Narrator Brianna Bronte exudes the drama of the romance between Katy Chavos and Dane Vanderale, who is a Breed--a combination of human and animal DNA. Years ago, when Katy worked at a diner that Dane frequented, she fell in love with him, but he rejected her. Bronte captures Katy's anguish at that time. Later, Katy returns to her hometown after having gone to work for a... Read More

Author and narrator Uché Blackstock sounds authentic and urgent in this plea for medical practitioners to combat the racism that still exists in all aspects of healthcare. Dr. Blackstock virtually grew up in the hospital where her mother practiced as a kidney doctor. Blackstock is appalled at the gaping systemic disparities she observed during her stints at a well-resourced... Read More

There are few novels that are part legal thriller, part family saga, part redemption story, and that do it well. This compelling narrative is brought to life by the tremendous Edoardo Ballerini. With gentle authority, Ballerini invites listeners to meet the Devlin family, a seemingly tight unit who work in a family law firm. The story opens with favorite son John calling his... Read More

Helen Laser and Sean Patrick Hopkins lead listeners from one wedding to the next in this contemporary romance. Sophie Steinbeck finds out her fiancé has been unfaithful and decides to call off the wedding. However, she doesn't want to be the one to do it. Enter Max, a professional wedding objector, to save the day. Sophie and Max have an instant connection, so they decide to... Read More

Julia Whelan tells a funny story, much like a Shakespearean comedy is a funny story, of a woman who falls in love with her ex-fiancé's new girlfriend's ex-boyfriend. When Daphne's fiancé, Peter, realizes he is in love with his formerly platonic best friend, Petra, just days before their wedding, Daphne recognizes she has built her whole life around Peter. Furthermore, she... Read More

Shayla Lawson presents their collection of wide-ranging travel essays in a low, measured tone that mirrors the essays themselves. Lawson's voice is crisp and clear, with a professional cadence that never sounds lofty or removed; instead, Lawson sounds calm, centered, and curious. In essays set in locales across the globe--Egypt, Bermuda, Japan, the Netherlands, and more--Lawson... Read More

Dual narrators Alexandra Dowling and Jaye Jacobs tackle a twisting tale in this engaging audiobook. When she is abruptly summoned to the Gravesdown Estate to discuss a possible inheritance, Annie Adams is eager to meet her famously paranoid Great-Aunt Frances. But Frances is murdered just before Annie arrives, and Annie's attempts to investigate may put her squarely in the... Read More

Risa Mei reprises her hilarious character performances in this third book of the Aunties trilogy. Meddy and her husband return from their honeymoon to spend Chinese New Year with her mother and aunties. A former suitor of Second Aunt brings extravagant gifts to the celebration, and, when an important red envelope goes to the wrong person, chaos ensues. As she did in the first... Read More

Listening to Alice Notley read her own poetry is rather like visiting her mind. It may take a while to get used to the strange environment, but eventually one adapts and starts to feel comfortable. The poetry still requires attention and investigation, but it is rewarding. Notley's voice is intense and immediate, almost as though she is not reading the poems but improvising... Read More

In this sequel to CITY UNDER ONE ROOF, Cara Kennedy, compellingly portrayed by Aspen Vincent, is a smart detective from Anchorage who is adjusting to her new life after the deaths of her husband and son while hiking. Now she learns that what was determined to be an accident may have been murder. Blaire Chandler energetically takes on the role of Ellie, a hard-boiled character... Read More

Narrator Robert Petkoff masterfully portrays U.S. Marshal Lucas Davenport and his daughter, Letty, in the 34th addition to the Davenport series. A deranged British medical doctor decides people are killing the earth and he has the solution. Then he disappears in New Mexico. Investigator Letty Davenport is brought in to track him down. With potential catastrophe looming, she... Read More

Jason De León is a strong narrator of his own work, an eye-opening examination of human smugglers. Many of those he writes about are driven by poverty to join this dangerous trade in Honduras and Mexico. Both they and their customers try to avoid multiple risks, including arrest and violence, on their treks. De León, who spent time with his subjects over almost seven years, has... Read More

The author is a good choice to present this common-sense advice for people who do knowledge work. Cal Newport's earnest tone and clear speaking voice are perfect vehicles for the creative thinking and humane guidance that pervade his audiobook. He says the idea of measuring productivity by time and effort is a relic of the assembly line. The knowledge work that people do today... Read More

Narrators Angus King, Katy Townsend, and Tavia Gilbert excel at telling this powerful story. In 1878 Scotland, Samuel saves Hailey's brother, sparking a secret romance despite their class differences. When Hailey's father's financial downfall forces her family to emigrate to Seattle, Samuel sets off to find her. Against the backdrop of Washington Territory, their story... Read More

What makes Dominic Hoffman such a fine narrator is the clarity of his delivery and his vocal agility. He sounds like he is inside Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s, brilliant mind, and he moves adroitly from the author's knowing perspective to "signifying" in the style of African American folklore. His voice is conversational and his tone thoughtful as he takes the listener from the... Read More

Not every listener has felt that Tana French's stand-alone novels have lived up to the pleasures of her psychologically shrewd Dublin Murder Squad series, but THE HUNTER marks a return to form, at least in Roger Clark's thrilling audio performance. Here Cal Hooper, an American emigré like French herself, has moved to a ferociously insular Irish village. He's a retired Chicago... Read More

With her beautiful British accent, Naomi Frederick narrates this story of two couples whose lives unravel. Lucy and Adam, and Cora and Scott are practically a blended family. Adam, Cora, and Scott were friends at university; their past is deep and rife with secrets unknown to Lucy. One day, Lucy sees a compromising picture of Scott with another woman. As she tries to piece... Read More

This long and personal account of the Ukrainian-Russian War is narrated ably by David Furr. Trofimov's family has lived in Kiev/Kyiv for many generations, and he is a Ukrainian patriot who has spent much time at the front, interviewing numerous individuals to compile the story of the Ukrainian people's struggle in this horrific war. The current war between eastern Slavs, or... Read More

Joniece Abbott-Pratt performs this multigenerational novel set over several decades in the American South. In the 1830s, a mysterious woman named Saint frees enslaved people from plantations throughout Arkansas and brings them to a town they call Ours. There they find a safe haven from the rest of the world. But when Saint tightens her control of the townspeople, they begin to... Read More

Dorje Swallow's performance of this metafiction centers this whirligig of a novel in which story begets story. His assured narration--in particular, his ability to do voices and accents and adapt his tone to whatever the scene--makes this audiobook marvelous to listen to. Hero Tojosoa ostensibly comes to Prague to join her friend, Sofie, for a weekend. When Dorothea Gilmartin... Read More

It begins with a wedding. Thérèse Plummer depicts the politically motivated marriage between tech savvy Misery Lark, daughter of an influential Vampyre councilman, and Lowe Moreland, newly ascended Were Alpha. The nuptials will have to create mutual trust between the lead characters in order for them to find Misery's missing friend, uncover sinister plots, and figure out what... Read More

Edoardo Ballerini meets Towles is a happy alliance in this short story collection. J. Smith-Cameron narrates only one story. Golden Voice narrator Ballerini uses his full range of techniques. By turns nuanced and dramatic, he always serves the author's fine prose. His smart pace and rich tone work particularly well for the noir novella set in late 1930s Hollywood. Evelyn Ross,... Read More

In this delightful second-chance/marriage-of-convenience romance, Aure Nash and Benjamin Charles join forces to deliver Violet and Xavier's story. Once high school sweethearts, they followed career paths that led them astray. A chance encounter nine years later involves fake wedding rings and an unexpected opportunity. When Violet's savvy maneuvering during a crucial interview... Read More

Kacie Rogers and Phil Ava narrate a contemporary take on SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. After learning at their father's funeral that they are his secret family and will inherit nothing, Nora and her sister set out to make the best of it. Ennis "Bear" Freeman is struggling to keep his business afloat when two seemingly rich girls show up to complicate his life. Rogers's portrayal of... Read More

Journalist Bianca Bosker narrates her witty audiobook about the art world with pizzazz. She has a pleasing sound, paces the sometimes frantic-sounding proceedings well, and comes across as an authentic seeker. Performing in a comic style, she enhances the audiobook's ironic undertone, which suggests that many in the art world see journalists as "the enemy." In this work she... Read More

