman — “One senses the book flowing through his voice and his pen,” our review of STARDUST asserts about Neil Gaiman’s narration. From the magical to the funny to the downright creepy, count on Gaiman to set the right tone. “Every character, no matter how brief his or her appearance, receives impeccable attention vocally and textually,” says our review of FRAGILE THINGS. This year’s THE GRAVEYARD BOOK is a tour de force for younger listeners and fantasy fans: “He’s a great writer who not only reads his own work well, but makes the listener reject any thought of having another narrator in his stead. Gaiman communicates his understanding of his own stories and characters from beginning to end.”

Toni Morrison — Author Toni Morrison garners rave reviews for her narrations, whether in person or on audio. “When I read in public, I never vary from the rhythm or the accent or the emphasis,” she says. “I worked very hard in the writing to make the work have a presence that was quiet on the page, but at the same time to have an oral quality. I leave certain things out and shape the sentences for sound, as well as meaning.” She has performed unabridged versions of SULA, PARADISE, BELOVED, LOVE, and now this year’s A MERCY, all to great acclaim. “She honors each sound,” we write of her lush, luxurious style, “and expresses each image vividly.” Her prose merits nothing less.

Morris Gleitzman — Australian author Morris Gleitzman narrates his own audiobooks for children with skill and empathy, including this year’s THEN, the sequel to his Audie Award finalist, ONCE. How does he believably embody the voice of a 10-year-old? “When I write,” he says, “I try to stay in touch with the internal world of the main character. That sort of emotional journey through the book helps me with my narration. Even though I don’t have many learned techniques of performance, staying connected to those emotions helps me read the story in the right way.”

Sherman Alexie
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Rick Bragg
The Prince of Frogtown

Augusten Burroughs
A Wolf at the Table

Haven Kimmel
Iodine

David Sedaris
When You Are Engulfed in Flames

BEST VOICES OF 2008 - YOUNG ADULT

Gerard Doyle — Whether he’s relating tales of dragons (see the latest in Christopher Paolini’s epic Eragon series, BRISINGR) or gritty battles for Wonderland, as in Frank Beddor’s Looking Glass Wars trilogy, Gerard Doyle’s narrating range and skill shine. How does he do it? “I tend to go largely by physical description,” he says, discussing how he prepared for narrating BRISINGR. “If there are specific details about the voices, I latch onto those as best I can. But if a creature’s anatomical features are described, I try to imagine, for example, how the jaw might work . . . and then try and adapt that and attach it to something that sounds okay to the ear and is still slightly stranger than normal.” SEEING REDD is the second in the Looking Glass Wars trilogy and follows Alyss--the real person Lewis Carroll based his Alice in Wonderland on. It’s a wildly imaginative series, and, as author Beddor says, “Gerard gives the characters fullness, creating just the right visceral momentum through some of the action chapters.” Our review agrees: “With SEEING REDD, Doyle once again shows what can be done with just a voice and talent. Clearly, Doyle has made this series his own.”

Alyssa Bresnahan
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Maxwell Caulfield
Mimus by Lilli Thal
Sebastian Darke by Philip Caveney

Rupert Degas
Playing With Fire by Derek Landy

Laura Flanagan
Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Dan John Miller
Paper Towns by John Green

BEST VOICES OF 2008 - SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY

Holter Graham — Holter Graham is an avid reader of science fiction, which surely helps him bring something extra to his performances of the audiobooks in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series. He’s even joined the author on book tour appearances, reading from the books, signing autographs, and posing for pictures. He brings passion to his portrayals of the gods in ACHERON, the twelfth book in the series: “Focusing on the core of each of the main characters, Graham directs the flow of the plot around their raw emotions. He gives the impression of barely being able to hold in their power while also allowing glimpses of their vulnerabilities.”

Scott Brick
Lord Foul’s Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson

Kate Reading
Captain’s Fury by Jim Butcher

Richard Rohan
52 by Greg Cox, DC Comics

Stefan Rudnicki
Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card

Tom Weiner
The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick