The much anticipated sequel to THE 6:20 MAN immerses listeners in the murder of Jenny Silkwell, a CIA operative who had returned to her hometown in coastal Maine to settle unfinished business. Narrator Zachary Webber leads the ensemble cast of Tiffany Smith, Will Collyer, Erin Cottrell, and Erin Bennett. Under the guise of being a federal agent, Travis Devine comes to town and... Read More
Narrators Ell Potter and Michael Dodds return for the second book in the Emily Wilde series. Bambleby's marriage proposal lingers in Emily's mind as she works on her next project--a comprehensive map of the faerie realms. Assassins sent by his murderous mother complicate matters, so the two travel to the Austrian Alps to find the door to Bambleby's faerie realm. Potter narrates... Read More
Mary Beard's audiobook examines the various roles of the emperor during the first three hundred years of the Roman Empire. Her voice and British accent are pleasant, and a slight lisp is not distracting. Her delivery can be a bit slow, but the pace helps comprehension and is easy to get used to. She smoothly matches tone, emphasis, and the shaping of phrases to the text while... Read More
Four men, four environmental philosophies, three wilderness settings. From these various and, at times, competing perspectives, author John McPhee weaves a deep debate over how to best protect the future of the planet and humanity. Grover Gardner's clear, conversational narration makes these sometimes complex discussions easy for listeners to follow. There's no false drama, but... Read More
Sarah Lohman is a surprisingly effective narrator of her thoughtful audiobook. She narrates with a pointed reportorial style and measured cadence that suit this text on vanishing foods. She does Native accents impressively in sections on the Navajo (Diné) and Choctaw people. And she's an active participant in the journey to test and taste foods identified by the Ark of Taste,... Read More
As he narrates Willie Nelson's thoughts on 160 or so of his songs, listeners could forget they're listening to actor Ethan Hawke. With a gruff voice and a touch of a Texas twang, Hawke recounts the story of the poker game that inspired "Good Hearted Woman" and the sudden debut of "Wake Me When It's Over." Nelson's lyrics are narrated by Hawke, rather than sung, but listeners... Read More
Narrator Carlotta Brentan transports listeners to a private island in coastal Maine, where a group of friends united by hidden secrets meet to celebrate an engagement. Brentan's talented performance builds the tension in this Christie-esque locked-room mystery as the deeply unpleasant characters find that the consequences of previous actions are fast catching up with them.... Read More
Renowned VILLAGE VOICE dance critic Deborah Jowitt has written an informative biography of the legendary modern dance choreographer, performer, and teacher Martha Graham. Erin Bennett delivers a sophisticated yet relaxed performance of the text. Three cheers for an enchanting effort so well matched to the book at hand. Bennett's tone and intonation are solid--in all respects... Read More
Saddle up with narrators Rachel Jacobs and Tristan Wright as they take listeners to the Texas panhandle for a heartfelt cowboy romance. Nineteen-year-old bull rider Case Michaels is trying to keep it together after the death of his best friend, Walker. Walker left Case a list of things to accomplish. One of those tasks is befriending Winnie Sutton, a sassy ranch hand who works... Read More
Murderbot's fourth adventure is brought to life by a team of talented voice actors and subtle sound effects. Murderbot has traveled far and wide through the universe in an attempt to understand itself and its programming. For a sentient robot programmed to kill, Murderbot has become surprisingly human and decides to help its owner by facing down a deadly corporation. David Cui... Read More
Golden Voice Narrator Julia Whelan creates an intimate and immediate listening experience in this contemporary audiobook featuring the California landscape. Thirty-three-year-old Daphne, an assistant to a movie producer, is searching for love. Whelan takes listeners through Daphne's romantic history with one unusual twist: At the start of each relationship, Daphne mysteriously... Read More
Ethan Hawke delivers a spectacular performance of Dave Eggers's 2024 Newbery Medal-winning middle-grade animal story in which Eggers assures us, ". . . the dogs are dogs, the birds are birds, goats are goats, the bison bison." Hawke is more than up to the task of interpreting the rich, complex language describing creatures who, along with three penned bison, maintain the... Read More
Bahni Turpin narrates a West African-inspired romance blended with high fantasy. After a falling out with their chieftain, elven sisters Yeeran and Lettle wind up in fae lands and must adapt if they hope to survive. Turpin portrays elder sister Yeeran, a battle-hardened warrior, as proud and energetic, always ready to take charge. In contrast, younger sister Lettle is training... Read More
Kansas student Dee Gale transfers to Trinity College, Dublin, in this contemporary retelling of THE WIZARD OF OZ, narrated by Rachel L. Jacobs. Dee's friends, Irishman Sam Clery and Brit Tim Woodman, are portrayed by Damian Gildea and Christian Coulson. Jacobs expresses Dee's anguish as she recovers from an inappropriate relationship with a member of her former university's... Read More