Robert Fass narrates this intriguing novel about one man's journey through his many lives. Eugene Miles is an elderly curmudgeon living in a retirement community in California. He is befriended by a housekeeper named Angel, to whom he recounts the tales of his past incarnations as a street urchin in medieval Spain, an explorer with the Lewis and Clark expedition, and Oscar... Read More

Narrator Lee Osorio soothes listeners with a warm and gentle approach to Buddhist teacher Haemin Sunim's guide to overcoming life's struggles. Using a welcoming and intellectual-sounding tone, Osorio supports Sunim's relatability, understanding of challenges, and belief that difficulties should be seen as opportunities. The author's Buddhist mindset of strength and dignity... Read More

Two Indigenous narrators deliver a compelling listening experience in this fast-paced thriller. Two Spirit Afro-Indigenous Latine voice-over actor Carolina Hoyos portrays Syd Walker, a Two Spirit Cherokee archaeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Hoyos's deep, raspy voice amplifies Syd's toughness and determination to get to the bottom of the the disappearances of several... Read More

Elizabeth Jasicki narrates with upper-class accents that set the tone for this delightful Regency romance. Catriona Campbell juggles her responsibilities as a socialite, suffragist, writer, and her progressive father's only heir to a struggling estate in Scotland. Would it be proper for Catriona to pursue her father's new young colleague, Elias Khoury, and what will she do when... Read More

Narrators Brittany Pressley and Dan Bittner take listeners on tour in this second-chance rock-star romance. Riley Wynn went from singer-songwriter to superstar overnight because of her music, all themed around her infamous breakups. Her ex-husband thinks her latest hit is about him when in reality it's about her college boyfriend, Max Harcourt, whom she enlists to go on tour... Read More

Memoirs are often best when they're read by the author, and Lucy Sante's intimate and poignant account of her journey from assigned-male-at-birth to female-presenting is sometimes raw, sometimes soft, and altogether genuine. Her own voice delivering vignettes from her life resonates with authenticity. Sante's lifelong success as a writer comes through in her near-poetic... Read More

Narrator Harry Lloyd's affable narration echoes physicist Carlo Rovelli's casual writing style. Their conversational approach to the concept of white holes allows a variety of listeners to engage with complex physics regardless of how much knowledge they start with. Simply put, white holes cannot be entered but allow information to escape; they are the opposite of black holes,... Read More

A successful entrepreneur and podcast host, Patrick Bet-David shares the lessons he's distilled from his growth as a person and as a builder of complex, high-achieving businesses. His strong voice and audible passion provide vocal energy that matches the power and clarity of his ideas but never makes him sound like he's overpromoting. His exercises and recommendations are... Read More

Rabbi Sharon Brous, the senior rabbi of a Jewish community in Los Angeles, is an accomplished preacher who speaks clearly and quickly. Her fast pace becomes compelling as Rabbi Brous gets into the heart of her book, which rests on this statement that ". . . we who hold a dream of building a different kind of society must begin by building a different kind of community." Rabbi... Read More

This posthumously published novel, a meditation on death, has a dark side, but Eunice Wong's performance balances its undercurrent of grief with buoyant energy that will have listeners rooting for its antiheroes. A comatose Korean cello aficionado named Alma has ambivalent memories of her relationship with Daniel, a white violinist. Daniel, meanwhile, finds himself locked in a... Read More

Kristen Sieh gives an absorbing, well-paced performance of a woman who is navigating the mysteries of love, loss, and space-time. When NASA "human computer" Annie Fisk discovers a wormhole anomaly capable of transporting items back and forth in time, she's forced to examine her New Mexico childhood anew, alongside her work with the Manned Spacecraft Center. Sieh nimbly guides... Read More

Lisa Flanagan will have listeners questioning reality with her sharp narration of this twisty story. Three unrelated women find themselves in three separate but dangerous situations. The scenarios are representative of a cozy mystery, a teen slasher movie, and a dystopian survival story. Each woman must figure out how to escape her particular situation, along with who put her... Read More

Samantha Summers and Joe Arden combine their talents to share the romance between shape-shifting doctors Mackenzie Carter and Noah Taylor. Noah has never disclosed his status as an Alpha. When someone reports him to the hospital board, he turns to Mackenzie to pose as his fake mate. Mackenzie has a fun-loving personality, and Summers brings that out with a lightness in her... Read More

Benjamin Taylor delivers a plainspoken performance of this audiobook; little fanfare or theatrical nuance is added to the work. This style may suit the subject matter well; after all, Cather is often associated with the simple majesty of the American plains, and simplicity governs this work--despite the intriguing energy of its title. Taylor's workmanlike narration echoes the... Read More

Soneela Nankani dynamically narrates this unique mystery. Sana and her father move to an old South African estate that has been repurposed as housing for those seeking shelter. Still grieving the passing of her mother, Sana tries to make connections with the other tenants and stumbles into the bedroom of the estate's former resident and her djinn. Nankani charmingly delivers... Read More

André Santana and Brittany Pressley deliver a steady performance that highlights two men and two women who navigate a friendship over 10 years. When Hannah and Finn meet while alone at college over Christmas break, the two form a strong friendship and develop Christmas traditions that continue while they live in New York City. Over the decade of the story, two more friends join... Read More

John Lee brings continuity to a narrative that has none of the common linkages of time or place. Author Chistopher de Hamel imagines 12 historical manuscript collectors, 11 men and one woman spread over centuries, as a club that spends a pleasant evening together at the Morgan Library. Collectors are a mixed lot, and these 12 include a priest, a prince, and a forger, along with... Read More

Saskia Maarleveld narrates this thriller about a group of friends who reunite at an isolated ruined mansion in New Zealand after a friend's apparent suicide nine years earlier. Bea's death left questions, and when a violent snowstorm strands the group, old resentments and new questions arise. Then, danger develops, and the friends are left to ponder who may be responsible.... Read More

Multitalented Imani Jade Powers narrates this panoramic coming-of-age novel about a Parisian teen named Delphine. The story, told in the first person, transports listeners from war-torn Paris to Harlem, to Havana just prior to Castro, and then back to France. Delphine is not a particularly likable heroine, but her drive captures one's imagination. She is obsessed with meeting... Read More

Listeners will be convinced there's a full cast delivering this fast-paced thriller. Yet it's just one narrator, Saskia Maarleveld, who masterfully voices all the characters, male and female, Southern and not. Evie Porter has many names and personas she has adopted for her work for the mysterious Mr. Smith. Evie is a criminal with a heart and a conscience. The narrative goes... Read More

Helen Laser returns for another fun performance of the Glimmer Falls series. In this sequel, Astaroth, a bargainer demon who is one of nine members of the high council, is sent to Earth. Unfortunately for him, the first person he meets is the powerful witch Calladia, who becomes his enemy a mere few hours before he develops amnesia. But with Moloth on both their trails,... Read More

Karissa Vacker and Hillary Huber deliver excellent performances in this gripping audiobook. The story, set in the Adirondacks, evokes themes of empowerment, personal growth, and discovery as it depicts emotional insights and decades-spanning intrigue. Vacker voices failed screenwriter Rowan, who discovers a mysterious handbook that may have something to do with a woman who went... Read More

Kirsten Potter provides an amusing performance of this small-town romance. Lolly has run from every relationship in her life but only regrets leaving her high school boyfriend, Shaun, in the way that she did. Now that he's back in Sweet Home, Alaska, every neighbor in the community is divided between keeping them apart or getting them together. The romance and awkward... Read More

Karissa Vacker and Gary Furlong delight listeners in this opposites-attract romance set in Ireland. Raine Hart decides to dump her life in Boston and travel around Europe, playing her music anywhere she can. However, her ADHD creates challenges, and she finds herself stuck at the Local, a quaint Irish pub. There, she meets owner Jack Dunne and unknowingly insults him about ways... Read More

Edoardo Ballerini returns to add immediacy and authority to the latest Lincoln Rhyme audiobook, which once again features his helper, Thom Reston; his partner, Amelia Sachs; and, of course, his old nemesis, the Watchmaker. When a crane falls off the roof of a skyscraper and a group threatens more mayhem to come, the city goes on alert. It soon becomes apparent that the... Read More

Author Mike Michalowicz's boyishly enthusiastic tone works well with his optimistic writing about how leaders can choose and develop productive employees. He offers familiar strategies for retaining good team members--a safe working environment, abilities that fit responsibilities, and clear objectives and compensation. But the core message for leaders is broader: Create a... Read More

Nicole Lewis performs this sophomore novel from Booker longlisted author Kiley Reid. Millie Cousins is a senior resident assistant at the University of Arkansas, and her goal is to graduate, buy a house, and begin living her life. When Agatha Paul, a visiting professor and journalist, offers Millie money in exchange for the opportunity to eavesdrop on the dorm's residents,... Read More

Kansas student Dee Gale transfers to Trinity College, Dublin, in this contemporary retelling of THE WIZARD OF OZ, narrated by Rachel L. Jacobs. Dee's friends, Irishman Sam Clery and Brit Tim Woodman, are portrayed by Damian Gildea and Christian Coulson. Jacobs expresses Dee's anguish as she recovers from an inappropriate relationship with a member of her former university's... Read More

This is a nuanced, opinionated memoir written and narrated by one of the greatest entertainers ever, EGOT-winning Barbra Streisand. While the early chapters sound a bit tentative, she comes into her own quickly. Her voice is in a lower register than in many of her most famous recordings, and listeners will likely be charmed by the conversational style of both her prose and... Read More

Journey deep into the Mexican jungle with narrator Frankie Corzo as she brings to life two rival archaeologists. Dr. Socorro "Corrie" Mejía thinks she has landed the archeology dig of a lifetime when she is invited to search for the long-lost remains of an ancient warrior of the Aztec empire--who may just be her ancestor. However, in order to be successful she must team up with... Read More

Adrienne Chung narrates this collection of haunting, vivid, playful poems in a tone full of questioning. Many of the poems themselves feel like questions: What do our dreams have to tell us about our lives? How does memory change over time? Is it possible to truly let go of the things that have shaped us? Chung's narration is smooth and rhythmic, beautifully capturing the many... Read More

The Wharton psychology professor and popular author narrates the bulk of this creative production with persuasive enthusiasm while a collection of non-voice pros describe their often unlikely paths to success. The sound quality of their comments is spotty, but their journeys are so inspiring and apropos to the author's message that they quickly become essential. The... Read More

Tiana Yarik does well in narrating Kostyuchenko's collection of essays and stories of life in Russia as she saw it. Kostyuchenko, an émigré Russian journalist now living in Germany and an outspoken critic of Putin, has compiled a work that one critic has called a "haunting book of rare courage." Yarik, a non-native speaker of English, does a splendid job delivering this work.... Read More

Narrator Will Watt enchants listeners with this rich performance. In an urban-fantasy world, Stephen has practiced magic all his life, yet he still feels he's getting nowhere. Now he's learned that his absent mother is part of a powerful magical family of which he may be an heir. Furthermore, friends and enemies in House Ashford have taken notice of him. Despite his... Read More

Kelsey Navarro Foster narrates a science-fiction/mystery mash-up. Mallory Viridian is reluctantly left in charge of Station Eternity just before a new group of humans is due to arrive. Soon, things go haywire as several murders take place. Foster captures Mallory's anxieties--will the new humans cause more murders to take place and can she handle being left in charge, not to... Read More

Rebecca Clarren steadily narrates her own work, a look at the dispossessed Jews who benefited from the dispossession of the Lakota from their own lands in South Dakota. Clarren is descended from Russian Jews who homesteaded where property was stripped away, by various violent and questionable means, from the Indigenous people who were there first. She weaves together the story... Read More

This thought-provoking audiobook presents listeners with a curious neuroscientific argument: Free will doesn't exist. The bestselling author, a Stanford neuroendocrinologist, argues that all life is predetermined; it's a product of conditioning and hormones, expressed as unconscious and reflexive neurological responses. With a measured pace and a tone of excitement, Kaleo... Read More

Comedian Sarah Cooper offers up a mostly entertaining collection of personal essays in this lighthearted audiobook. Narrating her own work, she perfectly delivers the tone of her self-deprecating stories. In addition to viral TikTok videos of her lip-syncing to Trump's speeches, Cooper chronicles her experiences as the youngest child of Jamaican immigrant parents, her... Read More

Someone thought that having the subjects quoted in this audiobook speak in a thick (almost comically so) Russian accent was a good idea. It was not. In fact, the accents distract from a compelling audiobook. The text itself is chockablock with tidbits of information about the eating habits of the famous: Lenin had little love for food, Stalin preferred his native Georgian... Read More

January LaVoy and Joe Arden delightfully entertain listeners with this second-chance romance. Pearl Harris has had to be careful with her heart ever since she walked away from dreamy Cord Matthews. Now, seven years later, fate has brought them back together. Pearl has landed a job as acting director of a nonprofit organization she is passionate about, and Cord is the newest... Read More

Kristen DiMercurio returns triumphantly as narrator of the third Bright Falls novel. Romance writer Iris Kelly is the only one who is single in her Sapphic circle, and that's how she likes it. Or so she thinks until she meets a cute aspiring thespian. Unfortunately, Stevie Scott's generalized anxiety disorder leads to a disastrous first date. Life gets more complex when Iris... Read More

Four intrepid narrators perform this creative retelling of the Trojan War from three Trojan women's perspectives plus a bird's-eye view from "the Hawk" and Cassandra. Narrator Saskia Maarleveld voices Prince Hector's wife, strong-willed Amazonian Andromache. Vainglorious Helen of Sparta, whose capture by Paris launched this ten-year war, is portrayed by Hillary Huber. The... Read More

Kimberly Farr narrates this creepy, mesmerizing story of Margaret and Hal, who purchase their dream home, a beautiful, haunted Victorian. Every September the walls drip blood, and the wailing specters wreak havoc, including admonitions about something in the basement. When Hal abruptly disappears, the couple's daughter, Katherine--oblivious to the house's mysteries--spearheads... Read More

Eileen Stevens will have listeners feeling merry and bright as they tune into this small-town Christmas romance. Sylvie West, a baker at the Christmas Café, loves her job and wants to save it when she discovers the café could be sold. Luckily, the Holiday Channel is filming nearby, so she enlists the help of Royce, a dreamy actor, to film a scene at the café. When her... Read More

Hillary Huber's warm, expressive tones engage listeners with this contemplative novel set in New York City in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The narrative centers on a female writer at a "vulnerable" age who moves into the apartment of a friend to care for the friend's pet macaw, Eureka. Award-winning author Nunez's unique writing style fuses meditations, facts, and... Read More

Charlotte North and Stephen Dexter immerse listeners in Katerina Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio's tense romance in this reimagining of Shakespeare's TAMING OF THE SHREW. Katerina and Christopher were friendly childhood neighbors, but as adults they absolutely can't stand each other--until one night they share a long awaited, explosive kiss. Katerina realizes that Christopher... Read More

Jeremy Carlisle Parker narrates this dark, twisty novel about mysterious Vesper Wright, who, six years ago, escaped her strict religious community and her mother's iron fist. Vesper is desperately trying to outrun her past and to forge a meaningful relationship. An unsigned invitation to her cousin's wedding convinces her to return home, where questions remain and fate awaits.... Read More

Ulka Simone Mohanty narrates a joyous multicultural celebration of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan as two women, Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson, are stranded in scenic Snow Falls, Canada, during a snowstorm. Mohanty projects a festive sense of humor as multiple disasters threaten the travelers. While Maryam deals with her sister's wedding postponements and Anna examines her life... Read More

Jenna Clause and Cheri Maracle perform this heartrending horror novel by Mohawk author Alicia Elliot. On the outside, Alice appears to have it all. She lives in a beautiful house in the "nice" part of town with her successful white husband and beautiful baby girl. But when Alice begins to have visions of horrible things happening to her baby and hears the trees sharing their... Read More

This audiobook brings to life eighteenth-century Kingsbridge, England, where class warfare engulfs workers who are seeking security amid owners who value progress over people. Narrated skillfully by Golden Voice John Lee, the latest Follett novel offers superb dialogue, fascinating relationships, and characters from varying religions, classes, and political perspectives. The... Read More

