New Reviews by Title: E-J

This delightful Regency romance introduces Lydia Hope-Wallace, the rich, fiery redhead who secretly writes pamphlets denouncing the excesses of the aristocracy. Arthur Baird is the tall, blond reclusive Earl of Strathrannoch, who owns a moldering castle in Scotland. Narrator Mhairi Morrison spins the pair's adventurous love story, beginning with her wonderful vocal... Read More

Narrators Lauren O'Leary and Barry McStay deliver a chilling performance of this horror audiobook about a possessive orchid and the humans it wants to consume. Shell's life has fallen off the rails, and a job helping at a local flower shop, owned by the beautiful florist Neve, is exactly the change of pace she wants. O'Leary seamlessly delivers Irish and American accents,... Read More

Cohen's latest audiobook, narrated by Rebecca Norfolk, Katherine Press, and Clare Corbett, introduces listeners to three very different women: Lilah, an engaged librarian who's just won the lottery; Marina, a newly divorced mother of three; and Opal, a fitness influencer with a bad attitude. The women are strangers until they realize they've all been deceived by the same man... Read More

Nicole Cash delivers a steady and engaging narration of this complex story of immigration to the U.S. from modern-day Nigeria. She captures the novel's emotional depth and the shifting landscapes of Nigeria and New Orleans as Amina's arrival in America coincides with a hurricane. Cash guides listeners through Amina's journey from Ibadan to America, toggling between youthful... Read More

This techo-thriller narrated by acclaimed actors Mia Hutchinson-Shaw and Tim Lounibos is set at a company called Infopendium, a fictional version of Wikipedia, during the pandemic. The narrators have a difficult task: to bring listeners into the world of passionate--and often partisan--editors who constantly jostle textually for their points of view to gain traction. Imagine... Read More

What a treat it is to listen to Alix Dunmore's splendid narration of this novel about the first class of women to matriculate at Oxford University in 1920. The story revolves around four young women who all reside on Corridor 8. Dunmore portrays aristocratic Ottoline, the ringleader of the group, with a posh London accent and an imposing intonation. Beatrice, the daughter of a... Read More

Ella Fields is released from prison after serving 5 years of a 14-year sentence with one thing on her mind, and that's to kill Washington, DC, troubleshooter Joe DeMarco, whom she blames for ruining her life. Joe Barrett demonstrates his strong narration skills as he creates authentic-sounding characters in both Joe and Ella. He gives insight into each character's backstory and... Read More

Narrators Ell Potter and Michael Dodds return in this lively third installment of the Emily Wilde series. Emily embarks on another adventure in her fantastical field of study as she takes on her most ambitious role as faerie queen. Additionally, Emily and her fiancé, Wendell, must also uncover the cure to a deadly curse cast by Wendell's stepmother. This performance is packed... Read More

In this colorful history of how shipping practices across the globe have impacted worldwide commerce, the author examines the travels and various uses of a particular Swedish-built shipping barge. Weaving together details about the challenges of global commerce faced by governments and cultures, these stories show how container shipping supercharged international trade and how... Read More

Melissa Arnot Reid is the first American woman to conquer Everest without oxygen. But this success seems less taxing than her long battle to find peace and love within herself. There is a resoluteness in Reid's tone that fits the hard exterior she needed to survive her complicated childhood, the mountains, and the male-dominated guiding milieu. It takes a Tibetan goddess and a... Read More

Narrators Kyla Garcia and Bradley Ford perform an angsty contemporary romance. Miranda, a fashion editor, loves everything about the busy city life of Madrid. But her boyfriend, Tristan, can't stand the fast-paced lifestyle and longs to live a simple life in the country and have a family someday. The pair have strong chemistry, but ultimately Tristan decides they should part... Read More

Joy McCullough's narration of her novel written in prose and verse revolves around 16-year-old Carmela Tofana, whose mother, Giulia, finally allows her to apprentice as an apothecary in 17th-century Rome. The story is full of drama as the women who run the apothecary deal with threats after Carmela gives a poison to a woman with an abusive husband. Giulia is blamed and has to... Read More

This audiobook is set in a dystopian future in which a powerful megacorporation enforces debt repayment through a brutal death match known as the Lamb's Gauntlet. The story revolves around Inesa, who is unwillingly offered as a sacrifice by her mother, and Melinoë, a cybernetically altered assassin who is sent to kill Inesa. As the two journey across a wasteland, something... Read More

