New Reviews by Title: A

Author Jeanne Thornton performs her novel with a charming casualness that will immediately draw listeners in. In 1998, three queer teenagers bond over creating video games in the early days of Internet chat rooms. Nineteen years later they are all trans women in their 30s, and though they've lost touch and never met in person, they're still haunted by the game they never... Read More

With muckraking fervor, popular podcasters Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson ask a complicated question: What's wrong with how our government operates, and what needs to change? Both authors begin in an optimistic tone but shift into a world-weary tone when discussing how seminal institutions such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects... Read More

"Top Chef" host and alum Kristen Kish beautifully delivers her memoir, displaying her compassion throughout. Adopted and raised in Michigan, Kish never doubted her family's love, even as she struggled with social anxiety. Her deep family bonds and drive to succeed echo throughout her story. A move to Boston marked a turning point; there, she began to embrace her identity, and... Read More

In this engaging collection of short stories by Filipino writer and journalist F.H. Batacan (SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES ), Amielynn Abellera and Ramón de Ocampo alternate narrating the riveting mysteries. Abellera is good at voicing the more suspenseful stories with her faster, clipped style of speaking, while de Ocampo tackles the introspective character studies by languidly... Read More

Narrator Lynn Bradford's steady pace and clear voice allow this detailed analysis of the most popular and most misunderstood museum in the world to shine. Paris' Louvre houses iconic works such as the MONA LISA and the WINGED VICTORY OF SAMOTHRACE--yet its name's origin remains a mystery. Once a fortress and then a royal palace, the Louvre became a public museum after the... Read More

James Meunier perfectly conveys these agreeable adventures, which will appeal to cat lovers and playful Sherlock Holmes fans. Listeners meet an outraged Holmes as he rescues a black cat from a beating. Since Dr. Watson has married and left 221B Baker Street, Holmes happily adopts "Cat Watson." Chapters are told from Holmes's and Cat Watson's viewpoints and demonstrate Cat's... Read More

British Nigerian actor Wunmi Mosaku ushers listeners into a sinister "land of wonders" inspired by--and darker than--Lewis Carroll's Alice stories. Afia, 16, who longs for adventure, impulsively follows an itinerant market vendor into the forbidden forest that encircles her home of Dafra. There, she encounters wonders aplenty--along with terrors. Mosaku modulates between a... Read More

British accents such as the one Zeinab Badawi employs in her narration have told a lot of Africa's stories over the years. Here, Badawi puts her British accent toward recounting African history from the African point of view as she shares tales of long-ago kingdoms and struggles against colonial control. Her narration is punctuated by wonder at visits to places such as the... Read More

This audiobook discussing the hype surrounding artificial intelligence is one long unsubstantiated finger wag at the technology and anyone in favor of using it. The audiobook's 100% negative take on AI makes the choice of narrator Jade Wheeler--whose robotic cadence sounds AI generated--perplexing. One of the authors was personally insulted by ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman, and the... Read More

Golden Voice narrator Cassandra Campbell becomes the characters in this enchanting novel set in the gardens of Le Château du Paradis. Soft-spoken Eloise Bourn, a flower whisperer who is hoping to remake her life, has taken a job at the Château, where she's bound to strict rules set by the owner. But Eloise senses all is not as it appears and is ever questioning as she settles... Read More

Taking "alibis" as their inspiration, the six talented authors of this audiobook provide listeners with unique stories ranging from a woman who is on death row to a celebrity chef who is found dead in his freezer. Each story unfolds like a novella in multiple chapters. The narrators are well matched to the characters and settings, and bring the suspenseful plots to life. Each... Read More

This gripping and thought-provoking audiobook will not only please fans of dystopian stories, especially the author's, but will also add new listeners to both groups. In a post-Covid world, Crown Royale, a new virus that is seen as life ending--whether or not the sick recover--is spreading rapidly. All those who do recover experience enlightenment, losing any negative feelings... Read More

Rose, the octogenarian narrator of Australian writer Bruce Nash's American debut, captures listeners' hearts, tickles listeners' funny bones, and challenges listeners' mystery-solving skills. Narrator Abbe Holmes tells the indomitable Rose's story, projecting her determination to find the right words and make sense of the strange happenings at her care home. Holmes uses a vocal... Read More