Terrance Hayes is a fine poet and a fine reader of his poetry--and this audiobook offers a lovely experience of both. Some of the poems here, particularly the "American sonnets," a formal variation of Hayes's invention, need a little more help than he can give in terms of identifying the structure of lines and stanzas, so those studying the works may want to have the printed... Read More

Nikki Massoud brings a dynamic and heartfelt performance to this festive Christmas romance. Jobless and newly single, Maya Bashir reluctantly returns to her hometown in the Scottish Highlands. On the way home, she unexpectedly runs into Sam, her first crush and first major heartbreak. Massoud seamlessly switches from an American accent to a Scottish lilt when performing... Read More

Danice Cabanela's exuberant narration enhances Manansala's fourth delicious mystery featuring Filipino cuisine. Lila Macapagal and her godmothers, April, Mae, and June, along with a quirky assortment of regulars, solve murders between bouts of unrestrained and joyful eating. The godmothers' newest business venture, a laundromat in Shady Palms, seems to be annoying someone who... Read More

Lee Osorio brings his deep voice and its many variations to this long romantic suspense set in New Orleans and its environs. There are many characters in this audiobook, including J.P. "Kaj" Cardozo; his son, precocious 10-year-old Elijah; private investigator Val Sorensen; and a criminally engaged family. When two members of the family try to kidnap Elijah, Cardozo hires... Read More

Sue Jean Kim performs National Book Award-winning (TOKYO UENO STATION) author Yu Miri's new novel. Yu, an author of Korean descent writing in Japanese, fictionalizes her grandfather's experience in the 1930s as one of Korea's top athletes. In the story, he's a candidate for the Olympics, but because of the Japanese occupation, he would have to compete for Japan. Kim perfectly... Read More

Two economists study the patchwork system of health insurance we have in the U.S. and make sweeping recommendations about how a national insurance mandate would provide better care to more people. Their thinking is down-to-earth and sounds even more accessible as delivered by Susan Bennett, whose performance strikes the right balance between the tone of a policy expert and that... Read More

Jayne Entwistle's solid delivery adds depth to this quirky tale of a girl who is trapped in her family's tumbledown theater. In 1901, in Norwich, England, 12-year-old Edith can't ever leave the theater because of a curse. If she leaves, she'll die, and the playhouse will crumble to dust. Entwistle sounds just odd enough to be believable as Edith, who spends her days obsessively... Read More

Borges is considered by many to be one of the most important fiction writers of the twentieth century, a very intellectual writer and thinker. Narrator Castulo Guerra, however, finds in these stories considerable depths of emotion and humanity, and delivers them to listeners. The world of Borges's fiction is varied and strange, drawing on science fiction, folklore, philosophy,... Read More

Narrator Leonie Elliott skillfully transports listeners to Harlem with an impressive story that contrasts the changes in Black life in the early twentieth century. In 1936, as jazz singer Lena Aldrich sails from England to New York, she encounters shipboard musician William Goodman. She gratefully accepts his offer to stay with his family as she searches for information about... Read More

Welsh actress Perdita Weeks gives a spirited performance as Jezebel, the infamous Old Testament queen of Israel. Born in the neighboring kingdom of Tyre (now Lebanon), she is married off to Ahab, the king of Israel. Weeks captures Jezebel's imperious nature and sense of entitlement with a haughty accent. Yet she also imbues Jezebel with warmth and humanity; when Jezebel speaks... Read More

Hannah Curtis narrates accounts of the lives of Simone de Beauvoir, Hannah Arendt, Simone Weil, and Ayn Rand, who, among others, helped to lay much of the intellectual framework for the post-WWII Western world during the decade before that war. Their lives were often something of a hot mess and could be dramatic, but we probably wouldn't expect it to be any other way. Curtis's... Read More

Journey with narrators Saskia Maarleveld and Shane East to the Scottish Highlands in this enemies-with-benefits romance. Riley Rhodes, an expert "curse breaker," has been tasked with breaking an ancient curse at a legendary Scottish castle. Looking for redemption after a previous scandal, archaeologist Clark Edgeware is determined to prevent Riley from getting in the way of his... Read More

Award-winning Irish actor Brid Brennan employs her melodic contralto to fine effect in her excellent narration of Louise Kennedy's debut short story collection. Uncompromising and often dark, with flashes of humor, the stories explore the lives of women in Ireland--addressing issues of identity, poverty, marriage, and sexuality. Brennan won an Earphones Award for her... Read More

This is a truly powerful narration by the versatile Daniel Henning. When Pete dies from suicide, his Gen X friends uncover his note. Then the former speech team members discover that Pete was cyberbullied by their old coach, Mr. Gold. As the team confronts him, the members recall hurtful memories and bond in their search for justice. Henning's voice offers the perfect blend of... Read More

Krysta Gonzales narrates a romance between a botanical witch and her former crush. Forced to return to her hometown after losing her job, Sage Flores unwillingly confronts her past. Gonzales expertly navigates the complications Sage experiences as she faces not only her family, but also the man who broke her heart in high school. The three Flores sisters--Sage, Teal, and... Read More

Narrator Savannah Peachwood excels in her narration of the romance between free-spirited Star Shine Meadows and wealthy veterinarian Rafe Whitman. Star, who makes her living as a line sitter and a character actor, encounters Rafe at his niece's birthday party. Rafe's mother and sister-in-law have been shoving eligible women at him, so he hires Star to pose as his girlfriend.... Read More

Narrator Robert Petkoff seamlessly steps into the late Richard Ferrone's shoes, breathing life into Lucas Davenport, Virgil Flowers, and the extensive cast of characters in the 33rd installment of Sandford's series. Davenport and Flowers, still recovering from serious gunshot wounds from their last outing, are tasked with investigating the brutal murder of a federal judge and... Read More

Werner Herzog is a strange and fascinating film director (also an actor, novelist, and opera director). Judging by this autobiography, he is a strange and fascinating individual as well. Narrating his own story, he jumps around in time and place but within the general chronology of his life and career--after his childhood, mostly his career. Herzog has a strong Bavarian accent,... Read More

André Santana gives a standout performance in this layered novel about grief and family. Santana portrays Cam, who returns home to Houston after the sudden death of his boyfriend, Kai. As he struggles to find himself again amid overwhelming loss, he reconnects with his childhood best friend, TJ. Santana's narration ranges from numb observation to moments of feeling overwhelmed.... Read More

Eunice Wong performs this immersive novel about a female Asian American chef who is experiencing an apocalyptic event in Earth's near future. The unnamed narrator is unable to return to the U.S. after smog covers the globe, blocking the sunlight and killing most of the planet's plants and animals. To escape impending disaster, the chef takes a job cooking for a billionaire who... Read More

This book-length poem delivered by the author is grounded by her experience working at the information desk at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It sprawls out from there to just about everything that has ever crossed the poet's mind. It includes a great deal of art, of course, and family life, and history, but any attempt to summarize it would be not much... Read More

Carlotta Brentan's skill is remarkable. She conveys compassion, fear, and mounting dread simultaneously. A young couple set off on a boating expedition with only themselves as crew. During an unexpected storm they find themselves marooned on an abandoned island. Soon they are forced to carry out acts of banal violence, including the hunting of penguins to survive. Large cruise... Read More

It's no surprise that Steve Inskeep, of National Public Radio, narrates well. He has the practiced cadence and authoritative tone of a polished broadcaster. What is most satisfying about this audiobook is how compelling a listen it is. After all, his subject is Abraham Lincoln, the most studied and written about president in American history. Inskeep examines how the great man... Read More

This is a listen about a tuna, an investigative reporter, a fisherman with an environmental bent, and so much more. Pinchin's passion for her work and her audiobook is evident throughout this real-life drama, which is centered on the fate of a tuna and a species that has meant so much to so many for so long. One can't help being drawn in as she narrates the story of a charter... Read More

January LaVoy offers a lively performance of this romantic suspense. Alex thinks she's done with love when she stumbles upon Philip, a mysterious man who collects her from the airport for a wedding. They immediately become attracted to each other, but Philip keeps Alex at arm's length because he's just settling into civilian life after retiring from his career as a spy. Then... Read More