Samantha Summers and Joe Arden combine their talents to share the romance between shape-shifting doctors Mackenzie Carter and Noah Taylor. Noah has never disclosed his status as an Alpha. When someone reports him to the hospital board, he turns to Mackenzie to pose as his fake mate. Mackenzie has a fun-loving personality, and Summers brings that out with a lightness in her... Read More
In this second audiobook featuring Detective Harriet Foster, a serial killer in Chicago is killing the city's aldermen. Narrator Chanté McCormick has a strong no-nonsense tone that suits the sharp detective, who has recently lost her son in a senseless murder. McCormick also creates appropriate voices for the various other police officers and for the murder suspect. McCormick's... Read More
High school senior Whit is still reeling from a summer filled with medical appointments and tests in this audiobook narrated by Victoria Villarreal. Whit has PCOS, a condition that causes uncomfortable body changes. All she wants is to throw herself into organizing the Fall Fest, the event at which her grandparents fell in love decades earlier. Unfortunately, she is forced to... Read More
Those who listen to this audiobook will learn that Tolstoy was wrong when he said happy families are all alike. There are many kinds of happy families, and they appear in all sorts of configurations here. The novel's focus is on adoption and how it is a positive, uplifting choice for those concerned. The liquid, uplifting voice of Patti Murin tells the story of actress India... Read More
George Newbern narrates Elinor Lipman's entertaining comedy with zest and an appreciation of its mix of improbability and realism. The blend of screwball and social humor focuses on Henry, a sympathetic retired lawyer who came out as gay late in life. His comfortable life on New York's Upper West Side is upended by a needy ex-wife, a handsome home design expert who lives with a... Read More
Joshua Wichard is phenomenal at narrating this endearing novel, which captures a poignant time in a teenager's life. Thirteen-year-old Houston lives with his single mom and younger brother, Robbie, who has cystic fibrosis. The boys share a dream of traveling to the moon one day, just like their estranged grandpa. Hard work pays off, and Houston is accepted to the Junior... Read More
Wayne Mitchell ensures that sparks fly as romance develops between Jedidiah Stephens and Memphis Osborn. When Memphis buys a campground in the Colorado Rockies, Jedidiah shows up to work as a "handyman." But what she really wants is to find out the truth about the fire that killed her family--and she's already discovered it's got something to do with that campground. When... Read More
This posthumously published novel, a meditation on death, has a dark side, but Eunice Wong's performance balances its undercurrent of grief with buoyant energy that will have listeners rooting for its antiheroes. A comatose Korean cello aficionado named Alma has ambivalent memories of her relationship with Daniel, a white violinist. Daniel, meanwhile, finds himself locked in a... Read More
As a founding member of the Evolving Faith movement, Sarah Bessey, with her charming Canadian accent and self-deprecating humor, is an ideal escort for the story of her journey from stalwart churchgoer to skeptic and back again--sort of. Bessey's original faith was built by a church unshakable in its exclusionary doctrine, and when that failed her, she was left rejected,... Read More
Narrator Henriette Zoutomou entices the listener into this story of frenemies who conduct a fake romance. Charity Simmons is a baker and part owner of a cat café; Will Schwartz is a marketing executive. Charity needs a boyfriend in order to stop her parents from trying to match her up with men they deem "appropriate." She turns to Will for help. Zoutomou provides Charity's... Read More
Listeners will be convinced there's a full cast delivering this fast-paced thriller. Yet it's just one narrator, Saskia Maarleveld, who masterfully voices all the characters, male and female, Southern and not. Evie Porter has many names and personas she has adopted for her work for the mysterious Mr. Smith. Evie is a criminal with a heart and a conscience. The narrative goes... Read More
Reams of paperwork, tasteless breakfast cereals, and corporate branding--what else would you take to space? With his natural ease and a large dollop of deadpan silliness, Scott Brick takes the listener on the maiden voyage of the GP GALLANT two hundred light-years into the cosmos in search of untapped, uncharted sales territories. As the crew of misfits stumble upon an alien... Read More
Beth Eyre and Chris Harper share the narration of Frear's precarious story. Ellen leads a seemingly perfect life with her husband, three children, and luxurious house in Britain. When she receives a letter threatening retribution for past deeds, she must identify the culprit while keeping her secrets and maintaining her social status. Eyre narrates the chapters involving female... Read More
Gisela Chípe and Liliana Montenegro provide nuanced alternating narrations in this contemporary audiobook about a strained mother-daughter relationship. Chípe portrays 30-something Monica Yolanda Flores, who shares a Brooklyn apartment with her recently widowed Peruvian-born mother, Paula. Chípe adeptly conveys Flores's sorrow and longing for deeper connections beyond her... Read More
