Sue Black isn't afraid of death--she thinks about joining the cadavers at the University of Dundee when she's gone--and Angela Dawe's narration reflects that matter-of-fact attitude. There's even enthusiasm in Dawe's voice as she recounts Black's first memories of dealing with death on the job--working part-time in a butcher shop when she was only 12. Black is a forensic... Read More

Narrator January LaVoy uses her ample vocal talents to deliver powerful stories of mostly well-known female artists and performers, specifically, how these women managed their day-to-day lives while keeping their creative sides alive and thriving. These often emotional stories and brief biographies are strengthened by LaVoy's careful narration. Her pacing captures the humor in... Read More

LA TIMES reporter Christopher Goffard took two decades' worth of articles he wrote for various newspapers and turned them into a series of stories, character studies, and insights for this outstanding audiobook. Narrator George Newbern generally does a good job telling the augmented stories based on real events--but listeners would appreciate a full stop between stories. At... Read More

Even though the setting of this audiobook is the future, it's especially for those who don't know or who have forgotten the lessons of history. A few years in the future, a xenophobic president has forced Muslim Americans into internment camps. Teenage Layla and her family become caught up in the wave of anti-Muslim hysteria. Narrator Soneela Nankani effectively conveys Layla's... Read More

Narrator Jennifer Lim underscores the multiple layers of this audiobook about two friends who grew up in Jeju Island, Korea, where women have a unique cultural status. Lim's expressive delivery highlights protagonist Young-sook's personality and complex feelings as she recounts her lifelong relationship with the orphan Mi-ja and how they were differently shaped by social... Read More

Luiselli's knotty metafictional novel about a family road trip and lost children, which includes images and documents as well as multiple narrators and multiple narratives, does not initially seem suited to audio. Smart production decisions and capable narration, however, transform it into a fascinating audiobook that will stay with listeners long after they finish. The... Read More

Though the details are sparse, narrator Dion Graham provides a vivid sense of the world in this audiobook and its characters.Two men, known only pseudonymously as Four and Nine, are tasked by an unnamed corporation with paving a road in an unnamed war-torn country. Graham delivers outstanding voicework that captures the two characters' personalities. As Four, a seasoned company... Read More

Actor Rainn Wilson displays his vocal talents with an enchanting performance of this imaginative classic children's novel. An introduction read by the author sets up the tale of Milo, a child who is always bored with life's offerings, and his adventures through a magical tollbooth to the Lands Beyond. With an engaging delivery, Wilson succeeds in captivating listeners. Soothing... Read More

For centuries, listeners have been transported by the lively accounts and fantastic tales of travelers. Now audiobook listeners, as armchair travelers, can experience the sumptuous pleasures, cultural enlightenment, and untrammeled beauty of small Italian towns spread throughout Italy, as described by author Frances Mayes, who wrote UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN. Mayes introduces the... Read More

The history of the U.S. manned spaceflight program is well documented, but this chronicle provides insights that even well-read listeners will find interesting. The period covered runs from roughly Russia's Sputnik in the 1950s through the Apollo 11 moon landing in the 1960s. Allan Robertson offers a smooth, solid narration. His generally even tone is suited to the work. But he... Read More