New Reviews by Title: P-T

André Santana's narration matches the somber tone of this novel in which a Jamaican mother visits her nearly estranged gay son. Frequent flashbacks to the mother and son's often joyless lives lend insight to their tense exchanges. In the two weeks that follow, the mother works on mending their relationship; at the same time, the son realizes he has more friends than he... Read More

Sounding majestic, theatrical, and ever so slightly sinister, veteran BBC actor Andrew Wincott has just the right voice to introduce the listener to three key selections of one of the greatest works of English literature. In this 17th-century work, Milton masterfully combines classical mythology, epic narrative, and biblical allusions to present Satan as a flawed, demanding... Read More

The compelling voice of skilled narrator Almarie Guerra transports listeners to the physical and spiritual world of a Taino village in early 1500s Cuba, where the supernatural is ever present in daily life. After Spanish forces attack the village, four young survivors undertake a grueling quest to preserve the Tainos' sacred heritage. Three are from different Indigenous... Read More

When a gay bipolar doctor concludes that the death of his boss, his archenemy, may have been foul play, his life begins to go crazy. And nobody does "crazy" better than voice-over magician Andy Serkis. Serkis matches the rhythm and satirical tone in what can only be called "comic British noir." Besides performing Scottish and posh British accents, Serkis adds a dead-on voice... Read More

"Dear Borrower," sighs narrator Chanté McCormick, voicing the exasperated, exhausted Jada, a 30-something Black woman who has defaulted on her student loans after having lost her job at the mall. College was supposed to be the answer to every question you have at age 18. In her sassy narration, McCormick invites listeners into a perilous and absurd alternate reality for student... Read More

Narrators Madeleine Curry and Valerie Gutierrez provide lively voices for a story that takes place in a multiverse. Two girls live in parallel versions of a town called Rockdale. Twelve-year-old Piper lives with her parents and her robot dog, Roody. Raisa lives in the parallel Rockdale with parents who are scientists. Each girl is on a mission: Raisa transports herself to... Read More

Rachanee Lumayno performs one of the most fascinating and unique novels of the year with skill equal to the quality of the book. Lumayno breathlessly delivers a truly frightening story about an early video game that is too powerful to resist. Her dynamic rendering makes this audiobook as current as today's scary headlines on the future of AI. In the novel, Andi, an aloof... Read More

Karen Murray performs this must-listen biography of one of America's greatest writers. Science fiction and fantasy author Octavia Butler was an early trailblazer of Afrofuturism. Morris highlights how Butler's identity as a working-class Black woman informed her writing throughout her career. She was a deep thinker, ruminating on big questions around the foundation of American... Read More

Michael Connelly proves that the criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller, aka the Lincoln Lawyer, has successfully jumped to the civil side with this riveting courtroom drama. Narrator Peter Giles, the voice for the series, smoothly shifts among male and female characters, embodying figures as varied as a troubled teenager and a seductive digital AI companion. Connelly's plot... Read More

Eric Mok returns to narrate this sequel to WITCH KING, bringing back all of his wonderfully varied British accents for the large cast. The narrative jumps back and forth between two timelines: In the past, immortal demon Kaiisteron and Prince-heir Bishasha advance against the powerful, subjugating Heirarchs; years later in the present day, long after the war is over, Kai and... Read More

Narrator Ari Fliakos brings a compassionate tone and exquisite pacing to Irving's sequel to THE CIDER HOUSE RULES--40 years in the making. Complicated, quirky, and enigmatic characters highlight this exploration of anti-Semitism and how Esther Nacht, a Viennese-born Jewish orphan, ends up at an orphanage in St. Cloud's, Maine, where Dr. Wilbur Larch takes her in. Fliakos... Read More

Deaf poet Raymond Antrobus dazzles in this spellbinding account of his life as a mixed-race young man from East London. Born to an English mother and a Jamaican father, Antrobus always felt out of place. When he was 6, a doctor explained that he was deaf. Finding poetry revolutionized his relationship to sound and gave him the confidence to embrace his life as a member of the... Read More