Mari Oyaizu Carson enthusiastically brings to life the delightfully eccentric inhabitants of a senior mobile home park. At the outset, Stewart Johnson and his daughter determine that he's a good fit for living there--even though the well-rendered perky saleswoman irritates Stewart. As time passes, nosy neighbors are intrusive, and bigmouth Suzy unhesitatingly shares advice. But... Read More
Midnite Michael's achievement is capturing the spirit of a classic Western while at the same time giving this biographical novel a contemporary feel. Thompson tells the story of Bass Reeves. Born enslaved just before the Civil War, Reeves grew to become a celebrated U.S. marshal. Reeves, an expert marksman from a young age, was forced to endure abuse by his enslaver as he took... Read More
While narrator Jennifer Pickens wrings all the passion she can out of this novelized life of Henry David Thoreau, the audiobook keeps its focus firmly on Thoreau's inner world, especially his relationship with nature. Although that relationship is active, it is not dramatic. Thoreau may have been thrilled to discover a climbing fern, but few listeners will share his excitement.... Read More
Mara Wilson and Emil Benjamin narrate a second-chance romance. Hannah Rosenstein and Levi Matthews were each other's first love and first heartbreak. After five years apart, can they rekindle their relationship? Wilson captures Hannah's anxieties over her job, her life, her relationship with Levi--anxiety about everything, really--but never lets it overwhelm Hannah as a person.... Read More
Desean Terry gives a compelling--if sometimes flat--performance of a twisted tale of a powerful queer, Black "Chosen One." After being unexpectedly enrolled at Regent Academy, Douglas learns he's the only one capable of breaking a centuries-long curse that stems from a nearby forest. But with the deceitful school headmaster on one side of the curse and a terrifying apparition... Read More
What starts out sounding like chick-lit fluff, soon takes on the gravitas of a tangled, engrossing mystery. Narrator Stephanie Cannon delivers the bright enthusiasm of Rosie, a senior at Yale and a member of the elite equestrian team. When new girl Annelise, a superb rider and a gifted tarot card reader, joins the team, jealousy, bitterness, and classism overtake the genial... Read More
For those who think today's political climate is more partisan than ever, this audiobook will reveal how political disagreements and competing philosophies on the best way to move the nation forward have always been part of our history. Robert Fass brings to this engaging and enlightening history a measured tone that is just right. He captures what must have been highly charged... Read More
James Babson and Amy Hutchins are the perfect pair for this flirtatious rom-com. Ellie's reputation on small Fernley Island is damaged after her cheating ex-fiancé, Jason, sways public opinion in his favor. Ellie uses the island's odd jobs app to hire the local mechanic to assist in her plan to take Jason down for his many misdeeds. When the mechanic sends his nephew, Hugh,... Read More
Shayna Small delivers a variety of accents as a group of New Yorkers gather on the rooftop of their dilapidated building during the COVID-19 pandemic, telling stories to pass the time. The audiobook features a "pots-and-pans symphony" that applauds the healthcare workers who risk their lives to treat the sick. Small shines in this reboot of another plague novel, Boccaccio's... Read More
This audiobook, set in a fantasy world of dragon riders and war, is truly enhanced by its full-cast narration. Khaya Fraites delivers an outstanding performance as the protagonist, infusing her character's journey with depth and realism. Gabriel Michael, Taylor Coan, and LaMont Ridgell also shine, each lending their unique voice to the vivid storytelling. Despite minor... Read More
In this dramatized adaptation, Khaya Fraites brings to life the character of Violet Sorrengail, and Gabriel Michael embodies Xaden Riorson. Together, they lead a distinguished cast, which includes LaMont Ridgell, Torian Brackett, and Rob McFadyen, through the harrowing world of the Empyrean series. Their performances, augmented by immersive sound effects and cinematic music,... Read More
Author and narrator Yangsze Choo gently narrates this fantasy audiobook about foxes that can transform into dazzlingly beautiful humans. Bao has the ability to tell truths from lies and has been tasked with solving a murder mystery that might involve foxes. Meanwhile, Snow has taken human form and gets a job as a servant, all to aid her in avenging the death of her child. Choo... Read More
Fran Burgoyne depicts a swoony romantasy between a seamstress and a prince. Niamh O Conchobhair has come to Avaland to improve her future, not to fall in love with the one man she cannot have. Kit Carmine, younger son of the king, is engaged to a woman he does not love. Burgoyne demonstrates Niamh's fierce pride in her heritage by giving her a strong accent she refuses to... Read More
