The Download: Stephen Fry’s Sherlock Holmes

Join us as we discuss the legendary Sherlock and this masterful new interpretation of the classics

Posted on
Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock HolmesAudioFile contributing editor and reviewer Aurelia Scott has been a lover of Sherlock Holmes since she was a little kid poring over the annotated collection, as regular blog readers are well aware! I was excited to learn of actor Stephen Fry’s new narration and commentary on the complete works of SHERLOCK HOLMES and decided to sit down to chat with Aurelia about our mutual love of the detective and all the many interpretations we have listened to over the years.

Stephen Fry’s narration is special, as it not only includes his complex rendition of Sherlock and the engaging Watson, but also his own introductions that share with listeners his reflections on the novels and short stories. Listen in as Aurelia and I discuss our love of Sherlock, our appreciation for this masterful collection, and why Sherlock is still so relevant today.

Read more…

Josephine Reed
Josephine Reed
Jo Reed is a compulsive listener of audiobooks. She was the program director of the book and theater channel on XM Satellite Radio where she created, produced, and hosted This is Audible and Writers on Writing. She also created, produced, and hosted the literary show, On the Margin for WPFW, a public radio station in Washington DC where it ran for 18 years.

The Download: Barbara Rosenblat on The Painted Queen

On recording Elizabeth Peters’s final Amelia Peabody mystery

Posted on
Barbara Rosenblat recording The Painted Queen

The Painted QueenGolden Voice narrator Barbara Rosenblat chats with AudioFile’s Jo Reed about one of the most enduring partnerships in the audiobook world—that of “the Barbaras.” Barbara Rosenblat and Barbara Mertz, aka Elizabeth Peters. THE PAINTED QUEEN is the 20th in the Amelia Peabody mystery series—all narrated by Barbara Rosenblat.

THE PAINTED QUEEN was left as a partially finished manuscript when author Elizabeth Peters died in 2013. Mystery writer Joan Hess completed the manuscript, and as our reviewer said, Barbara Rosenblat brings to life the “delicious blend of love and mayhem.”

“What you’re doing is creating a world. You’re channeling an author and an author’s intent . . . and you let the author be there with you, because in fact you are collaborating in every sense with the author as you move along.”—Narrator Barbara Rosenblat

Read more…

Josephine Reed
Josephine Reed
Jo Reed is a compulsive listener of audiobooks. She was the program director of the book and theater channel on XM Satellite Radio where she created, produced, and hosted This is Audible and Writers on Writing. She also created, produced, and hosted the literary show, On the Margin for WPFW, a public radio station in Washington DC where it ran for 18 years.

The Download: 6 Picks for the End-of-Summer Road Trip

Some favorite audiobooks to take on the road

Posted on

Travels With CharleySummer is a time to hit the road, and a good audiobook can go a long way towards making car trips not just bearable, but enjoyable. Some are actually stories about road trips.

Join Robin Whitten and Jo Reed as they discuss their picks for summer road trip listening. And before you declare summer to be over, remember that you may well have a road trip ahead of you this Labor Day weekend!

Listening to audiobooks about road trips while making your own way on the road can enhance your travel experience and make the miles speed by, whether you’re making a trek across the country or making your way into the woods for your last summer camping trip with the family.

“Whether you’re heading out in a car, in the train, or on the bus, nothing beats a good audiobook.”—Jo Reed

Read more…

AudioFile Editors
We're the editorial team at AudioFile Magazine!

The Download: In Conversation with James Patterson and Edoardo Ballerini

AudioFile Magazine brings author and narrator together for the first time

Posted on

The Black BookOur team here at AudioFile Magazine is excited to introduce you to our latest venture, The Download! We’re going to be highlighting new audiobooks for you to discover, talking to narrators and authors about making audiobooks, and giving our listeners insights into the medium that we all love.

To start it all off, we have an interview to share with you between author James Patterson and narrator Edoardo Ballerini. This team has produced a number of excellent audiobooks together, and their latest, THE BLACK BOOK, is a great example of how they can create dynamic and fast-paced thrillers that listeners love. Listen in to Patterson and Ballerini as they discuss the making of THE BLACK BOOK and other compelling works, creating hyperreal worlds for readers to dive into, and the art of storytelling.

“I often feel like I’m watching a movie when I’m reading these books. Everything comes so alive, and I can really see the clothes and the buildings and the cars . . . I’ve always believed that the narrator is in service to the author, that it’s my job to present the book as the author intended it.”—Narrator Edoardo Ballerini

You can find a print excerpt of their conversation in the latest issue of our magazine, and if you’re looking for more insights into this pair, you can read interviews with both Patterson and Ballerini on our website!

AudioFile Editors
We're the editorial team at AudioFile Magazine!