Jason Culp offers an excellent, well-toned, and enthusiastic narration, complete with spot-on imitations of Austrian-born director Billy Wilder, in this well-researched examination of the iconic 1950s Paramount film SUNSET BOULEVARD. The movie features Gloria Swanson as the faded silent screen star Norma Desmond. Culp's breaths at the ends of sentences distract slightly, but... Read More

John Ridge, son of a Cherokee leader, finds himself at odds with the Christian values he's learned at a New England school. They don't align with the realities he's come to observe: racism and attempts at sowing tribal division. The strength and hope in narrator Cameron DelGrosso's voice gradually fades when Ridge returns home and the brutal seizure of Cherokee lands begins.... Read More

Narrator Michael Boatman is once again a master of vocal sound effects in this third installment of the Skunk and Badger series: the ErrrrrRRRRR of a rock tumbler tumbling, the scutch-scutch of snowshoes moving over snow, the Beed-el-LOO-bing! of a banjo being plucked. Raising two precocious young rats in Aunt Lula's brownstone, Skunk and Badger find themselves in way, way over... Read More

It's not altogether certain, as this audiobook claims, that rope is the backbone of civilization. But it has as good a claim as the wheel, whose history has been forever linked with it. From the pyramids to the hangman's noose, rope has been an essential component of mankind's advance. Its many applications--or "strands," as they're called here--lead into a future in which... Read More

Narrator Michael Sheen's return to the Book of Dust series gives it the spectacular ending it deserves. His versatile skills bring to life daemons, griffins, witches, and humans alike. Twenty-year-old Lyra is searching for her daemon, Pan, who is the physical manifestation of her soul. In chapters that shift viewpoint, Sheen's emotional range and mastery of accents keep... Read More

Golden Voice Dion Graham narrates the conclusion to the Convergence Saga trilogy. Almost two years have elapsed since anti-monster riots have occurred in Boston, but the multiverse hasn't become any safer for monsters. In the monster settlement in Moon, the residents are facing a big decision: remain hidden or fight to preserve their right to survive. Many individual stories... Read More

In Claudia Gray's fourth outing in the world of Austen, Billie Fulford-Brown's narration keeps everything wonderfully droll. Amateur detectives Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney once again find themselves up to their necks in murder, this time during the height of the London Season. Jonathan has tender feelings for Juliet, but the Darcys don't approve. Fulford-Brown expertly... Read More

Eunice Wong's calm, deliberate narration accentuates what author Yume Kitasei does best--meticulous world-building. In a not-so-distant future, three sisters are growing up in a time when the oceans have risen, food is scarce, and multinational corporations rule the land and islands. When the two younger sisters discover a cryptic message from the older sister, they set off in... Read More

Amy McFadden's determined portrayal of Triss MacKay transports listeners to a flooded future Florida, where the legal and illegal are forced to battle in the mud. Using an array of accents, McFadden brings SALVAGIA's many characters to life. She bestows individuality on even the most inconsequential and elevates those to whom we grow attached. Despite the barrage of injuries,... Read More

David Timson performs Juvenal's 16 verse satires with energy, clarity, and precision. These works from the 2nd century CE are usually harsh, often personalized, diatribes against Roman--or simply human--venality and corruption. Timson's resonant voice and oratorical tones fit the rhetoric well. Occasionally, tirades are rife with homophobia, xenophobia, or misogyny and larded... Read More

January LaVoy pulls listeners into a world in which motives are unclear. Jordyn, a first-year student at a historically Black college, finds her roommate's brother--just out of prison--sleeping on their couch. While he soon wows their friends with his outgoing personality, Jordyn senses that something about him is off, big-time. LaVoy's ability to shift seamlessly between cool... Read More

One can forgive the coauthors for straying from clinical detachment and instead writing with sharp edges, flashes of bitterness, and even a touch of snark. Both have endured frightening personal attacks simply for championing science. Tim Campbell's sonorous authoritative voice has a journalistic feel, but what makes his performance exceptional is how he channels the... Read More

The author narrates this creative inquiry into tech's impact on humanity with subtle charm and the curiosity of a serious tech journalist. With the vocal charm and perfection of an AI bot, Anastasia Davidson, performs the advice and commentary Chat GPT gave the author when she asked the AI program about her writing. The stories that personalize this compelling exploration... Read More