James Murtha dynamically narrates this horror story set in the Adirondacks. Listeners meet Frederick, a clever 11-year-old with autism who is desperately trying to win back his former best friend, Cindy, a Bigfoot skeptic. Fred gamely delivers a school report on Bigfoot while enduring his classmates' mockery. Effective sound effects add to the well-rendered atmosphere during... Read More
The latest book by a professor of organizational behavior and a colleague is served well by the upbeat performance of veteran narrator Sean Patrick Hopkins. Much like the principal author's speaking style--a bonus interview with Sutton and his coauthor concludes the production--Hopkins's vocal enthusiasm is prominent but never detracts from the intellectual soundness of these... Read More
Thérèse Plummer narrates the stories of four women in various stages of their lives who have built a strong friendship together. Marnie is a single celebrity cook whose daughter Bella is pregnant. Working for Marnie is her friend Ellen and an intern, Sophia. Plummer depicts the emotional ups and downs of Bella's pregnancy. As Marnie becomes involved in a romance with Sophia's... Read More
André Santana and Meg Sylvan narrate this friends-to-lovers romance with compassion and full-throated emotion. Jesse was a firefighter, but now that a car crash has left him with an injury, he's uncertain about his future. Santana's thoughtful narration provides insight into Jesse's anxiety, quiet nature, and warmth. Lulu, a history professor, is living with her parents after a... Read More
Aven Shore does it again, this time offering a deft, versatile, immersive performance of a genre-bending queer sci-fi Western. The Stranger's ship crashes on a cold and broken Earth; thus begins her long journey to reunite with her love. Each chapter puts another obstacle in her path--a train car murder mystery, a quest to deliver a drug-toting tortoise, a run-in with a... Read More
Bright-voiced Taylor Coan is both the narrator of this story--Ava, a plucky 26-year-old--and Fae. On her birthday, Ava discovers that her human boyfriend is unfaithful. She gets amazingly drunk and insults the Seelie king, Torin, who seeks a wife and queen. Haughty, proud Torin, portrayed by Alex Hill-Knight, must marry to save the Seelie world despite the curse that hangs over... Read More
Listeners will be launched back to the eighteenth century by this audiobook, inspired by the diary of the American midwife and healer Martha Ballard. The story weaves Ballard's journal through Lawhon's thrilling mystery of rape and murder. Jane Oppenheimer gives life to this first-person account, which includes birth, death, rape, and family, as well as the challenges of life... Read More
Carlotta Brentan and Joy Osmanski, both talented and experienced narrators, are a fantastic match for this updated and very American retelling of the myth of Persephone and Demeter. It's set in New York and on a private island over the course of one summer. Brentan voices Cory Ansel, an aimless 18-year-old. Alternate chapters feature the perspective of Cory's mother, Emer, who... Read More
Tara Sky and Jessica Matten narrate this fantasy featuring Winifred, a half-Métis teen who wanders the haunted cemetery near her home at all hours of the night. Sky is the primary narrator as Winifred and her father consider allowing tourists to visit the cemetery in order to save the family's failing business. Matten delivers short segments as Phil, one of the cemetery ghosts,... Read More
Olivier Award-winning actor Alex Jennings performs this story of murder on a remote Greek island. Famed actress Lana Farrar invites her family and close friend to her private island for Easter break. But what starts out as an idyllic vacation ends in murder. The novel is told from the perspective of Elliot Chase, a playwright who is Lana's closest friend. With his ear for... Read More
André Santana artfully re-creates Brazil in the 1920s as he introduces capoeira, a blend of martial arts, dance, acrobatics, music, and spirituality. Listeners meet Salvador Bimba, who advocated for capoeira. Santana enthusiastically delivers lyrical descriptions accompanied by spirited background music, with Indigenous and Portuguese words adding atmosphere. Heartbreaking... Read More
The general of the audiobook title is Grant; Julia is his wife. Gibson Frazier delivers a solid performance of this historical novel. His voice is appealing and plainspoken. His pace is reasonable, with appropriate pauses and subtle character voices that are effective in dialogue. Indeed, there is little to find fault with when it comes to Frazier's narrative skill. The novel,... Read More
Elizabeth Jasicki narrates with upper-class accents that set the tone for this delightful Regency romance. Catriona Campbell juggles her responsibilities as a socialite, suffragist, writer, and her progressive father's only heir to a struggling estate in Scotland. Would it be proper for Catriona to pursue her father's new young colleague, Elias Khoury, and what will she do when... Read More
Journalist Bianca Bosker narrates her witty audiobook about the art world with pizzazz. She has a pleasing sound, paces the sometimes frantic-sounding proceedings well, and comes across as an authentic seeker. Performing in a comic style, she enhances the audiobook's ironic undertone, which suggests that many in the art world see journalists as "the enemy." In this work she... Read More