David Timson performs in the character of author Bernard Mandeville as he is revealed in this early-eighteenth-century satirical discourse on economics and morality. In his engaging performance, Timson explicates and clarifies the text, making it easier to absorb while also enlivening it. Subsequent dialogues between a Mandeville proponent, narrated by Justin Avoth, and a... Read More

Allison Epstein's novel has all the darkness and gravitas of a Dickens work, and narrator Will Watt provides a voice that is appropriately grim. He delivers Epstein's clever imagining of the life of Fagin, from Dickens's OLIVER TWIST, ranging from his early life, including his first name (Jacob), to his ultimate end. Fagin grows up in London's Jewish quarter, poor, despised by... Read More

Accomplished narrator Moira Quirk brings her fine skills to this first audiobook in a Regency Era romantasy trilogy. Highborn Aileana Kameron is the last in a bloodline of assassins who protect Edinburgh from murderous fae. Now she must work with a powerful fae named Kiaran MacKay to protect the city when the ancient seal that keeps the hoards at bay falters. Quirk's rich... Read More

This audio thriller set in the remote Maui town of Hana is brimming with psychological suspense. Kati, steadily voiced by Cynthia Farrell, is living off-the-grid in the jungle with her teenage daughter, Zoe, who is portrayed by Ellen Quay with skillful nuances that reflect the uprooted teen's sense of isolation and resentment. The reason that the duo is in hiding is revealed as... Read More

Bahni Turpin portrays a cast of colorful characters in this story about family, loss, and a decades-old betrayal. When Dawn returns home to inter her husband's ashes, she encounters a journalistic nemesis who, decades before, stole her story and won a Pulitzer for it. Joe, who is in town to make a movie about the story, claims that Dawn is delusional and a liar. When... Read More

VyVy Nguyen and David Lee Huynh bring distinct voices to this complicated, humorous, intergenerational family story of siblings fighting over a sizable inheritance--and their eventual healing. With retirement soon upon him, sandwich mogul Duc Tran challenges his five children to reconcile before their brother gets married and inherits everything. Huynh narrates the first... Read More

Sarah Moon's middle-grade audiobook evokes the joys of summer vacation and the growing pains of adolescence. Avi Roque portrays the four children of three LGBTQ+ families who rent a house together every summer during Provincetown's Family Week. But this year, not all is well: Avery's dads are getting divorced, Mac flunked seventh grade, and twins Lina and Milo are struggling... Read More

Eva Kaminsky gently introduces little listeners to Farmer Eva, whose understanding of the "brown underground" helps her garden thrive. As Kaminsky delivers the story, her musical tone makes the most of the author's rhythmic phrasing. Youngsters will learn about the contributions made by "all the helpful critters . . . and the microbes too," and the careful inclusion of children... Read More

Author and narrator are both at their best here. This second installment brings Atkinson's monumental history of the Revolutionary War to nearly 60 hours, with the conclusion still to come. It's an investment timely and richly rewarded. Grover Gardner isn't the most melodic of narrators, but he is steady, consistent, and subtly expressive, the very qualities needed for serious... Read More

Mia Hutchinson-Shaw and André Santana deliver alternating narratives of two unique teens--Viv, who fights for the environment, and Dex, who struggles with poverty. Hutchinson-Shaw's narration is tense and energetic as Viv confronts the people who support her town's economic base: fracking and its associated pipeline. She also captures Viv's quick mood changes and sensitive... Read More

Award-winning journalist Mirta Ojito recounts her family's escape from Cuba via the Mariel Boatlift in 1980. Ojito narrates the chapters that pertain to her personal history. In contrast, Juan Arturo voices the stories of other refugees and the political and social events that led to the 1980 exodus. Ojito recalls her hesitation to leave the only home she'd ever known, but... Read More

Andrea Currie narrates her memoir with the perfect balance of clarity and courage. Her voice may be gentle, but that doesn't conceal or betray the power of her lived experience. Currie is one of the many thousands of Indigenous children who were taken from their families during Canada's "Sixties Scoop," a government adoption policy that forced such children to be raised in... Read More

Angela Dawe brings Finlay Donovan's comedic crime solving to life with her narration of the fifth book in this series. When a body is discovered in a neighbor's backyard and Finlay's husband is arrested, Finlay and her nanny become involved. The nosy neighbor, Mrs. Heggarty, moves into Finlay's house and busies herself with her duties as head of the neighborhood watch. Does she... Read More