The start of a new series, Hand and Heart, is narrated by Samara MacLaren. Grey Flynn is a knight with a magical well of power; her partner, Kier, is a mage who draws his power from her. They're childhood friends--and an extremely effective team in battle. When they embark on a dangerous mission to rescue a girl who is a prisoner of war, the odds of succeeding are slim. But, if... Read More

In a soft, melodic voice, Saskia Maarleveld breathes life into this novel set in 1895 London. Lady Duxbury, a three-time widow who survived an abusive marriage, shelters three vulnerable young women under the guise of a book club. Eleanor, a physically and emotionally abused mother; Rose, an American dollar princess; and Lavinia, a bullied young woman with a domineering father,... Read More

Narrator Eilidh Beaton whisks the listener off to a remote Scottish castle at Christmastime. Mirren Sutherland and Theo Palliser travel from London to Scotland to help Laird Jamie McKinnon locate a rare book hidden on his estate that will help save his home. A snowstorm strands the three, along with Jamie's sister, Esmé, and the housekeeper, Bonny. Beaton brings a Scottish lilt... Read More

Carlotta Brentan rivets listeners with her bewitching voice as she spins the tale of Oriana, a girl who lives in magical Luceria, Italy, in the eighteenth century. As Brentan brings Oriana to life, listeners will find themselves whisked into a world where saints are nocturnal, girls dream of being blacksmiths, and men wear powdered wigs at court. Using an individualized voice... Read More

Dan Brown has done it again--created another scintillating story that mixes real science and recent discoveries with things existential--perhaps the most existential of all. Fans will be riveted by Paul Michael's narration as the story delves into the science of human consciousness and questions of what happens to our "self" once our physical body gives out. Michael captures... Read More

These two loosely entwined novellas are set in Japan. The first, SEESAW MONSTER, is set against the backdrop of the booming 1980s. Former Special Agent Miyako must form an alliance with her mother-in-law, whom she hates and suspects is a murderer, to rescue her kidnapped husband. Pun Bandhu's narration excels at characterization; he makes the two female protagonists highly... Read More

Talk show host/comedian John Fugelsang dedicates this important and timely book to his parents, a Carmelite nun and Franciscan monk who left their orders but remained dedicated to the teachings of Christ. Fugelsang's warm, companionable voice perfectly conveys his concern that right-wing forces are using the Bible as a prop to justify cruelty, hatred, and absolute power--the... Read More

This inventive audiobook introduces seven unlikable guests who attend a sumptuous dinner in London that is hosted anonymously. The crisp voice of Jacqueline King introduces each diner: Vivienne, a bitter, journalist; Tristan, a standoffish computer nerd; Matthew, a womanizer; Gordon, a bulimic nutritionist; Melvin, a gay cop; Stella, a You-Tube creator; and Janet, a... Read More

Kathleen McInerney brings a vibrant playful tone to her narration of these seven whimsical woodland tales. Her energy perfectly suits the lighthearted spirit of the stories, making them enjoyable to listen to with young children. However, because the print version of this work is a picture book, the brief prose and lack of page descriptions in the audiobook leave the listener... Read More

In this Chicago-based audio thriller, the life of Krista Evans, a physical therapist who hosts a relationship advice show, is disrupted by a deranged follower who threatens violence. Narrator Cynthia Farrell strikes appropriate vocal notes for the live-stream professional. But, overall, the audiobook has too many lengthy renditions of the show's content to hold the average... Read More

As eminent physicists born in the 1940s, authors Lightman and Rees must be troubled by the erosion of public confidence in science. This audiobook examines the nature of scientific thinking. Christopher Grove's narration is well suited to the authors' message that scientists are real human beings with diverse backgrounds, personalities, motivations, and goals. The production... Read More

Golden Voice Narrator January LaVoy returns to the world of Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta in this new thriller in which not even Christmas morning is safe. A serial killer is projecting ghost-like holograms into the homes of those they kill. The most recent victims point Scarpetta toward a notorious psychiatric hospital and the secrets kept by some of the most powerful... Read More

Fingerprint analyst Shaw Connolly, who works in a small community in Maine, has arrived first at many a grisly murder scene. Saskia Maarleveld portrays the gritty yet vulnerable Shaw as she continues her 16-year mission to identify her sister's killer. Her obsession is ruining her marriage and obstructing her family's ability to move forward. Maarleveld ramps up the tension... Read More