Narrator John Rubinstein returns to take listeners on a ride-along with psychologist Alex Delaware and Police Lieutenant Milo Sturgis as they solve another complicated crime. Rubinstein has perfected the voices of Milo and Alex, while skillfully performing secondary characters male and female, including a precocious male teenager. This 39th addition to the series provides... Read More
After personally struggling with anxiety over uncertainties in her life, business consultant and life coach Allison Carmen offers a short but precise discussion of how to face challenging times with positivity. Exuding a comfortable air and a feminine persona, narrator Kim Niemi delivers the author's mindset on the importance of being present and recognizing that what is... Read More
Jane Oppenheimer's challenge in narrating this audiobook is to capture emotions that range from utter frustration to seething anger. All those feelings fuel protagonist Daphne Gauge, who frantically seeks the truth about what happened to missing boys from her hometown. As the story unfolds and Daphne deals with her past and present, Oppenheimer shifts between vengeful bullies... Read More
The chemistry between narrators Tyla Collier and Benjamin Charles is unmistakable in their compelling performance. Kayla is finally living her dream of becoming a rock star, but amid the glow of fame comes an unexpectedly public lifestyle. This and her budding romance with her tour bus driver, Ty, are making her life complicated but exciting. The unique romantic setup and the... Read More
Stacy Gonzalez performs a dystopian novel set in a near-future America in which government-sponsored counseling centers treat radical behavior. Riley continues her family's practice of speaking out in the face of injustice and winds up in an renewal center for mandatory reeducation. Gonzalez imbues her performance with a surprising brightness that contrasts with the... Read More
Successfully conveying teenage angst, David Lee Huynh infuses his performance with longing and youthful doubt as he delivers the story of Gary Võ. Gary and his best friend would do anything to be popular in high school. Then the notorious "Rooster Club" learns that Gary has befriended the most beautiful girl in school, Gloria. They challenge Gary to steal something from Gloria... Read More
Listeners meet Glory, voiced by Bahni Turpin with all the sass, spark, and cantankerousness written into this story. Glory is a hoarder (or maybe not?) and a bookie (definitely). Now her daughter has arrived to help her sort through her house and her life. Together they seek to solve the untimely and mysterious death of Glory's friend, a local nun. Turpin's narration is... Read More
Graham Halstead meets the complex narration challenge posed by this audiobook. His performance provides the perfect mix of empathy and horror. Blakemore's work is a deeply literary journey based on a real historical figure. In the time of the French Revolution, Tarare is forced out of his home; eventually he joins a circus, where he becomes a freak attraction for his ability to... Read More
Having a full cast along with sound effects and music should elevate an audiobook production. And multiple narrators are nearly a requirement for this densely populated second half of the second volume in Brown's Red Rising series. The audiobook's many characters orbit around Darrow (Stewart Crank), who rises to infiltrate the upper crust, seeking freedom for those in his lower... Read More
Danny Hoch takes on this contemporary satire of the Hebrew folk figure called a golem--but this one lives in Brooklyn, rather than Eastern Europe. When Brooklyn-born-and-bred Len Bronstein, a secularly Jewish art teacher, molds a nine-foot golem from clay, he finds he's got his hands full. Former Hasid Miri Apfelbaum joins them to translate the golem's heavily accented Yiddish... Read More
Lisa Flanagan will have listeners questioning reality with her sharp narration of this twisty story. Three unrelated women find themselves in three separate but dangerous situations. The scenarios are representative of a cozy mystery, a teen slasher movie, and a dystopian survival story. Each woman must figure out how to escape her particular situation, along with who put her... Read More
Music piracy meets murder in this fast-paced and thoroughly enjoyable audiobook. The story features criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck and focuses on Imani Nichols, a pop superstar who is at odds with her estranged husband. Jonathan Davis delivers a superb performance, giving every character a distinct personality that reveals the depth of author James Grippando's story.... Read More
Sixteen narrators, many Indigenous, join their voices to deliver memoirist/poet Michelle Porter's haunting debut novel. Matriarch Mamé, voiced by actor Tantoo Cardinal, has passed on but can't settle in the afterlife as connections to her daughter, Geneviève; granddaughter, Lucie; and great-great-granddaughter, Carter, keep her tethered to this world. Geneviève, grittily voiced... Read More
Dalia Ramahi narrates this companion to Aya Khalil's picture book THE ARABIC QUILT. Egyptian American Kanzi walks proudly past her quilt as she leads her classmates to the library. But the display of diverse books there is now empty: They've been banned. Ramahi captures the dismay of both children and educators, with plaintive music underscoring their shock. Back in the... Read More