With a steady narration, Andrew Leland shares how he copes with the onset of blindness, caused by progressive retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Dispassionately and eloquently, he describes himself as being at the border between the country of the blind and the land of the sighted. He sees this spot as a unique vantage point for curiosity and thought and is convincing in his point of... Read More

Our guide to this overview of conspiracy theories that have obsessed Americans for most of our history is narrator Will Damron, who speaks with just the right mix of authority and urgency. Beginning before the Revolution and extending through the twentieth century, the author covers the Illuminati, the Masons, the Lizard People, the John Birch Society, the Ku Klux Klan, and... Read More

Zadie Smith expertly performs her historical novel inspired by true events. It's 1873, and Mrs. Eliza Touchet, a Scottish housekeeper, is watching the trial of a working-class Australian man who claims to be the true inheritor of a great estate and title. Mrs. Touchet begins thinking about her cousin William Ainsworth, a formerly great novelist now down on his luck who she... Read More

Actor Jacqui Bardelang is proficient at a wide range of accents, but for this multifaceted history of the 10 years leading up to WWII she wisely relies on her own very pleasing and engaging voice. Dozens of romantic alliances define that troubled decade, many familiar, such as those of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and Marlene Deitrich and Eric Maria Remarque; some barely... Read More

January LaVoy gives a breathtaking narration of an astonishing historical novel. Listeners meet a servant girl in the winter of 1609 as she escapes certain death by fleeing into the unknown dangers of the forest. What follows is a beautifully wrought story of survival, narrated with precision, emotion, and a keen sense of the drama that unfolds. The girl's past is slowly... Read More

In alternating chapters, two adept narrators portray adversaries in a deadly match of cat and mouse. Which one is cat and which mouse may be hard to decide. Patrice, portrayed by Carlotta Brentan, is a young failed novelist who takes a job as a small-town reference librarian. Margo, portrayed with calm menace by Maggi-Meg Reed, is a killer nurse caught in the act who hides out... Read More

Dry text collides with a flat, bland narration to sink any chance of audibly enjoying this presentation of the author's Nobel Prize-winning research into complex systems ranging from the atomic to the planetary scale. Stephen Graybill narrates in a steady, monotonous tone. Although properly executed, his pronunciation of the audiobook's many Italian names and phrases is slow... Read More

Kira has never believed her mother's death was a suicide, and now she's headed home to Texas because her grandmother says she has something to give her that makes her think it was a murder, too. Narrator Amanda Stribling navigates this complex mystery to give listeners a wonderful portrait of each character. With a well-done Texas drawl, her portrayal of Kira is spot-on, and... Read More

Tania Rodrigues's elegant diction and smooth, honeyed tones act as a perfect counterpoint to this disturbing look at the underlying racism found in even the most seemingly peaceful neighborhoods. Days after a Bangladeshi family, Salma, Bilal, and their son, Zain, move into their new home in a quiet London suburb, Salma sees her neighbor Tom knock over the "Black Lives Matter"... Read More

Gilli Messer gives voice to both a modern 30-something artist and a 350-year-old vampire in this romantic comedy. Cassie is being evicted and needs a place to stay right away. She answers an ad for a roommate--even though the rent is suspiciously low for a Chicago apartment with a lake view. Frederick J. Fitzwilliam has spent the last hundred years in the vampire equivalent of... Read More

Narrator Soneela Nankani channels a bountiful amount of energy while portraying an amateur heist crew as they plot to steal back a stolen necklace. Leading the team is Simi, an apathetic late bloomer who forms the crew when her best friend is falsely accused of the original theft. Each member has an outsized personality, and Nankani shapes her performance to match each... Read More

Every now and then a chime rings in this audiobook, directing the listener to the related image file (which is interesting, but not essential). This is not so useful to those who listen while on the move--fortunately, the visuals are not required to follow the text. Not that Terrance Hayes's text is always easy to follow; it blends prose poems, reviews, and short essays in a... Read More

Fiona Shaw returns to the Thursday Murder Club series with a tour-de-force performance befitting Richard Osman's rich character development and cleverly connected crimes. Shaw's subtle variations in tone, cadence, and accent distinguish the familiar residents of Cooper's Chase, as well as the sweeping cast of police detectives and criminals. Osman's wise decision to continue... Read More

Des Linden won the 2018 Boston Marathon on a miserably cold, rainy, windy day, becoming the first American woman to win the race in decades. She hadn't even planned to be a contender; in fact, she had insufficient training precipitated by a life-threatening health issue. Linden's narration isn't dramatic, and she's not big on flair, but her gravelly voice is appealing, and her... Read More

Eunice Wong perfectly delivers this powerful biography. Author Mattie Kahn has a simple goal: to bring attention to the teenage girls throughout history who have sparked protests and social justice movements. She infuses these stories with a conversational tone that matches the well-researched stories of girls we know (like climate activist Greta Thunberg) and those we don't... Read More

Escape to the magical small town of Thistle Grove with narrator Yu-Li Alice Shen. Witch Delilah Harlow is attempting to put her life back together after being struck by a power surge that caused her to lose much of her memory. Hoping to regain her former self, she casts a dangerous spell to heal herself and control power. When an alluring stranger, Catriona Quinn, shows up and... Read More

In this complex and detailed expansion of the Medusa myths, narrators Taylor Harvey and Zura Johnson bring the perspectives and voices of Stheno and Euryale to life. The two Gorgons are the older sisters of Medusa; all three of them are known for having hair made of snakes and for their powerful abilities to fight evil. After Medusa is raped by Poseidon and cursed by Athena,... Read More

Narrator Beth Hicks engages listeners with medieval historian Nuttall's fascinating survey of early words that were used for women's bodies and bodily parts, as well as for menstruation, pregnancy, childcare, and traditional occupations for women. Covering the English language from 800 to 1800 CE, Hicks delivers Nuttall's extensive investigation of medical records from... Read More

Political historian Heather Cox Richardson, who is unabashedly pro-democracy and anti-authoritarianism, and known to many from her daily "Letters from an American" newsletter, narrates with energy and a clear, well-paced style. Her performance complements the hallmark way she lays out historical facts. In this book she describes how American democracy has been shaped from its... Read More

Mara Wilson delivers an engaging performance of Adler's charming debut rom-com. With a smile in her voice and pacing that matches the action, Wilson introduces us to Millicent, who's taking the ashes of Mrs. Nash, her elderly best friend, to Key West to be reunited with Mrs. Nash's long-lost love. Forced to catch a ride with standoffish Hollis, who doesn't believe in... Read More

Dominic Hoffman fully inhabits the characters in McBride’s fresh, vital, beautifully written historical novel, resulting in a deeply immersive listening experience. The story is set largely in the 1930s in Chicken Hill, a predominantly Black and Jewish neighborhood in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Hoffman varies his accent and intonation and delivers many different languages for the... Read More

Bruce Feiler's latest audiobook delves into the phenomenon of "workquakes," voluntary and involuntary disruptions to one's work life. With his pleasant, engaging voice, Feiler smoothly guides listeners through many theories related to the past, present, and future of work, backed by a wealth of relevant life stories he has collected and analyzed. With his snappy pace and... Read More

Kelsey Navarro Foster depicts the romance between chef Samantha Gale and librarian Bennett Reynolds on picturesque Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Samantha is caring for her teenage half-brother for the summer while their parents are away when she meets Bennett. Samantha has dyslexia, and Ben loves books, so that poses some turmoil for Samantha. Foster highlights this... Read More

Annie Q narrates this heartwarming comic novel with a relaxed cadence and just the right amount of dramatic flair. After breaking up with her boyfriend and leaving grad school, Kathleen Chang returns home to Oakland. There she discovers that her mother is getting married--and her life is full of all the sparkle that Kathleen lacks. Aimless and lonely, she gets a job as a... Read More

Brittany Pressley and Dan Bittner narrate a bittersweet story of first love, second chances, and sun-kissed summers on the beach. Sam Holloway and Wyatt Pope were childhood best friends turned sweethearts, but they haven't spoken to each other in 14 years. Now Sam is back to plan her wedding. Pressley captures the complicated mix of feelings Sam experiences when returning to... Read More