Listeners will enjoy Amy Hoggart's charming narration of this fresh mash-up of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and FRANKENSTEIN. Mary is a young, queer scientist who finds the real world drab. As her sisters are entering the world of courtship, Mary is more enraptured by her deadliest experiment yet: raising the dead. While her brilliance brings her the perfect partner, he comes at a cost.... Read More

Golden Voice Narrator JD Jackson, whose tone and style elevate any audiobook, smoothly narrates NBA superstar Stephen Curry's memoir/self-help audiobook. First, the all-time three-point leader himself delivers his prologue, in which he sets forth how he became "shot ready" on the court and in life. Then, in a humble tone that reflects the writing, Jackson captures the... Read More

Award-winning performer Cynthia Erivo narrates her own memoir in which she focuses on what it means to fully embrace yourself, even if others do not. Today, Erivo is beloved for her role as Elphaba in the film adaptation of the musical WICKED, but as a child she was frequently told she asked too many questions and to stop being "too much." Performing her story herself, Erivo... Read More

Christine Brown Woolley, one of the wives in TLC's "Sister Wives" series, bares her soul in this candid memoir about polygamous life, leaving behind what no longer serves you, and finding yourself in the broken pieces. In 2010, Woolley became a household name through the TV show, which broadcast episodes of the daily lives of an Apostolic United Brethren family, the Browns.... Read More

The Finch sisters are drawn into another mystery, with Soneela Nankani returning as narrator. Remi joins Eliana and Maeve on a search for Eliana's estranged husband, Chad, after they find a severed fingertip at his ransacked home. Evidence and Eliana's strange behavior cause Remi to question her loyalty. Will this mystery unravel the sisters' new bond? Nankani portrays tension... Read More

This is a very brief introduction to the 6,888th Central Postal Directory Battalion of WWII. Jade Wheeler narrates with crisp enunciation, slow pacing, and buoyant admiration for the work of the Black women serving in the newly desegregated U.S. Army. Letters from home were a great morale builder for the troops. The Six Triple Eight was deployed in the U.S. and overseas to... Read More

Natasha Hodgson's fluid narration integrates two alternating perspectives. She depicts 17-year-old Margo's confusion and vulnerability as her train trip to a Dublin boarding school instead lands her in New Davia, a parallel world in which time moves at different speeds--a phenomenon called skipshock. Hodgson also traces the shifting motivations of Moon, a traveling salesman who... Read More

Narrators Shaun Taylor-Corbett and Renata Friedman bring to life this epic novel spanning the period from 1998 to 2014, when teen Nathanial Rothstein goes missing in Austin, Texas. They voice a wide cast of misfits whose lives intersect during the pivotal summer of 1998. At 16, Rothstein is miserable, yet through a phone-sex hotline, workouts at a boxing gym, and access to... Read More

Television journalist, consultant, and conservative influencer Emily Austen explains how to overcome the way shame and low self-esteem can keep us from getting more output and satisfaction from our efforts. She narrates with strength and determination, a fitting tone for someone whose ideas and suggestions are informed by her own social hardships and mental health challenges.... Read More

The excitable voice of Matt Godfrey will resonate with young listeners as he recounts the hilarious shenanigans of a quirky preteen named Carter. After a ski collision with his brother lands him in a wheelchair for several weeks, he becomes obsessed with spying on the day-to-day activities of the people in his town. He borrows his mother's drone to snoop on classmates and hacks... Read More

Charles Everett's deep-voiced narration gives a storyteller's tone to this audiobook. His voice combines with bright, cheery music to welcome listeners into the third tale of elderly zookeeper Amos and his animal friends. Everett continues with the caring tone established in past audios as Amos weathers windy, rainy days by knitting thoughtful gifts, including an afghan for the... Read More

In 1970s New Hampshire, 17-year-old Coleman Cooper, relatably voiced by narrator David Bryant, is receiving mental health treatment at yet another institution. He follows his therapist's advice to get some work, but when a hospital executive is murdered at a gala where Coleman is serving, he's accused of the crime and must investigate to clear himself. Emma Brace portrays Haley... Read More