Katie Anvil Rich brings her joyful narration to this children's book about two girls from different backgrounds who form a close bond. Each summer, 7-year-old Native American Piper goes to visit her cousins on their tribal land. Once back home, she forms a friendship with her new Indian neighbor, Sumi, who is 4. The two grow close over the next year, so when Piper learns her... Read More

The latest political thriller by Bill Clinton and James Patterson comes alive through the dynamic performances of a skilled team of narrators. The plot revolves around First Gentleman Cole Wright, who is on trial for the unsolved murder of a New England Patriots cheerleader during his days as an NFL star. Spanning the years between the crime and the trial, the story follows... Read More

Author and activist George M. Johnson skillfully narrates their audiobook about several Black queer artists and performers from the Harlem Renaissance. Their lively delivery keeps listeners interested as they share brief biographies of Langston Hughes, Josephine Baker, and other greats of the era. Each chapter is delightfully introduced with music from the period that... Read More

This new space opera is narrated by Savy Des-Etages. Nimah has worked hard to excel as a cadet, and now she's ready to begin her job as an agent for the Stars Intelligence and Government Authority. But her future is threatened when people learn she's the granddaughter of a famous pirate who has been accused of terrorism. Nimah has little choice but to join the motley crew who... Read More

Heidi Franklin infuses this queer romance with blush-worthy sexual tension. Newly single serial dater Taylor Cameron makes a bet with her best friend that she won't sleep with anyone until the end of the summer. Enter Avery Jensen, who is also newly single and looking to venture into dating again. Taylor offers to tutor Avery in flirting, and the rest is history. Franklin's... Read More

Soneela Nankani delivers a heartwarming performance of this romance novel set in Houston. D.C. lawyer Meena is on a mission to finally divorce her husband, Nikhil, whom she hasn't seen or spoken to in years. They got married on a whim in Las Vegas years earlier, but now Meena is ready to move on. When a massive hurricane forces Meena to seek refuge with her ex, they have the... Read More

Thanks to Amy Scanlon's virtuosic narration, paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey's personal and professional lives become historical fiction at its finest. Her story ranges from the 1930s, when she was in her 20s, to the 1970s, when she was a cigar-smoking scientist in her 70s. Listeners hear Mary fall in love with Louis as she illustrates his books on human evolution. The story... Read More

Sparkling wit, ingenious plotting, and a superb performance by Elizabeth Knowelden make this debut novel a listening joy. As WWII threatens, a fundraising gala for the Women's Voluntary Service is held at Sir Henry Heathcote's manor. The period's four most popular mystery novelists, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, act as hosts. All goes... Read More

Barrie Kreinik narrates a sci-fi story that mixes alien politics with communication mishaps. Dalton is the first representative to join Unity--a galactic confederation of various species--but he fumbles through his first assignment with an alien soldier known as "Stickman." Kreinik moves smoothly through the varied accents of characters. Conversations between Dalton and the... Read More

Narrator Cynthia Farrell has demonstrated her versatility over a wide range of subjects and genres. She--like her present topic--embraces material but doesn't intrude, and is thrifty, ingenious, and reliable. The Franklin stove, today a relic of history, was in its time a revolution in domestic life, and its story provides an unexpectedly rich and compelling perspective on... Read More

Golden Voice narrator Juliet Stevenson's skills shine in this memoir by the former chancellor of Germany. Angela Merkel's father, who was a Protestant pastor, moved her family from West Germany to the DDR when she was just weeks old. Her recollections of growing up in the East, especially of being a pastor's child, are quite fascinating. In many ways this is a typical memoir of... Read More

Versatile performances by Amanda Troop and A.W. Miller heighten the drama in this Parisian getaway. When Taylor Quinn checks into a Paris hotel alone for her honeymoon, she busies herself by observing newlyweds Cassie Quinn and Olivier, a Frenchman who is desperate for an American visa. Troop brings depth to her portrayals of the conflict-averse Taylor and the manipulative... Read More

Golden Voice Cassandra Campbell narrates this story told almost entirely in dialogue. It takes place at a major New York City museum and spans 24 hours, beginning at 5 a.m. on the day of an important fundraising gala. The various characters grapple with dramas both personal and professional. Campbell creates distinct voices for the vulnerable director, her overworked assistant,... Read More

Lauren Graham's approachable yet flawed performance gives voice to this ironically titled exploration of family, love, loss, and secrets. The Endicott siblings--Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude--who once enjoyed a close bond, have not seen each other in three years. Their estrangement plays out in chapters alternating across both time and characters as they are brought together... Read More