Narrator Ferdelle Capistrano depicts the emotional turmoil of River Santos, who is coping with breaking up with her boyfriend; being abandoned by her mother; losing everything, including her father, in a fire; having $2 million donated to her by an unknown source; yearning for her gorgeous new co-worker, Logan; and having a general sense that something is not quite right.... Read More

Join spirited narrator Caitlin Kinnunen for a coming-of-age story filled with quirky adventures. Amelia is panicking after asking her celebrity crush, famous YouTuber Walter Holland, to her prom online. Then she takes her dream a step further and plans a road trip with friends to see him in person. Surely, he'll then notice her, and her romantic fantasies will come true!... Read More

In an expressive voice, narrator Holter Graham recounts the long and complicated history of Latin America, beginning with the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Grandin examines the relationship between Europe and the Americas as Europe's power in the hemisphere declined and the United States emerged as the hegemonic power of the hemisphere. Grandin does not shy away from difficult... Read More

The true story of the Fox Sisters, as delivered by Sophie Amoss, brings listeners to rural New York in 1848. This story is pieced together from surviving letters, news articles, and other accounts. As children, Kate and Maggie Fox were believed to communicate with the dead. The curiosity of their mother, then a neighbor, then their hometown, and then the world led to... Read More

Will Watt's warm, empathetic performance makes this stand-alone fantasy set in the world of SERAPHINA a must-listen. In a story in which past crimes and present troubles converge, Watt flawlessly moves from character to character, giving each one a distinct and instantly recognizable voice and keeping listeners spellbound as the action unfolds. Charl's unassuming town of St.... Read More

Moira Quirk brings her signature emotive and immersive talent to this fast-paced fantasy debut, keeping listeners on edge at every step. Anji has just slain a king--and now her story begins. She's quickly captured by the Hawk, a member of the infamous bounty hunting gang known as the Menagerie. With supernatural abilities, a deadly addiction, and a grumpy personality, the Hawk... Read More

When the President discloses the identity of CIA operative Garris Kelley after he kills an international drug lord, Kelley's life begins to unravel. His troubles escalate when he comes to the aid of Senator Frank Beemer after a shooting on the Portland, Oregon, metro. Richard Poe is a skillful narrator, whether channeling Kelley and his various pursuers or portraying FBI Agent... Read More

Narrators Tim Paige and Jesse Vilinsky shine in this charming romance as they portray Forrest and Margot with compelling chemistry and emotional depth. Margot, a romance writer, has struggled with love in her own life. When her diary of disenchantment with the genre is maliciously revealed, her career is jeopardized. To help, her sister sends Margot to Alaska to reinvent... Read More

When a girl and her father move from one apartment to another, she becomes homesick and is overcome with emotion. This production of Stead's first picture book is performed by Stephanie Richardson. As the daughter tells her story, Richardson's choice of a high pitch for the girl results in a squeaky timbre at times. But the girl's disappointment is palpable each time her secret... Read More

Narrator Justine Eyre pulls the listener into Singh's world of angels, vampires, and humans in this long-running series. Illium, a powerful angel, is facing ascension, upon which he will transition into an archangel. At his side is his friend and lover, Aodhan. Part of the story takes place before Illium's transformation, when he and Aodhan are part of archangel Raphael's... Read More

Jennifer Jill Araya and Jarman Day share the narration of this poignant fantasy-romance. Jean is a young man in a family portrait painted in 1917 by his father, Henri Matisse, and Claire is a present-day museum custodian with a troubled past. Day delivers the chapters from Jean's point of view in a low, cultured voice filled with underlying youthful passion. Araya's alternating... Read More

Erin Bennett narrates the story of Rose Valland, a curator at the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris during WWII. Valland kept track of documents stating provenance and locations of artworks that were looted by the Nazis. She remained in her job by convincing Nazi higher-ups that she was merely a lowly clerk and not a threat to the Germans' pillaging. Her dedication and precise... Read More

Tanya Reynolds gives this stunning novel a luminous performance. Budding journalist Joseph Adelaide is invited to interview the world-famous, notoriously reclusive painter Edouard Tartuffe. "Tata" lives in isolation in Provence with his niece, Ettie. Ettie caters to him, doing everything from answering his mail to cutting his hair while silently enduring his rages, cruelty, and... Read More