Narrator Jefferson Mays, Swedish singer-songwriter Jens Lekman, and author David Levithan turn strong performances and storytelling into an unforgettable audiobook experience. When wedding singer J's girlfriend takes an open-ended job overseas, it sends the couple into fraught emotional territory. Mays balances J's charm and playfulness with his anxiety about the future of his... Read More

Gilli Messer narrates this YA thriller set in a dystopian future on Earth. Two hundred years after WWII, 18-year-olds around the world must report to government centers to have their past lives revealed. Sivon, who is unremarkable aside from her board-game skills, fears she'll be pronounced a bad soul. Instead, her unprecedented talent pushes her into the spotlight, and she... Read More

Narrator Dawn Ursula's soft voice and Southern accent welcome listeners to the sleepy suburb of Charleston, South Carolina, where nothing much goes "bump in the night." But then, Patricia Campbell, portrayed by Kimberly Gilbert, is attacked by her elderly neighbor, and carnivorous rats start attacking people. Patricia's life takes another dramatic turn when her family is... Read More

Sofia Jin's lilting tones add a dreamlike quality to her performance, which complements this story's idyllic setting on the outskirts of Seoul. Part bookshop, part café, and part guesthouse, this inspirational retreat invites soul-searching and reflection on identity and career, as well as letting go of expectations from oneself and society. Jin's gentle voice conveys the quiet... Read More

Narrator Emily Rankin gives an excellent performance of this moving story about family, sacrifice, soccer, and legacy. Sisters Mia and Cricket were raised by Liz, a single mom. Mia excels academically, and Cricket athletically. As the story begins in the present day and periodically jumps back to their childhood, Rankin creates authentic, engaging characters. Listeners learn... Read More

Narrator Bailey Carr enchants listeners in this heartfelt contemporary romance. After a mishap with a spell back in high school, Rowan Midwinter, a witch, decided to quit using her magic. Now her family has guilted her into coming home to help save the winter festival, which has no snow. She reunites with her childhood rival, Gavin, the son of the festival's landlord, who... Read More

You'd have to be insane to work at a dangerous research outpost in the middle of the desert, but for Kinsey, the scientist and team leader voiced by Xe Sands, it's paradise. This erotic female-centered story of body horror grabs listeners into its feverish grip and doesn't let go. Sands's subtle inflections for each member of the team give believable familiarity to the diverse... Read More

This audiobook, narrated by Bobbi Brown herself, traces her path from makeup artist to industry expert--from being at the whim of whichever magazines would invite her to fashion shoots to being quoted in those same publications. Brown is an engaging storyteller with perfect pacing. She infuses every memory with the perfect amount of emotion: a well-timed pause after a... Read More

Researcher, public speaker, and podcaster Brené Brown narrates this comprehensive guide to courageous leadership with her signature warmth and clarity. Drawing from decades of research and global experience, Brown offers practical insights on leading with authenticity, humility, and connection. Her personable narration sounds like a conversation with a trusted mentor--engaging,... Read More

The dark, intense cold of space is warmed by the emotional connections in this novel and by Lindsey Dorcus's expert narration. Courier Tova Lir, captain of the NEEDLE and loving foster parent of a juvenile AI, is on a routine mission when a lunar disaster upends everything. Suddenly, she's got an assassin onboard, and not one, but two, of her bot children are in lethal danger.... Read More

Janina Edwards narrates this exploration of the musical phenomenon that is Taylor Swift--her lyrics and what it is about her music that makes her both relatable and aspirational. When author Stephanie Burt created a university course on Taylor Swift and her lyrics, the poetry scholar didn't expect hundreds of people to show up on the first day. Expanding upon Burt's lectures,... Read More

Fiona Hampton creates a panoply of amusing and sinister voices for the residents of Sweetbriar, budding detective Beatrice Steele's new London neighborhood. This second installment of screenwriter Searles's engaging Regency mysteries finds our intrepid heroine ostensibly searching for a wealthy husband, while actually working with Inspector Drake at their newly opened... Read More

Sara Amini returns to narrate the majority of the second book in the Charlatan Duology. Charlie's lover, the powerful shadow Vince, lost his memories of their time together after becoming tethered to her. Amini's narration captures Charlie's trademark cynicism, as well as her heartbreak and feelings of vulnerability as she struggles with having a shadow that doesn't care about... Read More