Sarah Slimani gives an engaging and often funny performance of this satirical debut novel. Nadia is a London lecturer who, after writing an academic article about the deradicalization of ISIS brides, takes a job in Iraq to head a UN program to repatriate those women to their homes. Slimani captures the many layers of the novel, which uses satire as a vehicle to explore... Read More

Narrator Nicolette McKenzie conjures a stifled and decaying world in this unusual dystopian story. Aging sisters Evelyn and Lily have been alone together for longer than they can remember, tending their garden despite a growing dysregulation of time and the seasons. The appearance of a boy inside the supposedly secure wall surrounding their property throws everything about the... Read More

Mesmi Chu narrates this fantasy infused with Chinese folktales. A lion couple and their cub, Jin, guard the Old City Gate, the entry to their unseen world of stone spirits, Gongshi, who protect the modern city's residents. Jin shirks that responsibility; he resents his father's devotion to duty and the Sacred Sphere that binds their worlds. Chu highlights Jin's selfishness with... Read More

This audiobook is a carefully crafted blend of a classic amateur detective story and a beloved literary classic. Listeners again have the opportunity to cavort with Jay Gatsby and his hedonistic cronies at the mansion in West Egg. In this retelling of Gatsby's story, he's not found dead in his pool, but rather his guest, Tom Buchanan, is shot dead on Gatsby's boat. Narrator... Read More

Harrison Knights narrates TJ Alexander's debut historical romance. Needing to keep up appearances while in London for the season, eccentric Lord Christopher Eden reluctantly hires James Harding as his valet. Knights captures Christopher's somewhat persnickety nature, as well as the aching loneliness that causes him to make deeply awkward overtures of friendship toward his new... Read More

Joe Mantegna's calm, resonant voice conveys authority with minimal effort. It's the ideal voice for Chili Palmer, a loan shark who eschews violence when recovering debts. Palmer has fallen in with several morally ambiguous Hollywood types, including Harry Zim, the producer of B-movie exploitation flicks; the Bear, a former stuntman; and Bo Catlett, a drug-dealing movie... Read More

This audiobook follows three magically gifted siblings who reunite after the death of their father, a tech mogul. Each is vying for control of the family legacy. Meredith is a brilliant yet fraudulent biotech mogul, Arthur is a young congressman facing political and personal collapse, and Eilidh is a former ballerina working a forgettable job at their father's company. As old... Read More

Vanessa Johansson delivers a captivating performance of this dark romantic thriller, expertly transitioning among French, Romanian, and American accents. Maarja was scarred by a childhood tragedy involving her mother and mob boss Benoit Arundel. Later in her life she meets Dante Arundel at his family mansion through her job as a fine arts mover. Maarja's trauma has left her... Read More

Jane Oppenheimer provides a tone of truthfulness to this historical novel highlighting the friction between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr as they seek to defend a murder suspect in 1800s America. Levi Weeks is accused of murdering Emma Sands, a lively young woman who disappeared from her boardinghouse. Lawyers Hamilton and Burr have political aspirations as each tries to... Read More

Golden Voice narrator Cassandra Campbell tells the WWII story of two childhood friends, Hilde and Hannah, whose lives converge in a "model camp" for Jews, Theresienstadt. The camp is described in Nazi propaganda as Hitler's "gift to the Jews"--however, it's actually a concentration camp with dehumanizing work, scant food, and harsh punishments. Hilde, an aspiring filmmaker and... Read More

Eliot Sumner narrates a genre-defying near-future novel that often seems like a fairytale. Two children, Briar and Rose, are left to fend for themselves with just a few cans of food in what is most likely rural Britain. Their free-thinking mother is missing, and they fear the government will find them before she does. The story is told in Smith's signature stunning prose, which... Read More

Anthony Rey Perez's adaptability as a narrator is showcased in this crime story/police procedural, the first unabridged audio version of Elmore Leonard's 1985 breakout novel, GLITZ. Perez masters the snappy dialogue--including accents native to Puerto Rico, Miami, Atlantic City, and Detroit--and his hushed delivery aligns with one of Leonard's darkest crime stories. When... Read More

Listeners soon realize that Glory Broussard is not your typical amateur sleuth. She's Black, bright, bold, brash, and the most notorious busybody in Lafayette, Louisiana. In this mystery, her second adventure, Glory is looking for the murderer of her ex-husband. In addition to seeking clues, Glory must organize the Mardi Gras gala for the Red Hat society while mending... Read More

Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick's playful narration captures the shenanigans in this romance between the spare Prince of Christmas and the Crown Prince of St. Patrick's Day. One shamrock is the only clue left behind when Kris Claus and his brother, Coal, discover someone is siphoning the joy of Christmas, the source of their magic, out from under their noses. To get it back, Kris sets... Read More

Author/narrator William Dalrymple shares his fascination with the remarkable history of India's profound worldwide intellectual influence. His idiosyncratic and charming British speech and manner, along with his amiability and intelligence, are engaging throughout. His pacing and phrasing are natural, unaffected, and dictated by the material. He varies longish pauses--which... Read More

Jeff Chu, an ordained minister in The Reformed Church in America, narrates the story of his experiences at Princeton Theological Seminary, also known as its "Farminary." Working the land and forming connections with strangers there informed his intellectual and spiritual lives. A journalist prior to seminary, Chu still writes, and both journalist and preacher are evident in his... Read More

This first novel in a Christian fiction trilogy introduces Sasha Renee Billingsly, who has been searching for true love her whole life as a result of having been raised by a distant and cold father. Narrator Bahni Turpin recounts Sasha's life, complete with internal dialogue that illuminates her many mistakes. The novel is funny, sad, and relatable. Sasha really doesn't want to... Read More

Edwin Bancroft Henderson--E.B.--was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017. Amir Abdullah narrates Henderson's grandson's account of his grandfather's life with enthusiasm and admiration that echo the campaign for his induction. His namesake recounts how E.B. introduced basketball to Black students in Washington, DC, played center himself, and helped the... Read More

Dorothy Wordsworth may not have had the gift for words that her brother William did, but she was a very good descriptive writer. Sarah Lambie brings her to life with a charming and appropriate Northern English accent. The listener gets a vivid portrait of country life in rural England at the beginning of the nineteenth century and some interesting background on the lives and... Read More

Golden Voice narrator Julia Whelan delights listeners with this heartfelt contemporary romance. Alice Scott is optimistic about her writing--always hoping for a big break. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hayden Anderson is a grumpy enigma. Both find themselves on Little Crescent Island for the same reason: They're competing to write the biography of an elusive heiress, the... Read More

Dickens is one of those classic authors whose works are wonderfully suited to the audiobook format. With strong dialogue, unexpected plot twists, and a wide array of characters, this production is superb, thanks to British actor Stephen Fry's expert narration. His exuberant performance brings Pip's coming-of-age story to life with glorious British accents. Dickens is well-known... Read More

Seth Numrich narrates this classic Jazz Age novel with an introduction by Jesmyn Ward, foreword by Eleanor Lanahan, and afterword by James L.W. West III. The story follows the mysterious Jay Gatsby through the eyes of Nick Carraway, and Nick's cousin, Daisy. Numrich captures Nick's optimism and Daisy's softness with his lively narration. Excelling at long passages full of... Read More

Nigerian author Funmi Fetto's narration anchors this wide-ranging collection of short stories with a steady, immersive presence. She modulates her voice to reflect the unique emotional terrain of each character. Fetto makes it easy to distinguish between Ifeoma's escalating tension as she tries to leave her abusive husband, Nkechi's cautious resilience, and Riliwa's evolving... Read More

Jolene Kim narrates this sci-fi heist audiobook steeped in Hawaiian culture and language. Edie spent eight years in prison after their partner, Angel, sold them out. But Angel has one more job, and Edie's family back home on Kepler space station needs their support. Kim's voice is pleasantly low and unhurried, steeping listeners in the rich setting and slow-paced writing style.... Read More

Talented narrators Clare Corbett and Melanie Crawley deliver a haunting ghost story that shifts between 1776 and the present day. Corbett gives illiterate Hettie Gale a sharp West Country accent as she recounts her life and death in the late 1700s. Hettie's story alternates with that of soft-toned Alice McKenna, performed by Crawley. In the present time, Alice searches for her... Read More

Bahni Turpin and Ashley J. Hobbs dazzle with their performance of this historical novel inspired by true events. When Nikki drives into the mountains of North Carolina to visit her grandmother for the first time, she doesn't know what to expect. Soon, she's learning all about her ancestor, Luella, who was queen of a small kingdom there called Happy Land. Hobbs narrates from... Read More

Imagine a world in which Harriet Tubman and four of her compatriots enter the present time to tell their own stories on the hip-hop stage. Then imagine this same story expresses empathy for being queer in the US and in the hip-hop music scene. Listeners may know author/narrator Bob The Drag Queen from "RuPaul's Drag Race" or from HBO's "We're Here," and he does not disappoint... Read More