Hathaway Lee's delightful performance takes listeners to Seattle, where Chandler Cohen, a ghostwriter, is attending a book signing for a book she wrote. There she meets an attractive man she instantly connects with--but their chemistry in the bedroom proves to be severely lacking. She just wants to forget the encounter ever happened; however, she soon learns her next assignment... Read More

Jennifer Aquino's slightly rough voice grows on the listener. Her delivery has a storyteller's style, and her pace is right for this jam-packed audiobook on the history of ice in the U.S. Author Brady shares her deep immersion into all things ice--from Popsicles to cryotherapy--in a text that works well aurally. She includes details about how ice was once harvested and stored... Read More

The second installment of Her Majesty's Royal Coven, narrated deftly by Nicola Coughlan, brings intrigue, magic, and a complex plot. Ciara Kelly, though suffering from amnesia, works to pass as her late twin, Niamh, to infiltrate the coven and the Secret Cabinet--civil servants who don't trust witches. Meanwhile, Leonie Jackman is in search of the renegade warlock Dabney Hale,... Read More

Kyla Garcia's seamless narration ensures that listeners will be hooked in the first five minutes of this audio romance. Noelle Shepherd asks TikTok to identify a mystery man photographed with her late grandmother. She is floored to discover that the man is Paul, the grandfather of her high school nemesis, Theo Spencer. As the three take a road trip once planned by Paul and... Read More

The rich tone and pure British diction of Nicholas Boulton are put to fine use in this revisionist history of the mutiny on HMS BOUNTY. Boulton has a masterful ability to let this fascinating re-creation of events unfold. He tells the engrossing stories of the mutineers who are tried and convicted as if he were standing onstage enlightening an audience. He adroitly adapts to... Read More

Some listeners, even those familiar with contemporary poetry, may have trouble following the poems in Ann Lauterbach's collection. They deliberately explode the connections between cause and effect, text and meaning. In doing so, they intentionally depart from prosaic syntax. The author's phrasing does reflect each poem's arrangement on the page, but that arrangement is also... Read More

With warmth and enthusiasm, Farah Kidwai narrates this contemporary romance inspired by Jane Austen's PERSUASION. The story concerns members of a South Asian Muslim community in present-day Canada. Thirty-something Nada, an engineer and app developer, is invited by her best friend, Haleema, to a Muslim dating convention, where she encounters Baz, her former love. Kidwai's... Read More

MacLeod Andrews performs this riveting novel set in the mountains of western North Carolina. Toya, a young Black artist from Atlanta, returns to her grandmother's Appalachian town to learn more about her family's history. When she discovers a Confederate statue in town, she calls for its removal. At the same time, a white deputy discovers a list of high-ranking members of the... Read More

Nina Yndis takes listeners through this enchanted story of two childhood friends and the difficult choices they make to save each other in ancient Norway. As a child, Gunnhild makes a blood oath with her best friends, the sisters Oddny and Signy, that they will always help one another. Now trained as witches, Gunnhild and Oddny find their way back to each other to rescue Signy... Read More

Jenna Kray gives a pitch-perfect performance in this college coming-of-age novel about a young woman who is in the midst of a messy healing process. Sav is just starting to come into herself and her queer identity when the wedding of her childhood best friend forces her to confront traumas in her past. Kray expertly voices Sav at different ages: At 16, her voice is high and... Read More

Astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance's honest and unadorned performance invites listeners to share experiences both universal and deeply personal. Her youthful voice frays as she opens up about the mix of uplifting and negative experiences she had as a biracial Egyptian American girl in Austin, Texas, and the misogyny that pervaded her collegiate career. Her memoir is... Read More

Narrator Lindsey Dorcus takes listeners to the winter wonderland tourist destination of Cold World, which, ironically, is located in hot and muggy Orlando, Florida. Lauren Fox, a bookkeeper for Cold World, and Asa Williamson, a dedicated, longtime employee, have each been assigned to create a new business plan to generate more revenue for the frosty theme park. The result is a... Read More

Jill Winternitz captures the strain of maintaining facades in her portrayals of four neighboring women who are forced to confront unearthed truths. From the first crack in the veneer at a neighborhood barbecue to a tragic incident befalling one of their children, each woman's world starts to unravel and affect the others in the group. Listeners will feel the panic as the... Read More

Seamless performances capture a woman at two different times in her life. When Marian is young in the 1950s, she pursues a life-changing career in New York City. Rachel Jacobs gives a pitch-perfect performance as Marian is offered the opportunity to become a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall. She takes the job, which changes her life and upends her original safer plans. During... Read More

Mack Sanderson's voice provides a luxurious soundscape. This is not typical for a historical nonfiction audiobook, but listeners will find it enjoyable. Hartman's account of the turn-of-the-century proliferation of print media is a fascinating framing of the world's interest in "firsts," as explorers seek to reach the North Pole. The big media outlets of the day contend with... Read More

Jose Nateras and Krysta Gonzales convey the romance and spine-tingling horrors in this audiobook set during the Mexican-American War. In a gravelly voice, Nateras portrays Néstor's dread at being summoned back to protect the ranch where, nine earlier, he witnessed his best friend Nena's gruesome death. He's shocked to find her alive, angry, and with no time for Néstor's... Read More

This thrilling audiobook, delivered by a stunning ensemble of voices, will hook listeners through each twist to the very end. Jane, portrayed by Yu-Li Alice Shen, is a self-described sociopath. Shen's deep voice and acerbic tone perfectly convey Jane's spontaneous violent thoughts and obsessions, especially toward the irresistible Thalia. Thalia takes Jane under her wing during... Read More

Jose Nateras and Krysta Gonzales convey the romance and spine-tingling horrors in this audiobook set during the Mexican-American War. In a gravelly voice, Nateras portrays Néstor's dread at being summoned back to protect the ranch where, nine years earlier, he witnessed his best friend Nena's gruesome death. He's shocked to find her alive, angry, and with no time for Néstor's... Read More

Robert Petkoff is the perfect narrator for this quirky heist novel. Despite his Harvard law degree, Jack Betancourt is a people mover. When questionable people like mobsters, crooks, or others in dire straits need to disappear, Jack is their go-to guy. His ex-girlfriend, Elena, herself a shady operator, returns to Onset, Jack's tiny Massachusetts beach town, with a daring plan... Read More

The Harvard leadership professor and happiness scholar narrates the chapters, and Oprah delivers the introduction, some chapter prefaces, and a concluding segment. Both are beguiling speakers whose resonant clarity and authentic engagement make this material a treat to hear. Together they make these well-known truths about happiness sound fresh: Control what you can control,... Read More

With heart and humor, author and narrator Steven Rowley introduces five college roommates who have remained friends for 28 years. Each time they meet they have a living funeral for one of them because each wants to know what their friends have thought of them over the years. Rowley's voice is insightful and fluid as he creates these characters. Naomi always pays, she's rich;... Read More

A.J. Bridel takes listeners to a quaint and relaxing DIRTY DANCING-style lakeside family resort, where we meet Fern Brookbanks, the new owner, after her mother's tragic death. Fern is still pining for Will Baxter, a man she had an instant connection with while spending one adventurous day with him in Toronto 10 years earlier. When Will mysteriously shows up to help Fern with... Read More

Brittany Pressley captures a young woman's fear as her world closes in on her. Newly married Jacy and Jed are traveling to meet his parents. On arrival, the parents are excited to learn of Jacy's pregnancy. But soon things start to feel off. Jed's father, Dr. Ash, starts to take an uneasy interest in Jacy's pregnancy. Jacy struggles to maintain control of her medical history,... Read More

Jennifer Ackerman is clearly enthralled with owls. Every word--written and spoken--embodies her fascination. She takes us on a wide-ranging exploration of their world, the researchers who study them, and even their symbolism. Owl species vary in so many ways: in size, food sources, geography, migration, calls, and just about everything else. Ackerman ensures that the listener... Read More

Kristin Atherton's excellent use of accents, inflection, and tempo brings Alison Goodman's characters to life in this lively feminist Regency adventure. Spinsters Lady Augusta Colebrook and her twin, Lady Julia, may be considered "on the shelf" by some members of the ton, but others know them as determined deliverers of women and girls in calamitous situations. Atherton is... Read More