Narrator Natalie Duke is excellent in this spooky, funny, and fast-paced listen. Twelve-year-old Maya Murtagh is on a mission to fix her relationship with her best friend and writing partner. She also wants to find a story that earns her a regular column in her school's newspaper. The perfect story presents itself when her family visits Black House Mansion, the former home of... Read More

Narrators Danielle Savre, Alicia Crowder, Dan Bittner, Matt Godfrey, and Janina Edwards bring this compelling thriller to life. Jenna, a therapist, tells herself she's snooping on her husband's texts to save their marriage. What she discovers are disturbing messages between him and his cousin, Bodie, about a dancer who claims Bodie assaulted her. Jenna realizes the dancer is... Read More

Sir Tim, who has the distinction of having invented the World Wide Web, delivers the introduction to his memoir. Then his friend Stephen Fry takes over--and what a pleasure that is. His plummy voice and English accent, combined with his enthusiasm for his topic, make him the perfect narrator. Even when dealing with the technical details of how the author arrived at his... Read More

Narrator Sagan Chen creates an energetic voice for Reilly, who works with her family each summer, running the Rhoades Family Amusement Park. After her grandpa, the park's visionary, passes away, the rest of the Rhoades family tries to carry on, but nothing is the same. Chen captures Reilly's emotions when her grandma has a fall and needs heart surgery, causing even more... Read More

Presenting this liberating guide, the author, a corporate consultant, sounds like anything but as she asks listeners to lighten up and have a good time at work. Her cute personal stories, spontaneous writing style, and training examples are infectious, making the case that we'd all be happier and more productive with a looser and more joyous approach to whatever work we're... Read More

More than 50 years ago, Bruce Springsteen set out to make an album--not just any album, one that had to be just right, perfect rock and roll. Through that diligence, attention to detail, collaboration, and long days and nights, the seminal BORN TO RUN album was created. Peter Ames Carlin narrates his own work, and he does it well, song by song. Through clear enunciation and... Read More

A diverse ensemble of narrators brings this collection of speculative stories vividly to life. Each performance highlights their shifting tones of wonder, satire, and melancholy. Ali Andre Ali and Gary Furlong excel at conjuring textured voices that amplify the feeling of the uncanny. Corey Brill's thoughtful, measured pace underscores reflective moments, while Danielle Cohen... Read More

Carol Moseley Braun, the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate, delivers the prologue to her remarkable story. Then, Golden Voice Narrator Bahni Turpin takes over, weaving Braun's journey of grit, resilience, and groundbreaking achievement into a compelling listening experience. Through Braun's life and career in law and politics, listeners also gain a vivid window onto... Read More

Narrator Eunice Wong infuses her delivery with empathy and a sense of dread as PBS correspondent Sandra dies while covering a conference on the violence in Nepal. She enters the bardo, the afterlife of Tibetan Buddhism. There, filled with guilt and anxiety over having died, she tries to save her talented autistic son, Trip, from a ruthless kidnapper. Wong slows to a deliberate... Read More

Narrator and author Sy Montgomery chronicles the life of Fire Chief, a 42-pound snapping turtle who is struck by a car while moving from his habitat at the fire station to his other habitat, where he was expected to spend the new season. Montgomery's passion for Fire Chief, and all turtles, is clear in her narration as she describes the organizations that can help them. The... Read More

GM Hakim narrates this witty, introspective audiobook set in Beirut, Lebanon. Raja, a gay 60-something teacher, lives in a cramped apartment with his opinionated mother, Zalfa. Raja's relationship with Zalfa is complex and tumultuous--but full of love. Zalfa's politically active life throws a wrench into Raja's quiet one. When he's offered a mysterious artist's residency in... Read More

Prolific narrators Brittany Pressley and Teddy Hamilton delight listeners in this romantasy featuring a merchant's daughter with a magical secret and the half-orc who rescues her. While traveling to meet her betrothed and transport goods for her father, Guinevere and her caravan are attacked. Nearby Oskar races to save the fair maiden. He then reluctantly accompanies the naïve... Read More