Narrator Beverley A. Crick transports listeners to England just after the Napoleonic Wars. Jonathan, Duke of Leighton, has returned home after having been held captive for years in France with his mentor, Morris. When Morris was on his deathbed, Jonathan promised he would look after Morris's daughter, Victoria, and see that she married. Crick gives crisp British accents to... Read More

Will Damron brings alive FBI Agent Gardner Camden and the rest of the elite team of unconventional agents in the Patterns & Recognition Unit. They must race against time to hunt down a serial killer who is targeting other serial killers. Damron's strong narration creates a group of likable and believable characters. In particular, he draws out the thoroughly analytical... Read More

Andre Santana and Annalee Scott portray dueling chapters in this survival story. Estranged childhood friends Tuck Mattice, an ex-con, and Emily Swanson, a pop star, coldly reunite after 13 years. Tuck's new job as the singer's bodyguard is over before it can begin when their plane crashes. Now they must figure out what has happened to the world they once knew as they trudge... Read More

A cast of eight narrators, including the author himself, portray the 21 residents of a small town in Ireland who are featured in this exploration of a community in transition. Seven of the narrators have Irish brogues, and one has an English accent. The performances range from a very feminine sounding set of characterizations of younger women by Toni O'Rourke, a more... Read More

A full cast tells the story of missing hiker Valerie Gillis and the extensive search to bring her home. When 42-year-old Valerie Gillis goes missing from the Appalachian Trail in Maine, game warden Beverly jumps into action to bring her home. Hundreds of miles away, an elderly woman named Lena begins to piece together what may have happened to Valerie, based on the strange... Read More

January LaVoy draws the listener into the story of Sloan Cooper, a natural resources police officer. Sloan has returned home to recuperate after having been shot. At the same time, Nash Littlefield and his brother, Theo, have moved to Heron's Rest to start a contracting business. While recovering, Sloan becomes interested in missing persons cases. It turns out the missing have... Read More

In this raw and poetic memoir, Sarah Aziza traces her own history of anorexia, trauma, and hospitalization alongside her family's history of occupation, violence, and displacement from Palestine. The beauty of Aziza's remarkable prose becomes apparent in her narration, which is quiet, vulnerable, and utterly compelling. There is a lot of Arabic scattered throughout; often Aziza... Read More

Gareth Armstrong and Michael Fenner portray Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson, along with their archenemy, Moriarty, and the psychopath Colonel Sebastian Moran. The surprise in this story is that the four are working together against the forces of evil. Armstrong and Fenner's distinctive tones make the plot easy to follow, and they cope well with the cast of... Read More

Award-winning author Matt de la Peña warmly narrates his children's audiobook, which ponders the meaning of home. The story begins with soft music. While home can be thought of simply as a physical house, de la Peña's melodic prose points out that home can also be gestures of love from our families, such as a mother's note in a lunch box or an abuelita's sharing of secrets... Read More

Elena Rey ably voices a bustling cast of humans and monsters in this sequel to THE SCHOOL FOR INVISIBLE BOYS. Here, 12-year-old Kairos agent Sam Osborne takes center stage when he's assigned to find the papers of a deceased operative. Embedding in Seattle with his family, Sam assumes the identity of a Texas cousin, a device that allows Rey to slip nimbly between accents. She's... Read More

As Kevin R. Free deftly narrates this 1928 bestseller with understated ease, the strength, newfound artistic freedoms, and dizzying magic of the Harlem Renaissance come to life. The Roaring Twenties roar loudly in wonderfully vivid descriptions of gambling, prostitution, cutting-edge jazz, and perfectly groomed mobsters, but it's the story of a job-hopping down-on-his-luck... Read More

Dan Bittner's narration pairs nostalgia for American baseball with an incisive examination of the game today. Throughout the summer season of 2022, listeners follow the fortunes of a town whose MLB affiliation was removed in 2020 as part of a 25% downsizing of minor league baseball. In an effort to retain local baseball in Batavia, New York, new owners purchased the Batavia... Read More

Fred Sanders narrates clearly, does accents credibly, shares data faithfully, and tells stories with a fine tone and tempo. Weisman's science-driven audiobook ranges around the world to find individuals who are working on innovative projects aimed at saving species and habitats to mitigate climate change. Weisman profiles individuals who are making a difference. They include... Read More