Golden Voice narrator Robin Miles's evocative performance of Cristina Henríquez's novel about the building of the Panama Canal takes its time, which feels right for a book with many threads. Set midway through the canal's multi year construction, the plot follows several central characters as they navigate personal dramas and canal-related crises. Miles's lovely, warm voice... Read More
Tavia Gilbert, who has narrated works by this author twice before, clearly gets her informed and impassioned voice and neatly emulates her literary style. Gilbert's even tone captures the seriousness of this ambitious endeavor. Kakutani offers listeners a version of cultural history that entwines two phenomena--radical disruptions in media and the arts and the rise of the... Read More
Narrators Natalie Beran and Jackson Bliss portray queer Russian-Maori siblings Greta and Valdin in this wise, hilarious novel about a loving and chaotic New Zealand family. Beran depicts Greta, a 20-something PhD student who is navigating various relationship messes, in a perky, wry tone that is dripping with millennial angst. Bliss narrates Valdin's sections with a mix of... Read More
Narrating her memoir, Sloane Crosley delivers ironic humor that balances the horror of back-to-back traumas. Admitting the unlikelihood and disorientation of what happened, Crosley links the vulnerability she felt at a burgled apartment and, a month later, at the suicide of her boss and friend, Russell. Their shared history in the shifting publishing industry serves as a... Read More
In this young adult novel, Jacob Machin pulls listeners into the world of teenager Vish. When a mysterious man walks into the bookstore where he works, Vish is pulled into the world of the supernatural. There, he is stalked by the man and learns he is the key to stopping an apocalypse--evil souls who are trying to enter this world. Machin portrays each character with deep... Read More
Kirsten Potter provides an amusing performance of this small-town romance. Lolly has run from every relationship in her life but only regrets leaving her high school boyfriend, Shaun, in the way that she did. Now that he's back in Sweet Home, Alaska, every neighbor in the community is divided between keeping them apart or getting them together. The romance and awkward... Read More
A duo of narrators present a series of events that threaten to upend an English-Irish couple's wedding. Listeners learn about the happy couple, Celine and Luke, in part through the perspectives of their close friends, former lovers, and family. Ayoola Smart's understated performance of the droll humor and nimble shifts in tone presents listeners with multiple angles of the... Read More
Kate Bowler's narration of her own title is a soothing balm for anyone who is struggling with the daily work of living in the midst of feeling broken. The poignancy of her audiobook comes from both her written words and from their brevity. She is firm in her convictions, as well as graceful in her speech, at a time when listeners may be struggling through their worst moments.... Read More
Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are celebrated in this moving, inspirational audiobook. Karen Chilton, Adam Lazarre-White, and original contributors, including author Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, narrate passages about what brought individual students to HBCUs and how their lives were changed. The result is a seamless listening experience. Contributors... Read More
An ensemble of narrators enhances this thriller's absorbing quality. Ruby has been shrouded in mystery since she was abducted at the age of four and returned to her family eight months later. In a series of letters, Ruby discusses the abduction, her wealth, and four deceased husbands. In alternating points of view, listeners learn why Ruby's son, Cam, is reluctant to claim his... Read More
Amanda Dolan brings to life CIA agent Amanda Cole, who during her posting in Rome uncovers a Russian plot with far-reaching ties that potentially involve her father, a former CIA agent. Determined to establish the truth about what's going on, Amanda is drawn into a complex conspiracy that involves unmasking double agents and countering acts of treason while uncovering more... Read More
Shaun Taylor-Corbett movingly narrates this sequel to HEALER OF THE WATER MONSTER. Brian Young's use of his own family history and Navajo spiritual figures brings added dimension to this story. First, listeners meet Nathan, the new guardian of Dew, a young water monster who is learning traditional songs to create water for parched Phoenix. Taylor-Corbett perfectly contrasts the... Read More
Samuel Johnson's brief 1759 tale is about a Prince of Abyssinia who escapes the restrictions of a cloistered kingdom to find his own way in life. It's more a philosophical examination of the good life than a novel. Peter Wickham's mature, lightly raspy but still pleasing voice; British accent; and clear, precise narration suit the period prose. He doesn't vary character voices... Read More
Ayse Babahan thoughtfully narrates this coming-of-age story. Ada feels forever suspended between two states of being. She is one person during the school year in California and another during summers spent with her mother and grandmother in a holiday villa along the Turkish coast. In her nineteenth year, when a chance encounter occurs and an old romance rekindles, all the... Read More