Brittany Pressley evokes a range of emotions in this missed-connections romance. New York book publicist Clementine is mourning the death of her beloved Aunt Analea and dealing with a recent breakup. When she moves into the apartment that Analea bequeathed to her, she experiences its magic firsthand: It can unexpectedly send you back in time. Thus she meets young aspiring chef... Read More

Kristen DiMercurio and Zachary Webber provide unputdownable entertainment and sexiness with this rom-com. Hallie hits rock bottom when she finds herself sneaking out of a hotel room and decides it's time to be an adult. But when she runs into Jack, the guy who was in the hotel room, they make a bet to see who can find true love first. The production and performances are... Read More

In this unusually organized broadside against the inhumanity of modern organizations, management guru Seth Godin narrates with slow and dramatic pacing that sounds arresting yet friendly. Without broad categories, he lists 144 diverse commitments that organizations and individuals can make to help them feel more engaged and creative at work. Brief musical interludes add color... Read More

Narrators Robin Miles and Tavia Gilbert are an enchanting duet in this historical fiction. In alternating chapters, they navigate the decades-long friendship and political partnership of Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt. After an initial meeting fraught with racial inequity and tension, Bethune and Roosevelt forge a bond rooted in their shared concerns about education... Read More

Billie Fulford-Brown's performance is heartbreaking and deft. She captures the gripping story of two women and their choices, and its historical setting. In 1940, as Nazi forces bomb London, the government offers children refuge via passage to several countries. Lily, young and working class, elects to send her son and daughter to Canada. On the ship, her children meet Alice,... Read More

Helen Laser makes this horse-centered drama a devilishly fun listen. The story is set in Southern California's elite world of competitive jumping. Laser's deft narration shifts between entitled teenagers and the dysfunctional adults who surround them. Laser believably employs the upspeak of California teens while wisely refraining from that cadence when voicing the main... Read More

Mayuri Bhandari brings a willful and cocksure attitude to her portrayal of Jasmine, a reckless 30-something who accepts a last-minute invitation to join her parents on a cruise. It turns out to be a senior cruise packed with the very people who frequently shamed her while she was growing up. Luckily, the seemingly perfect (and younger) Jake has also tagged along. Bhandari's... Read More

In a rich tone, Kathleen Gati gives this polyglot audiobook its due. She narrates in French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, and Turkish, and her pace is spot-on. Most importantly, Gati captures the author's voice and personality. Von Bremzen is a food and travel writer who spends weeks in a different locale and shares her distinct opinions on dishes ranging from Neapolitan pizza... Read More

Narrator Rebecca Lowman's pace works well to start off this unique audio mystery. Listeners need her slow delivery to digest that Lou, a murder victim, has, in fact, been brought back to life and is now investigating the circumstances of her own death. Lowman is especially talented at bringing out the fun and the lyricism in the author's language. Sadly, Lowman's tendency to... Read More

When Bozoma Saint John's husband is diagnosed with terminal cancer, they decide to cancel their divorce and make the most of their time together. Saint John's performance is tremendously appealing--full of sass and wit. The daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, she lost a college boyfriend to suicide and a baby to preeclampsia, succeeded in the business world, and navigated an... Read More

Delivering the captivating twists always present in Lapena's thrillers, January LaVoy is the perfect narrator to keep listeners guessing. Dr. William Wooler checks all the boxes for "perfect family man": good job, beautiful wife and children, perfect home. However, things aren't what they seem. The same day that William's mistress ends their affair, he loses his temper with his... Read More

Leonie Elliott, an accomplished actor, is the perfect narrator for this remarkable debut novel. She is Black and British like the book's heroine, Yamaye, and has similar Jamaican roots. This dark story covers disturbing topics such as sexual abuse, police brutality, and drugs. The opening moves from a council estate near London to the Bristol underworld to a Jamaica filled with... Read More

Kevin R. Free delivers a dazzling performance of a novel that centers around contemporary artists living in Iowa City. Poets, writers, and musicians sit around at parties, in bars, and at cafés, discussing what it means to be an artist. Their social lives are deliciously messy as they fall in and out of love, seeking companionship to rid themselves of their loneliness. Free’s... Read More

Katherine Littrell hits every comedic and dramatic note in her narration of this family saga. Penny Rush's marriage is crumbling, and she's close to being penniless when she's summoned to her grandmother Pincer's home by Pincer's accountant, Burt Lampey. Pincer has dementia and a hoarding streak. A plan to clean the home leads to a wild adventure involving road trips from... Read More

Narrator Hannah Curtis portrays the radical feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, and narrator Grace Gray portrays Wollstonecraft's daughter, Mary Shelley, creator of the character Frankenstein. Wollstonecraft died giving birth to her daughter, who spent a lifetime longing for information about her mother. Curtis and Gray excel as they deliver a variety of characters and picturesque... Read More

Listeners will be fascinated by professor and journalist Ava Chin's extensive examination of her Chinese American family's history. Chin inserts herself into the narrative, detailing her visits to archives throughout the U.S. and her ancestral home in China. In an impassioned and insistent tone, Chin investigates the prejudices and marginalization her relatives endured once... Read More

Veronica, a lepidopterist, and her love-hate soulmate, Stoker, a paleontologist, have bigger concerns than butterflies and fossils on their plates when Stoker's brother, Tiberius, invites them to attend a dinner party at his English country estate. Tiberius needs their help because someone has threatened to kill him and his guests. Angèle Masters captures Veronica's sarcasm and... Read More

Windson Liong performs this sweeping epic, set in Singapore during the political upheaval of the mid-twentieth century. As a fisherman struggles to find enough fish to support his family, his young son, Ah Boon, discovers a mysterious island that has hundreds of fish off of its shores. When his family's new prosperity means that Ah Boon can go to school, his attendance... Read More

Jaime Lamchick narrates the bizarre story of a woman who escapes a serial killer, only to find that her rescuer is a far more dangerous threat. Amber Jamison assumes her life is over when a simple mistake puts her in the hands of a serial killer. When she's rescued by a mysterious and standoffish woman, Amber finds herself embroiled in a mystery involving more colorful... Read More

This queer fantasy, primarily narrated by Gail Shalan and Dylan Kiedman, features the Knights of the Round Table reborn in present-day Vancouver. Hildie, voiced gently by Shalan, is a Valkyrie who is assigned to investigate the murder of a knight. Shalan's reserved tone and breathy timbre complement the slow pace of the narrative as clues to the killer unfold. Kiedman portrays... Read More

Kevin R. Free narrates Taylor's stunning debut, giving voice to the simmering rage, frustration, and grief of a Black, gay graduate student who is navigating the unfamiliar, predominantly white halls of academia. Transplanted from Alabama to the Midwest, biochemistry student Wallace awkwardly struggles to fit in with his colleagues--some well meaning but oblivious, others... Read More

Thérèse Plummer delivers a dazzling performance, taking listeners to Boston and the world of theoretical physics at MIT. Dr. Elsie Hannaway is a miserable adjunct professor who is dreaming of tenure at a prestigious university. To make ends meet, she also poses as a fake girlfriend, which is where she meets the infamous experimentalist, Jack Smith. As she fully embodies Elsie,... Read More

Mac Sweeney, a professor of classical archaeology at the University of Vienna, takes an interesting contemporary approach to telling the story of what is commonly called western civilization. She uses the lives of 14 historical individuals, including Herodotus, Phillis Wheatley, Gladstone, and Edward Said--the well-known to the not-so-well-known--to tell listeners that... Read More

In her second audiobook narration, Stephanie Sheh continues this cozy mystery series, capturing the joy, sense of community, and drama in L.A.'s night market. Yale and Celine Yee, cousins who run a food stall, dive into investigating the suspicious death of local restaurateur Jeffery Vue. Sheh appropriately portrays the characters, depicting people of various ages, genders, and... Read More

Mark Deakins delivers strategies for addressing life's wild problems in a steady, authoritative voice. Listeners will explore what differentiates a wild problem from one easily addressed by traditional rational decision making. Economist Russ Roberts, a Stanford University professor and host of the podcast "EconTalk," delves into life's intricate issues, comparing contemporary... Read More

