Behind the Mic Podcast with AudioFile Magazine recommends the latest audiobooks. In this podcast, AudioFile editors select favorite audiobooks and uncover hidden gems. Host Josephine Reed and AudioFile editors spotlight an audiobook, complete with a sound clip, so listeners can find their next great audiobook. Listen on your favorite podcast manager, and look for special bonus episodes interviewing narrators and authors highlighted hear on the blog.
The Grammy Award-winning singer, author, and audiobook narrator Janis Ian was kind enough to sit and talk about SOCIETY’S CHILD, her experiences making her inspiring audiobook memoir, and the world of audiobook narration that it opened up for her. Listen to our conversation to hear more about Janis’s life in and out of the recording booth.
“The preparation to read an audiobook is the same as the preparation to go on stage, or to write a song.”—Janis Ian
Golden Voice narrator Robin Miles is known for her powerful voice and has narrated hundreds of audiobooks, including thoughtful readings of important historical works and dynamic narrations of breathtaking fantasy. Listen in to our interview to hear about the work behind her narrations, and what she’s imagining as she sits behind the mic.
” I always have a person sitting there with me. I never forget, and I imagine that person listening a foot and a half away, and then I care about whether or not they get what I’m saying and the point of what I’m saying.”— Narrator Robin Miles
We love bringing authors and narrators together here on The Download, and we’re especially excited to share today’s interview. Author Alan Bradley and narrator Jayne Entwistle bring the historical mysteries starring the irrepressible and enchanting Flavia de Luce to life. The two had never spoken before today’s interview, which is hard to believe! They make an excellent team.
“I didn’t know that I wanted to be an audiobook narrator . . . I had no idea that would become a major part of who I am and what I do. And it was Flavia who led me there.”—Narrator Jayne Entwistle
Listen in to the engaging conversation between author Nic Stone and narrator Dion Graham for insights on the writing and recording of the captivating DEAR MARTIN. Stone’s moving young adult audiobook allows listeners to reflect on the trauma and impacts of racial profiling as her characters ask the questions we would in their situations.
“The best way to reach young people through literature is to reflect actual young people who mess up, who do good, who do bad, who have good things that they are a part of, who maybe have some things that they shouldn’t be a part of.”—Author Nic Stone
It’s no secret that our AudioFile team loves Philip Pullman and the worlds he built in the HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy about Lyra Belacqua, the clever young protagonist we first met in THE GOLDEN COMPASS. We were thrilled by his most recent audiobook, THE BOOK OF DUST: La Belle Sauvage, the first in a new trilogy set in the same world. We brought together some of the creative team behind these audiobooks: Orli Moscowitz, Penguin Random House executive producer; Garrick Hagon, the director of the first trilogy and the voice of Lee Scoresby; and Tim Ditlow, the publisher of Listening Library who produced the unabridged multicast recording of the original.
“When I walked in the studio with Orli to watch the magic happen, the chemistry was a certain ingredient that I think we’ve all witnessed first-hand when we’ve seen a Broadway show, or a symphony orchestra.”—Tim Ditlow
Listen to a conversation between Joe Hill and Dennis Boutsikaris on recording Joe Hill’s latest audiobook, STRANGE WEATHER. Boutsikaris reads Hill’s Aloft in this new collection of four novellas. Authors and narrators rarely get the chance to sit down and talk about their work. Our conversation gives audiobook fans insights into the creative process of both author and narrator.
“You can tell when something hasn’t been read aloud, and that is a great test of a manuscript—everything should be read aloud, everything should be tested by hearing it.”—Author Joe Hill
AudioFile 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.
Golden 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
Summer 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
Our 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!
Get our FREE Newsletter and discover a world of audiobooks.