Jeffrey Toobin gives a thorough, detailed, yet quickly moving account of Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh's life, beliefs, actions, and death--and how his credo lives on in current right-wing extremism. Like his text, Toobin's narration is brisk, clear, and free of adornment. His guy-next-door manner keeps the material approachable and the focus on the story. No emotional... Read More
Richard Blanco, a Cuban American poet, narrates an intimate collection of poems that reflect on humanity, home, family, identity, and healing. His voice is deep and intense. He enunciates words in English and Spanish with clarity and steadiness. Many endearing moments are conveyed in his tone as he depicts different characters in his life--sometimes his mother, grandmother, and... Read More
When a nice Midwestern mom loses pound after pound, devours carrot sticks, shuns Fritos, and quits baking cookies for her four sons, it could be a sign of impending disaster. Narrator Emily Ellet introduces listeners to Jackie, who revels in her new thin, seductive body. Ellet's Jackie has an earthy, insouciant personality. The story is about two next-door families who are... Read More
Pop culture drag star RuPaul's soft narration opens with sensory details that evoke the power of memory. His gentle voice allows listeners to enter early scenes of his life in San Diego that are not always easy--waiting for his father who never shows up, arriving home for lunch to find a locked door. Within those scenes are wise reflections about the world around him and his... Read More
This timely audiobook on migration translates extremely well to audio due to its straightforward organization and clear summaries of statistical material. Matthew Spencer's measured pacing and professorial tone are well suited to represent the author, a Dutch sociologist who is director of Oxford University's International Migration Institute. The audiobook begins with precise... Read More
Hip-hop artist Tony Keith, Jr., narrates his free-verse coming-of-age memoir. His pacing and tone allow listeners to feel the power of his words and imagine his world. His skill as a narrator is evident as he delivers lyrical imagery mixed with dialect. Sound effects illuminate the poems' themes: Drums aid listeners in picturing the richness of African imagery in one poem; in... Read More
Scintillating poetry from Sappho and examinations of Pythagoras's and Homer's lives and ideas are just some of the material that makes up this fascinating audiobook. Narrator Leighton Pugh introduces the literature, art, and thinking of these and other early Greeks. He connects their lives and theories with those of some of our Western thinkers whose own philosophies are rooted... Read More
History buffs will relish this well-narrated history of Britain's wartime disinformation campaign against Germany, but it also speaks to a broader listenership. The author is Ukrainian born, a respected British journalist, and a disinformation expert. He focuses on Thomas Sefton Delmer, a Britisher born and raised in Germany, and a master of German speech and slang. Delmer's... Read More
Lindsey Dorcus and Gail Shalan's wonderfully matched dual narration gives a satisfying emotional fullness to this warmhearted contemporary romance set on the sneaker-streaked hardwood courts of Tennessee. When former professional basketball player Elle Cochrane takes in her cousin's daughter, Vanessa, it draws her reluctantly back into the basketball world. Recognizing the... Read More
Narrator Ariel Blake captures the climate-devastated, AI-driven world of this novel. From the opening scene, Phillips raises the stakes continually as May, a desperate mother, sells her face to be used in an experiment. The city is run by intelligent robots called "hums," and without her face, May is unrecognizable by them. Blake's steady voices for the hums add a sense of cool... Read More
Not every listener has felt that Tana French's stand-alone novels have lived up to the pleasures of her psychologically shrewd Dublin Murder Squad series, but THE HUNTER marks a return to form, at least in Roger Clark's thrilling audio performance. Here Cal Hooper, an American emigré like French herself, has moved to a ferociously insular Irish village. He's a retired Chicago... Read More
Memoirs are often best when they're read by the author, and Lucy Sante's intimate and poignant account of her journey from assigned-male-at-birth to female-presenting is sometimes raw, sometimes soft, and altogether genuine. Her own voice delivering vignettes from her life resonates with authenticity. Sante's lifelong success as a writer comes through in her near-poetic... Read More
Janet Metzger exuberantly introduces life at Dickory Dock Harbor, its (mostly) likable residents, and their quirky lifestyles. Listeners meet young New Jersey visitor Frankie, who is spending the summer there. Since she's on probation, she must send her judge a weekly essay on what she's learned. It's a pleasure to hear her reflections. Frankie befriends realistically portrayed... Read More