Emily Woo Zeller delivers a sharp and nimble performance of this offbeat romantic comedy. Joannie has the opportunity to revive a childhood crush on an unpredictable guy or proceed with the dependable guy next door. Golden Voice Zeller balances the tangled web of relationships with clarity, adapting her delivery to reflect the shifting dynamics of a dizzying list of sound-alike... Read More

Mimi Kwa narrates her memoir tracing her family's journey from China to Hong Kong and then to suburban Australia with unflinching candor. At the heart of the story is a legal dispute over the estate of Kwa's beloved Aunt Theresa, which leads to a long history of family tensions. Kwa unravels this history with humor and grace, beginning with her father, Francis, one of 32... Read More

Adam Barr offers a solid narration of this audiobook about backyard conservation. In his 2007 book, BRINGING NATURE HOME, ecologist Douglas Tallamy described the relationship between native plants and native birds and insects. In this audiobook, Tallamy uses a question-and-answer format to provide easy-to-follow ways individual homeowners and gardeners can have a significant... Read More

In a fast-paced world in which everyone wants quick answers, Elizabeth Weingarten's goal is to help listeners turn their struggles with uncertainty into pivotal moments for growth. Sadly, narrator Lauren Ezzo's pleasant but monotonous delivery undercuts this audiobook's dynamic energy. As listeners are advised to embrace uncertainty as a conduit for creativity and personal... Read More

This deeply personal and powerful memoir, though witty and snarky, has a bittersweet tone and an often self-critical pose. Political journalist and TV commentator Jong-Fast is a hyper-aware writer whose famous mother, Erica Jong, the author of FEAR OF FLYING, was a narcissistic drunk with little time for her daughter. In this meditation on fame, Jong-Fast explores midlife... Read More

As this dynamic guide to space exploration begins, narrator Melinda Sewak blasts off with a brief history of astronauts around the world and their contributions. Overall, this audiobook encourages listeners to consider what life might be like on the moon. Sewak's enthusiastic narration is paired with instrumental music that changes to match the topic under discussion; a variety... Read More

Japanese narrator Yuriri Naka's penetrating narration of this International Booker Prize longlisted audiobook will grip listeners. In her debut novella, Saou Ichikawa, who suffers from a congenital muscle disorder, has fashioned a persuasive denunciation of Japan's cultural insensitivity toward disabled persons. Its main character, Shaka, a 40-something woman who suffers from... Read More

In a short audio program Clint Hurdle, former player and manager in Major League Baseball, offers 25 nuggets of wisdom gleaned from the sport. In an enthusiastic and almost impish tone, narrator Chris Sorensen presents the lessons, such as: Don't keep score (1), build the house (14), and celebrate others' successes (25). In the preface, Hurdle lists each bit of wisdom, and in... Read More

Author, broadcast journalist, and JFK's niece, Maria Shriver also served as California's first lady. Here she offers a heartfelt "sort of memoir,'' which is supplemented by her personal, occasionally cryptic, poetry. Shriver's performance is polished, varied in pace and tone, easy on the ears, and moving. Poems reflect a life of major accomplishments and wealth advantages but... Read More

In Nell's family young women receive magic at the age of 15. Hayley Chewins narrates her novel in verse in quiet tones that make this remarkable story seem perfectly normal. Chewins's native South African accent helps listeners imagine the Cape Town setting where Nell's mother shifts her age from one day to the next and her sister is institutionalized for self-harm as she tries... Read More

Hazel Addison's dramatic delivery guarantees a laugh-out-loud experience for those who listen to this wacky romance. Just when Dory is about to earn her PhD in wildlife biology, she's attacked by a lion-- only to be saved via alien abduction. Now on an unfamiliar planet, Dory and her new best friend, Toto, a talking lion, navigate their dangerous new environment, which is full... Read More

Richard E. Grant showcases the compelling life of legendary restaurateur Keith McNally, who does not shy away from the complicated stories that make up his life and choices. Having started out in the film industry, McNally discovered true theater in building successful restaurants, including New York's Balthazar, where the right environment and staff made the perfect dining... Read More

John Kenney's latest novel successfully walks a tightrope between dark humor and genuine warmth, and Sean Patrick Hopkins's narration provides the necessary balance. Bud Stanley is a newspaper writer who one night drunkenly writes and publishes his own obituary, setting in motion a grimly amusing series of events. Hopkins's even tone perfectly conveys Bud's sarcastic wit, as... Read More