In her latest audiobook, Perkins celebrates diversity and the fun and adventure of making new friends and learning a new language in an unfamiliar place. Stacy Gonzalez's narration fills young Lissie's voice with nervous excitement as she travels far from home with her father and grandmother, worrying about how she'll communicate when everyone else speaks Spanish. Gonzalez... Read More

Ferdelle Capistrano enlivens this biography about WWII Filipina resistance fighter and Hansen disease survivor Josefina "Joey" Guerrero. Capistrano deftly manages the action of Joey's story, along with the many explanatory passages scaffolding it. She adds a visceral tenderness when Joey describes her reverence for Joan of Arc and the deplorable conditions people with leprosy... Read More

This authoritative guide to end-of-life care covers every imaginable issue that older people face as they move closer to death from illness or old age. It was written by a plain-speaking physician whose experiences with patients and his own parents make him skeptical about the value of heroic medical procedures to prolong life. A long-standing part of Western medicine, such... Read More

This collection of 14 stories by Lydia Millet is timely and clever. Featuring four talented narrators, Hillary Huber, Devon Sorvari, Patrick Zeller, and Pete Cross, the stories and characters overlap and interweave. Huber's four narrations are droll and sardonic, with a sassy, smart teen vocalization in "Artist." Sorvari's narrations are leisurely, thoughtful, and clear; one... Read More

Julia Whelan and Kristen DiMercurio beautifully narrate a queer love story. Whelan, the main narrator, portrays Joan, a professor of astronomy with a quiet life. But her whole world changes when she's accepted as an astronaut candidate at NASA in 1980. Whelan's rich narration makes each character come to life for listeners, and she excels at portraying Joan's romance with her... Read More

Jen Zhao narrates an urban fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology, First Nations traditions, and European folklore. The story is set in modern-day Canada. Tam has struggled with her dual human/tiger nature for years. Now that both her father and aunt are dead, an ancient power is chasing her. While Tam seems to be passive, Zhao's performance shows the wide range of emotions that... Read More

Although six narrators are at work on this short story collection, they all share the same vocal palette. The narrative tone features absurdity and black humor, two examples of which are Sacha Chambers's narration of "The Future Is Not What It Used to Be," which combines time travel and weight loss, and Matt Godfrey's delivery of "A World Without Selfie Sticks," in which a man... Read More

Em Grosland deftly juggles robotic voices and human emotions in this cozy postwar sci-fi. Four robots--Sweetie, Hands, Cayenne, and Staybehind--have survived a devastating war, only to be left alone in a flooded San Francisco burger joint. With no humans to interfere, the robots decide to turn the old restaurant into a sophisticated noodle bar, using their wartime skills to... Read More

An emotive narration by Stella Bloom lands listeners in a madcap adventure. As Harlow and her group of stylish crime fighters investigate an unscrupulous online dater, her romance with investigator Javier Montoya heats up. Bloom makes this Avenging Angels installment a must-listen by fully expressing Harlow's rapid-fire dialogue. Whether Harlow is pondering an impromptu... Read More

Catherine Ho delivers a masterful performance of Susanna Kwan's poignant debut novel about identity and creating a sense of home amid displacement. Set in a rain-drenched near-future San Francisco, the story follows Bo, a young elder-care worker who faces uncertainty after her mother's disappearance. When Mia, Bo's centenarian neighbor, offers the solitary Bo a job, she readily... Read More

Author and narrator A.E. Osworth wonderfully delivers this magical audiobook about trangender witches who must confront a rogue AI. Wilder wakes up one morning able to comprehend every language in the world. Soon, they are invited to join a coven of witches with similarly awakened powers. But just when they find comfort in their new family and magic, an evil AI threatens to... Read More

The majority of the poets Ben Palpant interviewed for this book write mostly overtly Christian poetry, and all of them are people of faith whose work is shaped by that to a greater or lesser degree. In this audiobook, Palpant delivers both sides of the interviews, as well as a poem by each interviewee. He doesn't try to replicate their voices, but there is never any doubt about... Read More