Narrators Michael Crouch, Carlotta Brentan, and Sigrid Zeiner narrate this hopeful story of love past and present. Shosh and Evan lead aimless lives until they are brought together by a song only they can hear. Brentan crafts a weary, sardonic voice for Shosh, a former theater star who is struggling with alcoholism and grief. The song leads her to Evan, a teenager whose anxiety... Read More
This delightful fantasy novel about a teenage witch in a poor English village is wonderfully told by Indira Varma in her charming British accent. The 38th installment in Pratchett's Discworld series features 15-year-old Tiffany Aching, who is trying to live up to her duties as a young witch. When an old witch retires, she tries her best to comfort the poor when she can, and... Read More
Julianna Baggott has written a timely and compelling collection of short stories covering a variety of speculative fiction themes, many of which are reminiscent of episodes of the dystopian science-fiction show "Black Mirror." A bevy of talented narrators deliver the stories, which have intriguing themes, such as a romantic credit score that renders some individuals banned from... Read More
Nicky Endres delivers this urban fantasy, making it sound like they are speaking directly to the listener. Magic has been monetized--with strict legal requirements and the call-center corporation One Wizard filtering all magical requests. Journeyman Wen is burned out from fielding angry customer calls and appeasing senior mages. But when a frantic call from a young man who is... Read More
This classic postapocalyptic science-fiction novel is newly brought to life through the stunning narration of Ron Butler. Ron's years of experience as a voice actor shine in this sensitive and meaningful performance. Combining Octavia Butler's imagination, creativity, and expansive views with Ron Butler's narration--simultaneously very deep and matter of fact--creates a... Read More
These six funny, tender, and romantic stories, full of promising beginnings and well-developed characters, are performed by eight talented narrators. Christina Lauren's meet-cute is a strong start to the collection. A high schooler accidentally emails another student instead of a teacher and begins a correspondence tradition on Valentine's Day. Marli Watson and Andrew Gibson... Read More
Rich Miller gives a solid narration of this history of the United States' transition from the post-WWII alliance to the beginning of the Cold War in 1949-50. Bunker shows us the people who made history with all of their foibles, hypocrisy, and human flaws. All of them are very human beings filled with confidence and, all too often, not much wisdom. My father and mother both... Read More
Piper Goodeve is excellent as Natalie Marx, the young Jewish girl who narrates this upbeat, humorous audiobook. Hoping to book a stay at the Inn at Lake Devine, the Marxes are rebuffed by proprietor Ingrid Berry, who tells them that all their guests are Gentiles. Natalie snags an invitation from a non-Jewish friend, Robin Fife, and spends the summer of 1960 at the inn with the... Read More
Narrator Kit Griffiths embodies three London women in this novel about witches and curses. Zara wants to bring her sister back to life, Jude is looking to undo a self-administered curse gone wrong, and witch Emer writes powerful invocations. When some of Emer's customers are murdered, all three women come together to solve the mystery before one of them is next. Listeners will... Read More
Helen Laser transports listeners to New York City in 1939 to hear the story of jazz club cigarette girl Giddy Brodsky, who is determined to make a success of her new life in America after a horrific pogrom forced her family to flee Russia. Laser's excellent characterization and spot-on timing build tension as Giddy has a chance encounter with one of the Cossacks who carried out... Read More
Anishinaabe performer Jennifer Bobiwash returns as Jo Jo Makoons, an ebullient Ojibwe first grader. Jo Jo's class is studying healthy foods, but when a snowstorm closes school, Jo Jo and her reservation friends get to celebrate their first snow day. Jo Jo tells her tale in the first person, and Bobiwash infuses her performance with just the right combination of childish... Read More
Through this audiobook, listeners will come to see Civil Rights pioneer John Lewis as a living bridge from Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., to President Barack Obama. The force behind the concept of "good trouble," Lewis was inspired to become a minister and to join the Civil Rights movement after hearing King preach over the radio. Lewis was just a boy at the time. His life,... Read More
Nikki Massoud narrates the first-person story of Iranian American Mitra, who has little expectation of friendships when she enters a Catholic school. But four years later, she and her best friend, Bea, have written 13 books of poetry together and fallen in love. Massoud's narration realizes the vulnerability of a girl full of questions: Can she allow her drug-addicted mother to... Read More
Narrators Jason Clarke and Samantha Cook team up to breathe life into the romance between Hadley Stevens and Zach Dare. Years ago, Hadley was supposed to be Zach's date for the prom when she and her family were whisked away into the Federal Witness Protection Program. Now her father is in trouble again, and Hadley turns to Zach for help. Cook reveals Hadley's trepidation about... Read More
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