Set sail with Andi Arndt and Patrick Zeller as they delight listeners with this heartfelt enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance. When Josie, an elementary school nurse, shows up for her annual summer vacation with her brother, she finds herself stuck with her brother's best friend. Wyatt is a grumpy pro hockey player who is currently healing from an injury. When Josie learns... Read More

Women have often been considered muses to famous artists, providing inspiration for great works of art. However, some of these very women have been great talents in their own right with gifts that were overlooked. Narrator Traci Odom makes an enthusiastic call for listeners to recognize the importance of championing women. Odom's narration is casual but impassioned as she makes... Read More

Angel Pean narrates Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles's memoir with the right emotional tone and clear enunciation while getting across the frustration endured by the young, Black gymnast. Pean's tone captures the challenges faced by Chiles: systemic racism, a dysfunctional and overbearing coach, and the incredible incident of the Bronze medal being stripped from her. Pean's voice... Read More

Phil Dunster's narration draws listeners into this mystery revolving around the now illegal collection of birds' eggs. The story is based in Yorkshire, England, in the 1920s and then jumps to current times. Listeners follow the journey of a rare egg that is found by a girl who risks her life by joining the many men who are precariously dangled over the edges of cliffs to obtain... Read More

Part memoir, part biography, part poetry, part science, part history-- this audiobook defies a simple description. Mia Hutchinson-Shaw offers a practical, no-nonsense narration of a wide-ranging work. Her pace is consistent, and her voice is clear and thoughtful as she moves through Christle's text. Transitions among the many narrative turns are fine--if often sharp and... Read More

Golden Voice Nicholas Boulton gives yet another excellent performance in this second part of Gorky's three-part autobiography. Sometimes titled in English "My Apprenticeship," this work, published in 1916, covers his youth and is as unsentimental as the first part, MY CHILDHOOD. Boulton is superb--as he is in all the many other Naxos classics of Russian literature that he's... Read More

Passion fills this story narrated by Malik Rashad about 12-year-old baseball fanatic Timothy "Pumpsie" Strickland. Pumpsie and his soft- spoken mom, Donya, share a love for their local team, the Nashville Wildcats. One of five kids, Pumpsie feels overlooked and is sometimes defensive, muttering during uncomfortable conversations. After his confident sister, Tiana, films a... Read More

Candace Fitzgerald narrates the story of Addy, a 12-year-old from a remote mountain town who has studied her whole life for this one summer at a survival camp. But when a superstorm knocks out the power of the whole county and a flash flood destroys the one bridge out of town, she might not be able to get to camp in time. What's more important--taking care of her traumatized... Read More

British nature writer Macfarlane travels to Ecuador, India, and Quebec, Canada, to affirmatively answer the question that the title poses. He explores, explains, and experiences the dark fate of some urban rivers, as well as the grandeur of unspoiled waterways. The Cambridge Fellow's British accent gives the text a kind of authority. He narrates in a poetic enrapt style,... Read More

Canadian disability activist and YouTube sensation Molly Burke delivers an upbeat narration that draws listeners into her memoir. Burke's style is so warmly infectious that listeners will feel like they're chatting with a friend. At age 14, Burke lost most of her eyesight to an aggressive form of retinitis pigmentosa. Yet her drive and determination led her to become an... Read More

Chris Addison provides a BBC-quality narration of this insightful songwriter bro-mance. Addison's relaxed performance is colorful and sincere, ideal for exploring the collaborative relationship of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The audiobook methodically presents these two confederates' musical and personal trajectories, starting with Paul's audition for John's band, the... Read More

Narrator Yu-Li Alice Shen delivers a wild, bingeable listening experience in this fast-paced debut. Identical twins Julie and Chloe, who lost their parents at age 4, grew up worlds apart. Julie, who was raised by their miserable, greedy aunt, works a dead-end job, while Chloe, who was adopted by a wealthy family, lives a life of luxury and is a popular influencer. One day,... Read More

Narrators Connor Crais and Samantha Cook combine their talents to tell of the romance that sparks between artist Fallon Sterling and lawyer Noah Powers. The pair meet when Noah's twin daughters run off and end up in the gallery where Fallon works. Both narrators give the girls playful voices matching their mischievous personalities. Crais provides a deeply masculine tone for... Read More

Vikas Adam narrates this second book in the Valerius Mysteries series, which is set in ancient Rome and features investigator Aemilius Valerius. As playwrights, poets, and artists prepare for Nero's birthday celebration, a poet is attacked, and Valerius must solve the case. Concurrently, a bloodless corpse is found, and Junius Atreus must find the murderer. The two friends work... Read More