On his 68th birthday, the author began to see the potpourri of wisdom and advice he'd learned over the years as valuable for his young adult children--and maybe all young people--to know. His no-frills list of advice is served well by narrator Philip Hernandez, whose performance resonates with the author's dry humor and insights into life's challenges. Listeners will pause the... Read More

In his debut audiobook, workplace expert Simone Stolzoff examines a culture that defines people by what they produce, rather than who they are. The message is clear and compelling: Those of us who expect our employment to deliver enduring fulfillment will likely be disappointed. Stolzoff's narration is (perhaps fittingly) slow paced, and the timbre of his voice doesn't have the... Read More

Author Steven Simon delivers the preface of this audiobook with a slightly crackly timbre. In it he shares his background, actions as counterterrorism director of the National Security Council during the Clinton administration, and a succinct summary of this work. Narrator Robert Petkoff takes on the rest of this detailed political history of America's involvement in the Middle... Read More

An ensemble of narrators voices the works of Black poets who are lesser known in the canon of Black literature from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Tracy K. Smith begins the audiobook with a strong, clear delivery of the foreword, followed by Jesse McCarthy and Joshua Bennett, who share the introduction. When we enter the worlds of the poets, the deliveries are varied... Read More

Jeremy Carlisle Parker's vibrant performance brings the warm, crackling joy of this contemporary summer camp romance home to listeners. Garland Moore, who is struggling to find herself after her divorce, signs up for a week-long adult summer camp experience in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Portraying Garland, Parker vibrates with nerves as she pursues a romance with fellow camper... Read More

This meditation on how to access our creative potential is from an iconoclastic hip-hop music producer known for his ability to bring out the best in the artists he records. It's a highly personal audiobook, one in which the ideas and worldview expressed can't be separated from the author, so it's fitting that his performance was captured close-microphone and sounds intimate.... Read More

Narrator Ruby Hunt's vibrant storytelling brings Ana María Luna Valdés into sharp focus as she sparkles in Victorian London society in 1863. Ana María and her sisters, Gabriela and Isabel, fled Mexico's war with Napoleon to be goodwill ambassadors in England. Hunt presents their bilingual escapades in British society with élan. But while her English and Irish accents are subtly... Read More

Antonia Beamish's polished narration of Sarah Bakewell's AT THE EXISTENTIALIST CAFE was published in 2016. A favorite among audiobook listeners, it is memorable for its richness of narrative and grace of delivery. Author and narrator are partnered again in this expansive history of humanist thinking from its inception to the present. The focus is literary and philosophical, but... Read More

After Lisa Scottoline's introduction, Edoardo Ballerini transports listeners to Sicily with his perfect Italian and his intelligent grasp of the people who inhabit this historical novel. Five-year-old Dante is kidnapped and hidden in a madhouse. A young lawyer, a member of an elite group of aristocrats who investigate crime in Palermo, determines to find the boy. While he's... Read More

This ornate performance by Elizabeth Knowelden is a rivals-become-lovers story told with humor and a sense of adventure. Alice is an experienced spy who is hungry for her next thrilling assignment. She's finally assigned to stop an assassination but must work with Bixby, another overachieving agent. They pose as a married couple--and as the attraction runs high, so does the... Read More

Rebecca Lowman's narration infuses just the right amount of world-weariness into the character of NYPD Detective Leigh O'Donnell. Having sabotaged her career and her marriage, Leigh returns home to Cooper Falls, Ohio, at her brother's request to help solve the mysterious drownings of three men. As she uncovers clues, she finds herself delving into her town's storied past,... Read More

An Englishwoman who is unhappily married to a Russian financier in London becomes the object of American spies who are trying to entice her to turn on her husband. The process requires that Lyndsey Duncan of the CIA befriend the wife, Emily. As Emily's suspicions grow, the world closes in on her husband, Mikhail. The tag-team narration wonderfully pulls it all together with... Read More

Seven enthusiastic narrators join author Valerie Fridland in this entertaining and educational apologia for speaking like, um, a regular, you know, person. Fridland, a professor of linguistics, explores the role and often surprising history of language placeholders and other speech habits. With chapters on everything from "like" and "you know" and "they" as a singular pronoun... Read More

Kate Reading gives a top-notch performance as Charlotte Holmes faces another perilous adventure, this time, on a ship. After her feigned death in MISS MORIARTY, I PRESUME? Charlotte, in disguise on the RMS PROVINCE, awaits news that will allow her to drop the sham and live normally. A murder is committed on board during a vicious storm, but Charlotte's investigation must be... Read More

Narrators Brittany Pressley and Lee Osorio take listeners to the quirky small town of Redford, Georgia, where everyone is considered family. When the town's peculiar benefactor, Jasper Willhelm, dies, he leaves behind a high-stakes series of challenges that will grant the winning duo a fortune. Pressley's performance of Jess's devotion to her community is heartfelt and full of... Read More

During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, the study of paranormal activity was a gentleman's game. The most exclusive and serious investigators of hauntings, apparitions, and unexplained phenomena were members of The Ghost Club, founded in 1862, with Charles Dickens as a founding member. Narrating this straightforward history with a sense of homespun curiosity, author and... Read More

This audiobook is a fictionalized account of five real-life extraordinary women in early-twentieth-century Sweden. Led by the forceful af Klint, the group, called De Fem, met regularly to practice drawing artistic inspiration from the spiritual world. Tavia Gilbert provides each woman with a unique voice, ranging from masculine to breathy to nearly hysterical. The exuberant... Read More

Saskia Maarleveld's intense yet restrained performance of this excellent biography offers a formidable portrait of Edith Bolling Wilson, second wife of President Woodrow Wilson. A widowed businesswoman when she married the recently widowed president, she helped conceal his 1919 stroke by serving as his "shadow steward," overseeing his communications and, some said, making... Read More

Amy Melissa Bentley returns to narrate the second installment in this charming cozy mystery series. Ricki James-Diaz is the proprietor of Miss Vee's Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop. The store is located in the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum, which is owned by New Orleans society queen Eugenia Charbonnet Felice. When 120 bottles of rare wine are unearthed while renovating... Read More

Elva Guerra portrays Anna Horn, an Indigenous teen who lives on her tribe's reservation and cleans at the local casino. Haunted by her people's myths and bullied by classmates and family alike, Anna becomes witness to the strange disappearances of young women who visit Suite 808 of the casino. When her tormentor and younger sister, Grace, becomes one of the missing, Anna risks... Read More

Narrator Julia Whelan's nuanced performance complements this heartfelt story. Every year a group of friends has vacationed together at a cottage in Maine. Now the couples are moving into big life decisions--except for Harriet and Wyn. They broke up months ago, but they can't bear to tell the others on the last trip before the cottage is sold, so they pretend they're still... Read More

Jade Wheeler and Ronald Peet narrate this multigenerational mystery about the unsolved murder of a Black carpenter in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1929. His granddaughter, Meghan McKenzie, an ambitious journalist for the DETROIT FREE PRESS, is determined to get the full story. Wheeler excels in her portrayal of a contemporary journalist, giving listeners a vivid sense of a woman who... Read More

Nina Wadia crisply narrates this surprisingly fascinating audiobook, subtitled "The Secret Lives of Stones." Wadia's tone reflects the authority and curiosity of the author, a British art critic. The 60 stories explore the origins, uses, and abuses of gems and rocks. Wadia narrates the various histories and cultural appropriations with a smart style, a clear timbre, and... Read More

Helen Laser's narration is fun and upbeat, yet slightly dark. She injects a hint of attraction between the whimsical witch Mariel and the powerful demon Ozroth, who has fallen from grace. He needs to regain his reputation, and his plan to do so is to steal Mariel's soul. But blithe Mariel proves to be a slippery target. Laser portrays each character distinctively. The listener... Read More

Robert Petkoff meets the challenge of portraying Letty Davenport and the other tough, smart no-nonsense female characters who drive the plot of the second audiobook in this thriller series. Petkoff also masterfully performs the many male characters, including a group of Russian mobsters. Letty and an NSA computer geek are tasked with going undercover to expose a highly... Read More